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hole and get ready for hell.”
    Johnston worked up a fire just outside the passenger car, heated his big Bowie knife. It wasn’t something to look forward to with any anticipation. He got a bottle of very dark whisky from his saddlebag and made some splints from the slats in one of the passenger seats.
    After that Johnston got the Bowie out of the fire and the thing I remembered most was him coming toward me, smiling, with that red-hot blade. Pain put me out again.
    When I awoke Johnston had a big slab of meat stuck in front of my face on the tip of the Bowie. The same he had used to cauterize my wound.
    “Take it, pilgrim. Eat it.”
    I did as I was told. The meat was still warm from the fire, slightly burnt, but I had no complaints. It was delicious.
    “It’s good,” I said. “What is it?”
    “Horse.”
    I lay back in the seat and felt my stomach churn. Horse. And not even fresh horse at that, I bet.
    “I reckon we ought to be leavin’ here pronto,” Johnston said. “Figure them that own this here train will be out to see about her when she don’t getwit don’ home.” He eyed me. “Reckon you know what I mean. You didn’t come with this here train.”
    “How do you know?”
    “I’m a good guesser. Robbin’ it?”
    “I didn’t want to kill the passengers. They shot me and my friend Bucklaw.”
    “Figured it was somethin’ like that. I wouldn’t’ve shot no passengers, either. Only I wouldn’t have been robbing no train in the first place.”
    “I’m not saying it was anything but stupid.”
    Johnston grunted. “I caught one of them Indian ponies for ya. Had to cut one of the saddles off a dead horse, it was so belly-swollen. I pieced it back together pretty good. We’ll move out soon.”
    “Sioux be back?”
    “Might. That was a hunting party, but they were dressed for war. Sioux stay that way these here days. Things is buildin’ up for a big Indian and white man ta-do, and I ain’t talking about no backyard social.”
    “Reckon I don’t blame them much.”
    “Me neither. Pa Sapa, as they call The Black Hills, are sacred lands promised them forever by the soldier boys and the old boy in Washin’ton. Short promise.”
    “They found gold.”
    “They’d have found another reason. Indian’s days is numbered, pilgrim. Just like mine are. Ain’t much in mountain man business no more. Places are getting trapped out. Goddamned ignorant pilgrims movin’ in all the time. No offense.”
    “That why you left the mountains?”
    “Part. Just got the wanderins for one. Guess maybe I even thought I’d get me a gold strike.” He laughed out loud. “Damn stupid to dig rocks out of the ground, pan dirt out of the streams. More stupid that they’ll give you money fer it. Well, I ain’t no miner. I found that out right quick. Never even got around to diggin’ in the dirt. Little pannin’ is all I did, and I didn’t shine to it none.”
    “Know what you mean.”
    “I did some scouting here, too. A year or so back, for Captain V.T. McGillicuddy.”
    “Johnston?”
    “Yeah?”
    “Thanks.”
    “Reckon I didn’t do nothin’ but kill some Indins. Would have done that anyway.”
    I smiled. “Yeah. When I feel better, I’d like to bury the dead.”
    “Already have. Rest a bit, then we’ll get going.”
    I closed my eyes and slept.

5
    When I woke up, Johnston handed me a Winchester and the Sharps the Sioux had been so frantically trying to recover. I put them on the seat beside me.
scside me
    “Them that robbed the train took all the weapons,” he said. “I picked these up for you. Reckon them Indin’s won’t mind the loan.”
    “Thanks.”
    “Plenty of shells for the Winchester, but that Sharps uses .50-130 loads. That sort’s expensive. That brave probably stole it. Just a handful of shells was all he had. Here.”
    He handed over the ammunition for both weapons. I held them for an awkward moment, then slipped them into my shirt pockets until I could do better.
    “You get one