Billy nodded. “Yes. Yes I am. People like to be able to put beef on the table every now and again, and it seems like more and more people are able to do exactly that. And that's put money in my pocket.”

“And that ain't the only part.”

“I'm aware of that, too. And I know that where there's big money, there's big feelings. If you're looking to get yourself killed, you can fuck a man's wife or steal his money. Each is about equally effective. I, myself, am trying to keep out of this as much as I can. Maybe you ought to think the same.”

“That would have been good advice awhile back. Right now, it ain't worth shit, Billy.”

“I ain't trying to add to your misery. Just trying to keep you alive is all.”

“I guess I know that, Billy. And since we're onto that subject, can the three of us stay here for a while until they get tired of looking for us?”

“You know you can. Don't even have to ask.”

“Well, John and Sisson is back at the line shack. Can't stay there very long. It's too small and too out in the open. They stumble on that, and we're nothing more than targets.”

“I can put you out in the horse barn on the west eighty. They won't likely search that.”

“It's the same problem, though. If they do, we're stuck. We got to be someplace they can't look for us at.”

“Hell, Tom, I'd put you in the house, if I could. But there ain't room for the three of you. We'd all be crashing into each other. But you can stay in the big barn next to it. I'll lock you in.”

“They'll want to search it.”

“Yes, they will. But they ain't going to. There's only so much intrusion a man can abide. You'll be safe there.”

“All right, then. That will be good. Obliged. I need to swap out some horses, though.”

“They ain't the law's horses, is they? I don't want to get found with them.”

“No. I swapped them out back at Carlink. They's out in the pasture back there. These are ones we got from Poke.”

“Well, that's all right, then.”

“One of them threw a shoe.”

“You got Sisson with you, don't you?”

“Yeah.”

“Ain't a better farrier in these parts. I got all the gear he'll need.”

“Well, I'm obliged again.”

“We got to stick together, Tom. Even when we don't especially want to. Thems stick together like they was glued. Like they was one person with a thousand arms and legs. They force us to stay together just to survive.”

“What's taking him so long?” John asked.

“I don't think it's been that long. It's just the accommodations is pretty damned cramped.”

“I don't believe I would be comfortable in here if I was a fence post.”