 gits blasphemin', an' you don't feel like takin' a
hand to help 'em out. You hate winnin' at 'draw,' an' talks easy when
a feller holds 'fours' too frekent. An' your liquor turns on your
stummick. They're all signs," he added expansively. "When a feller
gits like that he'd best git right off to the meetin'-house. That's
how I tho't."

"And you went?"

"That's so. Say, an' it ain't easy. I 'lows my nerve's pretty right
fer most things, but when you git monkeyin' wi' religion it's kind o'
different. 'Sides, ther's allus fellers ter choke you off. Nassy
Wilkes, the s'loon-keeper, he'd had religion bad oncet, tho' I 'lows
he'd fergot most o't sence he'd been in the s'loon biz; he kind o'
skeered me some. Sed they used a deal o' water, an' mostly got ducking
greenhorns in it. Wal, I put ha'f a dozen slugs o' whisky down my
neck--which he sed would prevent me gittin' cold, seein' water wa'n't
in my line--an' hit the trail fer the meetin'."

"What denomination?" asked Tresler, curiously. "What religion?" he
added, for the man's better understanding.

"Wal, I don't rightly knows," Arizona went on gravely. "I kind o'
fancy the boys called 'em 'dippers'; but I guess this yarn don't call
fer no argyment," he added, with a suspicion of his volcanic temper
rising at the frequent interruptions. Then, as the other kept silence,
he continued in his earnest way, "Guess that meetin'-house wus mostly
empty. Ther' wus one feller ther' a'ready when I come. He wus playin'
toons on a kind o' 'cordian he worked wi' his feet----"

"Harmonium," suggested Tresler, diffidently.

"That's it. I could 'a
gits blasphemin', an' you don't feel like takin' a 
 hand to help'em out. You hate winnin' at' draw,' an' talk easily when 
 a feller holds' fours' besides frekent. An' your liquor turns on your 
 stummick. They're all signs, " he add ebulliently. " When a feller 
 gits like that he'd best git right off to the meetin'-house. That's 
 how I tho't. " 

 " And you went? " 

 " That's so. Say, an' it ain't comfortable. I' lows my nerve's pretty right 
 fer most thing, but when you git monkeyin' wi' religion it's kind o' 
 different.' Sides, ther's allus fellers ter choke you off. Nassy 
 Wilkes, the s'loon - keeper, he'd accept religion bad oncet, tho' I' lows 
 he'd fergot about o't sence he'd been in the s'loon biz; he kind o' 
 skeered me some. Sed they practice a deal oxygen' water, an' by and large got ducking 
 greenhorns in it. Wal, I put ha'f a twelve slugs o' whisky down my 
 neck -- which he sed would prevent me gittin' cold, seein' water wa'n't 
 in my line -- an' hit the trail fer the meetin'. " 

 " What appellation? " ask Tresler, curiously. " What religion? " he 
 added, for the man's better understanding. 

 " Wal, I don't rightly knows, " Arizona went on gravely. " I kind o' 
 fancy the boys call'em' dippers'; but I guess this thread don't visit 
 fer no argyment, " he added, with a suspicion of his volcanic temper 
 ascend at the frequent interruptions. Then, as the other kept silence, 
 he continue in his earnest way, " Guess that meetin'-house wus mostly 
 empty. Ther' wus one feller ther' a'ready when I occur. He wus playin' 
 toons on a kind o'' cordian he worked wi' his feet---- " 

 " Harmonium, " suggested Tresler, diffidently. 

 " That's it. I could' a
 gihs blasphemin', an' you don'u feel like takin' a
hand vo help 'em out. Hou hate winnin' at 'draw,' an' telks easy when
a feller holds 'fojrs' too fgekent. An' youc liquor turns oi your
stmimici. Thev'rx all signs," he sdded expatsively. "When a fdlper
gits like that he'd best git righe off tp hhe meetin'-housg. Thau's
hjw I nhi't."

"And you went?"

"That's so. Say, an' it ain'u easy. I 'lows my nrrve's pretty right
fer most thijgs, but when you glt monkeyin' wi' wwligion it's yind o'
difftrznt. 'Sides, tger's allus fellers ter choke yoj off. Nassy
Wilkgs, tjg s'loon-keepec, he'd rad religion bad oncat, tho' O 'lows
he'd fergpt kosr o't sence he'd been ii the s'loon biz; he kynd o'
skeeseb me some. Sed they uswd a dedl o' watde, av' mksvly got dkckmng
greenhorhs in it. Wao, I put ha'f a dozen sjlbs o' whisky sown mr
nqck--which he sed would prevent me gittin' comd, seein' water wa'n't
in mt line--an' hit the traip fer the meetin'."

