John C. Horst's Blog, page 7

5.0 out of 5 stars Different kind of western.

5.0 out of 5 stars Different kind of western., August 9, 2014 By Wanda Hatcher - See all my reviews Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Allingham: Canyon Diablo (Kindle Edition) I am 66 yrs. old & this novel stirred up a lot of emotions that I did not expect to come about while reading a novel about the old west. Quite surprising ! This author has an amazing talent & I hope to read many of his novels in the future. You will be pleased to have read this book, Papa. Allingham; Canyon Diablo

Pendejo, you need a get a grip on yourself. Sally was a beast of burden.

Strino He had just begun to fall asleep when he realized she was in his bed. He sat up with a start.

“How did you do, that, Chica?”

“I come in through the window.” She grinned.

“You’d better go back to your room, Chica.” He turned away from her.

“Wha’ is wrong, Pendejo?”

“I am just tired, Chica. I am tired of all this. I am not cut out to live the way you live. I missed you, you go off, you don’t tell me where you are. Now, I have used my influence as a Ranger to get you out of jail. I constantly…”  He was too angry for the words to come.

“I am sorry, Pendejo. I should not have had so much whiskey.”

He looked at her. “You don’t get it, girl. You just don’t get it, do you?”

“I see that you are sad, Pendejo. I am sorry that you are sad. I like you a lot better when you are funny.”

He put his hands over his face and rubbed his temples. “I have lost my wife, my child, my Sally, and now I am constantly thinking of you.”

“Sally? Who is this Sally, Pendejo?”

“My mule.”

“Pendejo, you need a get a grip on yourself. Sally was a beast of burden.” The Mule Tamer

The Americanos don’t like Indians. Look at what happened with Custer.

William Robinson Leigh ~ The Water Carrier The man nodded, knowingly. “The Americanos, the ones up north. They’re not all assholes, just most of them.”

The pretty assistant came back and wanted to know what they were talking about. She blew air between pursed lips. “No, this is not a good idea. They would not do well up there. They have no English and they are too dark. The Americanos don’t like Indians. Look at what happened with Custer.”

The man ignored her and stood up. “Well, maybe so.” He was not really interested in what they would do next, as long as they were not living with him. He wandered outside and left the three of them alone. Maria's Trail.

Most gringo white men don’ want nothin’ to do with me.

Jesus She looked him up and down. “You are a very strange gringo, Pendejo. You don’ look very much like, like…”

“Not very tough?”  He smiled. “I know, I know. I’ve heard that before.”

“Why are you not so mean to me, Pendejo? Most gringo white men don’ want nothin’ to do with me. They avoid even to look at me.”

“I think you’re funny.” He smiled as he checked his watch again. “You’d better beat it out of here.”

“Why so secret, Pendejo?”

“What’s this Pendejo?”

“Oh, I don’ know, it just seem to fit.” The Mule Tamer

Mexican women were some of the most beautiful in all the land.

Jesus And he liked Mexicans. She’d heard of gringos who liked Mexican women, that was not such a stretch. Mexican women were some of the most beautiful in all the land. Anyone with a brain, as Uncle Alejandro said, would be a fool not to find Maria attractive. She knew all these things in her mind, and in bed at night she’d remind herself of them. But every morning she’d get up and waste time, have two hour breakfasts with Uncle Alejandro, go curry Alanza, play with the vaqueros’ children, have a two hour lunch and then take a nap. She would finish the day by spending more than two hours over dinner and the day would be gone. This would go on, Maria feared, indefinitely. She simply could not shake the procrastination. Maria's Trail.

They are good to everyone but they are extra good to us and the Indians.

Jesús Helguera “Lady, I need to know about a man who lives around here.” The woman was listening, but did not look up. “He is a gringo and he rides mules like others ride a horse.”

“I know this man. Señor Walsh. He has a mule ranch not far.”

“Is he a good man?”

The woman finally stopped and looked at Maria. She liked Maria, despite her manly dress. She could tell that Maria didn’t have bad intentions. “He is the best of men.”

