Chapter 13 bells and whistles

After two days of searching, Ben Snow found the dying man by a small pool.He slowly stopped the oats, holding the handle of the gun with his right hand, to prevent himself from falling into a trap.But then, he saw the blood-stained bandage on the man's chest, and recognized him as Tommy Gonzolas, the half-Mexican gunman who had been with Podell from beginning to end.His horse gnawed at the sparse grass not far away. Even knowing that Gonzolas was dying, Ben approached slowly.The open terrain provided no cover for the rifleman, but he knew that Poddle was ruthless and would use a dying man as bait in a trap. "Have you got a weapon with you?" he asked Gonzolas. "Throw your gun over here."

The man couldn't even raise his head, and the pistol fell on the sand a meter away, but his hands on his chest didn't move.Ben strode over quickly, kicking the weapon out of his reach.Then, he crouched down and checked his injuries. "I'm dying," Gonzolas said clearly.He was injured during the bank robbery in Tosco, and the only reason Ben Snow took over the job of hunting Bordle in the desert was because he believed the serious injury would slow their escape.But Podell gave the man a gun, threw him by a pool, left him to fend for himself, and left. "Tell me about Pordle," Ben asked the man. "Where did he go? With his mask off, what does he look like?"

Gonzolas tried to laugh, but his mouth was full of blood. "You'll never catch Podell," he gasped, "no one can." "Speak, Gonzolas, he left you to die. You owe him nothing." But it was too late.The Mexican tilted his head to one side and closed his eyes.For a moment, it seemed that he had died.Ben was about to stand up when Gonzolas spat out the last words. "The bell," he said, "listen to the bell, and you'll catch Purdell, or Purdell will catch you." Ben didn't know if the words were meant to help him or to send him to his death.But the bell was his only clue.He buried Tommy Gonzolas by the waterhole, unsaddled his horse, let it go, and rode on in pursuit.

The next day, he met a girl standing next to a dead horse.She was wearing a pair of denim pants and a men's shirt, but even from a distance, there was no doubt about her gender.She held her head haughtily high, her long black hair flowing down her back, and the rifle in her hand was enough to remind those who came that she was not to be trifled with.With no town or road in sight, Ben felt obliged to help her.He rode closer, excited by what he saw.The dead horse lying at her feet resembled the black and white horse Podell had ridden when he escaped from Tosco. Seeing him approach on horseback, she lowered her rifle. "At first I thought it was him coming back," she said.

"Who? What happened here?" "A masked man robbed my horse." Ben dismounted and went over to examine the dead horse.It was shot through the head at close range. "What does that person look like?" "As I said, he covered his face—a cloth bag was put on his head, and two holes were dug for his eyes. He was very short, about the same size as me, and he was a good hand with a gun." "What are you doing here alone?" She picked up the rifle again, "Why did I tell you?" Ben walked over to the gun with a smile, and gently pushed the barrel away, "The man who took your horse is said to be named Podell, and he will never leave you with a loaded rifle, okay? Made you shoot him in the back as he left. He took the bullet, didn't he?"

"You seem to know everything, sir—" "Snow. Ben Snow." She looked more relaxed, as if his name had made her accept him. "My name is Amy Forrester. My brother and I have a ranch in a valley forty miles from here. I'm looking for stray animals." "In the desert?" "Sometimes they can run so far, especially the lambs who don't know what to do. There are some ponds around here." "I passed one yesterday." "Anyway, I heard a gunshot and came this way. When the man saw me, he put the bag over his head and drew his gun and pointed it at me. Said his horse was broken leg, he had to shoot it, and he was going to ride my horse. He emptied my rifle, as you guessed it, and left me here. I wish I had seen his face."

"If you see it, you're dead. The masked man who called himself Bordle was never seen by anyone. He robbed banks and stagecoachs all over New Mexico. Normally he would say Silent, he had a valet named Tommy Gonzolas to speak for him. But now Gonzolas is dead." "How do you know him so well?" "He killed a banker in Tosco a few days ago. I happened to be in town and they hired me to go after him—a one-man armed force!" "What are your skills?" He smiled at her. "They're crazy to believe I'm Billy the Kid." "He is dead."

