Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 20, 2025
Watching them now, Yeager could well believe that this might be true. Culvera was suave, adroit, deferential as he raked in his chief's gold, but the irritability of the older man needed only an excuse to blaze. A blue-denim trooper came into the room and stood at attention. Pasquale nodded curtly. "Señor Harrison to see the general," said the private in Spanish.
Pasquale and Culvera passed back from the end of the porch into the house. As they went the trooper heard another stray fragment in the voice of the general. "If Harrison crosses the line after him at night...." That was all, but it told Cabenza that Harrison was negotiating with Lennox for the delivery of Yeager in exchange for Threewit and Farrar.
It meant salvation for Ruth, for his friends, possibly even for himself. "Captain Girard wants to ask you a few questions," Culvera explained. Without waiting for questions Yeager spoke. "Do you know that an American girl is held prisoner here, captain, that Pasquale was driving her to a forced marriage when Holcomb shot him to save her?" Girard turned toward the general, a question in his eyes.
Believe me, he'll have one heluvatime before I'm done," boasted the prizefighter savagely. "You're still in entire accord with the chief. Yet our friend the Gringo rides away in safety and laughs at you both. Ramon Culvera takes his hat off to Señor Yeager. He has played a winning game with courage and brains." "I beat his fool head off when he joined the Lunar Company the very day he joined.
"You know he is dangerous to Ramon Culvera. Why don't you strike and be done with it?" "The time is not ripe. Some day perhaps " He let a shrug of his shoulders finish the sentence for him. "It's always mañana with you Mexicans," sneered Harrison with a savage lift of the lip. "You want to play it safe all the time. Why don't you take a chance?"
"Him! The boob's nothing but a lucky guy. You'd ought to 'a' seen him after I fixed his map that first day. Down and out he was, take my word for it." "If Señor Harrison says so," assented Culvera with polite mockery. "But as you say, he laughs best who laughs last. And that reminds me. He left a note to be forwarded a friend. Pasquale was too crazy mad to see it, so I put it in my pocket."
Culvera turned to his chief. "It is this Pheelip that shot Mendoza, he and another Gringo." Pasquale nodded, still watching Yeager. "Know any military tactics?" he asked. "None except to hit the other fellow first and hit him hardest." "And to hit him when he isn't looking. Those three things are all there is to know about war those three, and to keep your men fat."
His sword made a half-circle of steel as it swept through the air. From where he sat he could be seen by all. "Brothers of the Legion, patriots all, let none become excited. I have killed with my own hand the traitor who shot our beloved leader. Gabriel Pasquale is dead, but our country lives. Viva Mexico!" The answer came from thousands of brown, upturned faces. "Viva Mexico! Viva Culvera!"
That this happened to be a particularly critical thing had no effect on their manner. Holcomb lit a cigar and sat down on the porch to wait for his guests. They came presently. First were Pasquale and Ochampa, rough and ready as to clothes, unshaven, betraying continually the class from which they had risen. Culvera dropped in after a few minutes.
"You'll ride with them yourself all the way," urged the prisoner. "No doubt. But, of course, the word of General Culvera " " Is worth what it is worth," Yeager finished for him. "The man stands in the shadow of death. Let him say what he likes," said the Mexican contemptuously to the officer beside him. "You are charged with being a spy, Mr. Yeager.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking