m Red
Dog, said wretched hamlet bein' behind Wolfville in that as in all
things else an' not ownin' no op'ry house.

"As the evenin' proceeds--it's about sixth drink time--a casyooal gun
goes off over among the Red Dog outfit, an' the lead tharfrom bores a
hole in the wall clost to Dan's y'ear. Nacherally Dan don't like it.
The show sort o' comes to a balk, an' takin' advantages of the lull Dan
arises in a listless way an' addresses the Red Dogs.

"'I merely desires to inquire,' says Dan 'whether that shot is
inadvertent; or is it a mark of innocent joobilation an' approval of
the show; or is it meant personal to me?'

"'You can bet your moccasins!' shouts one of the Red Dog delegation,
'thar's no good fellowship with that gun-play. That shot's formal an'
serious an' goes as it lays.'

"'My mind bein' now cl'ar on the subject of motive,' says Dan; 'the
proper course is plain.'"

With this retort Dan slams away gen'ral--shoots into the flock like--at
the picnickers from Red Dog, an' a party who's plenty drunk an' has his
feet piled up on a table goes shy his off big toe.

"As I remarks yeretofore it's as well Jack Moore ain't thar. Jack
would have corralled something more momentous than a toe. Which Jack
would have been shootin' in his capac'ty as marshal, an' couldn't onder
sech circumstances have stooped to toes. But it's different with Dan.
He is present private an' only idlin' 'round; an' he ain't driven to
take high ground. More partic'lar since Dan's playin' a return game in
the nacher of reproofs an' merely to resent the onlicensed liberties
which Red Dog takes with him, Dan, as I says, is free to accept toes if
he so decides.

"When Dan busts this yere inebriate, the victim lams loose a yell
ag'inst which a coyote would protest. That sot thinks he's shore
killed. What with the scare an' the pain an' the nosepaint, an'
regyardin' of himse'f as right then flutterin' about the rim of
eternity, he gets seized with remorse an' allows he's out to confess
his sins before he quits. As thar's no sky pilot to confide in, this
drunkard figgers that Peets 'll do, an' with that he onloads on Peets
how, bein' as he is a stage book-keep over in Red Dog, he's in cahoots
with a outfit of route agents an' gives 'em the word when it's worth
while to stand-up the stage. An' among other crim'nal pards of his
this terrified person names that outlaw Silver Phil. Shore, when he
rounds to an' learns it ain't nothin' b