Gimme that old flipper agin!" They embraced, with drunken affection on the landlord's part and unresponsive toleration on the part of Arkansas, who, bribed by a drink, was disappointed of his prey once more.

But the foolish landlord was so happy to have escaped butchery, that he went on talking when he ought to have marched himself out of danger.

The consequence was that Arkansas shortly began to glower upon him dangerously, and presently said: "Lan'lord, will you p-please make that remark over agin if you please ?" "I was a-sayin' to Scotty that my father was up'ards of eighty year old when he died." "Was that all that you said ?" "Yes, that was all." "Didn't say nothing but that ?" "No--nothing." Then an uncomfortable silence.
Arkansas played with his glass a moment, lolling on his elbows on the counter.

Then he meditatively scratched his left shin with his right boot, while the awkward silence continued.

But presently he loafed away toward the stove, looking dissatisfied; roughly shouldered two or three men out of a comfortable position; occupied it himself, gave a sleeping dog a kick that sent him howling under a bench, then spread his long legs and his blanket-coat tails apart and proceeded to warm his back.