I AS Sy y-five. o believe. My fat a la time, ty proud of t. I kno back  from tuff and of course people  . I  campaigned pretty o. I tried to be fair. Jack used to say t any time  youre t youre losin ground but I tly it just  in o speak  ill of anybody. And I never did mind bein like y-one years. No c a girl but I  talk about t. I served terms and to Denton texas. Jack used to say t bein s jobs you could . Maybe lots of t. e stayed gone and stayed gone. I done different tective on  t time my  all t sure about us comin back   me runnin. But sed to so ts er  person t to anybody t cares to listen. Not t ts sayin  a er person than anybody I know. Period.

    People t t but t. Sometimes if t it any of Kerrs Mercantile and  cross treet and sipped my  to  just almost a smile  back, t .

    People complain about t o em t t deserve but tion t o deserve t recall  t I ever give t muco smile on me. But he did.

    O tuesday morning it  daylig  to able in t table  nodded to ress broug back to  tc stirring to stir since  black. ture   page of tin paper. Bell read, sy years old.

    You kno a man in  ty some odd years. t  hed be  remembered for.

    S by.

    ook endell o t Aire and stood at the door  while endell knocked.

    Look at the lock, Bell said.

    endell drement, he called.

    t nobody here.

    No reason not to be careful.

    ts righe world.

    tood. endell  Bell stopped  s just keep to t careful routine, he said.

    Yessir.

    and  up.

    s t? said endell.

    Cylinder out of the lock.

    Bell passed   at, oance and te the speed.

    I expect you could.

    Pretty good speed.

    Yessir. Pretty good speed.

    t do you think, Sheriff?

    I believe t a shuck.

    I do too.

    Kindly in a  it, too.

    Yep.

    o tcor and looked in and s it again.

    he freezer.

    So when was he here, Sheriff?

    o say. e mig missed him.

    You t any notion of ts of sons of bitc are in him?

    I dont knoo.  made a impression on  me.

    trouble, aint they?

    Yes they are.

    Bell o t on tood in the doorway.

    ill  are you thinkin? he said.

    Bell s look up.

    By ednesday ate of texas s o Sanderson. Bell sat at able in t  ty years old t anding troduced er for tonio Ligs all t, Sheriff? he said.

    It appears to be a in accident.

    ing accident?

    Yessir.

    be a ing accident? Youre pulling my leg.

    Let me ask you somethin.

    All right.

    Last year nineteen felony cerrell County Court.  drug related?

    I dont know.

    time I got a county t is full of people  t?

    I dont know.

    I dont eit need to eat my breakfast  kindly a full day ahead.

    orbert drove out in torberts four  it.

    truck and ed. Its ten, torbert said.

    ?

    Its ten. Deceased. e forgot about old yrick. Its ten.

    Bell nodded. t , he said.

    Yessir. t .

    ter arrived and circled and set do on the bajada.

    Nobody got out. ting for t to bloorbert cor winding down.

    ts name yre. Bell kneo.  out os and  and a Cart canvas jacket and  until  h.

    Sheriff Bell, he said.

    Agent McIntyre.

    vehis?

    Its a 72 Ford pickup.

    McIntyre stood looking out doapped t his leg.

    Bell. Im o kno, e in color.

    Id say we. Yes.

    Could use a set of tires.

    over and ruck. e on his clipboard. he looked inside.

    forhe back.

    tires?

    Bell anding s. . Deputy  y.

    Rival party.

    Yessir.

    I t t up.

    they are.

    But not this one.

    Not this one.

    McIntyre looked too a ride doh you?

    Sure you can.

    toorberts truck. t looked at Bell and apped t  intend to make this easy, do you?

    yre. Im just messin h you.

    t t-up trucks. McIntyre o ed in t t thing I ever saw, he said.

    ood making notes on ances and made a rougc tes.

    ere there no guns here? he said.

    Not as many as t two pieces in evidence.

    heyve been dead?

    Four or five days.

    Somebody must  away.

    Bell nodded. t a mile north of here.

    t Bronco.

    Yep.

    Mexican black tar.

    Bell looked at torbert. torbert leaned and spat.

    If t somebody is  missing.

    Id say ts a reasonable guess.

    McIntyre continued ing. Dont  it.

    I aint worried.

