for a stretched second, then slid their pistols reluctantly into holsters while they kept suspicious eyed watch on the lawman.
Then Alvarez said: ‘And I am also prepared to allow you to have your weapon back, sheriff.’
Isabella sucked in a deep breath.
North said: ‘I’d still be way out-gunned.’
‘ Si. And if you made any attempt to take the senorita by force – or endangered our lives – any one of us would certainly kill you. But I hope I have convinced you that we are on the same side?’
North was impassive in response to the query.
Alvarez went on apologetically: ‘It is regrettable that force and subterfuge were necessary for us to reach this position. Force because I could see no other way. Subterfuge because if we had spoken of this last night you would have had no proof of our good intentions and abilities to carry them out. Now it is time for trust, I think?’
North looked at every one of the grim faced Mexicans in turn and each one of them gave an emphatic nod of agreement with Alvarez.
Isabella muttered a mild Spanish curse.
‘The ambush took some planning, I reckon?’ North muttered eventually. 64
Alvarez nodded. ‘ Si, more than a little, sheriff.’
‘Mind telling me how did it happen to be the same night Judge Miller was murdered at the Bellamy farm? Which meant the trial had to be postponed?’
Alvarez sighed in face of North’s continued suspicion of his motives. ‘I assure you, senor, we had no knowledge of just what was to happen to the judge and his unfortunate hosts.’
There was a soft spoken chorus of rueful confirmation from the other men.
‘Our information was only that Eduardo Martinez had hired professional gunmen to prevent the trial from taking place. We assumed this would involve . . . removing Senorita Gomez.’
The woman shuddered and grimaced.
Alvarez shrugged. ‘And we thought we would need to protect her from the hired killers for no more than a few hours. For the trial was to have started this morning, was it not?’
North accepted the truth of what had been said. He shook his head for another reason as he muttered grimly: ‘I’d be crazy to . . . Hell, I can’t take on a bunch of bandits to do the work of the law!’
‘Sheriff North,’ Alvarez encouraged earnestly. ‘Jose Martinez is to us no better nor worse than his father and those men who are paid money to do the underhand work of the family. But he is accused of a crime for which he must be hanged.’
North put in pointedly: ‘If a jury find him guilty.’
‘ Si,’ Alvarez allowed curtly. ‘And for us to assist in seeing that justice is achieved will contribute to putting right some of the wrong done to us.’
‘But it’s not right for me to – ‘
‘We are bandits, I have admitted so,’ Alvarez broke in. ‘But not in this country. Not in the state of Texas. Not within your jurisdiction.’
Isabella challenged: ‘Is kidnapping not a crime in any country of the world?’
Alvarez scowled at her then returned his attention to North. ‘The only crime we have committed to your certain knowledge is the taking by force of this woman from you. And I have explained why that was necessary in the circumstances. Here in Texas we wish to see justice done. For Jose Martinez to be tried in a court of law. And then hanged – if he is found guilty. It will be an honour – and most satisfying – for us to be a part of that.’
‘Justice doesn’t have a damn thing to do with any kind of personal vengeance, Alvarez!’ North said. ‘Not for men sworn to uphold the law.’
65
‘ Si, si!’ The most emphatic nod yet accompanied the forcefully spoken affirmatives.
‘We are all, in our own way, honourable men. If we were sworn in as your deputies to assist you in protecting Isabella Gomez from Eduardo Martinez and his hired guns until the trial is over, we would not do anything to make you regret agreeing to have us help you.’
‘Sheriff, I do not think – ‘ Isabella tried to
Then Alvarez said: ‘And I am also prepared to allow you to have your weapon back, sheriff.’
Isabella sucked in a deep breath.
North said: ‘I’d still be way out-gunned.’
‘ Si. And if you made any attempt to take the senorita by force – or endangered our lives – any one of us would certainly kill you. But I hope I have convinced you that we are on the same side?’
North was impassive in response to the query.
Alvarez went on apologetically: ‘It is regrettable that force and subterfuge were necessary for us to reach this position. Force because I could see no other way. Subterfuge because if we had spoken of this last night you would have had no proof of our good intentions and abilities to carry them out. Now it is time for trust, I think?’
North looked at every one of the grim faced Mexicans in turn and each one of them gave an emphatic nod of agreement with Alvarez.
Isabella muttered a mild Spanish curse.
‘The ambush took some planning, I reckon?’ North muttered eventually. 64
Alvarez nodded. ‘ Si, more than a little, sheriff.’
‘Mind telling me how did it happen to be the same night Judge Miller was murdered at the Bellamy farm? Which meant the trial had to be postponed?’
Alvarez sighed in face of North’s continued suspicion of his motives. ‘I assure you, senor, we had no knowledge of just what was to happen to the judge and his unfortunate hosts.’
There was a soft spoken chorus of rueful confirmation from the other men.
‘Our information was only that Eduardo Martinez had hired professional gunmen to prevent the trial from taking place. We assumed this would involve . . . removing Senorita Gomez.’
The woman shuddered and grimaced.
Alvarez shrugged. ‘And we thought we would need to protect her from the hired killers for no more than a few hours. For the trial was to have started this morning, was it not?’
North accepted the truth of what had been said. He shook his head for another reason as he muttered grimly: ‘I’d be crazy to . . . Hell, I can’t take on a bunch of bandits to do the work of the law!’
‘Sheriff North,’ Alvarez encouraged earnestly. ‘Jose Martinez is to us no better nor worse than his father and those men who are paid money to do the underhand work of the family. But he is accused of a crime for which he must be hanged.’
North put in pointedly: ‘If a jury find him guilty.’
‘ Si,’ Alvarez allowed curtly. ‘And for us to assist in seeing that justice is achieved will contribute to putting right some of the wrong done to us.’
‘But it’s not right for me to – ‘
‘We are bandits, I have admitted so,’ Alvarez broke in. ‘But not in this country. Not in the state of Texas. Not within your jurisdiction.’
Isabella challenged: ‘Is kidnapping not a crime in any country of the world?’
Alvarez scowled at her then returned his attention to North. ‘The only crime we have committed to your certain knowledge is the taking by force of this woman from you. And I have explained why that was necessary in the circumstances. Here in Texas we wish to see justice done. For Jose Martinez to be tried in a court of law. And then hanged – if he is found guilty. It will be an honour – and most satisfying – for us to be a part of that.’
‘Justice doesn’t have a damn thing to do with any kind of personal vengeance, Alvarez!’ North said. ‘Not for men sworn to uphold the law.’
65
‘ Si, si!’ The most emphatic nod yet accompanied the forcefully spoken affirmatives.
‘We are all, in our own way, honourable men. If we were sworn in as your deputies to assist you in protecting Isabella Gomez from Eduardo Martinez and his hired guns until the trial is over, we would not do anything to make you regret agreeing to have us help you.’
‘Sheriff, I do not think – ‘ Isabella tried to
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