said.
They rode side by side. We've drove all through their tracks but you can still see what it
was, Bell said. Big offroad tires.
When they got to the car it was just a blackened hulk.
You were right about the plates, Wendell said.
I lied about the tires though.
How's that.
I said they'd still be burnin.
The car sat in what looked like four puddles of tar, the wheels wrapped in blackened
skeins of wire. They rode on. Bell pointed at the ground from time to time. You can tell
the day tracks from the night ones, he said. They were drivin out here with no lights. See
there how crooked the track is? Like you can just see far enough ahead to duck the brush
in front of you. Or you might leave some paint on a rock like that right yonder.
In a sandwash he got down and walked up and back and then looked away toward the south.
It's the same tire tread comin back as was goin down. Made about the same time. You can
see the stripes real clear. Which way they're a goin. They's two or more trips each way,
I'd say.
Wendell sat his horse, his hands crossed on the big roping pommel. He leaned and spat. He
looked off to the south with the sheriff. What do you reckon it is we're fixin to find
down here?
I dont know, Bell said. He put his foot in the stirrup and stood easily up into the saddle
and put the little horse forward. I dont know, he said again. But I cant say as I'm much
lookin forward to it.
When they reached Moss's truck the sheriff sat and studied it and then rode slowly around
it. Both doors were open.
Somebody's pried the inspection plate off the door, he said.
The numbers is on the frame.
Yeah. I dont think that's why they took it.
I know that truck.
I do too.
Wendell leaned and patted the horse on the neck. The boy's name is Moss.
Yep.
Bell rode back around the rear of the truck and turned the horse to the south and looked
at Wendell. You know where he lives at?
No sir.
He's married, aint he.
I believe he is.
The sheriff sat looking at the truck. I was just thinkin it'd be a curious thing if he was
missin two or three days and nobody said nothin about it.
Pretty curious.
Bell looked down toward the caldera. I think we got some real mischief here.
I hear you, Sheriff.
You think this boy's a doperunner?
I dont know. I wouldnt of thought it.
I wouldnt either. Let's go down here and look at the rest of this mess.
They rode down into the caldera carrying the Winchesters upright before them in the
saddlebow. I hope this boy aint dead down here, Bell said. He seemed a decent enough boy
the time or two I seen him. Pretty wife too.
They rode past the bodies on the ground and stopped and got down and dropped the reins.
The horses stepped nervously.
Let's take the horses out yonder a ways, Bell said. They dont need to see this.
Yessir.
When he came back Bell handed him two billfolds he'd taken from the bodies. He looked
toward the trucks.
These two aint been dead all that long, he said.
Where they from?
Dallas.
He handed Wendell a pistol he'd picked up and then he squatted and leaned on the rifle he
was carrying. These two is been executed, he said. One of their own, I'd say. Old boy
never even got the safety off that pistol. Both of em shot between the eyes.
The othern didnt have a gun?
Killer could of took it. Or he might not of had one.
Bad way to go to a gunfight.
Bad way.
They walked among the trucks. These sumbitches are bloody as hogs, Wendell said.
Bell glanced at him.
Yeah, Wendell said. I guess you ought to be careful about cussin the dead.
I would say at the least there probably aint no luck in it.
It's just a bunch of Mexican drugrunners.
They were. They aint now.
I aint sure what you're sayin.
I'm just sayin that whatever they were the only thing they are now is dead.
I'll have to sleep on that.
The sheriff tilted forward the Bronco seat and looked in the rear. He wet his finger and
pressed it to the carpet and
They rode side by side. We've drove all through their tracks but you can still see what it
was, Bell said. Big offroad tires.
When they got to the car it was just a blackened hulk.
You were right about the plates, Wendell said.
I lied about the tires though.
How's that.
I said they'd still be burnin.
The car sat in what looked like four puddles of tar, the wheels wrapped in blackened
skeins of wire. They rode on. Bell pointed at the ground from time to time. You can tell
the day tracks from the night ones, he said. They were drivin out here with no lights. See
there how crooked the track is? Like you can just see far enough ahead to duck the brush
in front of you. Or you might leave some paint on a rock like that right yonder.
In a sandwash he got down and walked up and back and then looked away toward the south.
It's the same tire tread comin back as was goin down. Made about the same time. You can
see the stripes real clear. Which way they're a goin. They's two or more trips each way,
I'd say.
Wendell sat his horse, his hands crossed on the big roping pommel. He leaned and spat. He
looked off to the south with the sheriff. What do you reckon it is we're fixin to find
down here?
I dont know, Bell said. He put his foot in the stirrup and stood easily up into the saddle
and put the little horse forward. I dont know, he said again. But I cant say as I'm much
lookin forward to it.
When they reached Moss's truck the sheriff sat and studied it and then rode slowly around
it. Both doors were open.
Somebody's pried the inspection plate off the door, he said.
The numbers is on the frame.
Yeah. I dont think that's why they took it.
I know that truck.
I do too.
Wendell leaned and patted the horse on the neck. The boy's name is Moss.
Yep.
Bell rode back around the rear of the truck and turned the horse to the south and looked
at Wendell. You know where he lives at?
No sir.
He's married, aint he.
I believe he is.
The sheriff sat looking at the truck. I was just thinkin it'd be a curious thing if he was
missin two or three days and nobody said nothin about it.
Pretty curious.
Bell looked down toward the caldera. I think we got some real mischief here.
I hear you, Sheriff.
You think this boy's a doperunner?
I dont know. I wouldnt of thought it.
I wouldnt either. Let's go down here and look at the rest of this mess.
They rode down into the caldera carrying the Winchesters upright before them in the
saddlebow. I hope this boy aint dead down here, Bell said. He seemed a decent enough boy
the time or two I seen him. Pretty wife too.
They rode past the bodies on the ground and stopped and got down and dropped the reins.
The horses stepped nervously.
Let's take the horses out yonder a ways, Bell said. They dont need to see this.
Yessir.
When he came back Bell handed him two billfolds he'd taken from the bodies. He looked
toward the trucks.
These two aint been dead all that long, he said.
Where they from?
Dallas.
He handed Wendell a pistol he'd picked up and then he squatted and leaned on the rifle he
was carrying. These two is been executed, he said. One of their own, I'd say. Old boy
never even got the safety off that pistol. Both of em shot between the eyes.
The othern didnt have a gun?
Killer could of took it. Or he might not of had one.
Bad way to go to a gunfight.
Bad way.
They walked among the trucks. These sumbitches are bloody as hogs, Wendell said.
Bell glanced at him.
Yeah, Wendell said. I guess you ought to be careful about cussin the dead.
I would say at the least there probably aint no luck in it.
It's just a bunch of Mexican drugrunners.
They were. They aint now.
I aint sure what you're sayin.
I'm just sayin that whatever they were the only thing they are now is dead.
I'll have to sleep on that.
The sheriff tilted forward the Bronco seat and looked in the rear. He wet his finger and
pressed it to the carpet and
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