Rusty’s face warmed. “No, I’d expect not.” He tried not to allow himself the mental picture, but it came nevertheless.

“Me and Andy will be goin’ on.”

He paused at the door for one more look at Geneva. She began unbuttoning her dress from the top. He turned quickly away.

Andy said, “Baby has red face. Like Comanche baby.”

“I think that’s the way they all look at first.”

“Pretty woman. Why you don’t have a woman?”

Josie stood in front of the new house, waiting. “You saw Geneva and the baby. I can tell by the look on your face.”

She did not have to say what she was thinking; he could read it in her eyes. He said, “I never had any claim on her. She’s married now, and to a good man. I’m happy about that.”

He was not, and he knew Josie knew it.

She said, “You just haven’t made up your mind to turn a-loose yet. But you will. And when you do, I’ll be here.”

“You deserve better than to be a substitute for somebody else.”

“I’d settle for that, at first. But I think I could make a man forget he had ever wanted anybody besides me.”

“I doubt I’d be that man.”

“We’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?”

Andy looked from one to the other. It was obvious he had no idea what they were talking about.

The boy was the object of quiet curiosity at the family supper table. It would have been impolite to wear his hat in the house, so the long Comanche-style braids were in plain view. Rusty was not concerned about the Monahans’ acceptance, but he was a little worried about Lieutenant Ames. He was haunted by what Jim Pickard had said about the army perhaps forcing the boy to a reservation or into an institution.

Ames put his fears to rest. “I have seen other white children taken from Indian captivity. He is hardly the first. I assume he is some kin of yours, Shannon?”

“By experience, not by blood. The Comanches took me when I was too little to remember much, but I was freed after a few days. Andy spent better than four years amongst them.”

“So now you are trying to fit him back into white society.”

“No sir. I’m takin’ him back to rejoin the Comanches.” He watched for what he thought was the inevitable adverse reaction. But Ames pondered in silence, his face devoid of expression that might indicate what was in his mind.

Rusty added, “His blood kin rejected him. The Comanches are all the family he’s got. I wish he’d stay with us, but if it can’t be of his own accord maybe he’ll be better off back where he came from.”