“That’s why we need to make a show of searchin’. It’s got to look good on our report. Then Dawkins won’t have any complaint comin’.”

“He’ll complain anyway. You heard what he said about gettin’ rid of this family. He means it.”

Geneva took a sharp breath. “Get rid of us? How?”

“However he has to. Whatever it takes.”

She grabbed Rusty’s arm. “You-all wouldn’t let him do that. Would you?”

The captain said, “Not while we’re here, but we’re spread too thin to stay.”

“We have a sheriff.”

“He’s got this whole county to worry about. He can’t set up permanent camp here. Looks to me like you-all are in a fix.” Whitfield looked regretfully at the girl. “I’m afraid with Dawkins it’s gone deeper than patriotism and a difference over the war. Your brother has made a personal vendetta out of it.”

Rusty protested, “It didn’t start with James. It started when Dawkins hung Lon and Billy.”

“It doesn’t matter where it started. What matters is where it has got to now.”

Rusty took Geneva’s hands in his own. “I told Dawkins I’d kill him if he hurt any of you. I don’t think he believed it. I’m not sure I believe it either.”

The captain asked, “Is there any place you folks could go to get away from here for a while?”

“Before Pa died we promised we’d stay here no matter what.”

Rusty said, “It’s a promise you can’t afford to keep. On account of James, you’re all in danger if you stay here.”

“Mother won’t hear of goin’.”

Vince Purdy had stood with his hands in his pockets and his head down, listening quietly. Now he interceded. “When everybody made that promise, we didn’t know your daddy was fixin’ to be killed. Everything is different now.”

Geneva gave Rusty an anguished look. “But we’ve got nowhere to go. We can’t live out in the brush like James. There’s the young ones to think of.”

Purdy took his granddaughter’s arm. “We’ll try talkin’ to your mother. Don’t know that it’ll do any good.” He walked with her up the steps and into the house.

Rusty faced the captain. “I’m not goin’ anywhere ‘I’ll I know these folks are safe. I’ll resign from the company if I have to.”

Whitfield frowned. “The conscript officers’ll come for you. They’ll send you off to Virginia or Tennessee or someplace a long ways from here.”

“They’ll have to catch me first.”

“You want to hide out like James Monahan?” The captain shook his head. “You don’t have to resign. I’ll assign you to stay and watch after these folks ‘I’ll they’re out of harm’s way. Our main duty is to protect the settlers.”

“What if Mrs. Monahan refuses to go anywhere?”

“You’ll have to persuade her. The sooner the better.”

Rusty dreaded facing Clemmie. When she folded her arms and stuck out her chin, a mountain would be easier to move. He forced himself up the steps and through the door. She was in conversation with her father and Geneva, but her eyes cut him like a knife.