k's hed a great sorrer? He's been yirrigatin' the hull dum ranch with
hes tears ontil yuh-ve gotter wear gum butes to git around in! Why, he's
weeped so hawd thet hes years has got washed clean for oncet!"

Holy chortled in blasphemous delight as Woolly went on: "Punk's been lef
stranded on thu shoals o' woe. He's stah o' happiness is sot 'an' thu
mune o' he's desiah won't rise no moah! Thu light has gone outen he's
young life an' he's tooken to writin' potery an' herdin' by hisself. He
was tooken thet way early this mawnin' an' hes mizzery hes been suthin'
scand'lous. He's made up a leetle pome all outen hes own haid thet would
make a Ute cry. Speak it for us, Punk, won't yuh!"

Punk sighed dolorously and rested his head on his bowed arms. Then he
raised it again and with a comical imitation of Douglass's abstraction
looked into vacancy. Holy was gurgling ecstatically, his delight finding
vent in a yell of irrepressible joy as Punk fumbled twistingly with his
bare upper lip in emulation of Douglass's impatient twirls of his
mustache.

His wandering thoughts recalled by that raucous guffaw, Douglass glared
with cold disfavor at the twain, somehow realizing that he was more or
less concerned in their horse-play. "What's the matter with you damn
fools?" he asked, incautiously.

Punk looked at him in anguished protestation, shook his head in hopeless
despondency and wailed:

"Oh! Gawd--haow _kin_ I stand it? Haow kin I?"

Woolly looked at Douglass reproachfully. "To be sworn at in thet
heartless way, an' him so young and gentle!" He put his arm
sympathetically about Punk's shoulders; Red's eyes were twinkling in
anticipation.

"Thar! thar! ole man! Don't yuh take it so hawd."

Punk laid his head wearily on Woolly's breast. Then as Holy and Red
almost cried in their hilarity, he clasped his hands and crooned with
heart-rending pathos:

"'Tis sweet tu love--
But oh! haow bitter
To hev yuh gyurl
Git up an' flit-ter!"

Douglass swore softly under his breath; then he looked meaningly at Red
and touched his throat carelessly. Red sobered instantly and felt of
something in the breast pocket of his shirt. His own fences were a
trifle shaky and the temper of this particular colt was proverbially
short and uncertain. He rose and went over to the water pail on the
bench behind Woolly as if to get a drink, turning with a world of
compassion in his eyes as Punk gasped faintly and sank back in Woolly's
arm