Lauran Paine's "The Devil on Horseback!"

Shades of UTEP's Southwest Literature!

English 3365 (or whatever) Spring 2004...

"Calabasas was a growing town in New Mexico Territory, and no one had benefited from recent prosperity than Henry Drake, a merchant who owned most of the property in town.

"When a stranger passing through town mentioned Drake's past to the marshal, the businessman felt threatened -- enough to resort to murder in order to be sure that the information would go no further.

"Jim Rourke was often among the first to hear what was gong on in Calabasas and suddenly he was the target of a hired killer.

"Whoever or whatever his foe was, Rourke knew that surviving an encounter with this devil on horseback would take a miracle."

Page 204 Rourke and the Priest.

"ALWAYS WHEN THEIR DUTY IS FINISHED , THEY ARE CASTRATED...."

The priest says:

"Always when their duty is finished, they are castrated."

Rourke is bewildered.

"Maybe that's what he died of, Father. Shock."

"The priest faced Rourke as he said, What we must worry about is why the other one is still here."

Rourke is kinda of slow, just like we, the readers are!

"How do we know he is, Father?"

And the priest answers:

"Maybe he isn't, but believe what I tell you when I say they arrive in pairs, and each is found dead and castrated after they have done whatever they came to do ... if they are found at all..."

Man, this book is an awesome read!