“The Major only lives a half hour after we gets thar.  An’ it’s to his credit that he makes a statement exoneratin’ Bowlaigs.  ’I don’t want you-all gents,’ says the Major, ‘to go deemin’ hard of this innocent b’ar, for whatever fault thar is, is mine.  Since Texas Thompson picks up that dollar, this thing is made plain.  What I takes for gratooitous wickedness on Bowlaigs’ part is nothin’ but his efforts to execoote my desires.  Pore Bowlaigs! it embitters my last moments as I pictures what must have been his opinions of me when I lams loose at him with that knife!  Bury us in one grave, gents; it’ll save trouble an’ show besides that thar’s no hard feelin’s between me an’ Bowlaigs over what—­an’ give it the worst name—­ain’t nothin’ but a onfortunate mistake.’”

CHAPTER XVI.

Toad Allen’s Elopement.

“Four days after that pinfeather person,” remarked the Old Cattleman, while refilling his pipe, “four days after that pinfeather person gains Old Man Enright’s consent to make use of Wolfville as a pivotal p’int in a elopement, him an’ his loved one comes bulgin’ into camp.  They floats over in one of these yere mountain waggons, what some folks calls a ‘buckboard’; the pinfeather person’s drivin’.  Between him an’ his intended—­all three settin’ on the one seat—­perches a preacher gent, who it’s plain from the look in his eyes is held in a sort o’ captivity that a-way.  What nacherally bolsters up this theory is that the maiden’s got a six-shooter in her lap.

“‘Which if thar’s a wearied hectored gent in Arizona,’ observes the pinfeather party, as he descends outen the buckboard at the corral an’ tosses the reins to a hoss-hustler, ‘you-all can come weavin’ up an’ chance a yellow stack that I’m shore that gent.’

“The preacher sharp, who’s about as young an’ new as the pinfeather party, looks like he yoonites with him in them views.  As they onload themse’fs, the pinfeather person waves his hand to where we-all’s gathered to welcome ’em, an’ says by way of introduction: 

“’Gents, yere’s Abby; or as this Bible sport will say later in the cer’mony, Abigail Glegg.’

“Of course, we, who represents the Wolfville public, comports ourse’fs as becomes gents of dignity, an’ after takin’ off our sombreros, plumb p’lite, Enright su’gests the O.K.  Restauraw as a base of op’rations.

“‘Don’t you-all reckon,’ says Enright to the pinfeather party, ’that pendin’ hostilities, Abby had better go over to Missis Rucker’s?  Thar she gets combs an’ breshes an’ goes over her make-up an’ straightens out her game.’

“The pinfeather party allows this yere is a excellent notion, only him an’ Abby don’t seem cl’ar as to what oughter be done about the preacher sharp.

“‘You see, he don’t want to come,’ explains the pinfeather party, ‘an’ it’s cost me an’ Abby a heap of trouble to round him up.  I ain’t none shore but he seizes on the first chance to go stampedin’; an’ without him these rites we-all is bankin’ on would cripple down.’