a lot in Texas' company. He figgers it
gives him a standin'.

"One mornin', when only a few of us is pervadin' 'round, he plants
himse'f plumb comfortable an' important in a Red Light cha'r, an'
followin' the 'nitial drink for the day goes to talkin' with Texas.

"As he sets thar, all fav'rable an' free, thar comes trackin' in a
aged Eastern gent, who's been negotiatin' with Armstrong about
business concernin' the Noo York store. The aged Eastern shorthorn
goes rockin' up to the counter, an' p'litely lets on to Black Jack
that he'll licker. As he does so this yere firegilt party who boasts
he's of the same range an' breed as Texas speaks up, sharp an' coarse,
like the bark of a dog:

"'Yere, you! I wants a word or two with you-all!'

"With that for a start he onfurls what he preetends is his grievances,
the same bein' because of somethin' the aged Eastern sport does or
don't do comin' over on Monte's stage--which they're fellow passengers
that time, it seems--an' next he cuts loose, an' goes to vitooperatin'
an' reecrim'natin', an' pilin' insult on epithet, that a-way, to beat
four of a kind. Which he certainly does give that aged Eastern person
a layin' out! Shore; he's jest showin' off at that, an' tryin' to
impress Texas.

"At the beginnin' the aged Eastern gent stands like he's dazed, onable
to collect himse'f. However, he gets his mental feet onder him, an'
allowin' he won't stay none to listen to sech tirades, tucks away his
nosepaint an' pulls out.

"After he's gone the vitooperative party wheels so's to face Texas,
an' says--mighty pleasant an' agree'ble, like the object of the
meetin's been most happ'ly accomplished:

"'Thar, that shows you.'

"'Whatever does it show?' Texas asks, some grim.

"'Which it shows the difference between a No'thern gent an' a Southern
gent. To be shore, that old cimmaron ain't half my size an' is twict
my age, but all the same, Texas, if he's from the South, you bet, like
you an' me, he'd tore into me, win or lose, if he'd got killed!'

"'You think so?' says Texas, his eyes becomin' as hard an' glitterin'
as a snake's. 'Now let me tell you something, my lionhearted friend.
Thar's brave men South, an' brave men No'th. Also, thar's quitters;
quitters at both ends of that No'thern-Southern trail who'll go into
the water like a mink. Accordin' to my experiences, an' I've been
dallyin' with hoomanity in the herd for quite some time, thar's
nothin' in that geographical bluff