Shipman said to James, “See what I told you? He ain’t a bad man, that Díaz. He’s just got his own notions about things, is all.”

“I wish he didn’t have such a strong notion about sendin’ us back into Louisiana. If we could just get to San Felipe, my brothers would see to it that we had all the papers we need.”

“This is a long ways from San Felipe.”

“We’ll get there. I swear we’ll get there!”

The afternoon sun was low at their backs when they returned to the banks of the Sabine. The teams were tired, and Hope looked exhausted, but Díaz would not permit them to camp another night in Texas. He pointed to the shallowest ford and declared, “We will camp here. You will be closely watched, so do not think you can wait until we are gone and then cross again.”

James thought, Watch till your eyes fall out, damn you, but we’ll be coming back.

Díaz seemed to read his mind. Frowning darkly, he said, “I would not advise it.”

James felt more angry than frightened. “What about our guns? We’ll need them to find meat on our way back to Tennessee.”

The soldiers had tied the confiscated rifles to a pack mule. Díaz ordered them untied. He made sure they were unloaded, then gave them to Frank rather than to James. He told Frank, “You should counsel this young one. I have no wish to see him buried in Texas.”

Frank said, “Stubborn runs in the family. We outgrow it, most of us.”

Díaz turned to Shipman. “I do not waste my time with advice to you. I know you will be back.”

Shipman simply smiled.

Díaz said, “I will be watchful, and I will have a cell waiting for you. It will be deep and dark.”

The Lewises put the teams into the river, and in a few minutes the mules and the wagons were dripping water on the Louisiana shore. James looked back. True to his word, Díaz and his men were making camp on the Texas bank.

To travel so far and be turned back—He smacked a fist into the palm of his left hand.

Shipman said, “Don’t bust your fingers for nothin’, friend. Like I told you, there’s ways.”

IV

JAMES LOOKED west, across the river. He could see Sergeant Díaz’s campfire on the Sabine’s far bank. His resentment still simmered. He turned back to his own fire, where Annie had made coffee. They did not drink it every day, for it was scarce and expensive, but she had decided tonight it might help take the edge off their disappointment. Or maybe she was trying to impress Sly Shipman.

Two nights ago they had camped on this same Louisiana riverbank. The smell of spring’s rebirth was in the air, and the birds had sung prettily up in the trees. James thought it must be a different set of birds tonight, for they were making noise, not music.