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¡¡Chapter¡¡Two
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¡¡For¡¡the¡¡first¡¡time¡¡in¡¡years¡¡he¡¡had¡¡lost¡¡a¡¡trail¡¡he¡¡could¡¡not¡¡again¡¡find¡£¡¡Jordan¡¡had¡¡eluded¡¡him£»¡¡either¡¡escaping¡¡clear¡¡out¡¡of¡¡the¡¡country¡¡or¡¡hiding¡¡himself¡¡securely¡£
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¡¡Jordan¡¡had¡¡lost¡¡blood£»¡¡much¡¡blood¡£¡¡Yet¡¡he¡¡had¡¡kept¡¡moving¡¡and¡¡at¡¡no¡¡time¡¡had¡¡he¡¡failed¡¡to¡¡use¡¡his¡¡head¡£¡¡Such¡¡a¡¡man¡¡was¡¡dangerous¡£
¡¡Lantz¡¡knew¡¡nothing¡¡of¡¡Jordan¡¡but¡¡he¡¡could¡¡read¡¡a¡¡trail¡¡and¡¡he¡¡knew¡¡that¡¡Jordan¡¡knew¡¡wild¡¡country¡¡and¡¡how¡¡to¡¡cover¡¡a¡¡trail¡£¡¡And¡¡he¡¡used¡¡none¡¡of¡¡the¡¡obvious¡¡methods¡£¡¡Nor¡¡had¡¡he¡¡done¡¡the¡¡same¡¡thing¡¡twice¡£
¡¡The¡¡country¡¡through¡¡which¡¡they¡¡moved¡¡was¡¡wild¡¡and¡¡broken¡£¡¡It¡¡lay¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡border¡¡between¡¡New¡¡Mexico¡¡and¡¡Arizona¡¡to¡¡the¡¡north¡¡and¡¡Sonora¡¡and¡¡Chihuahua¡¡to¡¡the¡¡south¡£¡¡Water¡¡holes¡¡were¡¡few¡¡and¡¡the¡¡country¡¡south¡¡of¡¡the¡¡border¡¡was¡¡without¡¡population¡¡for¡¡more¡¡than¡¡fifty¡¡miles¡¡into¡¡Mexico¡£
¡¡In¡¡the¡¡past¡¡there¡¡had¡¡been¡¡bitter¡¡fighting¡¡along¡¡the¡¡border¡¡but¡¡only¡¡Pablo¡¡Chavero¡¡had¡¡lasted¡¡against¡¡the¡¡hard¡­fighting¡¡Sutton¡­Bayless¡¡outfit¡¡and¡¡then¡¡he¡¡too¡¡had¡¡gone¡¡down¡£¡¡Yet¡¡if¡¡the¡¡hunted¡¡man¡¡were¡¡to¡¡get¡¡aid¡¡from¡¡any¡¡source¡¡it¡¡could¡¡only¡¡be¡¡that¡¡one¡¡family¡£
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¡¡Lantz¡¡ignored¡¡the¡¡conversation£»¡¡considering¡¡the¡¡girl¡£¡¡She¡¡had¡¡no¡¡love¡¡for¡¡any¡¡gringo£»¡¡that¡¡much¡¡he¡¡knew¡£¡¡But¡¡most¡¡of¡¡all¡¡she¡¡had¡¡no¡¡love¡¡for¡¡any¡¡Sutton¡¡or¡¡Bayless¡£¡¡The¡¡question¡¡was£º¡¡would¡¡she¡¡risk¡¡all¡¡they¡¡had¡¡by¡¡incurring¡¡the¡¡Sutton¡¡anger£¿
¡¡She¡¡might¡£¡£¡£
