I'm going to stay here." The doctor gave up the effort; dismissed Drew from his mind, and focused his glance on the patient once more.

Calamity Ben was moving his head restlessly from side to side, keeping up a gibbering mutter.

It rose now to words.
"Joe, a mule is to a hoss what a woman is to a man.

Ever notice?
The difference ain't so much in what they do as what they don't do.

Me speakin' personal, I'll take a lot from any hoss and lay it to jest plain spirit; but a mule can make me mad by standin' still and doin' nothing but wablin' them long ears as if it understood things it wasn't goin' to speak about.