human
COMES A-SHOOTIN'
gpt
They--they said you were drunk,
human
They were right--partly. I was headed that way, but I'm cold sober, now.
gpt
Then leave your guns here and come with me. You must submit to arrest. They'll fine you and make you pay for the damages and that will be all there'll be to it.
human
No. I told that marshal he couldn't arrest me, an' he can't.
gpt
Please--for my sake, she pleaded.
human
If you haven't got the money----
gpt
Oh, I've got the money, all right--a whole year's wages right here in my pocket. It ain't the money, it's the principle of the thing. I made my brag, an' I've got to see it through. They might _get_ me, but they'll never arrest me.
human
Oh, please----
gpt
What are you doing here? Has he--didn't you an' Win--hit it out?
human
Oh, yes! Yes! Win is here----
gpt
An' he let you come in alone--an' stayed outside----
human
No--he doesn't know. He's up at the Camerons. I went for a ride, and coming back I saw the crowd, and when they told me the man in here was a Texan, somehow, I just knew it was you.
gpt
But, what are you doin' in Timber City--you an' Win?
human
Why, it's our anniversary! We wanted to spend it here where we were married. And besides we've got the grandest scheme. Win wants to see you. Come on, give yourself up, and pay their old fine.
gpt
I won't be arrested, repeated the Texan stubbornly,
human
Once more his eyes blazed, and his words came low and tense:
gpt
Can't you see--I haven't forgot. I don't reckon I ever will forget! I loved you then, an' I love you now----
human
Don't, don't, Tex! You haven't tried to forget. How many girls have you known since--a year ago?
gpt
None--an' I don't want to know any! There ain't any more like you----
human
Don't be a fool! I know loads of girls--and they're all prettier than I am, and they've got lots more sense, too. Please don't spoil our anniversary this way. There are twenty men out there, and they're all armed, and they've sworn to kill you if you don't give yourself up.
gpt
They better start in killin', then. Throwing back his shoulders, he struck the bar with his fist.
human
I'll tell you what I'll do--an' that's all I'll do. You go back an' tell 'em I'll pay my fine, an' a reasonable amount of damages if they'll leave my horse outside and let me go away from here. It ain't because I'm afraid of 'em, he hastened to add,
gpt
But, we don't want you to go away! cried the girl.
human
Win wants to see you.
gpt
I'm goin' away--an' far away, he answered,
human
I don't know what his scheme is, an' I don't want to know. We'd all be fools to tackle it. If that plan suits you, go ahead--no arrest--I'll just pay my fine an' go. An' if it don't suit you, you better go back to Win. This is no place for you anyhow. Let 'em go ahead with their killin', if they think they can get away with it.
gpt
If I can only get word to Win and Mr. Colston, she thought,
human
I can delay things until they get here.
gpt
Well, what'd he say?
human
He said that you can't arrest him, she answered defiantly,
gpt
Oh-ho, so he's got a record, has he? leered the marshal.
human
Mebbe they'll be more to this here business than just pickin' up a plain drunk--little reward money, mebbe--eh?
gpt
No, no! cried the girl,
human
He won't, eh? Well, then he'll shove up the posies!
gpt
He'll go away peaceably if you give him the chance. He offered to pay his fine and the damages to the saloon, if you'll allow him to ride away unmolested.
human
Oh, he will, will he? sneered the marshal.
gpt
It wouldn't take no mind reader to tell that he's goin' to pay them fine an' damages--peaceable or onpeaceable, it don't make no difference to me. But, about lettin' him ride off without arrestin' him--they ain't nothin' doin'. I said I'd arrest him, an' I will--an' besides, I aim to hold him over a spell till I can find out if they ain't a reward out fer him. If they ain't nothin' on him what's he anxious to pay up an' git out fer?
human
Oh, can't you listen to reason?
gpt
Sure, Hod, urged Barras, jumping at the Texan's offer,
human
You shet yer mouth! snapped the marshal.
gpt
They's reason enough in what I said. If they ain't nothin' on him it ain't goin' to hurt him none to hold him over a few days. It'll do him good. Give him a chanct to sober up.
human
He's as sober as you are, now, flashed the girl angrily,
gpt
Kind of peppery, ain't you? Well, you c'n go back an' tell him what I said. He c'n take it or leave it. An' while yer gone, I'll jest slip around an' put a couple of more boys guardin' the back door.
human
Will you do something for me?
gpt
What would it be?
human
Hurry to Mr. Cameron's and tell my husband and Mr. Colston to come down here quick!
gpt
Y Bar Colston?
human
Yes. Oh, please hurry!
gpt
Y'ain't helpin' his case none by draggin' Y Bar into it, he opined.
human
Hod hates Y Bar on account he trades over to Claggett. Hod, he runs the main store here besides bein' marshal.
gpt
Oh, what shall I do!
human
They ain't only one way to work it. You hustle back an' tell him to slip down cellar an' climb up the shoot where they slide the beer-kaigs down. It opens onto the alley between the livery barn an' the store. Hod ain't thought of that yet, an' my horse is tied in the alley. Tell him to take the horse an' beat it.
gpt
But why should you sacrifice your horse?
human
I'll claim his'n, an' it's about an even trade. Besides, he done me a good turn by not shootin' me in there when he had the chanct, after I tried to help Barras hold him. An' I'm one of these here parties that b'lieves one good turn deserves another.
gpt
But, hesitated the girl,
human
Yup, I was shootin', all right, he grinned,
gpt
But, won't they shoot him when he tries to get away?
human
They won't. Tell him to come bustin' right out the front way on the high lope, right into the middle of 'em. I know them _hombres_ an' believe me, it's goin' to be fun to see 'em trompin' over one another a-gittin' out of the road. By the time they git in shootin' shape, he'll be into the dark.
gpt
But, they'll follow him.
human
Yes, mom. But they ain't goin' to ketch him. That horse of mine kin run rings around anything they've got. Better hurry now, 'fore Hod thinks about that beer-kaig shoot.
gpt
Oh, how can I thank you?
human
Well, you might set up a brass statoo of me acrost from the post office--when the sun hit it right it would show up clean from the top of the divide.
gpt
Here's a couple more matches. You better run along, now. Jest tell that there Texas cyclone that Ike Stork says this here play is the best bet, bein' as they'll starve him out if a stray bullet don't find its way between them kaigs an' git him first.