Zane Grey

The Lone Star Ranger Zane Grey

"But what's he want me for?" demanded Duane. "To insult me again? I won't stand that twice.""He's got a fever that's rampant in Texas these days, my boy. He wants gun-play. If he meets youhe'll try to kill you."Here it stirred in Duane again, that bursting gush of blood, like a wind of flame shaking all hisinner being, and subsiding to leave him strangely chilled."Kill me! What for?" he asked."Lord knows there ain't any reason. But what's that to do with most of the shootin' these days?Didn't five cowboys over to Everall's kill one another dead all because they got to jerkin' at a quirtamong themselves? An' Cal has no reason to love you. His girl was sweet on you.""I quit when I found out she was his girl.""I reckon she ain't quit. But never mind her or reasons. Cal's here, just drunk enough to be ugly. He's achin' to kill somebody. He's one of them four-flush gun-fighters. He'd like to be thought bad. There's a lot of wild cowboys who're ambitious for a reputation. They talk about how quick they areon the draw. They ape Bland an' King Fisher an' Hardin an' all the big outlaws. They make threatsabout joinin' the gangs along the Rio Grande. They laugh at the sheriffs an' brag about how they'dfix the rangers. Cal's sure not much for you to bother with, if you only keep out of his way.""You mean for me to run?" asked Duane, in scorn."I reckon I wouldn't put it that way. Just avoid him. Buck, I'm not afraid Cal would get you if youmet down there in town. You've your father's eye an' his slick hand with a gun. What I'm most afraidof is that you'll kill Bain."