eather party's enamoured of Abby an' wropped up in her.

"'Shore! says this pinfeather party to Texas Thompson, who, outen pity
for him, takes the bridegroom over to the Red Light, to be refreshed;
'shore! while thar's no one that egreegious to go claimin' that my
Abby's doo to grade as "cornfed," all the same she's one of the most
fascinatin' ladies,--that is, an' give her a gun,--in all the len'th
an' breadth of Arizona. I knows; for I've seen my Abby shoot.'

"'Excoose me, pard,' says Texas, after surveyin' the pinfeather party
plenty sympathetic; 'pardon my seemin' roodness, if I confers with the
barkeep aside. On the level! now,' goes on Texas to Black Jack as he
pulls him off to a corner an' whispers so the pinfeather party don't
hear; 'on the level, Jack! ain't it my dooty--me who saveys what he's
ag'inst--to go warn this victim ag'in matrimony in all its horrors?'

"'Don't you do it!' remonstrates Black Jack, an' his voice trembles
with the emphasis he feels; 'don't you do it none! You-all stand paws
off! Which you don't know what you'll be answerable for! If this yere
marriage gets broke off, who knows what new line of conduct this Abby
maiden will put out. She may rope onto Boggs, or Peets, or mebby even
me. As long as Abby ain't marryin' none of us, Wolfville's attitoode
oughter be one of dignified nootrality.'

"Texas sighs deep an' sad as he turns ag'in to the pinfeather party;
but he sees the force of Black Jack's argyments an' yields without a
effort to combat 'em.

"'After all,' says Texas bitterly to himse'f, 'others has suffered;
wherefore, then, should this jaybird gent escape?' An' with that,
Texas hardens his heart an' gives up any notion of the pinfeather
person's rescoo.

"Which Abby now issues forth of the O.K. Restauraw an' j'ines the
pinfeather party when he emerges from the Red Light.

"'This sky pilot,' says Dan Boggs, approachin' the happy couple, 'sends
word by me that he's over in the New York store. In deefault of a
shore-enough sanchooary, he allows he yootilises that depot of trade as
a headquarters; an' he's now waitin', all keyed up an' ready to turn
his little game. Likewise, he's been complainin' 'round some querulous
that you folks is harsh with him, an' abducts him an' threatens his
skelp.'

"'Now, see thar!' ejac'lates Abby, liftin' up her hands. 'Does mortal
y'ears ever before listen to sech folly! I suppose he takes that gun I
has as threats! I'm a onprote