"And it makes no difference whether he is right or wrong. You will help him steal my Madruja, steal Señor Fando's horse, steal Señor Rosario's ranch, put Josefa in irons, do this, that, and the other, break our bodies, destroy our souls, cut us down, and grind us like corn in his mill. It makes no difference to you; you are going to help him in all that!"
Strawbridge was shocked at this sudden attack on the moral end of his business, by the peon who had lost his sweetheart. He became more carefully logical and less rhetorical. In fact, he was exploring new ground, a territory over which his old man had not coached him, so he was not so sure of himself.
"It's like this: I'm doing my part of this thing in a business way. If everybody would work in a business way, there wouldn't be any of this rough stuff you're talking about, because that's bad business. In fact, I was just on my way around to see the general. I'm going to get Josefa out of prison, and I think I can stop all this other sort of thing. I believe I can put this whole country on a business basis."
"But you, yourself, are going to San Geronimo to help kill men, just to show him how to work his guns!"
Here Lubito interrupted in a disgusted tone:
"Esteban, you fool, just because you've lost your Madruja, your head is hot and you see nothing in the light of reason. This tale Señor Strawbridge told us is the tale he tells the general, and makes him believe it. By this means he goes to San Geronimo with the cavalry. Caramba! I am amazed that even a stupid peon should not see so simple a thing!"
Esteban stared, and grinned faintly.
"Cá! He told it so cleverly that even I believed it, too!"
Strawbridge looked at his companions.
"What'n hell are you talking about?" he demanded.