[Texas Rangers 06] - Jericho's Road by Elmer Kelton Page A

the river didn’t mean nothin’. South side, north side, it was all part of Mexico.” He was dressed like a Mexican vaquero, but he spoke with little or no Mexican accent that Andy could discern.
    Len said, “There’s been two wars fought over that. If you ain’t careful you’ll start another.” He softened. “I’m bettin” you’d be Big Jim McCawley’s boy Tony. I heard you was ridin’ with Lupe Chavez. Where’s he at?”
    The young man ignored the question. “I’m Antonio Villarreal. I’m Lupe Chavez’s nephew, but I’m not McCawley’s boy. Who are you to be blockin’ the way?”
    “ We’re Rangers.” Len pointed to the handmade badge on his shirt.
    The young man’s face twisted. “Damned rinches. ”
    Andy had learned that rinches was a term the Mexicans applied to the Rangers, and not in a complimentary manner.
    Villarreal said, “If you’ll give us the road we’ll take care of your job for you. We’ll fix them so they’ll never come again.”
    “ Like you said, that’s our job. You did yours when you saved your cattle.”
    “ I know you Rangers won’t do anything about those thieves. If we don’t, they’ll be back.”
    “ Catch them on your side of the river and you can feel free to shoot them all.”
    The young man’s voice bespoke contempt. “Maybe someday we’ll catch you rinches on the other side.”
    Andy studied the face. He thought he saw some resemblance to Tony’s mother and half sister. He said, “We met your folks.”
    That seemed to pique Tony’s interest in a negative way. “I guess they told you all about me?”
    “ They said mighty little, just enough to give us a notion you jumped the traces.”
    “ My stepfather is a gringo.”
    “ Everybody says he is a good man.”
    “ He is still a gringo. When I was a boy I had to accept him as a father. Now I am a man, and he is not my father anymore.”
    Andy did not know whether to feel sorry for the young rebel or to be angry at him. He said, “I’d give anything I own to have a father.”
    “ You can have mine. And next time you side with Jericho’s thieves we’ll run over you like a freight train.”
    Farley spoke up. “You’ll find the Rangers harder to bring down than that man you killed over there.”
    “ He was a bandit. Anyway, he was just wounded. He’s not dead yet.”
    Andy heard two shots echo from across the river. He winced. “I guess he is now.”
    Tony said coldly, “One less gringo bandit. The world is better off.” He jerked his head as a signal and rode back into the river. The other men followed him.
    Andy said, “He doesn’t know how lucky he is. At least he’s got a father. Stepfather, anyway.”
    Len said, “Too bad, but that’s how it is down here. Most people choose sides accordin’ to whether they’re light-skinned or dark. That boy has set his eggs down on the Mexican side.”
    Andy pointed northward. The raiders had faded into the distance, swallowed up by the mesquite and other brush. “We could follow them and find out where they came from.”
    Len said, “They came from Jericho’s little kingdom. Ain’t much doubt about that.”
    Andy was intrigued. “Kingdom?”
    “ He runs it like he was a king. Nothin’ happens in there without his say-so. Nobody pokes his nose onto Jericho’s ranch unless he says it’s all right.”
    “ Not even the Rangers?”
    “ We go now and again, but he sees to it that we don’t find anything or anybody we’re lookin’ for. If an outlaw needs a hidin’ place, Jericho gives him one. They go out and do their devilment, then come back and give him a cut. He’s built him a bank with stolen money, but he’s managed to keep his hands clean. Even if the law was to bring him to trial, you couldn’t gather up twelve men with guts enough to convict him.”
    Andy declared, “I’d like to see what he looks like. Have you ever met him?”
    “ Yep. And I’d pay money to buy back my introduction.”
    “ What about that man they