“Let’s take him along, too,” Hawk said, and pointed to the little man still huddling up to the fire.

“What for?” Conner asked.

“’Cause there’s a lot of things flyin’ around in his brain that the rest of us don’t even know exist,” Hawk answered. “Besides, it doesn’t look like he’s too busy to go for a little ride.”

“Whatever makes you happy, Hawk.” Conner shrugged. “Thank you for the use of your wagon, Reverend Bridger. We’ll take good care of your horses,” he said to the preacher, then turned back to Lewis. “We’ll start back right after breakfast. All right?” When Donald agreed, Conner said, “We’ll let you get back to your supper now and we’ll see you in the morning.”

Hawk had one more question for Lewis. “Did you tell Lieutenant Sessions everything you just told us?”

“Yes, we told the lieutenant, and he said he was real happy that the six of us made it back. But he said there was no use thinking about catching the murderers now. It had been too long, he said. They would be out of the territory already. Out of his field of jurisdiction, I think he put it.”

Hawk and Conner exchanged glances of contempt. “Well, it’s not out of our jurisdiction,” Conner promptly declared. “We’ll do our best to try to find those men.”

As if only then aware of their presence when Hawk and Conner started to leave, the elflike little man got up from the fire and walked over to stand in front of them. Straining to look up from the posture his curved spine allowed, he glanced at Conner, then fixed his gaze upon Hawk. He continued to stare up at the tall, broad-shouldered scout in the buckskin shirt. Finally, he uttered one word: “Hawk.”

“That’s right,” Hawk answered, and the little man Lemuel had nicknamed Frog hopped back over by the fire, contented.

“How the hell did he know your name?” Conner asked as soon as they were out of earshot of the others.

“He doesn’t,” Hawk said. “He just said that’s a hawk feather in my hatband. He notices things. That’s why I want him to come with us.”

“How do you know he notices things?” Conner asked, not ready to accept Hawk’s reasoning.

“I don’t,” Hawk answered. “Sometimes you just have to hope, I reckon.”

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 5