"As I explains, he capers along after Todd an' reaches over an' gets
a handful of the pony's tail; an' then, wroppin' it 'round his
saddle-horn, he goes by on the jump an' spreads Todd an' his bronco
permiscus about the scene. This yere Todd goes along the grass on
all fours like a jack-rabbit.
"Which Todd, I reckons, is the hostilest gent in south-east Arizona.
Before ever he offers to get up, he lugs out his six-shooter an'
makes some mighty sincere gestures that a-way to shoot up Jaybird.
But he's slow with his weepon, bein' spraddled out on the grass, an'
it gives Dave Tutt an' Enright a chance to jump in between an' stop
the deal.
"We-alls picks Todd up, an' rounds up his pony,--which scrambles to
its feet an' is now cavortin' about like its mind is overturned,--
an' explains to him this yere is a joke. But he's surly an'
relentless about it; an' it don't take no hawk to see he don't
forgive Jaybird a little bit.
"'Tailin' a gent's pony,' says Todd, 'is no doubt thrillin'
amoosement for folks lookin' on, but thar's nothin' of a redeemin'
nature in it from the standp'int of the party whose pony's upheaved
that a-way. Not to be misonderstood at this yere crisis,' goes on
this Todd, 'I wants to announce that from now for'ard life will have
but one purpose with me, which'll be to down the next gent whoever
tails a pony of mine.
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