He rubbed his head and made sundry exclamations of surprise.

"Huh!" said he.

"Well, I'm d----d! Now, how you s'pose that happened?
You kain't do that again," he said to Franklin, finally.
"Shouldn't wonder if I could," said Franklin, laughing.
"Look out fer me--I'm a-comin'!" cried Curly.
They met more fairly this time, and Franklin found that he had an antagonist of little skill in the game of wrestling, but of a surprising wiry, bodily strength.

Time and again the cowboy writhed away from the hold, and came back again with the light of battle in his eye.

It was only after several moments that he succumbed, this time to the insidious "grapevine." He fell so sharply that Franklin had difficulty in breaking free in order not to fall upon him.