Faro Nell and Her Friends.
by Alfred Henry Lewis.
I
DEAD SHOT BAKER
"Which you never knows Dead Shot Baker?"
This, from the old cattleman, with a questioning glance my way.
"No? Well, you sh.o.r.e misses knowin" a man! Still, it ain"t none so strange neither; even Wolfville"s acquaintance with Dead Shot"s only what you-all might call casyooal, him not personally lastin" more"n three months.
"This yere Dead Shot has a wife. Thar"s women you don"t want to see ontil you"re tired, an" women you don"t want to see ontil you"re rested, an" women you don"t want to see no how--don"t want to see at all. This wife of Dead Shot"s belongs with the latter bunch.
"Last evenin" I"m readin" whar one of them philosophic sports a.s.serts that women, that a-way, is sh.o.r.e the sublimation of the oncertain.
That"s how he lays it down; an" he never hedges the bluff for so much as a single chip. He insists that you can"t put a bet on women; that you can bet on hosses or kyards or "lections, but not on women--women bein" too plumb oncertain. As I reads along, I can"t he"p feelin" that somehow this philosophic party must have knowed Dead Shot"s wife.
"The first time we-all ever sees Dead Shot, he comes trackin" into the Red Light one evenin" jest after the stage rolls up. Bein" it"s encroachin" on second drink time, he sidles up to the bar; an" then, his manner some diffident an" apol"getic, he says:
""Gents, do you-all feel like a little licker, that a-way?"
"It bein" imp"lite to reefuse, we a.s.sembles within strikin" distance of the bottles Black Jack is slammin" the len"th of the counter, an"
begins spillin" out our forty drops. At this he turns even more apol"getic.
""Which I trusts," he says, "that no one"ll mind much if I takes water?"
"Of course no one minds. Wolfville don"t make no speshulty of forcin"
whiskey onto no gent who"s disinclined. If they prefers water, we encourages "em.
""An" for this yere reason," expounds Boggs, once when he ondertakes to explain the public att.i.toode towards water to some inquirin"
tenderfoot--"an" for this partic"lar reason: Arizona is a dry an" arid clime; an" water drinkers bein" a cur"ous rarity, we admires to keep a spec"men or two buck-jumpin" about, so"s to study their habits."
"As we picks up our gla.s.ses, Dead Shot sets to introdoocin" himse"f.
""My name, gents," he says, "is Baker, Abner Baker. The Wells-Fargo folks sends me down yere from Santa Fe to ride shotgun for "em."
"The name"s plenty s"fficient. It"s him who goes to a showdown with them three road agents who lays for the stage over in a spur of the Black Range back of San Marcial, an" hives the three. That battle saves the company $200,000; an", they"re that pleased with Dead Shot"s industry, they skins the company"s bankroll for a bundle of money the size of a roll of blankets, an" gives it to him by way of reward.
It"s the talk of the two territories.
"While we-all knows Dead Shot when he speaks his name, none of us lets on. It"s ag"inst ettiquette in the southwest to know more of a gent than what he tells himse"f.
""So water"s all you samples?" puts in Texas Thompson, as we stands an" drinks.
""It"s like this," explains Dead Shot, appealin" round with his eye.
"You see I can"t drink nosepaint none, an" drink successful."
""Sh.o.r.e," observes Faro Nell, who"s takin" her diminyootive toddy right at Dead Shot"s elbow; "thar"s gents so organized that to go givin" "em licker is like tryin" to play a harp with a hammer."
"That"s me," exclaims Dead Shot; "that"s me, Miss, every time. Give me a spoonful, an" I deemands a bar"l. After which, thar ain"t no se"f respectin" camp that"ll stand for my game."
""I savvys what you means," says Tutt; "I reecalls in my own case how, on the hocks of mebby it"s the ninth drink--which this is years an"
years ago, though--I mistakes a dem"crat primary for a Methodist praise meetin", an" comes ramblin" in an" offers to lead in pra"r.
Which I carries the scars to this day."
""Which is why, Dave," interjecks Cherokee Hall, in hopes of settin"
Tutt to pitchin" on his p"litical rope, him bein" by nacher a oncompromisin" reepublican that a-way--"which is why you always holds dem"crats so low."
""But I don"t hold "em low," protests Tutt. "Thar"s heaps to be said for dem"crats, leastwise for the sort that"s pesterin" "round in the country I hails from."
""What be your dem"crats like, Dave?" Texas urges. "Which I wants to see if they"re same as the kind I cuts the trail of down about Laredo."
""Well," returns Tutt, "simply hittin" the high places, them dem"crats by which I"m born surrounded chews tobacco, sw"ars profoosely, drinks mighty exhaustive, hates n.i.g.g.e.rs, an" some of "em can read."
""That deescription goes for Laredo, too," Texas allows. "This yere jedge, who gives my wife her divorce that time, an" sets the sheriff to sellin" up my steers for costs an" al"mony, is a dem"crat. What you says, Dave, is the merest picture of that joorist."
""I expects my wife"ll come rackin" along _poco tiempo,"_ Dead Shot remarks, after a pause. "I"m yere as advance gyard to sling things into shape."
"It"s as good as a toone of music to see how softly his face lights up. He"s as big an" wide an" thick an" strong as Boggs, an" yet it"s plain as paint that this yere wife of his, whoever she is, can jest nacherally make curl-papers of him.
"That mention of a wife as usual sets Texas to growlin".
""Thar you be, Dan!" I overhears him whisper, same as if he"s been ill-treated; "the instant this Dead-Shot says "Water" I"m onto it that he"s a married man. Water an" matrimony goes hand in hand."
""Now I don"t see why none?" retorts Boggs.
""Because water"s weakenin". Feed a sport on water, an" it"s a cinch he falls a prey to the first female who ropes at him."
""Thar"s Dave," Boggs argyoos, noddin" towards Tutt. "Ain"t he drinkin" that time he weds Tucson Jennie?"
""Dave"s the exception. Also, you-all remembers them circ.u.mstances, Dan. Dave don"t marry Jennie; Jennie simply ups an" has him."
""All the same," contends Boggs, "I don"t regyard Dead Shot"s sobriety as no drawback. Thar"s lots of folks who"s cap"ble of bein" sober an"
sociable at one an" the same time."
"These yere low-voiced wranglin"s between Texas an" Boggs is off to one side. Meanwhile, the gen"ral confab proceeds.
""You ain"t been long hooked up?" says Doc Peets, addressin" Dead Shot.
""About a year. She"s in the stage that time I has the trouble with them hold-ups in the Black Range, an" she allows she likes my style."
""We-all hears about that Black Range battle," remarks Enright.
""It"s a mighty lucky play for me," says Dead Shot; "I don"t ree"lize it while I"m workin" my winchester, but I"m winnin" a angel all the time. That"s on the level, gents! I never puts my arm "round her yet, but what I go feelin" for wings."
""Don"t this make you sick?" Texas growls to Boggs.