¡¡He¡¡set¡¡himself¡¡to¡¡watch¡¡the¡¡girl¡£¡¡Vicente£»¡¡he¡¡soon¡¡realized£»¡¡was¡¡worried¡£¡¡It¡¡showed¡¡in¡¡the¡¡young¡¡Mexican's¡¡restlessness¡¡and¡¡in¡¡the¡¡way¡¡his¡¡eyes¡¡kept¡¡searching¡¡the¡¡hills¡£¡¡A¡¡man¡¡of¡¡lesser¡¡perception¡¡might¡¡believe¡¡he¡¡knew¡¡something¡¡but¡¡Lantz¡¡surmised¡¡the¡¡truth¡£¡¡Vicente¡¡wanted¡¡no¡¡trouble¡¡and¡¡with¡¡the¡¡Sutton¡¡riders¡¡in¡¡the¡¡hills¡¡trouble¡¡could¡¡e¡¡at¡¡any¡¡moment
¡¡Lantz¡¡settled¡¡himself¡¡among¡¡the¡¡sparse¡¡growth¡¡above¡¡the¡¡canyon¡£¡¡He¡¡had¡¡his¡¡glasses¡¡with¡¡him¡¡and¡¡he¡¡could¡¡watch¡¡the¡¡movement¡¡around¡¡the¡¡house¡£¡¡His¡¡was¡¡an¡¡infinite¡¡patience¡£¡¡Neither¡¡hours¡¡nor¡¡days¡¡had¡¡any¡¡meaning¡¡when¡¡he¡¡was¡¡on¡¡the¡¡hunt¡¡and¡¡his¡¡eyes¡¡missed¡¡nothing¡£
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¡¡Vicente¡¡came¡¡out¡¡and¡¡chopped¡¡wood¡£¡¡Lantz¡¡would¡¡see¡¡the¡¡axe¡¡rise£»¡¡then¡¡fall¡¡and¡¡some¡¡time¡¡later¡¡he¡¡would¡¡hear¡¡the¡¡sound£»¡¡mellowed¡¡by¡¡distance¡£¡¡The¡¡setting¡¡sun¡¡edged¡¡the¡¡shadows¡¡with¡¡somber¡¡orange¡¡as¡¡of¡¡distant¡¡fires¡¡blazing¡£¡¡Jacob¡¡Lantz¡¡lit¡¡his¡¡pipe¡¡and¡¡waited¡£¡¡Now¡¡would¡¡be¡¡the¡¡time¡¡¡£¡£¡£
¡¡Yet¡¡nothing¡¡happened¡£¡¡The¡¡fingered¡¡pinnacles¡¡grew¡¡tall£»¡¡the¡¡deeper¡¡canyons¡¡swallowed¡¡darkness¡£¡¡Maria¡¡Cristina¡¡came¡¡from¡¡the¡¡house¡¡and¡¡he¡¡poised¡¡like¡¡a¡¡hound¡¡at¡¡a¡¡vagrant¡¡scent¡¡but¡¡she¡¡merely¡¡checked¡¡the¡¡corral¡¡bars¡¡and¡¡returned¡¡inside¡£¡¡And¡¡then¡¡that¡¡canyon¡¡too¡¡was¡¡lost¡¡in¡¡darkness¡£¡¡Only¡¡the¡¡two¡¡visible¡¡windows¡¡glowed¡£¡¡The¡¡night¡¡grew¡¡cool¡£
¡¡Perhaps¡¡he¡¡was¡¡mistaken¡£¡¡Perhaps¡¡they¡¡knew¡¡nothing¡£¡¡Yet¡¡he¡¡could¡¡go¡¡closer¡¡at¡¡night¡£
¡¡At¡¡dusk¡¡Trace¡¡Jordan¡¡rolled¡¡from¡¡his¡¡blankets¡¡and£»¡¡taking¡¡his¡¡time£»¡¡crawled¡¡to¡¡the¡¡edge¡¡of¡¡the¡¡cliff¡£¡¡From¡¡behind¡¡the¡¡screen¡¡of¡¡brush¡¡he¡¡looked¡¡into¡¡the¡¡canyon¡£
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