you in like you was kin. You could see that the
revolution hadnt done them no good. A lot of em had lost boys out of the family. Fathers
or sons or both. Nearly all of em, I expect. They didnt have no reason to be hospitable to
anybody. Least of all a gringo kid. That plateful of beans they set in front of you was
hard come by. But I was never turned away. Not a time.
Three more dogs passed by the fire and sought out beds under the bluff. The stars swung
west. The hunters talked of other things and after a while another dog came in. He was
favoring a forefoot and Archer got up and walked up under the bluff to see about him. They
heard the dog whine and when he came back he said they'd been in a fight.
Two more dogs came in and then all were in save one.
I'll wait a while if you all want to head back, Archer said.
We'll wait with ye.
I dont mind.
We'll wait a while. Wake up young Cole yonder.
Let him sleep, said Billy. He's been fightin that bear.
The fire burned down and it grew colder and they sat close to the flames and hand fed them
with sticks and with old brittle limbs they broke from the windtwisted wrecks of trees
along the rimrock. They told stories of the old west that once was. The older men talked
and the younger men listened and light began to show in the gap of the mountain above them
and then faintly along the desert floor below.
The dog they were waiting for came in limping badly and circled the fire. Travis called to
her. She halted with her red eyes and looked at them. He rose and called her again and she
came up and he took hold of her collar and turned her to the light. There were four bloody
furrows along her flank. There was a flap of skin ripped loose at her shoulder exposing
the muscle underneath and blood was dripping slowly from one ripped ear onto the sandy
dirt where she stood.
We need to get that sewed up, Travis said.
Archer pulled a leash from among those he'd strung through his belt and he clipped it onto
the Dring of her collar. She carried the only news they would have of the hunt, bearing
witness to things they could only imagine or suppose out there in the night. She winced
when Archer touched her ear and when he let go of her she stepped back and stood with her
forefeet braced and shook her head. Blood sprayed the hunters and hissed in the fire. They
rose to go.
Let's go, cowboy, Billy said.
John Grady sat up and reached about on the ground for his hat.
Hell of a lionhunter you turned out to be.
Is the peeler awake? said JC.
The peeler's awake.
A man that's been huntin that bear I dont believe these old mountain lions hold much
interest.
I think you got that right.
Chips all down and where was he? And us at the mercy of the old folks here. Could of used
some help, son. We been outlied till it's pitiful. I mean sent to the showers. Wasnt even
a contest, was it Billy?
Not even a contest.
John Grady squared his hat and walked out along the edge of the bluff. The desert plain
lay cold and blue below them in the graying light and the shape of the river running down
from the north through the break of gray winter trees lay in a pale serpentine of mist. To
the south the cold gray grid of the distant city and the shape of the older city across
the river like stampings in the desert soil. Beyond them the mountains of Mexico. The
injured hound had come from the fire where the men were sorting and chaining the dogs and
it walked out and stood beside John Grady and studied with him the plain below. John Grady
sat and let his boots dangle over the edge of the rock and the dog lay down and rested its
bloody head alongside his leg and after a while he put his arm around it.
BILLY SAT LEANING with his elbows on the table and his arms crossed. He watched John
Grady. John Grady pursed his lips. He moved the remaining white knight. Billy looked at
Mac. Mac studied the move and he looked
revolution hadnt done them no good. A lot of em had lost boys out of the family. Fathers
or sons or both. Nearly all of em, I expect. They didnt have no reason to be hospitable to
anybody. Least of all a gringo kid. That plateful of beans they set in front of you was
hard come by. But I was never turned away. Not a time.
Three more dogs passed by the fire and sought out beds under the bluff. The stars swung
west. The hunters talked of other things and after a while another dog came in. He was
favoring a forefoot and Archer got up and walked up under the bluff to see about him. They
heard the dog whine and when he came back he said they'd been in a fight.
Two more dogs came in and then all were in save one.
I'll wait a while if you all want to head back, Archer said.
We'll wait with ye.
I dont mind.
We'll wait a while. Wake up young Cole yonder.
Let him sleep, said Billy. He's been fightin that bear.
The fire burned down and it grew colder and they sat close to the flames and hand fed them
with sticks and with old brittle limbs they broke from the windtwisted wrecks of trees
along the rimrock. They told stories of the old west that once was. The older men talked
and the younger men listened and light began to show in the gap of the mountain above them
and then faintly along the desert floor below.
The dog they were waiting for came in limping badly and circled the fire. Travis called to
her. She halted with her red eyes and looked at them. He rose and called her again and she
came up and he took hold of her collar and turned her to the light. There were four bloody
furrows along her flank. There was a flap of skin ripped loose at her shoulder exposing
the muscle underneath and blood was dripping slowly from one ripped ear onto the sandy
dirt where she stood.
We need to get that sewed up, Travis said.
Archer pulled a leash from among those he'd strung through his belt and he clipped it onto
the Dring of her collar. She carried the only news they would have of the hunt, bearing
witness to things they could only imagine or suppose out there in the night. She winced
when Archer touched her ear and when he let go of her she stepped back and stood with her
forefeet braced and shook her head. Blood sprayed the hunters and hissed in the fire. They
rose to go.
Let's go, cowboy, Billy said.
John Grady sat up and reached about on the ground for his hat.
Hell of a lionhunter you turned out to be.
Is the peeler awake? said JC.
The peeler's awake.
A man that's been huntin that bear I dont believe these old mountain lions hold much
interest.
I think you got that right.
Chips all down and where was he? And us at the mercy of the old folks here. Could of used
some help, son. We been outlied till it's pitiful. I mean sent to the showers. Wasnt even
a contest, was it Billy?
Not even a contest.
John Grady squared his hat and walked out along the edge of the bluff. The desert plain
lay cold and blue below them in the graying light and the shape of the river running down
from the north through the break of gray winter trees lay in a pale serpentine of mist. To
the south the cold gray grid of the distant city and the shape of the older city across
the river like stampings in the desert soil. Beyond them the mountains of Mexico. The
injured hound had come from the fire where the men were sorting and chaining the dogs and
it walked out and stood beside John Grady and studied with him the plain below. John Grady
sat and let his boots dangle over the edge of the rock and the dog lay down and rested its
bloody head alongside his leg and after a while he put his arm around it.
BILLY SAT LEANING with his elbows on the table and his arms crossed. He watched John
Grady. John Grady pursed his lips. He moved the remaining white knight. Billy looked at
Mac. Mac studied the move and he looked
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