Macho Caballo Page

                        MACHO CABALLO

                 PART 2: CHAPTER VEINTITRES

                   THE HEART OF THE MATTER

(I'd give this one a PG13 rating)


PICKING UP PIECES:

When Sunboy chose to do so, he could make a grand entrance.
Then there were the days when he just wanted to make
everything hot.

The air was growing warmer as he stood, bare feet planted in
the sand, facing the Sun rising in the east.  The tall Azuma
lad opened his eyes, shaded them with one hand as he gazed
toward the hills northeast.  Then he looked closer, at a
patch of brush slightly greener than the rest.  "There is
water, there," he said.

"Good," said Red Cloud, "I have found one of the canteens."

Wolfwalker remained immobile, staring at the sky.  "I would
rather be an eagle," he said quietly, "To soar above this
sand and brush.  Or a hawk.  Anything would be better than
what I am."

Red Cloud gave him a puzzled look and said, "I am content
with what I have.  I am Azuma.  What else could be
important?"

"Yes, but you have a glorious sacred form.  I have..."
Wolfwalker suddenly became silent.  He shook the sand from
his feet, donned moccasins and hefted the canteen.  "I will
bring water," he said.

As Ramon piled his scant gatherings of unblemished food
before him, a fly settled on a wrapping.  He made a grab at
it, but the fly buzzed free.

Red Cloud watched Wolfwalker go and shook her head.  She
joined Ramon with her own burden, a pair of saddlebags and a
metal pans. Observing his efforts, she asked, "What would
you do with the fly if you caught it?"

"Let it go, I guess.  It is something my abuelo has me
doing.  He says if I can catch a fly without harming it then
I can quit grabbing them.  Then he will probably find
something else stupid for me to do."

"Yes," nodded Red Cloud, "You are concerned about your
grandfather?"

"We haven't seen him, or the rest of the group.  They could
be hurt, or dead."

"What could you do, from here, either way?"

"Nothing much, I guess.  But I worry."

"Worry won't find them," Red Cloud added a torn blanket to
the pile.

"No, I guess not."

Wolfwalker returned with the filled canteen, and they drank.
"I have seen smoke to the northeast," he said.

Realizing that his goal was almost in sight, Ramon became
very anxious to go on.  "It could be an Apache village!" he
said, "Let's go on and see!"

Red Cloud looked up from the length of rope she was
untangling. "Take your time," she said, "I am in no hurry to
lose my freedom - or worse."

"But this is what I came here for!" Ramon objected, "Why did
you follow me if you don't want to meet the Apache?"

"I do not like them.  I followed you because... you are
important to the tribe and I felt that I must help you."

"Why do you humble yourself to this fool?" demanded
Wolfwalker, "Let him run off and get himself captured.  Then
we can go back home.  You have done enough, protecting him
this far."

"We must keep him alive," Red Cloud told him, "The spirits
of the spring have told me this."

"But why him?" Wolfwalker dropped the utensils he had
collected into a heap and stood over her, "What makes this
Mexican so important?"

Red Cloud and Ramon exchanged glances and she admitted, "I
cannot say."

"It is a mystery to me, too," said Ramon, "All I know is
this - I am searching for my sister, she must be among the
Apache, and we are somehow in the land of the Apache.  If I
find them, I may find her."

"Are you so certain?" asked Red Cloud, "I will go with you,
wherever you may go.  But remember what I told you the first
time, about the Apache."

Ramon checked. "I don't want anything to happen to you," he
said with a frown.

"You may have no choice," she said, "Remember this, should
we get into hot water with the Apache, it is not I who
should fear being violated."

"They would not him cause him much pain," snorted
Wolfwalker, "There is no honor in prolonging a coward's
death."

"All the same, he has reason to be cautious," said Red Cloud
with a sidelong glance, "We should go, but move carefully.
We have met Bluenose, but he is not like all Apache.  We may
not meet him."

"Fear not," said Wolfwalker, stuffing the pack full, "I
shall protect you.  Let's go."  He handed the pack to Red
Cloud.

"I thought you were ready to turn back!" said Ramon.

