However, that don't bother us a bit. Arizona conducts herse'f
on the principle of everybody ridin' his own sign-camps, an' she
ain't roundin' up escaped felons for no commoonity but herse'f.
"The first time I sees this Watkins party is one evenin' when he
sa'nters down the middle aisle of the Bird Cage Op'ry House, with
his lariat in his hands, an' tosses the loop over a lady who's jest
then renderin' that good old hymn:
"In the days of old, the days of gold,
The days of forty-nine!
"It's mighty discouragin', this Watkins breakin' in on them
melodies. It's more than discouragin', it's scand'lous. The loop is
a bit big, an' falls cl'ar down an' fastens to this cantatrice by
the fetlocks. An' then this locoed Watkins turns loose to pull her
over the footlights. Which the worst is, havin' her by the heels,
an' she settin' down that a-way, he pulls that lady over the
footlights the wrong way.
"It's at this epock, Jack Moore, who in his capac'ty of marshal is
domineerin' about down in front, whacks Watkins over the head with
his six-shooter, an' the lady's saved.
"'What be you-all tryin' to do with this diva?' demands Moore of the
Watkins party.
"'Which I'm enamored of her,' says this yere Watkins, 'an' thar's a
heap of things I was aimin' to pour into her years.
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