got a good one. So they ought to balance out.
I hope so.
I cant call you except from a payphone.
I know it. Call me.
I will. Quit worryin about everthing.
Llewelyn?
What.
Nothin.
What is it.
Nothin. I just wanted to say it. You take care. Llewelyn? What.
Dont hurt nobody. You hear?
He stood there with the bag slung across his shoulder. I aint makin no promises, he said.
That's how you get hurt.
Bell had raised the first forkful of his supper to his mouth when the phone rang. He
lowered it again. She'd started to push her chair back but he wiped his mouth with his
napkin and rose. I'll get it, he said.
All right.
How the hell do they know when you're eatin? We never eat this late.
Dont be cussin, she said.
He picked up the phone. Sheriff Bell, he said.
He listened for a while. Then he said: I'm goin to finish my supper. I'll meet you there
in about forty minutes. Just leave the lights on on your unit.
He hung up the phone and came back to his chair and sat and picked up the napkin and put
it in his lap and picked up his fork. Somebody called in a car afire, he said. Just this
side of Lozier Canyon.
What do you make of that?
He shook his head.
He ate. He drank the last of his coffee. Come go with me, he said.
Let me get my coat.
They pulled off the road at the gate and drove over the cattleguard and pulled up behind
Wendell's unit. Wendell walked back and Bell rolled down the window.
It's about a half mile down, Wendell said. Just follow me.
I can see it.
Yessir. It was goin real good here about a hour ago. The people that called it in seen it
from the road.
They parked a little way off and got out and stood looking at it. You could feel the heat
on your face. Bell came around and opened the door and took his wife's hand. She got out
and stood with her arms folded in front of her. There was a pickup truck parked a ways
down and two men were standing there in the dull red glare. They nodded each in turn and
said Sheriff.
We could of brought weeners, she said.
Yeah. Marshmallers.
You wouldnt think a car would burn like that.
No, you wouldnt. Did you all see anything?
No sir. Just the fire.
Didnt pass nobody or nothin?
No sir.
Does that look to you like about a '77 Ford, Wendell?
It could be.
I'd say it is.
Was that what the old boy was drivin?
Yeah. Dallas plates.
It wasnt his day, was it Sheriff.
It surely wasnt.
Why do you reckon they set fire to it?
I dont know.
Wendell turned and spat. Wasnt what the old boy had in mind when he left Dallas I dont
reckon, was it?
Bell shook his head. No, he said. I'd guess it was about the farthest thing from his mind.
In the morning when he got to the office the phone was ringing. Torbert wasnt back yet. He
finally called at nine-thirty and Bell sent Wendell to get him. Then he sat with his feet
on the desk staring at his boots. He sat that way for some time. Then he picked up the
mobile and called Wendell.
Where you at?
Just past Sanderson Canyon.
Turn around and come back.
All right. What about Torbert?
Call him and tell him to just set tight. I'll come get him this afternoon.
Yessir.
Go to the house and get the keys to the truck from Loretta and hook up the horsetrailer.
Saddle my horse and Loretta's and load and I'll see you out there in about a hour.
Yessir.
He hung up the speaker and got up and went down to check on the jail.
They drove through the gate and closed it again and drove down along the fence about a
hundred feet and parked. Wendell unlatched the trailer doors and led the horses out. Bell
took the reins of his wife's horse. You ride Winston, he said.
You sure?
Oh I'm more than sure. Anything happens to Loretta's horse I can tell you right now you
damn sure dont want to be the party that was aboard him.
He handed Wendell one of the lever action rifles he'd brought and swung up into the saddle
and pulled his hat down. You ready? he
I hope so.
I cant call you except from a payphone.
I know it. Call me.
I will. Quit worryin about everthing.
Llewelyn?
What.
Nothin.
What is it.
Nothin. I just wanted to say it. You take care. Llewelyn? What.
Dont hurt nobody. You hear?
He stood there with the bag slung across his shoulder. I aint makin no promises, he said.
That's how you get hurt.
Bell had raised the first forkful of his supper to his mouth when the phone rang. He
lowered it again. She'd started to push her chair back but he wiped his mouth with his
napkin and rose. I'll get it, he said.
All right.
How the hell do they know when you're eatin? We never eat this late.
Dont be cussin, she said.
He picked up the phone. Sheriff Bell, he said.
He listened for a while. Then he said: I'm goin to finish my supper. I'll meet you there
in about forty minutes. Just leave the lights on on your unit.
He hung up the phone and came back to his chair and sat and picked up the napkin and put
it in his lap and picked up his fork. Somebody called in a car afire, he said. Just this
side of Lozier Canyon.
What do you make of that?
He shook his head.
He ate. He drank the last of his coffee. Come go with me, he said.
Let me get my coat.
They pulled off the road at the gate and drove over the cattleguard and pulled up behind
Wendell's unit. Wendell walked back and Bell rolled down the window.
It's about a half mile down, Wendell said. Just follow me.
I can see it.
Yessir. It was goin real good here about a hour ago. The people that called it in seen it
from the road.
They parked a little way off and got out and stood looking at it. You could feel the heat
on your face. Bell came around and opened the door and took his wife's hand. She got out
and stood with her arms folded in front of her. There was a pickup truck parked a ways
down and two men were standing there in the dull red glare. They nodded each in turn and
said Sheriff.
We could of brought weeners, she said.
Yeah. Marshmallers.
You wouldnt think a car would burn like that.
No, you wouldnt. Did you all see anything?
No sir. Just the fire.
Didnt pass nobody or nothin?
No sir.
Does that look to you like about a '77 Ford, Wendell?
It could be.
I'd say it is.
Was that what the old boy was drivin?
Yeah. Dallas plates.
It wasnt his day, was it Sheriff.
It surely wasnt.
Why do you reckon they set fire to it?
I dont know.
Wendell turned and spat. Wasnt what the old boy had in mind when he left Dallas I dont
reckon, was it?
Bell shook his head. No, he said. I'd guess it was about the farthest thing from his mind.
In the morning when he got to the office the phone was ringing. Torbert wasnt back yet. He
finally called at nine-thirty and Bell sent Wendell to get him. Then he sat with his feet
on the desk staring at his boots. He sat that way for some time. Then he picked up the
mobile and called Wendell.
Where you at?
Just past Sanderson Canyon.
Turn around and come back.
All right. What about Torbert?
Call him and tell him to just set tight. I'll come get him this afternoon.
Yessir.
Go to the house and get the keys to the truck from Loretta and hook up the horsetrailer.
Saddle my horse and Loretta's and load and I'll see you out there in about a hour.
Yessir.
He hung up the speaker and got up and went down to check on the jail.
They drove through the gate and closed it again and drove down along the fence about a
hundred feet and parked. Wendell unlatched the trailer doors and led the horses out. Bell
took the reins of his wife's horse. You ride Winston, he said.
You sure?
Oh I'm more than sure. Anything happens to Loretta's horse I can tell you right now you
damn sure dont want to be the party that was aboard him.
He handed Wendell one of the lever action rifles he'd brought and swung up into the saddle
and pulled his hat down. You ready? he
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