The Mexican pulled his gaze away from the vista that had held him
hypnotized and straightened his lank form reluctantly. From a bench
near by he picked up a square kerosene can of the type made
internationally popular by a certain oil trust, inspected it to see if
the baling-wire handle would hold the weight of four gallons of
gasoline, and sauntered to a shed under which a red-leaded iron drum
lay on a low scaffold of poles. A brass faucet was screwed into the
hole for a faucet. He turned it listlessly, watched the gasoline run
in a sparkling stream the size of his finger, went off into a
moon-dream until the oil can was threatening to run over, and then shut
off the stream at its source. He picked up the can with the air of one
whose mind is far distant, came like a sleepwalker to where Johnny
waited, set the can down, and turned apathetically to retrace his steps
to where he could lean again.
"That ain't all. Bring me a can of water as fast as you brought the
gas. We may want to go back to-night."
"Si," sighed the Mexican and continued to drift away.
"Don't be in a hurry. Come and lift the can up to me."
The Mexican returned as slowly as he had departed, and picked up the
can. Johnny dropped a half dollar into it, whereat the Mexican's eyes
opened a trifle wider.
"What's the name of that red-faced friend of Cliff's?" Johnny asked,
taking the can and beginning to pour gas into the Thunder Bird's tank.
"Quien sabe?" murmured the listless one.
Johnny paused, and another coin slipped tinkling into the can.
"What did you say?"
The Mexican hesitated. He would like very much to see that other coin.
It had sounded heavy--almost as heavy as a dollar. He turned his head
and looked attentively at the house.
"Quien sabe, senor." The senor he added for sake of the coin he had
not seen. "Mucho name, Ah'm theenk."
"Think some more." Johnny poured the last of the gas and caused
another clinking sound in the can. The Mexican's eyes were as wide
open now as they would ever be, and he even called a faint smile to his
countenance.
"Some-_times_--Sawb," he recollected, and reached for the can.
"Sawb--What y'mean, Sawb? That's no name for a man. You mean Schwab?"
"Si, senor--Sawb." He glanced again at the house distrustfully, as if
he feared even his murmur might be overheard.
"All right. Get the water now."
"Si, senor." And he went for it at a trot, that he might the sooner
investigate the source of those clinking sounds.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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