Paradise Sky

“Son of a bitch,” he said when he saw me.

Ruggert yelled out of the cave, “What did you call me?”

It was then I brought my rifle up and started cocking it fast as I could. I had the lever pushed so that each time I cocked it, it hit the trigger. I must have missed him three times, but I figure I got him on four. He went down in the grass and started cussing.

“You got me in the nuts, you coward. You shot my goddamn nuts.”

“I was aiming for your goddamn pecker,” I said. “You in the cave. You better stay put.”

“Willie?” came Ruggert’s voice. “Is that you?”

“It is,” I said, “and your hide is ta

“You ain’t got me yet,” he said.

“I’m laying out here shot in the balls and you’re having a talk with this bastard,” Pinocchio Joe said. He had started to roll around on the ground a little.

“It’s that nigger I told you about,” Ruggert said.

“I don’t care,” Pinocchio Joe said. “I got a bullet in my sack.”

All the time Pinocchio Joe was rattling on, I had been moving with my back against the rocks, toward the mouth of the cave. Pinocchio Joe might have thought I wouldn’t notice he was trying to get up on his knees with his rifle. But I noticed. I was just waiting for him to set up high enough I could pick him off.

When he rose up suddenly and the rifle lifted, I popped off a shot. He shot, too. His shot went wild, but mine hit him. He fell back in the grass and yelled out, “Now I’m shot in the goddamn neck. I’m dying in the rain. Oh, Jesus. I got blood in my mouth.” Then I heard Pinocchio gurgle, and then he was silent and still. I watched toward the mouth of the cave to see if Ruggert was coming out on me, which he didn’t, and then I darted my eyes out to where Pinocchio Joe lay, hoping he wasn’t playing possum. He didn’t move, but I decided to put another shot into him to make sure. I shot him twice, actually. He didn’t so much as flinch either time. I was counting him dead from that moment on.

“Ruggert, I’m coming in after you.”

“Then come ahead. I’ll put on the coffee, you black bastard.”

I heard the cattle and horses stirring inside the cave. Those shots had gotten them worked up.

I leaned my rifle against the wall and pulled the LeMat and put the lever on the shotgun load, then I put it back and loosened the Colt in its holster. I picked up the rifle again. I considered for a moment.

“Well, you coming in, or do I need to give you a piggyback ride?” Ruggert said.

I took a deep breath and moved swiftly along the wall to the mouth of the cave and the bright burning fire. I poked the rifle inside and started cocking and pumping shots. The cows bellowed and the horses snorted and then they all went wild. I could hear them stomping around in there, and then one of the horses leaped through the fire, knocking big logs about. I heard more stomping inside, and then Ruggert yelled out in pain. I dropped the rifle, pulled both pistols, and stepped inside.

There was a wall of cows, and they near knocked me down, ru

I watched the animals rush off across the clearing, tramping on Pinocchio Joe’s body so solidly I could hear his bones crack from where I stood. I waited a moment, then stepped inside. It was darker at the back of the cave, as the fire had been knocked about, so with my LeMat in one hand I picked up a burning stick with the other and used it to guide me back into the shadows.

Ruggert was moaning down in that dark drop-off.

At the drop-off I stuck the blazing stick over the edge and peeked down.

“Had a little fall, did you?”

A shot flared up and punched a hole through the brim of my hat.

“I ain’t dead yet, nigger. I’m stomped on and broken, but I ain’t dead. I been burned and cut, shot and beat, and still I ain’t dead. But what I don’t understand is why in hell ain’t you dead.”

“Ornery as you, I reckon,” I said.

“I’ll second that, goddamn it. Ah, shit. I hurt.”

“Ruggert,” I said. “I could just sit up here and wait you out, or you can give yourself up.”

“And have you kill me?”

“I wait you out, you’ll be dead, and I’ll haul your dead ass into Fort Smith just the same. I could kill you easy. Get some rocks and push them over on you. Fire down there with my pistols until I hit something with meat on it. I could drop this here firebrand down and shoot you in the light of it. Or you can give yourself up.”

“You’d let me give up?”

“I been talking to the preacher. He thinks I’ll do better about myself if I don’t kill for vengeance.”

“Does he, now?”

“I can’t say I’ve got Jesus, but I think he makes some sense there. You know I killed Golem?”

“You did? That big, contrary son of a bitch? Well, damned if you ain’t the resourceful nigger.”

“I got an ass full of resource.”

“You could be lying to me, Willie.”

“I assure you Golem’s dead.”

“About bringing me in alive.”

“I could be.”

“You ruined my life.”

“I didn’t do nothing to you. Who the hell cares about such a thing as someone seeing your wife’s clothed ass?”

“I do.”

“And what’s it got you? A burned-up face, some cut-up balls, and now you been stomped on by a cow. On top of that, you’re a wanted man. And you’ll love why I’m taking you in.”

“The reward, I figure.”

“That’s true, but I’m also a deputy marshal, and it’s my job.”

“Now, I’ll be damned to hell if you’re a marshal.”

“Have it your way.”

“I got another solution. I could shoot myself.”

“Go on ahead. It’s nothing to me. You do it, I’m off the griddle. You give me trouble and I do it, I’m doing my job. And I could change my mind and feel less forgiving in the next five minutes. Hell, Ruggert. You get to choose. But you don’t choose soon, then I will kill you in the name of the law, and for Win, Madame, my pa, and a hog that never done nothing to you. And I’ll kill you for my mama just on general principles.”

“I forgot about the hog,” he said. “Damn it, boy. Drop a rope over. Pull me out. I’ll go in with you.”

“Your voice has got real sweet, but I don’t trust you. Let me tell you how we’re going to do it. I’m going to go check on my man. Then I’m going to come back, and you are going to throw your guns up here—”

“I just got one. I dropped my rifle. You tend to do that when a fucking cow steps on you.”

“I see it here on the ledge. You throw what guns you got up here, and then we’ll see about getting you out. How bad are you hurt?”

“Leg’s twisted under me, coiled up like a rope. It hurts.”

“It’ll get worse. Throw the gun up.”

“I don’t trust you for shit.”

“You might want to throw it up anyway. I walk away with this fire it’s going to get awful dark down there.”

I grabbed the burning brand and started out the front of the cave. Ruggert yelled after me. “Don’t leave me down here, Willie.”

I ignored him and went out of the cave to look at Choctaw. He was sitting up when I got there, holding the side of his head. The rain made my burning brand waver.

I kneeled down next to him.

“I got creased in the head,” he said. “There’s blood all over me.”

“Move your hand.”

He did, and I turned the brand in that direction. His ear had been cut in two. The bottom half dangled.

“How’s it look?”

“Your ear’s hanging by a strand. I can cut it loose for you.”