"Diego was to sleep in the stall last night." "Oh." Dade slackened his pace a bit.

"Why didn't you say so ?" "I think," retorted Jack, grinning a little, "somebody else's nerves are kinda frazzled, too.

I don't want you to begin worrying over my affairs, Dade.

I'm not," he asserted with unconvincing emphasis.

"But all the same, I'd like to get my fingers on the fellow that took my riata!" Since he formulated that wish after he reached the doorway of the roomy box-stall where Surry was housed, he faced a badly scared peon as the door swung open.
"Senor--I--pardon, Senor! But I feared that harm might come to the riata in the night.