Chapter 105: Chapter 105

When the rose of dawn began to touch the night sky, I spooked four antelope that had come down to the river for a drink. Advantaging the situation, I turned off the trail and followed their tracks through the thin line of trees and out onto the plains. I ground tethered Patch and left Whisper and his grisly load tied to the pinto’s saddle horn. Then I eased back the way I had come and carefully blurred the two ponies’ tracks.

After a quarter of an hour, I was satisfied no one could locate where I had left the road. Thereafter, I made for Trickling Water. It was late afternoon by the time I located the cave where I had left the bodies of Lance’s wife and men. I unwrapped the bloating corpse of the militiaman and pushed it as deeply into the shallow cave as possible. The spy had no weapons or other possessions. Lance must have stolen them after he killed the man.