I've been one of six men over-awed and robbed by THREE." "As to the over-awin', ez you call it--mebbee you know more about it than us.

As to the robbin'-- ez far as I kin remember, YOU haven't onloaded much.

Ef you're talkin' about what OUGHTER have been done, I'll tell you what COULD have happened.

P'r'aps ye noticed that when he pulled up I made a kind of grab for my wepping behind me ?" "I did; and you wern't quick enough," said Hale shortly.
"I wasn't quick enough, and that saved YOU.

For ef I got that pistol out and in sight o' that man that held the gun--" "Well," said Hale impatiently, "he'd have hesitated." "He'd hev blown YOU with both barrels outer the window, and that before I'd got a half-cock on my revolver." "But that would have been only one man gone, and there would have been five of you left," said Hale haughtily.
"That might have been, ef you'd contracted to take the hull charge of two handfuls of buck-shot and slugs; but ez one eighth o' that amount would have done your business, and yet left enough to have gone round, promiskiss, and satisfied the other passengers, it wouldn't do to kalkilate upon." "But the express messenger and the driver were armed," continued Hale.
"They were armed, but not FIXED; that makes all the difference." "I don't understand." "I reckon you know what a duel is ?" "Yes." "Well, the chances agin US was about the same as you'd have ef you was put up agin another chap who was allowed to draw a bead on you, and the signal to fire was YOUR DRAWIN' YOUR WEAPON.