All the Pretty Horses(28)

Hold up, he said. Let’s listen.

They tried to quiet the gasping animals. You son of a bitch, said Rawlins.

Blevins didnt answer. He slid from his horse and lay in the road listening. Then he got up and pulled himself back up onto the horse.

Boys, he said, they’re a comin.

Horses?

Yeah. I’ll tell you right now straight out there aint no way you all can keep up with me. Let me take the road since it’s me they’re huntin. They’ll follow the dust and you all can slip off into the country. I’ll see you down the road.

Before they could agree or disagree he’d hauled the horse around by the hackamore and was pounding off up the track.

He’s right, said John Grady. We better get off this damned road.

All right.

They rode out through the brush in the dark, taking the lowest country they could keep to, lying along the necks of their mounts that they not be skylighted.

We’re fixin to get the horses snakebit sure as the world, said Rawlins.

It’ll be daylight soon.

Then we can get shot.

In a little while they heard horses on the road. Then they heard more horses. Then all was quiet.

We better get somewheres, said Rawlins. It’s fixin to get daylight sure enough.

Yeah, I know it.

You think when they come back they’ll see where we quit the road?

Not if enough of em has rode over it.

What if they catch him?

John Grady didnt answer.

He wouldnt have no qualms about showin em which way we’d headed.

Probably not.

You know not. All they’d have to do would be look at him cross ways.

Then we better keep ridin.

Well I dont know about you but I’m about to run out of horse.

Well tell me what you want to do.

Shit, said Rawlins. We aint got no choice. We’ll see what daylight brings. Maybe one of these days we might find some grain somewheres in this country.

Maybe.

They slowed the horses and rode to the crest of the ridge. Nothing moved in all that gray landscape. They dismounted and walked out along the ridge. Small birds were beginning to call from the chaparral.

You know how long it’s been since we eat? said Rawlins.

I aint even thought about it.

I aint either till just now. Bein shot at will sure enough cause you to lose your appetite, wont it?

Hold up a minute.

What is it?

Hold up.

They stood listening.

I dont hear nothin.

There’s riders out there.

On the road?

I dont know.

Can you see anything?

No.

Let’s keep movin.

John Grady spat and stood listening. Then they moved on.

At daylight they left the horses standing in a gravel wash and climbed to the top of a rise and sat among the ocotillos and watched the country back to the northeast. Some deer moved out feeding along the ridge opposite. Other than that they saw nothing.

Can you see the road? said Rawlins.

No.

They sat. Rawlins stood the rifle against his knee and took his tobacco from his pocket. I believe I’ll smoke, he said.

A long fan of light ran out from the east and the rising sun swelled blood red along the horizon.

Look yonder, said John Grady.

What.

Over yonder.

Two miles away riders had crested a rise. One, two. A third. Then they dropped from sight again.

Which way are they headed?

Well cousin I dont know for sure but I got a pretty good notion.

Rawlins sat holding the cigarette. We’re goin to die in this goddamned country, he said.

No we aint.

You think they can track us on this ground?

I dont know. I dont know that they cant.

I’ll tell you what, bud. They get us bayed up out here somewheres with the horses give out they’re goin to have to come over the barrel of this rifle.

John Grady looked at him and he looked back out where the riders had been. I’d hate to have to shoot my way back to Texas, he said.

Where’s your gun at?

In the saddlebag.

Rawlins lit the cigarette. I ever see that little son of a bitch again I’ll kill him myself. I’m damned if I wont.

Let’s go, said John Grady. They still got a lot of ground to cover. I’d rather to make a good run as a bad stand.

They rode out west with the sun at their back and their shadows horse and rider falling before them tall as trees. The country they found themselves in was old lava country and they kept to the edge of the rolling black gravel plain and kept watch behind them. They saw the riders again, south of where they would have put them. And then once more.

If them horses aint bottomed out I believe they’d be comin harder than that, said Rawlins.

I do too.

Midmorning they rode to the crest of a low volcanic ridge and turned the horses and sat watching.

What do you think? said Rawlins.

Well, they know we aint got the horse. That’s for sure. They might not be as anxious to ride this ground as you and me.

You got that right.