“Eventually. We're tired, and, God knows, the horses are tired. As long as the posse don't show themselves, I think we should stay here for a little bit and then head out.”

“Head out where?”

“Hendricks's.”

“We can't go showing ourselves all over Cochise County,” Sisson said. “We don't know these people that well. Look what happened when we stopped at the old woman's in Pearce. They'll be nice as pie to your face and then go call the law on you. I ain't in favor of paying no more visits.”

“Those boys wasn't from the old lady's call. She said she was giving us the night. These boys couldn't a gotten on us that fast. These ones has been out trolling for us.”

“You think that old woman told the truth?”

“It's the problem with old women. They mostly tell the truth. Fucks everything up for the rest of us. And speaking of that old woman, there's some of that food left on my saddle. John, why don't you go down and get it.”

“Because my leg is banged up,” John said. “How's your legs?”

Tom sighed and got up on his knees. “All right. I'll go. You watch out real careful, though. Anything you see, make sure it ain't me or Sisson here. If it ain't and you're positive on that, shoot it.”

John glared at Tom making his way down the hill. “Tom. Just in case I do shoot you, let me say ‘I'm sorry’ right now.”

“You shoot me, Johnny, you goddamn well better make a good shot of it.”

“Speaking of old women,” Sisson said, rolling onto his back and pulling his hat down over his eyes. “If you two would kindly shut up for a bit, I believe I'll grab some sleep and dream about fucking some old woman.”

“You dream about fucking old women?”

“You take what you can get, John. Even in dreams. You take what you can get.”

Down with the horses, Tom surveyed the damage. They were all well lathered, so he took the piece of canvas he had taken at the Johnson mine and wiped them down the best he could. They needed to be stripped of their saddles and dried, but he couldn't risk that. They had been ridden hard for two straight nights, but otherwise they were in pretty good shape. If they could get some rest at Hendricks's, they could go awhile longer. If not, he could probably work a trade with Hendricks for fresh ones. And when worse come to worst, as it usually does, you just steal new ones when you need them.

Back up the hill with the food, he found Sisson glassing the area to the west, sweeping north and south and back again. John was a couple of feet down, already asleep. “Thought it was you going to sleep,” Tom said.

Sisson nodded at John. “Went to sleep so fast, he was lucky he didn't just fall off the hill.”