"It's all your fault, bought
the horse."
Dade grinned and bent to hold a twig in the coals, that he might
light a cigarette. "All right, I'm the guilty party. Let's have the
consequences of my evil deed," he advised, settling back on his heels
and lowering an eyelid at Manuel in behalf of this humorous partner of
his.
"You bought the horse and broke the Spaniard's heart and ruined his
temper. And he and Sandy had a fight, and--So," he went on, after
a two-minute break in the argument, "when I heard Swift sneering
something about Sandy, last night, I rose up in meeting and told
him and some others what I thought of 'em. I was not," he explained,
"thinking nice thoughts at the time. You see, Perkins, since he got
the lead, has gathered a mighty scaly bunch around him, and they've
been running things to suit themselves.
"Then, Swift and two or three others held up a boy from the mines
to-day, and I happened to see it. I interfered; fact is, I killed
a couple of them. So they arrested both of us, went through a farce
trial, and were trying to hurry me into Kingdom Come before Bill
Wilson got a rescue party together, when you come along. That's all.
They let the kid go--which was a good thing. I don't think they'll be
down here after me. In fact, I've been thinking maybe I'd go back, in
a day or so, and have it out with them."
"Yes, that's about what you'd be thinking, all right," retorted Dade
unemotionally.
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