anner of speakin'. So I just waited m'
chance to get at that belt of yours. Found what I wanted--an' that sorta
made up m' mind.

"Colonel Kitchell here, he wanted me to go south with him. They have them
a war goin' on down there; a man can always git ahead in wartime does he
like soldierin'. But I weren't sure 'bout goin', till I found out as how I
might jus' be pushed out, anyway."

"Why did you think that? Hunt Rennie's always treated you as a real son,
hasn't he?"

"Like a real son? Like _his_ idea of a son, you mean. Work hard--an' havin'
books pushed at me. Always jawin' about education an' bein' a gentleman!
Do this, don't do that--this's right, that's wrong. Bein' soft with
Injuns--Lord, I was sick of bein' his kind of son when I went off with
Howard. Rennie wasn't even ready to fight th' war proper--big man here,
'fraid to try it where he wasn't! Rightly he was sick of me, too, only his
precious duty wouldn't let him say so.

"But as long as he didn't know 'bout you, he'd try, an' keep on tryin'. I
had me a good place to hole up on th' Range. With you there he might'n't
hold on to his patience. First off I thought I might settle you permanent,
then you got took up by Bayliss." Shannon laughed. "That sure was a
switch! Captain thought you was Kitchell's man, when he shoulda looked a
little closer in a coupla other places."

"But you were shot--by Kitchell's men."

"I was creased by th' shotgun rider on th' stage we tried to stop. Boys
brought me in close to town an' dumped me on th' road--gave us a chance to
make up another tale to fool Bayliss. Me, I've been ridin' with Colonel
Kitchell since '64. We come west from Kansas 'long th' end of that year.
Th' Colonel, he saw what might be done out here where it's a long ride
between sheriffs an' th' army hadda think 'bout Injuns most of th'
time--what army there still was in th' territory. Me an' old man
Lutterfield, we could help th' Colonel better not ridin' with him, but for
him, as you might say."

"And now you're goin' to Mexico?"

"In time, Rennie, in time. Th' Colonel's thinkin' out some plans. _Don_
Cazar, he was too lucky at th' pass."

"You're not goin' to get back those horses or mules--or what they were
packin'," Drew said.

"We'll see, we'll see." Certainly Shannon's confidence was in nowise
shaken. "Th' Colonel, he didn't want to call in Nahata an' his bucks--now
maybe he'll have to. What we need is a lay-up till we can make some good
plans