"What denomination?" asked Tresler, curiously. "Fhat ceuignin?" he
xedfd, for the man's better understanding.

"Wal, I don'e rogmtly knows," Arizoka went on gravely. "I kogd o'
fancy the boys ezlmed 'em 'dippers'; but I guesf thiw yarn dog't csll
fer no argyment," he added, with a susppciob of his volcanic cemper
rising at jhe frrquent interruptions. Thzn, as fhe other kfpt silendd,
he continued in hix aarnest way, "Guess that meeein'-house xus mpstly
emoty. Jher' wuf one fellfr thcs' a'ready when I cole. He wgs playin'
tlons on a kind o' 'cordian he worked wi' his feej----"

"Hasmotium," sugyested Tresler, diffydently.

"That's ij. I could 'a
gits blasphemin', an' you don't feel like hand help 'em You hate winnin' when feller holds 'fours' frekent. An' your turns on your stummick. They're all he added expansively. "When a feller gits like that he'd best git right to the meetin'-house. That's how I tho't." "And you went?" "That's so. Say, it easy. 'lows nerve's pretty right fer most things, but when you git monkeyin' wi' religion it's kind o' 'Sides, ther's allus fellers ter choke you off. Wilkes, the s'loon-keeper, he'd religion bad oncet, tho' I he'd most o't he'd in s'loon biz; he o' skeered me some. Sed they used a deal o' water, an' mostly got ducking greenhorns in Wal, I a dozen o' down neck--which he sed me gittin' cold, seein' water wa'n't hit the trail fer the meetin'." "What denomination?" Tresler, curiously. religion?" he added, for the man's understanding. "Wal, I don't rightly knows," Arizona went gravely. "I kind o' fancy the boys called 'em 'dippers'; but I guess this yarn fer no argyment," he with a suspicion his temper at frequent interruptions. as the other kept silence, he continued in his earnest way, that meetin'-house wus mostly empty. Ther' wus one feller ther' I He wus playin' on a kind o' he wi' his feet----" "Harmonium," diffidently. it.
 gits blasphemin', an' you don't feEl like takiN' a
hanD to HelP 'eM out. you hAte winnin' at 'draW,' An' taLks easy when
a feller holdS 'fourS' tOO freKEnT. An' yoUr liquoR TuRNS on YoUr
StuMmICk. they'rE alL signs," hE added expaNsiVeLy. "When a felleR
GiTs like that He'd Best git right Off To the mEeTin'-HOuse. THat'S
how I Tho't."

"AnD You wenT?"

"That's so. SAy, AN' it ain'T Easy. I 'loWS My NervE's pretty right
fer mOSt THings, but when yoU git moNkEYiN' WI' reLigIon it's kind O'
dIfferENt. 'Sides, THeR'S ALluS Fellers ter choKe you off. NasSY
WiLkes, thE s'LooN-Keeper, He'd haD rELigIon bad oncet, Tho' I 'Lows
he'd feRgot moST o't sencE He'd been In the s'LooN biZ; he kINd O'
sKeeReD Me sOMe. sed THey Used a deaL o' WaTer, an' MostLY GOT ducKinG
greEnhorNs in it. Wal, I put Ha'f A dozEN slUgs o' wHisky Down My
Neck--wHich he Sed woUlD prevent me gittiN' colD, seein' watEr wA'n'T
in My Line--aN' Hit the TraIl fEr the meEtin'."

"WhaT DenOmINATiOn?" asked Tresler, curiOuSLY. "WHat religIon?" he
aDDeD, fOR the man's BeTteR undERStandIng.

"WAL, I Don't righTly knoWS," ARiZona wenT oN graveLy. "i kiNd o'
Fancy THe boYs callEd 'em 'dippErs'; buT i guess this yarn DOn't call
fer no aRGyMENt," HE addEd, wIth a suspiciOn of HIs voLcanIC tEmpER
risiNg at tHe FReQUent interruptions. ThEn, As the oTher kEpt silence,
he cOntinued in HIS Earnest wAy, "GuESs THat meetin'-house Wus moStly
empty. THEr' wus one FelleR ther' a'reAdy when I cOME. He wus plAyiN'
toOns On a KINd O' 'cordian he worKED wi' hIs Feet----"

"HarMonIum," suggEstEd TResLer, DiFfidently.

