“Lujack,” Virgil said. “One in the Stetson is named Swann. He’s the shooting specialist.”

“What are they doing?” she said.

“Trying to figure out a way to get to us,” Virgil said.

“To kill you?”

“Yep.”

She nodded, watching the riders as they moved slowly east to west, studying our situation.

“Do you think they’ll attack us?” she said.

“Here?” Virgil said.

“Yes.”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“Too many men, with too much cover,” Virgil said. “Lujack don’t know the landscape, ’cept from a distance. He don’t know what he’d ride into.”

“So what are they doing?” she said.

“Trying to figure out something, just like us,” Virgil said. “They’ve lost four men so far.”

“Four men?”

“Yep.”

“Cato Tillson shot a couple the other day, up on that hill,” I said. “And Frank Rose killed a couple last night in Resolution. ”

“In Resolution?”

“Yep.”

“That’s so dangerous,” she said. “What was he doing in there.”

“We all went in,” I said, “after dark, thought we might pick off one or two. Rose felt it was his turn.”

“Why?”

“Why was it his turn?” I said.

“No, why did you all go in there.”

“Trying to cut the odds,” Virgil said.

He continued to watch the riders as he spoke.

“And trying to get them to come after us.”

“Why do you want them to come after you?” she said.

“Get them out in the open,” Virgil said. “See what we can do with them.”

“They’re out in the open now,” she said, looking down at the riders.

“Not all of them,” Virgil said.

“And they’re too open,” I said. “We’d have to cross a half-mile of open country to get to them. They are professional gunmen.”

“So you wouldn’t have a chance,” Beth said.

“Not a big one,” I said.

The deputies went out of sight around the curve of the hill.

“What if they sneak in behind you?” Beth said.

“Cato and Rose are up there,” I said. “Other side of that hill. Between us, we can see the whole circle of the compass.”

Beth looked up at the hill and then back down at the now-empty slope in front of us.

“Virgil,” she said.

“’Course,” Virgil said.

He was still watching the empty slope. I started to move away.

“No, stay, Everett,” she said. “You can hear this.”

I nodded and leaned back against the rock.

“My husband thinks you don’t like him,” Beth said to Virgil.

“I don’t,” Virgil said.

“Because of me?”

“Hard to like a man beats his woman,” Virgil said.

“I know. God, don’t I know that.”

Virgil didn’t say anything.

“But… Virgil, he’s trying. He’s trying so hard.”

“Trying what?” Virgil said.

I could see Beth take in a big breath.

“He’s trying so hard to be a man,” she said. “He come from nothing, and he was still a boy when we come out here, and the land and the children were enough to break him, and… and now it’s all plomped down on him: Indians, gunmen, killing. He’s lost his land, he’s trying to hold the other homesteaders together… He’s trying to hold himself together… It’s too much for him.”

“He been hitting you again?” Virgil said.

“No, Virgil, he hasn’t. I swear to God he hasn’t touched me since I left him before the Indians.”

“What would you like?” Virgil said.

“Don’t treat him like a boy,” she said. “Talk to him like he’s a man.”

Virgil stared at her for a long time without speaking.

“We meant something to each other,” Beth said. “It wasn’t just fucking. I know it wasn’t.”

“That’s true,” Virgil said.

“So please, Virgil, for me,” she said. “Just treat him like a man.”

Virgil nodded slowly.

“All right,” he said.

Virgil and I sat on our horses on the little rise that sloped down to what used to be the Redmond ranch. The burned-out buildings had been cleared, and the property was staked out in house lots that looked a good bit smaller than the original. Beyond where the house had stood was a creek that had cut its way maybe a foot deep into the prairie. A few cottonwoods grew along it.

“Cluster of trees there,” Virgil said. “Provide some cover.”

I nodded.

“Man and a horse, I’d say.”

Virgil nodded, running his eyes over the layout.

“Hill over there, other side, beyond the house that way,” he said.

“That would work, ’less they come that way.”

“No reason they should,” Virgil said.

“Might start getting cautious,” I said. “We’ve picked off four of them so far.”

Virgil shrugged.

“They do, the ball goes up a little sooner.”

“Okay,” I said.

“So,” Virgil said. “We put two over there. One behind the cottonwoods.”

He glanced around the hilltop where we were.

“One of us up here,” he said, “back’a that outcroppin’.”

“And Redmond down there, starting to rebuild,” I said.

“Yep.”

“You think he’ll stay?” I said.

“Claims he will,” Virgil said.

“But do you think so?” I said.

“Wants to be a man,” Virgil said.

I didn’t say anything.

“I ain’t rubbin’ Beth’s nose in it,” Virgil said. “If he can do it, it’ll help us bed this thing down a lot earlier.”

“And if he gets killed in the process?” I said.

“It’s a risk you and me are taking,” Virgil said. “And Cato and Rose, and we got a lot less at stake than he does.”

“I know,” I said.

We turned the horses and headed back toward the lumber camp, swinging wide around town as we went.

“Mrs. Redmond know about this plan?” I said.

“Don’t know,” Virgil said. “I didn’t tell her.”

“He will,” I said.

“Maybe not,” Virgil said. “Maybe scared he won’t be able to carry it off, and don’t want no one to know unless he does pull it off.”

“You may be right,” I said.

The horses were beginning to labor a little as we went uphill. We slowed them to a walk.

“When you want to do this?” I said.

“Tomorrow seems good,” Virgil said.

“We go down early,” I said.

“Three of us,” Virgil said.

“And one of us brings Redmond down,” I said. “Once we’re in place.”

“Be sure he comes,” Virgil said. “I’d like you to do that.”

“Sure,” I said. “And if they see me with him?”

“Just one man,” Virgil said.

He grinned.

“I know how fearsome you be, Everett,” Virgil said. “But them deputies probably don’t.”

“Hope they spot him soon,” I said. “I don’t want to sit out here all day, or all week.”

“We’ll help them,” Virgil said. “Have him build a cook fire, send up some smoke.”

“You still didn’t answer my question,” I said. “Think he can do it?”

Virgil shook his head.

“Don’t know,” he said. “You.”

“Don’t know, either,” I said.

Virgil grinned again.

“And he’s our hole card,” Virgil said.

Virgil left with Cato and Rose before it was light. After sunup I went and collected Redmond. He had already hitched the wagon and loaded it with tools and lumber. He was carrying a Winchester. His face was pinched, and he looked pale. Mrs. Redmond was with him.

“Where are you going with my husband?” she said to me.

“Doing a little business,” I said. “Shouldn’t take long.”

“He won’t tell me where he’s going,” she said.

I nodded. Virgil had gotten that one right.

“Will you?” she said.

“No, ma’am,” I said.

“Bob?” she said.

“Can’t,” he said.

He climbed into the wagon and stored the Winchester under the wagon seat. He looked at his wife, and his children, who were staring at him wordlessly. I saw him swallow. Then he turned his head away and clucked at the mules and the wagon began to roll. I rode along beside it. I had my Colt on my hip, and a Winchester in a saddle scabbard under my left leg. Both weapons were.45s, so I could load both from my belt. I had the eight-gauge in a scabbard under my right leg, and a belt of shotgun shells looped over my saddle horn.