med under the front seat, while my
liver chased my stomach up an' down my backbone, tryin' to squeeze out
a few more crumbs o' that breakfast. You can believe me or not; but
when noon came that double dyed villain got out the grub an' began to
eat--even goin' so far as to ask me to join him. A hog wouldn't 'a'
done it. We came back; about five o'clock, an' by the time we reached
the landin' place I was feelin' fine. An' hungry-- Say!

When we got upon the platform an' started to walk up-town Fatty sez to
me, "What are you goin' to do to kill time now?"

"Time?" sez I. "Well, now, I dunno as I feel any inborn hankerin' to
slaughter time; but if the game laws ain't in force I wouldn't mind
flushin' up a covey of fat young ham sandwidges."

"You're a funny cuss," sez he.

"I am," sez I; "an' I hope I won't come sudden in front of a
lookin'-glass. A good hearty laugh just now would be purty apt to
puncture my stomach--it's jammed up so tight again my backbone."

"You don't seem to like this community," sez he.

"I don't know," sez I. "It's been a mighty long time since I tasted it;
but I have an idy that I'd enjoy some served hot with a couple o'
porterhouse steaks smothered in cornbeef hash an' about three pints o'
coffee."

He chuckled up another laugh, an sez, "If you had a good job here would
you be apt to settle?"

"Settle?" sez I. "You needn't worry much about that; I'm no tight-wad.
When it comes my turn to settle I generally fish up a handful an' say,
'Here, take it out o' that an' keep the change.'"

He looked at me a minute without speakin', an' then he said, as though
he was thinkin' aloud, "You seem to be mighty well set up."

I was hurt at this. "Your ticket entitles you to one more guess," sez
I. "Any time anybody got set up in my company since I struck town the
bartender allus managed to sneak me the checks without gettin' caught
at it. The' must 'a' been a cold snap here, an' all the easy spenders
got froze up."

"No, I mean you're wonderful well built," sez he. "Kin you ride a hoss?"

"I can," sez I, "if he's kind an' gentle, an' I manage to get a good
grip on the saddle horn, an' he don't start to lopin' or somethin' like
that."

"Do you know what a knight is?" sez he.

"Yes," sez I, "I do when I'm home; but since I've been here I ain't
wasted none of 'em in sleep, so I ain't right certain."

"No, I don't mean that kind," sez he. "I mean the soldiers of long ago
who used to wear steel ar