despite the fact that Jamie had deserted them.

Von Heusen wasn't going to come right up to the house and murder her. He

hadn't the guts for that. She dressed in a soft summer-green cotton and

set about making dinner with Jane and Dolly to help her. She was

accustomed to Jane, but it was really nice to have Dolly with her. Dolly

kept up a steady stream of conversation, mostly about her husband, Will,

and their days in the military. Her stories were spicy and fun, and Tess

enjoyed them thoroughly.

They cooked a huge wild turkey on a spit and summer squash and green

beans and apple turnovers. When the table was set and everything was

ready, Tess went out to find Jon.

He was leaning against a pillar, a band tied around his dark hair and

forehead, a repeating carbine held casually in his hand. He looked over

the landscape. "Dinner's on, Jon."

He glanced her way, smiling.

"Thanks, Tess, but I think I'll wait out here a while longer, keep an

eye on things."

"It's turkey and all kinds of good things. I'd like to repay you for the

trip."

I'll eat soon," he promised. She nodded and left him. Halfway inside the

house she paused, wondering if he was looking for yon Heusen or Jamie.

She hoped Jamie was eating stale, weevil-fiddled bread somewhere.

She'had a feeling, though, that he was not.

She walked into the house and to the dining-room table. Hank had come

in, and he was smiling.

"The boys are out at the bunkhouse and they're pleased as peaches that

you're home, Miss. Tess. Well, them that's left. We've still got Roddy

Morris, Sandy Harrison and Bill McDowell. They won't be going anywhere."

"Wonderful!" Tess told him.

"Bring the boys in for dinner, will you, Hank?"

"They're already fixing. their suppers in the bunkhouse, Tess. We'll

have a big Sunday dinner for them all, that's what we'll do."

"Fine. That sounds good, Hank. Now, let's all sit." Dolly offered to say

grace. She thanked God for His bounty, for their being alive and being

together, then she asked God to take a good look at their enemies and

see if He couldn't do something to put bad men in their proper place.

"Amen," she finished.

"Amen," they all chorused.

Tess was about to take her first bite of dinner when she heard the

sounds of horses' hooves. She set down her fork.

How many of them had come with yon Heusen? It sounded like five, r! o

more.

"Excuse me," she said primly, setting her napkin carefully on the table

and rising casually. It didn't matter. Dolly, Hank and Jane all

catapulted to their feet, and they attached themselves to her like

shadows as she walked to the door. She could hear voices before she

reached it. Jon's first.

"That's close enough, fellows. Close enough."

"It's an Injun!" "I said close enough."

Someone must have moved. A barrage of shots went off, followed by a

startled silence.

Then yon Heusen started to talk.

"Hold it, boys, hold your fire! I've just come to talk to Hank and Jane

about removing themselves from the prop" There no need for them to

gemove themselves from the property," Jori said.

"This is private property, and the owner seems to want them here. One

step nearer, boy," he warned someone, "and there'll be a hole in your

chest where your heart used to be."

"Who in the blazes are you!" von Heusen thundered, losing his control.

"A friend."

"A friend! Well, listen here, you red-faced monkey. The Smarts are dead.

They were attacked by Comanche or " Apache?" Jon interrupted. She could

hear something cold and dangerous in his voice.

"Tell me, which Apache?

Which Apache do you think did it? Or don't you know? I'll tell you, I'm

damned sure it wasn't any Apache. Apache, any Apache, make war, or they

go raiding. They make war to 'take death from their enemies." They raid

to fill their bellies. I haven't met an Apache yet who would leave dead

cattle scattered with the corpses of men."

"Who the hell knows or cares what Apache!" von Heusen thundered.

"It doesn't matter. Maybe it was Comanche" -- "Running River denies it."

"There are more tribes of Comanche!" "Yes, there are," Jon said softly.

"But the Comanche know what doin too.

it to man.

"Of course, the whites have been scalping for a long time now. I read

somewhere that they started scalping way back in the east in the sixteen

hundreds. But still. White men in a hurry do a sloppy job. Neither a

Comanche nor an Apache would do a sloppy job. No matter what his hurry."

