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His Royal Nibs
His Royal Nibs

Chapter XIII

Cover illustration for His Royal Nibs
Context Illustration Reading 1/4 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.
From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.
Every man at O Bar O was a war veteran.
Few of them, it is true, had seen actual service at the front.
Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.”
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

His Royal Nibs

Chapter XIII

Reading 1/4 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.
Line 2
From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.
Line 3
Every man at O Bar O was a war veteran.
Line 4
Few of them, it is true, had seen actual service at the front.
Line 5
Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.”

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Every determiner US /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading “Every man at O Bar O was a war veteran.”

Has auxiliary verb US /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading “Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.”

Nevertheless adverb US /ˌnevərðəˈles/

in spite of what has just been said

From this reading “Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.””

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.””

Point noun US /pɔɪnt/

the main matter or purpose being discussed

From this reading “Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.””

Tongue noun US /tongue/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.”

Treachery noun US /ˈtrɛtʃəri/

betrayal of trust

From this reading “From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.”

Weakness noun US /ˈwiːknəs/

a lack of physical strength

From this reading “From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.”

All words in this reading · 86

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

acquired

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.”

actual

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Few of them, it is true, had seen actual service at the front.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

appear

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

army

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.”

arrant

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

Bar

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Every man at O Bar O was a war veteran.

branding

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

build

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

cattle

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

Cheerio's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

confessed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

confession

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

corral

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

country

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

cowardice

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

criticism

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

difficult

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

else

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Every man at O Bar O was a war veteran.

everywhere

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

Few

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Few of them, it is true, had seen actual service at the front.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

front

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

funked

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.”

grew

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

gross

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

Hard

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

judge

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.”

king

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

like

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

lose

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

man

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Every man at O Bar O was a war veteran.

merely

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

most

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

NeverthelessadverbUS /ˌnevərðəˈles/

in spite of what has just been said

From this reading Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.”

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

O

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Every man at O Bar O was a war veteran.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.”

own

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

the main matter or purpose being discussed

From this reading Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.”

presently

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

quick

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.”

reputation

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

rolled

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

rolling

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

seen

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Few of them, it is true, had seen actual service at the front.

service

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Few of them, it is true, had seen actual service at the front.

snowball

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

standards

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

story

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

suspect

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.”

telling

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Few of them, it is true, had seen actual service at the front.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.”

thinks

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.”

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

tonguenounUS /tongue/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

treacherynounUS /ˈtrɛtʃəri/

betrayal of trust

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

true

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Few of them, it is true, had seen actual service at the front.

up

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

veteran

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Every man at O Bar O was a war veteran.

view

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.”

war

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Every man at O Bar O was a war veteran.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Every man at O Bar O was a war veteran.

weaknessnounUS /ˈwiːknəs/

a lack of physical strength

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Nevertheless, they had acquired the point of view of the man in the army who is quick to suspect and judge one he thinks has “funked.”

world

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Hard as it is to build up a reputation in a cattle country, which has its own standards of criticism as everywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to lose that reputation.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading From tongue to tongue rolled the story of Cheerio’s weakness and confession at the branding corral, and that story grew like a rolling snowball in the telling, so that presently it would appear that he had confessed not merely to the most arrant cowardice at the front, but gross treachery to his country and his king.