Mrs Pearson, in a grey bonnet, her nose as unbecoming as a frigate bird’s, blinked. ‘Do you really think so?’

Collis nodded. ‘That’s what I think. It’s the way these people make themselves a living, scavenging off people like you.’

Mr Pearson called, ‘Hold on a minute, fellow!’

The Mexican was already climbing up on to the makeshift seat on the front of his cart. He waved reassuringly.

‘Don’t worry, señor. I see you double-quick at the Yerba Hotel. You don’t worry about nothing.’

Collis jostled his way around to the front of the cart and held the horse’s reins. ‘You’re not going anyplace, not without this gentleman.’

The Mexican looked at him suspiciously. ‘What’s it to you, señor?’

‘It isn’t anything,’ said Collis. ‘It’s just that you’re not leaving this wharf without this gentleman sitting alongside of you.’

The Mexican tugged at his untidy moustache. ‘My horse, it’s weak,’ he said. ‘You understand that? It’s too weak for all this baggage, and me, and this gentleman.’

‘It doesn’t look weak to me,’ retorted Collis. ‘In any case, if you’re concerned about your horse’s health, why don’t you lead it, and let the gentleman sit up on the seat?’

‘That’s not possible,’ said the Mexican stubbornly.

‘Give me a good reason why not.’

‘I don’t have to give you no reason. You get out of my way.’

Collis held the horse’s reins tighter. The horse shied a little, but the Mexican was held fast until Collis decided to release him.

‘You take your hands off my horse,’ demanded the Mexican.

Collis shook his head. ‘Just as soon as you let this gentleman ride alongside of you, but not before.’

‘I don’t do that. Nobody rides with me.’

‘Then unload that baggage off that heap of a wagon right now, before I break your jaw.’

The Mexican waited for a moment, tense, chewing at his lip. Already an interested crowd had begun to collect and they were watching Collis and the Mexican with enormous amusement. Then without warning, the Mexican shouted, ‘Hi! Get up there! Hi! Hi! Hi!’ and snapped his whip across his horse’s back.

Collis was ready for him. He dragged fiercely at the reins, and the horse screamed and lost its balance on the boards of the wharf. As the crowd scattered, the wagon overturned with a thunderous crash, and the Pearsons’s baggage was spilled everywhere. The Mexican tried to jump for safety, but he caught his knee on the side of the toppling wagon and was knocked backward. The crowd cheered. They enjoyed a fight, whoever won.