"That was before I realized what a raving madman you really
were," Wolfwalker said, "Perhaps I can keep you alive long
enough for you to complete your search."

"Just stand between us and the Sun," suggested Ramon, "Your
head should provide enough shade for Red Cloud and me to
keep cool."




OH, WAD SOME POWER, THE GIFTY GIE US:

Buffalo Wattle carefully lifted a twisted tangle of wood
from a beaded bag. "Keep your hands off of it!" he cried. He
held it at arm's length to discourage Black Elk, who was
reaching to finger the twisted fibers.

"Where did you get this?" asked Black Elk, "It looks like
tinder to build a fire."

"This is a magical hat," announced Buffalo Wattle, "It came
from a lightning-struck tree."

"Isn't that the shaman's bag?" asked Tall Horse.

"Of course it is," said Buffalo Wattle, "I merely borrowed
it for a while to help us find White Dog's pony."

"Since he let you borrow it, I suppose it is all right,"
Black Elk said carefully, "But... "

"He told me how to use it," the chief's son said, "When you
wear it you can see true shapes.  It will show us who took
your pony. I will show you."

"You are taking a chance," muttered Tall Horse, "Magic can
turn on you if you aren't careful."

"What can you see?"  The shortest member of the little group
was White Dog, allowed to tag along because he was the best
at following faded animal trails.

Buffalo Wattle had fitted the contraption over his head, so
he was peering out of two holes shaped roughly like
eyepieces. "Tall Horse, you look no different," he said
before turning to the others, "White Dog, you have the shape
of a weasel.  You would be very good at getting into small
places."

"I knew that," muttered White Dog.

"And Black Elk..." Buffalo Wattle began to snicker.  He
laughed, bending over and holding his sides until he could
draw a clear breath, and said, "Black Elk, this is
wonderful!  You have the shape of the civet cat!"

"I do not think this is so wonderful," growled Black Elk, "I
would try this hat.  Perhaps it will show me something."

Buffalo Wattle reluctantly surrendered the tangle of
splinters and watched as Black Elk settled it onto his head.

"Now, I see..." Black Elk began, "...I see... hmmmph."

"What do you see?" White Dog said, agitated.

"Buffalo Wattle has the shape of a bull buffalo," grumbled
Black Elk.  Buffalo Wattle relaxed and smirked.

"I would look through this thing," said White Dog, as he
reached to take it from Black Elk's head.

"Careful!" cried Tall Horse, "It is indeed magic if it helps
you to see the true shape of a person.  Do not damage it."

"I will be careful," snapped the short boy as he placed his
head into the tortured wooden bowl.  He looked about for a
moment, then sighed in disappointment.  "Everyone looks the
same," he said, "Is this a joke?"

"No!" said Buffalo Wattle, "It belongs to the medicine man.
I have seen him use it before.  It worked for me."

"How did you get this thing?" asked Tall Horse suspiciously,
"The medicine man would not lend you such a powerful magic."

"I asked for it," said Buffalo Wattle, though he neglected
to add that he had asked his sister and not the medicine
man.

White Dog had been using the eyeholes to scan their
surroundings. "There is a deer coming over that rise," he
said.

"Huh?  How do you know that?" asked Black Elk.  Just then a
buck with velvet antlers bounded above the hill, saw them,
and leaped away.

"So, it tells each person a different thing," said Tall
Horse, "I would look through it."  White Dog kept the hat
for another few moments, trying to spot another deer, but
finally had to give it up.

"It shows me nothing," said Tall Horse.  "You all look the
same. There is nothing coming over the hill."

"When I look at you with the hat, I do not see another
shape," said Buffalo Wattle, "Perhaps you were not meant to
look through it."

"Perhaps this is true," admitted the tall lad, "Let me try
again."  He stood in one spot and slowly turned around,
looking in all directions.  "There," he pointed toward the
hills in the south, "I see someone coming.  A woman.  A
wolf.  And a jaguar."

"Aiiyyee," breathed Black Elk, "Someone is coming, truly.
With my own eyes I see a woman and two men.  They are
strangers."

