oman's
saloon.

"That's jest it," said Shuttleworth, "and ez I reckon that SAUNDERS AND
ME did all the disorder there was, and had to turn ourselves out o'
town on account of it, I don't see jest where SHE could come into this
affair. Only," he turned and looked around him, "in one way! And that
way, gentlemen, would be for her to come here and boot one half o' this
kempany out o' town, and shoot the other half! You hear me!--that's so!"
He stopped, tugged a moment at his cravat and loosened his shirt-collar
as if it impeded his utterance, and went on. "I've got to say suthin'
to you gentlemen about me and Saunders and this woman; I've got to
say suthin' that's hard for a white man to say, and him a married man,
too--I've got to say that me and Saunders never had no QU'OLL, never had
NO FIGHT at her shop: I've got to say that me and Saunders got shot by
Jovita Mendez for INSULTIN' HER--for tryin' to treat her as if she was
the common dirt of the turnpike--and served us right! I've got to say
that Saunders and me made a bet that for all her airs she wasn't no
better than she might be, and we went there drunk to try her--and that
we got left, with two shots into us like hounds as we were! That's
so!--wasn't it, Saunders?"

"With two shots inter us like hounds ez we were," repeated Saunders with
deliberate precision.

"And I've got to say suthin' more, gen'lemen," continued Shuttleworth,
now entirely removing his coat and vest, and apparently shaking himself
free from any extraneous trammels. "I've got to say this--I've got to
say that thar ain't a man in Buckeye, from Dirty Dick over yon to the
mayor of this town, ez hasn't tried the same thing on and got left--got
left, without shootin' maybe, more's the pity, but got left all the
same! And I've got to say," lifting his voice, "THAT EF THAT'S WHAT YOU
CALL DISORDERLINESS IN HER--if that's what yo'r turnin' this woman out
o' town for--why"--

He stopped, absolutely breathless and gasping. For there was a momentary
shock of surprise and shame, and then he was overborne by peal after
peal of inextinguishable laughter. But it was the laughter that
precipitated doubt, enlightened justice, cleared confusion, and--saved
them!

In vain a few struggled to remind them that the question of the OTHER
saloons was still unaffected. It was lost in the motion enthusiastically
put and carried that the Committee should instantly accompany Saunders
and Shuttleworth to Jovita's saloo