"
He paused for a moment, while I asked him if he could remember the nature of
the country through which he had journeyed.
"I am telling you as straight as I can, but my head isn't as good as it might
be. They drove nails through it to make me hear better how Dravot died. The
country was mountaineous and the mules were most contrary, and the inhabitants
was dispersed and solitary. They went up and up, and down and down, and that
other party, Carnehan, was imploring of Dravot not to sing and whistle so
loud, for fear of bringing down the tremenjus avalanches. But Dravot says that
if a King couldn't sing it wasn't worth being King, and whacked the mules over
the rump, and never took no heed for ten cold days. We came to a big level
valley all among the mountains, and the mules were near dead, so we killed
them, not having anything in special for them or us to eat. We sat upon the
boxes, and played odd and even with the cartridges that was jolted out.
"Then ten men with bows and arrows ran down that valley, chasing twenty men
with bows and arrows, and the row was tremenjus.
"They was fair men--fairer than you or me--with yellow hair and remarkable
well built. Says Dravot, unpacking the guns, 'This is the beginning of the
business.
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