f, gave a sleeping
dog a kick that sent him howling under a bench, then spread his long legs
and his blanket-coat tails apart and proceeded to warm his back. In a
little while he fell to grumbling to himself, and soon he slouched back
to the bar and said:

"Lan'lord, what's your idea for rakin' up old personalities and blowin'
about your father? Ain't this company agreeable to you? Ain't it? If
this company ain't agreeable to you, p'r'aps we'd better leave. Is that
your idea? Is that what you're coming at?"

"Why bless your soul, Arkansas, I warn't thinking of such a thing. My
father and my mother--"

"Lan'lord, don't crowd a man! Don't do it. If nothing'll do you but a
disturbance, out with it like a man ('ic)--but don't rake up old bygones
and fling'em in the teeth of a passel of people that wants to be
peaceable if they could git a chance. What's the matter with you this
mornin', anyway? I never see a man carry on so."

"Arkansas, I reely didn't mean no harm, and I won't go on with it if it's
onpleasant to you. I reckon my licker's got into my head, and what with
the flood, and havin' so many to feed and look out for--"

"So that's what's a-ranklin' in your heart, is it? You want us to leave
do you? There's too many on us. You want us to pack up and swim. Is
that it? Come!"

"Please be reasonable, Arkansas. Now you know that I ain't the man to--"

"Are you a threatenin' me? Are you? By George, the man don't live that
can skeer me! Don't you try to come that game, my chicken--'cuz I can
stand a good deal, but I won't stand that. Come out from behind that bar
till I clean you! You want to drive us out, do you, you sneakin'
underhanded hound! Come out from behind that bar! I'll learn you to
bully and badger and browbeat a gentleman that's forever trying to
befriend you and keep you out of trouble!"

"Please, Arkansas, please don't shoot! If there's got to be bloodshed--"

"Do you hear that, gentlemen? Do you hear him talk about bloodshed? So
it's blood you want, is it, you ravin' desperado! You'd made up your
mind to murder somebody this mornin'--I knowed it perfectly well. I'm
the man, am I? It's me you're goin' to murder, is it? But you can't do
it 'thout I get one chance first, you thievin' black-hearted,
white-livered son of a nigger! Draw your weepon!"

With that, Arkansas began to shoot, and the landlord to clamber over
benches, men and every sort of obstacle in a franti