Then cometh “Muley” Bowles, “Chuck” Warner, “Telescope” Tolliver and Henry Peck, the four disgraces of the Cross J outfit. Muley, the poet, is too fat to work. Telescope, the tall thin tenor, is too proud to work. Chuck Warner wiggles his flexible ears, lies fluently to every one, and proves an alibi every time “Jay Bird” Whittaker, his boss, tries to make him work. Henry Peck has kind of a dumb way of going through life, and plays a banjo.
They sees us and don’t lose no time getting off their broncs and investigating. Muley takes a look at Henrietta and swallers real hard. Telescope stumbles over Chuck’s foot and almost falls into her.
“Will you introduce me?” asks Henrietta.
“Well’m,” says Magpie, “Miss Harrison, I makes yuh used to Muley, Telescope, Chuck ’n’ Hen. They’re jist common or ordinary cow-punchers. Cowboys, meet Miss Harrison, a artist.”
“T’ meetcha,” says Telescope. “Mr. Simpkins misinformed yuh, ma’am. My name is Tolliver—one of the Kentucky Tollivers, ma’am.”
“Oh!” says she.
“I’m named Bowles,” wheezes Muley. “One of the Oklahoma Bowles.”
“His paw was a famous man,” says Chuck. “He’d ’a’ been greater, but the posse roped him just short of the State line. I’m named Warner—a name made great by some doctor who built a patent medicine. Pleased to meetcha.”
“Speak up for yourself, Hen,” urges Magpie. “Tell the lady about yourself.”
“I’m named Peck,” says Hen. “I can’t think of any smart thing to say today.”