It aint no place for a cowboy.
He found the chain and pulled the light on.
You hear me?
HE LIMPED DOWN the hallway after breakfast with his hat in his hand. Mr Mac? he called.
McGovern came to the door of his office. He had some papers in his hand and some more wedged under his elbow. Come on in, son, he said.
John Grady stood in the door. Mac was at his desk. Come on in, he said. What do you need that I aint got?
He looked up from his papers. John Grady was still standing in the doorway.
I wonder if I could draw some on next month's pay.
Mac reached for his billfold. How much did you need.
Well. I'd like to get a hundred if I could.
Mac looked at him. You can have it if you want, he said. What did you aim to do next month?
I'll make out.
He opened the billfold and counted out five twenties. Well, he said. I guess you're big enough to handle your own affairs. It aint none of my business, is it?
I just needed it for somethin.
All right.
He shuffled the bills together and leaned and laid them on the desk. John Grady came in and picked them up and folded them and stuck them in his shirtpocket.
Thank you, he said.
That's all right. How's your foot?
It's doin good.
You're still favorin it I see.
It's all right.
You still intend to trade for that horse?
Yessir. I do.
How did you know Wolfenbarger's filly had a bad hoof?
I could see it.
She didnt walk lame.
No sir. It was her ear.
Her ear?
Yessir. Ever time that foot hit the ground one ear would move a little. I just kept watchin her.
Sort of like a poker tell.
Yessir. Sort of.
You didnt want to go off horsetradin with the old man though.
No sir. Is he a friend of yours?
I know him. Why?
Nothin.
What were you goin to say?
That's all right.
You can say it. Go ahead.
Well. I guess I was goin to say that I didnt think I could keep him out of trouble on no part time basis.
Like it would be a full time job?
I didnt say that.
Mac shook his head. Get your butt out of here, he said.
Yessir.
You didnt tell him that did you?
No sir. I aint talked to him.
Well. That's a shame.
Yessir.
He put on his hat and turned but stopped again at the door.
Thank you sir.
Go on. It's your money.
When he came in that evening Socorro had already left the kitchen and there was no one at the table except the old man. He was smoking a homerolled cigarette and listening to the news on the radio. John Grady got his plate and his coffee and set them on the table and pulled back the chair and sat.
Evenin Mr Johnson, he said.
Evenin son.
What's the news?
The old man shook his head. He leaned across the table to the windowsill where the radio sat and turned it off. It aint news no more, he said. Wars and rumors of wars. I dont know why I listen to it. It's a ugly habit and I wish I could get broke of it but I think I just get worse.
John Grady spooned pico de gallo over his rice and his flautas and rolled up a tortilla and commenced to eat. The old man watched him. He nodded at the boy's boots.
You look like you been in some pretty mirey country today.
Yessir. I was. Some.
That old greasy clay is hard to clean off of anything. Oliver Lee always said he come out here because the country was so sorry nobody else would have it and he'd be left alone. Of course he was wrong. At least about bein left alone.
Yessir. I guess he was.
How's your foot doin.
It's all right.
The old man smiled. He drew on his cigarette and tapped the ash into the ashtray on the table.
Dont be fooled by the good rains we've had. This country is fixin to dry up and blow away.
How do you know?
It just is.
You want some more coffee?
No thanks.
The boy got up and went to the stove and filled his cup and came back.
Country's overdue, the old man said. Folks have got short memories. They might be glad to let the army have it fore they're done.
The boy ate. How much do you think the army will take?
The old man drew on his cigarette and stubbed it out thoughtfully. I think they'll take the whole Tularosa basin. That's my guess.
Can they just take it?
Yeah. They can take it. Folks will piss and moan about it. But they dont have a choice. They ought to be glad to get shut of it.
What do you think Mr Prather will do?
John Prather will do whatever he says he'll do.
Mr Mac said he told em the only way he'd leave was in a box. Then that's how he'll leave. You can take that to the bank.
John Grady wiped his plate and sat back with his cup of coffee. I ought not to ask you this, he said.
Ask it.
You dont have to answer.
I know it.
Who do you think killed Colonel Fountain?
The old man shook his head. He sat for a long time.
I ought not to of asked you.
No. It's all right. You know his daughter's name was Maggie too. She was the one told Fountain to take the boy with him. Said they wouldnt bother a eight year old boy. But she was wrong, wasnt she?
Yessir.
A lot of people think Oliver Lee killed him. I knew Oliver pretty well. We was the same age. He had four sons himself. I just dont believe it.
You dont think he could of done it?
I'll say it stronger than that. I'll say he didnt.
Or cause it to be done?
Well. That's another matter. I'll say he never shed no tears over it. Over the colonel, leastways.
You didnt want some more coffee?
No thank you son. I'd be up all night.
Do you think they're still buried out there somewheres?
No. I dont.
What do you think happened?
I always thought the bodies were taken to Mexico. They had a choice to bury em out there somewhere south of the pass where they might be discovered or to go another thirty miles to where they could drop em off the edge of the world and I think that's what they done.
John Grady nodded. He sipped his coffee. Were you ever in a shooting scrape?
I was. One time. I was old enough to know better too.
Where was it?
Down on the river east of Clint. It was in nineteen and seventeen just before my brother died and we were on the wrong side of the river waitin for dark to cross some stolen horses we'd recovered and we got word they was layin for us. We waited and waited and after a while the moon come upjust a piece of a moon, not even a quarter. It come up behind us and we could see it reflected in the windshield of their car over in the trees along the river breaks. Wendell Williams looked at me and he said: We got two moons in the sky. I dont believe I ever seen that before. And I said: Yes, and one of em is backwards. And we opened fire on em with our rifles.
Did they shoot back?
Sure they did. We laid there and shot up about a box of shells apiece and then they left out.
Was anybody hit?
Not that I ever heard of. We hit the car a time or two. Knocked the windshield out.
Did you get the horses across?
We did.
How many head was it?
It was a few. About seventy head.
That's a lot of horses.
It was a lot of horses. We was paid good money, too. But it wasnt worth gettin shot over.
No sir. I guess not.
It does funny things to a man's head.
What's that, sir?
Bein shot at. Havin dirt thowed on you. Leaves cut. It changes a man's perspective. Maybe some might have a appetite for it. I never did.
You didnt fight in the revolution?
No.
You were down there though.