Deets didn't come back until midafternoon, by which time the herd was a few miles north of the Arkansas.

"I doubt cattle has ever et this grass," Augustus said. "I doubt anyone's trailed cattle this far west of Dodge. Buffalo is probably all that's et it."

Call's mind was on Wilbarger, a resourceful man if ever he had seen one. If such a man had got caught, then there could well be serious trouble waiting for them.

"You're supposed to be able to smell Indians," he said to Augustus. "Do you smell any?"

"No," Augustus said. "I just smell a lot of cowshit. I expect my smeller will be ruined forever before this trip is over by smelling so much cowshit."

"It don't mention buffalo in the Bible," Augustus remarked.

"Well, why should it?" Call said.

"It might be that a buffalo is a kind of ox, only browner," Augustus said. "Ox are mentioned in the Bible."

"What got you on the Bible?" Call asked.

"Boredom," Augustus said. "Religious controversy is better than none."

"If there's mad Indians around, you may get more controversy than you bargained for," Call said.

Lorena heard the remark-she was riding behind them. Mention of Indians brought back memories and made her nervous.

Finally they saw Deets, coming along the river from the southeast. It was clear from the dried sweat on his horse that he had ridden hard.

"They didn't get Deets, whoever they are," Augustus said.

"I found the man," Deets said, drawing rein. "He's shot."

"Dead?" Call asked.

"Dying, I 'spect," Deets said. "I couldn't move him. He's hit three times."

"How far away?"

"About ten miles," Deets said. "I got him propped up, but I couldn't bring him."

"Did he say much?" Augustus asked.

"He wants to see you, if you're not too busy," Deets said. "He said if you were busy don't make the trip."

"Why would I be that busy?" Augustus asked.

Deets looked at him. "He's real polite, that gentleman," he said. "I guess he thinks he might be dead before you get there."

"Oh, I see-the man don't want to put nobody out," Augustus said. "I'll go anyway. I admire his conversation."

"Change horses," Call said to Deets, and Deets loped off. He was trying to decide who they ought to take, and finally decided just to take Pea Eye, Deets and the boy. The boy could watch the horses, if there was trouble. It meant leaving the herd, but there was no help for it. There was good grazing and the herd looked peaceful. Dish and the rest of the crew ought to be about to handle it.

"Was it Indians got him?" he asked, when Deets returned.

Deets shook his head. "White men," he said. "Horsethieves."

"Oh," Call said. "Murdering horsethieves, at that." But it relieved his mind, for horsethieves wouldn't attack an outfit as large as theirs.

Augustus dropped back to explain matters to Lorena. She looked at him with worry in her eyes.

"Now, Lorie, you relax," he said. "It wasn't Indians, after all."

"What was it then?" she asked.

"The man who loaned us this tent got shot," he said. "He's in a bad way, it appears. We're going to see if we can help him."

"How long will it take?" Lorena asked. It was already late afternoon-it meant a night without Gus, and she had not had to face one since he rescued her.

"I don't know, honey," he said. "A few days, maybe, if we go after the horsethieves that shot him. If there's a chance to get them we'll try. Call won't let a horsethief off, and he's right."

"I'll go," Lorena said. "I can keep up. We don't need the tent."

"No," Augustus said. "You stay with the wagon-you'll be perfectly safe. I'll ask Dish to look after you."

Lorena began to shake. Maybe Gus was doing it because he was tired of her. Maybe he would never come back. He might slip off and find the woman in Nebraska.

To her surprise, Gus read her mind. He smiled his devilish smile at her. "I ain't running for the bushes, if that's what you think," he said.

"There ain't no bushes," she pointed out. "I just don't want you to go, Gus."

"I got to," Augustus said. "A man's dying and he asked for me. We're kind of friends, and think what would have happened when the grasshoppers hit if we hadn't had this tent to hide in. I'll be back, and I'll see that Dish looks after you in the meantime."

"Why him?" she asked. "I don't need him. Just tell him to leave me be."

"Dish is the best hand," Augustus said. "Just because he's in love with you don't mean he couldn't be helpful if a storm blew up or something. It ain't his fault he's in love with you. He's smitten, and that's all there is to it."

"I don't care about him," Lorena said. "I want you to come back."

"I will, honey," he said, checking the loads in his rifle.

Dish could hardly believe his luck when Augustus told him to take Lorena her meals and look after her. The thought that he would be allowed to go over to the tent made him a little dizzy.

"Do you think she'll speak to me?" he asked, looking at the tent. Lorena had gone inside and pulled the flaps, though it was hot.

"Not today," Augustus said. "Today she's feeling sulky. If I was you I'd sing to her."

"Sing to Lorie?" Dish said, incredulous. "Why, I'd be so scared I'd choke."

"Well, if you require timid women there's not much I can do for you," Augustus said. "Just keep a good guard at night and see she don't get kidnapped."

Call hated to leave the herd, and most of the cowboys hated it that he was leaving. Though it was midsummer, the skies clear, and the plains seemingly peaceful, most of the hands looked worried as the little group prepared to leave. They sat around worrying, all but Po Campo, who was singing quietly in his raspy voice as he made supper. Even Lippy was unnerved. He was modest in some matters and had just returned from walking a mile, in order to relieve his bowels in private.

"If you see any bushes, bring one back with you," he said to the mounted men. "If we had a bush on two I wouldn't have to walk so far just to do my business."

"I don't know why you're so modest," Augustus said. "Go over and squat behind a cow. You got a hole in your stomach anyway."

"I wish we'd brought the pia-ner," Lippy said. "A little pia-ner music would go good right now."

Call put Dish in charge of the outfit, meaning that he suddenly had two heavy responsibilities-Lorena and the herd. It left him subdued, just thinking about it. If anything should happen to the girl or the herd he'd never be able to hold up his head again.

"Ease 'em along," Call told Dish. "Bert can scout ahead and make sure there's water."

If Dish felt subdued, Newt felt nothing but pride to have been selected for the trip. He could tell some of the other hands were envious, particularly the Rainey boys, but it was the Captain's order, and no one dared say a word. When he saw the Captain put two boxes of rifle shells into his saddlebag he felt even prouder, for it meant he might be expected to fight. The Captain must have decided he was grown, to bring him on such a trip. After all, only the original Hat Creek outfit-the Captain and Mr. Gus, Pea and Deets-were going along, and now he was included. Every few minutes, as they rode east, he put his hand on his pistol to reassure himself that it was still there.

They got back to Wilbarger a little after sundown, before the plains had begun to lose the long twilight. He had reached the Arkansas before collapsing, and lay under the shade of the bank on a blanket Deets had left him. He was too weak to do more than raise his head when they rode up; even that exhausted him.

"Well, you just keep turning up," he said to Augustus, with a wan smile. "I've been lying here trying not to bleed on this good blanket your man left me."

Augustus stooped to examine him and saw at once there was no hope.