around?’
Raven shrugged. ‘I liked it better without them.’
‘Really? I figured you’d love their company. They’re almost your age, and when Joey’s better you and he can do things together. Then you won’t have to amuse yourself all day, or spend so much time at the reservation.’
‘I like being at the reservation,’ Raven said. ‘And I like being by myself even better.’ She took her slingshot from her back pocket and stretched the rubber strands. ‘There’s rabbits feeding back of the barn. Want me to kill one or two for supper?’
‘So long as you have no chores to do, yes.’
Raven, already halfway to the door, stopped and looked at Lawless. ‘That gunfighter you know – one who shot the sheriff?’
‘Latigo Rawlins? What about him?’ Lawless said.
‘I seen him this morning ’fore sunup.’
‘Saw him, saw him,’ Sven corrected.
‘Where?’ said Lawless.
‘Greenwater Canyon.’
‘That’s in the hills east of here,’ Sven said for Lawless’ benefit. ‘Half of it’s on our property and the other half belongs to the Morgans – or did before the bank stepped in. What was he doing?’ he asked Raven.
‘I don’t know. Didn’t ask him.’
‘Did he see you?’ Lawless said.
‘Uh-uh. He was breaking camp when I come up on him. I watched him for a spell and after he’d saddled up, he started climbing over some rocks, you know, like he was looking for something. Then he rode off.’
Sven frowned at Lawless. ‘Wonder what he was looking for?’
Lawless shrugged, and turned to Raven. ‘Where was he headed?’
‘Santa Rosa, looked like. Want me to show you where I saw him?’
Lawless looked questioningly at Sven.
‘Go ahead,’ he said. ‘I’d like to know what Rawlins was up to myself. Oh, and take the horses. That way, you’ll be back in time for lunch.’
It was a twenty-minute ride to Greenwater Canyon, so named because of the green-tinted water in the creek that flowed out of the steep rocky bluffs on either side. Lawless reined up in front of the narrow rock-strewn entrance, unhooked the safety strap that held his Colt in the holster and motioned for Raven to ride behind him. Obeying, she asked what was worrying him. When he didn’t answer, she said: ‘You think Mr Rawlins doubled back?’
‘Possible.’
‘You worried he might bushwhack you?’
‘Possible.’
‘But you’re his friend. Why would he shoot—?’
Lawless reined up and looked back at her. ‘Let’s get something straight: Latigo’s not my friend. He’s not anybody’s friend.’
‘Then why’d he give you your gun back?’
‘To prove he wasn’t taking orders from the sheriff. It’s a sore point with him – like being called Shorty. Both things make him loco.’
‘Mean crazy?’
‘In a deadly way. As for why he’d shoot me, Lefty doesn’t need a reason. With him killing’s like an itch. When he itches, he scratches. Simple as that.’
She looked at him suspiciously. ‘You ain’t making all this up, are you?’
‘I couldn’t be more serious.’ He rode on, Raven right behind him.
They followed the creek as it curved between rocks and boulders that ancient landslides had brought tumbling down from the hillsides. Lawless did not turn his head but under the flat brim of his black Stetson his eyes were constantly moving, searching the rocky slopes for any sign of danger. Ahead, a dead piñon tree, bleached white by the sun, lay across the creek like a natural bridge.
‘Here,’ Raven said, reining up by the tree. ‘This is where I saw him.’
Lawless dismounted, waited for her to join him and then told her to show him exactly what she saw Latigo doing. Head down as if looking for something, she walked over the broken rocks and loose shale piled alongside the creek.
Lawless followed her. ‘Did you see him stop anywhere or pick up any rocks?’
‘No … Maybe … I don’t remember.’
‘An Apache would remember.’
Raven thought back, face screwed into a
Raven shrugged. ‘I liked it better without them.’
‘Really? I figured you’d love their company. They’re almost your age, and when Joey’s better you and he can do things together. Then you won’t have to amuse yourself all day, or spend so much time at the reservation.’
‘I like being at the reservation,’ Raven said. ‘And I like being by myself even better.’ She took her slingshot from her back pocket and stretched the rubber strands. ‘There’s rabbits feeding back of the barn. Want me to kill one or two for supper?’
‘So long as you have no chores to do, yes.’
Raven, already halfway to the door, stopped and looked at Lawless. ‘That gunfighter you know – one who shot the sheriff?’
‘Latigo Rawlins? What about him?’ Lawless said.
‘I seen him this morning ’fore sunup.’
‘Saw him, saw him,’ Sven corrected.
‘Where?’ said Lawless.
‘Greenwater Canyon.’
‘That’s in the hills east of here,’ Sven said for Lawless’ benefit. ‘Half of it’s on our property and the other half belongs to the Morgans – or did before the bank stepped in. What was he doing?’ he asked Raven.
‘I don’t know. Didn’t ask him.’
‘Did he see you?’ Lawless said.
‘Uh-uh. He was breaking camp when I come up on him. I watched him for a spell and after he’d saddled up, he started climbing over some rocks, you know, like he was looking for something. Then he rode off.’
Sven frowned at Lawless. ‘Wonder what he was looking for?’
Lawless shrugged, and turned to Raven. ‘Where was he headed?’
‘Santa Rosa, looked like. Want me to show you where I saw him?’
Lawless looked questioningly at Sven.
‘Go ahead,’ he said. ‘I’d like to know what Rawlins was up to myself. Oh, and take the horses. That way, you’ll be back in time for lunch.’
It was a twenty-minute ride to Greenwater Canyon, so named because of the green-tinted water in the creek that flowed out of the steep rocky bluffs on either side. Lawless reined up in front of the narrow rock-strewn entrance, unhooked the safety strap that held his Colt in the holster and motioned for Raven to ride behind him. Obeying, she asked what was worrying him. When he didn’t answer, she said: ‘You think Mr Rawlins doubled back?’
‘Possible.’
‘You worried he might bushwhack you?’
‘Possible.’
‘But you’re his friend. Why would he shoot—?’
Lawless reined up and looked back at her. ‘Let’s get something straight: Latigo’s not my friend. He’s not anybody’s friend.’
‘Then why’d he give you your gun back?’
‘To prove he wasn’t taking orders from the sheriff. It’s a sore point with him – like being called Shorty. Both things make him loco.’
‘Mean crazy?’
‘In a deadly way. As for why he’d shoot me, Lefty doesn’t need a reason. With him killing’s like an itch. When he itches, he scratches. Simple as that.’
She looked at him suspiciously. ‘You ain’t making all this up, are you?’
‘I couldn’t be more serious.’ He rode on, Raven right behind him.
They followed the creek as it curved between rocks and boulders that ancient landslides had brought tumbling down from the hillsides. Lawless did not turn his head but under the flat brim of his black Stetson his eyes were constantly moving, searching the rocky slopes for any sign of danger. Ahead, a dead piñon tree, bleached white by the sun, lay across the creek like a natural bridge.
‘Here,’ Raven said, reining up by the tree. ‘This is where I saw him.’
Lawless dismounted, waited for her to join him and then told her to show him exactly what she saw Latigo doing. Head down as if looking for something, she walked over the broken rocks and loose shale piled alongside the creek.
Lawless followed her. ‘Did you see him stop anywhere or pick up any rocks?’
‘No … Maybe … I don’t remember.’
‘An Apache would remember.’
Raven thought back, face screwed into a
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