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The nearer it got to noon that day, the thicker and thicker was the wagons

and horses in the streets, and more coming all the time. Families fetched their

dinners with them, from the country, and eat them in the wagons. There

was considerable whiskey drinking going on, and I seen three fights. By-and-

by somebody sings out -- ssssssssss

"Here comes old Boggs! -- in from the country for his little old monthly

drunk -- here he comes, boys!" ssssssssss

All the loafers looked glad -- I reckoned they was used to having fun out of

Boggs. One of them, says -- ssssssssss

"Wonder who he's a gwyne to chaw up this time. If he'd a chawed up all

the men he's ben a gwyne to chaw up in the last twenty year, he'd have con-

siderble ruputation, now." ssssssssss

Another one says, "I wisht old Boggs 'd threaten me, 'cuz then I'd know I

warn't gwyne to die for a thousan' year." ssssssssss

Boggs comes a-tearing along on his horse, whooping and yelling like an Injun,

and singing out -- ssssssssss

"Cler the track, thar. I'm on the waw-path, and the price uv coffins is a

gwyne to raise." ssssssssss

He was drunk, and weaving about in his saddle; he was over fifty year old,

and had a very red face. Everybody yelled at him, and laughed at him, and

gassed him, and he sassed back, and said he'd attend to them and lay them out in

their regular turns, but he couldn't wait now, because he'd come to town to kill

old Colonel Sherburn, and his motto was, "meat first, and spoon vittles to top

off on." ssssssssss

He see me, and rode up and says --

"Whar'd you come f'm, boy? You prepared to die?"

Then he rode on. I was scared; but a man says --

"He don't mean nothing; he's always a carryin' on like that, when he's

drunk. He's the best-naturedest old fool in Arkansaw -- never hurt nobody,

drunk nor sober." ssssssssss

Boggs rode up before the biggest store in town and bent his head down so he

could see under the curtain of the awning, and yells --

ssssssssss

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