atermelon. In a few minutes every drop had soaked into the
ground and it was a thousand miles to French Pete in St. Louis.

"I had to tell Dick the truth the next morning. The minute he opened
his eyes he went for his morning dram. I remarked that we didn't need
whiskey in them parts, and being as I had become a temperance man it
was agin my principles to have any of the p'ison around.

"Wal, Dick was that mad he turned white. When he realized that there
was no way of his getting a drink for months he collapsed. Then he
roused up and said as how the insult, being a mortal one, we'd have to
settle it outside. I was looking for something of that kind and replied
that I was agreeable.

"Dick's idea was that we should use our knives and to keep to it till
one was killed or he hollered 'Enough!' which neither of us would do to
save his life. I said the best plan would be to use our fists. A duel
with knives was liable to be over sudden, while a fist-fight would last
much longer, and therefore give both more enjoyment. It wouldn't be any
trouble for him as got the upper hand to pound the other to death, and
being as the whole thing would be in doubt till it was over, the
advantage in the way of real happiness was obvious.

"After some argument Dick seed the p'int, and agreed, and we went at
it. Wal, I needn't dwell on the partic'lars. Dick put up a stiff fight,
and might have give me a good deal of trouble if it hadn't been that he
was weakened by whiskey, while I had long got rid of the effects of the
last drop. He had to knock under, and when he found the only way to
save himself was to yell 'Enough!' he done it, though, as I said, he
would have held out if he had been using knives.

"I rested from pummeling him, but told him he couldn't get up till he
had told the Lord what a mean scamp he was and had asked His
forgiveness and promised to try to live a Christian. Dick wasn't
expecting anything like that, and he b'iled over with rage. But it did
no good, and I banged him agin, good and hard, and told him I never
would stop till he knocked under.

"I had to soothe him a good while before he give in. He said he would
do as I wished and then I let him up. He wanted to wait till night, but
I wouldn't allow it, and he went down on his knees and sailed in. I
made him pray out loud, so as to be sure he put things in right shape.
Now, Deerfoot, tell me whether I managed _that_ job right."

The Shawanoe was puzzled, for the t