r. Patterson's umbrella-tree in
moody absorption. He talked to all who would talk to him. Always he was
asking about the duel in the _arroyo_ which was fought in Jack's way. He
could not hear enough of it; and later he almost attached himself to the
one eye-witness of the final duel, which had been fought in Leddy's way.

When Firio was well enough to walk out he was to be found in a long
chair on Jack's porch, ever raising a warning finger for silence to
anyone who approached and looking out across the yard to Jag Ear, who was
winning back the fat he had lost in a constitutional crisis, and P.D.,
who, after bearing himself first and last in a manner characteristic of a
pony who was P.D. but never Q., seemed already none the worse for the
hardships he had endured. The master of twenty millions would sit on the
steps, while Firio occupied the chair and regarded him much as if he were
a blank wall. But at times Firio would humor the persistent inquirer with
a few abbreviated sentences. It was out of such fragments as this that
John Wingfield, Sr. had to piece the story of the fight for the
water-hole.

"Senor Jack and Mister Prather, they no look alike," said Firio one day,
evidently bound to make an end of the father's company. "Anybody say
that got bad eyes. Mister Prather"--and Firio smiled peculiarly--"I call
him the mole! He burrow in the sand, so! His hand tremble, so! He act
like a man believe himself the only god in the world when he in no
danger, but when he get in danger he act like he afraid he got to meet
some other god!"

"But Jack? Now, after Prather had gone?" persisted the father greedily.

"We glad the mole go. It sort of hurt inside to think a man like him. He
make you wonder what for he born."

John Wingfield, Sr. half rose in a sudden movement, as if he were about
to go, but remained in response to another emotion that was stronger than
the impulse.

"And Jack? He kept his head! He figured out his chances coolly! Now,
that trick he played by going up on the ridge under cover of darkness?"

"No trick!" said Firio resentfully, in instinctive defence. "That the
place to fight! Senor Jack he see it."

"And all through the night you kept firing?"

"_Si,_ after moon very bright and over our shoulders in their faces!
_Si_, at the little lumps that lie so still. When they move quick like
they stung, we know we hit!"

"Ah, that was it! You hit! You hit! And the other fellows couldn't. You
had the li