' quiled up at the first bend in the
burrow, an' he exultin'ly allows he's plugged him an' tharupon reaches
in to retrieve his game. That's where Coyote makes the mistake of his
c'reer; that's where he drops his watermelon!

"That badger's alive an' onhurt an' as hot as a lady who's lost money.
Which he's simply retired a few foot into his house to reconsider
Coyote an' that Sharp's rifle of his. Nacherally when the ontaught
Coyote lays down on his face an' goes to gropin' about to fetch that
badger forth the latter never hes'tates. He grabs Coyote's hand with
tooth and claw, braces his back ag'in the ceilin' of his burrow an'
stands pat.

"Badgers is big people an' strong as ponies too. An' obdurate! Son, a
badger is that decided an' set in his way that sech feather-blown
things as hills is excitable an' vacillatin' by comparison. This yere
particular badger has the fam'ly weaknesses fully deeveloped, an' the
moment he cinches onto Coyote, he shore makes up his mind never to let
go ag'in in this world nor the next.

"As I tells you, Coyote is little an' weak, an' he can no more move
that hardened badger, nor yet fetch himse'f loose, than he can sprout
wings an' soar. That badger's got Coyote; thar he holds him prone an'
flat ag'in the ground for hours. An' at last Coyote swoons away.

"Which he'd shore petered right thar, a prey to badgers, if it ain't
for a cowpuncher--he's one of Old Man Enright's riders--who comes
romancin' along an' is attracted to the spot by some cattle who's
prancin' an' waltzin' about, sizin' Coyote up as he's layin' thar, an'
snortin' an' curvin' their tails in wonder at the spectacle. Which the
visitin' cow sharp, seein' how matters is headed, shoves his
six-shooter in along-side of Coyote's arm, drills this besotted badger,
an' Coyote is saved. It's a case of touch an' go at that. But to
caper back to where we leaves Dan an' Texas on the verge of them
jocyoolarities.

"'No, gentlemen,' Coyote is sayin', in response to some queries of Dan
an' Texas; 'I've wandered hither an' yon a heap in my time, an' now I
has my dug-out done, an' seein' wolves is oncommon plenty, I allows I
puts in what few declinin' days remains to me right where I be. I must
say, too, I'm pleased with Wolfville an' regyards myse'f as fortunate
an' proud to be a neighbour to sech excellent folks as you-all."

"'Which I'm shore sorry a lot,' says Dan, 'to hear you speak as you
does. Thar's a rapacious sp