Rattlesnakes that a-way wants to sleep till
it's fourth-drink time an' the sun's 'way up yonder. An' when a gent
goes to rollin' out of his blankets say at sun-up, it makes 'em
monstrous angry to be disturbed; an' the first he knows of where
they be an' how they looks on early risin', their teeth's in him up
to the gyard, an' before night thar's one less gent to cook for, an'
an extra saddle rides along in the grub-wagon with the blankets when
they next moves camp.'
"Of course all this is a heap impressive to Todd; an' while Enright
an' Peets both tells him Jaybird's havin' fun with him, you can see
he's mortal afraid every night when he spreads his blankets, an' he
makes a cirele about where he sleeps at with a horse-ha'r lariat
he's got from a Mexican, an' who tells him it'll tickle the snakes'
necks when they goes to crawl across it, an' make 'em keep away.
"The way this yere Jaybird manages to stampede the bunch that time
is this a-way. Jaybird comes ridin' in from the cattle about three
hours before sun-up, to turn out Tutt, who is due to take his place
on herd. Jaybird's got a rawhide rope that he's drugged about in the
grass, which makes it damp an' cold.
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