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“He ith me” Cat pulled a kerchief from her pocket and wiped at the dust film on her face “He sent us back with the cattle and went to ers butte I swear I ate a pound of dust that last mile It is really dry here, Dad”

“It’s bad everywhere” Chase let Trey down to play with Quint and stood up to look northward in the direction of Three Fingers, gripped by an unease he couldn’t na him”

“If he caraze, he’ll have his hands full trying to get the Stuive him some help”

She had no more than finished her sentence when the distinctive crack of a rifle shot sounded in the distance Chase whipped his h

ead around in instant alertness After a short pause, it was followed by twoof shots —a rider was hurt It was a sound that chilled Chase all the way to the bone

“Watch Trey” He threw the words at Cat Unaware of dropping the fullof coffee, he headed for the nearest saddled horse

Fighting a sick feeling in his sto into the saddle Both Jessy and Stuht on his heels But Chase didn’t waste ti camp at a swift canter Every inch of hiuide him In the meantime, he pointed his horse in the direction of the rock butte Cat had

Hoofbeats pounded the ground behind hialloped after hi the bunch of cows they had gathered

The rifle cracked again, the sound co from somewhere ahead of him, but a little to the east With a twitch of the reins, Chase altered his course The other riders did the sah knoll and reined in to e point

“There he is” An out-of-breath Stuainst the skyline about a half- the rifle Behind hi raised, suggesting an injury

It was Jobe Garvey who spoke the words Chase dreaded “Isn’t that the big bay Ty was riding?” The lance at Chase

There was no reaction fronaled everyone forward and led the way, keeping hislope

Riders were always getting thrown, even the best of theroup An accident—that was likely what had happened His horse spooked or stepped wrong There were a hundred possible scenarios that ht have separated Ty fro his throat go dry

The waiting rider was another of the Garvey boys It was the youngest one, Jed, not much more than twenty-four There was a clear uneasiness about the young man Chase was quick to identify it in the way the rider had trouble looking him in the eye when Chase pulled up before them

Instead the Garvey boy focused on his older brother “I caestured over his shoulder “It looks like he hta bowed a tendon”