“Thar’s a day dawns when Missis Rucker gets exasperated over Dave’s ill-yoosage.  Missis Rucker is a sperited person an’ she canters over an’ onloads her opinions on Tucson Jennie.  Commonly, these yere ladies can’t think too much of one another; but on this one division of the house of Tutt, Missis Rucker goes out on Dave’s angle of the game.  An’ you-all should have seen the terror it inspires when Missis Rucker declar’s her hostile intentions.

“It’s in the O.K. restauraw, when Missis Rucker, who’s feedin’ us our mornin’ flap-jacks an’ salt hoss as usual, turns to Old Man Enright, an’ says: 

“‘As soon as ever I’ve got the last drunkard fed an’ outen the house, I’m goin’ to put on my shaker an’ go an’ tell that Tucson Jennie Tutt what’s on my mind.  I shore never sees a woman change more than Jennie since the days when she cooks for me in this yere very restauraw an’ lays plans an’ plots to lure Dave into wedlock.  I will say that Jennie, nacheral, is a good wife; but the fashion, wherein she tromples on Dave an’ his rights is a disgrace to her sex, an’ I’m goin’ to deevote a hour this mornin’ to callin’ Jennie’s attention tharunto.’

“‘Missis Rucker is a mighty intrepid lady,’ says Enright, when we goes over to the New York store followin’ feed.  ’I’d no more embrace them chances she’s out to tackle than I’d go dallyin’ about a wronged grizzly.  But jest the same, I’d give a stack of reds if Peets is here!  When did he say he’d be back from Tucson?’

“‘The Doc don’t allow he’ll come trailin’ in ag’in,’ says Dan Boggs, ’ontil day after to-morry.  Which this female dooel will be plumb over by then, an’ most likely the camp a wrack.’

“While we-all stands thar gazin’ on each other, enable to su’gest anything to meet the emergency, Texas Thompson’s pony is brought up from the corral, saddled an’ bridled, an’ ready for the trail.

“‘Well, gents,’ says Texas, when he sees his hoss is come, ’I reckons I’ll say adios an’ pull my freight.  I’ll be back in a week.’

“‘Wherever be you p’intin’ for?’ asks Cherokee Hall.  ‘Ain’t this goin’ of yours some sudden?’

“‘It is a trifle hasty,’ says Texas; ’but do you cimmarons think I’m goin’ to linger yere after Missis Rucker gives notice she’s preparin’ to burn the ground around Tucson Jennie about Dave?  Gents, I don’t pack the nerve!  I ain’t lived three years with my former wife who gets that Laredo divorce I once or twice adverts to, an’ not know enough not to get caught out on no sech limb as this.  No, sir; I sees enough of woman an’ her ways to teach me that now ain’t no time to be standin’ about irresoloote an’ ondecided, an’ I’m goin’ to dig out for Tucson, you bet, ontil this uprisin’ subsides.’

“This example of Texas scares us up a whole lot; the fact is, it stampedes us; an’ without a further word of argyment, the whole band makes a break for the corral, throws saddles onto the swiftest ponies, an’ in two minutes we’re lost in that cloud of alkali dust we kicks up down the trail toward the no’th.