Everybody had had a round or two by the time we got to the bar, and it looked like a real celebration was on the way. I motioned to the bartender and he slid a bottle down, and I guess it was the bottle that reminded me.
“By God, we forgot Bama!”
I went out the door and the first thing I knew a couple of arms came out of the darkness and grabbed me. Probably I would have killed her and learned who it was later, if she hadn't laughed. But she did laugh and I knew it was Marta.
“Goddamnit, don't you know better than to jump on a man like that?” She was pawing me and kissing me and she seemed as happy as a pup with a bone.
“You glad to see Marta?”
“Sure,” I said, “I guess I'm glad.”
But just the same I shook her off and got my back against the wall and got my gun hand ready. In the back of my mind I was reasoning, that somebody out there in the darkness could have put a bullet in me while a fool girl was hanging around my neck. It was just a passing thought, but I didn't like it.
Marta's laughter lost its bright edge. “What's the matter?”
“Nothing's the matter. I just like to be careful.”
“You no trust Marta.”
“I no trust anybody. That's how I got to be as old as I am.”
“You no like Marta.”
I was beginning to get tired of this. “Sure I like you,” I said. “I'm crazy about you. Now, just come along with me. I've got a job for you.”
“What job?”
“Never mind, just come along.”
I took her arm and led her around toward the livery barn, the kid right behind us like a shadow. We found the horse, and Bama was still lashed to the stubby travois poles. He was pretty shaken up but his tourniquet was still in place and the bleeding had stopped. We left him on the travois but untied the poles and lowered him to the ground. The kid felt of his face and forehead while I loosened the tourniquet.
“He's got a fever.”
“Then he's all right. What we've got to do is get him somewhere and keep him warm before the chills begin.” I thought for a minute and began to get an idea. “Kid, do you think you and Marta can get Bama down to her house without advertising it?”
He rubbed his chin. “Well, sure, I guess so. She can take the feet and I can—”
“That's all I want to know. Marta, have you got some friends—friends with strong backs and not too many brains?”
She nodded, frowning.
“Round them up,” I said. “Have them come around to the back of the saloon where the office is. I've got some things I want them to carry down to your place, and I want them to be quiet about it. Tell them it's worth five dollars in silver after the job's over.”
She began to get it then, and so did the kid. Marta's face broke up in a grin. “Marta think you plenty rich!”
“Marta thinks too damn much.”
“You leave Ocotillo, maybe?”
“My plans are my own. Now, pick up that travois before we have a dead man on our hands.”
“You take Marta with you?”
“Good God, yes, I'll take you with me. Anything, just get going.”
The last thing in the world I wanted was to be tied down to a girl like that, but I had to tell her something. And it seemed to satisfy her.
Johnny Rayburn hadn't decided if he was satisfied or not. He was thinking about Bama, I guess, and wondering how we were going to get out of Ocotillo with a wounded man and several hundred pounds of silver. He didn't know it yet,, but Bama wasn't going with us. I hadn't figured out a way yet to take care of the silver. But I would.
Using the travois like a stretcher, they picked it up and marched off into the darkness. I waited a few minutes until I was pretty sure that they were going to make it, and then I went back to the saloon.
Kreyler was standing in the doorway. I was going to walk right past him, but he turned and followed me to the bar. His face was grim as he said: “Wasn't Marta with you out there?”
I had almost forgotten that the Marshal was still crazy about the girl. Well, he could have her as soon as I got out of Ocotillo.
I said, “There wasn't anybody out there. I was just looking after Bama.”
“Didn't the kid go out with you?”
“What the hell is this? If you've got something in your craw, spit it out.”
Suddenly he smiled, and I didn't like that at all. What if he had his boys out there laying for the kid? It was something to worry about, but there wasn't much I could do. Of course, I could have gone running after them, but
