It was full dark by the time they saw the lights of Willow Crick. George skirted the town, giving it a wide berth, but the wagons weren’t where he expected to find them. The grasses were flattened, though, and he was able to track the trail to them.
“Georgie!” Noelle tugged his sleeve as he bent low in the saddle, studying the ground. She pointed.
“I see it.” About a dozen yards ahead was the muted glow of a campfire. “Stay quiet.” He brought Salida to a halt and called softly, “Ho the camp.”
He could hear a gun being c****d, and then Charlie answered. “If you’re not my brother, I’ll shoot you dead.”
George swallowed a laugh, the first one since this nightmare had started. “You don’t want to shoot me, pequeña, and I don’t want to be dead.”
“Georgie!” Charlie squeaked. “Oh, Georgie!” S
