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Joe Sutton shrugged。 〃Parker is dead 。。。 Bayless is hurt but not bad。 The way I hear it； they went to the North to try to make that Chavero kid tell where his sister went。 They ran into Vicente。〃
〃And。。。？〃
〃I reckon we had Vicente figured all wrong。 He wasn't about to back down。 So Buck says。 Vicente told Wes to travel an' Wes didn't take to it We buried Wes next morning。〃
There was still a thing to be settled。 Jordan wanted to be riding on； but there was no time better than now。 There had been too much killing and Joe Sutton seemed a reasonable man。
〃Ben Hindeman said the fight's over。 I'm getting my horses back。〃
〃Ben's the boss。〃 Joe Button was relieved。 〃Fool thing； anyhow。〃 He threw down his cigarette； half…smoked。 〃Jack and Mort 。。。 yes； and Wes too。 They got us into more trouble than we could get out of。〃
Trace Jordan reined his horse over。 〃See you；〃 he said and put Big Red down the trail。 Being a cautious man； he glanced back but Joe Sutton was riding on。
It was almost sundown when he found her。 Maria Cristina had made camp in a little wooded draw off the Pass。 She got up from the fire as he rode up； her face without expression。 He swung his horse alongside the fire。
〃What did you ride off for？〃 he demanded irritably。
〃I do not run。 I go home。〃 She knelt beside the fire； knelt suddenly as if her knees had weakened。 She began fussing over the food she was preparing。 In the late afternoon light her face seemed unnaturally pale。
He swung down。 〃Damn it； you didn't have to run off！ You could have said something！〃
〃Why？ Who I say something to？。。。 To you？〃
〃I don't want you going off like that；〃 he protested。 〃This is no time for a woman to be traveling alone。〃
She did not look up； adding sticks to the fire。 Then she added sullenly； 〃I am all right。〃
The words he had been thinking on the trail were gone。 Somewhere he had lost them。 He told her of Vicente and Wes Parker but she would not look at him。 She put coffee in the water and got up。
He stepped around the fire and took her by the arms。 〃Maria Cristina； I don't want you going away。 Not ever again。 I want you with me。〃
She turned on him； looking up into his eyes； and there was no longer sullenness there； or anger。 〃You don't know what you say。〃
〃I know all right …〃 She tried to draw away from him； her eyes suddenly wary； half…frightened。 〃No 。。。 you take your hands off。〃 She tried； ineffectually； to twist out of his grip。
〃Don't do that！〃 he said sharply； angrily。 He drew her swiftly into his arms； her body ing against his。 She looked up at him； her eyes very black and suddenly burning； almost hungry。
Then desperately； fiercely； she fought him。 She fought to twist free； to get away。 He held her； then slowly and inexorably he brought her mouth around to his。
She twisted her face away； fighting like a panther to escape； then suddenly； fiercely； she turned her mouth to his and their lips met and clung。
He held her； saying nothing。 〃Just ain't halter…broke；〃 he said gently； 〃but you'll do。 You'll do all right。〃 She stood quiet in his arms and the big red horse moved off a few steps and fell to cropping grass。 He had his own degrees of patience and was being accustomed to the oddities of human behavior。
Later； when most of the coffee had boiled away； Jordan drank it； black and strong。
She looked at him； her eyes soft in the gathering dusk。 〃You know one time I say I don't think you ever make it？〃
〃I remember。〃
〃Well。。。 now I think maybe you make it。〃
She laughed then； a laugh teasing and tender； a soft laughter that lost itself with the campfire smoke in the brush along the canyon's wall。
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Louis L'Amour； born Louis Dearborn L'Amour； is of French…Irish descent。 Although Mr。 L'Amour claims his writing began as a 〃spur…of…the…moment thing；〃 prompted by friends who relished his verbal tales of the West； he es by his talent honestly。 A frontiersman by heritage （his grandfather was scalped by the Sioux）； and a universal man by experience； Louis L'Amour lives the life of his fictional heroes。 Since leaving his native Jamestown； North Dakota； at the age of fifteen； he's been a longshoreman； lumberjack； elephant handler； hay stocker； flume builder； fruit picker； and an officer on tank destroyers during World War II。 And he's written four hundred short stories and over fifty books （including a volume of poetry）。
Mr。 L'Amour has lectured widely； traveled the West thoroughly； studied archaeology； piled biographies of over one thousand Western gunfighters； and read prodigiously （his library holds more than two thousand volumes）。 And he's watched thirty…one of his westerns as movies。 He's circled the world on a freighter； mined in the West； sailed a dhow on the Red Sea； been shipwrecked in the West Indies； stranded in the Mojave Desert He's won fifty…one of fifty…nine fights as a professional boxer and pinch…hit for Dorothy Kilgallen when she was on vacation from her column。 Since 1816； thirty…three members of his family have been writers。 And； he says； 〃I could sit in the middle of Sunset Boulevard and write with my typewriter on my knees； temperamental I am not。〃
Mr。 L'Amour is re…creating an 1865 Western town； christened Shalako； where the borders of Utah； Arizona； New Mexico； and Colorado meet Historically authentic from whistle to well； it will be a live； operating town； as well as a movie location and tourist attraction。
Mr。 L'Amour now lives in Los Angeles with his wife Kathy； who helps with the enormous amount of research he does for his books。 Soon； Mr。 L'Amour hopes； the children （Beau and Angelique） will be helping too。
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