“Riders comin’. Your brother James, Evan, and Len.”

Her eyes brightened for only a moment, then trouble darkened them again. “What about Billy? And Andy?”

Rusty shook his head.

Josie leaned against him and choked off a small cry of disappoin I’ment. She glanced back toward her sister’s house. Geneva sat in a rocking chair on the dog run, rocking the baby girl.

Josie said, “She’s gone half crazy with worry and grief. At least Evan is comin’ back. Maybe that’ll help.”

Rusty had watched Geneva waste away. He knew she had eaten but little, and he doubted that she had slept much. She clung to the baby as if the girl were the only family left to her. She had drained herself of tears. Now her eyes were dry and hollow and haunted.

Josie said, “I’d better go tell Geneva and Mama.”

She seemed reluctant to start. Rusty hugged her for whatever comfort that might give her, then watched her move away toward her sister. He opened the corral gate and waited. He felt no need for a lot of questions. Despair in the dusty, bearded faces told him almost all he needed to know. He asked only, “Andy?”

Tanner’s expression was grim. “He wouldn’t come back with us. He’s still out there somewhere, lookin’.”

Geneva hurried out from her cabin, carrying the baby, and ran to meet her husband. He folded both of them into his arms. Rusty heard her cry. Clemmie came from the larger family house with Preacher Webb. She shaded her eyes with her hand a moment, then rushed to embrace her son. Webb trailed, letting her have her moment with James.

Rusty asked Tanner, “Find any trace of the boy?”

“We saw Indian sign, but there was no way to tell if they still had Billy or not.”

Rusty’s voice turned critical. “I don’t see how you could’ve let Andy stay up there by himself.”

“He wasn’t by himself.” Tanner explained about the Comancheros and the deal James had offered to barter the boy’s freedom with horses.

Rusty protested, “But Andy’s just a boy himself.”

“Maybe you ain’t paid enough attention to him lately. He don’t act like a boy when he’s got his mind made up. Said he was goin’ to find Billy however long it took.”

“You still ought to’ve stopped him.”

“Tell you the truth, I don’t think we really wanted to. He feels like it’s his fault Billy got taken. Another thing, he can go places the rest of us can’t. If anybody’s to find Billy, it’ll be him.”

Rusty’s anxiety was not appeased, but he saw it was useless to belabor the point. “Did you see Captain Burmeister anywhere?”

“Not since he turned back.”

“He went out again, soon as his men got a little rest, supplies, and some fresh horses. God knows where he is.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t go with him.”

“I don’t have the strength to keep up on a hard ride. I’d be a millstone around everybody’s neck. And somebody needed to be here besides Preacher Webb and Macy in case some Comanches or Kiowas decided to pay another visit.”