More or less.”

“That’s a common size for a lot of things that have to do with men,” Leah said.

“Maybe he had it in his kit the whole time, and stuffed it in his butt before you saw him,” Emma said.

“Well, he’d have had to carry that fish fifty miles in the heat,” I said.

“Maybe he kept it in a wet rag and poured canteen water on it regular,” Leah said.

“I don’t believe you could keep a fish alive that way for fifty miles,” I said. “Nor frisky, neither.”

“Maybe he caught the fish fifty miles earlier and hid it in the water barrel,” Gentry said.

The wagon went quiet.

We all looked at her.

“I’ll be damned,” I said.

Scarlett frowned. Probably disappointed in herself for not figurin’ it out.

I frowned too.

“I’m sorry he tricked you, Emmett,” Gentry said.

I said, “I’m surprised the water barrel never crossed my mind.”

“Well, you were probably just taken by surprise,” Gentry said.

“At the time, maybe. But I’ve had five years to ponder it, and still never figured it out.”

Scarlett said, “What happened to the fish?”

“Jimmy ate it,” I said.

 


 

 

 

23.

 

Before long I was back on my horse, feelin’ much more comfortable.

I hadn’t seen any sign of Shrug since he fucked Phoebe on the river bank, but I knew he was out there somewhere, keepin’ an eye out. There was no reason for him to lay down stones, since there was but one destination we could be headin’ for with all these water barrels, and Shrug would know what it was. I hoped to run into him at Copper Lake so I could ask him about Phoebe. I didn’t know exactly what to ask, but I had to ask somethin’. But as I rode some more, I changed my mind. I decided not to say a word about it unless he brought it up.

Thinkin’ about all this made me start day dreamin’ about what I’d seen: Phoebe naked, her long hair loose and whippin’ around like it had been caught in a cyclone, white hips pumpin’ steady as a railroad engine with a full head of steam. I conjured up her image in my mind to the point I almost missed the stones that lay a mere ten feet in front of me.

I pulled Major to a halt and looked around.

The whole area was low-land prairie, meanin’ there was nothin’ to either side of us, and before us, nothin’ but the rutted miner’s trail. I stood in my stirrups and looked back the way we’d come.

Nothin’ followin’ us.

There were four stones, with no directional fifth one. For whatever reason, Shrug was tellin’ me to stop.

But why?

I cursed.

Dependin’ on how long he wanted us to wait, we might not make Copper Lake before dark. If that happened, we wouldn’t be able to fill the water barrels ’til mornin’. I’d a whole lot rather fill ’em tonight, and get an early start tomorrow.

I had half a mind to keep movin’, but Shrug ain’t never been wrong before, so I waited ’til the wagons caught up to me. Then I said, “We’re gonna sit tight awhile, and rest the livestock. Ladies, this’d be a good time to relieve yourselves, if you got the urge.”

The women climbed out of the wagon and wandered around to get the blood flowin’ in their legs. Some of ’em squatted in the prairie grass to piss. Rose hopped off her wagon and tied her reins around a large rock. Then she walked over to me and Major.

I said, “You have any idea why he wants us to stop here?”

She closed her eyes and tilted her head skyward.

I waited.

She moved her head slightly, from side to side, swayin’ like she could hear some type of silent music.

I waited some more.

Finally, she said, “Someone’s coming.”

“Who, Shrug?”

“A wagon. Heading right for us.” She pointed westward.

I stood in my stirrups again and stared a long time.

“There ain’t nothin’ there,” I said.

“It’s coming,” she said.

I’d never known Rose to be wrong before, but this time she had to be. The land to the west was flat and clear, far as the eye could see, which was at least five miles.