Give yourself up, he thought. No…let them work a little bit. You never know what can happen…like getting one of their horses.

How do you do that?

How do you do anything! Just shut up and watch!

Not expecting it, he saw one of the Mimbres ride off from the others. His horse went into a canter heading toward the narrowing of the trough between the two hills. Suddenly then, he turned a tight circle, kicking his horse to a gallop, and he came on a dead run directly for the rocks. Bowen went down and the Mimbre passed within ten yards of him firing his Springfield as he went by.

Bowen came up cautiously. He watched the rider circle wide returning to the rest of the band and as he did another Mimbre rode out. This one also pointed off toward the narrowness, giving his horse room to run before coming around, before making his pass at the rocks. He fired as he went by, the shot glancing off rock and whining up into the trees that were high on the slope behind Bowen.

Now, watching the third Mimbre make his circle, Bowen thought: They’re making a game out of it, trying to scare you. They’ve got all the time in the world, so they’ll play with you a while-knowing they can take you any time they feel like it. And each one comes a little closer.

He went down as a Springfield roared five yards in front of him, then came up again to watch the Mimbre rejoin the others.

That’s some game, he thought then. You know who the winner is before you start. But if you had a gun…if you had a gun you could play with them. You could make it a two-sided game. And it occurred to him then: Why didn’t you get a gun from her! Clothes and a horse, but no gun.

The fourth Mimbre started to make his circle and Bowen eased down. Or, he thought, get a gun from one of them.

Just like that. Go out and grab onto a Springfield as it goes by.