kee explained. "Stopped a bullet plumb
center with that."

"Ain't seen nothin' like it 'fore," Webb added, patting the compress
gently into place. "Like to ripe you wide open if it hadn't hit the
buckle! You got you a bruise black as charcoal an' big as a plate right
across your guts, but the skin's only a little broke wheah the plate cut
you some. An' if you ain't hurt inside, you're 'bout the luckiest fella
I ever thought to see in my lifetime!"

Drew moved a hand, touching the buckle with a forefinger. Then he filled
his lungs deeply and felt the answering pinch of pain in the region of
the bruise Webb described.

"It sure hurts! But it's better than a hole."

A hole! Kirby! Drew's hand went out to brace himself up, the compress
slid down his body, and then Webb was forcing him down again.

"What you tryin' to do, boy? Pass out on us agin? You stay put an' let
us work on you! This heah district's no place to linger, an' you can't
fork a hoss 'til we git you fixed up some."

Drew caught at the hand which pinned his shoulder. "Will, where's Anse?
You got him here too?" He rolled his head, trying to see more of the
enclosure in which he lay, but all he faced was a wall of rough stone.
Webb was wringing out another compress, preparing to change the
dressing.

"Where's Anse?" Drew demanded more loudly, and there was a faint echo of
his voice from overhead.

Croff flipped off the cooling compress as Webb applied the fresh one.
But Drew was no longer lulled by that warmth.

"He ain't here," replied the Cherokee.

"Where then?" Drew was suddenly silent, no longer wanting an answer.

"Looky heah, Drew"--Webb hung over him, peering intently into his
face--"we don't know wheah he is, an' that's Bible-swear truth! We saw
you two come out into the valley, but we was busy pickin' off hosses so
them devils couldn't make it away 'fore the Yankees caught up with 'em.
Then the blue bellies slammed in fast an' hard. They jus' naturally went
right over those bushwhackers. Maybe so, they captured two or three, but
most of them was finished off right theah. We took cover, not wantin'
to meet up with lead jus' because we might seem to be in bad company.
When all the shootin' was over an' you didn't come 'long, me and Injun
did some scoutin' 'round.

"We found you down by that crick, an' first--I'm tellin' it to you
straight--we thought you was dead. Then Injun, he found your heart was
still beatin', so we lugged you up heah