to; and he was so
all-round jolted that before he knew it--Kerosene getting a-hold of
his hand with one of hers, and putting the other on his shoulder--he
had his arm round her waist kind of by instinct and was footing it
away with her the best he knowed how. But while he was a-circling
about with her he was the dreamiest looking one you ever seen.
Kerosene said afterwards she heard him saying to himself over and
over: "This can't be real! This can't be real!"

What happened along right away after was real enough for him--at
least, he thought it was, and that come to the same thing. He was so
dizzied up when Kerosene stopped dancing him--she was doing the most
of it, she said, he keeping his little fat legs going 'cause she
swung him round and he had to--all he wanted was to be let to set
down. So Kerosene set him--and then the next act was put through.

Bill Hart and Shorty Smith come up to Kerosene right together, and
both of 'em asked her polite if she'd dance. She said polite she'd be
happy to; but she said, seeing both gentlemen had spoke at once for
her, they must fix it between 'em which one had the call. All the
same, she put her hand on Hart's arm, like as if he was the one she
wanted--and of course that pleased Hart and made Shorty mad. Then
the two of 'em begun talking to each other, Hart speaking sarcastic
and Shorty real ugly, and so things went on getting hotter and
hotter--till Kerosene, doing it like she meant to break up the rumpus,
shoved Hart's arm round her and started to swing away. Just as they
got a-going, Shorty out with his gun and loosed off at Hart with
it--and down Hart went in a heap on the floor.

[Illustration: "AND DOWN HART WENT IN A HEAP ON THE FLOOR"]

The whole place, of course, right away broke into yells and cusses,
and everybody come a-crowding into a heap--some of the boys picking up
Hart and carrying him, kicking feeble real natural, out into the
kitchen; and some more grabbing a-hold of Shorty and taking away his
gun. Kerosene let off howls fit to blow the roof off--only quieting
down long enough to say she'd just agreed to take Hart for her second,
and it was hard luck to be made a widow of twice in one day. Then she
howled more. Really, things did go with a hum!

Santa Fe and the rest come a-trooping back from the kitchen--leaving
the door just a crack open, so Hart could peep through and see the
fun--and Santa Fe jumped up on a bench and sung out "Order!" as loud
as he