Across the Rio Colorado

Table of Contents

Title Page

AUTHOR’S FOREWORD

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

EPILOGUE

St. Martin’s Paperbacks Titles by Ralph Compton

Notes

Copyright Page

AUTHOR’S FOREWORD

While Texas statehood was many bloody years away, there were Mexican land grants available along the Brazos and Colorado Rivers. Through the efforts of Stephen Austin—a Missourian—a farmer could claim 277 acres, while a rancher was eligible for 4,615 acres. In the land-hungry east, land prices had reached an unheard-of dollar and twenty-five cents an acre. Thus many Americans became Mexican citizens, immigrating to south central Texas, where land was available for only a few cents an acre.

But it was perilous times. Traveling from St. Joseph or St. Louis, the trail led right through Indian Territory, a haven for hostile Indians and renegades of every stripe. Texas itself was little better, for it was the home of the dreaded Comanche Indians. But nothing slowed the quest for Texas land, and men drawn to the frontier surged forth to meet its demands.

While the immigrants themselves were whang-leather-tough, an even hardier breed was necessary to freight in goods over the treacherous trails, supplying the needs of these early settlers. Early caravans consisted of pack mules, but as the demand increased, there were trains of lumbering freight wagons. Teamsters riding the high boxes were armed with several revolvers, a long knife, and a Sharps .50 caliber rifle. These men fought Indians, outlaws, and occasionally, one another.

Wherever men went—to Colorado, Montana, or California to dig for gold, or to the Republic of Texas to farm or raise cattle—the traders with their pack mules or wagons always followed. These buccaneers who rode the high boxes took commerce to the western plains, because the potential rewards seemed worth the risk, but there had to be more. It was a time, in a changing land, that called forth men of courage. Some earned fame, some an unmarked grave beside a lonely trail, but all shared an epic American frontier that once was, but now lives only in the pages of American history.

PROLOGUE

St. Louis, Missouri. April 11, 1837.

"Draw, damn you!"

John Burke was just nineteen, and had spent the afternoon in the Emerald Dragon, a dive on the St. Louis waterfront.

Put the gun away, John, said Chance McQuade.

There had been bad blood between the Burkes and the McQuades since that day in St. Joe, when Andy—Andrew Burke’s eldest son—had drawn on Chance McQuade. Chance had been forced to kill Andy to save his own life, but the Burkes hadn’t forgotten.

You’re a coward, Burke shouted, his voice trembling.

You know better, said Chance quietly. I’ll draw against you only if I have to.

By God, you got to, Burke shouted, clawing at his gun.

He was quick, but not quick enough. McQuade waited until he had the weapon clear of the holster. He then drew and fired once. Burke stumbled back against the batwing doors and fell into the saloon. Men had quickly gathered from several other saloons, all shouting questions. McQuade said nothing, waiting for the sheriff. When the lawman arrived, he had a shotgun under his arm and a wad of plug in his jaw. He was dressed like a farmer, in a red flannel shirt, overalls, and rough-out boots.

Who drawed first? he demanded.

The dead man, somebody said.

Anybody see it any different? the sheriff asked.

When there was no response, he turned to McQuade.

I’m rulin’ it self-defense. I’m Isaac Seaborn. Who are you?.

Chance McQuade.

You ever see this hombre before he drawed on you?

Yes, said McQuade. We’re both from St. Joe. Three years ago, one of his brothers drew on me, and I was forced to kill him.

I’d take it as a favor if you’d move on, the sheriff said. Nothin’ personal.

Yes, McQuade said, I understand. I’m looking for a job as a teamster or guide, and then I’ll be leaving.

Before the sheriff or the men who had gathered could question him further, McQuade continued along the boardwalk. While he was sure his encounter with John Burke had been nothing more than a stroke of bad luck, he suspected the rest of the Burkes, including old Andrew, were somewhere in town.

Chance McQuade was thirty-two years old, with black hair and gray eyes, and had grown up in St. Joseph, Missouri. In 1821, William Becknell had opened a trade route into Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory, and twenty-year-old McQuade had ridden with him. In the years that had followed, Chance McQuade had become a seasoned frontiersman. He had ridden the high box, freighting goods through Indian Territory into Texas, and from Kansas City to trading posts in Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming.

