passing time

for the next 3 weeks no one came to the desert ranch on the vekhol wash. coaly turned his hand at every conceivable thing around the ranch. repairing the corrals, painting the kitchen for sissy, and cleaning corrals. sam was gone horseback from before daylite to sometimes dark.  sam had almost forgotten about the pack laying in the rats nest in the rafters.  he did have a concern about eppi. he hadn't come around or sent word.  the illegal traffic had all but stopped.  which didn't hurt sams feelings a bit.
  one morning sissy advised the rancher that groceries were running low. she handed him a list of the things she needed.

   'you and coaly go I don't want to this time, I have things to do and you are in my way." she smilled
  
at the el rancho in town sam and coaly loaded baskets with 2 times the amounts of supplies on the list.  laughing and joking as they rolled up and down the iales.  when they lined their carts up at the check out counter sam noticed a tohono police car in the parking lot parked next to sams truck. leaving coalie to bring the boxes to the truck he walked out to the truck hoping to see eppi. a tall thin indian policeman got out of the car.
  " you sam bender?" he asked
  sam nodded and stuck out his hand to shake. the police man shook then handed sam a envelope." eppi is layed up, said to bring this to you. he also said to watch close the south fence"  a puzzled expression crossed the Indians face
  " ok, wheres eppi" sam asked
  " got shot trying to take in a smuggler, hes ok just gonna be laid up a while. funny thing he was shot from behind. didn't even see it commin"
    " did they get the shooter?" sam growled
   " no, when we found  eppi he was out like light. truck tire tracks left the scene. the smuggler was no where to be seen. we figgered the truck was the pickup man. eppi had radioed in on the stop, but didn't figger on the pickup man. " the policeman was shaking his head. " whats he mean watch the south fence?"
  " I think he thinks the smugglers are gonna come through my ranch again" sam answered
   about then coaly came up with the first boxes. after putting them in the truck he returned for the rest. sam thanked the policeman and went to the store to pay for the food.
 on the way back to the ranch sam explained the situation to coalie. he also showed him a bracelet he had bought out of the pawn case for sissy. it was hammered silver with a small tourqoise stone in the center.
   coalie lit a cigarette and looked out the window at the passing mesquite " yeah just a cook" he thought
     as they rolled into the yard at the ranch there was a blue chevy pickup with Sonora plates parked in sams favorite parking spot. sissy stood on the porch and a tall thin Mexican was on the ground below, one foot on the first step. as sam got out of the truck he could hear sissy snarl at the man who he recognized as the man who claimed to be her brother. sissy had her lips rolled back in a snarl and the Spanish rattled out of her like bullets from a machine gun. her right hand was behind her leg, and just as sam stepped up with coaly behind a half step sissy brought her hand up level with the mans face. In her hand was sams 44 . the Mexican stepped back his eyes wide.
  " I think she don't want you here mr.  so I think you ought to go." sam muttered " and don't come back"
   " she owes me, she needs to come home and work it off"  the thin Mexican said
   " what ever it is she owes you was in mexico, not here. now git before I use  that gun on you" sam  groweled.
   coaly had stood back a step or so listening. as the Mexican backed away toward his truck he suddenly tripped on coalys foot. he spraweled  in the dust his little straw hat rolling off his bullet head.
  " ime sorry. here let me help you up." coaly extended his hand
   the man glared up at coalie who was smillin at him.  the man reached over and retreaved his little hat and got up. he stomped to his truck and when he opened the door hurled a threat in spanish toward the three standing at the porch. 
   as the blue chevy roared out of the yard  sam looked up at sissy who was shaking with rage   she handed him the 44 and walked back into the house , her shoulders square and rigid.
   " what the hell was that about" coalie asked
   sam explained the man was a piker who lived in altar and want sissy back there claiming he was her brother. sam hefted the 44 and looked at it. she had the damn thing on full cock. she had been  ready to shoot man.  
 sam  uncocked the pistol and shook his head " lets unload the truck" he said.