Free Novel 1966 - Kid Rodelo (v5.0) by Louis L’Amour Page B

sleep. He could trust no one of them, perhaps not even Nora. He had not figured her out at all, but then she could know nothing about him either.
    He tried to remember all he knew about this country, and could recall only a little, most of it quite general. These natural tanks were the only water he knew of south of Tinajas Altas on which a man could rely, and even they might on occasion be empty or down to mere dregs. But there must have been rain not very long ago, for the tanks were well filled and the water was sweet. West of Pinacate was an area to be avoided. He had never penetrated far in that direction and it might be passable, but there were hundreds of small cones there, and rough, lava flows—desperately bad country to cross. To the east it was nearly as bad, but a ghost of a trail went that way and just at the base of the two highest peaks there were some tanks. He had never seen them, but a Yuma Indian had told him of them. This Indian had learned of them from the Sand Papagos, who had once lived in the Pinacate country.
    Whether there was water or not, it would be a safer route, although somewhat longer. There were other tanks at the southern tip of Pinacate, but none of them or those to the east were reliable.
    Why not, he asked himself, bring it to a showdown now? Yet the moment he thought of it he knew he dared do nothing of the kind. In the first place, he was out-numbered; in the second, he hoped to bring it off without a shooting if he could manage it. In a way, he was waiting, just as the Indians were, for them to play out. At the same time he knew he was giving them every break he could…was it because of Nora? Or some forgotten remnant of humanitarian impulse within him?
    He could slip away and hide out in the desert. After all, one of the remaining canteens was his own. But without him there was little chance they would survive. A chance, yes, but a very small one.
    The wind was cold. Rodelo looked up at the stars. The desert or mountain man was forever lifting his eyes to the peaks or to the stars; it was no wonder that men of the wilderness knew so much about the flight of birds and the habits of animals. In cities a man’s eyes were on the ground, or rarely above eye level.
    He went back toward the fire, but stood back from it, beyond the edge of the light. He wanted to offer no target if one of the Indians decided now was the time.
    “We’ve got to mount guard,” Badger said.
    Harbin got up. “I’ll take first watch.” He turned to Nora. “Come on, let’s go.”
    “Why me?” Nora’s surprise was obvious.
    “You can keep me comp’ny. Else I’m likely to fall asleep.”
    Tom Badger chuckled, but made no comment. Joe turned on him. “What’s so funny about that?”
    “Nothin’. I was just wonderin’ who was going to keep Gopher and me awake…and Danny.”
    “Maybe I should share the watch with each of you,” Nora suggested with amusement.
    “We could roll the dice to see who takes which watch. Low roll to take the first watch.”
    “That ain’t necessary,” Joe said.
    “Let’s have the dice, Dan,” Badger said. “I think that’s a fair idea.”
    He shook the dice and rolled them out on a flat rock. A five and a four.
    Gopher rolled snake eyes, a two, and Rodelo followed with a six. Joe took the dice, threw them irritably…a pair of fives.
    “That gives you the dawn watch, Joe,” Badger said. He started to pick up the dice, but Nora reached over and took them from him. “You’re forgetting me.”
    “You don’t have to stand a watch,” Harbin said.
    “I agree with Joe,” Rodelo said quietly. “You will need your rest, Nora.”
    “So will all of you. After all, I am in this too, I’m riding a horse, I’m drinking water, and I will do my share.” She rolled the dice…a four.
    “That gives me second watch, I think,” she said.
    Rodelo took up his blanket. “Whoever is on watch,” he said, “keep an eye on the horses. If we lose them. we’ve had