"Don't tell them. Just take Podell back, and they'll give me money, alive or dead." "what is his name?" "As far as I know, he doesn't have a name. Podel is Spanish for 'power.' true face, and now he's dead again." "I guess I'm lucky to be alive. Can you take me back to my ranch? It's just due north." He looked around, looking for clues in the barrenness that could point to the direction of Podell's escape. "I don't know. I'd like to go west. If you plot the Podell robberies on a map, it seems like they're all concentrated on the west side. But my horse can carry the two of us to the next town, and I can put you there."

"Okay, it's a way." He climbed onto the horse's back and helped her sit behind him, amazed by the lightness and quickness of her movements. Their journey hadn't started yet, and he vaguely heard voices coming from afar.Like a bell. "What was that noise?" he asked her. She tilted her head to the left and listened carefully. "You mean the bell? That's the San Bernardino mission. It's just a few miles from here. Are you taking me there?" "I think so," decided Ben, "it's there." On reaching the crest of the next knoll, the mission area came into view, which I estimated to be about five or six miles from where Podell had stolen Amy Forrester's horse.He walked down the last dune at a leisurely pace, the ground hardened under his feet, and he rode through the scattered cacti and sagebrush.The mission area sits on a small oasis and consists of a white brick church with a long, low house behind it.Amy explained that the monastery was built according to religious regulations, and the priests here tried their best to grow crops and live a self-sufficient life. "There are only a few priests here. The rest are mortal monks working in the fields. There is also a trading post set up by some Indians and Mexicans outside the mission."

"It sounds like you know the place well," said Ben. "When I pass by here, I often stop. Of course, women are not allowed in the monastery, but I like the calm feeling of this church. No matter how hot the weather is, there is always a cooling feeling here." He saw a dozen people coming out of the church. "What are they doing?" "It's Sunday morning. They've just finished mass." "I forgot. Here, every day is the same." "They only say Mass at ten o'clock, and that's the only time the bell rings once a week. It's a miracle we hear."

