THE TALE OF BRAZOS DICK
in wars. And at last I says to the man, 'Sonny, let us let up on these side-shows, for I'm weary unto death.' For the autumn round-up and all its doin's ain't hayf so fatiguin' as seein' London, and I beg you, boys, to remember it. And the day after that Cheviot, seein' I was some fatigued, said we'd go to Cheviot Caystle, and we took the cars and travelled nigh on to ten hours, and kem to his old fort, which was wonderful. In my trunk down to the deepôt I've pictures of it, and I'll show 'em ter-morrer. They give me a room the size of a cattle corral, and a bed whar it took me all my time to find myself when I woke in the mornin'; and there was hundreds of servants, and I'd a man given me to look after my things, which was mostly my gun and a tooth-brush, for I reckons to travel with little more. And then Cheviot showed me his horses. Boys, I tho't that the River Brazos horses was the last word of Prov'dence, but I now thinks different. I don't hanker to rise envy and jealousy in your bosoms, but Cheviot had horses you could shave at so bright they shone. They was big and fine, and oh, boys, I
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