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"Why don't you call in the tenderfoot to treat you,
Compadre Demetrio," Anastasio Montanez asked his
chief, who had been complaining daily of chills and fever.
"You ought to see him; no one has laid a hand to him
but himself, and now he's so fit that he doesn't limp
a step."

But Venancio, standing by with his tins of lard and
his dirty string rags ready, protested:

"All right, if anybody lays a hand on Demetrio, I
won't be responsible."

"Nonsense! Rot! What kind of doctor do you think
you are? You're no doctor at all. I'll wager you've al-
ready forgotten why you ever joined us," said Quail.

"Well, I remember why you joined us, Quail," Ve-
nancio replied angrily. "Perhaps you'll deny it was be-
cause you had stolen a watch and some diamond rings."

"Ha, ha, ha! That's rich! But you're worse, my lad;
you ran away from your hometown because you poi-
soned your sweetheart."

"You're a Goddamned liar!"