Curly’s voice was very low and his normal drawl was exaggerated.
“If you’ll excuse me, suh,” he said to Marling, “I’d admire to have you not meddle wi’ that lady.”
“Well, what the——”
“I don’t want to have no quarrel with you, suh, but there ain’t no reason why we shouldn’t understand each other. She don’t happen to know you very well, I reckon, and of course I ain’t the one to tell her—and I don’t go round shootin’ off any backcapping talk to ladies or any one else—but she ain’t the kind——”
The Oklahoma Kid recovered from his astonishment.
“You got some nerve, telling me who’ll I’ll take out and who I won’t take out. If it wasn’t for the rules o’——”
“Sh-h-h, if you please, suh. There ain’t no reason for anybody else to know——”
Marling raised his voice even louder.
“Anybody in the wide world can know as far as I’m concerned, hombre! I pick my own girls and my own girls pick me, Millie Wayne or anybody else.”
The group at the chutes had fallen silent, ears pricked.