Steve Yeager

the untempered sunlight in the street. He shook hands with the g

opened gayly. "Great the way frien

manded the prizefighter, his

my wad at stud.

e. "Know who he is? Know a

he has told

tha

s Robles, that he is out of a job, and that he wants

a word of it," broke out Harrison sto

. "What have I come t

ught General Pasquale had those

d genially to the insurgent chief. "

nothing." He swept his hand around in a gesture of indifference. "My vaqueros herd c

eat the beef and find it good. You ought to have got

e man's fists were clenched.

line and among friends. No use keeping up the bluff. I know who

n in the fighting West brooks. Before Steve could speak or

so you talk to my friends in

an to let his passion go. The insurgent chief was more dangerous than dynam

general. This man killed Mendo

till his black eyes met the blue ones of Yeager. H

he very man, and I've been racking my

ory, se?or. Knew you the moment I set eyes on

nst the table. There was a faint smile o

"After all, it's a world full of hardship

nonentity. Both Harrison and Culvera had already condemn

Kingdom Come-because I stood by a half-grow

emanded Pasquale, his hea

d the boy es

by the enemy to murder

g with a cold deck at that. I warned the kid. They began shooting. I could have killed either of them, but I blew out th

ds in a gesture of bland denial. "Lies! All lies,

escaped together. Both are equally guilty." He clapped his hands. A trooper entered. "'Tonio, get

ger. He who kills one of us is our enemy. If we capture him, that man dies. F

the decision of this man of iron. What must be, must. A plea f

t take one little flyer of a guess at the future, general. If you don't put friend Culvera out of business, it wil

lowed out of the house the file o

sweat blood, Mister Yeager. Good enough. You'll see me in a box right off the

and a rough, home-made table. In one corner lay a couple of blankets upon some straw to serve for a bed. The walls of the house, probably a hundred years old at

d be true that he was to be taken out at daybreak and shot. It must be some ri

pencil. It was possible that Pasquale would let him send a letter through to Threewit if it gave some natural explanation of his death, one that would rel

mp. They say I won't live more than a few hours. By the courtesy of General Pasquale I am getti

, Daisy, and the rest. Bust

, my

e Ye

nlocking the door of his prison from the outside. Stealthily he drew back into the deep shadow at the farther end of the

h. A man's head was thrust through the opening. After a long time

apon, Se?or Yeager. I hav

d of his serape, the upper part was shaded by his som

ave yo

-perhaps to save

"Will you take a seat, general? Sorry I can't offer you refres

e from his face and moved

es

emanded the Mexican abruptly, sitting dow

h as an

sinewy brown hand caressed the bu

oza-not Farrugia, surely?" Pasquale shot

r of the province, the general with who

t Farr

n the moonlight with his back aga

ld not weaken me to lose both of them, that my grief

ssin. The story I told y

Culvera's lies have br

more taut. But the eyes of the man-the terrible eyes that condemned men to their graves without a fl

Presently he would understand what this g

s above the table. He comes back at you with a co

If I could get

hose of Yeager did not relax. The impact

ld get at him? W

ing. He leaned forward, body tense and rigid. His prisoner understood that an offer

nited States talk, general.

amon Culvera-to s

n Steve answered. "Yep. I'll fight

darkness outside. One thrust of the knife and-you will be avenged. A saddled horse is waiting for you now in

sked to do was plain murder. Even to save his own

I'll pick a quarrel with him. I

e sure he is strong enough to succeed me. So he waits. But I-Gabriel Pasquale-I wait for no man's knife. I st

fraid,

ord for to-night. It is 'Gabriel.' You settle with the tr

r to fight him to a finish I go the limit-and then some. For I don't hate Culvera that

ith, that you would not ride away-what you call laugh in your sleeve at me? No! Y

your men came running. 'The Gringo dog escaped and killed my dear friend Ram

uale's narrowed eyes gl

e righ

e like a dog, then, y

for me. It explains that I shot myself accidentally-lets you out fine in

e me trouble?" inquired the

ward the letter, I reckon. What I want i

dden death of Americans had of late stirred a good deal of resentment ac

remember I promise nothing

ibs as does that of a frightened rabbit in the hand. If Pasquale looked at t

e moonlight. For just an instant his eyes left Yeager and fell upon the paper. Tha

tightening on the sinewy throat. They went down together, the Mexican underneath. As he fell, the head of the general st

over before his body went slack

into strips. With these he bound the hands of Pasquale behind him and tied his feet together. He unloosened the revolver belt of the Mexican and strapped it about his own waist. Th

to see that he had

manner of an old range-rider he knew. "But we sure gotta take a long shot and gamble with the li

cross to the cottonwood grove on the dead run, but he knew this would never do. Instead, he saunte

the guard outside s

back over his shoul

r. Buenos

eno

reet until he was opposite the cottonwoo

too tender to monkey with any revolutions. I've knowed it happen frequent that a man got his roof blowed off for buttin' in where he wasn't invited.

to the outskirts of the village. A sentinel stopped him, and a second time he gave the countersign. He was just

versation with Ramon Culvera he drove his heels into the side of the cow pony. The horse leaped forward just as

gain-ventilated. Oh, well, it's bad enough to be a horse-thief without

him, for he was leaving behind him a shameful death. All Sonora lay before him in which to

retching to the horizon. The chances were a hundred to one that among

ime to dream. You got to travel some, believe me. Steve played a bum hand for all it was wort

a dawning day. He sang softly, because by a miracle of good fortune that coming sun brought