"Perhaps we were called," said Ben to himself... They dismounted by a small stable with horses, and Amy ran towards the pen. "It's the king!" she pointed. "That's my horse!" "The big brown one?" "I am sure!" An Indian stood by, who seemed to be in charge of the stables.Ben said to him: "You—what's your name?" "Standing Elk. I come from Indian village." "Okay, Standing Elk. Did you see that brown stallion who brought it?" "No, I don't know who it is." The Indian wore a pair of buckskin breeches with frayed edges, and a headband around his head, but no feathers.He was slightly shorter than Ben and looked younger. "Didn't you see someone riding up? About—how long, Amy?" "An hour or so. An hour before you met me, he took my horse. Of course, he may ride faster than us." "I didn't see it." Standing Elk insisted. "Okay," said Ben, "come on, Amy. We'll worry about your horse later." A priest in his Sunday cassock stood outside the mission church, carefully hiding in the shadow cast by the bell tower.He was young, with blond hair, and Ben imagined his skin getting sunburned quickly in the scorching New Mexico desert sun. "Good morning!" he greeted Ben. "Welcome to the San Bernardino Mission. How are you today, Amy?" "I'm fine now. This is Ben Snow, Father Angelis." The priest bowed in greeting, and for the first time Ben noticed the hood hanging down the back of his cassock. "I'm sorry you missed mass, Ben. We only have one service here at ten o'clock. There is also a daily mass every morning." "Father, Ben saved my life in the desert. A gunman took my horse." "The shooter? Around here?" "We think he's coming this way, Father," Ben told him. "He murders, robs, and does all sorts of crimes, and calls himself Poddle." "Strength," translated the priest unconsciously, "I haven't heard of this man," he turned to Amy, "but, my dear boy, you must be tired from what you've been through—come in, let Ro Mrs. Driggs takes care of you." Amy refused, but Father Angelis insisted.Ben followed them until Amy was handed over to a kind-faced, plump Mexican woman.Afterwards, Ben waited for the priest to take off his cassock reverently, fold it up and put it away. "It's a nice place in the middle of the desert," Ben said. "I don't know it well, but I should." "Where are you from?" Father Angelis asked, brushing aside the blond hair from his forehead. "I was born in the Midwest. But I've been a nomad for years. I don't think I have a home at all," he asked as they walked through the cloister leading to the monastery. "How many of you live here?" "Father Reynolds, Father Kanzes, and I. There are only five mortal monks at the moment, and a few others to help us. Mrs. Rodriguez takes care of three meals a day, Louis rings the clock on Sunday, and Standing Eyre Ke tends the horses, and Pedro Verde runs the trading post. Others stop by to see us when they pass by. Like Amy." A friar with an immature face walked into the gate of the monastery. Father Angelis stopped him and introduced, "Brother Abraham, this is Ben Snow, a traveler passing by to rest." After the pastor finished speaking, Brother Abraham bowed slightly, "I'm glad you're here. I hope you have a good time here." "I will," Ben told him, and the Friar walked away. "Abraham," Ben said, "a name in the Old Testament." "A presidential name," Father Angelis corrected, "and now the generation of kids named after Lincoln has grown up." "Did the Indians around here give you trouble?" "After Geronimo surrendered, there was none. The Apaches harassed us, but they seem to be at peace now. The villagers in the Indian villages have always been our friends. Many people have converted to Christianity, although they are stubborn. Clinging to their old rites." He showed Ben around the empty, cell-like rooms of the monastery. "It's like a prison." Ben expressed his opinion. "In a way, yes, but the spirit is free. Mortal monks like Abraham toil in the fields, and we are often by their side. Every morning, one of us presides at Mass, and generally, all the people in the trading post Indians and Mexicans will be there." "There's a lot of Mexicans," Ben noticed. "The border is not far from here." "Do you know a man named Tommy Gonzolas? He seems to be half Mexican." "I think he comes here sometimes. Why do you ask that? Are you looking for him?" "I've found him." Back at the church, he crossed himself as they passed under a huge cross. "You carry a gun like a gunslinger, Mr. Snow. I hope Tommy Gonzolas is unharmed." "When I found him, he was wounded, Father. I buried him in the desert." "May God rest his soul." "He's a bank robber and a murderer, Father. He's with the man I'm looking for, Pordle." "The one who took Amy Forrester's horse?" "it's him." "I don't know anything about him." "Is anyone leaving the monastery this week?" "You can't tell. Like I said, they come and go. Standing Elk probably knows better than I do—he tends the horses." "Okay. I'll talk to him again." The food in the mission area was simple but delicious, and Mrs. Rodriguez seemed to be very proud to be able to cook for them.The only thing Ben regretted was that Amy wasn't at the table to join them for lunch, but the lady cooked a special meal for her in the kitchen.Of the five monks, only one is Mexican, and since he does not speak English, Father Kanzes talks to him in Spanish.The third priest, Father Reynolds, had been a cavalry officer during the Civil War and had come here to fight the Indians in the