"Where's that ugly brother of yours?" Lester Ivorsen shouted out to Tom Hawkins. Lester was standing in the entryway of the building where Tom manufactured wheels.
"Talk polite to me, Lester, or I'll come out there and we'll have some fisticuffs." Tom was enjoying the sight of Lester's bruised face. He was obviously hurting from Ben's beating.
"All right, Tom, all right. Do you know where Ben is?"
"He's in El Paso. Staying at the El Prado far as I know. What's your trouble with Ben?"
"That's just between him and me."
"I'll give you a free piece of advice, Lester. You'd better not yell at him like you just did to me. Ben's not easygoing like I am."
"He's got some answering to do," Lester said belligerently.
"I warned you. Don't push Ben."
"We'll see about that," Lester said, and stomped off.
* * *
"Have a drink with me," Ben said to Evan as they came out of Sheriff Willis's office.
"I could use one after all this," Evan replied. He was feeling the relief from not being charged with the murder of Redpath. Dubois had told the same eyewitness story as had Ben. After hearing both men, the sheriff had stated that it was probably a good thing that Redpath was dead for he had enough trouble keeping the peace in El Paso without a gambling house, and maybe a whorehouse, starting up in business.
"Let's try the cantina on the plaza. It's early but they'll probably be open."
"Okay."
They walked without speaking. Ben had a feeling it was going to be a bad day. It was still early and already there had been a killing. He thought of Tom's offer to become a partner in his wheelwright business. That was the only good thing that had occurred since Ben had returned. No, that wasn't true. The dance in the night with Maude had been wonderful.
They turned into the plaza, and Ben stopped short at the sight of Lester Ivorsen coming out of the hotel. Lester saw Ben and came swiftly at him.
"Trouble and more trouble," Ben said, pointing at Lester.
"He looks big enough to give plenty," Evan said. "And he looks damn mad."
Ben watched Lester's hands and hoped he didn't have a gun and want to fight.
"Where's Maude?" Lester called out in a tightly controlled voice.
"Now how the hell would I know that?" Ben replied.
"Because you have her."
"She's your wife so I'd think she'd be in your house with your other wives."
"Silas Dunlap said he was watching his sheep down by the river and saw you ride off with her."
"Silas is wrong." Ben felt his scalp crawl and the hairs rise and twist along his spine. Had something happened to Maude?
"Silas doesn't lie," Lester said, the anger sharp in his voice.
"I know he doesn't, but he's old and half blind. Tell me what he said."
"Just that. That he saw you carrying Maude off on your horse last night."
"Well, he didn't see me last night. In fact, I've been in El Paso for the past day." If Maude had run away from Lester, why hadn't she sent a message to Ben? Then again, maybe Tom had heard from her. "I want to talk with Silas and find out what he really saw," Ben said.
"You're not getting away with that kind of answer," Lester said. He advanced on Ben.
"Hold it right there," Ben ordered. He put his hand on the butt of his pistol. "I'm riding to Canutillo to talk with Silas and I don't have time to argue with you."
Lester halted instantly at the threat. "I know you have something to do with her being gone."
"Think what you want. But I'm going to get my horse and ride to Canutillo, so don't get in my way."
* * *
Ben arrived in Canutillo and went past Silas's house, found the old man not there, and continued to the Rio Grande to where Lester said the man had his sheep. As Ben neared the river, he saw Silas rise to his feet from where he had been lying in the shade of a big tree and look in his direction.
"Howdy, young Ben Hawkins," Silas called.
"Howdy, old Silas Dunlap," Ben replied.
The two men's words of greeting were fifteen years old, having begun when Silas had used his when Ben had been just a lad, and Ben, taking affront at being called young, had yelled back his.
Silas laughed in a light, happy way. "It's good to see you, Ben."
"You too, Silas."
Ben had known the old man from the earliest days of his childhood, and liked him very much. He was a kind and gentle fellow who had never married and earned his living with his small band of sheep. Ben noted Silas appeared to have shriveled and grown old since last seen, but then at eighty or so—Ben could only guess his age—changes could occur rapidly.
"What're you doing in Canutillo? I thought you'd be long gone to distant parts with Maude."
"That's what I want to talk to you about. I don't have Maude. Tell me why you told Lester I did."
"Saw you and the pretty lass leavin' last night. Then this morning Lester goes running around town asking about her. Finally he comes to me and I told him what I saw."
"That's my trouble, Silas. Lester's accusing me of taking Maude. But it wasn't me you saw. And I don't know if that was Maude either."
"Well, now, I sure thought it was you and the girl."
"Tell me exactly what you saw."
"Well, this horse carrying two people comes down from the direction of the store and through those houses"—Silas pointed up the slope at the town—"past me here with my sheep, and then south along the river. The one in the saddle was small like Maude and had long hair. The fellow was riding the rump of the horse behind the saddle and hugging her up close. When
Maude was gone this morning, well, I just added one and one and got two, you and Maude. Now you're telling me I was wrong?"
"About the man being me, you were surely wrong. I don't know about the woman being Maude. Tell me more of what you saw."
"Like I said, I'm pretty sure the person in the saddle was a small woman. Men don't go around hugging other men up tight like that. The man, now that I get a fresh look at you up on that horse, was somewhat smaller than you."
"What did he look like?"
"Just a man. Couldn't make out his face. Had a big hat, a sombrero like most of the Mexes wear. Ben, you know there're no secrets in Canutillo. You were seen dancing with Maude behind the town hall and the story's all over town. Then Lester gets stomped real bad. There's few men who can do that to him. And I figure you were the most likely to have done it after dancing with Maude. Like I said before, I just added one and one. Seems I got the wrong two."
"Yes, you did. Maude could be the woman. But who could the man be?"
"Since it wasn't you, I can't guess. I'm sorry I got you in trouble with Lester."
"Don't be concerned about that. Lester doesn't worry me.
"I didn't think he would. You want me to tell him 'twasn't you?"
"Can if you want to. But I doubt he'll believe you with you changing your story."
"Most likely not."
"Gotta go, Silas. I may be back later to have you show me those tracks."
"I'll be here."
Ben reined Brutus toward Tom's place of business. He hoped Maude had left a message there for him. If not, then Ben would have a whole lot of worrying to do as to who really ran off with Maude.