Dillinger - Jack Higgins [47]
Rose and Chavasse crawled beside him.
'Ortiz has gone mad,' Rose said. 'He must be stopped.'
Chavasse, who knew the Apache better than anyone, said, 'Only another Indian can stop him now.'
'They will not stay for long,' Rose said. 'In a little while, when the excitement is over, they will realize what they have done and the price that must be paid. They will ride into the sierras as their fathers did before them.'
'I'm not so sure,' Chavasse said, 'Ortiz is like Geronimo back from the grave.'
Someone screamed in the street. The Apaches had succeeded in breaking down the door of a house and one of them was dragging a woman into the street by her hair. Dillinger took careful aim and shot him. He immediately ducked behind the parapet as answering fire thudded into the wall.
Suddenly all the shooting ceased.
In the stillness that followed the only sound was the screaming of the woman lying in the street. When Dillinger peered cautiously over the parapet the Apaches had moved into a group, looking up at the mountains. Dillinger raised his eyes and saw a line of khaki-clad riders come over the ridge and start down the slope in a cloud of dust.
'They look like Mexican cavalry,' Chavasse said.
Dillinger nodded. 'Could be the bunch looking for Villa.' Or a white convertible, he thought.
Ortiz called out sharply. Those of his men who were on foot mounted and the whole troop galloped along the street into the smoke.
Dillinger opened the trap and let down the ladder.
Consumed by the fierce flames from the burning porch, the front door had fallen from its hinges, and Dillinger kicked the charred remains into the street. As the others moved out to join him, the soldiers came past the church and galloped toward them, Lieutenant Cordonna leading.
He flung up his hand and dismounted. There were twelve troopers with him and Sergeant Bonilla, who had a length of rope looped to his right wrist, the other tied around Juan Villa's neck.
The bandit sat his horse with ease in spite of the fact that his hands were tied in front of him. He grinned at Dillinger. 'We meet again, amigo.'
He flung up his hand and dismounted. There were twelve troopers with him.
Cordonna came forward excitedly, his elegant uniform coated with dust. 'What has happened here?'
'During the night every Indian in the place moved away,' Chavasse said. 'Before we had time to find out what it was all about the Apaches hit us.'
'Why should they do this thing?'
'There was a cave-in at the mine yesterday,' Rose told him. 'About twenty Indians lost their lives. This American wanted to use dynamite to try to get them out but Don Jose refused, and when Father Tomas pleaded with him, Rivera shot him. Ortiz has sworn vengeance.'
Cordonna crossed to the store and with his foot turned over the Apache Dillinger had shot from the roof. He looked down at the painted face. 'How many were there?'
Dillinger looked inquiringly at Chavasse and then shrugged. 'A dozen or fifteen, certainly no more. We killed four of them. They cleared off fast when they saw you coming.'
'Then we must teach them that there are laws now,' Cordonna said briskly. 'Water the horses, Sergeant. We move out at once.'
'What about the prisoner?' Bonilla demanded.
'We must leave him.' Cordonna turned to Dillinger and smiled faintly. 'Perhaps this time, senor, you could contrive to make sure that he does not escape?'
He didn't see Dillinger winking at Villa.
Cordonna saluted Rose gallantly. 'The pleasure of seeing you again is marred by the distressing circumstances, Senorita de Rivera. We shall lay them by the heels, never fear.'
Chavasse said, 'They can run a long way. They know every arroyo, every waterhole