Page:Hell-Bent fer Heaven (Hughes 1924).pdf/52

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Mebby so, Rufe. But I’ve noticed, other things bein’ ekal, God generally sides ’ith the feller that shoots the straightest.

Oh! Cain’t you talk o’ nothin’ but shootin’ an’ killin’? I wish I could go some place where I’d never hear guns mentioned ag’in as long as I live!

You can! We can all go thar if we live right! [He hesitates and looks at out of the corner of his eye] An’ that ’minds me, boys: if I ’us you I wouldn’t have no more shootin’ matches. It ’us at a shootin’ match that the feud fust started ’twixt your two gran’daddies. [In an instant the faces of the men become tense with amazement. is conscious of this, but continues with a show of innocence] An’ they ’us both fetched home on stretchers, ’long ’ith lots more o’ your kin on both sides, afore it ’us patched up. I know ’tain’t none o’ my business

[His right fist trembling dangerously]

Then why the hell don’t you keep your mouth shut?