Red Saunders | Page 8

kicking and roaring about his liver or stummick, or some of his
works. I'm a little over six-foot-three in my boots when I stand up
straight, and I stood up straight as the Lord would let me and gazed
down at that little man. 'Pardner,' says I, 'I was raised on cigarettes.
When I was two years old I used to have a pull at the bottle, and then
my cigarette to aid digestion. It may be conceit on my part,' I says, 'but
I'd rather be a wreck like me than a prize-fighter like you.' They're
queer; you'd think that that little fat man would have noticed the
difference without my pointing it out to him.
"Well, I don't have to mention that Loys stirred things up considerable
around the Chanta Seechee and vicinity. Gee! What a diving into
wannegans and a fetching out of good clothes there was. And trading of
useful coats and things for useless but decorating silk handkerchers and
things! And what a hair cutting and whisker trimming!
"But Kyle was the man from the go in. And it was right it should be so.
If ever two young people were born to make trouble for each other it

was Kyle and Loys.
"A nice, decent fellow was Kyle. Nothing remarkable, you could say,
and that was one of his best points. Howsomever, he had a head that
could do plain thinking, a pair of shoulders that discouraged frivoling,
and he was as square a piece of furniture as ever came out of a factory.
More'n that; he had quite a little education, saved his money, never got
more than good-natured loaded, and he could ride anything that had
four legs, from a sawhorse to old tiger Buck, who would kick your both
feet out of the sturrups and reach around and bite you in the small of
the back so quick that the boys would be pulling his front hoofs out of
your frame before you'd realize that the canter had begun. Nice horse,
Buck. He like to eat Jonesy up one morning before Sliver and me could
get to the corral. Lord! The sounds made my blood run cold! Old Buck
squealing like a boar-pig in a wolf trap, and Jonesy yelling, 'Help!
Murder! Police!' Even that did not cure Jones from sticking his nose
where it wasn't wanted. Why, once--but thunder! It would take me a
long while to tell you all that happened to Jones.
"One thing that didn't hurt Kyle any in the campaign was that he was
'most as good-looking for a man as she was for a woman. They made a
pair to draw to, I tell you, loping over the prairie, full of health and
youngness! You wouldn't want to see a prettier sight than they made,
and you could see it at any time, for they were together whenever it was
possible. Loys was so happy it made you feel like a boy again to see
her. She told me in private that it was wonderful how the air out here
agreed with her, and I said it was considered mighty bracing, and never
let on that they proclaimed their state of mind every time they looked at
each other. I reckon old smart-Aleck Jonesy was the only party in the
township who didn't understand. Kyle used to put vinegar in his coffee
and things like that, and if you'd ask him, 'What's that fellow's name
that runs the clothing store in town?' he'd come out of his trance and
say 'Yes,' and smile very amiable, to show that he thoroughly admitted
you were right.
"Well, things went as smooth and easy as bob-sledding until it came
time for Loys to be moseying back to college again.
"Then Kyle took me into his confidence. I never was less astonished in
my whole life, and I didn't tell him so. 'Well, what are you going to do
about it?' says I.

"He kind of groaned and shook his head. 'I dunno,' says he. 'Do you
think she likes me, Red?' I felt like saying, 'Well, if you ain't got all the
traits but the long ears, I miss my guess,' but I made allowances, and
says I, 'Well, about that, I don't think I ought to say anything; still, if I
had only one eye left I could see plain that her education's finished. She
don't want any more college, that girl don't.'
"'Think not?' says he, bracing up. And then, by-and-by, they went out
to ride, for Jonesy was good to the girl, I'll say that for him. He was
willing to do anything for her in reason, according to his views. But
Kyle wasn't in them views; he was out of the picture as far as husbands