The provocation must have been great, no doubt, to impart such
animation at such a time to the man of law; and the curiosity of one of
the revellers getting the better of his scruples in such matters--if,
indeed, scruples of any kind abode in such a section--prompting him to
seize upon the epistle thus pregnant with mortal matter, in this way the
whole secret became public property. As, therefore, we shall violate no
confidence, and shock no decorum, we proceed to read it aloud for the
benefit of all:--
"DEAR LAWYER: I guess I am pretty safe now from the _regilators_,
and, saving my trouble of mind, well enough, and nothing to complain
about. Your animal goes as slick as grease, and carried me in no
time out of reach of rifle-shot--so you see it's only right to thank
God, and you, lawyer, for if you hadn't lent me the nag, I guess it
would have been a sore chance for me in the hands of them savages
and beasts of prey.
"I've been thinking, lawyer, as I driv along, about what you said to
me, and I guess it's no more than right and reasonable I should take
the law on 'em; and so I put the case in your hands, to make the
most on it; and seeing that the damages, as you say, may be over
five hundred dollars, why, I don't see but the money is jest as good
in my hands as theirs, for so it ought to be.
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