“A pra’r! Rough, d’ye mean it?”
“Yes, a pra’r, pard. It’s the—last thing Rough’ll ever—ax of ye.”
“It’s hard to do, Rough. I don’t know a pra’r.”
“Think back, pard. Didn’t yer mother—teach ye—suthin’? One that begins—‘Our Father’—an’ then—somehow—says—‘forgive us’—”
“Don’t, Rough, ye break me all up.”
“The light’s a-fadin’—on the golden hills—an’ the night is comin’—out of the canyuns—pard. Be quick—ye’ll try, pard. Say suthin’—fer Rough”—
“I—Rough—Our Father, forgive us. Don’t be hard on Rough. We’re a tough lot. We’ve forgot ye, but we hain’t all bad. ’Cause we hain’t forgot the old home. Forgive us—be easy on Rough. Thy will be done”—
“It’s comin’ agin—pard. The light’s—comin’—over the Range”—
“Have mercy on—us, an’—an’—an’—settle with us ’cordin’ to—to the surroundin’s of our lives. Thy—Thy kingdom come”—
“Go on, pard. It’s comin’.”