THE TALE OF BRAZOS DICK
for me comin' along, and I never knew it. My cur'osity was too big to allow me to fall a victim to wiles, gentlemen, but I'd never been in a crowd beefore bigger than a crowd in Painted Rock at an election or a fight, and presently I run into a man as big as myself, him in the white-shirt arrangement beefore spoken of, and it appears I trod on his toes, and he swears some. So I says I was sorry; and so I was, for I'm heavy, boys, and my foot ain't a number three by no means. But he was a gentleman and no mistake, and says, 'All right, my son,' or words to thet effec', and we parts. And yet hayf an hour later the terms him and me wuz on would surprise you. And as to where we wuz and who he wuz, I leave you to guess while I hez another drink."
"Who was he, Dick?" asked the crowd anxiously.
"And where did you get to?"
"And did you and him get friends?"
"We done so," said Dick, wiping his lips with a silk handkerchief. I saw something in the corner of that handkerchief
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