spirits, he decided to awaken Felipe. And this
he did -- in true Mexican fashion. With a curse
of but five words -- words of great scope and finest
selection, however -- he mercilessly raked Felipe's
ancestors for five generations back; he objurgated
Felipe's holdings -- chickens, adobe house, money,
burro, horses, pigs. He closed, snarling not obscurely
at Felipe the man and at any progeny of
his which might appear in the future. Then he
dropped his reins and sprang off the reach of his
rigging.

Felipe was duly awakened. He gained his feet
slowly.

"You know me, eh?" he retorted, advancing
toward the other. "All right -- _gracias_!" And
by way of coals of fire he proffered the fellow-townsman
papers and tobacco.

The new-comer revealed surprise, not alone at
Felipe's sobriety, though this was startling in
view of the disorder in the trail, but also at the
proffer of cigarette material. And he was about
to speak when Felipe interrupted him.

"You haf t'ink I'm drunk, eh, Franke?" he said.
"Sure! Why not?" And he waved his hand in
the direction of the trail. Then, after the other
had rolled a cigarette and returned the sack and
papers, he laid a firm hand upon the man's shoulder.
"You coom look," he invited. "You tell
me what you t'ink thees!"

They walked to the mare, and Franke gazed a
long moment in silence. Felipe stood beside him,
eying him sharply, hoping for an expression of

[[7]]

p006 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p007w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p008

v?