west, but he had found God. "I think it's more important to redeem their souls than to kill their bodies," he said, "but you were too young to remember the war." "I was six when the war ended," said Ben, "and I'm twenty-eight now." "You look older—or should I say more mature. Riding in the hot sun makes your face look weather-beaten." Brother Abraham sat across from him, with Brother Franklin and Brother Rudolph next to him.None of them liked to talk too much, but Abraham seemed to be the quietest.Ben wondered what his story was. After lunch, Father Kanzes strolled with Ben to the trading post and introduced him to Pedro Verde.He's good-looking, with a moustache, and he runs the place with a bunch of mixed-race helpers.He and Father Kanzes joked, and the fat priest seemed to enjoy it, which had obviously become a friendly courtesy between them. "You're the priest's friend?" he asked Ben. "A new friend, of course, or he'd have fed you as fat as him by now." After a few words of small talk, Ben asked, "Do you know a half-breed named Tommy Gonzolas who used to come here?" "I know him, yes. I know a lot of people." "He passed away recently and I wanted to help him with a message to his close friends. He told me he had a good friend here in the mission." Wilder lit a thin cigarillo, "Were you by his side when he died?" "Yes, I'm with him." "I don't know anything. He talks to other people, but he doesn't have any special friends." Ben thought of the dead horse. "Anyone around here on a horse with black and white flowers?" "Pattons and spotted horses are common here, because the wild horses still roam around and interbreed. There seem to be half a dozen black and whites in the corral at Standing Elk now." Ben sighed. "I just wanted to send a message to Tommy Gonzolas' friend. You couldn't help." Father Kanzes walked away, browsing the blankets and knick-knacks that the Indians were selling.Business was quiet here, Ben thought, and few people even knew about the place—the San Bernardino mission was off the usual route for the carriages.He wondered if the remoteness was why Podell had fled here. "I'm looking for a man named Pordle," said Ben at last. "Do you know him?" Wilder smiled, eyes sparkling, "The Tosco's hired you to get him. Yes, Mr. Snow. The word has reached here. An Indian told me this morning that Billy the Kid came to get Pordle or come to kill him. But you're too tall for Billy. He's short like me. And, he's dead. At his girlfriend's home in Fort Sumner, Pat Garrett shot him twice, and he was buried there, not far from here," Wilder looked at the burning butt of the cigarillo, "Billy should have accepted General Lou Wallace amnesty, to leave New Mexico. You know, he met Wallace, but he declined his offer." "Are you implying something to me?" Ben wondered, "Should I also get away while I can?" The Mexican shrugged. "Where do you think you'll find Podell? Do you think it's the fat priest Kanzes riding the masked horse? Or these little Indian kids playing in the dirt? Have you thought about it?" "I've come a long way." "We've all come a long way, Mr. Snow." A loud commotion broke out among the children, and Wilder turned away.He shouted something at them in Spanish and they all fell silent.Ben turned and walked toward the corral. There were more than twenty horses in the corral, but there was no sign of Standing Elk.Maybe he went to lunch too.Ben walked slowly back to the mission, noticing a friar hurrying across the cloister.He was hooded, and it was impossible to tell who it was, but his movements caught Ben's attention.He walked so fast that he almost ran. Ben climbed over the low wall of the cloister, and chased after the monk in the direction he was walking.He knew that the cloister led to the monastery, and when he stepped on the threshold he realized he had entered a restricted area.At this time, he did not have Father Angelis as his guide. It's very dark here, except for the occasional ray of afternoon sunlight filtering in from outside.He went along the corridor, past the room where the monks lived.For a moment he thought he heard footsteps behind him, turned around, drew his gun, but found no one there.He seemed to be alone in the house. He turned a corner and froze. Directly in front is a wooden partition wall with spiral railings like lattice windows.A man's arm popped out from between the bars and then slid down, as if he had been caught trying to escape. It was the Indian, Standing Elk, who was dead. Father Reynolds, who was the first to hear Ben's cries, said his last prayers for the dead man. "There's blood." He said after it was over. "He was stabbed to death." Father Angelis and Brother Franklin arrived later, "What happened here?" "Standing Elk was killed," said Ben. "I should have expected that to happen." "You don't have to blame yourself," Father Angelis said. "My arrival sparked it. Pordle killed him before he told me who was riding Amy Forrester's horse." "I can't believe that the man you're looking for is hiding here," said Father Reynolds. "Here's the evidence," Ben said, pointing to the body. "If the body is here," said Brother Franklin, "does it mean that the murderer was one of us?" Ben shook his head. "If Standing Elk can get into this house, so can the other Indians and Mexicans. Put on a robe like yours and a hood, and who'd tell the difference?" "There's no sheriff within a hundred miles," said Father Angelis. "What shall we do?" "Bury him. I'll report back