I DONt KNO t la benefits all t mucechnology.

    tools t comes into our o too. Not t you can go back. Or t  youd even  to. e used to orola ties sometimes to just folloill like ts. .44-40. If t  stop ter take off  runnin. I like ter model 97. I like it t its got a  like  o  ty on a gun. Of course some t cruiser of mine  is seven years old. Its got t. You cant get t engine no more. I drove one of  t  outrun a fatman. I told t Id stick  I   aint al it aint alher.

    t kno it ever so often. I cant say as I   out altoget aint someto o see again. to  ness. t really ougo be on deat. I believe t.

    You remember certain t a t. People didnt knoo wear.

    t in tsleeves and t kindly bot sure I could tell  you why.

    Still to knoo do and t surprised me. Most of em I knoion before.  ain around ttin slumped over and people just got up and filed out.

    Like out of c just seemed peculiar. ell it   unusual day I ever spent.

    Quite a fe believe in it. Even t  one time. You see somebody ever day sometimes  for years and t man do o death.

    ell. tll take some of t of just about anybody. I dont care w is.

    And of course some of t very brigt told me about  one ered to and e  meal and , ever

    come time to go and Pickett

    and told  for o say about  t. Pickett didnt neither.

    I never o kill nobody and I am very glad of t fact. Some of time s even carry a firearm. A lot of folks find t o believe but its a fact. Jim  Scarborougs ton Boykins  o  timers. Never missed  a co do so. time concern t tered do  feel it. Nigger rop County  knowed everbodys py by .

    Its a odd to t it. tunities for abuse are just  about everexas State Constitution for bein a  s a one. ty la a job s put upon  you and you are cent laell me if ts  peculiar or not. Because I say t it is. Does it y percent of time. It  takes very little to govern good people. Very little. And bad people cant be governed at  all. Or if t.

    tO Fort Stockton at quarter to nine and Moss stood and got  case out of t and  stood looking do her.

    Dont get on a airplane  t you under the jail.

    My mama didnt raise no ignorant children.

    o call me.

    Ill call you in a few days.

    All right.

    You take care.

    I got a bad feelin, Llewelyn.

    ell, I got a good one. So t to balance out.

    I hope so.

    I cant call you except from a payphone.

    I kno. Call me.

    I   everthing.

    Llewelyn?

    .

    Nothin.

    is it.

    Not ed to say it. You take care. Llewelyn? .

    Dont  nobody. You hear?

    ood t makin no promises, he said.

    ts  .

    BELL  forkful of o he phone rang.

    again. Sarted to pus  it, he said.

    All right.

    in? e never eat te.

    Dont be cussin, she said.

    he phone. Sheriff Bell, he said.

    ened for a  forty minutes. Just leave ts on on your unit.

    o  and picked up t it in  this  side of Lozier Canyon.

    do you make of t?

    he shook his head.

    e.  of h me, he said.

    Let me get my coat.

    t te and drove over ttleguard and pulled up be. endell he window.

    Its about a  follow me.

    I can see it.

    Yessir. It  in seen it  from the road.

    ttle  out and stood looking at it. You could feel t  on your face. Bell came around and opened took   out and stood  of ruck parked a  anding turn and said Sheriff.

    e could of brought weeners, she said.

    Yeah. Marshmallers.

    You  t.

    No, you . Did you all see anything?

    No sir. Just the fire.

    Didnt pass nobody or nothin?

    No sir.

    Does t look to you like about a 77 Ford, endell?

    It could be.

    Id say it is.

    as t he old boy was drivin?

    Yeaes.

    It   Sheriff.

    It surely .

    fire to it?

    I dont know.

    endell turned and spat. asnt  Dallas I dont  reckon, ?

    Bell s  t thing from his mind.

    In t to torbert  back yet.

    nine-ty and Bell sent endell to get   on taring at s.  t ime. the mobile and called endell.

    ?

    Just past Sanderson Canyon.

    turn around and come back.

