get The Spider's
money. It was a mighty lucky thing for you that you managed to get
that money to the bank before they got you. You were riding straight
all right, only you were on the wrong side of the fence, and I guess
you knew it."

"I sure did."

"Well, it ain't for me to tell you which way to head in. You know what
you're doing. You've got what some folks call Character, and plenty of
it. But you're wearin' a reputation that don't fit."

"Same as clothes, eh?"--and Pete grinned.

"Yes. And you can change _them_--if you want to change 'em."

"But that there character part stays jest the same, eh?"

"Yes. You can't change that."

"Don't know as I want to. But I'm sure goin' to git into my other
clothes, and take the trail over the hill that you was talkin' about."

"There are six ways to travel from here,"--and the sheriff's eyes
twinkled.

"Six? Now I figured about four."

"Six. When it comes to direction, the old Hopis had us beat by a
couple of trails. They figured east, west, north, and south, straight
down and straight up."

"I git you, Jim. Well, minin' never did interest me none--and as for
flyin', I sure been popped as high as I want to go. I reckon I'll jest
let my hoss have his head. I reckon him and me has got about the same
idee of what looks good."

"That pony of yours has never been in El Paso, has he?" queried the
sheriff.

"Nope. Reckon it would be mighty interestin' for him--and the folks
that always figured a sidewalk was jest for folks and not for
hosses--but I ain't lookin' for excitement, nohow."

"Reckon that blue roan will give you all you want, any way you ride.
He hasn't been ridden since you left him here."

"Yes--and it sure makes me sore. Doc Andover said I was to keep off a
hoss for a week yet. Sanborn is all right--but settin' on that hotel
porch lookin' at it ain't."

"Well, I'd do what the Doc says, just the same. He ought to know."

"I see--he ought to. He sure prospected round inside me enough to know
how things are."

"You might come over to my office when you get tired of sitting around
here. There ain't anything much to do--but I've got a couple of old
law books that might interest you--and a few novels--and if you want
some real excitement I got an old dictionary--"

"That El Paso lawyer was tellin' me I ought to git a education. Don't
know but what this is a good chanct. But I reckon I'll try one of them
novels first. Mebby when