Trail Of the Apache and Other Stories (1951) (8 page)

Her features might have belonged to a white woman the coloring, too, for that matter but the greased hair and smoke smell that clung to her were decidedly Apache.

When she finished speaking, Angsman looked back at Hyde. She's a Warm Springs Apache. A

Mimbre+|o, he said. She says they're on their way home.

Hyde said, Ask her if she knows about any gold hereabouts.

Angsman looked at him and his eyes opened a little wider. Maybe you didn't hear, Ed. I said she's a Mimbre. She's going home from a hunting trip led by her father. And her father's Delgadito, he added.

Hell, the 'Paches are at peace, ain't they? Hyde asked indifferently. What you worried about?

Cochise made peace, Angsman answered.

These are Mimbres, not Chiricahuas, and their chief is Victorio. He's never never made peace. I
d
on't want to scare you, Ed, he said looking back to the girl, but his war lieutenant's Delgadito.

Billy Guay was standing in front of the girl, his thumbs in his gun belts, looking at her closely. I
k
now how to stop a war, he said, smiling.

Who's talkin' about war? Hyde asked. We're not startin' anything.

You don't have to stop it, Ed, Angsman said.

You think about finishing it. And you think about your life.

Don't worry about me thinkin' about my life. I
t
hink about it bein' almost gone and not worth a Dixie single. Hell, yes, we're takin' a chance!

Hyde argued. If gold was easy to come by, it wouldn't be worth nothin'.

I still know how to stop a war, Billy Guay said idly.

Hyde looked at him impatiently. What's that talk supposed to mean? Then he saw how Billy Guay was looking at the girl, and the frown eased off the grizzled face as it dawned on him what Billy Guay was thinking about, and he rubbed his beard.

You see what I mean, Ed, Billy Guay said, smiling. We take Miss Indin along and ain't no Delgadito or even U. S. Grant goin' to stop us. He looked up at the old woman on the pony. Though I don't see any reason for carryin' excess baggage.

Angsman caught him by both arms and spun him around. You gun-crazy kid, you out of your mind?

You don't wave threats at Apaches! He pushed the boy away roughly. Just stop a minute, Ed. You got better sense than what this boy's proposing.

You Never See Apaches . . .

It's worth a chance, Angsman. Any chance.

We're not stoppin' after comin' this far on account of some Indin or his little girl, Hyde said. I'd say Billy's got the right idea. I told you he had nerve.

Let him use a little of it.

Billy Guay looked toward Angsman's mount and saw his handgun in a saddle holster, then both pistols came out and he pointed them at the scout.

Don't talk again, Angsman, 'cause if I hear any more abuse I'll shoot you as quick as this. He raised a pistol and swung it to the side as if without aiming and pulled the trigger. The old Indian woman dropped from the pony without a cry.

There was silence. Hyde looked at him, stunned.

God, Billy! You didn't have to do that!

Billy Guay laughed, but the laugh trailed off too quickly, as if he just then realized what he had done. He forced the laugh now, and said, Hell, Ed.

She was only an Indin. What you fussin' about?

Hyde said, Well, it's done now and can't be undone. But he looked about nervously as if expecting a simple solution to be standing near at hand. A
s
olution or some kind of justification. He saw the mining equipment packed on one of the mules and the look of distress left his eyes. Let's quit talkin'
a
bout it, he said. We got things to do.

Billy Guay blew down the barrel of the pistol he had fired and watched Sonkadeya as she bent over the woman momentarily, then rose without the trace of an emotion on her face. It puzzled Billy Guay and made him more nervous. He waved a pistol toward Ygenio Baca. Hey, Mazo! Get a shovel and turn this old woman under. No sense in havin'
t
he birds tellin' on us.

The scout rode in silence, knowing what would come, but not knowing when. His gaze crawled over the wildness of the slanting canyon walls, brush trees, and scattered boulders, where nothing moved. The left wall was dark, the shadowy rock outlines obscure and blending into each other; the opposite slope was hazy and cold in the dim light of the late sun. He felt the tenseness all over his body.