Buffalo Wattle smiled, but there was the cold of stone in
his eyes. "Let us go and greet them," he said, "We will see
if they are friends or fools."




AMBUSH:

The four Apache watched from cover as the strangers came
closer.

"Wait!" hissed Black Elk, "One of them is a Mexican!"

"Could they be here for the gathering?"  Tall Horse
wondered.

White Dog had to stand on his tiptoes to see.  "Do you
suppose they have a right to be here?"  he asked.

"No!" cried Buffalo Wattle, "They are outsiders!  I have
never seen them before!"

"What do you suppose they want?"

"They are not warriors, except maybe the tall one," decided
the chief's son.

"Let's take them in!  If they are enemy, they will have to
fight us.  If they are not, then we will escort them!" White
Dog scampered back to the top of the ridge.

"Yes," agreed Buffalo Wattle, "surely they will fight."

"You take the jaguar and the wolf.  I'll take the woman."

"Big talk, White Dog," laughed Black Elk.

Buffalo Wattle agreed, "We don't have to hurt them.  We will
surround them and capture them without bloodshed.  That way
I will be acknowledged as their superior."

                       --------------

Ramon saw Red Cloud lift the heavy pack and went to
intercept her.

"Here, let me carry that," Ramon said as he lifted the pack
from Red Cloud's shoulders.

"I am fine," insisted the Azuma lass, "I am no weakling.  I
can manage."

"It is too heavy.  I should carry it."

Wolfwalker intervened. "Do you not listen?  She said to
leave her alone!" he said, then added, "Here, let me carry
it."

"You too?" cried Red Cloud, "I said I am able to do my own
work!" She finally agreed to swap the pack for the
saddlebags and they moved toward a faint trail which led to
the northeast.

Ramon hefted the pack and scowled at Wolfwalker, who ignored
him as he set out ahead on the trail.  Ramon turned to find
that Red Cloud was waiting, watching him.  For a moment they
stood there. She gazed levelly at him, almost without
expression, though there was the slightest of smiles on her
face.

"Thank you," she said.

Ramon shook himself, wondered how long he had been standing
there looking foolish, and set out on the trail after
Wolfwalker.

The pack straps were soon dragging heavily into Ramon's
shoulders.  "We'll never get anywhere," he grumbled as he
trudged over the sand and gravel, "I wish I had my horse."

"Must you always complain?" said Wolfwalker, "You are a
weakling!"

"Oh, yeah?" Ramon returned, "Well, the strongest thing about
you is your mouth!"

Wolfwalker ignored the jibe, "We have seen smoke, to the
northeast.  We must keep going if we are to get there before
dark."

Ramon said, "If my abuelo had not disappeared, he would know
how to talk to the Apache.  He could bargain for horses."

"If he did not get us in trouble, first," Red Cloud said.

"Oh, yeah," said Ramon, "There is that chance."

"But he says he has been teaching you," smiled the Azuma
maid, "Perhaps you could do the same as he."

"Yeah, I probably could..." Ramon stopped, "That wasn't
funny!" he said.

She moved up to walk beside him and said, "I have faith in
you, Ramon.  I know you can do the right thing."

Mollified, Ramon trudged on.  As he walked, a soft smile
wandered across his face, and he thought about how rarely he
had smiled lately.

Wolfwalker paced alongside him, placing himself between
Ramon and Red Cloud.  "The smoke is no closer," suggested
the tall Indian, "You could walk faster."

The smile vanished, "I am pacing myself," said Ramon, "This
pack is heavy."

"You walk with your head down, even when you are not
carrying a burden," said Wolfwalker, "You walk like a
woman!"

Ramon turned to glower at him and stumbled over a hummock.
He sprawled.  The pack went tumbling and broke open.  While
he gathered the pack and refilled it, Red Cloud spoke softly
to Wolfwalker.

When they resumed their trek, Wolfwalker began taking longer
steps to forge ahead.  As he passed Ramon, he said,
"Weakling!"

Too tired to match his pace, Ramon watched him move away
beyond the rise.  "I am *not* a weakling," he said, "I'm
just tired, that's all!"