In this year, the spring of 1837, McQuade had come to St. Louis in response to a story in a Kansas City newspaper. Rufus Hook, a wealthy businessman, had received a grant to build a town in south central Texas. For a fee, Hook had offered to secure grants for individuals, and had already signed a hundred families who would settle along the Rio Colorado. Hook needed a wagon boss and guide. The man he chose would receive a grant of his own, as well as five hundred dollars. Chance McQuade knew the freighting business backwards, forwards, and upside down. He was quick with a pistol and deadly with a big Sharps .50 caliber. His body bore the evidence of many knife fights, and a large, ugly scar from a Comanche lance. He had bossed many wagon trains where the teamsters had been older than himself. Now he wanted a rancher’s grant in Texas—4,615 acres—and the five hundred dollars Hook was willing to pay a wagon boss. Reaching the address given in the newspaper, he was amazed to find it no more than a hole in the wall, with a sign on the door that read Hook Enterprises. When he opened the door, a pale woman dressed in black looked at him from the desk where she sat.

I’m here to see Rufus Hook, said McQuade. Is he here?

Perhaps, she replied. Who are you, and what do you want?

I’m Chance McQuade, and I’m here to become his wagon boss, taking that expedition into Texas.

Before she could respond, a door to the next office opened. A heavy man—probably in his fifties—stepped out. He was dressed in a dark suit, boiled shirt, and string tie. But for a fringe above his ears, he was bald, and a cigar was clenched in his teeth.

Get back to your work, Emma, he said. He then turned to face McQuade. I am Rufus Hook.

He nodded toward the open door, and McQuade entered. He stood with his back to the wall, facing the desk. His trousers were dark homespun, his shirt red flannel, while his boots and Stetson were pure cowboy. On his left hip, butt-forward, he carried one of the first Colt revolvers manufactured in America. He said nothing, waiting for Hook to speak. There was no chair other than the one behind Hook’s desk. Hook sat down, discovered his cigar had gone out, and dropped it into a mug that sat on the desk.

So you’re my wagon boss, he said. In what ways are you qualified?

In every way that matters, said McQuade.

I heard a shot a few minutes ago. Did you have anything to do with that?

I did, McQuade admitted, but volunteered nothing more.

You don’t talk much, do you?

Hook, said McQuade, if a man measures up, he don’t have to talk. If he can’t or won’t stand tall, then nothin’ he’s got to say will ever make any difference. Is that land grant you’re offerin’ me a farmer’s grant, or a rancher’s grant?

I haven’t offered you anything, yet, Hook growled, and if I do, it’ll be my choice, not yours. You take a hell of a lot for granted, my friend.

I take nothing for granted, said McQuade. Whatever needs doin’ with wagons and the teams, I can do, and I can do it better than anybody else. Now when I get your damned wagons to Texas, I want a rancher’s grant. Do I get it or not? You have ten seconds.

Get the hell out of my office, McQuade, Hook bawled. Get out.

McQuade stepped out, closing the door, but that was as far as he went. Emma stared at him in awe. In a matter of seconds, the door opened. Hook was about to shout after McQuade, when he became aware of McQuade standing there, a grin on his weathered face.

Your ten seconds have run out, said McQuade cheerfully.

Furious, Hook nodded toward his open office door, and McQuade again entered, closing it behind him. Hook wasted no time.

I don’t like pushy, smart-mouth men, McQuade, but time is short, and I’m forced to make an exception. There is a wagon camp five miles west of town, on the south bank of the Missouri. Eventually there will be a hundred wagons. Your initial duty is to go there and inspect the wagons and the teams, doing whatever you must to make them trail-worthy. I want mules pulling the wagons. Any oxen must be led or driven. The journey is to begin on May first. At that time, you will acquire an additional twenty-one wagons. These and their contents belong to me.

And their contents will be exactly what?

You’ll know soon enough, said Hook. For now, I believe you have your hands quite full.

What about my rancher’s land grant and the five hundred dollars?

You’ll receive both when you have taken these wagons safely to the Rio Colorado, Hook replied. I am supplying a cook and food for the journey. When you take the trail, you may take your meals with my teamsters. I have also engaged a dozen fighting men to assist you with sentry duty and the fighting of Indians. For anything I have overlooked, I have a line of credit at Stallworth’s mercantile.

