"My yaller friend next requested me to produce. Well, now, that was Pete's money. I'd 'a' took a chance at v'ilent physicule exercises, but I see the time had come to talk.
"'My Christian friend and brother,' says I, 'before we converse upon the root of all evil, let me put you on to the fact that my name is E. G. W. Scraggs.'
"'Ah!' says he, backin' up, 'Sclaggsee!'
"'Sclaggsee!' I hollers, and we near met on the spot. 'Don't you say that agin!'
"'Ah!' says he.
"I noticed his guns was wobblin'.
"'Ah!' says I. 'You're darned right. Now, I'll make you this proposition. I got forty-eight dollars in my pocket that don't belong to me. If we let things slide by as if they had not happened I'll give you two dollars for the use of that money until Tuesday next—pay you fifty dollars next Tuesday, at Jimmy Holt's place—get me?'
"'Gettee money now,' says he, cunnin'.
"'P'raps,' says I, 'but you won't be in condition to spend it for some time.' He rolled his eye off'n me, and at that instant Mary Ann, the faithfullest gun that ever stood between me and a gentleman whose intentions weren't good, appeared upon the scene.
"'Don'tee shootee, Sclaggsee!' he screeches.