As I it equals ed to start for it the barn door opened, and there was a man with a lantern in one hand, a gun in the other. Over his shoulder was a pair of heavy saddlebags.
My own gun slid into my hand. “You can drop that gun,” I said quietly.
Light from the lantern reflected from silver conches on the shotgun chaps. It was VillareA “No,” he said.
‘I do not want to shoot you, but the money is mine.” ‘But I have it,” he replied as quietly as I had.spoken.
“A dead man does not spend money,” I told him.
‘ationor does a dead man caity money away.
You can die as well as me.” “Both of us can die,” I agreed, “or both of us can live.
You want the money for what it can buy you in Mexico.
But you know and I know that Bob Heseltine will follow you for it, and then he will kin you … if not, you will live in fear from now on.
“If I take the money you will be as you were. You will be here.
You will have what you have had, and you will have no fear.” For a moment I paused, and then I added, ‘I think I want that money more than you do. I think I might die to get it, but I do not believe you want to die to keep it.
“In death,” I added, “there are no pretty women.
There is no tequila, no food, no good horses, no sunshine or rain.
A little money lasts a very short time, but death is for always.” “You are a philosopher,” Villareal said.
“I am a man who has been robbed, a man who feels a debt to the poor men to whom this money belongs.” Quietly, there in the dark, holding the gun in my hand, I told him of the hard-working men down in Texas, the children who must go to school, the wives who needed shoes, the hard times ALL must face.
I see,” he said quietly, “I did not know from whom the money had been taken.” “I have followed Heseltine for many months,” I said.
“My father has died because of this money. Doc Sites was shot and serioiislv wounded because of it.
Al Cashion was killed, and another man too.
As long as I live I shall follow him.” He dropped his gun into his holster. “I am a bad man, senor, but not so bad as to rob the poor.
Take the money. Only a little of it is here. The girl has it.” He handed me the saddlebags, and I took them warily. “nank you, amigo,” said.
” e men to whom this I comrb money belongs will speak well of Villareal. I shall tell them of your courtesy, and that you are a mballero.” “Gracias,” he said. “And now, if you will permit?” Backing from the door, he closed it behind him.
Saddlebags in hand, I went out the other door, crossed to my horse, and rode back toward the Plaza.
I was coming from a street into the Plaza when suddenly I drew up.
It was Hampton Todd, and he had a rifle on me. “all right, where is she?” he demanded.
“Who do you want?” “I want that damned girl, and you know where she is, damn you! Tell me, or I’ll cut you down!” “I wish I knew where she is,” I replied calmly. “I have been looking for her, and for the man she rides with.” “You’re that man! You know where she is, and I want her. And I want my money.” Your money?” “My money!” He shouted it at me. Windows were opening.
His fury was attracting attention, but it did me no good.
The man was trembling with rage, and he was ready to fire. At the slightest move, he would, and at that range he could scarcely miss.
‘I do not know where she is, or what was between you.” I kept my voice even. “I do not deny that I followed her here, looking for the man who robbed me.” “A likely story. There was no other man-you were the onet” “Put the rifle down,” I said, ‘and we can talk. The man you want Is the man I want. And where he Is, the woman will be.” “No!” He lifted the rifle again. ‘reBut me, or rUkiRather you!” I felt the whop of the bullet past my e-or. I saw him jerk as I heard the report.
His own rifle exploded, and the bullet missed me only by inches, and then he was staggering, falling.
“He killed me!” He spoke the words loudly and clearly, pointing at me.
And then he rolled over into the dust.
Men were running. Somebody yelled, ‘Get a rope!” Sheriff Rowland was suddenly beside me.
‘All right he said. “Get off that horse.” ‘Sheriff, before I move I ask you to check my rifle and my pistol. You will find that neither one has been fired “What are you going to say?” ‘Don’t listen to him, Rowland!” The man who spoke had obviously been drinking. His face was red and ugly looking. A dozen other men were around him “Hamp la the scabbard. The barrel was c it held a bullet, the chamber was loaded. One by one he ejected the cartridges.
“As you see,” I said, ‘the rifle has not been fired. Now the pistol, before anybody touches it, including me.” He threw a hard look at me, but he did check the pistol, too. He held it to the light and looked through the barrel. The cylinder held five cartridges, a sixth chamber was empty, but that was the way we carried them.
“These guns have not been fired.” Rowland spoke clearly, emphatically.
“This man could not have fired the shot.” An angry sound rose from the men around us, but as the information circulated among them, it died down.
“Then who did shoot him?” Rowland demanded.
‘Somebody beind me, Sheriff,” I said.
‘Somebody who must have been in a second-story window, or on a roof, for the bullet passed me, but laed him, and he was standing on the ground.” The sheriff turned and looked across the Plaza.
‘Cone now, whoever it was. Question is, were they shooting at you or him?” “At me,” I said, “although Todd was about to take a shot at me himself.
I was trying to talk him out of it.” “Get down and come inside,” he said. “We’ve got some talking to do.” A deputy had come up and Rowland turned and spoke rapidly. The deputy hurriedly named five or six men in the crowd, and they scattered in the direction from which the shot seemed to have come.
Inside the Pico House we were away from the crowd, and Rowland led me into the hotel office.
“Sit down,” he said. “I want the whole story.” So I laid it out for him from the beginning. My pursuit of Heseltine, Reese, and Ruby Shaw, my discovery of her using another name here, Hampton Todd knowing some man was involved with her, and believing it was me.
“Why you?” I shrugged. “I was probably the only one who seemed to know anything about her. I doubt if he ever saw Heseltine, so when he discovered another man was involved he thought it was me. I was a stranger in town, who knew her.” “You think it was Heseltine who fired the shot?” “Heseltine or Reese, shooting at me. My guess would be Heseltine. I don’t think Reese was in any shape to be shooting at anybody, and I doubt if he would have been able to get here in time.
Bob Heseltine could have.” “But he’s a gunfighter, not a back-shooter.” “I’ve been dogging him, Mr. Rowland. I’ve been right on him. He can’t find anybody to work with him because I’m always right there, not far behind him.
Nobody wants to try pulling a job when somebody is hunting them before they start, and they don’t want to comet involved.” He considered the matter, taking a cigar from his vest pocket.
“Have you ever thought of something else? It might have been Ruby Shaw who tried to kill you.” “Well,” I said, “as nearly as I can find out, she was the one who hired Also Cashion.” “What do you know about that woman getting money from Todd?” ‘ationothing at all, but she’s shrewd and she’s tough.
there probably isn’t a crooked dodge she doesn’t know.
He was roped in, and she might have spun him any kind of a story.
Men like to brag — — . maybe he showed her how much cash he had. That would be like showing a hen to a hungry fox.” He got up. “There’s no reason to hold you, but what I said before goes double. I want you out of town.” “Thanks, Mr. Rowland. A less reasonable man, and I might have been hung out there.” I held out my hand.