"You are making too much of my words, Ned." Lucky Ned Pepper thought about it. He said, "Well, maybe so." Once more he unbuckled the straps. He took out a locked canvas bag and cut it open with a Barlow knife and dumped the contents on the ground. He grinned and said, "Christmas gift!" Of course that is what children shout to one another early on Christmas morning, the game being to shout it first. I had not thought before of this disfigured robber having had a childhood. I expect he was mean to cats and made rude noises in church when he was not asleep. When he needed a firm restraining hand, it was not there. An old story!
True Grit by Charles Portis, 1969.
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