"Many believe that it is egotism."
"Egotism is only a variety of the species; it is friendship badly understood, and reduced to low proportions."
"Hang it! I did not fancy you were so strong in paradoxes. Did you learn these tricks of the tongue among the Indians?"
"The Indians are wise men, my master," the vaquero answered with a shake of the head; "with them the true is true, and the false false, while in your cities you have so well succeeded in embroiling everything, that the cleverest man could not find his way, while the simple man soon loses the feeling of justice and injustice. Let me return to the prairies, my friend, my place is not among the paltry contests that disgrace this country, and make my heart ache with disgust and pity."
"I would willingly restore you your liberty, my boy, but I repeat that I have need of you, perhaps for three months longer."
"Three months? That is very long."
"Perhaps you will find the period very short," he said, with a peculiar expression.
"I do not believe it."
"We shall see; but I have not told you yet what I want of you."
"That is true, and I had better know, so that I may fulfil your intentions properly."