“You? Nope. What’sa use, Joe? If yuh cuss folks before they do wrong it might do some good. Afterward, it’s no use. Yuh can’t wipe out what a man writes in the book of fate, Joe.”
“And I shore wrote a page last night, Hozie.”
“Yea-a-ah, I’d tell a man yuh did, Joe.” Uncle Hozie cocked one eye and looked at Joe.
“There’s, by actual count, seventeen blasted fools in this Tumblin’ River range—and yo’re all of ’em, Joe.”
“I admit it, Hozie.”
“You do? My God, you didn’t think for a minute yuh could deny it, didja? Huh! Why don’tcha git down? My God, I hate to talk to a man on a horse! Especially the mornin’ after. Kinda hurts my eyes to look up.”
Joe shook his head.
“No, I can’t stay, Hozie.”
“Nobody asked yuh to, did they?”
“No. Is Peggy here yet?”