lla.theburninghills-第15章

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　As　Lantz　watched；　Ben　Hindeman　was　getting　from　the　saddle。　Sutton　strode　from　the　house。　Hindeman　and　Sutton　faced　each　other　and　for　a　long　tense　minute；　neither　spoke。　Then　Hindeman　went　past　and　into　the　house。
　Maria　Cristina　was　just　rising　from　the　floor　but　she　lacked　the　strength　and　fell　back。　Hindeman　swore　softly　as　he　saw　her　bruised　and　bloody　face。　He　took　her　arm　to　help　her　up　but　she　jerked　free　and　rose　by　herself。　〃You　are　animal！　All　are　animal！　Cowards！　You　fight　women！〃
　Hindeman's　face　showing　his　shame；　he　turned　quickly　and　went　outside。　Jack　Sutton　was　loitering；　waiting　for　him。　Hindeman　saw　the　readiness　in　Sutton。　He　was　ready　for　a　showdown　and　the　very　idea　made　Hindeman　impatient。　This　was　no　time　for　that　kind　of　trouble。　〃Are　you　crazy？〃　he　demanded。　〃We　need　that　girl。You　kill　her　and　where　are　we？〃
　Sutton　turned　on　Lantz　when　Hindeman　had　passed。　〃It　was　you　brought　him　back；　damn　you！　One　of　these　days　I'll　…〃
　Lantz　was　chewing　a　blade　of　grass。　His　little　eyes　were　utterly　cold。　〃When　you　try；　you　better　make　sure。　I　ain't　so　fancy　with　a　hand…gun　but　I'll　kill　you；　Jack！　I'll　hunt　you　like　I'd　hunt　a　varmint　an'　I'll　kill　you！〃
　Jack　Sutton　strode　past　him　to　his　horse。　The　fools！　The　damned　fools！　He　got　into　the　saddle　and　rode　out　of　the　canyon　at　breakneck　speed。
　Hindeman　returned。　〃If　he　bothers　you；　Jake；　you　e　to　me。〃
　The　old　man　turned　black　eyes　to　Hindeman。　He　spat；　〃You　better　take　care　o'　him；　Ben。　Not　me。〃
　Hindeman　stared　at　his　big　hands。　What　was　this　chase　doing　to　them？　Tearing　the　outfit　apart；　that　was　what　it　was　doing。　And　it　had　been　Jack　and　Mort　and　their　crowd　who　brought　it　all　on　them；　stealing　those　horses。　It　was　just　that　some　men　had　the　killer　streak　in　them　that　nothing　but　death　could　stop。
　Those　mountains　down　there；　the　Sierra　de　San　Luis。　That　could　well　be　where　Jordan　was。　If　he　got　away　across　the　malpais　into　the　Sierra　Madre　they　must　just　as　well　forget　him。　But　they　did　not　dare。　Nobody　realized　more　than　he　how　many　were　the　enemies　around　them。　Old　Bob　had　ridden　roughshod　over　people　and　his　nephews　had　been　worse。　Moreover；　there　were　people　who　wanted　their　range。　The　slightest　evidence　of　weakness　and　the　SB　would　be　only　a　memory。
　Turning　on　his　heels；　be　walked　back　to　the　house。　Maria　Cristina's　face　was　swollen　from　the　heavy　blows。　It　was　only　barely　recognizable。　〃Will　you　still　cook？〃　he　asked。
　She　stared　into　his　blocky　granite…hard　face。　〃I　cook；〃　she　said　and　turned　from　him。
　Later　he　saw　her　walk　from　the　house　with　her　basket　and　go　to　the　patch　of　squaw　cabbage。　He　watched　her；　then　let　her　go。　She　was　in　plain　sight　there　and　couldn't　get　away。
　She　stooped　to　pick　some　bread…root；　taking　the　starchy　taproot　from　the　ground。　She　moved　on；　then；　and　stopped　for　a　moment　near　a　dark…leaved　plant　with　white　flowers。　And　then　she　walked　on。　Returning　to　the　house；　she　set　about　preparing　a　meal。　Several　times　men　came　to　the　door　for　coffee　but　she　turned　them　away；　saying　it　was　not　ready。
　Wes　Parker　had　been　sent　to　town。　Jack　Sutton　had　not　returned。　Only　Lantz；　Buck　Bayless　and　Hindeman　were　there。　
　Finally　she　dished　up　the　food　and　they　ate。　She　watched　them　for　a　while；　then　poured　more　coffee。　After　that　she　hastily　packed　sandwiches　and　other　food　in　an　old　flour　sack　and　nobody　watched　her。　She　was　always　moving　about；　always　busy。
　Frightened　now；　she　listened　anxiously　for　Sutton's　return。　Several　times　she　glanced　out；　seeing　cigarettes　glowing　in　the　dark。　She　heard　a　queer　laugh；　then　a　chuckle。　Bayless　called　out　to　Hindeman　but　there　was　no　reply。　She　waited　until　no　cigarettes　glowed　near　the　barn；　nor　was　there　any　sound　of　voices。
　Crossing　to　the　barn；　she　found　them　sprawled　on　the　ground；　sleeping。　She　took　a　Winchester　from　one　of　the　men；　took　cartridge　belts　from　two　and　a　box　of　。44　shells　from　inside　the　barn　door。　At　the　corner　of　the　barn　she　untied　a　horse　and；　making　every　move　count；　led　him　to　the　house　and　loaded　food　and　blankets。　Getting　into　the　saddle；　she　walked　the　horse　away　from　the　house　and；　when　well　away；　broke　into　a　trot。
