“It's me, Tall! My God, be careful with that gun!”
It was Bucky Stow, coming from the far side of the barn. I didn't remember pulling my pistol, but there it was, in my hand, the hammer pulled back and ready to fall. I heard somebody breathing hard, breath whistling through his teeth. After a moment I realized it was me.
“You want to be careful how you slip up on people,” I said weakly. Bucky would never know how close he came to being number five on my string. I shoved the pistol back in my holster.
“Tall, what in hell are you doin' here, anyway? There's cavalry and police all over this part of Texas.”
“I came after that red horse,” I said. “Is he ready to go?
Bucky screwed up his face. “I reckon,” he said. “But he could stand fattening up. A horse like Red ain't supposed to take that kind of treatment.”
“Never mind about Red, he can take it. Is Ma doing all right?”
“She's over at the Novak place now,” he said, rubbing his chin sadly. “She kind of figured that maybe you'd come back here. She wanted me to tell you to come to Virginia as soon as you get a chance.”
I looked at him. “Virginia?”
“She's selling the ranch and moving back there with her people. Runnin' a ranch is too big a job for a woman. And since your pa...”
His voice trailed off, but I knew what he was thinking. Now that Pa was gone, and I couldn't stay here to help her, there was nothing else for her to do. It hurt me at first, thinking about giving up this ranch that Pa had worked so hard for. But Ma had never really liked it. She only wanted to be where Pa was. It was the best thing, I thought, for her to move back with her own people until I could clear myself with the Texas courts.
I said, “Tell her I'm all right, Bucky. Tell her not to worry about me, and I'll see her in Virginia as soon as this thing blows over.”
Bucky said, “Sure, Tall. Now I'll get that horse for you.”
He went in the barn and in a few minutes he came back with Red, all saddled and ready to go. I slapped the horse's glossy rump. “You ready to travel, boy? You got your belly full of corn?”
Red switched his head around and nuzzled the front of my shirt. I thought wryly, That's the first sincere gesture of welcome I've had since I got back.
Chapter 6
I didn't try to go to the Novaks' and say good-by to Ma. That would be pushing my luck too far. I got on Red and we headed west again, crossing the Bannerman wagon road just in case the cavalry was up in that direction, then we went north, cross-country, until the big ranch house and barns loomed up in the darkness. I didn't have any guarantee that there weren't any soldiers in one of those barns just waiting for me to pull a fool stunt like this, but that was a chance I had to take. As I got closer, I saw that there was a light in the back of the house, in the kitchen.
I left Red at the side of the house, and the back door opened.
“Joe, is that you?”
Then I stepped into the light, and Laurin gasped. Her hands and arms were white with flour, and there was a pale powdery smudge on the side of her nose. She was just beginning to bake the week's supply of bread.
“Tall!” Her voice was frightened. “Tall, you can't come here. The cavalry left only an hour ago, looking for you.”
“The cavalry can't keep me away from you,” I said. “Nothing can.”
Quickly, she dusted her hands and arms on her apron and came down the steps. I put my hands on her shoulders and I could feel her shiver as I drew her close and held her tight. “Oh, Tall,” she cried, “it's no good. Meeting this way, in darkness, afraid to be seen together.”
I kissed her lightly and we stood there clinging to each other. I pressed her head to my shoulder and the clean smell of her hair worked on me like fever. “I'll come back,” I said. “It won't always be like this.” Then I asked the question that I was half afraid to ask. “Laurin, will you wait for me? Will you trust me to straighten things out in my own way?”
For a moment she didn't say anything. Her body was rigid against me and I knew that she was crying.
“You know I'll wait,” she said at last. “Forever, I suppose, if I have to. It's just that I'm afraid... something awful and wrong is happening to us.”
I knew she was thinking about those three men.... She didn't know about the fourth. “Can't you see, I had to do it?” I said. “I couldn't just stand by and let them get away with it—doing what they did. You see that, don't you?”
“I don't know,” she breathed. “I just don't know.”
“I'm not going to get into any more trouble,” I said. “Don't be afraid of that. I'll join a trail herd and go up to Kansas until the bluebellies are out of Texas courts. Then I'll come back and stand trial.”
She raised her head and looked at me for a long tune. And at last she began to believe it.
“I'll wait,” she said quietly. “If you'll do that, I'll wait as long as I need to. It won't be too long.”
That was the way I remembered her, the way she looked as she said, “I'll wait.” And then her face softened, and for a moment it seemed that she was almost happy. “I'll get you some bacon,” she said, “and some fresh bread. You'll need something to eat while you're traveling.”