The feeling of knowing that something is close, though you can't see it or hear it. Only the quietness, the metallic clop of hooves, then Billy Guay's loud, forced laughter that would cut the stillness and hang there in the narrowness until it faded out up-canyon. Angsman knew the feeling. It went with campaigning. But this time there was a difference. It was the first time he had ever led into a canyon with such a strong premonition that Apaches were present. Yet, with the feeling, he recognized an eager expectancy. Perhaps fatalism, he thought.

He watched two chicken hawks dodging, gliding in and out, drop toward a brush tree halfway up You Never See Apaches . . .
t
he slanting right wall, then, just as they were about to land in the bush, they rose quickly and soared out of sight. Now he was more than sure. They were riding into an ambush. And there was so little time to do anything about it.

He glanced at Hyde riding next to him. Hyde couldn't be kept back now. The final circle on his map was just a little figuring from the end of the canyon.

Slow her down, Ed, Billy Guay yelled. I can't propose to Miss Indin and canter at the same time.

He laughed and reached over to put his hand on Sonkadeya's hip, then let the hand fall to her knee.

He called out, Yes, sir, Ed, I think we made us a good move.

Sonkadeya did not resist. Her head nodded faintly with the sway of her pony, looking straight ahead. But her eyes moved from one canyon wall to the other and there was the slightest gleam of a smile.

Angsman wondered if he really cared what was going to happen. He didn't care about Hyde or Billy Guay; and he didn't know Ygenio Baca well enough to have a feeling one way or the other.

From the beginning Ygenio had been taking a chance like everyone else. He thought of his own life and the odd fact occurred to him that he didn't even particularly care about himself. He tried to picture death in relation to himself, but he would see himself lying on the ground and himself looking at the body and knew that couldn't be so. He thought of how hard it was to take yourself out of the picture to see yourself dead, and ended up with:

If you're not going to be there to worry about yourself being dead, why worry at all? But you don't stay alive not caring, and his eyes went back to the canyon sides.

He watched Hyde engrossed in his map and looked back at Billy Guay riding close to Sonkadeya with his hand on her leg. They could be shot from their saddles and not even see where it came from. Or, they could be taken by surprise.

His head swung front again and he saw the canyon up ahead narrow to less than fifty feet across. Or they could be taken by surprise!

He n1/4eicked the rein against the mare's mane, gently, to ease her toward the right canyon wall. He made the move slowly, leading the others at a very slight angle, so that Hyde and Billy Guay, in their preoccupation, did not even notice the edging. Either to be shot in the head or not at all, Angsman thought.

Now they were riding much closer to the slanting canyon wall. He turned in the saddle to watch Billy Guay, still laughing and moving his hand over Sonkadeya. And when he turned back he saw the half-dozen Apaches standing in the trail not a dozen You Never See Apaches . . .
y
ards ahead. It was funny, because he was looking at half-naked, armed Apaches and he could still hear Billy Guay's laughter coming from behind.

Then the laughter stopped. Hyde groaned, Oh, my God! and in the instant spurred his mount and yanked rein to wheel off to the left. There was the report of a heavy rin1/4ee and horse and rider went down.

Angsman's arms were jerked suddenly behind his back and he saw three Apaches race for the fallen Hyde as he felt himself dragged over the rump of the mare. He landed on his feet and staggered and watched one warrior dragging Hyde back toward them by one leg. Hyde was screaming, holding on to the other leg that was bouncing over the rough ground.

Billy Guay had jerked his arms free and stood a little apart from the dozen Apaches aiming bows and carbines at him. His hands were on the pistol butts, with fear and indecision plain on his face.

Angsman twisted his neck toward him, Don't even think about it, boy. You don't have a chance.

It was all over in something like fifteen seconds.

Hyde was writhing on the ground, groaning and holding on to the hole in his thigh, where the heavy slug had gone through to take the horse in the belly.

