Blood Sky at Morning

“That is why this man burned Tesoro,” Anillo said.

“Does Tesoro have gold?” Zak asked.

Other Apaches had drifted down to listen. They made a ring around the three men on the ground. One still stood at the top, along with those guarding the ponies. He was standing watch, his head turning in all directions. Like an antelope guarding its herd, Zak thought.

Anillo and Tesoro exchanged glances.

“It is the name of Tesoro. Terask, he think maybe Tesoro has gold.”

“Treasure,” Zak said in English, more to himself than to either Anillo or Tesoro.

Anillo nodded. “Yes. Tesoro. Treasure. He captured Tesoro and he burned him with the iron to make him tell where Apache hides gold.”

Zak knew such rumors had abounded for years, going all the way back to the Conquistadors from Spain who believed there were cities of gold in the New World. Ben Trask would most certainly be interested in such rumors, and probably believed them to be true. There was gold in Apache country. Whether any of the tribes had accumulated some of that gold was a question that had been debated and mulled over for many years.

“Tesoro did not tell him,” Zak said.

“Tesoro does not know.”

“Do the Apaches have gold?” Zak asked.

Anillo’s face did not change expression.

“You ask a question many white men ask.”

“But you do not answer,” Zak said.

“Gold makes white men mad. It is just something that is in the earth, like rock or cactus, like trees or like water. The Apache does not seek gold. If he finds it, he hides it from the white man because he knows the yellow metal makes the white man crazy.”

“Trask did not kill Tesoro. Why?”

“Tesoro was like the snake in the night. He moved so quiet. The white men did not see him. He ran away. He ran for many days. Now he, too, would kill Terask if he sees him.”

“Tesoro,” Zak said, addressing the silent Apache, “do you hunt Trask?”

Tesoro opened his mouth. He made a croaking sound in his throat.

Zak saw that his tongue had been cut out.

“When Tesoro would not tell Terask where the Apache hides the gold, he cut out the tongue of Tesoro,” Anillo said. “The white men got drunk and they laughed. They played with the tongue of Tesoro while Tesoro swallowed his own blood and became the snake that hides in the grass and crawls away in the night.”

“Quanto lamento lo que ha pasado con Tesoro,” Zak said. I’m sorry for what happened to Tesoro.

“No hay de que,” Anillo said. It is nothing. “Tesoro is strong. One day he will cut the throat of Terask. I will piss in his mouth before that.”

“How do you know the name of Trask, if Tesoro cannot speak?”

“The Mexican you killed. He say the name. Terask was here. He bring horses, supplies, men. We watch. We hear. Trask chase us. He catch Tesoro.”

“Do you know where Trask is?” Zak asked.

Anillo shook his head.

“The little adobe you burned. There are more of these casitas.” He slowly swung his raised arm in a wide sweep to take in all of the country. “They are here and they are there. Terask he goes to them, but he does not stay long. I think he goes to Tucson.”

“You will not go to Tucson,” Zak said.

Anillo shook his head.

“That is a town of the white man. The Apache does not go there. The Chiricahua does not go there.”

“I will go there. I will find Trask. If I take him alive, I will bring him to you. But I do not know where to find you.”

“You bring Terask. We will find you, Cody.”

Zak finished his smoke and stood up. Anillo and Tesoro stood up, too. The three men looked at each other, wordless in their understanding of each other.

“I go now,” Zak said, and turned toward his horse.

“Vaya con Dios,” Anillo said.

Zak pulled himself up into the saddle.

He repeated the phrase to Anillo and Tesoro.

As he rode away, he muttered to himself, “I didn’t know the Apache believed in God.”

And he smiled as he said it.

There was a lot he did not know about the Apache.