“Blamed ol’—”

“Stuff it, Rand. It won’t help. Just keep watch.” Kane Daniels stepped back from the rocky shelf overlooking the road and dropped to where his youngest brother lay gasping for breath with their cousin bending over him. “How’s it look, Micah?”

“Ain’t good. I can keep him from bleedin’ to death for a while, but that’s about it. He needs a doctor bad.”

“And just how do you figure on gettin’ one if the whole town’s after us?” Rand’s words hissed from above them.

“You keep your eyes on that road and leave this to me.” Kane shot him a stern look, and Rand swallowed a retort and turned to the road again. This was as hard on Rand as anyone, but Kane couldn’t let his hot-headed brother go off half-cocked or he’d end up as bad as Luke, or worse.

“Tell me again what they said, little brother.” He wiped the sweaty hair from Luke’s forehead and held the canteen to his lips. Luke gulped the water gratefully, coughing and moaning as his battered ribs protested.

“Somethin’ about—old Tom Donahue. How we—burned his house and—come nigh to killin’ him. And the usual about—gettin’ our filthy sheep off—Carson County land.”

“It don’t make no sense. We ain’t been near the Donahue place in weeks.”

“Makes sense if it ain’t really about old Tom.” Micah’s voice was low as he glanced toward the shelf.

“Meanin’ they’re tryin’ to run us out, and this is a good excuse.”

Micah nodded, and Kane ran a hand over his face.

“Well, they mighta got what they’re aimin’ for.”

“Kane, no.” Luke’s words were a moan, and Kane gripped his shoulder. “You can’t just—let ‘em win.”

“I’m as stubborn as the next man and a sight more’n most, but seein’ my kin beat and shot up for a few head of sheep is a bit farther’n I’m willin’ to go.”

“You know that ‘few head of sheep’ is all we got in the world.” Micah looked up from the bandage he’d just tied off and met Kane’s eyes steadily.

“Don’t think I don’t. But it ain’t worth none of your lives. We can’t go much farther out than Carson if we plan to keep an eye on Meredith, but I’d rather sweep floors in the mercantile than hold those sheep over one of your graves.”

“Kane, we got trouble.”

Kane was at Rand’s side in an instant, instinctively drawing his gun, and his brother pointed.

“Sheriff and one other.”

Even from a distance, there was no mistaking the large man and his big bay. Kane gritted his teeth. In his concern over Luke’s attackers, he had barely registered the severity of the charge. How many would testify against them out of spite? Or would they even make it to trial? He’d known more than one posse to appoint itself judge, jury, and executioner on the spot.

Kane held the grip of his revolver tight for a few seconds, then slid it along the rock toward Rand, and his brother looked up with startled eyes.

“What are you doin’?”

“What I have to.” He quickly unbuckled his gun belt and turned to look his brother in the eye. “Let the sheriff in, but don’t let anyone else get close. I’m gonna bargain for a doctor for Luke, but you make sure they don’t sneak a posse in, hear?”

“Bargain what?” The edge of fear in Rand’s voice said he already knew. Kane grasped his shoulder.

Rand dropped his head onto the rock, and Kane could see his gun hand trembling, but after a few seconds, he looked up again with a determination all the more fierce for the pain in his eyes.

“You do what you have to, Kane, but I ain’t lettin’ it end like this.”

“Stay inside the law, hear? If you get yourself arrested or shot and leave Luke and Micah defenseless, I ain’t never forgivin’ you.”

“I hear you.” The words were forced through his teeth, sign enough that he recognized the truth of what Kane was saying. With one last cuff to Rand’s arm, Kane dropped to the ground again and motioned to Micah.

“I’m gettin’ Luke a doctor. Stay holed up somewhere till he can ride, and then either sell the sheep or get out of the county.”

“Let me.” As usual, Micah didn’t have to be told what he was planning. Kane gripped his cousin’s arm hard.

“Not happenin’. I’m still boss of this outfit. Rand’ll take care of Luke if it comes to that. You’re the only brother Merry’s got.”

“This ain’t right, Kane.”

“Best I can do. Hold Luke down, will you?”

Micah squeezed his eyes shut and gave a sharp nod.

“Daniels!” The sheriff’s voice boomed through the canyon. “You boys in there?”

Kane waited until Micah reached Luke’s side, then stepped out from behind the bluff with his hands raised.

“I’m comin’ quiet, sheriff! The other boys had no hand in it. I’ll give myself up if you’ll send in a doctor for Luke.”

Luke’s cry of protest sounded faintly above the pounding in his ears. The sheriff rounded the bend and drew to a stop, surveying him with a curious smile.

“You gonna set your word up against old Tom’s, son?”

“What’s that?”

“Donahue came to, and he swears to hearin’ the Holt boys set the fire and brag how they’d pin it on you. Doc rode along with me. Give me your word nobody’ll start shootin’, and I’ll send him in.”

Kane’s knees suddenly went weak, and he leaned hard against the bluff.

“Sheriff—” A sudden memory of Luke’s reason for riding into town washed over him, and he offered a shaky grin. “You don’t look like no angel I ever heard tell of, but I reckon that’s the second best news anybody’s ever brought a passel of sheepherders Christmas day.”