Which decided Felipe for all time. “Afraid?” he echoed, disdainfully. “Sure! But not for myself! You don’ have mooch money to lose! But I mek eet a bet–a good bet! I bet you two dolars thot eet–thot eet don’ be!”
It was now the other who hesitated. But he did not hesitate for long. Evidently the spirit of the gambler was more deeply rooted in him than it was in Felipe, for, after gazing out in the trail a moment, then eying Felipe another moment, both speculatively, he extracted from his pockets two more silver dollars and tossed them down with the others. Then he fixed Felipe with a malignant stare.
“I bet you t’ree dolars thot eet cooms what I haf say!”
Felipe laughed. “All right,” he agreed, readily. “Why not?” He heaped the money under a stone, sank over upon his back with an affected yawn, drew his hat over his eyes, and lay still. “We go to sleep now, Franke,” he proposed. “Eet’s long time–I haf t’ink.”
Soon both were snoring.
Out in the trail hung the quiet of a sick-room. The long afternoon waned. Once a wagon appeared from the direction of town, but the driver, evidently grasping the true situation, turned out and around the mare in respectful silence. Another time a single horseman, riding from the mountains, cantered upon the scene; but this man, also with a look of understanding, turned out and around the mare in careful regard for her condition. Then came darkness. Shadows crept in from nowhere, stealing over the desert more and more darkly, while, with their coming, birds of the air, seeking safe place for night rest, flitted about in nervous uncertainty. And suddenly in the gathering dusk rose the long-drawn howl of a coyote, lifting into the stillness a lugubrious note of appeal. Then, close upon the echo of this, rose another appeal in the trail close by, the shrill nicker of the mate to the mare.
It awoke Felipe. He sat up quickly, rubbed his eyes dazedly, and peered out with increasing understanding. Then he sprang to his feet.
“Coom!” he called, kicking the other. “We go now–see who is winnin’ thot bet!” And he started hurriedly forward.
But the other checked him. “Wait!” he snapped, rising. “You wait! You in too mooch hurry! You coom back–I have soomt’ing!”
Felipe turned back, wondering. The other nervously produced material for a cigarette. Then he cleared his throat with needless protraction.