" Montoya buckled the
belt around Pete and stepped back. "A little to the front. Bueno!
Tie the thong round your leg--so. That is well! It is the present
from Jose Montoya. Sometimes you will remember--"
Montoya glanced at Pete's face. Pete was frowning prodigiously.
"Hah!" laughed Montoya. "You do not like it, eh?"
Pete scowled and blinked. "It's the best doggone holster in the world!
I--I'm goin' to keep that there holster as long as I live! I--"
Montoya patted Pete's shoulder. "With the sheep it is quiet, so!"--and
Montoya gestured to the band that grazed near by. "Where you will go
there will be the hard riding and the fighting, perhaps. It is not
good to kill a man. But it is not good to be killed. The hot
word--the quarrel--and some day a man will try to kill you. See! I
have left the holster open at the end. I have taught you that
trick--but do not tie the holster down if you would shoot that way.
There is no more to say."
Pete thought so, so far as he was concerned. He was angry with himself
for having felt emotion and yet happy in that his break with Montoya
had terminated so pleasantly withal.
Pages:
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124