The Bounty Hunters

"What!"

Fly

Deneen stared with the rage plain in his face, even in the darkness, and he was not able to speak.

"Maybe I can answer it myself," Fly

"Is that all you have to say, Fly

"One other thing."

"What is that?"

"You're going to the village."

"At the point of a gun?" Deneen half smiled. "I think not. And we'll stay as long as I choose to."

"If you do, you'll stay alone."

"Madora is under my command. If I stay, he'll stay…and with all of his men!"

Turning to go, Fly

20

They waited in the darkness crouched low in the mesquite, watching the pines off across the clearing. Clouds had formed in the night sky and now the moonwash was a soft haze that barely outlined the dense shape of the trees.

Madora said, "How long now?"

"About twenty minutes," Fly

"That's not so good."

"Maybe they're close and he can't move."

Deneen, crouched at Fly

Madora's head turned. "Why don't you ring a bell?"

Deneen began, "Madora, you'll be sorry you ever…"

"Damn it-shut up!"

Indicating the pines across the clearing, Fly

"Like the other two," Madora said.

Fly

"They'll wait a good hour before following: give us plenty of time. If something happens, they're on their own."

But a moment later, Three-cents appeared, crawling, squirming into the mesquite. He told them that two Mimbrenos were among the trees looking for the one who had disappeared, feeling through the pines carefully. "They will look only a short time more, searching a wider area. Then they will go to inform the others."

"Which means," Fly

"What did he say?" Deneen whispered, demanding, not merely asking.

"He said it's empty; we could drive a wagon through," Madora told him.

"That's not what he said!"

Madora did not bother to reply; he moved out and they crawled single file after him across the clearing, moving more quickly through shoulder-high brush hands and knees again across another open stretch and then into the pines. They waited, listening to the silence, then deeper among the trees they could hear crickets. They sing if nothing's disturbing them, Fly

Three-cents looked at Madora and when the scout nodded he moved off, disappearing into the darkness.

The clasp knife is in the left side pocket, Fly

He saw it again, a short quick shadow movement, and held his gaze on it, waiting for it to show again. When it did, he knew that it was a man, and almost instinctively he knew it was not Three-cents.

He glanced at Deneen. He hadn't seen him. The shadow moved again, coming closer cautiously, taking the definite shape of a man. It went through Fly

Deneen held the pistol out in front of him…the Apache was on the ground…but suddenly another shape was coming out of the trees…his thumb hooked the hammer and he fired at it…the figure hung motionless and he pulled the trigger twice again until the shape dropped to the ground.

Madora's voice suddenly-hoarse, urgent, "Stop him!"

Fly

"Get off of me!"

The face beneath him was tight with panic, ready to scream again. Fly

"What!"

"The second one…It was Three-cents! The crazy son of a bitch killed him!"

Looking down, seeing the eyes, Fly