find a Mexican with a horse to sell, eh?"

"Yep. But I changed my mind."

"What made you change your mind?"

"I dunno."

"Well, I reckon I do. Now, see here, Pete. You been up against it
'most all your life. You ain't so bad off with old Montoya, but I sabe
how you feel about herding sheep. You want to get to riding. But
first you want to get a job. Now you go over to the Concho and tell
Bailey--'he's the foreman--that I sent you, and that if he'll give you
a job, I'll outfit you. You can take your time paying for it."

Pete blinked and choked a little. "I ain't askin' nobody to _give_ me
nothin'," he said brusquely.

"Yes, you be. You're asking Bailey for a job. It's all right to ask
for something you mean to pay for, and you'll pay for your job by
workin'. That there rig you can pay for out of your wages. I was
always intending to do something for you--only you didn't stay. I
reckon I'm kind o' slow. 'Most everybody is in Concho. And seeing as
you come back and paid up like a man--I'm going to charge that gun up
against wages you earned when you was working for me, and credit you
with the eighteen-fifty on the new rig. Now you fan it back to Montoya
and tell him what you aim to do and then if you got time, come over
to-morrow and pick out your rig. You don't have to take it till you
get your job."