Paul Kilzer posted:

	El Dupree stepped into the shade of the cantina. He sat down at a
table and signaled for the worn-out looking bar girl to come take his order.
	"A bottle of Tequila, a glass for me and a glass for my friend
the Corzappa here."
	He hefted the leather wrapped iron in his hand. The bar girl returned.
The Short Fat One and his Aztec Companion began to drink.
		**************
	An argument across the room roused Him from his stupor. Pepito and a 
stranger were sitting at a table. The stranger was speaking loudly and waving 
a book in the air excitedly.
	El Dupree thought of the day long ago he had seen Pepito leave for 
college in the City.
	On the back cover of the book was a photo of Pepito, on the front a 
drawing of a snake flying a kite.
	Thinking of his need to piss, the Short Fat One had a notion to say
hello on his way out back.
	He rose from his seat and began to stumble across the room. As he 
approached the pair he began to hear what the stranger was saying.
	"I thought you said this book was called 'The How of Beating Snakes!'
This book is useless to me! All it has is a bunch of whining about losers who
got bitten when they failed to appreciate 'The Way of the Snake'! What I want
is pointers on how to kill snakes like a Real Man. I want to beat them on
their own territory, with a six gun, like a Real Man. What use have I got 
for a bunch of cowardly advice about walking on the tops of boulders and 
rattling a stick around in the bushes before I walk through!!! You make me
sick, you yellow-bellied bastard. I want my money back!"
	As he was yelling, the stranger had risen from his chair and drawn his
pistol, taking Pepito by surprise.
	Almost close enough to touch the stranger, the Maloderous One stepped
forward, thinking to strike him with the corzappa. El Dupree tripped on an 
unseen drunk passed out on the floor. The corazappa flew from his hand and 
he fell towards the stranger. As the stranger pulled the trigger, The Hand of 
The Short Fat One fell onto the stranger's pistol. The firing hammer struck
the only part of his hand not calloused from the endless hours of crazy 
fingers. A blood blister grew in the flesh between his thumb and forefinger.
	Pepito scrambled across the room to grab the corzappa before he ran out
the door. El Dupree and the stranger fell into an avocado stained heap.
	Cursing, the stranger pulled himself upright and kicked the Short Fat
One, then ran after Pepito.  
	Feeling the Call of Mohave Mai, he stumbled outside.
		***********************
	On the road to Mohave Mai, El Dupree came across a horse tied in the 
shade of a tree. Lying near the mouth of the ravine where Pepito used to 
keep his secret lair was the stranger, his shooting arm swollen from 
rattle snake bites, his belly swollen from the desert heat.
	El Dupree untied the horse and climbed atop it. This would make his 
trip much easier.
		At that moment, the snake was enlightened.