Mexico Missouri message., 1914-07-09
ever break loose like that-ws might
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by JONe, Oiu tOp, eACihitucu Do
Lancey, laughing teasingly. you've
certainly got the blues today. Here,
take something out of this bottle and
see IL II won't help"
He brought out a quart bottle from
his saddle-bags and Bud drank. and
shuddered at the bite Of II.
All right" he said, as he passed It
back. "and while we're talking, what's
the matter with cutting IL out on booze
for this trip?"
what are you going to drink.
then7" cried De Lancey In feigned
alarm, "waterf"
well, something like that" admit
tod Bud. Come on-what do you
say7 We might get lit up and tell
something"
Now lookee here, Bud" clamored
Phil, who had had few drinks al
ready, you don't mean to insinuate,
do your Next thing I know you'll be
asking me to cut It out on the hay
might talk in my sleep. you know. and
give the whole snap away!"
mo, you're a good boy when you're
asleep, Phil" responded Bud, "but
when you get about half shot It's diff
ferent. Come on, now-I'll quit II you
will That's fair, alnt 1T"
What? No little toots around
town? No serenading the senoritas and
giving the rurales the hotfoot? Well,
what's the use OF living. Bud. II you
can't have little fun? Drinking don't
make any difference, as long as we
stick together. What's the use OF
swearing off-going on record In ad-
vance? We may find some fellow that
We can't work any other way-ve may
have to go on drunk with him In or
der to get his goatl But will you
stick? That's the point!"
Bud glanced at him and grunted, and
for long time he rode on in silence.
Before them lay rolling plain, dip
ping by broad gulches and dwindling
ridges to the lower levels of Old Mex
leo. and on the skyline, thin and blue.
stood the knifelike edges of the For
tunas miles away.
With desert-trained eyes he noted
the landmarks, San Juan mountain to
the right. Old Niggerhead to the left.
and the feather-edge Of mountains far
below; and as he looked he stored 1t
away In his mind in case he should
come back on the run some night
II was not a foreboding, but the
training Of his kind, to note the lay OF
the ground, and he planned Just where
he would ride to keep under cover II
he ever made a dash for the line But
all the time his pardner was talking Of
friendship and of the necessity OF their
sticking together.
I'll tell you. Bud" he said at last.
his voice trembling with sentiment.
whether we win or lose. won't have
a single regret as long as know we've
been true to one another. You may
know Texas and Arizona, Bud. but l
know Old Mexico. the land OF manana
and broken promises. know the coun-
try, Bud-and the climate-and the
women!
They play the devil with the best
of us, Bud. these dark-eyed senoritas! !!
That's what makes all the trouble
down here between man and man, it's
these women and their ways. They're
not satisfied to win a mans heart
they want him to kill somebody to
show that he really loves them. BY
Jove, they're a fickle lot, and nothing
pleases 'em more than setting man
against man, one pardner against an.
other"
I'VE never had any trouble yet" OBJ
served Bud sententiousiy.
mo, but we're likely to-" protested
De Lancey. These Indian women up
in the Sierras wouldn't turn anybody's 3
head, but we're going down into the
hot country now, where the girls are
pretty, tara, tara, and we talk through
the windows at midnight"
well, If youn cut out the booze
said Hooker shortly. you can have
'em all, for all of me-"
Sure, thats what you say, but wait
till you see them! oh, la, la. la''-he
kissed his fingers ecstatically-"Pll be
glad to see 'em myself! But listen,
Bud, here's the proposition. let's take
an oath right now, while we're start.
| Ing out, that whatever comes up wen
always be true to each other. II one
of us is wounded. the other stays with
him; II he's In prison, he gets him out ;
II he's killed, he avenges his"
Say" broke in Bud, jostling him
rudely as he reached into the saddle
bags. "let me carry that bottle for a
while"
He took a big drink out Of It to pre-
vent De Lancey from getting It all and
showed II inside his overalls.
"All right. pardner." he continued
with q mocking smile. anything you
say. | never use oaths myself much,
but anything to oblige."
mo, but l mean 1t, Bud!" cried De
Lancey Here's the proposition now
Whatever happens. we stay with each
other till this deal is finished; on all
scratch cases we match money to see
who's It; and II we tangle over some
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