Call, in the lead, crept a little closer.
'Let's stay the night,' he heard a man say. 'I'm too full of liquor to be chousing horses in the dark.'
'It'll sober you up,' another voice said. 'It's cooler traveling at night.'
'Why travel?' the first man said. 'Some more wagons might come along and we could rob 'em. It's easier than banks.'
'Eddie, you're as lazy as Jake,' the second voice said. 'Neither one of you pulls your weight in this outfit.'
'I'd have to be quick to beat you at killing people, Dan,' little Eddie said.
Call and Augustus looked at one another. Dan Suggs was the name Wilbarger had mentioned-he had called his killers accurately.
Jake was lying on his saddle blanket feeling drunk and depressed. Dan Suggs had shot the old man driving the wagon at a hundred yards' distance, without even speaking to him. Dan had been hiding in the trees along the creek, so the old man died without even suspecting that he was in danger. He only had about thirty dollars on him, but he had four jugs of whiskey, and they were divided equally, although Dan claimed he ought to have two for doing the shooting. Jake had been drinking steadily, hoping he would get so drunk the Suggses would just go off and leave him. But he knew they wouldn't. For one thing, he had eight hundred dollars on him, won in poker games in Fort Worth, and if Dan Suggs didn't know it, he certainly suspected it. They wouldn't leave him without robbing him, or rob him without killing him, so for the time being his hope was to ride along and not rile Dan.
He had been lying flat down, for he felt very weary, but he raised up on his elbow to take another swig from the jug, and he and little Eddie saw the three men at the same moment: three men with leveled rifles, standing on the riverbank with the sun at a blinding angle right behind them. Jake had taken off his gun belt-he couldn't rest comfortably with it on. Little Eddie had his pistol on and grabbed for it, but a rifle cracked and a bullet took him in the shoulder and kicked him back off the saddle blanket.
Dan and Roy Suggs were sitting with their backs to the creek, each with a jug between their legs. They were caught cold, their rifles propped on their saddles well out of reach.
'Sit still, boys,' Call said, as soon as the crack of the shot died. Deets, who had the best angle, had shot little Eddie.
Dan Suggs leaped to his feet and turned to see the bright sun glinting on three rifle barrels.
'Who are you?' he asked. 'We're horse traders, so hold your damn fire.'
He realized it would be suicide to draw and decided a bluff was his best chance, though the shock, plus the whiskey he had just drunk, made him unsteady for a moment. It was a moment too long, for a black man with a rifle stepped behind him and lifted his pistol. Roy Suggs was sitting where he was, his mouth open, too surprised even to move. Little Eddie lay flat on his back, stunned by his shoulder wound.
Augustus took little Eddie's pistol as he stepped over him, and in a moment had Roy's. Deets got the rifles. Call kept his gun trained right on Dan Suggs, who, because of the sun, still could not see clearly whom he faced.
Deets, with a downcast look, picked up Jake's gun belt.
'Why, Deets, do you think I'd shoot you?' Jake asked, though he knew too well where he stood, and if he had moved quicker would have shot, whatever the cost. A clean bullet was better than a scratchy rope, and his old partners could shoot clean when they wanted to.
Deets, without answering, removed the rifle from Jake's saddle scabbard.
'Get your boots off, boys,' Call said, coming closer.
'Goddamned if we will,' Dan Suggs said, his anger rising. 'Didn't you hear me? I told you we were horse traders.'
'We're more persuaded by that dead fellow over there,' Augustus said. 'He says you're murderers. And Mr. Wilbarger's good horses says you're horsethieves to boot.'
'Hell, you don't know what you're talking about,' Dan Suggs said. He was genuinely furious at having been taken without a shot, and he used his anger to try and carry the bluff.
'I bought these horses from Wilbarger,' he said. 'I gave him thirty dollars apiece.'
'You're a black liar,' Augustus said calmly. 'Take off your boots, like Captain Call said. It's time to collect the boot guns.'
Dan Suggs stood quivering, for it galled him to be caught and galled him more to be coolly given orders, even if it was Augustus McCrae who was giving them. Besides, he had a derringer in his right boot, and knew it was his last hope. One of his brothers was shot and the other too drunk and too stunned to take in what was happening.
'I'll be damned if I'll go barefoot for you or any man,' Dan said.
Augustus drew his big dragoon Colt and jammed the barrel into Dan's stomach.
'You can keep your socks, if you're that refined,' he said.
Call quickly knelt behind Dan Suggs and got the derringer.
'Just ask Jake if we didn't buy these horses,' Dan said. 'Jake's a friend of yours, ain't he?'
'Did you buy that old man?' Call asked. 'Did you buy them two farmers you burned? Did you buy Wilbarger and his man and that boy?'
Little Eddie sat up. When he saw that his shirt was drenched with blood, his face went white. 'I'm bleeding, Dan,' he said.
Jake looked at Call and Augustus, hoping one or the other of them would show some sign of concern, but neither would even look at him. Call covered Roy Suggs while Deets tied his hands with his own saddle strings. Augustus stood calmly, the barrel of the big Colt still stuck into Dan Suggs's stomach. Dan's face was twitching. Jake could see he longed to go for his gun-only he had no gun. Jake thought Dan might go anyway, his whole frame was quivering so. He might go, even if it meant getting shot at point-blank range.
'This gun leaves a hole the size of a tunnel, Mr. Suggs,' Augustus said. 'If you'd like to land in hell with a tunnel through you, just try me.'
Dan quivered, his eyes popping with hatred. When Deets came over with some rawhide strings he snarled at him, baring his teeth. 'Don't you tie me, nigger boy,' he said. 'I'll not forget you if you do.'
'You're dying to try it, ain't you?' Augustus said. 'Go on. Try it. See what you look like with a tunnel through your ribs.'
Dan held back, though he shook and snarled, while Deets tied him securely.
'Tie Jake,' Call said, when Dan was secure. Augustus grinned and put the Colt back in its holster.
'I guess you ain't as hard as you talk, Mr. Suggs,' he said.
'You sneaking son of a bitch, who do you think you are?' Dan said.
'Deets don't need to tie me,' Jake said. For a moment his spirits rose, just from the sound of Gus's voice. It was Call and Gus, his old
Little Eddie could not believe that he was shot and his brother Dan tied up. He was white and trembling. He looked at Dan in disbelief.
'You said there wasn't a man in Kansas that could take you, Dan,' Eddie said. 'Why didn't you fight?'
Augustus went over and knelt by little Eddie, tearing his shirt so he could look at the wound.
'You oughtn't to listened to your big brother, son,' he said. 'He was plumb easy to catch. This is just a flesh wound-the bullet went right through.'
Call went over to Jake. Deets seemed hesitant to tie him, but Call nodded and covered Jake with his rifle while Deets tied his hands. As he was doing it Pea Eye and Newt came over the hill with the horses.
'Call, he don't need to tie me,' Jake said. 'I ain't done nothing. I just fell in with these boys to get through the Territory. I was aiming to leave them first chance I got.'
Call saw that Jake was so drunk he could barely sit up.
'You should have made a chance a little sooner, Jake,' Augustus said. 'A man that will go along with six killings is making his escape a little slow.'
'I had to wait for a chance, Gus,' Jake said. 'You can't just trot off from Dan Suggs.'
'You shut your damn mouth, Spoon,' Dan Suggs said. 'These friends of yours are no more than rank outlaws. I don't see no badges on them. They got their damn gall, taking us to jail.'
Pea Eye and Newt stopped and dismounted. Newt saw that Jake was tied like the rest.
'Saddle these men's horses,' Call said to the boy. Then he walked off toward the nearest trees.
