" Endicott started at the word. It
was the first time any one had abbreviated his name, and instantly he
remembered the words of Alice Marcum: "If you keep on improving some
day somebody is going to call you Win." He smiled grimly. "I must be
improving," he muttered, under his breath, "I would pass anywhere for a
tramp." From beyond the fire Tex continued his scrutiny, the while he
communed with himself: "Everything's fair, et cetry, as the fellow
says, an' it's a cinch there ain't no girl goin' to fall no hell of a
ways for any one rigged out like a last year's sheepherder. But, damn
it! he done me a good turn--an' one that took guts to do. 'Tain't no
use in chasin' the devil around the stump---- If I can get that girl
I'm a-goin' to get her! If I do I'll wire in some creek an' turn
nester or do any other damned thing that's likewise mean an' debasin'
that she wants me to--except run sheep. But if the pilgrim's got the
edge, accordin' to Bat's surmise, he's got it fair an' square. The
cards is on the table. It's him or me for it--but from now on the
game's on the level."
Aloud he said: "Hope you don't mind havin' your name took in vain like
I done, but it's a habit of mine to get names down to a workin' basis
when I've got to use 'em frequent. Bat, there, his folks started him
off with a name that sounded like the Nicene Creed, but we bobbed her
down for handy reference, an' likewise I ain't be'n called Horatio
since the paternal roof-tree quit sproutin' the punitive switch.
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