Mike struggled through the door about the time Blessing finished his first cup of coffee. His shirt was buttoned wrong. The left side of his face was swollen and colored a patchwork of blue and red. He groped for a chair to steady himself and winced in pain as Blessing shook his hand. “You’re out mighty early. Sun ain’t made it all the way up yet.”

“I’ve come lookin’ for a good man. Got a little job of work for him.”

“I don’t feel like much of a man this mornin’. Almost everything hurts, and what don’t hurt ain’t workin’.”

“You’ll be all right soon as I get you on horseback and you work the kinks out of your system.”

“Where we goin’?”

“Not we, just you. I’ve had word from a volunteer company up close to the Red River. They’ve got some green boys ridin’ patrol to keep raiders from sneakin’ down out of the territory. They need guidance from an experienced old-timer who won’t turn tail and run from the first Indian he sees.”

“I reckon I’m your man. What about Rusty?”

Blessing frowned. “I figured you’d want him to stay here and take care of the farm.”

Rusty handed Mike a cup of coffee. Mike seated himself and poured the coffee into a saucer. He blew across it and poured it back into the cup but set it down without drinking. His eyes clouded with suspicion. “You sure they asked you to send them a man? Or is this just somethin’ you cooked up to get me away from here?”

Blessing hesitated. “They need all the help they can get.”

Anger roughened Mike’s voice. “So you’re fixin’ to move old Mike Shannon out of sight because you’re afraid Isaac York is liable to hurt him.”

“Those boys up there really need you.”

“No they don’t. As for Isaac, I’d made a good start toward whippin’ him when I was dragged off against my will. I’m stayin’ here to be at his service if he wants some more of the same.”

Blessing set his cup down half full of coffee. “We’ve all got your best interests at heart.”

“You can serve my best interests by leavin’ me the hell alone. Mike Shannon ain’t ever run from a fight.”

Rusty could think of several strong arguments, but he knew they would be futile. When Mike’s eyes took on that defiant look, a four-up team of mules couldn’t pull him loose.

Blessing said, “I thank you for the coffee.” He pushed his chair back from the table.

Mike’s voice softened a little. “You’ve come a long ways. You’d just as well have breakfast with us.”