No gentleman ought to lay his
indecencies onto John Barley corn when they're nothing more nor
less than the outcroppin's of his own orneriness. Liquor has got
enough to answer for without being blamed for human depravities. I
dare say I was friendlier than I had any right to be; I spoke to
strangers, and some of the girls hollered at me, but I wouldn't
have harmed a soul.
"Well, in the course of my promenade I came to a couple of fellers
setting half-buried in the sand, and just as I was passing one of
them got up--sort of on all-fours and--er--facing away from me--
sabe? That's where the trouble hatched. I reached out and, with
nothing but good-will in my heart, I--sort of pinched this party-
sort of on the hip, or thereabouts. I didn't mean a thing by it,
Dave. I just walked on, smiling, till something run into me from
behind. When I got up and squared around, there was that man we
just left cutting didos out of black paper.
"'What d'you mean by pinching my wife?' he says, and he was
r'arin' mad.
"'Your WIFE?' I stammers, and with that he climbs me. Dave, I was
weak with shame and surprise, and all I could do was hold him off.
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