The old man was reaching for the end of his rope. He was worn out and in need of help, but I'd had dealings with redskins since I was knee-high to a short duck, and Indians could be mighty sly. That old Indian might be a decoy to get me to show myself so's I could be bow shot or lanced, and I was wishful for neither. (from The Warrior's Path, by Louis L'Amour)
One wonders if that expression was actually in use in the 1600s or if L'Amour merely applied a more recent colloquialism to an historic period.
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