“That's the word all through this country. A man that will do what they claim Balaam does to a hawss when he's mad, ain't fit to be called human.” The Virginian told me some particulars.
“Oh!” I almost screamed at the horror of it, and again, “Oh!”
“He'd have prob'ly done that to Buck as soon as he stopped runnin' away. If I caught a man doin' that—”
We were interrupted by a sedate-looking traveller riding upon an equally sober horse.
“Mawnin', Taylor,” said the Virginian, pulling up for gossip. “Ain't you strayed off your range pretty far?”
“You're a nice one!” replied Mr. Taylor, stopping his horse and smiling amiably.
“Tell me something I don't know,” retorted the Virginian.
“Hold up a man at cards and rob him,” pursued Mr. Taylor. “Oh, the news has got ahead of you!”
“Trampas has been hyeh explainin', has he?” said the Virginian with a grin.
“Was that your victim's name?” said Mr. Taylor, facetiously. “No, it wasn't him that brought the news. Say, what did you do, anyway?”