t
do you know 'bout Pennsylvania?"

"I was only goin' to say--"

"You was only goin' to say. You was! You was only goin' to say--what
was you goin' to say? That's it! That's what I want to know. I want to
know wha--what you ('ic) what you know about Pennsylvania, since you're
makin' yourself so d---d free. Answer me that!"

"Mr. Arkansas, if you'd only let me--"

"Who's a henderin' you? Don't you insinuate nothing agin me!--don't you
do it. Don't you come in here bullyin' around, and cussin' and goin' on
like a lunatic--don't you do it. 'Coz I won't stand it. If fight's what
you want, out with it! I'm your man! Out with it!"

Said Johnson, backing into a corner, Arkansas following, menacingly:

"Why, I never said nothing, Mr. Arkansas. You don't give a man no
chance. I was only goin' to say that Pennsylvania was goin' to have an
election next week--that was all--that was everything I was goin' to say
--I wish I may never stir if it wasn't."

"Well then why d'n't you say it? What did you come swellin' around that
way for, and tryin' to raise trouble?"

"Why I didn't come swellin' around, Mr. Arkansas--I just--"

"I'm a liar am I! Ger-reat Caesar's ghost--"

"Oh, please, Mr. Arkansas, I never meant such a thing as that, I wish I
may die if I did. All the boys will tell you that I've always spoke well
of you, and respected you more'n any man in the house. Ask Smith. Ain't
it so, Smith? Didn't I say, no longer ago than last night, that for a
man that was a gentleman all the time and every way you took him, give me
Arkansas? I'll leave it to any gentleman here if them warn't the very
words I used. Come, now, Mr. Arkansas, le's take a drink--le's shake
hands and take a drink. Come up--everybody! It's my treat. Come up,
Bill, Tom, Bob, Scotty--come up. I want you all to take a drink with me
and Arkansas--old Arkansas, I call him--bully old Arkansas. Gimme your
hand agin. Look at him, boys--just take a look at him. Thar stands the
whitest man in America!--and the man that denies it has got to fight me,
that's all. Gimme that old flipper agin!"

They embraced, with drunken affection on the landlord's part and
unresponsive toleration on the part of Arkansas, who, bribed by a drink,
was disappointed of his prey once more. But the foolish landlord was so
happy to have escaped butchery, that he went on talking when he ought to
have marched himself out of danger. The consequence was that Ar