Its too bad it turns out like this, the segundo said.
Well, Valdez shrugged. It will be settled now. It will be finished.
The segundo continued to study him. Why dont you give him his woman? Tell him you wont do it again.
Its not his woman now.
The segundo smiled. Like that.
Sure, its up to him. He wants her back, he has to take her.
You think he cant do it?
Valdez shrugged again. If he tries, hes dead. Somebody will get me, there are enough of you. But he still will be dead.
He dont think that way, the segundo said.
Valdez held his gaze. What do you think?
I believe it. The segundo saw Valdezs gaze lift and he moved to the side, looking over his shoulder to see Frank Tanner coming toward
them. The segundo backed away several more steps, but Tanner stopped before reaching him. He was holding a Colt revolver at his side. A man behind Tanner took his horse, and the rest of the men, five of them, spread out, moving to both sides, keeping their eyes on Valdez. R. L. Davis was next to Tanner, a few feet to his right.
Tanner was looking at the Erin woman, who had not moved as he approached. He stared at her and his expression showed nothing, but he was making up his mind.
He said finally, Come over here next to me.
The woman made no move. Im all right where I am.
You better start thinking straight, Tanner said. You better have something to tell me when we get home.
Im not going home with you.
Tanner took his time. Thats how it is, huh? His gaze shifted to Valdez. She better than a Mexican bitch?
Valdez said nothing.
If thats how it is, you better tell that whore next to you go get out of the way.
Quietly, Valdez said to her, Move over a little. Just a little.
Tanner waited. Have you got something you want to say to me?
Ive said it, Valdez answered.
Tanners eyes held on Valdez. He said, Put this man against the wall over there and shoot him.
He waited and said then, Emilio!
I hear you, the segundo said.
Take him.
The segundo did not make a move or seem about to speak.
Number two Tanners voice rose Im telling you something!
The segundo looked at Tanner now, directly at him. He said, Its not my woman.
Valdezs eyes shifted to the man, hung there, and returned to Tanner. His hand gripped the Remington lightly, feeling the weight of the gun, the sawed-off barrel hanging at his knee.
Tanner turned his head slowly to the left, to the three men standing off from him, then to the right, to R. L. Davis and the two men beyond him.
Im going to give the word, Tanner said.
Wait a minute! R. L. Davis said. Im no part of this. He saw Tanner looking at him as he edged back a few steps, bumping against his horse and pushing it. I dont even have a gun.
I give you mine, the segundo said.
I dont want one! Davis was edging back, taking himself out of the group, his eyes holding on the Remington at Valdezs side. I dont have any fight with him.
In Spanish, the segundo said to the young Mexican on Tanners left, Tomas, go home. This isnt yours.
The young man wasnt sure. I work for him, he said.
Not anymore. I let you go.
Tanners head jerked toward the segundo. Whatre you telling him?
That shes your woman, the segundo said easily. A man holds his woman or he doesnt. Its up to him, a personal thing between him and the man who took the woman. All these men are thinking, What have we got to do with it?
You do what I tell you. Thats what youve got to do with it. Tanner glanced both ways and said, Im talking to everybody present. Everybody hears me and Im telling you now to shoot him. Now!
He looked at his men again, not believing it, seeing them standing watching him, none of them ready to make a move.
You hear me I said shoot him!
Valdez waited in the silence that followed. He waited as Tanner looked at his men, from one to the next. He drew on the cigarette, finishing it, and dropped it and said, Hey.
As Tanner turned to him, Valdez said, I got an idea, Frank, and waited another moment. You have a gun in your hand. Why dont you shoot me?
Tanner faced him, the Colt revolver at his side. He stared at Valdez and said nothing, eyes sunken in the shadow of his hat brim, dusty and beard stubbled, still looking like he was made of gristle and hard to kill.
But hes not looking at himself, Valdez was thinking, and it isnt an easy thing to raise and fire a Colt at someone. So he jabbed at Tanner saying, See if your gun is as good as mine. What do you think of something like that? You and I, thats all, uh? What do you need anybody else for?
Tanner stood stiffly, no part of him moving.
Let me say it to you this way, Valdez said. You give me money for the Lipan woman whose husband was killed or you use the gun. One or the other, right now. Make up your mind.
Tanners hand tightened on the Colt and his thumb lifted to the hammer. He could feel the move he would make and he was looking squarely at Valdez twenty feet away from him, looking at him dead center where the cartridge belt crossed his chest. The moment was there, now , but his gaze flickered to the stubby barrel of the Remington and lingered there and the moment was past. His thumb came off the hammer.