"'I rayther guess there's petticuts goes with them mud mashers.'
"The gal she flamed up at that, and says she:
"'I guess you're barkin' up the wrong saplin', Major, and yer must have a most audacious turkey on, not to know yer own butes.'
"Sich lyin' tuk Zeb all aback for a minute; but he combed up his bristles again, and tried her on another trail.
"'Now, you don't mean to come for to insinuate that them ere's my butes, and I not know it?' says he:
"She was in for it then, and wouldn't back down; so says she:
"'In course I do, Major, and you'd better look out fur your own leather.'
"Zeb took a chaw of his terbacky, and says he:
"'Well, if you says it's so, I'm bound to swaller the oyster; but I'll be dod-rotted if my bute-maker won't hev to shave my last next winter.'
"I seen right off that Zeb was up to the biggest kind of a spree, and I knew them butes was the gist of it; cause ye see the she-critter couldn't hull 'em in nohow, after what she'd said.