Murdock had gone down to the river below the ridge. He left Declan and Annie above so they would be safe until he judged if the six ex-guards, that were approaching, were a threat to them. He had left enough fish for Annie and Declan before coming off the ridge, and Annie knew enough to gather wood and get more water. He wanted Declan to rest and get plenty to eat and drink to build up his strength.
While he waited, he got a small fire going and found a place that might be a good place to ford the river. As he looked out across the river, he saw that both banks were low. The river was wide and slow-moving, at this point. He guessed the river was only about four feet deep in the middle.
The ex-guards, seeing the fire, headed toward it. It wasn’t long before they saw Murdock waiting for th