It was then that the bushes seemed to come alive around
them.

Buffalo Wattle thrust aside his camouflage and presented his
hatchet to Wolfwalker with a grin.  He was confounded when
Wolfwalker, instead of facing the challenge, turned to race
toward Red Cloud to help her.

Red Cloud was the first to be grabbed - she gave a good
account for herself as she whirled around and kneed White
Dog in the gut. Winded, it was all White Dog could do to
hold on while she squirmed in his arms, trying to draw her
knife.

Black Elk, abandoning his bow, leaped across the path to
tackle Ramon.  He caught the Mexican lad in the midriff as
Ramon turned to see what was happening to Red Cloud.
Knocked to the ground, Ramon dropped his pack and rolled
away, followed closely by Black Elk who was grabbing for a
handhold. Black Elk was tougher, Ramon was more desperate.
Ramon came to his feet, using his riata to trip Black Elk
and gain a grappling hold.  The two were engaged in mutual
antagonism when the rest of the battle ended.

Wolfwalker, in getting to White Dog, who was being pummeled
by the furious Red Cloud, bowled over Tall Horse and sent
him tumbling.  Tall Horse dropped and crushed a beaded
leather bag he was carrying.  By the time Wolfwalker pulled
White Dog from Red Cloud, Buffalo Wattle was behind him,
trying to catch him with the flat of his ax blade.

Tall Horse was returning when Wolfwalker swung, using his
spear as a club, swatting Buffalo Wattle away.

Tall Horse and White Dog then ganged up on Wolfwalker, but
he was getting the best of them when Buffalo Wattle took his
ax and grabbed Red Cloud.  He grasped her knife hand as she
swung at Black Elk, spun her around and brandished his
weapon, saying in Spanish, "Stop!  I will kill her!"

Wolfwalker slumped and allowed himself to be bound with
leather thongs.  As they started out once again on the same
trail they had been following, listening to their captors
inventory their packs, Wolfwalker said, "It is my fault.  I
was a fool to talk and not watch."

"These guys are *good*!" whispered Red Cloud, "I didn't even
smell them!"

"Silence!" cried Buffalo Wattle.

Tall Horse mournfully carried the tattered medicine bag, and
White Dog limped ahead of them as they started on the trail.
"We still do not know if they are enemies," he called back
to them.

Black Elk laughed, "White Dog, you should have taken on the
wolf or the jaguar!  You would have done better!"




AFTER THE GLORY OF THE HEROES:

The Apache shaman watched the young men returning
triumphant, pantomiming the great battle that had occurred
when they overpowered and captured the three strangers.  He
was thinking that there was something odd about them when he
was interrupted by a young maiden.

"Oh, there you are, Broken Cloud!" said Yucca Blossom, "I am
returning your bag. I am afraid I dropped it, I hope nothing
was damaged."

"I saw you give it to your brother!  What do you mean,
taking something so valuable and rare?" cried Broken Cloud,
"You must leave such..."

"There is no harm done," said Yucca Blossom, "It was a
useless old thing, anyway."

Broken Cloud ceased ranting and stood puzzled, before he
repeated her words, "There is no harm done.  It was
useless."

"You did not need it.  You have learned to do without it."

Again the medicine man ground his jaw in frustration, then
added, "Do not grieve if it is broken, Little Blossom.  I do
not need it anymore," Broken Cloud's eyes flicked back and
forth as though searching for a way to work around a
barrier, "I saw you give it to your brother before he went
to hunt.  Did they use it to catch these people?"

"Yes.  The tall man and the girl are simple travelers," she
said, "But the boy in white... Aiiyee!  He is beautiful!"

"Aiyuh.  Is that what they are?  I was seeing something
else," Broken Cloud smiled indulgently, his anger from a
moment before gone like a troubling cloud, "The boys have
been noticing you," he said, "It is time you began to notice
them."

"I am sure my brother has some mischief planned for them,"
said Yucca, "Maybe I can speak for the Mexican boy.  He
could stay with me.  I would cook him a meal he would never
forget!"

