CHAPTER 16 - GOODBYE

I outlined my idea for poker with a difference to the two girls and they readily agreed to it. If they won a hand, I would give them a coin. If I won, they would have to remove an article of clothing. Giggling, they nodded eagerly and I pulled out a well worn pack of cards.

Not long after the game started, I noticed Billy and his girl disappear, no doubt for an hour of fun. Shrugging, I concentrated on the game. After the first round, each girl had removed a garter and placed them on the table in front of me. I dealt again and on we played.

It was getting late and I had handed over my last few coins, but the girls were down to their underclothes, giggling and squealing. Reluctantly I gathered up the cards, pointing out I had no more money left to cover future losses. The two of them whispered together in Spanish for a moment and then looked back at me.

"We play for kisses," one said.

"I don't kiss," I said. I didn't kiss whores and I often avoided kissing women or men that I fooled around with too. I'd always felt it was too much intimacy for me. There was only one person I wanted to kiss and I hoped he would feel the same when he had begun to heal.

The girls both pouted in disappointment, but we were interrupted at that moment by the saloon owner shouting at them that new customers awaited their attention. Somewhat unenthusiastically, they gathered up their clothes and winnings and left me alone. I sat for a while, wondering what to do with myself for the rest of the night. It was after midnight and I had no money left to get myself a room. While I was thinking about it, I must have fallen asleep where I sat and I woke with my head on the table to the sound of a gun being cocked in my ear. I opened one eye. It was daylight.

"What the hell are you doing, Dave?" Billy grinned, sitting down at the table. "You been here all night?"

"Mmm." I sat up slowly, rubbing my stiff neck. "Must have fallen asleep."

"Well, wake up, we're skinning out," Billy said. "We're going to Canada."

"Canada? What the hell…?" I rubbed my eyes in an effort to wake up properly and focused on him. "We're practically at the Mexican border."

"I changed my mind. Like I said, no one will know us there."

"No one will know us in Canada either," I said.

"Maybe not, but it'll be an adventure getting there!" he exclaimed.

"You're crazy," I said. "Why ride thousands of miles, getting shot at by every sheriff and his army along the way when we can be safe in Mexico in about two hours?"

"Mexico won't be so safe," Billy said. "You know they behead outlaws if they catch 'em?"

"Chavez is half Mexican, he must know people there who would help us," I said.

"He wasn't born in Mexico, you idiot," Billy scoffed. "His father was a Mexican immigrant working on a fruit farm this side of the border. Chavez barely knew him, he left when he was a little kid. Where is he, anyway? I didn't think either of you had enough money for the whole night."

"He just took the room," I said. "He's injured."

"Badly?" Billy frowned.

"No, bullet went right through and it's not in a bad place, I don't think. He wanted to get away from everyone and he's upset over Doc and Hendry. Considering you and them were supposedly pals forever, you don't seem too concerned yourself."

Billy sighed heavily. "Of course I'm upset. It's my fault Doc's gone, and Hendry and Tom too. The law wouldn't have been after them if they hadn't been chasing me."

"Don't tell me that's your conscience talking," I said.

"Believe it or not, I do have one, I just keep it hidden."

Chavez appeared then, walking a little stiffly although he didn't appear to be suffering that much. He looked serious, but less miserable than the day before. He came over to us and sat down on the spare chair next to me.

"You alright?" I asked at once. Billy stared at me.

"Concern for someone else, Dave?" he taunted. "Not sick, are you?"

"Go to hell," I muttered.

"I'm alright," said Chavez.

I glanced at him and noticed the left side of his hair was missing another chunk, guessing he had cut some off for Doc and Hendry. I willed him to turn and look at me, but he kept his head down, staring at the table.

"Time we got moving, before the law catches up to us again," Billy said, shoving his chair back suddenly. "Come on, boys."

We followed him outside to retrieve the horses, discovering that Billy had managed to bring an extra animal back with him which Chavez took charge of. A few minutes later we were heading out of the settlement towards the hills. We kept our eyes and ears open, but as yet there was no sign of the army coming to look for us.

"Looks like we'll get over the border before they get close enough to see us," Chavez said.

"We're not going to Mexico; we're going to Canada," Billy told him.

"Canada? What the hell for?" exclaimed Chavez, which was more or less exactly what I had said.

"It'll be an adventure." Billy laughed loudly.

"Sure it'll be an adventure, we'd all be dead before the end of the day," said Chavez. "I'm going to Mexico."

"Then you're on your own, pal," Billy said, riding on ahead suddenly as the path narrowed between some rocky areas. I raised my eyebrows. He hadn't shown much remorse about Doc and he didn't seem to care about Chavez either.

Now Chavez followed him and I brought up the rear. It was some time before the trail opened out again in a place affording a view north over New Mexico and south to the border. In the distance on the north side we could see a group of perhaps twenty riders circling around the base of the hills, heading towards the small town we had just left. They weren't so far behind us after all and we needed to make a move before they closed in again.

"Better wait here until they're out of sight in the town," Billy said, jumping down from his horse. He then wandered off into the bushes, not giving either myself or Chavez a chance to argue about Canada.

Chavez dismounted too and walked around to the south side of the outcrop. There was a flat ledge, perhaps four or five feet wide with a sheer drop in front and a low cliff behind. He stood on the edge of the drop, gazing towards Old Mexico. I went to join him and rested my back against the wall. Chavez didn't turn around, but he knew I was there. He said nothing for several moments. I didn't speak either. I just leaned there and looked towards the border the same as he was doing. Eventually he spoke without turning around, his voice sounding sad.

"I guess this is goodbye."