    All rig about torbert?

    Call ell o just set tig ernoon.

    Yessir.

    Go to t to truck from Loretta and railer.

    Saddle my tas and load and Ill see you out t a hour.

    Yessir.

    up and  doo che jail.

    te and closed it again and drove do a   and parked. endell unlatcrailer doors and led t. Bell  took ton, he said.

    You sure?

    Oo Lorettas ell you rig  to be ty t was aboard him.

    ion rifles  and so t down. You ready? he said.

    tracks but you can still see   ires.

    to t  a blackened hulk.

    You es, endell said.

    I lied about tires though.

    .

    I said till be burnin.

    t in ar, ted at time to time. You can tell  tracks from t ones,  s.

    See track is? Like you can just see far enougo duck t of you. Or you mig on a rock like t right yonder.

    In a sandos tire tread comin back as  time.

    You can see tripes real clear. rips  each way, Id say.

    endell sat .

    o t do you reckon it is o find  down here?

    I dont knoirrup and stood easily up into t ttle  kno say as Im muco it.

    ruck t and studied it and t. Both doors were open.

    Somebodys pried tion plate off the door, he said.

    the frame.

    Yea ts .

    I kno truck.

    I do too.

    endell leaned and patted the boys name is Moss.

    Yep.

    Bell rode back around truck and turned to t endell. You know w?

    No sir.

    he.

    I believe he is.

    t looking at truck. I  td be a curious t it.

    Pretty curious.

    Bell looked doo some real mischief here.

    I hear you, Sheriff.

    You this boys a doperunner?

    I dont kno of t it.

    I  eits go do of this mess.

    to ters uprig dead doy oo.

    t topped and got doepped nervously.

    Lets take t yonder a  need to see this.

    Yessir.

    orucks.

    t been dead all t long, he said.

    hey from?

    Dallas.

    ol ted and leaned on ted,  ty off t pistol. Bot bethe eyes.

    t have a gun?

    Killer could of took it. Or  not of had one.

    Bad o go to a gunfight.

    Bad way.

    trucks. tches are bloody as hogs, endell said.

    Bell glanced at him.

    Yea to be careful about cussin the dead.

    I  t t no luck in it.

    Its just a bunch of Mexican drugrunners.

    t now.

    I aint sure w youre sayin.

    Im just sayin t hey are now is dead.

    Ill o sleep on t.

    tilted for and looked in t  to t and o t. ts been some of t old  mexican brohis rig.

    Long gone no it.

    Long gone.

    endell squatted and studied t looks like t somebody cut into one of t was  inside.

    Could of been cy. Gettin ready to trade.

    t trade. t eacher.

    Bell nodded.

    t not of even been no money.

    ts possible.

    But you dont believe it.

    Bell t about it. No, .

    t here.

    Yes, Bell said. At least t.

    back. tizens been s betoo.

    Yep.

    truck. Bell pointed.

    ts been a macraight runs yonder.

    Id say it  to?

    Its probably one of the grass yonder.

    Bell aken out  across  of t tamped  in the base.

    calibers you got there, Sheriff?

    Nine millimeter. A couple of .45 ACPs.

    o tepped back and picked up  against tgun by t.

    You them holes are big enough?

    I dont t. More likely number four buck.

    More buck for your bang.

    You could put it t  to clean out a alley ts a pretty good o go.

    endell looked over the caldera. ell, he said. Somebodys walked away from here.

    Id say they have.

    es aint been at them?

    Bell s kno a Mexican.

    t Mexican.

    ell, ts true.

    It must of sounded like Vietnam out here.

    Vietnam, the sheriff said.

    t betrucks. Bell picked up a fe  tic speedloader. ood and  looked over tell you w, he said.

    tell me.

    It dont mucand to reason t t man never even got .

    I .

    t ride up   for sign a little.

    e can do t.

    Can you tell me ed  here?

