"I guess Charlie Goodnight must have run you off," Augustus said. "Otherwise you wouldn't be off down here in respectable country riding some dead Mexican's saddle."

The man smiled a hand smile. "If you even bring that goddamned old tongue of yours north of the Canadian I'll cut it out and feed it to my wolf pups," he said. "That and your nuts too."

Without another look he rode past them and on out of the camp.

Lorena looked at Gus, half expecting him to shoot the man, but Gus just pushed his hat brim up and watched him ride away. Lorena almost wished Gus would shoot him, for she felt the man was a killer, although she had no basis for the judgment. He had not looked at her and didn't seem to be interested in her, yet he felt dangerous. Sometimes the minute a man stepped into her room she would know he was dangerous and would hurt her if she gave him the opportunity. Even Tinkersley had been that way. Some days he was harmless, other days dangerous. She could tell, even with her back to him, if he was in a mood to slap her. If he was in such a mood, he would hit her no matter how small she walked. But she wasn't really afraid with Tinkersley-his angers had a short life. He hit hard, but he only hit once.

The man called Blue Duck was much more frightening. He might not hit at all-on he might do something worse.

"Pack up, Lorie," Augustus said. "You best stay near us for a night or two."

"Who is he?" she asked.

"One we ought to have hung ten years ago," Augustus said. "Couldn't catch him. He's a Comancheno. He's got a greasy bunch of murderers and child-stealers. He used to work the Red River country from New Mexico all the way across to Arkansas, hitting settlers. They'd butcher the grownups and take the horses and kids."

"Why couldn't you catch him?" she asked.

"He was better at doing without water than we were," Augustus said. "He knew them dry plains and we didn't. Then the Army blocked us. MacKenzie said he'd get him, only he didn't."

"Would he have tried to kill you if Captain Call had been here?"

"I wonder," Augustus said. "I guess he thinks he's that good."

"Do you think he is?" she asked.

"You never know," Augustus said. "I don't underestimate him, though he'd have to step quick to beat me and Call both."

"He didn't even look at me," Lorena said. "I don't think he'll come back."

"I imagine he took you in long before he got to camp," Augustus said. "I ain't the only one in the world with good eyesight."

"I want to wait for Jake," Lorena said. "I told him I'd wait."

"Don't be foolish," Augustus said. "You didn't know Blue Duck was around when you told him. The man might decide he wants to use you for fish bait."

Lorena felt it was a test of Jake. She was frightened of the man, and part of her wanted to go with Gus. But she had trusted herself to Jake and she still hoped that he would make good.

"I don't want to go to that cow camp," she said. "They all look at me."

Augustus was watching the ridge where Blue Duck had disappeared. "I should have just shot him," he said. "Or he should have shot me. He was the last person I was expecting to see. We had heard that he was dead. I been hearing for years that he was dead, but that was him."

Lorena didn't believe the man was interested in her. Even if men avoided looking at her she could feel their interest, if they had any. The man called Blue Duck had been more interested in the horses.

"I don't know that Jake can protect you, even if he comes back," Augustus said.

It made her a little sad for Jake that all his friends doubted his abilities. He was not respected. Probably Gus was right: she should quit Jake. Gus himself was a more able man, she had no doubt. He might take her to California. He had made it clean he had no great interest in the cattle drive. He talked a lot of foolishness, but he had never been mean. He was still sitting on the big rock, idly scratching himself through a hole in the wet underwear.

"Gus, we could go to California," she said. "I'd go with you and let Jake take his chances."

Augustus looked at her and smiled. "Why, I'm complimented, Lorie," he said. "Mighty complimented."

"Let's go then," she said, impatient suddenly.

"No, I'm bound for Ogallala, honey," he said.

"Where's that?"

"In Nebraska," he said.

"What's there?" Lorena asked, for she had never heard anyone mention such a place.

"A woman named Clara," Augustus said.

Lorena waited, but he said no more than that. She didn't want to ask. It was always something, she thought-something to keep her from getting to the one place she wanted to be. It made her bitter-she remembered some of the things Gus had blabbed to her since she had known him.

"I guess you ain't so practical, then," she said.

Augustus was amused. "Do I claim to be practical?" he asked.

"You claim it but you ain't," Lorena said. "You're going all the way to Nebraska for a woman. I'm a woman, and I'm night here. You could have the pokes, if that's all it is."

"By God, I got you talking anyway," Augustus said. "I never thought I'd be that lucky."

Lorena felt her little anger die, the old discouragement take its place. Once again she found herself alone in a hot place, dependent on men who had other things on their mind. It seemed life would never change. The discouragement went so deep in her that she began to cry. It softened Gus. He put an arm around her and wiped the tears off her cheeks with his finger.

"Well, I guess you do want to get to California," he said. "I'll strike a deal. If we both make it to Denver I'll buy you a train ticket."

"I'll never make no Denver," Lorena said. "I'll never make it out of this Texas."

"Why, we're half out already," Augustus said. "Texas don't last much north of Fort Worth. You're young, besides. That's the big difference in us. You're young and I ain't." He got up and put on his clothes.

"Dern, I wonder where that greasy bandit was going," he said. "I've heard of him killing in Galveston; maybe that's where he's going. I wish now I'd have shot him while he was drinking."

He tried again to get Lorena to come over to the cow camp, but Lorena just shook her head. She wasn't going anywhere, and what's more, she was through talking. It did no good, never had.

"This is a worrisome situation," Augustus said. "I probably ought to track that man or send Deets to do it. Deets is a better tracker than me. Jake ain't back and I ain't got your faith in him. I best send one of the hands to guard you until we know where that bandit's headed."

"Don't send Dish," Lorena said. "I don't want Dish coming around."

Augustus chuckled. "You gals are sure hand on the boys that love you," he said. "Dish Boggett's got a truer heart than Jake Spoon, although neither one of them has much sense."

"Send me the black man," she said. "I don't want none of them others."

"I might," Augustus said. "Or I might come back myself. How would that suit you?"

Lorena didn't answer. She felt the anger coming back. Because of some woman named Clara she wasn't getting to San Francisco, when otherwise Gus would have taken her. She sat silently on the rock.

"Lorie, you're a sight," he said. "I guess I bungled this opportunity. You'd think I'd get smoother, experienced as I am."

She kept silent. Gus was nearly out of sight before she looked up. She still felt the anger.