The laughter of a woman came to Carlos and Leo where they lay hidden and spying on the ranch house. A man's deeper voice joined with the woman's and they laughed happily together.
"The man's sure enjoying himself with the woman," Leo said.
"Who wouldn't with such a pretty one," Carlos replied.
Carlos and Leo had followed Rachel and Evan from El Paso to the ranch house where they had stopped. The house sat at the base of the south end of the Potrillo Mountains. It was a long, rambling structure made of adobe and stone and containing several rooms. The house had a red tile roof and a large patio on the east end where the evening sun could not reach. Rachel and Evan were in the patio. A live stream came down from the mountain, flowed past the house, and onward deeper into the valley. Cottonwoods and willows lined the creek. The two Mexicans had stolen unseen through the strip of trees until they were now within hearing distance of Rachel and Evan.
"What do you think the man is to her?" Leo asked.
"I've been trying to figure that out," Carlos said. "I'm sure their meeting in El Paso was unexpected."
"Yet they borrowed the other man's horse and left together."
"And very quickly as if maybe trying to not be seen by someone," Carlos said. "I wish I could have heard what they talked about."
"I think father would approve of her," Leo said.
"I know that I do. She'd make all the other women at the rancho jealous."
"Then you think as I do that we should take her home with us?" Leo said.
"The oldest brother gets first choice," Carlos said. "And I choose this one."
Leo's face became glum. "You always take first choice. I hope we don't have to shoot any of her relatives. That would make her hate us."
"Regardless of how we do it, she'll hate us."
"But perhaps only for a time. If we have a priest perform a wedding ceremony, and then quickly make her pregnant, she will settle down and be a good wife."
"It'll be hard to wait for a priest," Carlos said, thinking pleasant thoughts about the woman.
"Yes, indeed."
"Now's not a good time to take her with it daylight and a man with her. So let's ride to Canutillo and see what that town has to offer us. I've heard the most beautiful women in Texas live there."
"All the men there have several wives, and losing one shouldn't be much of a loss to them."
* * *
Rachel basked in the pleasure of Evan's company. He delighted her with his quick, mischievous wit and she laughed often. How grand it was to be whole with all her memories restored, and to be safe from Redpath. She and Evan sat in the patio of his home on a cut-stone bench softened by a stuffed leather cushion. A walnut tree heavily laden with its clusters of green nuts gave them shade. Flowers of a dozen kinds filled the patio, and the wind was drowsy with their perfume.
They had arrived at the ranch to be greeted by a joyful welcome from Evan's parents. The mother had cried and hugged her son back safe from the war. The father had watched and blinked back tears as his wife and only son embraced.
Rachel had stood back, not wanting to interfere with the homecoming. He had told her that he had not seen his parents for nearly two years. How very important an only child, a son, must be to them.
Evan had introduced Rachel to his parents, and she had felt their genuine kindness when they accepted her into their home. The father was tall like Evan, and given to the same boniness. He was deeply tanned and had heavily calloused hands, easily felt when he had taken Rachel's hand into his. Rachel believed Evan would look like this in twenty-five years if he took up ranching. There had to be a toughness in the father to have built such a large ranch in this harsh land. She wondered if Evan had inherited any of the man's toughness.
After a period of light conversation, Evan's mother and father had gracefully left and gone to another part of the house. Rachel thought they had assumed there was a romantic relationship between Evan and her.
"Will you be a rancher like your father?" Rachel asked.
"Most likely. Would you like to live on a ranch?" Evan asked.
"Yes, one as pretty as this one."
Evan's heart beat a tattoo high in his chest at Rachel's answer. He felt the ebb of his life running strong and vital. When just a few days ago he had thought he would die, now he was dreaming of the future like a boy. A thought hit Evan like a rock and his features stiffened and hardened. He would have to kill Redpath for what he had done to Rachel, remove him from the world, before he could ask her to marry him. He turned his face away, afraid Rachel might be able to read his thoughts.
Then he looked back with a feeling of joy at having found her.
* * *
Maude was stocking the shelves of Lester's general store when the two young Mexican cowboys came in from the street. Both removed their sombreros as they approached her. The older one smiled at Maude. The younger one silently stared at her.
Two wagons loaded with merchandise had arrived for the store late in the day. Maude had volunteered to unload them and place the items on the shelves. Marie had agreed to the arrangement and left for home. Maude was glad to miss the gathering of Lester and his wives and their children. He wouldn't care that she worked late for he was too sore from the beating—Maude was sure Ben had dealt it out—to want her for the night.
"Señora, or is it señorita, we are looking for work," Carlos said. They had seen the pretty, golden-haired girl through the front window and had come inside to get a closer look. "Have you heard anyone speak of needing riders? We are very good with cattle and horses."
