Typescript Form for Miscue Analysis
Book Title: Slim and Miss Prim
Author: Robert Kinerk
1. Once on a ranch near the mountains a cowboy named Slim worked
1. _______
for a lady named Marigold Prim.
2. He mended her fences and herded her cattle and listened at length
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to Marigold’s prattle.
3. Cowboys on ranches all over the state said it was awful.
3. _______
4. They said they would hate working for someone who droned on
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and on, morning, and evening, and noontime, and dawn.
5. They said, “All that talk, Slim, it must drive you mad.”
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6. But Slim only smiled.
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7. He said, “It’s not bad.”
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8. In herding the cattle and rounding up strays Slim often went riding
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for days and for day, and if you had followed him out on the range
you would have heard something that may have seemed strange.
9. With prairie dogs barking and hawks high above, Slim played his
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guitar and sang songs of love.
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10. In the hills near the prairie where the herd loved to tramp, a
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rustler band had a well-hidden camp.
11. “Listen,” their boss said, a large man named Lee, “I think I hear
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singing, slightly off-key.
12. Go have a look, boys.
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13. I can’t help but feel this may be a ranch hand with cows we can
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steal.”
14. Clippety-cloppety, off went his gang on the track of the cowboy
who rode and who sang.
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15. Down by the mountains and over the dunes, they found him at
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last by his loudly sung tunes.
16. They plugged up their ears and fought a brief battle, then
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kidnapped poor Slim and stole all his cattle.
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17. “Slim,” Lee explained in camp the next day, “Now that you’re
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here, I’m afraid you must stay.
18. You’d blab to the sheriff, and it’s clear to me the next thing you
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know—in a wink—without fail—me and my boys would be thrown
into jail.”
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19. Slim fretted and fumed.
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20. He paced back and forth.
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21. He tried riding south.
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22. He tried riding north.
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23. But each time he tried it a rustler guard would make him go back
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and sit in the yard.
24. Where he sat…and he sat…day after day, through March, and
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through April, and on into May.
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25. Miss Marigold Prim in the meantime, of course, had put on her
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hat and saddled her horse.
26. She said, “I’m not worried.
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27. At least not a lot.
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28. But it seems to me likely a good cowboy ought not be absent for
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seventeen weeks with no word.
29. I’m concerned about Slim, not to mention the herd.”
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30. She rode through the counties of Lincoln and Clark.
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31. She rode in the daylight.
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32. She rode in the dark.
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33. She buttonholed strangers and said to them sternly, in Caselton,
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Carp, Caliente, and Fernley, “Slim and my cattle—you’ve seen them,
I hope?”
34. Each person she asked, however, said, “Nope.”
34. ______
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35. Oh she went riding, through Lander and Nye, questioning,
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searching, until, by and by, word reached the hideout of Lee and his
bunch, and Lee, who was eating, said, “Boys, I’ve a hunch that this
could mean trouble, so here’s what to do: ride out there and capture
Miss Marigold, too.”
36. Clippety-cloppety, off went his bunch and captured Miss Prim,
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who had stopped to have lunch.
37. Then back to the hideout, cloppety-clip, after, of course, they had
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stolen the tip.
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38. “This is unheard of!”
39. Miss Prim said to Lee.
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40. “First you grab Slim and then you grab me!”
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41. She lectured him sternly.
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42. She’d lots more to say.
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43. She lectured, in fact, the rest of the day, and early that evening,
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while eating their stew, she repeated her talk for the sake of his crew.
44. Next morning at six, or shortly before, while the gang was at
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breakfast, she lectured some more.
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45. She lectured on manners, she lectured on crime, the importance of
keeping appointments on time, brushing your teeth after breakfast and
dinner, the foods you should eat to help you get thinner, how to darn
sox and how to mend pants, covering food to keep out the ants, the
names of the flowers you’d see by the path, how horrible you smell
when you don’t take a bath.
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46. She lectured them daily.
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47. She lectured them nightly.
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48. They listened and listened and listened.
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49. Politely at first, then a strain started showing.
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50. Some drummed with their fingers and some started going,
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“Ahem,” or “Harrumph,” or clearing their throats, or glancing at
watches, or reaching for coats,
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and climbing out windows and sneaking out doors, or saying, “Excuse
me, I have to do chores.”
51. Some saddled up horses and, leaping on top, raced away
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screeching, “Marigold, STOP!”
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52. They finally told Lee (they were nearly in tears), “This could go
on, boss, for years and for years.
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53. For your sake, for our sake,” they pleaded, “for peace, we think
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you should offer Miss Prim her release.”
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54. They saddled her horse.
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55. They said, “You can go.”
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56. She said, “Nothing doing.
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57. Ridiculous.
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58. No.
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59. You fellows are silly.
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60. That’s sad but it’s true.
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61. I’m not leaving here unless Slim can come, too.”
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62. And Slim, when they told him, said he’d agree, but only if all the
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cows were set free.
63. He said as a cowboy he’d given his word he’d always watch out
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for Miss Marigold’s herd.
64. The rustlers pleaded.
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65. They begged and they cried.
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66. They pouted and sulked.
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67. But they finally complied.
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68. They gave them the cows, and a lunch for the ride.
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69. Then Marigold Prim, with Slim at her side and hundreds of cattle
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all going, “Moo, moo,” shouted goodbye to Lee and his crew.
70. Hip-hip-hooray, then!
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71. And off they went riding, Yip-yip-ayaying and Ki-yi-yi-yiding,
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herding the cattle across the wide plain, herding the cattle through
sunshine and rain.
72. Rounding up strays by shouting and yelling and making their way
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to Miss Marigold’s dwelling.
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73. And after all this, as you might have supposed, Slim gathered his
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courage, and knelt, and proposed.
74. Friends galloped in whooping from near and away to dance and to
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sing on their wedding day.
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75. Now out on the range, with hawks high above, Slim still tends the
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cattle and sings songs of love.
76. Though when the wind’s right and his duties permit, he’ll stop
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what he’s doing.
77. He’ll stop and he’ll sit and listen in hopes the breezes are bringing
the faraway sound of some faraway singing.
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78. For back on the ranch the former Miss Prim is singing as well: a
love song to Slim.
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