Rusty reconsidered. “We’ll impose on your hospitality, then. But it’d be a good idea if we sleep a little ways out yonder, just in case.”

Shanty said, “That old dog of mineil warn you if anybody comes snoopin’ around. He don’t let nothin’ bigger than a rabbit come close without he raises a ruckus.”

Andy had told Rusty about the night Fowler Gaskin broke into the smokehouse without arousing the dog. But he said, “He’s a good one, all right.”

Shanty said, “Hope you-all like catfish. I caught me a big one down in that deep hole.”

Tanner grinned. “Sounds like a feast to me.”

They sat around the campfire after a supper of catfish and corn bread. Rusty recounted Andy’s rescue of Billy. Shanty enlarged on what Tom Blessing had told about Farley Brackett’s scrap with the state police. “They thought they had him, but it was the other way around. Folks say Clyde Oldham turned tail and run like a scalded dog. Buddy stayed ‘til he was out of cartridges. Got to give him credit for guts. He’s just shy on sense.”

Shanty punched at the fire. “Ain’t hardly nobody likes the Oldhams except a few people in the courthouse. They help one another steal everything that ain’t nailed down tight.”

Tanner said, “There’ll be a big comeuppance someday.”

Eventually Shanty yawned. The day’s work had been hard. He said, “Tonight I’m goin’ to sleep in my own house.”

Tanner pointed out, “It’s got no roof yet.”

“Don’t matter. It’s got walls, so I’ll be sleepin’ indoors.”

Rusty was up long before daylight. He roused Andy and Tanner from their blankets. “We don’t want to ride up to the farm in broad daylight. Let’s go while it’s still dark.”

He knew where the Oldhams had posted guards in the timber along the river to watch his farm when they had been looking for him before. He thought he might find some of them there, but a careful search turned up no one. He said, “If it was a good place for them to watch from, I reckon it’ll do for us. Let’s wait here a spell and see if there’s any sign of life.”

He watched the chimney in particular. If anyone was staying in the cabin, there should soon be smoke. But none appeared.

As the sun came up and spilled strong morning light across the farm, he could see the field and the garden. He winced in disappoin I’ment. “There’s weeds out there tall as the corn. And that corn ought to’ve already been cut. It’s dryin’ up.”

Tanner pointed out, “Clyde and Buddy didn’t take this place because they wanted to farm it. They took it to spite you.”