James impatiently nudged Andrew’s arm. “What’s he sayin’?”

Andrew did not take his eyes from the soldiers, for their manner suggested violence was in some danger of breaking loose. “He says they were camped a little ways down the river last night. Says somebody taken a shot at one of his soldiers that was on outside guard and creased him across the shoulder. He doesn’t exactly say so, but it’s plain he figures one of us done it. He was askin’ if we’ve seen anybody suspicious come by here.”

“We have, and they was all soldiers.”

“I told him we shot at somethin’ last night that tried to steal a pig. I didn’t tell him we knew it was a man. I said it was dark, and we thought it was probably a wolf, or maybe a bear.”

“Like hell we did. I knew damned well what it was.”

“Sometimes, little brother, it pays to tell people what they want to hear. Especially soldiers.”

The sergeant evidently understood more than he let on, for he pointed to James and asked a question. James demanded, “What is it now?”

“He’s askin’ if you’re the one that fired the shot.”

James braced himself defiantly, his feet a little apart. “Tell him I did, and I’ll do it again if I catch another wolf around here.”

Andrew tried to soften the sense of it, but James could tell that the sergeant understood what he had said, enough at least to know his meaning. He saw angry challenge in the man’s black eyes. He said, “Tell him if he wants to fight about it, to climb on down here.”

Andrew gave James an exasperated glance. “I don’t know how we’re goin’ to keep you alive long enough to ever make a crop on that place of yours.”

“I just don’t like thieves, and this whole bunch looks to me like fugitives from a hangin’.”

The sergeant gave James a crackling look that said he would be back. James imagined he could feel heat from the man’s eyes, like the heat from coals banked for a long winter night. The sergeant spoke to the men, and they, too, fastened surly attention upon James. James wished again for the rifle, but it was well out of his reach. After what seemed like several minutes the sergeant gave a sharp command. His men pulled their horses around and rode away, some turning in their saddles to look back.

Andrew watched them a few minutes before he faced James with trouble in his eyes. “I’m sorry to say this, but it may’ve been a mistake for you to come to Texas.”

“If you think I’m afraid of a bunch of pig thieves like that, you’re mistaken.”

“I know you’re not. The thing is, you ought to be. If you halfway knew this country, you would be.”

James stiffened defensively against Andrew’s implied criticism. “I’ll bet Michael would’ve done the same thing. You couldn’t catch him takin’ any sass off of them soldiers. Michael would stand up for himself.”