Tanner grimaced. “I’d hate to be the one they’re after. They look serious enough to shoot him on sight.”

Rusty added, “Then claim he tried to get away.”

The three remained in the creek bed until the posse passed out of sight. Later they cautiously dismounted in timber and watched the Tom Blessing place for a while before showing themselves. No one was working in the fields. The only sign of life Rusty saw was a thin rise of smoke from the cabin’s chimney.

He said, “No sign of trouble, and I don’t want to stay here ‘til dark.” He mounted and moved his horse out into the open. Andy and Tanner followed.

A dog announced their coming. Tom Blessing’s wife came to the edge of the dog run and held her hand over her eyes. When Rusty hesitated fifty yards out, she shouted, “It’s all right. Come on in.”

Rusty dismounted and took off his hat. “Kind of spooked us a little, not seein’ Tom or Shanty or anybody.”

She said, “They’re over at Shanty’s place. Our boys, too. They’re puttin’ up a new cabin for him.”

“Takin’ a chance, aren’t they? Some of the hotheads around here will burn it down like before.”

“Not likely. Tom and our boys paid a visit to Fowier Gaskin and everybody else they thought might have such notions. Put the fear of God into them. Ain’t heard a word out of Fowler since, nor anybody else.”

“What about Jeremiah Brackett and his son, Farley?”

“Farley’s got himself in real bad trouble. He’s run the law ragged tryin’ to catch him, so they’ve been campin’ on his daddy’s doorstep. The old man’s got too much grief on his plate to bedevil Shanty or anybody else.”

Rusty and the others watered their horses. He told Mrs. Blessing, “We’ll ride on over to Shanty’s. I need to talk to Tom.”

She warned, “Keep a sharp eye out for the Oldhams and their state police. They came back mighty sore over not bein’ able to arrest you. Tom says Buddy’s gone a little crazy.”

“He always did seem about three aces shy of a full deck. I’ll watch out for him.”

Shanty’s crop of corn had been cut and set up in shocks across the field. His dog came trotting out to meet the visitors. Hearing him bark, Shanty put aside an ax with which he had been trimming a log. He stared a moment until he was sure, then hobbled toward Rusty. Beyond him Rusty could see that the cabin walls were almost finished.

“Mr. Rusty,” Shanty shouted, “welcome home. And you, Mr. Tanner, and Andy.”

Rusty stepped down and grasped Shanty’s hand. “It’s good to see you. You been gettin’ along all right?”

“Fine as frog hair. I wisht you’d look at the cabin the Blessings are helpin’ me build. It’ll be bigger than the old one was.”

“I’m glad, Shanty.”

“It’ll feel good to stay at my own place and take care of my own land, just me and my old dog. Hope it don’t rain before we get done.”