See heah, Surface,rdquo; flashed Brazos, his piercing tenor stiffening his hearers. ldquo;I am a Texan an one of the breed thet dont forget insult or injustice. Youre a hell of a fine Westerner to act as an adviser to a Cattlemens Association. A real Westernerndash;a big-hearted cattleman who was on the squarendash; wouldnt condemn me without askin for proofs. You take this Bodkins word. If he hasnt got some queer reason to fasten this crime on me, its a shore bet he itches to hang someone. Wal, I happen to be innocent an I can prove it. I could choke up an spit fire at the idee of my bein taken for a low-down skunk whod shoot a boy in the back to rob him. An swallow this, Mister Raine Surfacendash;youll rue the day you insulted a ragamuffin of a cowboy who was only huntin for a job.