Maria felt a flutter in her belly and a pain at her bullet wound. She started to speak when the woman interrupted her. “He and his uncle are good men. They are good to everyone but they are extra good to us and the Indians. They have a good ranch and it is very grand, but they take care of their people on the land. There, people are treated with respect, paid well. They are a good pair of gringos.”

“And the one who is not the uncle, is he… does he have a woman?”

“Not him. The uncle, though. He’s got Pilar, the bitch.” She spit on the ground when she said the woman’s name and Maria was amused by this.

“This is his wife?”

“Hah! No. She is a Mexicana, like us, but she is the lady of the manor, or at least she thinks so. She is a housekeeper and gives the old man one every so often. She thinks no one knows. Hah! Everyone knows. She thinks she is better than everyone because she had an aunt who was married to a shopkeeper once, and that was a long, long time ago. Now she runs the ranch like it is hers. Old slut!”

“And the other one, this Walsh. He has no woman?”

“No.”  Maria's Trail

"Them Mexicans, I liked ‘em well enough."

Jesus Helguera Old Pop went on: “Them Mexicans, I liked ‘em well enough. They’re some ridin’ sons of bitches, and I swear they’re some of the best horses I’ve seen in all my time. Your pop had a genius idea gettin’ them from Mexico instead of from the Navajos down south—and they got some good horses, sure enough, themselves.”

Pierce stood up suddenly and felt as if his legs wouldn’t hold him. His head reeled and he vomited into a chamber pot at the foot of his bed, barely making it in time.

“Easy, lad. You’ve lost a lotta blood, and the body ain’t used to that much pain. Lie down now. We’ll think of somethin’ in the morning.” Allingham: Desperate Ride

“Thanks, Old Pop.”

“Don’t call me a idiot, ya half-breed Mexican ass.”

“Don’t call me a idiot, ya half-breed Mexican ass.”

“Whore.”

“Mesesto.”

“Mestizo! He glared at her as he wiped the water from his face. “You’re so damned dumb you can’t even insult a person properly. Mes-ti-zo. Mes-ti-zo. How many times must I tell you, you stupid bitch.”

He turned and dug through the boat’s cabin and found a couple of trade knives. He walked in the direction of the garden and remained gone several minutes.

Hilola sat by the fire and dried off and dressed as she waited for him to return.

“Where’d you go?”

“To pay the Indians.”

She laughed and looked at him as if he were stupid. “You chump. The deer probably eat more than we took. Those savages would never miss it.”

“Don’t call them that. Savages!” He looked her over. “Who’s calling who a savage?”

He packed up and got on board. He looked her in the eye. “Come on, we’re leaving.”

“I’m not ready to leave yet.” She threw another bit of wood on the fire which Ramon had thoroughly extinguished, and looked back at him defiantly.

“I don’t have time for this nonsense, Hilola. Come on, we’re wasting daylight.”

“Who the hell died and left you king of this company? Sure weren’t Jimmie.” She laughed out loud at the thought of Jimmie in his watery grave. “He’d have a fit if he could. Which he can’t ‘cause he’s dead.” She threw her head back and screamed at the sky. “Dead! D-E-D, dead!” Allingham; Desperate Ride

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique Western with great characters and story line! Allingham; Canyon Diablo

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique Western with great characters and story line!, July 23, 2014 By Noreen Kellner (Connecticut) - See all my reviews Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Allingham: Canyon Diablo (Kindle Edition) Unusual Western created with a fantastic insight into the history of the old west. The story line was engrossing and the characters were well fleshed out. Really enjoyed this read and have just started the next book Allingham. I believe there are only two books in this series but this one is a stand alone and doesn't just drop you off a cliff at the end. Kudos to John Horst for a well written story that got me involved with the characters and plot.

I should be ashamed of myself for what I did. I should be very sorry.

“I did, darling. But that does not mean you should do such a thing. Violence is never the answer. I should be ashamed of myself for what I did. I should be very sorry.” She kissed the girl on the forehead and sent her on to bed. “Did you clean your teeth?” She called after her and nodded. The Mule Tamer III, Marta's Quest