There was a subdued exclamation from Manners, but Pete went on, “Seems he was the uncle of this Bull; took Bull in when Bull was orphaned, because he had to, not because he wanted to, and he raised Bull up to be a sort of general slave around the place.  Well, when he comes back home all shot up he tries to get his sons to take my trail, but they didn’t have the nerve.  But Bull that they’d always looked down on for a big good-for-nothing hulk—­Bull stepped out and took my trail on foot and hit across the mountains in a storm, above the timberline!

“And he followed till he come up with me here where he found me in jail, accused of a murder.  Did he turn back?  He didn’t.  He didn’t want the law to hang me.  He wanted to kill me with his own hands so’s he could go back home and hear his uncle call him a man and praise him a little.  That shows how simple he is.

“Well, I’ll cut a long story short.  Bull scouted around, found out that the sheriff had done the killing himself and just saddled the blame on me, and then he makes the sheriff confess, gets me out of jail, and takes me out in the woods.

“‘Now,’ says he, ’you’ve got a gun, and I’ve got a gun, and I’m going to kill you if I can.’

“No use arguing.  He goes for his gun.  I didn’t want to kill a man who’d saved my life.  I tried to stop him with bullets.  I shot him through the right arm and made him drop his gun.  Then he charged me barehanded!”

There was a gasp from Manners.

“Barehanded,” repeated Pete.  “That’s the stuff that’s in him!  I shot him through the left leg.  He pitched onto his face, and then hanged if he didn’t get up on one arm and one leg and throw himself at me.  He got that big arm of his around me.  I couldn’t do a thing.  My gun was squeezed between him and me.  He started fumbling.  Pretty soon he found my throat with them big gorilla fingers of his.  I thought my last minute had come.  One squeeze would have smashed my windpipe—­and good-bye, Pete Reeve!

“But he wouldn’t kill me.  After I’d filled him full of lead, he let me go.  After he had the advantage he wouldn’t take it.”  Pete choked.  He concluded briefly, “He mighty near bled to death before I could get the wounds bandaged, and then I stayed on here and nursed him.  Matter of fact, Manners, he saved my life twice and that’s why I’m tied to him for life.  Besides, between you and me, he means more to me than the rest of the world put together.”

“Listen,” said Manners, after a pause.  “I see what you mean and I’ll tell you what you got to do.  That big boy will do anything you tell him.  He follers you with his eyes.  Well, we’ll find a hoss that will carry him.  I guarantee that.  Then you put your game up to him, best foot forward, and he’ll come with us.”

“Not in a thousand years,” said Pete with emotion.  “That boy will never go crooked if I can keep him straight.  Do you know what he’s done?  Because his uncle and cousins tried to get me, he’s sworn never to see one of ’em again.  He’s given them up—­his own flesh and blood—­to follow me, and I’m going to stick to him.  That’s complete and final.”