“Sure.”
James looked from his father to the gunsmith and back, then said, “I’ll just wait outside.”
After James left, Shaye asked, “What’s on your mind, Cory?”
“You haven’t told your boys who I really am.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I thought that would be up to you,” Shaye said. “All they have to know is that you’re willin’ to help. The rest is your business.”
Cory studied Shaye for a moment, then asked, “What about the Mexican?”
“What about him?’
“Is he just a borracho? Or is he not who he seems?”
“I guess that’ll be up to him to say too, if he chooses.”
Cory stared at Shaye for a few more moments, then nodded as if satisfied with the answers he’d gotten and left.
32
James watched while Ralph Cory studied the ground in the two empty stalls. Standing off to one side, the livery man, Ron Hill, also watched.
“Did you and your brother walk in here?” Cory asked.
“No,” James said, “we stayed outside.”
Cory started to step into the stall, but remembered that Shaye wanted the Mexican, Colon, to examine them as well. He stepped back and swept the floor of each stall with his eye.
“Do you see anything?” James asked.
“Yes,” Cory said, hunkering down in front of one of the stalls, “but it’s understandable that you and your brother missed it.”
James came over, squatted next to the man and said, “Show me. I want to learn.”
Cory looked at James, then said, “All right. Look there.” He pointed to a set of tracks. “This horse steps more lightly on his left hind leg.”
“Is he lame?”
“No,” Cory said, “it’s just an odd gait the animal has. Otherwise, it’s perfectly sound.”
James looked at the man with undisguised admiration.
“Well, I’ll be…” Hill said, scratching his head. “I never woulda noticed that.”
“I don’t think my pa would even have seen that.”
“Don’t sell your pa short, son,” Cory said, straightening up. “Take me out to the corral and show me those other two horses.”
“Yes, sir. This way…”
Thomas and Colon went to the general store and got the Mexican outfitted with saddlebags, blankets, a bedroll, and some new shirts and trousers. With both of them carrying bundles, they walked to the livery to get him a horse and let him have a look at the now empty stalls where the bank robbers’ horses had been.
Upon entering the livery they set the bundles aside on a bale of hay, then Thomas showed Colon the stalls.
“Muy bien,” the Mexican said after only a moment. “I have seen enough.”
“Then let’s find Hill and get you a horse,” Thomas said. “Must be out back.”
The two men went out to the corral, where they found Hill and James watching while Ralph Cory inspected the horses formerly owned by the bank robbers.
“Mr. Hill,” Thomas said, “Rigoberto needs a horse.”
Hill frowned at Colon and asked Thomas, “He got money for a horse?”
“The town does,” Thomas said. “They’ll be footin’ the bill.”
“Go ahead and pick one out, then.”
“Con permiso,” Colon said. “I will wait for Señor Cory to finish.”
“Fine,” Thomas said. He walked over to his brother, who quickly told him what Cory had found in the stalls.
“The Mexican said the same thing,” Thomas informed his brother.
“He did?” James was shocked. “I guess Pa’s right about him not bein’ just a drunk.”
“We been livin’ here as long as Pa has,” Thomas said. “How come we don’t know these two men?”
James shrugged and said, “’Cause we ain’t Pa.”
Cory came waking over to them, remaining inside the corral. “Double W brand,” he said. “Know it?”
“Never heard of it,” Thomas said.
“Me neither,” James said.
“Maybe your old man has,” Cory said. “You buyin’ the Mexican a horse?”
“Yes,” Thomas said, “but he’s—”
“That claybank over there looks good,” Cory said, “but I expect he’ll want to pick his own out.”
He opened the gate and exited the corral.
“What about you, Mr. Cory?” Thomas asked. “Do you need a horse?”
“I have my own, thanks,” Cory said. “Did the Mexican see what I saw in the stalls?”
“Uh, yeah, yeah, he did,” James said.
“Good,” Cory said, “then he’s got a good eye. When are we pullin’ out?”
“One hour,” Thomas said. “We’ll meet back here.”
“Fine,” Cory said. “I’ll see you then.”
As the man started walking away James asked Thomas, “Should I go with him?”
“No,” Thomas said. “We’ll see him in an hour.” He turned. “Rigoberto, time to pick a horse.”
The Mexican came over and stood next to the two brothers. “I already have, Tomas.”
“What, without goin’ into the corral to look them over?”
“Sí,” Colon said. “I have—how do you say—the eye for horseflesh? I can ‘see’ what makes a good horse.”
“Which horse?” Hill asked.
“The claybank.”
“Good choice,” Hill said.
Thomas and James exchanged a glance.
33
“Double W?” Shaye asked.
“Yes,” Thomas said.
Shaye looked at James.
“We went into the corral and looked after he left,” James said. “Two Ws, side by side.”
“Intertwined?”
James frowned.
“Connecting,” Thomas said to James, and then to Shaye, “No, they weren’t. Just side by side.”
“Do you know it, Pa?” James asked.
“No,” Shaye said, shifting painfully in his desk chair. “No, I never heard of it.” He took out his watch and looked at it. “You boys ready to go? You got a couple of hours of daylight left.”
“We’re ready,” Thomas said.
“Just remember,” Shaye said, “you’re wearing the badges. Listen to what Cory and Berto have to say, and then you make the decisions. Understand?”
“We understand, Pa,” James said.
“Pa,” Thomas asked, “how far do we go to catch these men?”
Before Shaye could answer, James said, “We go till we catch them, Thomas. They killed Nancy!”
Shaye looked at his sons. The urgency to capture these men and bring back the money was certainly not the same as it had been the year before, when they spent weeks tracking down the Langer brothers and their gang. But Caldwell and Jacks had killed many citizens of Vengeance Creek, including the mayor’s daughter, and they certainly could not be allowed to get away with that.
“Thomas,” he said. “Do you have any problem with chasin’ them until you find them?”
“These badges won’t mean much once we leave the county, Pa,” Thomas said.
James drew his gun and said, “These guns will mean just as much, no matter how far we have to go.”
“Put it away, James,” Shaye said. “How many times have I told you not to pull that unless you intend to use it.”
“I intend to use it, Pa!” James said fiercely.
“I know you do, son,” Shaye said, “but not now, right?”
James looked sheepish, and returned the gun to his holster. “Sorry, Pa.”
“James, I know you’re upset about Nancy’s death, but don’t let that cloud your judgment.”
“No, Pa,” James said, “I won’t.”
“Don’t worry, Pa,” Thomas said, “I’ll make sure he doesn’t.”
“I’m counting on the two of you to watch out for each other,” Shaye said. “And watch Rigoberto. Don’t let him get hold of a bottle.”