“Shay, Rayder, you come and go home with me and hang around a day or two until you buy the mine and play sweet with Annie, an’ the night of the weddin’ we’ll hev a dance and send you away on your bridal tour in a blaze of glory.”
“I’ll do it, I’ll do it, Amos, an’ then we’ll be almost brothers ’cordin’ ter law, anyway.”
“Shay, Rayder, did I tell ye I had a 210 little mix up with a woman, an’ I’m scared to death ’fear old woman ’ill find it out. I got ’ter square the deal or I’m a goner and stuff’s all off, want yer to let me take ten thousand fer few days, got ter blow a lot o’ money on weddin’, too, yer see.”
“All right, Amos, youse’s square a man’s ever met. I’ll let ye hev it.”
“Good, thet’s relief; sooner I get it easier mind’ll be. Nuthin’ like ’mediate action to relieve man’s mind, you know. Let’s take nuther drink and ye can write th’ check with steadier hand.”
Rayder swallowed another drink while Amos fumbled about the desk until he found Rayder’s check book.
“Bet ye can’t spell ten without making a crook. There now, if you can write thousand as well you’re a peachareno. Bully, now write Silas Rayder at the bottom. You’re a brother in fact, Rayder, an’ I love ye better as any brother. Shay, let’s hev nuther bottle.”
And Amos pocketed the check and quietly slipped down stairs, to the saloon and was 211 back with another quart before Rayder had roused from his drunken stupor. He poured out another half goblet of whisky.
“Shay, Rayder, de ye know about story of Guvner of North Carolina sed to Guvner of South Carolina, to effet an’ words, it was long time between drinks?”
“An’ that was a damn shame Guvner hed to wait, ought to had you along an’ famous epigram ed never been born.”