"No, I'm sorry but I haven't." It was commonplace to see Mexican cowboys come to Canutillo looking for work, for they were hired to help in the fall cattle roundup. However, that wouldn't occur for another three months or so.
The woman hadn't responded to Carlos's ploy to find out whether or not she was unmarried. He must try again. "That's too bad for we have little money. May we speak to your husband about work?"
"I have no husband," Maude replied. No man who beat her was a husband. Carlos glanced at Leo. Leo gave a slight nod in the affirmative.
Carlos fished in a pocket and brought out a silver dime. He spoke to Maude. "We are very hungry. Would you sell us some cheese and crackers?" He gestured at the cracker barrel, nearly full, and the rolls of cheese wrapped in cloth on a table.
"I have a better idea," Maude said. "I'll give you some cheese and crackers if you will help me unload the wagons out back."
"That is very kind of you and we accept," Carlos said. "My name is Carlos, and his is Leo."
"My name is Maude. It's already past closing time, so I'll lock the front door and we won't be bothered. I'd like to get this all done before dark."
"I'll take our horses around behind the store," Carlos said thinking it was best to get the horses out of sight.
Maude closed the front door behind Carlos. She returned to Leo and guided him from the store and through a storeroom to a loading platform abutting an alley.
The men fell to unloading the boxes, barrels, and crates from the wagons and carrying them into the storeroom. Then with hammers and crowbars, they began to open the containers. Maude resumed stocking the shelves.
"What do you think of this one?" Carlos asked Leo in a low voice.
"She's as pretty as the other one," Leo replied. "Did you ever see such yellow hair?"
"Then you would want her for your woman?"
Leo grinned broadly in anticipation. "I'm glad that you chose the other one."
"All right. Here's how we'll do it. The sun is down and soon it'll be dark. If we went toward the river, there's only one row of houses to pass. With luck, no one will see us leave. We'll stay off the main road and in less than two hours can be in Ciudad Juarez."
Maude came into the storeroom for another load of merchandise and saw the two young cowboys talking and smiling. They were very pleasant fellows and good workers. She would give them a bonus of some canned beef and tomatoes to go with their cheese and crackers.
* * *
"We're all finished," Maude said to Carlos. "I could never have gotten it all unpacked and stocked without the help of you and your friend. Where is he?"
"Outside with the horses."
"Call him in and I'll give you something good to eat."
"Here he is now," Carlos said.
Maude saw Leo, looking tense and nervous, entering from the storeroom.
"The horses are ready," Leo said to Carlos.
"Good," Carlos said. He spoke to Maude. "The cheese now, señorita."
"I have a surprise for you," Maude said as she turned.
"And I have one for you," Carlos said coming up behind Maude.
She heard the threat in the man's voice. Before she could turn or dodge, a hand clamped down on her mouth and a strong arm encircled her waist. "Hurry!" she heard the man call.
A rolled bandana came down over her head and as the hand was taken away, the cloth was immediately inserted in between her jaws and tied tightly to gag her. She was lifted and carried kicking and struggling through the storeroom and out onto the loading platform.
The younger man hastily mounted the horse directly from the loading platform and took a seat behind the saddle. The man holding Maude sat her astride in the saddle. The mounted man pulled her firmly against him with one hand and with the other caught hold of the horse's reins.
"Go slow and easy until you're clear of the houses," Carlos directed. "Don't wait for me. I'll not be far behind."
Holding Maude clamped about the body so as to pin her arms to her side, Leo ghosted his horse through the early night. He saw nobody outside the houses that went past left and right of him. Then he was clear of them and free of the town, with the Rio Grande just ahead. He turned south, looking for the ford the ranchers used to cross the river.
The tinkle of a bell sounded ahead, and Leo saw the pale white outlines of a band of sheep grazing in the darkness along the river. The lead sheep saw him and raised her head, and the bell chimed again. Leo looked hurriedly about for the herdsman. He saw no one. Probably the sheep were left by themselves for the night.
He found the well-used road leading west and veered onto it. In but a few minutes, the road led him to the ford and he waded the horse through the slow current. On the opposite shore, he went south toward Mexico.
* * *
Carlos closed the rear door of the store and mounted his horse. He wondered how long before the girl would be missed and a search begun. He considered how he could give Leo the best possible chance to escape undetected with the girl. Two horsemen using the same route through the row of houses might draw attention and arouse suspicion when one would not, so Carlos decided to use a different one. The alley was empty, and he rode slowly along it with the hoof falls of his steed barely audible.
At the south border of the Canutillo he struck the road leading west and soon crossed the Rio Grande. He saw the wet tracks of Leo's horse, dark splotches on the sand where he had come out of the river. Everything was working perfectly. Carlos chuckled to himself. His brother had a true beauty. In a couple of hours he would be safely in Mexico with her and lost to any pursuers.