“How come Kane got to go up there?” Kempton asked, though his voice didn't betray a lot of envy.

“Let's put it this way,” Haynes said. “When that boy's around, you want to keep stuff locked up good. He comes in and out mouse quiet. What he wants he takes. He's good at that stuff.”

McBride gave a snort of assent.

Kempton said nothing more. He knew Kane, and he knew Kane's reputation. He didn't like what Kane did, but it was hard not to give him some small admiration. He was, as Haynes said, good at what he did.

There was a small, low whistle from up ahead. “Let's go, then,” Haynes said, untying the bag of ammunition from the mule.

McBride asked, “What kind of war you expecting?”

“Just careful. Always careful.”

They moved up in the dark. Something kept rolling and cracking under their feet as they walked.

“Walnuts,” Haynes said. “They been planting them for years. Growing them for feed and sale down in the valley.”

Kempton wondered briefly how Haynes knew so much about the Power family.

Beyond the orchard of walnut trees they could just make out the cabin. There had been six Powers when they had moved up here, and they had, obviously, lived in tight quarters. But now Charlie was gone. Granny Jane and Ola May were both dead. There were only three now, four, counting Sisson, the hired man.

They took prone positions some thirty yards from the cabin, loaded the rifles, and prepared. They could just make out the door and windows of the cabin, so they would have the advantage in the low light until the Powers were able to get a fix on their muzzle flashes. Until then, the Powers would be firing blindly, unlikely to hit anything.

They could not see Wootan making his way to the cabin, but they knew he was, and Kempton jumped when he heard Wootan hit the door and yell. “Tom, John, it's Kane Wootan. Get up! I need you.” Then there was silence and, after that, a long, low whistle.

They rode up to the cabin, leading Wootan's horse. Past the cabin, they tied off the horses at the corral and walked back to the cabin, which was ablaze with light. Kane was going through boxes, trunks, and the few cupboards there were. He had lit every lantern in the cabin.

“What are you looking for?” McBride asked.

“My stuff. Your stuff. Other stuff. I want to see what's here. Mostly, it's female stuff. Looks like the men moved themselves up to the mine shack. That's what I think.”

McBride snorted again. Boy would steal the coins of the dead.

Wootan looked up. “Tom Power done stole a lot from us. We're going to get it back.”

“Shut up,” Haynes said.