    McIntyre adjusted  and stood looking at trucks. Are t  here?

    Rangers are comin. Or one is. DPS drug unit.

    Ive got .380s, .45s, nine millimeter parabellum, thing else?

    I t .

    McIntyre nodded. I guess ting for t by  no its not coming.  about trol?

    Everbodys comin as far as I kno it to get rig could be a  bigger drahe flood back in 65.

    Yeah.

    o get t of here.

    McIntyre tapped t  t truth, he said.

    Nine millimeter parabellum, said torbert.

    Bell nodded. You need to put t in your files.

    Cransponder coming across t  of Del Rio. It  and turned tening.

    ts picked up some kind of a large bird sitting on tton to let took tol from beside t out ting tol ted ed onto t of brass mapp- gas burners fitted into a uffed ion and painted flat black.  as ts wings.

    It flared s, very urning and lifting ao t  to t and tream and ceased. Col in t and put the window back up  again.

    Moss paid tepped out into ts in front of tel office and  slung t turned and  in. ter.  ter. Stle flustered. o stay a while?

    I need another room.

    You  to c anot?

    I  to keep t and get another one.

    All right.

    a map of tel?

    Ser. to be a sort of a one. ait a minute. I t.

    Ser. It sies parked in front.

    and flattened it out and studied it.

    about one forty-two?

    You can  to yours if you  it. One-ty aint took.

    ts all rig about one forty-two?

    S ts, she  said.

    and turned do tel. Ser ching him go.

    In t on t.  up and  into tood in tub o tV was playing somewhere.

    back and sat and unzipped took out tgun and laid it to one  side and tied t onto the bed.

    ook t tood on it and unscre grille and stepped do dustside up on t o t. ened. ood do t and climbed back up again.

    tion in t ten feet do and icking out. urned off t and stood listening. ried listening  .

    tgun and  to turned off t at  tcood in t tain at tyard.

    t back and laid tgun on turned on t.

    ied ttle nylon bag and slid t. t long and aped ts  tape  so t t pull apart.  to t and came back  on t tters and o one ape. taped to tood up and  slid twork.

    urned t off and pitc onto t back to t. Drone of a truck passing out on ted till it was gone.

    A cat t yard stopped. t  on again.

    ood on t in urned on t and laid t tal  so as to mute t turned it and broug back. t and  turned tly and ter a feries o get it  caugraps and o silently up t  until  go the bag.

    on t from tened  tcraps and opened it and looked at ts of bills. ook one of  t. tted it back and undid tied to trap and turned off t and sat listening. ood and reac and t back tools.  tgun and tools in took  it and t t as it was.

    Cel rooms urned at t and came back. o a stop  and put tly doop and stopped  again. Finally o t in.

    tel office y-television set he woman looked like shed been asleep. Yessir, she said. Can I help you?

    tpocket and got into to t out and o t. In to ts and came back out tery pack and tgun from truck. tgun on automatic ic military stock and a parkerized finis ted   long and big around as a beercan.  past tening to the signal.

    o tood in te lig lamp. o turned t on took to see cood in taking it all in once again.  and pulled on s and got tank and slung it across  up ttlegun  and  doo the room.

    ood listening at t the door.

    A Mexican in a green guayabera  up on t imes so fast it sounded like one long  guns and left most of t of . tgun made a strange deep co a barrel.  and stepped out of tood o tside wall. .

    No o tanding  door and anotepped out again. Doo ed. to the room once more.

    to sream of  blood arted across tiles.

    epped into tgun leveled at . t tub  in t and te, e. Cepped back to avoid  tub and s he face.

    and stood on t back in and searc and  into tol  it t back and fort to get  ts and ood looking at t.

    ook to tove in te al lampbase and pulled it loose and looked in.

    . ood t  blood and matter on  from off took t off and  back  into to toogun and came back into to t, t balled in one soles on t again and  looked around t time and left.

    o torbert looked up from  of him.

    Is t? Bell said.

    Yessir.

    Bell leaned back in o read, tapping h his forefinger.

    After a  do torbert. I know ws happened  here, he said.

    All right.

    o a slaughterhouse?

    Yessir. I believe so.

    Youd kno if you had.

    I t once when I was a kid.

    Funny place to take a kid.

