“’To his joy, Easy Aaron is reetained to defend this crim’nal herd.  It’s shore pleasant to watch him!  I never sees the sport who’s that proudly content.  Easy Aaron visits these yere clients of his every day; an’ when he has time, he walks out onto the plains so far that you-all can’t hear his tones, an’ rehearses the speeches he’s aimin’ to make when he gets them cut-throats before a jury.  We-all could see him prancin’ up an’ down, tossin’ his hands an’ all in the most locoed way.  As I states, he’s too far off to be heard none; but he’s in plain view from the front windows of the Burnt Boot, an’ we-all finds them antics plumb divertin.’

“‘"These cases,” says Easy Aaron to me, for he’s that happy an’ enthoosiastic he’s got to open up on some gent; “these cases is bound to fix my fame as the modern Demosthenes.  You knows how eloquent I am about Shoestring?  That won’t be a marker to the oration I’ll frame up for these miscreants in the calaboose.  For why?  Shoestring’s time I ain’t organised; also, I’m more or less shook by the late bullets buzzin’ an’ hummin’ like a passel of bloo-bottle flies about my office.  But now will be different.  I’ll be ready, an’ I’ll be in a cool frenzy, the same bein’ a mood which is excellent, partic’lar if a gent is out to break records for rhetoric.  I shore regyards them malefactors as so many rungs for my clamberin’ up the ladder of fame.”  An’ with that this Easy Aaron goes pirootin’ forth upon the plains ag’in to resoome his talking at a mark.

“‘It’s mebby a week after this exultation of Easy Aaron’s, an’ Waco Anderson an’ the others is in from the ranges.  Yellow City is onusual vivacious an’ lively.  You-all may jedge of the happy prosperity of local feelin’ when I assoores you that the average changed in at farobank each evenin’ ain’t less than twenty thousand dollars.  As for Easy Aaron, he’s goin’ about in clouds of personal an’ speshul delight.  It’s now crowdin’ along towards the time when him an’ his clients will adjourn over to that county seat an’ give Easy Aaron the opportoonity to write his name on the deathless calendars of fame.

“‘But black disapp’intment gets Easy Aaron squar’ in the door.  One morning he reepairs to the calaboose to consult with the felons on whose interests he’s ridin’ herd.  Horror seizes him; he finds the cells as vacant as a echo.

“’"Where’s these clients?” asks Easy Aaron, while his face grows white.

“‘"Vamosed!” says the Mexican who carries the calaboose keys; an’ with that he turns in mighty composed, to roll a cigarette.

“’"Vamoosed, where at?” pursoos Easy Aaron.

“’"Por el inferno!” says the Mexican; he’s got his cigarette lighted, an’ is puffin’ as contented as hoss-thieves.  “See thar, Amigo!” goes on the Greaser, indicatin’ down the street.

“‘Easy Aaron gazes where the Mexican p’ints, an’ his heart turns to water.  Thar swayin’ an’ swingin’ like tassels in the mornin’ breeze, an’ each as dead as Gen’ral Taylor, he beholds his entire docket hangin’ to the windmill.  Easy Aaron approaches an’ counts ’em up.  Which they’re all thar!  The Stranglers shorely makes a house cleanin’.  As Easy Aaron looks upon them late clients, he wrings his hands.