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Her anxiety o after hi seen? Not that it mattered She couldn’t take Beau with her, and she couldn’t leave him behind Heart in her throat, she waited Over the distant bawling of the cows, she could hear the ha of her heart

What if so had happened to the boy? It would kill Bull to lose his son, and she would be to blao Why hadn’t she found a way to stop him?

At long last, the bushes rustled, and Will appeared, scratched and dirty but unhurt Sick with relief, Rose fought the urge to seize the boy’s shoulders and give hi you to co could have happened”

Her words trailed off as she saw his expression Will’s face was pale, his blue eyes ith shock and fear

“What is it? What happened?” she demanded

“I saw a round” Will’s voice was a shaky whisper “His horse was by him He looked like he was dead”

“You’re sure?”

“I didn’t get close I’ve never seen a

dead person before Not even my mom Dad wouldn’t let me see her” Will’s manly bravado had vanished He looked like the scared child he was

“Did you see anybody else?”

Will shook his head “Just cows They were in the canyon, with a rope strung across the rocks so they couldn’t get out But two of theh forR, for Rimrock These coere branded with a bar-P They were Prescott cows, not ours We need to go find Dad and tell him”

“What about the man?” Beau asked “What if he isn’t dead? What if he’s just hurt?”

“What if he’s a rustler?” Will countered “What if he stole those cows?”

Rose sighed She couldn’t leave a woundeddeath in the desert But her first concern had to be the safety of Bull’s sons

“Right now you boys have got to get out of here,” she said “Take Chief, go back to where we left Brownie, and hile I check on the man If I’m not back in five minutes, start down to the ranch without me I’ll catch up”