must get up and get, and at once. You must vamose the ranch afore
they lay hold of you and have you up before the alcalde. Once away
from here, they daren't follow you where there's 'Merikin law, and
when you kin fight 'em in the square."

"Good," said Don Jose with melancholy preciseness. "You are wise,
friend Roberto. We may fight them later, as you say--on the
square, or in the open Plaza. And you, camarado, YOU shall go with
me--you and your mare."

Sincere as the American had been in his offer of service, he was
somewhat staggered at this imperative command. But only for a
moment. "Well," he said lazily, "I don't care if I do."

"But," said Don Jose with increased gravity, "you SHALL care,
friend Roberto. We shall make an alliance, an union. It is true,
my brother, you drink of whiskey, and at such times are even as a
madman. It has been recounted to me that it was necessary to your
existence that you are a lunatic three days of the week. Who
knows? I myself, though I drink not of aguardiente, am accused of
fantasies for all time. Necessary it becomes therefore that we
should go TOGETHER. My fantasies and speculations cannot injure
you, my brother; your whiskey shall not empoison me. We shall go
together in the great world of your American ideas of which I am
much inflamed. We shall together breathe as one the spirit of
Progress and Liberty. We shall be even as neophytes making of
ourselves Apostles of Truth. I absolve and renounce myself
henceforth of my family. I shall take to myself the sister and the
brother, the aunt and the uncle, as we proceed. I devote myself to
humanity alone. I devote YOU, my friend, and the mare--though