“Harve Allen was big enough to eat Captain Braxton Montjoy up in two bites, but he didn't start biting. He twitched back his lips like a fice dog and blustered up. “'What is it to you?' says Harve. “'It is a good deal to me and to every other man who believes in fair play,' says Captain Braxton Montjoy. 'I tell you that I want it stopped.' “'The man don't walk in leather that kin dictate to me what I shall and shall not do,' says Harve, trying to work himself up, 'I'm a leetle the best two handed man that lives in these here settlemints, and the man that tries to walk my log had better be heeled for bear. I'm half hoss and half alligator and,--' “Captain Braxton Montjoy stepped up right close to him and began tapping Harve on the breast of his old deer skin vest with the handle of his little walking stick. At every word he tapped him. “'I do not care to hear the intimate details of your ancestry,' he says. 'Your family secrets do not concern me, Harvey Allen. What does concern me,' he says, 'is that you shall hereafter desist from maltreating a man half your size. Do I make my meaning sufficiently plain to your understanding, Harvey Allen?' “At that Harve changed his tune. Actually it seemed like a whine came into his voice. It did, actually. “'Well, why don't he keep away from me then?' he says. 'Why don't he leave me be and not come round here every month pesterin' fur a fresh beatin'? Why don't he take his quittances and quit? There's plenty other men I'd rather chaw up and spit out than this here Riggs--and some of 'em ain't so fur away now,' he says, scowling round him. “Captain Braxton Montjoy started to say something more but just then somebody spoke behind him and he swung round and there was Singin' Sandy, wet to the flanks where he'd waded through a spring branch. “'Excuse me, Esquire,' he says to Captain Montjoy, 'and I'm much obliged to you, but this here is a private matter that's got to be settled between me and that man yonder--and it can't be settled only jist one way.' “'Well sir, how long do you expect to keep this up, may I inquire?' says Captain Braxton Montjoy, who never forgot his manners and never let anybody else forget them either. “'Ontil I lick him,' says Singin' Sandy, 'ontil I lick him good and proper and make him yell 'nuff!' “'Why you little spindley, runty strippit, you ain't never goin' to be able to lick me,' snorts out Harve over Captain Braxton Montjoy's shoulder, and he cursed at Sandy. But I noticed he hadn't rushed him as he usually did. Maybe, though, that was because of Captain Montjoy standing in the way. “'You ain't never goin' to be big enough or strong enough or man enough to lick me,' says Harve.