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"Maybe that festive bunch that held up the Lewistown Bank, day before yesterday, came along and laid the hawk away on the hillside so they could help themselves to fresh horses," hazarded Jack Bates, in the hope that Happy Jack would seize the opening to prophesy a new disaster. "I betche that's what's happened, all right," said Happy, rising to the bait.
"Well, I betche there ain't no colony comin' to settle that there bench," Happy Jack persisted stubbornly. "Yes there is, by cripes!" trumpeted Big Medicine behind him. "Yes there is! And that there colony is goin' to be us, and don't you forget it. It's time I was doin' somethin' fer that there boy uh mine, by cripes!
"I betche that there blue roan over there is a good one," he remarked. "I'm going to tackle him." Andy took his cigarette from between his lips. "Yuh better hobble your stirrups, then," he discouraged artfully. "I know that roan a heap better than you do." "Aw, gwan!" Happy, nevertheless, hesitated. "He's got a kind eye in his head; yuh can always go by a horse's eye." "Can yuh?"
"He oughta be home, where folks can look after him. Mam-ma! It sure is a fright." "I betche Chip and the Little Doctor won't get there in time," Happy Jack predicted, with his usual pessimism. "The Old Man's gittin' old " "He ain't but fifty-two; yuh call that old, consarn yuh? He's younger right now than you'll be when you're forty."
"I betche Andy jest wants to see us takin' up claims on that dry bench, and then set back and laugh at us fer bitin' on his josh." "Well, you'll have the claims, won't you. And if you hang onto them there'll be money in the deal some day. Why, darn your bomb-proof skull, can't you get it into your system that all this country's bound to settle up?" Andy's eyes snapped angrily.
"Any you fellows got money yuh want to put up on this deal?" came the voice of Andy behind them. They turned, a bit shamefaced, toward him. "Aw, I betche " began Happy. "That's what I'm here for," cut in Andy. "What I've got goes up saddle, spurs all I've got. You've done a lot uh mourning, now here's a chance to break even on me. Speak up." The Happy Family hesitated.
And, if you don't git killed, old Dunk'll fix yuh like he fixed the Gordon boys I know him to a fare-you-well. It'd tickle him to death to git something on us fellers. I betche that's what he's aiming t'do. Git us to fightin' his outfit so's't " "Oh, go off and lie down!" Andy implored him contemptuously.
I've rode the range about as long as you've cooked on it, and I never knowed a man to go without his supper yet, just because he come in late. I betche yuh dassent stand and say that before Chip, yuh blamed old Dutch " Just there, Happy Jack dodged and escaped getting more than a third of the basin of water which came splashing out of the tent.
Uh course, I aim to beat him to it, but Happy never does like to have a sure-thing. He wants something to hang his jaw down over. Put your money on Billy and watch it fade away, Happy." "Aw, gwan. I betche that there sorrel " "I rode that there sorrel once, and combed his forelock with both spurs alternate," Andy lied boldly. "He's pickings. Take him back and bring me a real hoss."
Outside, Happy Jack was protesting in what he believed to be an undertone against being installed in Patsy's place. "Aw, that's always the way! Anything comes up, it's 'Happy, you git in and rustle some chuck. I ain't no cook or if I be they might pay me cook's wages. I betche there ain't another man in camp would stand for it.
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