Part 3

McFee looks at Doughgod, and busts out laughin’.

“Haw! Haw! Haw! By cripes! This is the dangdest affair I ever went out on. I feel shore that this is the first time that uh man had to take uh sheriff along when he went to pay his debts. Doughgod opines that he’s as honest as the day is long, and that he’s goin’ to pay his honest debts if he has to hire uh posse to back him. Am I right in my statements, Doughgod?”

“To uh gnat’s eyelash, Sheriff,” agrees Doughgod. “Bein’ as I aims to take unto myself uh mate in wedlock next Wednesday night I wants to start even with all men. I owe Muley this forty bucks and I want to pay it to him. Sabe? I shore wants uh receipt, too.”

“Who in ---- are you goin’ to marry?” I asks, surprised-like.

“The new school-ma’am,” sez Doughgod, “and yuh could fry aigs on his ears. Now about that forty dollars----”

Right under Doughgod the floor seems to rise right up with uh splinterin’ crash, and Doughgod sprawls on his face on the floor. Comes uh rippin’, tearin’ noise, and from the splintered floor emerges Muley. His shirt is tore off, and he’s got uh scratch down his face, the same uh which is paintin’ him like uh buck Piegan at uh ceremonial wau-wau.

He wabbles there fer uh moment, lookin’ us over in uh dazed sort of uh way. Then he reaches over, picks up the astonished Doughgod and kisses him tenderly on the forehead.

“There’s yore receipt, Doughgod,” sez he. “Keep the forty fer uh weddin’ present. It’s worth it to see yuh win over Telescope Tolliver.”

“Win over--me!” whoops Telescope. “Over you, yuh mean--you or Hen.”

“Yore crazy!” yelps Muley. “Me and Hen never went near her! We played poker every night jist to give you uh free field.”

“Did yuh win?” asks Telescope.

“We did not,” I replies, sadly.

“Neither did I,” sez Telescope.

We all sets there and looks foolish at each other fer uh spell, and then Telescope snorts--

“Honest to----”

“Doughgod!” sez Muley.

[Transcriber’s Note: This story appeared in the First October Issue, 1917 of Adventure magazine.]