The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-04-13
as Recalled by the Did Cattlemen and Here Set
Down by Alfred Henry Lewis. - - - y g

I ship I roominates, 'to get me of my
gyard."
- starts across to Yuba. I'm watchIn'
like a lynx: an I'm that narrowed up. II
Yuba so much as sneeZes. or drops his hat,
or makes a harvard move of his hand, I'm
doc to open on him. But he stands still
as n hill an nothin' more menacin' than
smiles. As l comes clnst. he offers I,is hand.
It's prior to my shootin' quick an ackerate
with my left hand. so l don't give Yuba
my right. holding the same In reserve for
emergencies an in case thar's a change of
weather. But Yuba. who can see it's fear
that away, Is too p'lite to make comments.
He shakes my left hand with well-bred en-
thOosiasm. Then he turns an heads tho
way into the Oriental.
LAS We fronts the bar an demands
nosepain. Yuba gives up his arms: an full
Of a jocunu lightheartedness as I realize
that l amt marked for instant slaughter, I
likewise yields up mine. We then has four
drinks in rapid yet happy alienation. An
next We seeks a table an subsidies into
seven-up.
"''Then thar amt goin' to be no dooel
between u.s." L says to Yuba. It's at q
crisis when he's Jest turned jack, an 1 fig
gers he'll be more soft an leenient. It's
to be IL eyenin' of friendly peace?"
IAN why not?" says Yuba. I've
done took all the skelps that's comm to
me, an as for you'-all. you're plumb young
an my counsel is to never begin. That
pooerile spat we has don't count. I'm drink
in at the time. and 1 don't reckon you at
taches Importance to what a gent says when
he's in licker?"
Mot to what he says" I replies: but
I does to what he shoots 1 looks with
gravity on the gun plays Of any gent, an
the drunken he Is, the more serious l reg
CARDS the episode"
"'"Well. she's a thing of the past now"
a~pIoipr VIrha can this eyepin' y0II'ra as
poplar with me as a demijohn at a camp
meetin'."
Both our bosoms so wells with with
fly, settin' thar as We do in a atmosphere
of unexpected yet perfect fraternalism an
complete peace, that Yuba an me shore
drinks a whole lot. 1t gets SO. final. l re-
fuses to return to my OWE camp; l won't be
separated from Yuba. When We can no
longer drink. we turns in at Yuba's wick
eyup an sleeps together. The next mornin'
We picks up the work of reconciliation
where 1t slips from our tired hands the
evenin' before. l does intend to repair to
my camp when we rolls out; but after the
third conj'int drink, both me and Yuba sees
SO many reasons why it's a fool play for u
to part, 1 gives up the idee utter.
Gents, it's no avail to purSoo mo an
Yuba throughout them four fevertsh days
We drifts from one drink shop to the other.
arm in arm, as peaceful an pleased a pan
of sots as ever disturbs the better element
Which we're the scandal of Tucson: veal
is that thickly amiable sech pards as Da.
mon an Pythias by comparison shore amt
on speakfn' terms. Thus ends my hrst
dooel; a conflict as bloodless as she Is suo-
cessful. How long It would have took ms
an Yuba to thoroughly cement our friend
ships will never be known. At the finish.
VEAL is torn asunder bv the Tucson mar
shall an I'm returned to my camp onder
gyard. Mo an Yuba before nor since never
does wax that friendly with any other
gent; we'd be like brothers yet only only the
Strangers over to Shakespear seiZes on
pore Yuba one mornin' an strings him up
a whole lot"