The remaining rider stepped off his horse and squatted next to Kha-to-nay. Chauncey Teagarden raised one of his Colts.

“No,” Virgil said.

Chauncey shrugged and held the gun half raised. The Indian began to chant something. In a short while the rest of the still-surviving Indians moved slowly through the crowd and gathered around Kha-to-nay’s body. They joined the chant. It was nightfall, and the mourning Apaches gathered around their fallen leader were lit only by the violent flames of the burning town.

“It’s over,” Virgil said. “You know enough Apache to tell them that?”

“Maybe,” I said.

“Say they can take him and go. We won’t bother them,” Virgil said.

“We got ’em in front of us,” Teagarden said. “We could clean them up for god.”

“I know,” Virgil said.

He nodded toward the group of Apaches.

“Talk to ’em,” Virgil said.

It was as much sign language as me speaking Apache, but I was able to get it across that they were free to take Kha-to-nay and go. The terrified and now delirious crowd in the streets watched them as they rode past bodies they’d killed, out of Appaloosa and away from it. I thought about how far they would have to ride before the burning town would no longer be visible.

“I thought Pony was trying to save his brother,” Chauncey said.

“He was,” Virgil said.

“Guess he wanted to save the girl more,” Chauncey said.

“Guess he did,” Virgil said.

46

VIRGIL AND ALLIE and I were sitting on what was left of the front porch of the Boston House. Much of the town was burned out. Against the charred backdrop of it, women and children and old men were walking aimlessly about.

“Why do you suppose they didn’t burn our house?” Allie said.

Virgil shrugged. He was looking down Main Street at some riders coming in. It was Callico.

“Because we’re friends of Pony?” I said.

“But he took Laurel and was going to kill her,” Allie said.

“Things weren’t going the way he wanted,” Virgil said.

“And he’d change like that?” Allie said.

“Folks do,” Virgil said.

“Savages do,” Allie said.

Virgil nodded.

“How’d he get hold of Laurel?” Virgil said.

“She saw the flames. She became hysterical. I tried to keep her with me. But despite all I’ve done for her, she paid me no mind. She was in the street and he saw her and must have recognized her.”

Virgil nodded.

“Got him killed,” he said.

“His own brother,” Allie said.

“Laurel,” Virgil said.

We sat quietly as Amos Callico and his troops straggled back into the smoldering town.

When he saw us, Callico pulled his horse over and stopped. He was spattered with mud, and his clothes were rumpled. He took his hat off.

“Miss Allie,” he said, and bowed his head slightly.

“Welcome home, Mr. Callico,” Allie said.

“Thank you very kindly, Miss Allie,” Callico said.

He looked at Virgil and me.

“Well,” Callico said. “We did it.”

“We surely did,” Virgil said.

“Don’t expect those red niggers will try this town again.”

“Probably not,” Virgil said.

“Thanks for your help,” Callico said.

Virgil and I both nodded.

“Well,” Callico said, and looked around at the ruin of a town. “Get me a bath and a night’s sleep, and we’ll start putting this town back together.”

“Gonna cost some money,” I said.

“Those Indians are from a United States government reservation,” Callico said. “I figure the government owes us.”

“Think you can convince them?” I said.

“You boys just watch me,” Callico said.

“We will,” Virgil said.

Callico turned his horse and fell back in among the returning straggle.

We watched him ride away.

“The hero of Appaloosa,” I said.

“He gets government money to rebuild this place,” Virgil said, “he will be.”

“And they’ll never remember what he was doing while the place was burning,” I said.

“He knows many important people,” Allie said. “I’ll bet he can do it.”

Virgil nodded.

“When will Pony bring Laurel back?” Allie said.

“Soon as he thinks she’s safe,” Virgil said.

“Do you know where he took her?” Allie said.

“Red Castle Rock, probably,” Virgil said.

“You know where that is?” Allie said.

“I do,” Virgil said.

“Well, why on earth don’t you go out there,” Allie said. “And bring her back.”

“He’ll bring her back,” Virgil said. “When it’s time.”

“She’s alone, sleeping God knows where with a half-breed tracker,” Allie said. “She’s sixteen, for God’s sake. I’m trying to bring her up right.”

“Doin’ a fine job,” Virgil said.

“And one thing I know,” Allie said. “If I know anything, I know men.”

Virgil nodded.

“And let me tell you right now,” Allie said, “that no good will come of him running off with her someplace alone.”

Staring down the smoke-soiled main street of Appaloosa, Virgil turned his head and squinted at Allie.

“I love you, Allie,” Virgil said. “Not exactly sure why sometimes. And it looks like I’m keep doing it.”

“Why, thank you, Virgil,” Allie said.

“But you say some of the goddamned stupidest things I have ever heard,” he said.

“Everett,” Allie said. “Are you going to let him speak that way to me?”

“Pony killed his brother to save Laurel,” I said.

“Does that make him a good candidate for husband?” Allie said.

“Might mean he loves her,” I said.

“Oh, piffle,” Allie said. “Why does anybody love a nybody?”

Virgil squinted at her some more.

“Damned if I know,” he said.

47

FAT WILLIS MCDONOUGH, who had no bar to tend at the moment, walked down to Virgil’s house from the remains of the Boston House.

“Your friend Pony Flores is in some trouble up on Main Street,” Willis said.

“Girl with him?” Virgil said.

“Yep.”

Virgil stood.

“You fellas go ahead,” Fat Willis said. “Never much liked hurrying.”

“Not generally much need,” Virgil said.

We started up First Street. And when we reached Main, we turned left.

Pony was there, still mounted, with Laurel sitting behind him, her arms around his waist. Standing in front of them in a semicircle in the street were Callico and his four surviving cops.

“Managed to get two of them killed at the ford the other day,” Virgil said.

Standing on the street beside Pony, near his left stirrup, with his two ivory-handled Colts gleaming in the sunlight, was Chauncey Teagarden.

“Fellas want to arrest the hero of the great Apache war,” Teagarden said to us. “Don’t seem right to me.”

We paused so that Callico had Teagarden and Pony in front of him, and me and Virgil behind him. His uniformed officers may have lost some of their confidence in him at the river crossing. They looked at us a little uneasily.

“You are interfering with an officer in performance of his legal duties,” Callico said sternly.

Teagarden smiled.

“You bet your ass,” he said.

“We are five armed men,” Callico said.

“And we’re only four,” Teagarden said. “What a shame.”

Virgil said, “What you arresting him for, Amos?”

“I want to know what part he played in all of this,” Callico said. “I mean, his brother was the one burned the town. Why’d this man take that girl? How much did he help his brother with the burning and looting?”

I smiled to myself. They’d been too busy with the burning to do much looting. That would probably have come next day, along with raping, if Pony hadn’t cut the whole thing short.

“He helped save your town,” Virgil said.

“Got to find that out officially, Virg,” Callico said. “Got to take him in.”

“No,” Virgil said.

“Virg,” Callico said. “You gotta understand. We’ll turn him loose, soon’s we clear him.”