“I almost had you to Mexico there, Tom.” Poke spoke quietly like a voice in the stillness of the dark. “He turned one too many on me, or I turned it on him. Guess it don't matter. We're heading for the Chiricahuas.”

Tom poked his head out from under the blanket.

“You just stay put,” Poke said. “We're almost out of sight, but we ain't going to be full out of danger for a while yet.”

“We appreciate this, Poke.”

Poke laughed a small, rueful laugh. “Yeah, I suspect you do. I don't think I ever had anyone who seriously wanted to kill me. That can't be a real good feeling.”

“Really? No one ever wanted to kill you? Hell, it's happened to me a bunch of times. How do you live a life like that?”

“I don't know. You just do.”

“Well, I don't want to ruin your morning, but if Wootan was to figure that you had us in this truck, sitting right next to him, he'd want to kill you. Probably would, too.”

“I was right, then.”

“What's that?”

“It ain't a real good feeling.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

1918

Frank Haynes came into the office with only a quick nod to McBride, then strode to the back and peeked around the corner at the empty jail cells. “What did they do, escape?”

McBride didn't bother to ask what “they” Haynes referred to. “And a pleasant good morning to you, too, Marshal Haynes.”

“It would be more pleasant for me if there was a Power or two back there. I could just load them up and drive back to Globe, and that part of my job would be done. But I guess that's wishing on rainbows, ain't it?”

“Apparently so. I had a talk with the Old Man. I told him that the boys had to come down and turn themselves in.”

“And a fine job you did on that, Sheriff. They must still be packing for their trip to France.”

“I'll give them a couple of days. If they don't come in, I have a plan. A contingency sort of thing.”

“That's a big relief to me. Soon as I tell the district marshal we got us a contingency, he'll stop gnawing on my ass every time he sees me. You've taken a great load from me.”

McBride sighed. “If you really want those boys, go up and get them yourself. You don't need me or mine. It's your jurisdiction, not mine. This is purely federal.”

“You know I don't know the country, McBride. If I was to find them, they'd be old and the war over.”

“Marshal, you just head up Rattlesnake Canyon. Follow it to the end. You'll pass their cabin down at the Garden. It might be a worthwhile stop for you. Then just keep going the way you were. When you hit the end of Rattlesnake Canyon, take a right into Kielberg Canyon. And there's the mine. You can't miss it.”