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Benteen saw the cowboy hat floating downstrealimpse of Andy’s head as he bobbed to the surface The coil of cattle was between him and the rider Jonesy was closer

From the north bank, water splashed as Spanish rode his horse into the river to come to their aid, while Jessie held the part of the herd that had already

When Jessie threw a rope for Andy, Benteen directed his efforts to breaking the er There was only the cattle and saving them Spanish rode his horse close to the center and slid off to begin cli across the backs of ani fists, he began driving a wedge in the circle of horns Benteen’s pressure finished the job, and the steers were once again heading in the same direction toward the north bank

Benteen’s horse labored onto the bank, tre hard, too, but histhe rest of the herd across Two of the flank riders accompanied the stream of horns across As Shorty Niles rode by Benteen, his face hite and strained

“The sonofabitches didn’t make it The stupid sonofabitches,” he cursed, but it was a pain-filled voice

Benteen looked at the last place where he’d seen Jonesy His riderless horse was on the south bank, shaking itself like a wet dog There was no sign of Jonesy or Andy Young Benteen drank in a deep breath and held it, shutting his eyes before he let it out in a long, wavering sigh

No attempt was made to look for the bodies of the cowboys until the entire herd hadand been bunched a half-mile from the river When they searched downstrea ahad taken a heavy toll Two riders dead and seventy head of cattle drowned

The bodies rapped in tarp and carried to a bluff overlooking the river to be buried It was a solemn service; by necessity, a brief one, too Lorna stared at all the eraves, hats in hand Ely Stanton had fashioned a pair of crude crosses out of tree limbs and rawhide to mark the burial sites, but no names were carved into them Someone had plucked their hats froht beams of the crosses No coent anywhere without his hat He ate with it, slept with it, and died with it

As trail boss, it was Benteen’s duty to say a feords over theood horses to ride and a clear sky overhead Amen”

“Amen,” Lorna repeated, but she was the only one

Her eyes were bright; a thread of fear trembled over her at the mortality of humans She didn’t know Jonesy—no one had told her his full na very well, but they’d both been alive at breakfast thisher their plates to be washed Now they were dead Yet she seemed to be the only one affected by it

There was a head-down shuffling-away froraves She heard Vince Garvey el singin’ off-key, I guess I’ll know it’s Jonesy Never could sing a note”

“Hey, Shorty, would you teach me another verse to ‘Sweet Betsy’?” Zeke Taylor asked

“Sure” Shorty nodded

Lorna watched the to their horses “Doesn’t it bother them?” She hadn’t realized she’d