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His chest lifted on a deep breath and sloent down “I know you will,” was all he said

It was a s

14

Dodge City bustled with activity The hooting whistles of trains clanking over iron rails wavered through the stockyards with its pens of cattle Cowpunchers prodded cattle up wooden chutes to load them into railroad cars bound for the Eastern marketplaces

The unpaved streets in theclouds of dust to spread over everything There was the constant sound of footsteps on the wooden sidewalks as cowboys swaggered froathered in boisterous knots on street corners and shouted obscene greetings to acquaintances riding past

It was into this babble of confusion that Lorna rode, perched on the wagon seat while Benteen drove the tea at their heels and darting out of reach of a kicking hoof The loudness of it all was vaguely alar after weeks of the prairie’s relative quiet

“It’s so noisy” She glanced at Benteen as two riders dashed past their wagon in an iht had eased the tension between the was back to nor warily

“It’s rowdy,” Benteen agreed with a half-glance at her “We’ll stop at the Dodge House I thought you hts spent in a regular bed”

“It would be nice, yes” Lorna kneas an atte

The lobby was croith elegantly dressed meat packers from the North, feeders, and an assortment of cattle buyers They rubbed elboith dusty, dirty cowboys fresh off the trail The presence of a fe Lorna selfconscious about her appearance She kept her head lowered so they wouldn’t see how her once flawless coh hands were carefully hidden from vieell

She stayed close to Benteen while he signed the register, and tried to be inconspicuous “We are pleased to have you back with us, Mr Calder,” the desk clerk welcoister “I believe we have your usual room available—”

“I’d like so with a dressing room for my wife”

The clerk glanced at Lorna, then at the register “Very good, sir We have just the room” He handed the key to the porter with a murmur of instructions “I’m sure it will be satisfactory”

“Also arrange to have some water sent up for a bath,” Benteen requested, and handed the valise containing Lorna’s personal articles froon to the porter “Will you shoife to the room?”

“Aren’t you coue confusion, hesitant whether she should ask why he wasn’t