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Show 148 came handy, Ershel wore bright shirts, a bandanna, a ten-gallon hat and high-heeled boots. He bragged how he could out-shoot any man in town, even though all anybody shot at were tin cans. He said he could out-lasso any comer, even though we corraled the calves to brand them, simply grabbed their heads and tails, tipped them over and held them while we branded them. He said he could out-ride anyone in town, and maybe he could. We never found out, because nobody ever thought it worthwhile to challenge him. He practiced all three arts all the time he was not working. He was egotistic, opinionated and handsome, with broad shoulders and a body tapered like a wedge, one hundred and ninety pounds of muscle and bone. He could pick a handkerchief off the ground from a galloping horse. I took one look at him and went down for the count. It was nearing Christmas and Robert Wells asked me to go to the dance with him, and I didn't want to. Going with him would be every bit as exciting as going with Eldon. I made up my mind that I would go with Ershel. I asked Robert to wait for an answer. I even told him that Ershel had asked me, but I hadn't made up my mind yet. Ershel hadn't thought of such a thing, but I put on an act of moping in front of him. I said I'd rather not go to the dance than to go with Robert Wells, which was another untruth. Finally Ershel got the message. "You don't have to go with Robert, " he said. "I'd like to take you to that dance. " |