'"
CHAPTER XIX.
When the Stage Was Stopped.
"Camp down into that char thar, son," said the Old Cattleman with
much heartiness. "Which I'm waitin' for that black boy Tom to come
back; I sends him for my war-bags. No, I don't need 'em none, only
I've got to give this yere imbecile Tom money. Them Senegambians is
shore a pecooliar people. They gets a new religion same as you-all
gets a new hat, an' they changes their names like some folks does
their shirt. Which they're that loose an' liable about churches an'
cognomens!
"As for money, take this boy Tom. He actooally transacts his life on
the theery that he has prior claims on every splinter of my bank-
roll. Jest now he descends onto me an' e'labe'rately states his
title to ten pesos. Says he's done j'ined a new church, an' has been
made round-up boss or somethin' to a outfit called, 'The Afro-
American Widows' Ready Relief Society,' an' that his doos is ten
chips. Of course, he has to have the dinero, so I dismisses him for
my wallet like I says.
"Does them folks change their names? They changes 'em as read'ly as
a Injun breaks camp; does it at the drop of the hat. This yere
Guinea of mine, his name's Tom.
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