when I get back to Tosco. Surely you can't just leave the body in this heat." "We've got to hold a funeral mass," the priest said, ruffling his sandy hair, "but we can't embalm the body. We have to bury him as soon as possible." A funeral mass was held later in the afternoon and was presided over by Father Angelis.People from the oasis poured into the church for the second time of the day after the monastery bells rang mournfully.Ben and Amy Forrester sat in the back of the church watching the ancient ceremony.After the priest finished the mass, Ben Fox, a resident of another Indian village, came forward and put some rosary beads and bracelets into the ordinary wooden coffin that Pedro Verde and his assistants had made. After it was over, Ben, Amy and others stood in silence for him in the small cemetery behind the monastery.Afterwards, Ben studied the faces of each mourner.But even if one of them was Podell, it wouldn't be written on his face.Ben asked Father Kanzes if they had a map of the area. "We have one in our library," replied the fat priest. He took Ben and Amy to a room full of books near the cloister, and left.On the map, Ben measured the distance from the abbey to where he remembered Podell's crimes.He was busy when Brother Abraham came in and looked out from behind him. "what are you doing?" Ben put down his work and looked up at him. "The person I'm looking for is probably the murderer of Standing Elk. He has committed crimes in these places. All the places are within three days' travel distance from the monastery." The monk nodded silently, and after a while, he left.Ben asked Amy, "You know anything about him? He looks kind of weird." "Just heard from them that his parents were killed by the Apache when he was ten years old, and he's been here ever since." Ben put the map back, and she walked up and down the bookshelves. "They have a lot of books here. Melville, Victor, Hugo, Dickens, Hawthorne. There is even a novel by our magistrate, Ben-Hur." "I'm surprised they have Hugo's book. I've heard the church doesn't hold his novels in high esteem." "I guess no one has read these books except priests and monks. Most Indians and Mexicans probably can't read English." "Have you ever wondered why Poddle speaks so little?" Ben asked, "because of his limited English?" "I thought the same thing when you said it was often the guy named Gonzolas who spoke. I wondered if it was Podell's bad English." "But he spoke to you when he took your horse." "There are only a few sentences, and he is still covered, vague." "There's another explanation for why he doesn't talk much," Ben said softly.The thought lingered in his mind all day, "Is your rifle handy?" "I put it in the kitchen when we got here. Probably still there." "Go, let's get it." His request seemed to confuse her, but she complied.They found the rifle standing in the corner, and Mrs. Rodriguez was busy preparing dinner. "We'll have dinner right away," she said, "don't go too far." "It's outside," Ben assured her. They walked into the courtyard next to the corridor, and Ben pointed his gun at the sky, "I just said that there is another explanation for why he rarely speaks. Podell may be a woman." "I--" "Maybe you were on your way to the monastery and your horse broke its leg. You had to shoot it, and when I appeared you were afraid I'd recognize the black-and-white horse as Poudel's. So you Made up a lie that he took your horse." "Do you really think so?" "There's a way to prove it. If your story is false, then he didn't unload your rifle at all. It should be loaded by now." He pulled the trigger. There was a loud bang from the rifle, and a single shot shot into the sky. Amy Forrest stood there blankly, staring at him.For a full minute, neither of them moved.Then, she said, "I bought some bullets from Wilder this afternoon and loaded them. If you don't believe me, you can ask him." He lowered his rifle. "I trust you." "Pordle is not a woman. It was a man's voice that spoke to me." She turned and went into the house. Ben stood still, looking at her background.Then, he turned around and walked towards the trading post.There were few people there, and he sat down in the shade of a large cactus, scribbling in the sand. Not long after, Father Angelis came to him. "I heard a gunshot," the pastor said. "I saw Amy. She was upset." "It's quite logical," Ben told him, "that she killed Standing Elk not because he saw someone riding to the stables this morning, but because he knew no one was going. He knew She's lying." "Logic and truth don't always equate," said the pastor. "Even if Poddle were here, it wouldn't be the little girl." Ben looked up at him. "You know the truth, don't you, Father? Podell confessed to you." "He doesn't, of course, and even if he did, I can't tell you," he glanced at Ben's letters in the sand. "What's this?" "Pordel and Pedro have the same letters. Just in a different order." "So you have a new suspect in place of Amy." "Is there only Wilder named Pedro here?" "Yes. But take it easy this time, Ben." Mrs. Rodriguez summoned them to supper, and the priest left.But as Ben stood up, smoothing the sand in front of him, he remembered a book in the Abbey library.He was not well educated, but he had read some classics as a child in the Midwest.Maybe part of the answer is in that book. Suddenly he caught a glimpse of a figure in the corridor, the friar he had been chasing before he found the body of Standing Elke.He ran