That bed's full of blood and your friend's dead, the doctor said. By the time they were within a week of Ogallala, all subjects other than whoring were judged to be superfluous. You ride in yesterday talking Montana, and today you're talking California. Gus had been so much himself to the end that he wouldn't let even his death be an occasion--it had just felt like one of their many arguments that normally would be resumed in a few days.
One of Gus's worst traits was an inability to stick to a plan. I can read that. Newt had not expected the jump and lost both stirrups, but fortunately diverted the heifens so that they turned back into the main herd. As soon as he knew that Zwey was two or three miles from the wagon, he circled back and pressed his suit.
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