He was the wisest of the bunch on the cattle business. So I
stowed away my consolation, and made out to forget comparing Colorado
with God's country.

About three times a week this Irishman I told you of--name
O'Toole--comes bulgin' in. When he was sober he talked minin' high,
wide, and handsome. When he was drunk he pounded both fists on the bar
and yelled for action, tryin' to get Dutchy on the peck.

"God bless the Irish and let the Dutch rustle!" he yells about six
times. "Say, do you hear?"

"Sure," says Dutchy, calm as a milk cow, "sure, I hears ye!"

I was plumb sorry for O'Toole. I'd like to have given him a run; but,
of course, I couldn't take it up without makin' myself out a friend of
this Dutchy party, and I couldn't stand for that. But I did tackle
Dutchy about it one night when they wasn't nobody else there.

"Dutchy," says I, "what makes you let that bow-legged cross between a
bulldog and a flamin' red sunset tromp on you so? It looks to me like
you're plumb spiritless."

Dutchy stopped wiping glasses for a minute.

"Just you hold on" says he. "I ain't ready yet. Bimeby I make him
sick; also those others who laugh with him."

He had a little grey flicker in his eye, and I thinks to myself that
maybe they'd get Dutchy on the peck yet.

As I said, I went broke in just six weeks and two days. And I was
broke a plenty. No hold-outs anywhere. It was a heap long ways to
cows; and I'd be teetotally chawed up and spit out if I was goin' to
join these minin' terrapins defacin' the bosom of nature. It sure
looked to me like hard work.

While I was figurin' what next, Dutchy came in. Which I was tur'ble
surprised at that, but I said good-mornin' and would he rest his poor
feet.

"You like to make some money?" he asks.

"That depends," says I, "on how easy it is."

"It is easy," says he. "I want you to buy hosses for me."

"Hosses! Sure!" I yells, jumpin' up. "You bet you! Why, hosses is
where I live! What hosses do you want?"

"All hosses," says he, calm as a faro dealer.

"What?" says I. "Elucidate, my bucko. I don't take no such blanket
order. Spread your cards."

"I mean just that," says he. "I want you to buy all the hosses in this
camp, and in the mountains. Every one."

"Whew!" I whistles. "That's a large order. But I'm your meat."

"Come with me, then," says he. I hadn't but just got up, but I went
with him to his little old poison factory. Of course, I hadn't had