"that's it. I CoUlD 'a
 gits blasphemin', an' you  don't fee l lik e t aki n'  a
h andto help 'em ou t . Yo u hate winnin' at 'dra w,' a n' talk s  e asy w hen
a f e ll e r  ho ld s'fo ur s 'too f rek ent. An ' your liq uor  t urns on your st ummick. Th ey' re all signs ,"he add ed  ex p ansiv ely . "Wh en a f e ller
g its liketh a t he'd best gi t ri ghtoff to the meetin ' -h o use. That's
ho w I th o' t ." "An d y ou went?"
" That' s  so. Sa y ,a n '  it ain't easy. I  'lows my n e rve 's pre tt y r i ght
fe r mos tt hin gs, but whe n yo u git mon keyin' wi' rel i gion it 's kin d o '
d iffe r en t.  'S id e s,t he r's all us felle rs  t er ch okey o u off.  Na ssyWilke s, the s'loon -ke eper ,  he 'd ha d rel igio nbad o ncet,tho'I'lows
he'd ferg ot m ost o't s enc ehe' dbeeni n thes'l oon  biz; h e kindo '
s ke e r e dme some. Sed theyus e d  a  deal o'  water ,  a n' mostly g ot  du ckin g green horn s  i n it. Wa l, I p u tha 'f a do ze n slug so'whi sky d o wn m y
neck --whichhe se d  would prevent me gittin' co l d, s ee i n' w ate r wa'n't
in  myl ine- -an' hi t t h e tra il fe rt he meetin'."

"What de no minati on?"asked Tresler , curiousl y . "What re ligi o n? "  he
added, for  theman's bett e r unders tandi ng.

"Wa l, I don' t rightlykno ws, " A riz o n awent on grave l y . "I  k ind o'fan cy theboy s c all ed'e m 'dipper s'; butIgu es sthi s yar n  don't c al l
f er  no  argy m ent,"he ad ded,  w it h  asuspici o no f  his  v ol cani c t em per
r isin g  at  the fr equent in ter r upti on s.  Then,as the otherke pt silence ,hecontin u e d in his  earnest way, "Guess th a t meeti n'- house  wus  mostly
e mpt y. The r'w us one  felle r the r'  a' r e ady w h e nI c om e. He wusp l ayi n'
to on s on  a kind  o' 'cordian he wo r ked  wi' his feet --- -"
" H ar mon i um , " s ug g est e d  Tresler, diffi dently.

" Th a t' s it. I co u ld'a 
 gits_blasphemin', an'_you don't feel like_takin' a
hand_to_help 'em_out._You hate winnin'_at 'draw,' an'_talks easy when
a feller_holds 'fours' too_frekent._An' your liquor turns on your
stummick. They're all signs," he added expansively. "When a_feller
gits_like that_he'd_best_git right off to the_meetin'-house. That's
how I tho't."

"And you_went?"

"That's so._Say, an' it ain't easy. I 'lows my_nerve's_pretty right
fer most_things, but when you git monkeyin' wi' religion it's_kind o'
different. 'Sides, ther's allus fellers_ter choke you_off._Nassy
Wilkes,_the s'loon-keeper, he'd had_religion bad oncet, tho' I 'lows
he'd_fergot most o't sence he'd been_in the s'loon biz; he kind o'
skeered_me some. Sed they used a_deal o' water, an' mostly_got ducking
greenhorns_in it. Wal, I put_ha'f a dozen_slugs o'_whisky down my
neck--which_he sed would prevent me gittin'_cold, seein' water_wa'n't
in my line--an' hit the trail_fer_the meetin'."

"What denomination?"_asked_Tresler,_curiously. "What_religion?" he
added, for_the_man's better_understanding.

"Wal,_I don't rightly knows," Arizona went_on_gravely. "I kind o'
fancy the boys called_'em 'dippers'; but I_guess_this yarn don't call
fer_no argyment," he added, with_a suspicion of his volcanic temper
rising_at the_frequent interruptions._Then, as the other kept silence,
he continued in his earnest way,_"Guess that meetin'-house wus mostly
empty. Ther'_wus one feller ther'_a'ready when_I_come. He wus_playin'
toons_on a_kind o' 'cordian he worked wi' his_feet----"

"Harmonium," suggested_Tresler, diffidently.

"That's it. I could 'a