"I wisht, Ford, next time you bowl up, you'd pick on somebody that ain't too good a friend to fight back! I'm gittin' tired, by hokey--" "What--did I lick you again, Bill ?" Ford's smile was sympathetic to a degree.

"That's too bad, now.

Next time you want to hunt a hole and crawl into it, Bill.

I don't want to hurt you--but seems like I've kinda got the habit.

You'll have to excuse me." He hunched his shoulders at the chill of the morning and walked around the jail, inspecting it with half-hearted interest.
"What is this, anyway ?" he inquired of Tom.