away, trying to catch him this time.This person has been watching him, which means that he may be the person he is looking for. "Stop!" Ben yelled, as the cloaked figure opened the Abbey door.Just as the monk was about to hide in the entrance, he stretched out his arms, grabbed the hood at the back of him, and pulled it off.When the man turned and faced him, he saw what he both hoped and dreaded to see. no face.There was only a cloth mask with two holes for the eyes. "Pordel! We finally meet!" A pistol protruded from beneath the folds of the cloak.Ben grabbed it and twisted the muzzle away from him.A gunshot rang out, and the bullet passed through his head. For a moment, his clenched hands loosened.The two were too close to take aim, and Pordle swung his pistol and brought it down on Ben's temple. There were stars in his eyes, a searing pain went through his head, and he felt himself on the verge of falling.He stretched out his hand to grab the masked man in front of him, and hooked a finger into an eye hole on the mask with all his might.He fell backwards, pulled down his mask, and prayed with his last breath that at least he could see the face of his killer. He saw—Pordle's face. He had never seen this man's face before. His vision gradually cleared, his consciousness returned, and Ben recognized Amy and Father Angelis kneeling beside him. "Who?" Amy asked. "Who attacked you?" "Pordle." "Did you see his face?" "I see." He tried to stand up.He had a splitting headache, but other than that, he seemed to be fine.His gun was still in the pouch. "I have to go after him." "He'll kill you," said Amy. "He didn't just now." "We ran over and scared him away." Ben leaned against the wall, steadied himself, and took a few steps.he's fine.He can now. "You two stay here," he said. "Do you know where he is?" asked Father Angelis. "I know." He left them and walked towards the church.After entering the door, he found a ladder leading directly to it, and climbed up.He climbed up to the top of the bell tower, which was about fifty feet above the ground. Podell was standing behind the two missionary bells, his back to the sky, waiting for him. "I knew you were going to come here," Ben said. "Your name is Louis, isn't it? I remember Father Angelis telling me this morning, 'Louis rings the bell on Sunday.' I thought I was in Standing Ayr Saw everyone at the funeral, but of course I didn't see you because you were here ringing the bell then." "You shouldn't have meddled," said Poudel. "You shouldn't have found this place." "I'm hired to take you back." "Gonzolas told you, didn't he? I'm afraid someone will find him before he dies, but I can't kill him." "He said he could find you by hearing the bell. I should have taken that literally, but I didn't. I thought he was just saying you were hiding in the Mission. But your mistake was that you took Amy Forrest's horse." "I have to." "I know. You were too late. You must have panicked when your horse broke its leg and couldn't get up. But then you saw her and snatched her horse. When I thought of this I asked myself why. You were only five miles from the Abbey--not a long walk for a man who robs a stagecoach and a bank. Even with a mask on, you risk exposing yourself, Leave alive, why is that?" "I never kill women." "But you can quite well walk eight or ninety minutes, so why risk it? Why—unless you have to rush back to the Abbey because of some Sunday morning work? I asked myself what work it might be. Ten o'clock, of course. There is Mass. Is it possible that Podell was one of the three priests? No, because they said that there is Mass every day, and Podell is not here all week, and it takes three days to ride to Tosco. , three more days to come back. He has not been there, and he has been away for such a long time before. So, he cannot be a priest, nor can he be a monk who works in the fields every day. It will not be for them Mrs. Rodriguez who prepares three meals a day. But Indians and Mexicans come and go on a voluntary basis, and no one notices if they don't attend Sunday Mass. Only one person, as far as I know, is free the rest of the week Yes, but there's work on Sunday mornings—Louis, who rings the bell on Sunday. If the bell doesn't ring at ten o'clock, people will ask where Louis has been." Pordle moved a little, and Ben saw the gun in his hand.He moved slightly to the right, putting the two bells between them. "Guns drawn!" said Pordle. "Talking time is over." But Ben gushed: "I think the view from here is what got you down the road. There's a sense of entitlement looking at these tiny people down there. Hugo's hunchback Was a poor ugly cripple until he looked down on the streets of Paris from his belfry. A man would feel like a god on high - entitled to rob or kill, unrivaled. Masked and silent is the Part of your image, adding some legend to you." "Draw the gun, damn you!" cried Poudel, firing his six-shot gun.With a bang, the bullet hit the big clock, shaking the surrounding air. Ben drew his gun. He looked down from the top of the tower for a long time, looking down at the tiny figure on the ground, and saw Father Angelis and Amy running towards the place where he fell.The priest knelt in the dust and prayed next to Louis' body.Ben looked down at it all. At the top of the tower, he felt the power that Louis had felt.Finally he had to turn his eyes to the endless desert until he felt small again.

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