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gone out of him.
    Jack said: “It was my fault. I should of stopped ’em. Blame me.”
    â€œHow many were there?” McAllister asked.
    â€œA hull lot,” Sarie told him. “Maybe fifteen or twenty.”
    â€œAn’ what do you reckon you could do against that number, boy?” McAllister asked.
    â€œIf it’d been you or McShannon,” Jack said, “you’d of shot it out with ’em.”
    McAllister laughed dryly.
    â€œI never thought a house was worth a man’s life, Jack. You did right to sit still. What I would of done. There’s more ways of killin’ a coyote than stranglin’ it.”
    McShannon asked: “What do you aim to do?”
    They all looked at McAllister.
    He looked thoughtful.
    â€œFirst things first,” he said. “I aim to go ahead with my courtin’. Man does not live by bread alone.” Sarie made a sound of profound disgust. “Meanwhile, I aim to find a nice quiet spot to fort up in and from where we can keep an eye on our cows and saddle-stock. Best move into the hills for that.”
    â€œGo further west?” McShannon asked.
    â€œNo, that’s goin’ away from Markham. We’ll move east, where we’re near him. Now, we have to think of what we’re goin’ to do with Sarie.”
    Sarie said: “You ain’t goin’ to do a thing with Sarie. She stays right along with you.”
    â€œNow, listen, honey - ”
    â€œDon’t you listen honey me, McAllister. This is my home as much as yours.”
    They wrangled about it this way and that, but all the way it looked pretty clear that Sarie was staying along.
    Jack asked: “What about horses? Hell, all we have is two horses and two saddles between us. They burned everything: saddles, rifles, grub. They didn’t leave us a damn thing.”
    McShannon brightened.
    â€œI bet my bottom dollar they didn’t burn our cash,” he said.
    McAllister said: “They better not had. That was your bottom dollar.”
    McShannon looked around, couldn’t find what he wanted and finally drew his rifle from the saddle boot. He walked into the embers of the house, dancing this way and that to avoid the hotspots and started straining at something on the ground with the barrel of the rifle. They watched him till they heard his cry of satisfaction and at last he walked back to them carrying several small cowhide sacks.
    McAllister grinned.
    â€œFour hundred and twenty three dollars,” he said. “That’s our war fund. We’d best go mighty careful with it.”
    McShannon said: “Four hunnerd dollars, three men an’ a girl. That’s our army an’ we’ll beat ’em.”
    â€œWe better,” McAllister said.
    *
    The weather was warm and the night clear. They camped on the edge of the creek. They had little to eat except for a few scraps McAllister and McShannon had taken with them on their ride. The only blankets they had were from the two saddles and these they gave to Sarie. Nobody slept very well except the girl and as dawn broke, McShannon and McAllister saddled up and went looking for the horses.
    It took them all day and when they returned with a fair-sized cavvy, Jack and Sarie were pretty hungry. But they also brought beef with them. Nobody asked whose brand it had worn. McShannon built Sarie a fire and she broiled the meatover it while McAllister and Jack made a rope corral to hold the horses.
    It was full dark before they hungrily ate the half-cooked meat and washed it down with creek water. That done, McAllister told the others to stay put till dawn and then detailed them of the exact route to take the following dawn and the exact spot to halt at. Both McShannon and Jack were first rate at tracking and finding landmarks, so he had no fear that they would find their way there.
    â€œThis route,” he said, “goes well south. It’ll take you well clear of Markham range and