    I got no idea.

    o t Bell just sat  time.

    are you thinkin, Sheriff?

    t doo udied the grass.

    e got anotion here Sheriff?

    No, I believe tural causes.

    Natural causes?

    Natural to the line of work hes in.

    got a gun.

    No.

    endell leaned and spat. Somebodys been here before us.

    Id say so.

    You the money?

    Id say t.

    So ill aint found t man, have we?

    Bell didnt ans over try.

    Its a mess, aint it Sheriff?

    If it aint itll do till a mess gets here.

    t t Mosss truck.

    So w? endell said.

    I do not know.

    I ake it s is pretty .

    tty high, he said.

    to to endell on to truck and  the horses.

    You be sure and rap on tcta.

    I  to give he keys anyways.

    ty dont pay o use her horse.

    I hear you.

    orbert on to get you,  set tight.

    of Lamars office tape ill strung across torbert ting on teps.  up and  to the car.

    You all right? Bell said.

    Yessir.

    heres Sheriff Lamar?

    on a call.

    t toold ty about torbert  listened in silence.  ter a  from Austin.

    do they say.

    Not muching.

    h?

    t know.

    t know?

    No sir.

    kno no exit wound.

    Yessir. tted t.

    Freely admitted?

    Yessir.

    ell orbert?

    t  looked to be a large caliber bullet  said ed to a distance of approximately tal lobe of t t t no bullet to  be found.

    Said wound.

    Yessir.

    Bell pulled out onto terstate. eering w y.

    youre sayin dont make no sense, torbert.

    I told em t.

    to whey responded?

    t respond not FedEx. X-rays and evert in your office by in the mornin.

    ter a  said: t acles, aint it Sheriff.

    Yes it is.

    altogether?

    Good question. I aint sure I even counted. Eigy haskins.

    torbert studied try out these people? he said.

    I dont knoo say to deal o deal lin cattle. No I dont knos true no more. Im like you. I aint sure  knoo do about em even. If you killed em  all to build a annex on to hell.

    Co t Aire sly before noon and parked just belorailer and s off t out and  yard and  climbed teps and tapped at ted. tapped again.

    urned and stood o trailer and studied ttle park. Not a dog. urned and put  to t out t steel plunger of ttlegun and opened t in  and s the door behind him.

    ood, tys revolver in co t into t door open. op dresser dra again.  t and  pulled  over it and  to tchen.

    or and took out a carton of milk and opened it and smelled it  and drank. ood ton in one  the window.

    ton back in tor and s the door.

    into t on tly good ty-one  incelevision on table.  he dead gray screen.

    t back do t.  tpocket and t out.

    of t in. Yessir, the woman said.

    Im looking for Llewelyn Moss.

    Sudied o railer?

    Yes I did.

    ell Id say   to leave a message?

    here does he work?

    Sir I aint at liberty to give out no information about our residents.

    C ttle plyhe woman.

    here does he work.

    Sir?

    I said where does he work.

    Did you not  give out no information.

    A toilet flusc the woman again.

    t out and got in t.

    took t of pocket and unfolded tters inside.  to Del Rio and to Odessa.

    in and got some c to t t there.

    I tried to reac I dont believe here anymore.

    t know w. his?

    C over to ter and sat down and ordered a  cup of coffee. has Llewelyn been in? he said.

    of tting o  ting t in. t tening to the radio. Yessir, he said.

    I was looking for Llewelyn.

    here.

    time do you expect him?

    I dont knoly. As if  anot Ch?

    I dont think so.

    Outside ood on tained pavement.  tting at  the building.

    Do you know where Llewelyn is?

    t into t and  back  toown.

    to Del Rio in ternoon and Moss got o tand and opened t in. take me to a motel, he said.

    t  one in mind?

    No. Just someplace cheap.

    t to a place called trail Motel and Moss got out  case and paid t into tting  celevision. S up and  around behe desk.

    Do you have a room?

    I got more ts?

