Rusty shivered as he pondered the significance of the old man’s news. He had sensed the end coming, yet it seemed unreal that the years of agony had come to an end.

Barlow asked Timpson, “Does this mean we can go home?”

“It means there’s no Confederate government to say you can’t.”

Tanner gripped Rusty’s shoulder, jubilation in his eyes. “That high-and-mighty Lieutenant Billings can’t have got halfway to Austin yet. Wouldn’t you love to see his face when he finds out?”

Rusty felt more awed than jubilant. “This means we didn’t really have to quit the ranger company.”

Clearly, that idea had not occurred to Tanner, but it did not give him pause. “There may not be a company left anyhow. If there’s no more Confederacy, there’s no more government.”

“If there’s no government, there’s no law.” The thought brought a chill to Rusty. He could visualize criminals banding together, ranging over the country with impunity, taking what they wanted, smashing anyone daring enough to stand in their way. “There’s got to be law.”

“It’s just so much paper if there ain’t nobody to carry it out.”

Rusty wished they had not quit the rangers. “Len, we’ve got to go back.”

“Where?”

“To the camp at Fort Belknap. Captain Whitfield may need us now more than ever.”

Tanner’s face fell. “I was countin’ pretty strong on goin’ home and seein’ my folks.”

“Duty, Len. I don’t see we’ve got a choice if we ever want to hold our heads up again.”

“I never saw anybody so hell-bent on duty.”

“Then go on south without me. I know what I’ve got to do.”

“I’ve already had to save your life once or twice. You’ll probably get yourself killed if I’m not around, so I’ll go with you. But damn it, Rusty, that sense of duty will be the death of you someday, I swear it will.”

Rusty felt a strong hand grip his arm. He turned to a grim-faced James Monahan.

James said quietly, “Now’s your chance to get out of camp while everybody’s mind is on somethin’ else.”

A quick glance showed Rusty that nobody seemed to be paying any attention to him and Tanner.

“We’ll catch our horses and go. But first I want to ask you . . .”

Impatiently James declared, “You ain’t got time to ask questions, and I ain’t got time to answer any. Git while the gittin’s good.”

Reluctantly Rusty had to acknowledge the wisdom in James’s advice.

He was bursting with questions about Geneva, but they would have to wait.

“All right, let’s go, Len. But I’m takin’ Daddy Mike’s old mule.”

James jerked his head toward the place where the two rangers’ horses were tied. “Take him and be damned. But whatever you do, do it quick.”

CHAPTER

FIVE

At first the ranger camp appeared deserted. Captain Whitfield’s tent was still standing. The others had been struck, the canvas folded and stacked on the ground. Wooden stakes lay in a pile.