　All　was　still。。。　and　then　Jack　Sutton　rode　out　of　the　darkness。　He　glanced　at　the　snoring　men　and　then　with　a　chuckle　he　turned　to　Maria　Cristina's　trail　and　started　off　at　a　walk。　Behind　him　there　was　silence。　The　lights　from　the　house　shone　on　the　men　who　slept　heavily　in　their　drugged　sleep。
　Jack　Sutton　was　only　to　a　degree　a　family　man。　Many　a　man　who　dared　not　face　him　with　a　gun　might　have　shot　him　down　from　ambush　had　he　not　been　backed　by　the　Sutton…Bayless　outfit。　The　family　was　a　protective　cloak。
　Ben　Hindeman；　on　the　other　hand；　had　a　fierce　loyalty　to　Old　Bob；　whose　daughter　he　married；　and　to　the　brand。　He　was　wise　enough　to　know　that　at　the　first　sign　of　weakness　the　wolves　would　close　in　for　the　kill。
　Jack　Button　was　not　thinking　of　this。　He　had　lately　undergone　that　final　and　subtle　change　that　came　to　many　gunmen。　At　first；　such　a　man　may　suffer　when　he　kills　but　the　second　es　easier　and　by　degrees　the　gunman　bees　contemptuous　of　his　victims　and　kills　casually　or　for　the　love　of　it。　Yet　his　own　danger　increases；　for　now　men　wish　to　kill　him。　So　he　bees　a　destroyer　with　a　hand　ever　ready　to　grasp　the　gun。
　In　Maria　Cristrna　he　had　found　someone　he　could　not　frighten；　nor　could　he　believe　she　was　innocent　of　blame　during　those　visits　on　the　shelf。　What　he　wished　now　was　to　find　Jordan　and　kill　him　before　her　eyes。　He　wanted　to　break　her　spirit　and；　at　the　same　time；　to　prove　his　own　superiority。　So　he　was　in　no　hurry　to　catch　up；　wanting　her　only　to　lead　him　to　Jordan。
　It　was　very　hot　when　the　sun　came　up　and　the　country　through　which　Maria　Cristina　rode　became　increasingly　dry。　Yet　by　an　hour　after　dawn　she　was　sure　she　was　being　followed。
　This　was　dry　country　and　behind　her　she　had　seen　a　plume　of　dust。　It　was　such　a　dust　cloud　as　would　be　left　by　one　rider。　And　that　could　only　mean　that　Jack　Sutton　was　behind　her。
　Twice　she　varied　her　direction；　choosing　a　likely　route；　then　an　unlikely　one。　She　used　every　subtefurge　she　could　think　of　and　she　deliberately　avoided　water　holes。　All　that　morning　she　refused　herself　even　a　swallow　of　water；　although　twice　she　paused　to　sponge　the　mouth　of　her　horse。
　She　told　herself　she　was　going　to　Trace　Jordan　for　two　reasons：　because　sooner　or　later　she　believed　she　would　be　killed　by　Jack　Sutton　and　because　she　was　afraid　Jordan　would　return。
　Dust　mounted　in　her　nostrils。　Dust　caked　her　face　and　sifted　over　her　clothing。　Sweat　streaked　the　dust。　The　horse　plodded　wearily　on。
　Maria　Cristina　did　not　believe　she　could　deceive　Jacob　Lantz　for　long　but　she　might　lose　Jack　Sutton。　His　very　confidence　might　defeat　him。　Yet　she　must　try　to　outwit　Lantz　as　well　and　when　they　reached　a　long　rocky　shelf；　she　decided　the　time　had　e。　She　pulled　up　and　dismounted。
　Jacob　Lantz　was　the　first　to　awaken。　The　sky　was　gray　when　he　opened　his　eyes　and　then；　as　realization　dawned；　he　sprang　up。　Swearing　bitterly；　he　ran　to　the　house。　The　light　still　burned　but　a　quick　search　revealed　everything。
　〃Gone！〃　he　shouted。　〃She　got　away！　Tricked　like　a　lot　of　tenderfeet！〃
　Ben　Hindeman's　head　ached　violently　but　he　hurriedly　saddled　up。　There　were　extra　horses　in　the　barn　and　at　the　last　minute；　Joe　Sutton　returned　to　join　them。
　Lantz　went　to　his　cup　and　found　the　dregs　of　what　he　had　drunk。　He　touched　his　tongue　to　it；　tasting。　〃Toloache！〃　he　spat　viciously　and　went　swiftly　to　his　horse。
　〃Somethin'　here；〃　he　said　a　few　minutes　later。　〃Jack's　followin'　her。〃
　Shrewd　in　the　ways　of　hunted　and　hunting　men；　Lantz　understood　why　Jack　Sutton　hung　back。　He　believed　she　would　lead　him　to　Jordan。　Would　she　do　it？
　Through　the　hot　still　morning　he　worked　out　their　trails；　yet　he　noticed　Jack's　only　in　passing。　It　was　the　girl　he　must　follow。
　When　her　trail　finally　petered　out　on　the　rocky　shelf；　Jack　was　already　gone。　Somewhere　back　along　the　route　she　had　tricked　him。　Lantz　worked　patiently。　He　found　the　tiny　white　scar　made　by　a　hoof　on　sandstone　but　it　was　the　last　one。
　He　circled；　then　circled　wider　still。　Neither　heat　nor　thirst　disturbed　him。　The　gla