“When Bill’s outfit’s fully ready to deal for blood they picks out some bright afternoon.  The Saucy Willow’s fam’ly is goin’ about lookin’ partic’lar harmless an’ innocent; but they’re coony enough to be in camp that day.  A procession starts from the Crooked Claw camp.  Thar’s The-man-who-steps-high at the head b’arin’ a flag, union down, an’ riotin’ along behind is Tom Six-killer, The-man-who-sleeps, the Wild Cat and others leadin’ five ponies an’ packin’ kettles, flour, beef, an’ sim’lar pillage.  They lays it all down an’ stakes out the broncos about fifty yards from Strike Axe’s camp an’ withdraws.

“Then some old squaw of the Strike Axe outfit issues forth an’ throws the broncos loose.  That’s to show that the Saucy Willow is a onusual excellent young squaw an’ pop’lar with her folks, an’ they don’t aim to shake her social standin’ by acceptin’ sech niggard terms.

“But the Crooked Claw outfit ain’t dismayed, an’ takes this rebuff phlegmatic.  It’s only so much ettyquette; an’ now it’s disposed of they reorganise to lead ag’in to win.  This time they goes the limit, an’ brings up fifteen ponies an’ stacks in besides with blankets, robes, beef, flour, calico, kettles, skillets, and looking-glasses enough to fill eight waggons.  This trip the old Strike Axe squaw onties the fifteen ponies an’ takin’ ’em by their ropes brings ’em in clost to the Strike Axe camp, tharby notifyin’ the Crooked Claw band that their bluff for the Saucy Willow is regyarded as feasible an’ the nuptials goes.  With this sign, the Crooked Claws comes caperin’ up to the Strike Axes an’ the latter fam’ly proceeds to rustle a profoosion of grub; an’ with that they all turns in an’ eats old Strike Axe outen house an’ home.  The ‘price’ is split up among the Strike Axe bunch, shares goin’ even to second an’ third cousins.

“Mebby she’s a week later when dawns the weddin’ day.  Bill, who’s been lookin’ a heap numb ever since these rites becomes acoote, goes projectin’ off alone onto the prairie.  The Saucy Willow is hid in the deepest corner of Strike Axe’s teepee; which if she’s visible, however, you’d be shore amazed at the foolish expression she wears, but all as shy an’ artless as a yearlin’ antelope.

“But it grows time to wind it up, an’ one of the Strike Axe bucks climbs into the saddle an’ rides half way towards the camp of Crooked Claw.  Strike Axe an’ Crooked Claw in antic’pation of these entanglements has done pitched their camps about half a mile apart so as to give the pageant spread an’ distances.  When he’s half way, the Strike Axe buck fronts up an’ slams loose with his Winchester; it’s a signal the baile is on.

“At the rifle crack, mounted on a pony that’s the flower of the Strike Axe herd, the Saucy Willow comes chargin’ for the Crooked Claws like a shootin’ star.  The Saucy Willow is a sunburst of Osage richness! an’ is packin’ about five hundred dollars’ worth of blankets, feathers, beads, calicoes, ribbons, an’ buckskins, not to mention six pounds of brass an’ silver jewelry.  Straight an’ troo comes the Saucy Willow; skimmin’ like a arrow an’ as rapid as the wind!