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SEPTEMBER 1, 1823

THEY WERE ABANDONING HIM The wounded man knehen he looked at the boy, who looked down, then away, unwilling to hold his gaze

For days, the boy had argued with the man in the wolf-skin hat Has it really been days? The wounded man had battled his fever and pain, never certain whether conversations he heard were real, or s in his mind

He looked up at the soaring rock fored sorow from the sheer face of the stone He had stared at it many times, yet it had never appeared to him as it did at that moment, when its perpendicular lines seemed clearly to form a cross He accepted for the first ti

The wounded man felt an odd detachment from the scene in which he played the central role He wondered briefly what he would do in their position If they stayed and the war party came up the creek, all of them would die Would I die for them … if they were certain to die anyway?

“You sure they’re co up the creek?” The boy’s voice cracked as he said it He could effect a tenor most of the time, but his tone still broke at moments he could not control

The man in the wolf skin stooped hurriedly by the s strips of partially dried venison into his parfleche “You want to stay and find out?”

The woundedpain in his throat Sound caht to articulate

The ather his few belongings, but the boy turned “He’s trying to say so”

The boy dropped on one knee next to the woundedarm and pointed

“He wants his rifle,” said the boy “He wants us to set him up with his rifle”

The round between them in quick, measured steps He kicked the boy hard, square in the back “Move, goddamn you!”

He strode quickly froer pile of his possessions: a possibles bag, a knife in a beaded scabbard, a hatchet, a rifle, and a powder horn As the wounded man watched helplessly, theHe dug inside for the flint and steel, dropping therabbed the powder horn and slung it over his shoulder The hatchet he tucked under his broad leather belt

“What’re you doing?” asked the boy

The ain, picked up the knife, and tossed it to the boy

“Take that” The boy caught it, staring in horror at the scabbard in his hand Only the rifle re quickly to ensure it was charged “Sorry, old Glass You ain’t got much more use for any of this”

The boy appeared stunned “We can’t leave him without his kit” The man in the wolf skin looked up briefly, then disappeared into the woods