human
Wake up, Sol, he said.
gpt
Come back to earth, you sky-salutin' circus-rider. You sure looped the loops 'fore you lit. Serves you right fo' usin' a one-cinch saddle. Git up!
human
What happened?
gpt
Nothin', answered Sandy.
human
Jest nothin'. Who was your buckaroo friend on the otheh end of the rope?
gpt
I dunno. Never saw him before to-night.
human
Pal of Jim Plimsoll?
gpt
I dunno. Nobuddy I know. Nobuddy you know, I reckon.
human
I'll know him likely next time I run across him, said Sandy.
gpt
He's packin' a saddle brand I put on him. His voice was grimly humorous, he recognized Wyatt's obstinacy as something not without merit.
human
How's yore haid?
gpt
Some tender.
human
It ain't in first-rate condition or you w'udn't be drawin' pay from Plimsoll. Yore saddle's here, yore hawss went west. Ef you want to leave the saddle till you locate the hawss, you can git it 'thout any trouble any time you come fo' it. Or you can pack it with you now. We're goin' up to camp.
gpt
Figger it's safe to leave yore claims now?
human
I don't figger we'll be jumped ag'in befo' mornin', replied Sandy.
gpt
Ef we are, why, we'll have to start the arguments all over.
human
I w'udn't be surprised, said the philosophic Wyatt, gingerly pressing his head with his fingertips,
gpt
You leavin' camp with Plimsoll in the mornin'?
human
I heard some rumor about his hittin' the sunrise trail, said Wyatt.
gpt
Ef he goes, I stay. I'm a li'l' fed up on Jim Plimsoll lately. He pulls too much on his picket line to suit me. Ef he's got a yeller stripe on his belly, I'm quittin'. Some day he's goin' to git inter a hole that'll sure test his standard. Me, I may be a bit of a wolf, but I'm damned ef I trail with coyotes. I'll leave my saddle. Any of you got the makin's? I seem to have lost most everything but my clothes. I shed a gun round here somewheres.
human
You can have it when you come back fo' yore saddle, Wyatt, said Sandy.
gpt
Where was you an' yore unknown pal goin' to repo't back to Plimsoll?
human
Ef we trailed inter his place an' made a bet on the red over to the faro table he'd sabe everything went off fine an' dandy. He w'udn't figger we'd show at all if it didn't come off. An' we w'udn't have.
gpt
There was one or two mo' staked out in the brush, 'less my hearin's gone back on me, said Sandy.
human
Seemed to me I heard 'em makin' their getaway. I suppose you don't know their names, either?
gpt
No, sir, I sure don't. An' I don't imagine they'll be showin' up at Plimsoll's right off. It was a win-or-lose job. Pay if it was pulled off. Otherwise, nothin' doin'. You hombres treated me white. There's a lot who'd have plugged me full of lead an' death. I was on yore land. Ef you force me to walk into Plimsoll's Place ahead of you I ain't resistin' none, an' I shall sure admire to watch Plim's face when he sees you-all back of me.