ood hoss,
maybe a wagon, does a man want to do some tradin' like _Don_ Cazar--that's
right enough. But them trains, they's pure pizen an' a full soppin' keg o'
it!"

Drew looked about him. The road, rutted deep by the heavy wagons, curled
southward. Those wheel tracks had first been cut almost a hundred years
earlier when the Spaniards had set up their southwestern outposts. This
country was far older than Kentucky, and with just as bloody a history of
wars, raids, and battles. Kentucky had been tamed; trains did puff along
through the Blue Grass and the mountains there. But here--he shook his head
in answer to his own thoughts.

"Ain't nobody gonna try to run a railroad through here," Anse replied
promptly. "First place, they're gonna be busy for a while back east
puttin' up new ones for all them what were busted up in th' war. Our boys
an' theirs, too, got real expert toward th' end--could heat up a rail an'
tie a regular noose in it, were some tree handy to rope it 'round. Gonna
take th' Yankees some doin' to git all them back into place." He laughed.
"Drew, 'member that time we took them river steamers an' had us a real
feed? Times when I was in that Yankee stockade eatin' th' swill they
called rations I used to dream 'bout them pickles an' canned peaches an'
crackers with long sweetin' poured on 'em!"

"Heard tell as you boys don't think th' war's clear over yet," Fenner
observed. "Didn't you have yoreselves a ruckus with th' soldiers at th'
Four Jacks?"

Drew's reminiscent smile faded. But he was not going to keep on protesting
about the right or wrong of what happened back in town. The way Nye and
Topham had hustled Anse and him out with the wagon train had made it seem
as if they were in disgrace, and that rankled a lot. What was expected of
them--that they should have let Helms pour it on--maybe serve as butts for a
series of practical jokes without raising a finger in their own defense?
On the other hand, the Kentuckian could see the sense behind Topham's
arguments. If Bayliss wanted to use Drew's connection with the Range as a
weapon in some scheme against Hunt Rennie, then Hunt Rennie's son was only
too willing to clear out. Perhaps he should clear out even farther and
head for California. Drew began to think about that. There was Sage. She
couldn't hope to make such a trip for maybe six months. That would mean
putting off traveling until next spring or early summer. But six months
... Of course, he _cou