    I t my own self. Snuck in.

    he beef?

    traddled te and t t a time  and  all day.

    t sounds about rig do it ta ss a steel bolt out of it. Just ss it out about so far. t t trigger and do quick.

    torbert anding at ted a minute for to  continue but t continue. torbert stood t of even told me, he said.

    I kno.

    Moss pulled into Eagle Pass at a quarter till t a good part  of treet. ce globes of treetlamps  pass along t up.

    You goin across the driver said.

    No. Just take me doown.

    You are doown.

    Moss leaned for.

    s t righere.

    ts ty Courthouse.

    No. Righe sign is.

    ts tel Eagle.

    Drop me there.

    y dollars teps to t in. tanding at ting him.

    t and climbed tairs and el corridor. Dead quiet. No ligransoms.  t and  in and s t from treetlamps coming tains at t t back to tc. Old faston  sce. Oak furniture from turn of tury. Brown walls. Same chenille  bedspread.

    on t up and looked out t t and  into t a glass of er and came back and  sat on took a sip and set ter on top of table. there is no goddamn way, he said.

    co take ts of  money out and to stack ty  for a  false bottom and  it aside and began to go  tacks of bills, riffling eacs and stacking t about a t.

    t ers cut out and  transponder unit nested t ter. ape and took it out and  in t up  and took t-out dollar bills and tape to toilet and came back.  t  and t of tes into t t t it.  about a lot of t t stayed  at some point o o quit running on luck.

    tgun out of t on turned on the bedside lamp.

    to turned off t and came back and stretc  on tared at t  kno into t over t ook a urned on t er and  t out and c and  back and  sat on t o

    you got used to. And if you  did?

    ied out t tgun in and zipped it s and took it togetco te s and a black boie. te and reading Ring magazine and  Moss  enting in the smoke. Yessir, he said.

    Did you just come on?

    Yessir. Be ill ten in the mornin.

    Moss laid a er. t dohe magazine.

    I aint askin you to do nothin illegal, Moss said.

    Im just in to ion of t, the clerk said.

    to do is to call me if anybody c?

    tclerk took tte out of  over a small glass asipped t tle finger and looked at Moss. Yessir, .

    Moss nodded and  back upstairs.

    t up and looked at table. Four ty-seven.   s and pulled t listening.

    over and stood o tgun in one  in tic sain urned on tap and pulled to start tain back around tub and  out and closed throom door behind him.

    ood at tening again.  t under t it in t over and sc at table and stood trying to t t ring and ook t on table.  ty-t table.  up and pulled  t of it and put it back in t over and stood at tgun. o omac o  t  o do.

    to t  and lay tomacgun pointed at t space enougs.  pumping against ty carpet. ed. tersected t beneatood t  tly. t into ted. ried not even to blink but  rics standing in the doorway.

    Pressed jeans. tood to throom.

    At t moment Moss realized t  going to open to turn around. And oo late. too late to make any more  mistakes or to do anyt all and t o die. Do it,  do it.

    Dont turn around, urn around and Ill bloo hell.

    t move. Moss was walking forward on gun.  and  know w kind of gun  now.

    A sgun clattered to t your hands up, he said.

    Step back from the door.

    ook teps back and stood,  sen feet ao it. Everytgun at  he hammer cocked.

    t could   even look at roubled. As if t of his day.

    Back up. Some more.

    gun and t onto tc and s the door. Look over here, he said.

    turned  Moss. Blue eyes. Serene. Dark  ly exotic. Beyond Mosss experience.

    do you ?

    answer.

    Moss crossed took post of t case stood t.  up.

    t even seem to notice. s seemed elsewhere.

    ook t over  tgun s  it under s go,  into the  hallway.

    t ransponder receiver anding in t outside  t it taken more cgun trained on t,   in one ol. arted to tell o put   sometold  it didnt really make any difference whe mans hands were.

    till open, till running.

    You s tairs and Ill s you.

    t ans Moss knew.

    Rig you take anotep.

    opped. Moss backed to tairs and took one last look at anding t from turned and doubled doairaking teps t a time.  kno t far ahead.

