Came the shuffling of feet as the men in the patio turned to see what
she was staring at.
"Sit still!" called The Spider. "This ain't your deal, boys. They got
the man they want."
But Boca, wide-eyed and trembling, stepped through the doorway.
"That's close enough!" called a deputy.
She paused, summoning all of her courage and wit to force a laugh.
"Si, senor. But you are mistaken. It is not that I care what you do
with _him_. I do but come for the wine for which I have asked, but
there was no one to bring it to me,"--and she stepped past the end of
the bar into The Spider's room. She reappeared almost instantly with a
bottle of wine.
"I will open that for you," said The Spider.
"Never mind!" said one of the deputies; "the lady seems to know how."
Boca took a glass from the counter. "I will drink in the patio with my
friends." But as she passed round the end of the bar and directly
beneath the hanging lamp, she turned and paused. "But no! I will
drink once to the young vaquero, with whom is my heart and my life."
And she filled the glass and, bowing to Pete, put the glass to her lips.
Pages:
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310