ne and killed my dog, that's what
you've done! What harm did he ever do you? What did you have against
him?"

The woman reentered the house, dragging the dog behind her, very white
and fat, with lifeless eyes and flabby body.

"Look at those cheeks, Sergeant! Don't get riled, light of my life: I
swear I'll turn your home into a dovecot, see?"

"By God!" he said, breaking off into song:

"Don't look so haughty, dear,
Banish all fears,
Kiss me and melt to me,
I'll drink up your tears!"

His alcoholic tenor trailed off into the night.

"Tell me what they call this ranch, woman?" the sergeant asked.

"Limon," the woman replied curtly, carrying wood to the fire and
fanning the coals.

"So we're in Limon, eh, the famous Demetrio Macias' country, eh? Do you
hear that, Lieutenant? We're in Limon."

"Limon? What the hell do I care? If I'm bound for hell, Sergeant, I
might as well go there now. I don't mind, now that I've found as good a
remount as this! Look at the cheeks on the darling, look at them!
There's a pair of ripe red apples for a fellow to bite into!"

"I'll wager you know Macias the bandit, lady? I was in the pen with him
at Escobedo, once."

"Bring me a bottle of tequila, Sergeant: I've decided to spend the
night with this charming lady.... What's that? The colonel? ... Why in
God's name talk about the colonel now? He can go straight to hell, for
all I care. And if he doesn't like it, it's all right with me. Come on,
Sergeant, tell the corporal outside to unsaddle the horses and feed
them. I'll stay here all night. Here, my girl, you let the sergeant fry
the eggs and warm up the tortillas; you come here to me. See this
wallet full of nice new bills? They're all for you, darling. Sure, I
want you to have them. Figure it out for yourself. I'm drunk, see: I've
a bit of a load on and that's why I'm kind of hoarse, you might call
it. I left half my gullet down Guadalajara way, and I've been spitting
the other half out all the way up here. Oh well, who cares? But I want
you to have that money, see, dearie? Hey, Sergeant, where's my bottle?
Now, little girl, come here and pour yourself a drink. You won't, eh?
Aw, come on! Afraid of your--er--husband ... or whatever he is, huh?
Well, if he's skulking in some hole, you tell him to come out. What the
hell do I care? I'm not scared of rats, see!" Suddenly a white shadow
loomed on the threshold.

"Demetrio Macias!" the sergeant cried as he stepped bac