him.'
Bonito waited, then nodded toward Sellers.
'There is the reason.'
'What would you have me tell him?'
'Tell him that he will come with us, until pesh-e-gar--many of them--are brought here tomorrow.'
'Rifles!'
'Enough for as many of us that could stand in line from here to the house there. And many bullets for the pesh-e-gar. This one'--he nodded again to Sellers--'will remain with us until they are brought and the ones who bring them depart again. Then he will be released and my people will go with me from Pinaleno across the Bravos and there we will fight the Nakai-yes. '
Corsen turned to the others. 'He says he needs guns to make war on the Mexicans.' Then to Bonito. 'You would, of course, not use the guns on this side of the Bravos.'
Bonito nodded solemnly.
'The guns would have to be acquired at Fort Thomas. How do you know the Army would let you have them? Perhaps this man isn't worth a hundred rifles.'
Bonito's face barely moved as he spoke. 'Killing this one would be a reward in itself.'
Corsen paused. 'What if he refuses to go with you?'
'At Pinaleno you would find only the women and the children.' He turned his head, indicating the dense pines of the higher slope. 'The warriors are here, Cor-sen. You are six. Then two men in the house and two women. If he does not come with us, then we will come into your house there--'
Corsen concealed his surprise. 'You observe our number well.'
Bonito said, 'I have been here longer than a full day, waiting for this time. And you see I did not count the Mexican man. He has agreed to remain with us until this one comes to take his place.'
Corsen glanced at Billy Teachout. 'He says they've got Delgado.'
'Oh-my-God--'
Sellers moved closer to Corsen.
'What else does he want?'
'He wants you.'
'Me!'
'We get you back in exchange for about a hundred rifles,' Corsen added. 'I don't know what makes him think you're worth that many.' 'Tell him,' Sellers said evenly, 'that if he doesn't get back to Pinaleno by sundown he'll be shot. Along with Bil-Clin and his boy.'
'Pinaleno has moved here,' Corsen answered.
'The braves are up in the pines. If you don't go with them they'll swarm down all over us.'
'They wouldn't get across the wall,' Sellers sneered. 'There aren't a dozen rifles among the pack of them.'
'You forgot, we don't have any.'
Sellers was silent. Then, 'All right. When the stage doesn't arrive at Gila Ford this evening they'll know something's wrong and send help.'
Corsen said, 'There are three men at the Gila Ford Station.'
'Then they'll get more help!' Sellers said angrily.
'In what--three or four days?'
'What's the matter?' Sellers taunted. 'You scared?'
Corsen ignored the remark. 'What about Delgado?'
Sellers shrugged. 'One thing at a time. Tell him we'll go back and think it over, and let him know.'
Corsen told him, and as they were turning to go he looked at Bil-Clin. 'Now the chief of the Mescaleros follows the words of a bandit.'
Bil-Clin shifted his eyes and did not reply.
Chapter Four
Katie came out from the kitchen, edging by Buz, who was in the doorway, and went to Corsen. She had served them food and had now finished washing the dishes. Corsen was at the front window, looking off to the east, watching for a movement to change the monotony of the plain.
She stood close to him and he asked in a low voice, 'How's Ygenia?'
'She's praying.'
He wanted to say something consoling that she could take to Ygenia, but there was nothing. The Apaches had Delgado. They would keep him until Sellers turned himself over to them. And that was not likely to happen.
Katie's face was close to his. Serious, searching eyes repeating the question he could not answer.
She had been in the kitchen most of the time and she did not know all that had happened since the men had returned. Fisher was in the doorway, a silhouette against the faint outside dusk. Buz was by the kitchen door, holding his gun on the others at the bar end of the room, keeping an eye on Billy Teachout, who was in the kitchen watching the corral and yard. 'Ross, why doesn't he force Sellers to go to the Indians?'
'Fisher would have to shoot him first,' Ross said quietly. 'This business about the rifles is the long chance. Bonito would like to have them, but I think he'd just as soon have Sellers--for one long day. Sellers knows it. You can't force him to go. No matter what he's stolen, he's a white man. Handing him to Bonito wouldn't be right.'
'How long will he wait, Ross?'
'Bonito? He'll send us a message tonight, most likely. And if we don't act on it he'll come at sunup.'
'The outlaw would have to give you guns then,'
Katie said.
Corsen nodded. 'He's holding off as long as he can, waiting for a miracle. I feel kind of sorry for him. He can't fight off Bonito with just one man, but if he gives us guns he's through. He loses either way.'
They were silent then, standing close to each other.
Corsen's gaze would come in from the dim plain and go about the room.
Fisher, in the doorway, glanced now and then at Sellers. You have to give him credit, Corsen thought. Sitting on the edge of his nerves until the last possible minute.
Buz looks hard, but he leans on Fisher. He could never do this alone. They thought they had something good, and it turns out to be the worst jackpot they could fall into. Let them stew in it. Billy and Ernie are men who know patience because they do more than just live here: they're part of the country. They'll sit through something like this and not show it.
Verbiest is afraid to open his mouth. His voice would give him away. He's so scared, he can taste it. And Sellers. He'll never believe he's through- and maybe he isn't. He's got his life at stake, plus a government post and two thousand dollars in government silver. The money must have come from selling agency stores. He'll scheme, confident that he'll think of something to pull him out of this. Bonito has nothing to lose. With a hundred warriors, and nothing to lose, he will probably win. Strips of gray light crossed the room from the doorway and the windows. Outside, the moonlight showed the station yard in dim, unmoving stillness, bounded by the adobe wall, a pale line against the darkness beyond. Corsen looked out of the window again, then moved toward Fisher. He saw the dull gleam of a pistol barrel bear on him and he said, 'Ed. A word with you.'
'Come ahead,' Fisher said quietly.
'It'll be dark in a few minutes,' Corsen said.
'You'd better give us our guns.'
'I'll take my chances for a while.'
'You won't be able to watch us in the dark--and you're not going to use a lamp with Bonito outside.'
Fisher was silent. Then, 'I'm trying to think it out,' he said wearily.
'You don't have a choice,' Corsen told him.
