Shoving the hat back on his head, his gaze never stopped as he took in the horizon. The heat-laden air wavered over and around the small hills that rolled into a long, flat-topped plateau running from the north, in front of him, and stopped just south of his current position.
The rocky outcropping was bare, except for the skeletal remains of a few long-dead trees dotting the top. Turning his gaze to the south, he followed the grass-covered plains as they flowed into more rocky hills. But as far as he could see, nothing moved.
Another pile of rocks and pebbles caught his attention, and just like before, one horse moved forward alone and the other held back then caught up. Hoping he was the only one to find the piles, he still pulled his rifle from the sheath and laid it across his lap, ju
