“Can’t. Times are so hard that some people are glad to work for three meals and a dry place to roll out their blankets. I promised them a share of whatever we get for the cattle next year.”

“And if you get nothin’?”

“They won’t be any worse off than we are.”

James’s shirt was a case in point. It had been mended so many times that it was hard to discern which parts were original material and which were patches. “Stupid damned war,” James said. “All them fiery speeches, all them bands a-playin’. Look what it brought us to.”

Rusty countered, “I was no more in favor of it than you were. I thought Texas already had war enough.”

James cast a glance toward Andy, riding beside Vince Purdy on the other side of the herd. The boy and the old man had struck up a friendship during Andy’s brief stay at the Monahan farm before going north to seek his adopted people. “How likely are those Comanches to come huntin’ for Andy?”

“I think we threw them off of the trail. They’ll have no idea where to look.”

“You said he killed somebody.”

Rusty shifted in the saddle, resting one hip while he placed extra weight on the other. The old arrow wound in his leg often pained him when he became tired. “You remember me tellin’ you about the raid he went on with his Indian brother and some others down to the Colorado River country? There was a warrior by the name of Tonkawa Killer. He hated Andy for bein’ white. When Andy’s horse fell on him and broke his leg, Tonkawa Killer tried to finish him. Thought he had done it.

“In the scatteration after the raid, they couldn’t find Andy. Tonkawa Killer told them he had seen the kid turn coward and run away. When Andy showed up with me at the Comanche camp he made Tonkawa Killer out a liar. You never saw a madder Indian. Andy had no choice but to put an arrow in him. Now he’s got Comanche blood on his hands. It’s like he’s been orphaned a second time.”

James listened soberly. “He’ll feel better after Mother Clemmie fills him up with hot vittles and fresh milk.”

“It’ll take more than good cookin’. What he really needs is family.”

“You can play big brother to him.”

“I’ll try, but I’m not sure How. I never had a brother before.”

James said, “I did.” Bitterness pinched his eyes. “The rebels took him away from me.”

“Those that did it are gone now.”

“Into the hottest fires of hell I hope. I’d be willin’ to go there myself if I could get at them again. I’d keep pokin’ them with the devil’s pitchfork ‘til I knew they were well done.”