"This yere finish joke of jaybird's transpires one evenin' as the cook's startin' in to rustle some chuck.The grub-wagon's been stopped in the mouth of Peeled Pine Canyon.Every gent's in camp but this yere tenderfoot Todd.Enright, who's actin' as round-up boss for the outfit--for everybody's cattle's bein' worked together that a-way, like we allers does--has sent Todd peerin' 'round for cattle, 'way off up the valley into which the Peeled Pine Canyon opens.This yere shorthorn's due to be back any time now, 'cause it's only a question of how far up the valley does he go.He don't run no show to be lost, for nothin' less aerial than goats could climb out of the canyon he's in, an' tharfore he's bound to find camp.
"Of course, knowin' every gent's station in the day's ridin', we-alls is plenty aware that this tenderfoot Todd is some'ers above us in the valley.None of the rest of us is turnin' our minds to him probably, except Jaybird Bob.It all of a bump like a buckin' pony strikes Jaybird that he's missin' a onusual chance to be buoyant.
"'What for a play would it be,' says Jaybird, rousin' up from where he lays watchin' of the cook slice salt hoss for the fryin'-pan, 'what for a game would it be, I says, for a passel of us to lay out up the draw, an' bush-whack this yere ontaught person Todd as he comes ridin' down to camp? We-alls could hop out at him, a-whoopin'
an' shoutin', an' bein' wropped up in blankets, he allows it's shore Injuns an' goes plumb locoed.'
"`You-all will keep harrowin' away at this Todd party, Jaybird,'
says Enright, 'ontil you arises from the game loser.Now I don't reckon none I'd play Apache if I'm you.Thar's too much effort in bein' an Apache that a-way.I'd lay yere an' think up some joke which don't demand so much industry, an' ain't calc'lated to scare an innocent gent to death.'
"But Jaybird won't listen.He falls into admiration of his scheme;an' at last Tutt an' Jack Moore allows they'll go along an' play they's aborigines with Jaybird an' note how the tenderfoot stands the racket.
"'As long as this yere Jaybird's bound to make the play,' says Jack Moore to Enright, talkin' one side, 'it's a heap better to have the conserv'tive element represented in the deal.So I puts it up, it's a good sage move for me an' Tutts to stand in.We-alls will come handy to pull Jaybird an' this shorthorn apart if they gets their horns locked in the course of them gaities.'
"Enright takes the same view; so Jaybird an' Moore an' Tutt wanders off up the canyon a mile, an' lays in wait surreptitious to head off Todd.Jack tells me the story when him an' Tutt comes ridin' back with the corpse.
