For a moment the face tightened and the dark eyes did not blink, holding squarely on Flynn, as if waiting for him to say more, but Flynn remained silent. The face relaxed then and Deneen said, "Very well, thank you."

There was the hint of a smile playing at the tips of Flynn's mustache. "That's good. Sometimes those old wounds start aching, especially when the weather's damp."

"Fortunately the climate is uncommonly dry."

"Fortunately."

"I can't say I expected to see you here."

"I don't imagine you did."

"You know why you were asked, of course."

"As well as you do."

"Because of your knowledge of the country. I'm told you've been on a mining venture down there for something like a year and a half. I assume it was unsuccessful, or you would not have returned to scouting. Did you see signs of Soldado Viejo?"

"There are always signs."

"And less cryptically, that means what?"

"The dead."

"I suppose the Mexican government has done little."

"On my way up I talked to a man in Soyopa who said that Porfirio Diaz was sending police to help them. They were expected any day."

"Rurales?"

Flynn nodded.

"His newly formed police. Bandits to fight bandits."

"Maybe that's the way," Flynn said.

"What about the scalp bounty?"

"The government's still paying it if you're man enough to take an Apache's hair."

"I'm told there's an American outlaw down there making something of a success of scalp hunting. Lazair. Have you heard of him?"

"He was pointed out to me once."

"Where?"

"In Guazapares, over a year ago. At that time scalps had to be taken to Guazapares for the bounty. Lazair rode in with some of his men and I saw him at a distance. I saw his face before that on wanted dodgers up here."

"How does he get along with the authorities?"

Flynn shrugged. "I don't know. Everybody seems afraid of him."