Shannon cried out-there was a shot. Then Johnny cried again, this time with a choke cutting off the word as he arched convulsively against the boulder. In the half light the arrow projecting from between his shoulder blades stood out with unnatural clarity.
Arrow? Drew"s wits worked slowly. The arrow must have come from one of the Pimas-Rennie had been covered, after all. So he had not believed too much in Johnny"s promises....
"You there, kid?" Someone came through the rock gap. "Hey-he"s here all right, but he"s hurt!" Nye"s grasp on him brought the pain in Drew"s side to an agony he could no longer stand. He was crushed down into darkness.
"Ribs are cracked, not broken-that"s something to be thankful for. All right, you can let him down now. Give me that pad and some water; I want to see how much damage there is here."
Drew tried to turn his head away from the touch on his swollen cheek and jaw, but he was held steady to endure it.
"Best we can do for the present. You can leave the rest to me, Nye."
Drew opened his eyes. There was a fire near-by, but the flickering of the flames concealed more than they revealed of the face above him. He found the words to say rather than ask:
"You knew ... before Johnny told ... you knew...."
"Teodoro told me-yesterday."
"I didn"t lie. Johnny took the papers."
"He admitted it at the last. But why, why didn"t you come to me?"
Put muddled feelings into words, attempt to explain what he did not fully understand himself? It was hard even to try, but you always faced up to the hard things.
"Wanted to know ... if it was right ... for both of us ... had to know that."
"If you"d be welcome-that it? Well, what did you decide?"
What had he decided hours, days ago?
"Too late...." But somehow that came out differently than he intended, as a question rather than a statement.
"No." The answer was uttered flatly, in a voice you did not argue with.
"Suppose we begin all over again. You willing to try?"
"Better say-are _you_, suh?" Drew had whirling memories of all that had gone wrong since he had tried things his way. Then he saw a smile on his father"s face, bringing him in-in where? To what? Suddenly he was eager to find out.
"Took the long way around to get home, didn"t you?" Hunt Rennie asked softly. "I think we can make it worth the effort. Now, suppose you try some sleep-you"ve a pair of cracked ribs which"ll have to be favored for a while. I think you"ve been too knocked about lately to make good sense.
There"ll be plenty of time."
Plenty of time.... Drew blinked. "Yes, suh." Obediently he shut his eyes.
A blanket was pulled up, tucked in about him. For a moment a warm hand rested protectingly on his shoulder. And that rea.s.suring pressure carried over with him into sleep, as if what he had long sought without recognizing was his, never to be lost again.