McQuade closed the door behind him, tipped his hat to Emma, and left the building. He didn’t like Rufus Hook, but he relied on a philosophy that had served him well over the years. When a man hired on, he was being paid for his services, not necessarily to like the job or the man who had hired him. But putting likes and dislikes aside, there was a falseness about Rufus Hook, something that didn’t ring true. The only thing about Hook that seemed honest was his obvious dislike for McQuade, and the only thing they were likely to have in common was their dislike for one another. McQuade decided he hadn’t been told all he should know, that Hook was purposely keeping him in the dark, and he recalled a bit of scripture that suited the situation perfectly: Men love darkness, for their deeds are evil.

All Chance McQuade had to show for a dozen years of riding the high boxes was a bay horse, his saddle, bedroll, pistol, .50 caliber Sharps, and the clothes that he wore. He had no money for a night in a St. Louis hotel, so he rode along the river until he reached what had to be the wagon camp Rufus Hook had spoken of. He reined up, staggered by a veritable sea of humanity that revolved around what he estimated to be near the hundred wagons of which Rufus Hook had spoken. Most of the wagon canvas had weathered to varying shades of gray, and even from a distance, he could see where it had been patched. God only knew what might be the condition of the wagons themselves. Wheels ungreased for months—or never greased at all—invited broken axles, while improperly fitted iron tires would come loose, leading to splintered wheels. Dogs barked, cows bawled, children shouted, mules brayed, and above it all there was the roar of a big fifty. Half a dozen fires bloomed along the river bank, as women took advantage of the shallows to wash their clothing and blankets. A blanket had been spread on the ground, and men hunkered about it, shooting craps. Somewhere a rooster crowed. It reminded McQuade of a Green River rendezvous, without the trappers. Some of the men gathered as McQuade rode in. Mostly, their eyes were full of questions, but four of them regarded McQuade with open hostility.

What’n hell are you doin’ here, McQuade?

Andrew Burke stood with his hands on his hips, sided by his three remaining sons, Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

I’m the wagon boss, Burke, said McQuade. All the way to the Rio Colorado.

You’ll never live to see it, Matthew Burke snarled.

I likely won’t, if I turn my back on you Burkes, said McQuade. None of you are handy at pullin’ a gun against a man facing you, and that leaves just one way for you to go.

We’ve had a peaceful camp, up to now, said a bearded man with a revolver stuck under his belt. What’s behind all this bull-of-the-woods talk?

This varmint, Chance McQuade, has shot and killed two of my sons, Andrew Burke shouted. He gunned down John, my youngest, not more’n two hours ago.

John wouldn’t have it any other way, said McQuade, and he drew first.

He sure as hell did, one of the onlookers said. I was there. He was spoilin’ for a fight.

For the record, McQuade said, three years ago in St. Joe, I shot Andy Burke when he drew on me. He was stinking drunk and slapping a woman around, which is the Burke style. I slapped him, givin’ him a dose of his own medicine. He started the gunplay.

A dozen men had gathered, most of them accompanied by their wives and children, and they looked unfavorably upon the Burkes. The bearded man with the pistol under his belt spoke again.

I’m Ike Peyton, McQuade. You say you been hired as wagon boss?

I have, said McQuade. I’ve been ridin’ the high box for twelve years, hauling goods into Texas, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming. I’ve fought Indians, outlaws, grizzlies, wolves, and some no-account varmints I thought was sidin’ me. Between now and May first, I’ll be helping you ready your wagons for the trail, and helping you to prepare for what’s ahead.

Big talk, Andrew Burke sneered. McQuade’s sold old Hook a bill of goods. There’s not a thing he can do for us that we can’t do for ourselves.

Let me remind all of you of something, said McQuade, especially you Burkes. I’m not costing any of you a thing. Nothing is at stake here except the Burkes’ grudge against me. Are any of you wantin’ to throw in with them, disliking me because I defended myself against a pair of damn fools who wouldn’t have it any other way?

Hell, no, a man shouted. We likely got enough ahead of us, without fightin’ among ourselves.

There were shouts of approval, but McQuade’s eyes were on the Burkes. Their very manner told him it wasn’t over. If he won the confidence of the rest of these people, that might prevent the Burkes from shooting him in the back. He could expect no more.

