Keep a tame gunrunner to work for 'em that sounds like th' tricky sorta play they cotton to.
Keeping an out of control gunrunner is exactly the sort of thing they would do. 
mnli hypothesis: Keeping an out of control gunrunner is exactly the sort of thing they would do.  premise: Keep a tame gunrunner to work for 'em that sounds like th' tricky sorta play they cotton to.