    In tclerks feet icking out from be  stop.  t door and doeps. By time reet Cel above   sometug at tols  a muffled pop, flat and  small in t of toime to see t faint but visible under teen foot el sign.

    feel anyt snapped at  and blood started running do s  a stinging  pain in  up again leaving Cgun lying in treet. Damn,  a s.

    tec tre. As tle  round ticket kiosk all t of it.  s. gun and t rattled off torey balustrade and took t of some of turned again a car coming doreet picked s and slourned up Adams Street and tersection in a cloud of rubbersmoke and stopped. trying to start it. Moss turned o t on foot at a run.

    One of t tgun and to creet art up again.

    By time  to Grande Street a pandemonium of gunfire  be torereet, o gun and t case, dark in table. ting on t up  you son of a bitc you set t the hell up.

    reet s.  and sgun in and zipped it s again. ood tottering. to t o  vomit.

    turnstile on t a dime in t and pusaggered out onto t breaking first lig sance to the far side.

    a party returning. Four of teen, partly  drunk.  took a pack of t.

    t on rouser-leg and peeled off five of  t t in .

    Excuse me,  tprints on the  walk behind him like clues in an arcade.

    Excuse me.

    tepping off to to go around him.

    Excuse me I .

    t stop till t urned. ll you give? he  said.

    t man be.

    t stopped hers.

    how much?

    Ill give you five hundred dollars.

    Bulls.

    Come on Brian.

    Lets go, Brian. hes drunk.

    Brian looked at t Moss. Lets see the money, he said.

    Its right here.

    Let me see it.

    Let me .

    Lets go, Brian.

    You take t me . t.

    All right.

    of t and  over and Moss he bill.

    s t?

    Blood.

    Blood?

    Blood.

    ood  t  o you?

    Ive been s.

    Lets go, Brian. Goddamn.

    Let me he money.

    Moss o truggled into t. t t and stepped  away.

    on. topped. talking toget  t buttoned and put  and so keep  ell you twice.

    turned and  on. t ried to see s all rig keep puttin one foot in front of ther.

    ually passed beneatopped and stood looking do it. tes a t to t. Over  toer moved beneathing.

    tand of tall carrizo cane gro took  be over t into space.

    e pain. curn slo from to to t and sat t t up,  up.

    eo toate of Coahuila.

    reet to a small park or zocalo rees rees ed o t of  a  and from a distance t e posts arrayed at random.

    In ter a wrougand. he bench beside him and leaned forward holding himself.

    Globes of orange ligands. t seemed far ahe  branches overhead and day was coming.

    out one  lie down.

    No sun. Just t breaking. treets . tters.

    An old man was coming along pushen he moved on.

    Se?or, Moss said.

    Bueno, the old man said.

    You speak english?

    udied Moss, h hands. he shrugged his shoulders.

    I need a doctor.

    ted for more. Moss pus, he said.

    tongue. ohe dawn.

    trees and buildings taking s Moss and gestured h his chin.

    Puede andar? he said.

    ?

    Puede caminar? ions   t.

    Moss nodded. A ill it passed.

    tiene dinero? together.

    Si, Moss said. Si. ood s of bloodsoaked bills  from t pocket and separated a e and  to took it  reverence.  Moss and tood t the bench.

    eps and out t door of tel oied ions of o tol in ther.

    tersection and treet. epped back into tter of automatic riflefire and  tgun rattling off treet s and tennis s look like anybody you   to meet in t of try. eps to tol over trade and opened fire on them.

    By time t w beel.

    Cood o tted a freso tol. taking out tering up t  out. It ill dark enougreet t you could see the muzzleflashes.

    turned and puso tel lobby, ts of glass crackling under s.  gimping doeps at tel and out into t.

    reet and  up Jefferson keeping to trying to  at y Courtes at best before  fresies began to arrive.

    to tanding in treet.  t up, all of t  least one body inside. tcel and Col and s . Cepped back beood ol uprig ing. A  ricang of gunpohe smell of fireworks. No sound  anywhere.

    into treet one of t from tel porcoc  fender of t t  C no mind. o tled t and  t and picked up t y-five round clip. C pockets and  came up  t of   and stuck tol do of  and c  o the curb.

    t in tcreet toel and tall palm trees.  the man.

    took tol from . o the man looked away.

    Look at me, Chigurh said.

    the man looked and looked away again.

    Do you speak english?

    Yes.

    Dont look a you to look at me.

    C t. C ood cc receding. atc squandered reet once more. treet and  limping on  toel parking lot w his vehicle.