In the days that followed, more wagons drifted in, some of them bringing families from Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio. Chance McQuade quickly learned that he couldn’t inspect every wagon. He must enlist the help of other men he could trust. He had become friends with Ike Peyton, and it was to Ike that he spoke.

Most of these wagons need work, Ike. I won’t have time to personally inspect them all. Do you know some of these men well enough to ask them to help? A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If any wagon breaks down, the entire train grinds to a halt.

Let me talk to some of them, said Peyton. I’m sure we can count on a few of them to help. I’ll see that they understand it in that light, that one breakdown hurts us all.

Ike Peyton was as good as his word, speaking to Gunter Warnell, Eli Bibb, Cal Tabor, and Will Haymes. With Ike leading them, they agreed to assist in preparing the wagons for the trail, and to help with any breakdowns that might occur along the way. The Burkes kept their silence, and there was no trouble from the rest of the camp. However, McQuade was in for some unpleasant surprises, beginning when Rufus Hook’s wagons began rolling in. The first was the cook and supply wagon, driven by an old Negro with gray hair. Reining up his teams, he eased himself down from the wagon box. He wasted no time.

I be Ampersand, he said. Call me Amp or Sand, but not greasy belly, dirty apron, or biscuit shooter. I answer to Mr. Hook, an’ nobody else.

I’m wagon boss, said Chance. Name’s Chance McQuade. On the trail, everybody will answer to me.

Wal, now, Amp said, Mr. Hook be ridin’ with me. I answer to him, not you.

Nobody—including McQuade—had an answer to that. Clearly, none of the men in the camp had been told Rufus Hook would be traveling to Texas with the train. With that in mind, McQuade prepared himself for more surprises, and they weren’t long in coming. Hiram Savage and Snakehead Presnall arrived, and they had the look of tinhorn gamblers, a look that was further emphasized by the contents of the wagons they drove. Savage made no secret of the fact that his wagon was loaded with saloon equipment, including chairs, tables, an upright piano, and a roulette wheel. While Presnall’s wagon was empty, it had been ingeniously equipped with six bunks, and two days after Presnall’s arrival, he drove the wagon to town and returned with six women. Brash, young painted women.

Whores, said Gunter Warnell. I seen some of them in a saloon in town.

The next wagon that showed up brought two men in town clothes and derby hats.

My God, Eli Bibb said, this is startin’ to look like a Sunday tea social.

This is a wagon train, bound for Texas, said McQuade, as the men stepped down.

We are quite aware of that, said the elder of the two. I am Doctor Horace Puckett, and this is Attorney Xavier Hedgepith. We have been engaged to practice in a new town in Texas. We will be accompanying you.

Derby hats, boiled shirts, clawhammer coats, and Sunday britches, said Cal Tabor in disgust. Who you reckon will be replacin’ their busted axles and broken wheels?

Not me, by God, Will Haymes said.

I reckon it can’t get much worse, said Ike Peyton.

But it could and did. The Reverend Miles Flanagan, an old zealot whose only sermon was fire, brimstone, and damnation, arrived.

I am the Reverend Miles Flanagan, he said, by way of introduction, and this is my daughter, Mary. Should any man of you look at her with lust in your hearts, I shall command Almighty God to strike you dead.

Mary, with blond hair and blue eyes, looked to be maybe twenty-five, and she kept her eyes on her clasped hands. Chance McQuade regarded the girl with interest, wondering if she were about to expire with shame. Flanagan had brought a tent, and while the girl struggled to erect it, the Reverend sat on the wagon seat, studying his bible.

Here, said McQuade, let me help you with that.

Please, she said, her eyes on Flanagan, I can manage.

But McQuade helped her erect the tent, under the watchful eyes of the Reverend Flanagan. He glared at Chance as though he might order God to strike him dead at any time, and McQuade returned his gaze with all the venom he could muster.

Thank you, the girl whispered.

You’re welcome, McQuade replied. My pleasure, when I can be helpful.

McQuade, said Ike Peyton, if he can send anybody to hell, you’re goin’ to get your tail feathers burnt off to the roots.

That old varmint don’t speak for the God I believe in, McQuade said.

Finally, a dozen men rode in, each on a good horse and armed to the teeth. McQuade walked out to meet them, and they reined up. The lead rider spoke.

You McQuade, the wagon boss?

