The moon rose, and the Texan strolled over to the grazing
horses. Returning, he encountered Bat seated upon a rock at some
distance from camp, watching him. The half-breed was grinning openly
now, broadly, and with evident enjoyment. Tex regarded him with a
frown: "For a Siwash you're plumb mirthful an' joyous minded. In fact
I ain't noticed any one so wrapped up in glee for quite a spell.
Suppose you just loosen up an' let me in on the frivolity, an' at the
same time kind of let it appear where you put in the day. I mistrusted
my packin' a pair of purple ones wouldn't give you the whoopin' cough,
so I just sauntered over an' took a look at the cayuses. Yourn's be'n
rode 'til he's sweat under the blanket--an' he ain't soft neither."
"_Oui_, A'm fol' 'long we'n you make de ride. A'm t'ink mebbe-so two
better'n wan."
"Well, I was weaned right young, an' I don't need no governess. After
this you----"
The half-breed shrugged: "A'm tink dat tam way back in Las Vegas dat
dam' good t'ing ol' Bat fol' 'long, or else, ba Goss, you gon' to hell
for sure."
"But that's no sign I've always got to be close-herded. Did you sneak
up near enough to hear what the short-horn said?"
"_Oui_, A'm hear dat. She mak' me laugh lak' hell."
"Laugh! I didn't see nothin' so damn hilarious in it.
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