As they climbed upon the flat, he noticed that one of the night riders patrolling the near side of the horse herd appeared to have turned his mount toward Jack. He could only make out the rider’s silhouette but was certain he had been seen. He lifted his arm and waved, and the rider returned a wave and went about his business. Several hours later, he had passed through Castle Gap and reached a more hospitable and reasonably level trail.
He reined in and dismounted. He was burning up, and it was not the sun generating the heat at this hour of the night. He checked on Thor, who had seemed comfortable enough since Jack unfolded and laid out his bedroll in the cart box once they crossed the river. He adjusted the ropes that connected cart to horse, slackening them a bit to allow for the flatter ground. Jack pulled off one of the canteens that hung from his saddle pommel and dug a small tin pan from his saddle bags. He took the pan back to Thor and poured some water in it, placing the pan in the cart to allow the dog to drink. Only then did he indulge in some healthy swallows himself.
He could have emptied the canteen, but it was one of only three he carried, and he could not recall the nearest water source. He was confident he would recognize it when they approached it, however. Thor did not drink all his water, so Jack took the half-full pan, pressed it to his lips and drank what did not spill down his neck. He braced his hand on the cart’s side and rested a spell, his eyes casting about the silent wasteland.
He rubbed Thor’s ears and wet muzzle with the other hand. “You know, Thor, I think we will keep riding till sunrise. It’ll be cooler and easier on man and beast. We’ll keep an eye out for shade and nap after sunrise. We’ll have to be on the move again in the afternoon heat, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
Thor licked his hand and whined.
Jack said, “Folks would think I’m crazy talking to you like this, Thor. I don’t give a darn. I’ve had some of my best conversations with you, my friend. You just listen to what I’ve got to say. Never argue. Don’t gossip.”
Jack continued, “I can’t believe we crossed the Pecos tonight. I’ve got to thank you for trusting me. Between you and me, that wins the prize for the dumbest thing I ever did in my life. Rudy will never let me hear the end of it. Goes to prove, I guess, we never get too old to out-dumb our last dumbest stunt. And I’ve got a collection during my lifetime, let me tell you. But sometimes I get it right. Took you in—and Jordy. Couldn’t have got righter than that. Nope. And then there’s Tess. I promised her I’d come back. Damned tired, but I guess we had best be moving on.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
Sierra was horrified when she awakened and saw that the sun was starting to climb over the horizon. She had slept the entire night. She had not heard Jack get up to pee, and she could hear no movement on the floor of the wagon bed above her. Surely she would have heard him if he had called for her. What if he had died?
Struck by a wave of panic, she rolled out of her blankets, pulled on her boots and crawled out from under the wagon. She raced to the back, pulled back the canvas flap and peered in. He was gone. So was Thor. Of course, the big dog would not have allowed Jack to venture out alone. He was probably relieving himself away from the wagons someplace. But you could hardly get far enough away for privacy. How well she knew that. Her modesty had all but died on this mission. She stepped back and scanned the surrounding prairie, the spear-like rays of the rising sun blinding her when she looked east.
Sierra glanced back in the wagon. Jack’s bedroll was gone. So were his guns and possible bag, which she could not remember seeing last night. She turned and headed for the chuckwagon, where the scattering of men who had remained with the wagons sat on the ground with breakfast plates in their laps. Rudy had sent along a cold breakfast yesterday for those who were going to spend the night on the other side of the river.
Then she saw Jordy and Rudy standing in the shade of the chuckwagon talking animatedly about something. She hurried toward them. Jordy saw her and waved her on. As soon as she came up to them, Jordy said, “We’re having a serious discussion here. Rudy says that with the river down some, the chuckwagon can cross without the raft. I say the raft’s still here, let’s play safe and use it. Do you want in on this?”
“I want no part of that argument, but I would leave it to Uncle Rudy. We’ve got bigger problems,” Sierra said.
“You are a wise young woman,” Rudy said.
Jordy said, “What bigger problems?”
“I can’t find Grandpa Jack. I overslept, and when I got up and checked the wagon, he and Thor were gone. His bedroll and personal things are missing, too, but now that I’ve thought about it, I think some of his stuff was gone last night.”
Rudy said, “That old weasel. He’s left us. You can bet on it. He’s on his way to that woman he’s got a hankering for. I seen more men than I can count with female sickness in my time. Their brains