"Ah, my little blossom," said Broken Cloud, "You must never
use your herbs and potions to force others against their
will."

"I never do that," Yucca smiled innocently, "I only use them
to help people."

"I must speak to these people," said Broken Cloud, "I have
something to tell them."

"You will NOT see them," said Yucca Blossom as she dumped
the crushed bag at his feet and departed.

Broken Cloud watched her cross the compound, a tiny spark
within him still struggling to speak his own words, "I will
not see... him," he gritted through his teeth, "But I will
see the shaman from the Loose Foot group.  He will want to
question them."





WHAT'S IN A NAME:

The three captives were dumped into the weak shade of a
pinon tree.  They struggled with their bonds until they were
joined by the tall, strong leader of their captors.  One of
the prisoners, a boy in white cotton blouse and trousers,
spoke to his compatriots.

"We have to find Bluenose!" said Ramon, "That is the only
way we can get out of this mess."

"You are out of luck," the young Apache warrior said, "We
are going to bury you up to your neck in the hot sand and
let the ants feast."

"Can't we talk first?" Ramon cried.

"Don't wheedle!" growled Wolfwalker, "Look at Red Cloud! She
is not afraid to die!  Are you no braver than a woman?"

"Part of the time, yes!"

The tall Azuma lad scowled, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Quiet!" snapped Buffalo Wattle, "Here comes your
executioner!"

A frowning warrior stepped into their view.

"Bluenose!" cried Ramon.

The warrior gazed at him for a long moment before relaxing
into a slow smile.  "I had heard that our warriors had
captured three people, with the spirit of a woman, a wolf,
and a jaguar," he said in Spanish.  He gazed at the three
worried faces and pointed, "You are the woman," to Red
Cloud, and to Wolfwalker he said, "and you are the jaguar,
so you must be the wolf," as he pointed to Ramon.

Wolfwalker gave him a look both startled and relieved.

Bluenose then took Ramon aside and spoke quietly to him,
away from the ears of the guard.

"My heart is good to meet you, She Goes Ahead," said
Bluenose, "I had not thought to see you here in your male
form."

"Don't say anything about that!" hissed Ramon, "Some of my
own people do not know about my... my problem!"

The skin around Bluenose's eyes crinkled as he indulged in a
conspiratorical smile,  "Then I will not tell him," he said,
"It is wise of you to travel this way.  But you and your
friend have a great power.  This is a thing you must share
with some of my people.  We have need of a sign."

"Wait a minute," said Ramon, "What did you just call me?"

"'She Goes Ahead'," said Bluenose, "I have used your true
name because I am asking a favor from you, but if you do not
wish it known, I will not say it.  I, too, have a secret
name which I do not speak except to allies.  Here in this
camp I am known as Spirit Finder."

"Spirit Finder?"

"It is better than 'Smeller', is it not?  When we hunt, I
find the places where the bad spirits do not trouble us."

"Didn't you kill that demon down in Mexico?  That is a
little stronger than 'Finder'."

Bluenose nodded thoughtfully and said, "It is better that
the name does not give away all your secrets."

"Yeah, I suppose," said Ramon, "But, I don't remember anyone
saying I was 'She Goes Ahead'."

"My son told this to me, how he asked the jaguar-lady..."

"...Red Cloud..."

"Ah, yes... asked the jaguar-lady how you were called, and
where you were to be found.  She said, 'She Goes Ahead', and
you would meet them later."

"I think I would have preferred 'Machita'," grumbled Ramon.





BABES:

Ma Brown said goodbye to the heavyset gentlemen on
horseback, and met the boys as they returned from stabling
their horses.  "I got some biscuits and fresh milk," said Ma
Brown, "though I would say that you boys look like you could
use something a little more substantial.  I ain't cooking
anything `til this evening, but the cantina down the street
serves all day long."

"Yes'm," agreed Lonesome, "That's the way I remember it."

Seeing Sandy glance toward the stairs, the boardinghouse
matron added, "She's resting fine.  You boys go and get
fed."

