"
The Old Cattleman said no more for a moment, but puffed at his cob
pipe in thought and silence. I had no notion of involving myself in
any combat of morals or theology, so I did not invade his mood. At
last I suggested in a half-tone of inoffensive sympathy that the
West was no doubt much misunderstood.
"Life there," I remarked, "amid new and rough conditions must be
full of hardship and tragedy."
This vague arrow in the air had the effect of sending the old fellow
off at a tangent. His bent was evidently discursive, and all
thoughts of his late religious controversy seemed to pass from his
mind.
"Full of hardship an' tragedy is your remark," he retorted, "an' I
joins you tharin. Take them disasters that pounces on Slim Jim. What
happens in the case of this yere Slim Jim tenderfoot," the old
fellow continued as a damp gleam of sympathy shone in his eye,"is
both hardship an' tragedy. Which of course thar's a mighty sight of
difference. A hardship a gent lives through; but it's a tragedy when
his light's put out. An' as Slim Jim don't live through this none,
it's nacherally a tragedy that a-way.
"I frequent sees bad luck to other folks, as well as comin' to me
personal, in the years I inhabits the grass country, but this was
shorely the toughest.
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