I saw him through the winder only this afternoon lookin over 'em alone, and I reckoned to lay my hands on 'em if I had to bust him or his desk.

And I did!" he added with a triumphant chuckle.
"And you did--sure pop!" said Uncle Ben with slow deliberate admiration, passing his heavy hand along the splintered lid.

"And you reckon, Seth, that this yer showin' of him up will break off enythin' betwixt him and this yer--this yer Miss--Miss McKinstry ?" he continued with labored formality.
"I reckon ef the old fool McKinstry don't shoot him in his tracks thar'll be white men enough in Injin Springs to ride this high-toned, pizenous hypocrit on a rail outer the settlement!" "That's so!" said Uncle Ben musingly, after a thoughtful pause, in which he still seemed to be more occupied with the broken desk than his companion's remark.

Then he went on cautiously: "And ez this thing orter be worked mighty fine, Seth, p'r'aps, on the hull, you'd better let me have them papers." "What! YOU ?" snarled Seth, drawing back with a glance of angry suspicion; "not if I know it!" "Seth," said Uncle Ben, resting his elbows on the desk confidentially, and speaking with painful and heavy deliberation, "when you first interdoosed this yer subject you elluded to my hevin', so to speak, rights o' preemption and interference with this young lady, and that in your opinion, I wasn't purtectin' them rights.

It 'pears to me that, allowin' that to be gospel truth, them ther papers orter be in MY possession--you hevin' so to speak no rights to purtect, bein' off the board with this yer young lady, and bein' moved gin'rally by free and independent cussedness.