James frowned. “Is it thataway down in Austin’s colony?”

“No, it’s so law-abidin’ that they ain’t even built them a decent jailhouse. Anybody tries to start a ruckus, Austin and his people run him out so quick his shadow is a day late catchin’ up with him.”

By the time they got the mules unhitched and watered and fed a little corn, they found Annie and Hope sweeping out the cabin. Shipman admonished them, “You ladies don’t need to be doin’ that. It’ll just get all dirty again.”

Annie said accusingly, “I never have understood how a man can live in a place like this and never straighten it up.”

James smiled inwardly. Now she was showing Shipman a little of her true self. They would be seeing the last of him pretty soon now, for a little of Annie’s lecturing went a long way. The man would be glad to wave them good-bye.

Shipman said, “I don’t exactly live here. I just use this for a startin’ and stoppin’ place. Out on the trail is where I live.”

Annie gave him a look of pity. “Just the same,” she said, “it won’t hurt this cabin to feel the broom now and again.”

Shipman nodded amiably. “I’m mighty glad to’ve run into you ladies. Makes me realize there’s a whole other world back yonder, and I been missin’ out on some of its finer blessin’s.”

Before long the women had smoke coming out of the chimney and venison frying in the fireplace. At the rate Annie was cooking up the meat, James thought he was going to have to leave the wagons and go hunting again. But Shipman went into a lean-to and brought out a couple of cured hams. “I’m puttin’ these into your wagon, Miss Lewis.”

She protested that his generosity was unnecessary. Shipman said, “It’s mighty little for the good meals I’ve eaten with you-all and for the kindness you ladies done me in fixin’ up this cabin. Why, it almost looks human again.”

“It needs a woman in it,” Annie said.

“Eli used to have one once in a while. He’d fetch them out of Natchitoches and one place and another. Widder women, mostly, lookin’ for a new husband. They would pretty soon decide Eli wasn’t the one they was lookin’ for.”

Hope was a little shocked. “You mean they came here without even the benefit of clergy?”

“You have to understand, ma’am, that the clergy ties a hard bind. Eli was always partial to a slipknot. That way, there wasn’t no harm done if the match didn’t fit. And it never did.”

Annie’s eyebrows arched. “Do you feel that way too, Mr. Shipman?”

“It worked mighty fine for Eli.”

James noticed that Annie didn’t talk much after that. She looked as if she were on the verge of giving somebody a stern lecture, but she kept it to herself.

Shipman helped James and Frank reharness the mules after dinner. The boys poked around all the way down to the river, exploring. Frank hated to leave, for Hope had been able to stretch out and rest a while on a real bed; in her condition, Lord knew she needed it. But James itched to get started. He was not nearly so confident as Shipman that Díaz would remain at the other crossing. Up here on this high bank, the wagons would be visible from across in Texas.