按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
nt for a long walk out along the lake； taking the cut…off gunbarrel and the stock with him in the bag。 he slung the barrel out into the water as far as he could throw it and he buried the stock under a ledge of shale。 there were deer moving away through the desert scrub。 he heard them snort and he could see them where they came out on a ridge a hundred yards away to stand looking back at him。 he sat on a gravel beach with the empty bag folded in his lap and watched the sun set。 watched the land turn blue and cold。 an osprey went down the lake。 then there was just the darkness。
。。
No Country for Old MenIV
i was sheriff of this county when i was twenty…five。 hard to believe。 my father was not a lawman。 jack was my grandfather。 me and him was sheriff at the same time； him in piano and me here。 i think he was pretty proud of that。 i know i was。 i was just back from the war。 i had some medals and stuff and of course people had got wind of that。 i campaigned pretty hard。 you had to。 i tried to be fair。 jack used to say that any time youre throwin dirt youre losin ground but i think mostly it just wasnt in him。 to speak ill of anybody。 and i never did mind bein like him。 me and my wife has been married thirty…one years。 no children。 we lost a girl but i wont talk about that。 i served two terms and then we moved to denton texas。 jack used to say that bein sheriff was one of the best jobs you could have and bein a ex…sheriff one of the worst。 maybe lots of things is like that。 we stayed gone and stayed gone。 i done different things。 was a detective on the railroad for a while。 by that time my wife wasnt all that sure about us in back here。 about me runnin。 but she seen i wanted to so thats what we done。 shes a better person than me； which i will admit to anybody that cares to listen。 not that thats sayin a whole lot。 shes a better person than anybody i know。 period。
people think they know what they want but they generally dont。 sometimes if theyre lucky theyll get it anyways。 me i was always lucky。 my whole life。 i wouldnt be here otherwise。 scrapes i been in。 but the day i seen her e out of kerrs mercantile and cross the street and she passed me and i tipped my hat to her and got just almost a smile back； that was the luckiest。
people plain about the bad things that happen to em that they dont deserve but they seldom mention the good。 about what they done to deserve them things。 i dont recall that i ever give the good lord all that much cause to smile on me。 but he did。
when bell walked into the cafe on tuesday morning it was just daylight。 he got his paper and went to his table in the corner。 the men he passed at the big table nodded to him and said sheriff。 the waitress brought him his coffee and went back to the kitchen and ordered his eggs。 he sat stirring the coffee with his spoon although there was nothing to stir since he drank it black。 the haskins boys picture was on the front page of the austin paper。 bell read； shaking his head。 his wife was twenty years old。
you know what you could do for her？ not a damn thing。 lamar had never lost a man in twenty some odd years。 this is what he would remember。 this is what hed be remembered for。
she came with his eggs and he folded the paper and laid it by。
he took wendell with him and they drove down to the desert aire and stood at the door while wendell knocked。
look at the lock； bell said。
wendell drew his pistol and opened the door。 sheriffs department； he called。
there aint nobody here。
no reason not to be careful。
thats right。 no reason in the world。
they walked in and stood。 wendell would have holstered his pistol but bell stopped him。 lets just keep to that careful routine； he said。
yessir。
he walked over and picked up a small brass slug off of the carpet and held it up。
whats that？ said wendell。
cylinder out of the lock。
bell passed his hand over the plywood of the room…divider。 heres where it hit at； he said。 he balanced the piece of brass in his palm and looked toward the door。 you could weigh this thing and measure the distance and the drop and calculate the speed。
i expect you could。
pretty good speed。
yessir。 pretty good speed。
they walked through the rooms。 what do you think； sheriff？
i believe theyve done lit a shuck。
i do too。
kindly in a hurry about it； too。
yep。
he walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator and looked in and shut it again。
he looked in the freezer。
so when was he here； sheriff？
hard to say。 we might of just missed him。
you think this boy has got any notion of the sorts of sons of bitches that are huntin him？
i dont know。 he ought to。 he seen the same things i seen and it made a impression on me。
theyre in a world of trouble； aint they？
yes they are。
bell walked back into the livingroom。 he sat on the sofa。 wendell stood in the doorway。
he was still holding the revolver in his hand。 what are you thinkin？ he said。
bell shook his head。 he didnt look up。
by wednesday half of the state of texas was on its way to sanderson。 bell sat at his table in the cafe and read the news。 he lowered the paper and looked up。 a man about thirty years old that hed never seen before was standing there。 he introduced himself as a reporter for the san antonio light。 whats all this about； sheriff？ he said。
it appears to be a huntin accident。
hunting accident？
yessir。
how could it be a hunting accident？ youre pulling my leg。
let me ask you somethin。
all right。
last year nineteen felony charges were filed in the terrell county court。 how many of those would you say were not drug related？
i dont know。
two。 in the meantime i got a county the size of delaware that is full of people who need my help。 what do you think about that？
i dont know。
i dont either。 now i just need to eat my breakfast here。 i got kindly a full day ahead。
he and torbert drove out in torberts four wheel drive truck。 all was as theyd left it。
they parked a ways from mosss truck and waited。 its ten； torbert said。
what？
its ten。 deceased。 we forgot about old wyrick。 its ten。
bell nodded。 that