I am, said McQuade. Who are you, and the pack ridin’ with you?

I’m Creeker. Eventually you’ll meet the rest of the boys, but for now, their names won’t mean nothin’. Mr. Hook’s hired us to shoot Injuns an’ anybody else that gits too troublesome. You take care of the wagons, an’ we’ll git along.

McQuade said nothing. The dozen riders unsaddled near the river, allowing their horses to roll.

My God, said Gunter Warnell, that’s got to be a bunch of killers.

I expect you’re right, McQuade said. I’m startin’ to wonder what kind of town this is goin’ to be, considerin’ the kind of materials Hook’s usin’ to build it.

I aim to talk to some of the other families, said Ike Peyton. From what I’ve seen, we ought to organize. I don’t like the looks of some of the folks that’ll be goin’ with us.

Hell, I’d pull out and go back to Indiana, Eli Babb said, but Hook made it clear he wasn’t refundin’ anybody’s money. I ain’t givin’ the old buzzard two hundred dollars, and I want that grant I been promised.

In the days that followed, sixteen more wagons arrived, increasing the total to a hundred and twenty. The teamsters, hired by Rufus Hook, were all close-mouthed, but it wasn’t difficult for McQuade to learn what the wagons contained. There was barrel after barrel of flour, sugar, and molasses. There were hundred-pound sacks of beans, whole hams, sides of bacon, bags of roasted coffee beans, clothing, boots, hats, kegs of coal oil, black powder, rifles, revolvers, knives, smoking tobacco, and plug. Two entire wagons had been devoted to barreled whiskey. There were even a few books and a chalk board for the proposed school.

We ain’t seen the school marm yet, Cal Tabor said.

But I got an idea we will, said Will Haymes.

And they did. The last day of April, Rufus Hook showed up in the last wagon, and he had with him a girl who didn’t look a day past eighteen. When Hook reined up, almost all the families were represented. Many intended to complain about the less-than-desirable individuals with whom they would be traveling. But before anybody could say anything, Rufus Hook spoke.

I’m sure some of you will be surprised to find me traveling with you, but I am not the kind to take your money and send you away, into unknown circumstances. While I have bargained in good faith with the Stephen Austin estate, I intend to be there, assuring myself that each of you receive the land you have been promised. I am sure enough of the future of the proposed town of Hookville, that I have personally funded a young lady who will teach school there. This is Lora Kirby.

By God, said Eli Bibb, loud enough for everybody to hear, that gal’s been doin’ all her educatin’ in a saloon, and she ain’t been usin’ books.

There was a roar of laughter, and Hook pounded his fist on the wagon seat. When he had them silenced, he spoke again, angrily.

For every dollar each of you have paid, I am investing thousands, and I won’t have any of you speaking ill of those who are working for me. I have gone to great lengths to see that this journey is as pleasant and as safe as possible. If any one of you—man, woman, or child—interferes with my destiny, the consequences will be severe.

Flicking the reins, he drove on toward the river. There he reined up, helping Lora Kirby down. Unbidden, Creeker and another of the hired guns unloaded yet another tent from Hook’s wagon, and began erecting it.

That’s an almighty big tent, for one gent, said Cal Tabor.

But just about right for one old buzzard and a saloon woman turned school marm, Eli Bibb said.

My woman ain’t likin’ none of this, said Cal Tabor, and she says most of the other women don’t like it either. But what are we goin’ to do about it?

Them of us that feels that way ought to draw up some rules, Ike Peyton said. You got any ideas, McQuade?

Yeah, said McQuade. Do what I aim to do. Those of you who can’t stomach this bunch that Hook’s bringin’ along, keep away from them. Plan your supper fires together. Me, I got no choice. I’ll be taking my meals from the cook wagon. But aside from that, I aim to mind my own business to the extent that I can.

You’re sayin’ if there’s trouble, we can’t count on you? Ike Peyton asked.

Get together as many as you can of like mind, said McQuade, and I’ll side you, if it comes to that. Mind you, I’m just the wagon boss and guide. I can’t tell Hook not to spend his nights in that tent with his school marm, just to please your women. But I’ll do everything I can to keep your wagons rolling, and if anybody—including Hook—does anything harmful to the train, they’ll answer to me. I’ll stand up to them with a gun, if I have to.