Estrellita came yawning down the stairs an hour later.  She
gladly accepted the cup of milk Ma Brown offered her, and
watched the woman pour milk for two children who were
sitting at the table.  Ma Brown then shooed them outside.
"I'm minding these young'uns for a friend," she explained
with an indulgent smile.

Following them to the front porch, Estrellita watched the
towheaded children playing in the dusty yard in the scant
shade of a juniper tree; a boy and a girl.  The boy was
barely old enough to walk in his handmedown dress.  His
sister nearly strained her seven year old muscles picking
him up.  The sister was intent on teaching him table
manners, using the chips of wood they had for dishes.

"Why does everyone make such a big deal about children?
They are messy, impudent, and loud." the rancherita sighed,
"Bet you wouldn't find *me* wagging one of those 'brats'
around."

The boy grinned at her.

Still, she thought, they were cute.  She could imagine
holding the little cherub-faced boy, his face dimpling in a
broad smile, with his blue eyes and sandy white hair...
Estrellita felt her cheeks grow warm and quickly pushed the
thought from her.  She turned her gaze toward the road
leading toward the river, where several horsemen were
coming, riding fast.

One of the horsemen veered out of the street and brought his
horse toward the yard where the children played, and
Estrellita hurried to them.  She had to grab the boy's arm
to yank him out of the way of the horse.

Holding the crying child tightly, she turned on the rider.

"Howdy, Senyoureeta!" the rider cried, "How'd you like to
come with me and get a drink?"

"I wish none of you and your 'drinks'," cried Estrellita.
Her voice sounded high, shrill, reflecting her upset.  She
brought her rapid breath under control and added, "You are
very reckless! You almost ran over these children!"

"Aww, Chiquita, they'da got outta the way in time," the
rider assured her.  Now that the panic of the moment was
over, she took the time to look at him.  He was a handsome
boy with cold grey eyes and a mane of brown hair.  He sat on
a sturdy mustang, its sides heaving and white with foamy
sweat.  The rider beamed at her and lifted his hat a
fraction.  "My name's Will Larribee," he said, "And you are
about the prettiest thing I've seen this summer!"

"You may forget the pleasantries, Senor Larribee," she said
with disdain, "I do not speak with ruffians!"  Estrellita
gathered the children and tried to move them toward the
porch.

Will wheeled the exhausted horse into her path and insisted,
"You ain't going nowhere until you agree to have a drink
with me."

Estrellita regarded him with cold eyes.  "Perhaps I was
wrong," she said, "You are no ruffian.  You are a pig!"

His grey eyes became tempered steel.  "You can't talk to me
that way, you puta!" he snapped. (1)

``````````````
Her face paled and Estrellita made no effort to control her
temper.  She drew a deep breath and expended it informing
the boy named Will of her opinion of him, his ancestry, his
activities, and the horse he rode in on.  Since her
experience had included many hours spent listening to mine
workers who were masters of the art, she was able to get
across a clear picture of her disgust.

Will drew back in anger and prepared to bring the loose ends
of his reins down across her face, but he saw Ma Brown
appear at the doorway.  He hauled his horse backwards,
biting back his rage, until he could wheel about and gallop
away.

```````````
"Hey, what did she call him?" wondered one of his companions
as they followed more leisurely.

`````````````
"Hell, I couldn't understood half of it, and I thought I
knew everything.  Danged if I didn't have to cover my hoss's
ears!" said the other.

Abruptly, Will's pony came flying back down the street to
slide to a stop before the boardinghouse steps.  "You ain't
heard the last of this!"  bawled Will, "You're gonna regret
this, you..." he broke off, glared at Ma Brown and rode off
again.

Ma Brown stood with her hands on her hips and frowned until
he was out of sight.  "Nothing good will come of that boy,"
she predicted.

"Senora, I apologize for my language," said Estrellita
timidly, aghast at her own imprudent tongue, "I was too
angry to think clearly."

"Well, what's done is done," said Ma Brown, "let's go inside
and we can talk about Will Larribee.  Can't tell you
anything out here - them little pitchers have big ears."

----------------------
(1) puta:  A bad word.  Definitely a bad word.  Use of this
word can be hazardous to your health.




IT'S THE CODE OF THE WEST, EVERY GIRL NEEDS A DOWRY:(2)

In the cantina at Rio Peligroso, Lonesome and Sandy had
found enough of a meal to founder more ambitious men.  Sandy
was still working on his share while Lonesome went outside
to make inquiries.  He stayed to talk to a local rancher.

Howard Comstock had rode in earlier that day to do some
business and, as was his wont, had stopped in the cantina
for two of his favorite pastimes.  One was attempting to
deplete the cantina's stock of brandy, the other was
expounding his knowledge.

"Funny thing about the Apache," Comstock mused as he
accepted another snifter of brandy, "The bucks will go to
all sorts of trouble to win a girls affections.  Now, I've
seen some Injuns where the man bosses the woman around...
not the Apache.  Those boys gotta go acourtin' and the
girl's family tells 'em when."

The conversation was interrupted by raised voices from
inside the cantina.

"Heck, ain't that enough?" rang a man's voice, "I brought
you flowers, I took you dancing, and now you won't even give
me one little..."

