that.

"Then, sir, up gets Ezekiel George Washington Scraggs, master of
himself and the situation.

"'Young lady,' says he, 'I have got you out here under false
pretenses. I'm as homely as a hedge fence, and my record is dotted
with marriages worse than a 'Pache outbreak with corpses and
burning homes. I ain't any kind of proposition to tie up to a nice
girl like you, and I swear by my honor that nothing was further
from my thoughts than matrimony--not meanin' any slur on you, for
if I'd found you before, I might have been a happy man--Well, here
I stand: if you'll marry me, say the word!' By thunder, we gave
him a cheer that shook the roof. You can laugh if you like, but it
was a noble deed.

"The girl reached out her left hand--so help me Moses! She liked
him! I took a careful squint at old Scraggsy, in this new light,
and I want to tell you that there was something kind of fine in
that long lean face of his, and when he took the girl's hand he
looked like a gentleman.

"You wouldn't think that holding a gun to her head, and threatenin'
to blow her brains out was just the touch that would set a maiden's
heart tremblin' for a man, but if a woman takes a fancy to you,
your habits and customs, manners and morals, disposition, personal
appearance, financial standing and way of doing things generally is
only a little matter of detail.

"'How will this figger out legally?' E. G. W. asked the minister.

"The minister, he was a cheerful, practical sort of lad, ready to
indorse anything that would smooth the rugged road of life.

"'Do you renounce the Mormon religion?' he asks.

"'Bet your life,' says Scraggs. 'And all its works.'

"'That settles it,' says the minister. 'Besides, I don't think
anybody will ever come poking out here to make trouble--whenever
you say the word.'

"'One minute,' says Scraggs, and he turned to the girl very gentle.
'Are you doing this of your own free will, and not because I lugged
you out here?'

"'Yessir,' says she.

"'You want me, just as I stand?'

"'Yessir.'

"'Keno. I won't forget it.' Then he put his hand on her head,
took off his hat, and raised his face. 'O God!' he prays, 'you
know what a miserable time I've had in this line before. I admit
it was nine-tenths my fault, but now I call for an honest deck and
the hands played above the table. And make me act decent for the
sake of this nice little girl. Amen.' Then he pulled a
twenty-dollar gold piece out