That’s what I wanted to hear, Ike Peyton said. I’ll line up some others who’ll side you, if it comes to that.

Do that, said McQuade. "Remember, we take the trail tomorrow, and I look for some things to change, pronto, once we leave here."

The trail to Texas. May 1, 1837.

Wagons, ho, McQuade shouted.

The wagons took the trail three abreast. McQuade had made no arrangements with Rufus Hook as to where his wagons were to fit into the scheme of things, and as a result, Hook’s twenty-one wagons ended up at the very end of the train. McQuade rode ahead of the wagons, guiding them south and slightly to the west. Once the wagons were moving, McQuade rode back down the line, looking for potential trouble. He found it immediately, for Rufus Hook was beckoning to him.

McQuade, said Hook, I don’t like my wagons following the others. Some of my teamsters are falling behind.

Mr. Hook, McQuade said, not bothering to conceal his disgust, some of your men are not teamsters, and that’s your problem, not mine. Your wagons have dribbled in over the past two weeks. You and your men have ignored me. I made it a point to work with these people who are ahead of you, they know where they’re supposed to be, and they’re not falling behind. I’d suggest that you tighten your ranks and pace your teams to ours. Hostile Indians like nothing better than to find a train split, with a few wagons lagging behind. I have my wagons organized, and I’d suggest you organize yours.

McQuade rode on to the tag end of the train, circled it and started back. He grinned at Creeker and his heavily armed companions, as they followed Hook’s wagons, eating dust. Most of the emigrants had horses and cows trailing their wagons on lead ropes, and they, in addition to the wagons, stirred up enormous clouds of dust. McQuade rode alongside Ike Peyton’s wagon, and Peyton spoke.

How’re they makin’ it back yonder?

McQuade laughed. If this was a cattle drive, they’d all be ridin’ drag. Hook wants his wagons to take the lead. I told him no.

Thanks, said Peyton. I reckon it’ll get rough before we reach Texas.

I reckon, McQuade agreed. I’ve been down some hard trails, but I have a feeling this one will be the granddaddy of them all.

Chance McQuade didn’t know just how right he was.

CHAPTER 1

Without Rufus Hook being aware of it, Chance McQuade had quietly singled out every man among the hundred families he believed he could trust. Thus more than sixty men within the train were prepared to assist McQuade in any way they could. While it would be impossible for McQuade to be aware of everything that took place within the ranks, word could be relayed to him rapidly. Almost every wagon had at least one good horse trailing on a lead rope, a definite advantage in case of outlaw or Indian attack. Once the train was moving, McQuade rode alongside Ike Peyton’s wagon.

Ike, I’m scouting ahead to find water for the night. If there’s trouble, fire three shots.

Peyton nodded. Maggie, his wife, sat stiffly beside him. She didn’t yet share his dreams of a Texas land grant. As he rode, McQuade sorted out the families, studying strengths and weaknesses. While there were just a hundred emigrant wagons, there were more than four hundred emigrants, for a good four-fifths of the men had wives, sons, and daughters. The rest were single men who had teamed up, with as many as four to a wagon. McQuade saw them as potential trouble, for there had been fistfights over various women, before the train had taken the trail. Some of these single men had bought whiskey in St. Louis, and when boredom overtook them, McQuade reckoned he would have to crack some heads. Eventually he came upon a creek with sufficient graze to supplement the grain carried in each of the wagons.

About twelve miles, hoss. About all we can expect out of ’em, the first day. You get yourself a drink, and we’ll ride on back.

Estimating the distance at nine miles, McQuade met the wagons. There was something he must settle with Rufus Hook, and he decided to be done with it. Hailing the leaders, he waited until the wagons were near enough for him to be heard.

Rein up, when you cross that ridge yonder. Give your teams a rest.

McQuade rode on, noting that other wagons had begun to slow as the leaders followed his orders to rest the teams. It would provide an opportunity for McQuade to speak to Rufus Hook. By the time McQuade reached Hook’s wagon, it and the rest of his entourage had ground to a halt. Hands on his knees, chewing an unlit cigar, Hook sat like a nervous toad. He said nothing while Lora Kirby eyed McQuade with interest.

It’s customary to circle the wagons at the end of the day, said McQuade, without any greeting. "Do you want to circle your wagons with the rest, or will you have a circle of your own? I suppose I