`````````````````
"So you think you're entitled to put your arms around me any
old time and sneak a kiss?  Do you think I'm some kind of
cow you can buy with some cheap presents and a sashay around
the barn?"  A woman's voice overrode his, "I don't have time
for this!"

A young man in a black broadcloth coat came stomping out of
the cafe, slowed to mutter a greeting to Comstock, and
hurried off down the street.  He had a reddened mark across
his cheek.

"Case in point," Comstock hefted the brandy, knocked it back
and poured another snifter, "That gal has *got* to be part
Apache."

"Got some friends who might be visiting some Apache,"
Lonesome said, "They're the ones I'm looking for."

The old cattle rancher examined the bottom of his glass
through the burgundy liquor, "Hope you said your good-byes
to them `afore they left," he said, "Tribes around here
don't cotton to people droppin' in on them."

"Maybe you could point me in the right direction."

"I'll tell you this.  See them hills over there to the east?
Head that way.  Don't stop `til you reach Louisiana.  Safest
thing you could be doin'."

"Reckon come morning' I'll head west, then."

"Or north, you really planning on getting your head peeled.
Or south - been a band hanging around the hills there,
stirring up trouble with the miners.  Matter of fact, they's
going to be a meeting in a little while about that.  Some
kind of miner's group has some `new ideas' about what they
call `pacifying the redskin'."

"Can't go anywhere till morning, anyway.  Kids riding with
me got kinda shook up by that duststorm."

"Now, that's a funny thing.  Didn't know anything about it.
I've seen all kinds of strange happenings out here, but that
storm must'a been a real freak.  We didn't see or hear a
thing last night.  Sky was clear as a bell."

"Hit us just outside of Aguas Calientes, next thing we know
we're outside of town, here," Lonesome said, "Lost one horse
when we came down - broke his leg.  A couple of other horses
disappeared, must have run off when the earthquake hit."

"Bad luck, I say," tutted the rancher, "Earthquakes,
duststorms, tornadoes," he leaned against the porch railing
and ran an appraising eye over the cowboy's lanky frame,
"What sort of work did you say you did?"

"Helping round up horses to sell down in Mexico.  Before
that I did some iron work."

"Oh, wellll!  Blacksmith, huh?"

"A little apprentice work as a farrier.  Doin' journeyman
stuff now."

Comstock threw his arm around Lonesome's shoulder.  "My boy,
I can tell you that any time you want to settle down in
these parts I'll bankroll you.  And that ain't just the
likker talking, either.  We need a blacksmith around here,
bad."

"I'll consider it.  For now, I still owe Mister Calpern a
year or so work.  Plus I have to mind his nephew.  That's
him working on a second course of steaks in there.  Then we
have to go back to the boarding house and check on the
girl."

"Yeah, I overheard Missus Brown saying something about them.
Nice boy, she said, said he was real polite.  Pretty little
filly, too.  They related?"

Lonesome grinned, wiped it away.  "Not yet," he said.

"Back to what I was talking about," said Comstock, "Kids
today are getting married without a penny to their name.  No
foresight, I call it."  He made himself comfortable in a
canebottomed chair, leaning back and planting his boots on
the porch railing.

