“What are we goin’ to do now, Smoke?” Pearlie asked. “Them cows is near dead they’re so tired. We goin’ to have to give ’em a little break.”
“We’ll stay here twenty-four hours,” Smoke said. “We could use a rest too. And it’ll give us time to get Andy buried.”
“And Hank,” Jules said, coming up to join them.
“Hank too?”
Jules nodded. “Yes, sir, me ’n Mike got ’em both lyin’ under canvas back at the wagon. Oh, and Miz Sally say’s she’s near ’bout got breakfast ready.”
“Good, I’ve done worked up an appetite,” Pearlie said.
“Miz Sally was a regular hellion, shootin’ the bad guys with one hand and cookin’ breakfast with the other.”
“What?” Billy asked, shocked by the revelation. “You mean to tell me Miz Sally was fixin’ breakfast and shootin’ the bad guys all at the same time?”
“Well, maybe not for real,” Jules agreed. “But she almost was. You should see her when she’s got her dander up, Smoke,” Jules said.
Smoke chuckled. “I have seen her, Jules,” he said. “Believe me, I have seen her.”
Chapter Twenty
The corpses of Hank and Andy were dressed in their best shirts as they lay side by side on the canvas that had been spread out alongside the two graves that had been dug for them. The cowboys had put on their best shirts as well for the impromptu funeral that Smoke was about to conduct.
“Are the others taken care of?” Smoke asked Pearlie. He was referring to the outlaws who had lost their lives in the failed attempt at cattle rustling.
“They’re took care of,” Pearlie said. “We found a draw that was big enough to hold them. The sides of the draw was real soft and it was easy enough to just drop the bodies into the hole and push all the dirt in. They’re buried, all six of ’em.”
“Did you recognize any of them?”
“No,” Pearlie answered. “We pretty near figured out which one is the leader, though. Was the leader, I mean, seein’ as he’s as dead as the others.”
“Are you talking about the stocky bald-headed one?” Smoke asked.
“Yeah,” Pearlie answered. “How’d you know that?”
“After he went down, the fight seemed to go out of all the others,” Smoke said.
“Yeah, that’s pretty much the way I noticed it too.”
“Smoke, are you goin’ to say a few words for Hank and Andy?” Sally asked.
Smoke nodded and the men took off their hats, then stood, holding their hats in front of them.
Smoke cleared his throat.
“Lord, I don’t have to tell you that I’m not much for prayin’,” he said. “But I figure that when I’m prayin’ for someone else, you’ll more than likely listen, even to someone like me.
“I don’t know much about what kind of life these two boys lived before they joined us on this drive. But on this drive they were good men. They rode nighthawk without complaining, their partners could always count on them to be wherever they were supposed to be on time, and they died with courage and honor.
“Lord, all the preachers tell us that you have a special place for men like these two we’re sendin’ you today. I want you to welcome them there. Go easy on them, Lord. They’ve been through blizzards, drought, Indian raids, and rustlers. I know you’ve got some good men with you up there, Lord. Well, sir, here are two more.
“Amen.”
“Amen,” the others said.
The men put their hats back on. Then Cal cleared his throat and looked at Mike and Billy.
“Better get your old shirts back on,” he said. “We need to get these boys in the ground.”
“All right,” Billy said.
“Jules, you come with me, we need to get us a good count of how many cows we got left,” Pearlie said.
“Yes, sir,” Jules replied, starting toward his horse.
Smoke watched Jules and Pearlie ride away. Then he turned his attention to the bodies of Hank and Andy. Sally sewed the canvas covers closed around the two bodies; then, gently, Billy, Mike, and Cal, using ropes, lowered Hank and Andy into their graves. Smoke watched until the graves were closed, leaving two fresh mounds of dirt.
Sally scattered a few pieces of brightly colored glass over the two mounds.
“I broke this glass a few days ago,” Sally said. “I intended to throw it away, I don’t know why I kept it, but now I’m glad I did. It’s not as nice as putting flowers on their graves, but it does add a little color.”
“It’s nice,” Smoke said without elaboration.
With the funeral over, the others began drifting away. Sally had something that needed her attention and, for some time, Smoke was alone. He walked over to stand over the two graves. Finally, he saw Pearlie and Jules
