“An alimentary one.”
They divided the chicken.
“And do they say in town who it was that ordered them to pursue me?” asked Quentin.
“Everybody knows that it was La Aceitunera,” answered Pacheco. “You insisted upon discrediting her, but she grew strong under the punishment, and wants no more stings from La Víbora. Then, so they say, as she seemed no mere stack of straw to the Governor, she allowed herself to be flirted with, and begged him to throw you into jail, and to stop your paper.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“It will be done. He does what he wants here,” replied the bandit. “You already know what they say in Cordova: ‘Charity in El Potro, Health in the cemetery, and Truth in the fields.’”
“Then we’ll go into the fields to look for it,” said Quentin.
“Not that”—answered Pacheco. “I won’t allow you to lose out; but if you want to give that woman a good scare....”
“Have you thought of some way?”
“Not yet; are you capable of doing something on a large scale?”