[Texas Rangers 05] - Texas Vendetta by Elmer Kelton Page A

sign Farley might be mellowing. The Bracketts still had the help of a black woman who once had been their slave. She now worked for her keep and received a modest wage when Elnora and Bethel had any money to pay her. When they did not, she stayed anyway. She had nowhere else to go. Andy could hear her clanging pots and pans in the kitchen. It reminded him he was hungry.
    Farley tried to get out of bed but gave up. “I’m damned tired of takin’ my meals in bed like a baby.”
    The black woman brought him his meal, but he ate only a little of it. He stared at the window and offered no more conversation.
    Flora Landon and her father came in for dinner. Andy noticed that the first thing she did was go to Farley’s room to see about him. She came back shortly, grinning. She said, “I thought Jayce knew every cuss word in the language, but I believe Farley could teach him some. When he finally gets up he’s liable to drag that bed outside and burn it.”
    Her father asked Andy, “Seen any more of Sheriff Truscott or Big’un?”
    “No, but I ain’t been lookin’ for them.”
    “Watch out. They’re liable to come lookin’ for you.”
    The meal finished, Andy felt reluctant to leave. For one thing, visiting with Bethel and her mother seemed to have brought some life back into Rusty’s eyes. But duty’s call was loud. Andy jerked his head at Rusty. “It’s a long way to the San Saba.”
    Farley shouted from his bedroom, “Saddle my horse for me. I’m goin’ too.”
    Bethel cast a sad glance at Andy.
    Rusty said, “Farley knows he can’t. It just gets under his skin to have to depend on other people.”
    Andy and Rusty said their good-byes to Elnora and the Landons. Bethel followed them out onto the porch. She told Andy, “Write me a letter once in a while. Let a body know you’re still among the living.”
    “I’m not much of a hand with pencil and paper. But I’ll try.”
    Rusty said, “I’ll see that he does.”
    Riding away, Andy looked back. Bethel remained on the porch, watching them.
    Rusty said, “One word from you and she would follow you anywhere.”
    “To a Ranger camp? What could she do there?”
    “You won’t stay with the Rangers all your life. Nobody does.”
    They rode awhile before Andy said, “I’m tempted to go back up the river and see if there’s any news about Jayce. Dick Landon would want to know about his brother.”
    Rusty threw cold water on the idea. “I’ve heard stories about the Hoppers and the Landons. Especially the Hoppers. I’d as soon see you stick your head into a rattlesnake den.”
    “I wish there was somethin’ we could do about that double-dealin’ Big’un.”
    “Time has a way of payin’ off his kind of people. Chances are that some Landon will clean his plow or he’ll get caught dippin’ his hands into the county treasury.”
    “I hate to ride away and leave things hangin’.”
    “If trouble is lookin’ for you it’ll find you without you huntin’ it. Let the Landons and the Hoppers fight it out amongst theirselves.”
     
     
    The next morning they rode for several miles in brooding silence. Andy was thinking about the unfinished business with Big’un Hopper and his kin. He suspected Rusty was thinking about his farm and Josie Monahan.
    At length Andy said, “Folks holler about savage Indians, but I don’t see that they’re any more savage than people that go feudin’ and killin’ one another. Most of them don’t even know anymore what the fightin’ is about.”
    Rusty pointed out, “Comanches kill Apaches any time they can. And Apaches kill Comanches the same way.”
    “That’s different. They’re blood enemies.”
    “Why? What started it?”
    Andy tried in vain to remember if anybody had ever told him. “I’d guess it might’ve commenced over horses a long time ago. Somebody stole them and somebody else wanted them back. Or maybe somebody insulted somebody. With Apaches, who cares?”
    “See, you ain’t got past all of