"Takes an Inj un to know I" someone muttered.

"Maybe we ought to string him up. Who knows? Maybe he's some renegade in

charge of the party that did it himself!" von Heusen said.

"Let's hang him!"

"Let's see you try!" Jon said very softly. "Hold it! Hold it!" von

Heusen said.

"Now listen, Joe Smart and his family are dead. And this property is'

going to go up for public auction. Now I have" -- Tess had taken his

statement as her cue. She threw open the door and stepped onto the porch

behind Jon.

"Correction, von Heusen. I am not dead."

Even in the dusky light that sifted down from the moon and the stars,

Tess could see the startled look that flashed briefly across yon

Heusen's features.

He was a lean man, tall, spare. His features were almost cadaverous, his

cheekbones sucked in, his chin very long and pointed. His eyes were coal

black, and they seemed to burn from his skull. He sat atop his horse

well, though. Jon had his repeating rifle aimed right at his heart, and

von Heusen still sat casually, his hands draped over the pommel.

Around him were four of his men. He had about twenty hired guns on his

place. Only four of them were with him.

Tess didn't like it. He usually paid his visits with an escort of at

least eight to ten.

It made her wonder where the rest of his men might be. Von Heusen found

his voice at last.

"Why, Miss. Smart.

I am delighted to see you alive and well."

" Like hell you are, von Heusen.

"That's uncalled for, ma'am."

"Be damned, you carpetbagging riffraff, but it is."

"Someone ought to wash your mouth out with a little soap, lady. I just

came by" -- "You just came by to rob Joe of everything he ever had, now

that you've murdered him!"

"You watch your accusation there, Miss. Stuart."

"It's the truth. You know it, and I know it. And somehow, I'm going to

prove it!"

Von Heusen was smiling.

"I don't think so, little lady. No, I don't think so. You want to know

what I do think?" He leaned toward her. It was just a fraction of an

inch and he was still far away, but the gesture made her tremble inside.

"I think that this ranch was meant to be mine, Miss. Stuart. Now I've

offered you good money for it. Real good money.

And you still don't want to sell. Miss. Stuart, I want you out of town."

"I'm not leaving."

"I wouldn't be so adamant, little lady. You may find that you leave in

one way or another."

"You threatening her, von Heusen?" Jori asked. "She seems to think that

I'm guilty of something," von Heusen said.

"The whole damned town can tell you that I was in the saloon playing

cards the day the Indians attacked the Stuart train. The whole damned

town can tell you that. But still, if the lady is so worried and so

certain, well then, maybe she ought to plan on riding out of town. What

do you think?"

"I think that you should give reasonable thought to the idea of riding

out of town yourself, yon Heusen," Jon warned quietly.

Von Heusen started to laugh.

"On the word of a half- breed Indian?"

He started to Urge his mount closer to the porch. Jori fired a shot that

must have sizzled a hairbreadth from the man's cheek. Von Heusen went as

pale as the clouds. boss"-- one of Von Heusen lifted a hand.

"Calm down now, boys. Just because Miss. Stuart's resorting to violence

is no reason that we should. We'll be riding off now. But you remember

what I said, Miss. Stuart. I'd hate to see you leaving town other than

all dressed up right pretty and in a comfortable stagecoach!" He smiled

at her.

"It is good to see you alive and well. Such a pretty, pretty woman. And

all that blond hair. Blond hair alone is worth a pretty penny in certain

places, did you know that?"

He stared at Tess. As he did so, she suddenly realized that she could

smell smoke.

Suddenly she knew where the rest of yon Heusen's men were. The smoke was

coming from the direction of the card age house. The printing press was

in the wagon still, and the wagon was next to the buckboard and the

chaise in the carriage house.

And so far, it had been a dry summer. If the carriage house went up in

flames, the blaze could quickly spread to the house, to the barn, even

to the stables. Von Heusen was smiling.

"You bastard!" she hissed at him. Jon hadn't moved; he didn't dare.

If he moved the rifle a hair yon Heusen just might decide to take

advantage and shoot them all down. They stood there, locked in the

moment, yon Heusen staring at Tess with a smile, Tess staring at him,