n_ Cazar was going to be in trouble, Drew himself wanted to be there.
That was yesterday. But still he pointed his horse south--to the place
where Hunt Rennie would return, bringing Johnny Shannon.

The Kentuckian fell back on the old "wait and see." He had learned long
since that time took care of a lot of worries. Now he made himself grin at
Anse.

"Was worryin' about wet feet before my boots were in the river again," he
confessed.

"Don't let it git to be no habit," the Texan warned. "You try ridin'
_with_ th' bumps awhile, not agin them!"

"Agreed." Drew urged his horse on toward the front of the train where they
wouldn't have to breathe the dust.

"... m' cousin, Anson Kirby ..." Drew made, the introduction to Bartolome
Rivas. The wagons were forted up outside the Stronghold, a second square,
smaller but almost as easily defended as the adobe walls. In two or three
days the train would pull out again, starting the long trip down into
Sonora.

Rivas surveyed Anse none too amicably, his gaze going from man to horse
and its gear, then back to the Texan once more.

"You are Tejano," he said flatly. "From the Neusca----"

Anse showed no surpise at being so accurately identified.

"Been bush poppin'," he agreed, smiling.

"Not much cattle here," Rivas returned.

"Run hosses in th' San Sabe 'fore th' war." Anse's tone was offhand, he
might have been discussing the weather.

"_Don_ Cazar decides," Bartolome said. "There is work at the corrals, but
he will decide."

"Fair enough," Anse agreed. When Bartolome had moved out of hearing, he
added for Drew's benefit:

"I think it'd be 'no' if that hombre had th' sayin'. He plumb don't like
my style."

"But Rennie does need men--guards for the wagon trains, riders----"

Anse shrugged as he off-saddled. "Will he want one as got into a brawl
about his third day in town? Anyway, maybe I've a day or so to breathe
full before he tells me to roll m' bed again, if he's goin' to."

During the next three days Drew made a new discovery. Just as he had
fallen into an easy, working rhythm with Anse back in the army--so that on
occasion their thoughts and actions matched without the need for
speech--now they combined operations in the corrals. Drew's bare and
painfully acquired competence with the rope was paired to the Texan's
range training, while Anse's cruder and faster methods of "toppin' a wild
one" were smoothed by Drew's more patient gentling process. Both of them