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！
its four oclock in the mornin。 do you know where your darlin boy is at？
ill tell you what。 why dont you just get in your truck and go on out there and take the son of a bitch a drink of water？
the moon was high and small。 he kept his eye on the plain below as he climbed along the slope。 how motivated are you？ he said。
pretty damn motivated。
you better be。
he could hear the truck。 it came around the foreland head of the ridge with the lights off and started down the edge of the floodplain in the moonlight。 he flattened himself in the rocks。 in addition to the other bad news his thoughts ran to scorpions and rattlesnakes。
the spotlight kept rowing back and forth across the face of the ridge。 methodically。
bright shuttle； dark loom。 he didnt move。
the truck crossed to the other side and came back。 tooling along in second gear； stopping； the motor loping。 he pushed himself forward to where he could see it better。
blood kept running into his eye from a cut in his forehead。 he didnt even know where hed gotten it。 he wiped his eye with the heel of his hand and wiped his hand on his jeans。 he took out his kerchief and pressed it to his head。
you could head south to the river。
yeah。 you could。
less open ground。
less aint none。
he turned； still holding the handkerchief to his forehead。 no cloud cover in sight。
you need to be somewhere e daylight。
home in bed would be good。
he studied the blue floodplain out there in the silence。 a vast and breathless amphitheatre。 waiting。 hed had this feeling before。 in another country。 he never thought hed have it again。
he waited a long time。 the truck didnt e back。 he made his way south along the ridge。 he stood and listened。 not a coyote； nothing。
by the time hed descended onto the river plain the sky to the east carried the first faint wash of light。 it was the darkest this night was going to get。 the plain ran to the breaks of the river and he listened one last time and then set out at a trot。
it was a long trek and he was still some two hundred yards from the river when he heard the truck。 a raw gray light was breaking over the hills。 when he looked back he could see the dust against the new skyline。 still the better part of a mile away。 in the dawn quiet the sound of it no more sinister than a boat on a lake。 then he heard it downshift。
he pulled the 。45 from his belt so that he wouldnt lose it and set out at a dead run。
when he looked back again it had closed a good part of the distance。 he was still a hundred yards from the river and he didnt know what hed find when he got there。 a sheer rock gorge。 the first long panes of light were standing through a gap in the mountains to the east and fanning over the country before him。 the truck was ablaze with lights； roof rack and bumper spots。 the engine kept racing away into a howl where the wheels left the ground。
they wont shoot you； he said。 they cant afford to do that。
the long crack of a rifle went caroming out over the pan。 what hed heard whisper overhead he realized was the round passing and vanishing toward the river。 he looked back and there was a man standing up out of the sunroof； one hand on top of the cab； the other cradling a rifle upright。
where he reached the river it made a broad sweep out of a canyon and carried down past great stands of carrizo cane。 downriver it washed up against a rock bluff and then bore away to the south。 darkness deep in the canyon。 the water dark。 he dropped into the cut and fell and rolled and rose and began to make his way down a long sandy ridge toward the river。 he hadnt gone twenty feet before he realized that he had no time to do that。 he glanced back once at the rim and then squatted and shoved himself off down the side of the slope； holding the 。45 before him in both hands。
he rolled and slid a good ways； his eyes almost shut against the dust and sand he was plowing up； the pistol clutched to his chest。 then all that stopped and he was simply falling。 he opened his eyes。 the fresh world of morning above him； turning slowly。
he slammed into a gravel bank and gave out a groan。 then he was rolling through some sort of rough grass。 he came to a stop and lay there on his stomach gasping for air。
the pistol was gone。 he crawled back through the flattened grass until he found it and he picked it up and turned to scan the rim of the river breaks above him； whacking the pistolbarrel across his forearm to shake out the dirt。 his mouth was full of sand。 his eyes。 he saw two men appear against the sky and he cocked the pistol and fired at them and they went away again。
he knew he didnt have time to crawl to the river and he just rose and made a run for it； splashing across the braided gravel flats and down a long sandbar until he came to the main channel。 he got out his keys and his billfold and buttoned them into his shirtpocket。 the cold wind blowing off the water smelled of iron。 he could taste it。 he threw away the flashlight and lowered the hammer on the 。45 and shoved it into the crotch of his jeans。 then he shucked off his boots and pulled them inside his belt upside down at either side and tightened the belt as far as he could pull it and turned and dove into the river。
the cold took his breath。 he turned and looked back toward the rim； blowing and backpedaling through the slate…blue water。 nothing there。 he turned and swam。
the current carried him down into the bend of the river and hard up against the rocks。
he pushed himself off。 the bluff above him rose dark and deeply cupped and the water in the shadows was black and choppy。 when he finally spilled out into the tailwater and looked back he could see the truck parked at the top of the bluff but he couldnt see anyone。 he checked to see that he still had his boots and the gun and then turned and began to stroke for the far shore。
by the time he dragged himself shivering out of the river he was the better part of a mile from where hed gone in。 his socks were gone and he set out at a jog barefoot toward the standing cane。 round cups in the shelving rock where the ancients had ground their meal。 when he lo