“And you don’t care?” Virgil said.

“Nope. Same rules.”

We moved on across the stream and back into the rough scrub.

“And it don’t bother you?”

“Hell, Virgil,” I said. “You know I don’t worry much ’bout such things.”

“You let me decide?” Virgil said.

“Generally I agree with you,” I said.

“And if you didn’t?” Virgil said.

“Depends,” I said. “Can’t recall you ever asking me to do something didn’t seem like I should.”

“But how you know if you should?” Virgil said.

“Most people know what they should do, most of the time,” I said. “’Specially if they ain’t married.”

“So, why you think I worry about it?” Virgil said.

“Couple things,” I said. “You talk about it, but you don’t really worry about it. You don’t worry ’bout much of anything, ’cept maybe Allie.”

Virgil nodded.

“That’d be one thing,” Virgil said.

“And you’re a good gun hand,” I said.

“So are you,” Virgil said.

“Yeah, I am,” I said. “But you are the best gun hand I ever seen. Maybe the best there is. There’s some weight goes with that.”

Virgil was looking at some dragonflies hovering over a patch of flowers off to the right.

“Can’t just kill somebody ’cause you’re quicker’n them,” he said.

“No, you can’t,” I said.

Virgil was quiet for a time as the horses moved carefully along.

“And I don’t,” he said.

“No,” I said. “You don’t.”

VIRGIL AND I were at our post out front of the Boston House when Chauncey Teagarden strolled past us, wearing his ivory-handled Colt.

“Afternoon, Virgil,” he said. “Everett.”

I nodded.

Virgil said, “Afternoon.”

Chauncey stood for a moment looking at Virgil. Virgil had no reaction. Chauncey shook his head slightly.

“The great Virgil Cole,” he said.

“You’ll be checking that Colt with Fat Willis,” Virgil said.

“Of course,” Chauncey said.

He looked another moment at Virgil and then went i nside.

“You sure do impress him,” I said.

Virgil smiled.

“More important I am,” Virgil said. “Better he’ll feel when he kills me.”

“If he kills you,” I said.

“If he don’t, won’t matter to him one way or other,” Virgil said.

“’Cause you’ll have killed him.”

“Yep.”

“It’s like he’s… flirting,” I said.

“Is, ain’t it,” Virgil said.

“Like he wants to get to know you,” I said.

“Some fellas like that,” Virgil said.

“Enjoy the work more if they know you well,” I said. “’Fore they kill you?”

“Something like that,” Virgil said.

“Heard he was from New Orleans,” I said. “Won some duels down there.”

“Heard that, too,” Virgil said.

“Means he got self-control,” I said. “Being quick don’t make no difference in a duel.”

“And he can shoot,” Virgil said. “You can’t, you don’t win many duels.”

“So, what we don’t know is how fast?” I said.

“Killed Burleigh Ouellette,” Virgil said.

“Burleigh was quick,” I said. “Chauncey got him?”

“Did,” Virgil said.

“And you figure he’s here to get you,” I said.

“That’s what he’s here for,” Virgil said.

“You figure the general hired him?”

“Be my guess,” Virgil said.

“So, what’s Teagarden waiting for?” I said.

“Needs a situation where it’s just me and him. He ain’t gonna fight us both at the same time.”

I nodded.

“Needs me to draw first, and he’s figuring how to do that,” Virgil said.

“And maybe he’s enjoying the game,” I said.

“Probably,” Virgil said.

“You think he can do it?” I said.

“Kill me?” Virgil said.

“Yeah.”

“No,” Virgil said. “I don’t.”

“You never do,” I said.

“Correct,” Virgil said.

“And you been right, so far,” I said.

LAUREL, holding her skirt up, came along Main Street at a dead run. When she reached us, she whispered to Virgil. Virgil nodded.

“Pony came to the house,” Virgil said to me. “Wants us to meet him west of town at Red Castle Rock.”

“I know where that is,” I said.

Laurel whispered again to Virgil.

“We won’t see him, but if we sit our horses by the rock, he’ll find us,” Virgil said to me.

“Now?” I said.

Virgil looked at Laurel. She nodded hard.

“Now,” Virgil said.

He patted Laurel on the shoulder, and we set out for the livery to get our horses.

We followed the stage road west.

As we rode I said to Virgil, “I noticed something ’bout Laurel today when she come running up to tell us ’bout Pony.”

“With her tits bouncing?” Virgil said.

“You noticed it, too,” I said.

“Yep.”

“She ain’t a little girl,” I said.

“Nope.”

“What are we gonna do ’bout that?” I said.

“Don’t know,” Virgil said.

The road began to rise gently ahead of us. The horses adjusted to it.

“She know the facts?” I said.

“Hope so,” Virgil said.

He grinned.

“Allie sure ’nuff is qualified to tell her ’bout them,” he said.

“Virgil,” I said. “Laurel don’t talk to anybody, ’cept whispering to you.”

“I know.”

“You can’t go round the rest of her life translatin’ for her,” I said.

“Probably could,” Virgil said. “But don’t seem like I ought to.”

“So, what do we do?” I said.

“Don’t know,” Virgil said.

“What’s Allie say?”

“Allie don’t like me talkin’ ’bout Laurel to her,” Virgil said.

“She don’t?”

“Nope. Says I spend too much time thinkin’ ’bout Laurel.”

“Jesus Christ, Virgil,” I said. “She’s jealous of Laurel?”

“’Pears so,” Virgil said.

“Well, we got to do something about Laurel,” I said.

“We do,” Virgil said.

“What?” I said.

“Was hoping you’d come up with something,” Virgil said.

Ahead of us, with late sun shining from behind it, was the high remnant of ancient red rock that looked a little like the tower of a castle.

We stopped close to its base and sat our horses in its shadow, and pretty soon Pony Flores rode around the base and stopped beside us.

HOW IS CHIQUITA?” Pony said. “She’s fine,” Virgil said.

“She talk yet?” Pony said.

“Just to me,” Virgil said.

Pony nodded.

“Kah-to-nay has gone to fight Blue-Eyed Devil,” he said.

Virgil nodded.

“Never could abide us,” Virgil said.

Pony shook his head.

“Kha-to-nay think you betray him,” Pony said.

“You know we didn’t,” I said.

“I know,” Pony said. “Kah-to-nay not know.”

“Kha-to-nay fighting white men by himself?” Virgil said.

“No, go back to reservation, get others. Maybe fifteen, they leave reservation, keep moving.”

“Raiding?” Virgil said.

“Sí.”

“Live off what they take in a raid?”

“Sí.”

“So they got to keep raiding.”

Pony nodded.

“Where?” Virgil said.

“Come this way,” Pony said. “Appaloosa.”

“He’d attack the town?” I said.

“Maybe not,” Pony said. “Maybe small ranch, maybe homesteader. Maybe posse come out after them; maybe they attack town.”

“While the posse’s out roaming the plains,” I said.

“Sí.”

“He ask you to join him?” I said.

“Sí.”

“And you didn’t,” I said.

Pony shook his head.

“How’d he take that?” I said.

“He say I am traitor to Chiricahua people,” Pony said. “I say I go with him, I am traitor to myself.”

“So, how you want to handle this,” Virgil said.

“I cannot kill my brother,” Pony said.

Virgil nodded.

“He kill you?” Virgil said.

“No,” Pony said.

“So, we stop him and don’t kill him,” Virgil said.

“Cannot go to jail,” Pony said.

“Stop him, don’t kill him, turn him loose,” Virgil said.

“Won’t he go right back to it?” I said.