Angsman stooped to look at the wound and saw that Hyde was holding the map, pressed tight to his leg and now smeared with blood. He looked up and Delgadito was standing on the other side of the wounded man. Next to him stood Sonkadeya.

Delgadito was not dressed for war. He wore a faded red cotton shirt, buttonless and held down by the cartridge belt around his waist; and his thin face looked almost ridiculous under the shabby widebrimmed hat that sat straight on the top of his head, at least two sizes too small. But Angsman did not laugh. He knew Delgadito, Victorio's war lieutenant, and probably the most capable hit-and-run guerrilla leader in Apacheria. No, Angsman did not laugh.

Delgadito stared at them, taking his time to look around, then said, Hello. Angs-mon. You have a cigarillo?

Angsman fished in his shirt pocket and drew out tobacco and paper and handed it to the Indian. Delgadito rolled a cigarette awkwardly and handed the sack to Angsman, who rolled himself one then n1/4eicked a match with his thumbnail and lighted the cigarettes. Both men drew deeply and smoked in silence. Finally, Angsman said, It is good to smoke with you again, Sheekasay.

Delgadito nodded his head and Angsman went on, It has been five years since we smoked together at San Carlos.

You Never See Apaches . . .

The Apache shook his head slightly. Together we have smoked other things since then, Angs-mon,
a
nd added a few words in the Mimbre dialect.

Angsman looked at him quickly. You were at Big Dry Wash?

Delgadito smiled for the first time and nodded his head. How is your sickness, Angs-mon? he asked, and the smile broadened.

Angsman's hand came up quickly to his side, where the bullet had torn through that day two years before at Dry Wash, and now he smiled.

Delgadito watched him with the nearest an Apache comes to giving an admiring look. He said, You are a big man, Angs-mon. I like to fight you.

But now you do something very foolish and I must stop you. I mean you no harm, Angs-mon, for I like to fight you, but now you must go home and stop this being foolish and take this old man before the smell enters his leg. And, Angs-mon, tell this old man what befalls him if he returns. Tell him the medicine he carries in his hand is false. Show him how he cannot read the medicine ever again because of his own blood. For a moment his eyes lifted to the heights of the canyon wall. Maybeso that is the only way, Angs-mon. With blood.

Angsman offered no thanks for their freedom, gratitude was not an Apache custom, but he said, On the way home I will impress your words on them.

Tell my words to the old man, Delgadito replied, then his voice became cold. I will tell the young one. And he looked toward Billy Guay.

Angsman swallowed hard to remain impassive.

There is nothing I can say.

The mother of Sonkadeya speaks in my ear, Angs-mon. What could you say? Delgadito turned deliberately and walked away.

Angsman rode without speaking, listening to Hyde's groans as the saddle rubbed the open rawness of his wound. The groans were beginning to erase the scream that hung in his mind and repeated over and over, Billy Guay's scream as they carried him up-canyon.

Angsman knew what he was going to do. He'd still have his worn saddle and old-model carbine, but he knew what he was going to do. Hyde's leg would heal and he'd be back the next year, or the year after; or if not him, someone else. The Southwest was full of Hydes. And as long as there were Hydes, there were Billy Guays. Big talkers with big guns who ended up lying dead, after a while, in a Mimbre rancheria. Angsman would go back to Fort Bowie. Even if it got slow sometimes, there'd always be plenty to do.

'U

The Colonel s Lady Mata Lobo was playing his favorite game. He stretched his legs stifn1/4ey behind him until his moccasined feet touched rock, and then he pushed, writhing his body against the soft, sandy ground, enjoying an animal pleasure from the blistering sun on his naked back and the feel of warm, yielding earth beneath him. His extended hand touched the stock of the Sharps rin1/4ee a few inches from his chin and sighted down the barrel for the hundredth time. The target area had not changed.

Sixty yards down the slope the military road came into view from between the low hills, cutting a sharp, treacherous arc to follow the bend of Banderas Creek on the near side and then to continue, paralleling the base of the hill, making the slow climb over this section of the Sierra Apaches. Mata Lobo's front sight was dead on the sudden bend in the road.