    I dont know.

    e got a e is ty-five dollars plus a dollar seventy-five  tax. ty-six seventy-five.

    ty-six seventy-five.

    Yessir.

    For the week.

    Yessir. For the week.

    Is t your best rate?

    Yessir. t no discounts on te.

    ell lets just take it one day at a time.

    Yessir.

    to t in and s t tains and stood looking out t ttle court. Dead quiet. ened t on took out tol and laid it on t.

    e afternoon.  tained asbestos ceiling.

    up and pulled off s and socks and examined the bandages on his heels.

    into t ook off   and examined t  on t ter a  knife  set to unscre grille, putting t on tood on oes and looked into t.

    a lengtian blind cord at tied to tced out a t it in  and s tened it and fastened traps.

    t of t, sliding to tood on t as far as   ig. ook t again until  reac ts rack of dust and fastened t into took a s s and pulled t y off. t to sleep.

    ening.

    o tain back slig.

    Deep shing.

    dressed and put ttress y still off and smootskirt and sat on the phone and called a cab.

    o pay tra ten dollars to take o Ciudad  Acu?a. reets, looking into t and  tle alameda grackles tling in trees and calling to one  anot into a boot s tics — crocodile and ostric — but ty of ts  he wore.

    into a farmacia and bougin of bandages and sat in tc.  ted to go see to see t on walking.

    e in a restaurant e tablecloters in s. ereak. It aurant y  save for eak came  into it and c about his life.

    back to tel a little after ten and sat in tor running  money for t and arted to  get out but .  to  the side, he said.

    t ter in gear.  room? he said.

    Just drive me around. I  to see if somebodys here.

    t ains ty sure  left to tell. Not t olled slo. No cars in t  t  been there. Keep going, he said.

    t he mirror.

    Keep going, said Moss. Dont stop.

    I dont  to get in some kind of a jackpot here, buddy.

    Just keep going.

    I let you out  argue about it.

    I  you to take me to anotel.

    Lets just call it square.

    Moss leaned for, ryin to get you out of it. Noake me to a motel.

    took tucked it into pocket and turned out of t and  into treet.

    t at t on t  doe breakfast in t sat there.

    t be in to clean it.

    C time is eleven oclock.

    t.

    Except of course t t least ties looking for   t going aher.

    By time  up  o o kill somebody.  didnt know w was.

    ook a cab and  into to into a sporting goods store and boug exactly t  under reet to a ore.

    t a  millfile and some miscellaneous items. A pair of  pliers and a pair of sidecutters. A scre tape.

    ood on turned and reet.

    In ting goods store again entpoles. ried to explain t  care ent it he poles.

    tudied ever kind of tent it is, ill o special  order poles for it. You need to get turer and the model number.

    You sell tents, right?

    e got t models.

    t poles in it?

    ell, I guess t en foot ent. You can stand up in it. ell, some  people could stand up in it. Its got a six foot clearance at the ridge.

    Let me have one.

    Yessir.

    tent from tockroom and laid it on ter. It came in an orange  nylon bag. Moss laid tgun and ter and untied trings and pulled tent from togethe poles and cords.

    Its all the clerk said.

    do I owe you.

    Its one seventy-nine plus tax.

    er. tentpoles e  bag and  and put it  and Moss gatgun and ogetentpoles and turned and left.  about tent?

    the clerk called.

    In tgun and  in an open dra in front of t  and  t it  aside. tock in a line t left it ol grip and sat on t ted it  for turned it side it. It looked pretty good. urned it over and  opened to the magazine one by one.

    one more round in t   long.

    rail Motel and told to ools under ttress and  out again.

    to al-Mart and bougo put ts and some socks. In ternoon  for a  long  along taking t-off gunbarrel and tock  into ter as far as  and ock under a ledge of s scrub.  and  on a ridge a o stand looking back at  on a gravel beacy bag folded  in c. atcurn blue and cold. An osprey   do the darkness.