And I
don't see any excuse for that; you're sure to win, old man. I'd bet my
last shirt on that." Which was Dade's method of wiping off the scowl.
"Say, Dade," Jack began irrelevantly, "I'm going to use Surry. You don't
mind, do you? He's the best horse I ever threw a rope off from, without
any exceptions. I've been training him up a little, and I tell you
what, Surry's going to have a lot to do with that duel."
Dade sat up in bed as if he had been pulled up. "Jack, are you going to
make it a sure-enough duel?" he asked anxiously.
"Why?" Jack's eyes hardened perceptibly. "That's what Jose wants."
"Do you want it?" Dade scowled absent-mindedly at the wall, felt the
prick of an unpleasant thought, and glanced sharply at Jack.
"Say, I feel sorry for Jose," he began straightforwardly. "As a man, I'd
like him fine, if he'd let me. And, Jack, you've got everything coming
your way, and--well, seems like you might go easy on this fight, no
matter what Jose wants. He's crazy jealous, of course--but you want to
recollect that he has plenty of cause. You've stepped in between him and
a girl he's known all his life. They were practically engaged, before--"
"I don't know as Jose's love affairs interest me," put in Jack harshly.
"Do you care if I use Surry? I kinda took it for granted it would be all
right, so I went ahead and trained him so I can bank on him in a pinch."
"Of course you can use him.
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