Texas had three political parties. The Democrats were mostly former Confederates, many still disenfranchised. A group of Union loyalists called themselves Moderate Republicans. They tried to live up to the name through reconciliation with former enemies. However, a larger group known as Radicals dominated state politics, holding the governor’s mansion and a majority of the legislature. They were more intent on punishing Confederates than on rebuilding the war-weakened economy. Governor Edmund J. Davis had legal power verging on dictatorship.

Rusty said, “There’s too many people on both sides who won’t admit the war is over. They’ve never given up fightin’ it.”

Tanner agreed. “Neither side trusts me and you very much. One bunch is down on us because we didn’t go into the Confederate Army. The other thinks bein’ rangers was the same as bein’ Confederate soldiers.”

“I just try to mind my own business and not mix into quarrels that don’t concern me. The mess will straighten itself out sooner or later.”

Tanner argued, “How do you mind your own business when people keep tryin’ to draw you into a fight? I ran into a bunch of old rebels the other night. They accused me of bein’ a Unionist because I didn’t go into the army. I had to talk fast to keep them from takin’ a whip to me.”

“I know. Some Union men stopped here last week. Said they were lookin’ for Ku Klux. More than likely they’ll come again.”

Tanner shook his head. “In some ways it was better when there was an honest-to-God war. At least you had a pretty good idee where people stood. You wasn’t bein’ whipsawed by politicians and wonderin’ when somebody was fixin’ to shoot you in the back.”

Andy put in, “It’s like that with the Comanches. About the only friends we’ve got are the Kiowas, and we’re not always sure about them. Old men say even the Kiowas used to be our enemies.”

Rusty caught the we and our. Andy often let things like that slip without realizing it. “When’re you goin’ to decide that you’re not a Comanche? You never were.”

He tried to guess what Andy was thinking. The boy’s face was often a mask, revealing little in his eyes or his expression. It worried Rusty that much of the time he had no clue to what was going through Andy’s mind.

He had just as well be an Indian when it comes to hiding his feelings, Rusty thought.

Andy returned to the dog run to look again at the moon.

Tanner asked, “You ever get to feelin’ maybe you done the wrong thing, that you ought to’ve left him to be a Comanche? Now he’s betwixt and between, not quite one and not quite the other. Like me and you.”

Rusty could not argue. “Hell of a shape for anybody to be in.”