Lonesome nodded, took his second sip of brandy.  Comstock
was several glasses ahead of him.

"Them injuns got the right idea.  They look ahead.  Them
bucks gotta come up with five or six ponies to pay for the
bride," said Comstock, "Sort of like a dowry, only in
reverse."

"Shows they are interested," said Lonesome.  He was looking
into the other room, where a comely lass was serving food to
the diners.

"Well, I prefer the way we do it," said Comstock, "If you
wanted a dowry, you couldn't do any better than that gal in
there.  Half my spread, a couple thousand head of beef,
horses, mules, and milk cows.  Gonna be a rich gal someday,
when I kick off."

Lonesome nodded appreciatively, watching the waitress, "Your
daughter?" he asked.

"Yep," beamed Comstock, not bothering to tell him that he
was looking at the wrong girl, "Takes after her mother, rest
her soul.  Thank God she didn't look like me."

Lonesome looked at each building on the short main street,
which did not take long.  The only thing stirring in the
late afternoon heat was the town's mangy dog, a mutt which
had enough ambition to walk halfway across the dusty street
before collapsing for a rest.

There was a screech as Comstock pushed his chair back and
stood, going back inside for a fresh glass of brandy.
Someone else sat in the chair and again Lonesome heard the
screech as the chair was dragged into position.  The boots
planted on the porch railing were noticeably more feminine
than Comstock's had been. Lonesome looked into green eyes
surrounded by auburn curls.

"Hell-o," he said.

"I'm Angie Comstock," said the woman, "That was my father
you were talking to, just now."

"Pleased to meet you.  Ranching, I understand."

"Yep," she smiled.  Like her father, she examined him from
boot to broad shoulders, "And I think I overheard you say
you've done some blacksmith work.  You look it."

"Some.  Raised into it."

"Settling here?"

"Passing through.  Looking for someone - a Mexican boy, his
grandfather, and two Indians.  Maybe they came through
here."

"Nope.  Of course, I could have missed them.  We've been on
the ranch until this morning."

"Why in h..." Lonesome began, "...why in thunder did your
daddy decide to build a ranch out here, anyway?  There ain't
nothin' but hardscrabble for days around."

Angie turned her face toward him, her tan skin making her
green eyes appear very large, "We have all of the things
every other place has," she replied, "It is just a little
farther between things, that is all."  Comstock returned
with his glass refilled.

Lonesome rubbed his chin with his thumb, as though he had
been told that he had a biscuit crumb hanging.  "I'd better
be goin'," he said, "We gotta check up on the young'un."

"Oh," she said in mock concern, "Do you have children?  I
was hoping you could stay around and talk about your home,
but if you're a family man..."

"They ain't my kids," gruffed Lonesome, "I was lookin' after
a boy who rode with Calpern out of Arkansas Territory down
into Mexico.  There's a little Spanish gal with him.  She
got roughed up a little in a storm last night.  I just need
to be sure everything's all right."

"Why, Mister.... what did you say your name was?"

"Folks just call me Lonesome, Ma'am."

"I can hardly understand that.  Handsome man like you must
have lots of company."

"Fact is, Ma'am, I sorta discourage it.  Don't want to get
tied down.  Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Comstock called his daughter aside, "What do you mean, going
on about him being handsome and all?  That is no way for a
proper lady to be talking to a man!"

"Shush, Daddy," she said, "It never hurts to be truthful if
you can be polite at the same time.  Besides, I want him to
know how I feel about him."

"Could it be..." Comstock stopped, agape, "Could it be
you've finally found one you won't send away with his tail
between his legs?"

"Why Daddy," Angie smiled, "You'd think I was some kind of
old maid, desperate to grab the first man who came along!"

"Well, you're pushing eighteen," huffed the older Comstock,
"Isn't that what you are?"

"Oh, yes," she purred, "And now I think one has come along."

--------------
(2) From "Code of the West", sung by Roger Miller in
`Waterhole Number Three'.




CHAPTER VEINTITRES: END