oil lamp to fend off the coming dark. Luckily, the moon cut a bright yellow streak through the cloudless sky.
"Where we gonna look?" Polk asked to no one in particular. After leaving the town behind, they had fanned out and most of their conversation died off. It was a while before anyone responded.
Bergman broke the silence. "George Banyon didn't take food or other provisions. He wasn't going farther than he could walk from his home. This stretch of field covers between town and the Banyon place. We'll cover the ground surrounding their property first. Also, something scared George enough to carry a gun. Something scared him enough to take his Pa's gun without waking him. Even though George has his own gun, it was important enough to take the over/under without permission."
Cooper was impressed with Bergman's logic. He'd been on the road long enough to know that you don't go off on a long journey without first figuring out what supplies you needed. It also made him question beginning their search with night descending and Bergman's Colt revolver the group's only weapon. If George needed his father's gun for protection, and the boy was somewhere nearby, maybe Bergman was walking them straight into trouble.
A thought crossed Cooper's mind. "What about the boy's dad? Shouldn't we consider where he went?" With the commotion of Ellie running into the Calder's dining room, he'd forgotten the boy's dad was also gone.
"Oh, that's easy. Probably passed out somewhere, as usual," Magee said with a snobbish laugh.
Cooper recalled seeing Magee just this morning snoozing in his barber's chair, a half-bottle of whiskey in his hand. He guessed a drunk would naturally know another's inclination, even while looking down his nose at his peer in vice.
"How old is this boy, anyhow?" Cooper asked.
"What, sixteen-seventeen now?" Polk asked, his dull eyes peering at Magee. In the light of the oil lamp, Polk's eyes gleamed yellow, and his beard stubble seemed as prickly as the thorny undergrowth at their feet.
"Sounds about right. Ellie's no more than about eight. Their parents spread them out pretty good."
"Mr. Banyon's a surly sonofa-bee." As Polk walked, he turned the valve to brighten his lamp.
"Sure is. Makes Hank Calder look like a choirboy," Magee said as he watched Polk. "You just don't know what you're doing at all. Give me that." Magee took charge of holding the lamp.
Cooper noticed movement at the top of the slight rise they were cresting. Judging his abrupt halt, Bergman also took note. The field they'd been crossing for the last half hour was transitioning to forest. A green wall of trees provided a backdrop for the movement; two people in the distance, steadily approaching.
For the moment, Magee and Polk seemed more concerned about the oil lamp than finding the boy. Magee played with the lamp's valve as Polk held its handle.
Cooper surged past them, moving toward the others. "Bergman," Cooper whispered. " Sheriff Bergman. "
Bergman held a hand up, "Yeah, I see it, Coop," the sheriff said, then blurted in a louder voice, "Everyone get down!" He motioned to the others. The doctor took Ellie's hand and they both kneeled in the grass. Having not heard Bergman's order, Polk and Magee continued walking toward the front of the group. Polk looked like a scolded child as they walked. Magee held the lamp, his chest puffed out like the victor of a great battle.
"Who is it?" Cooper asked, keeping his voice low.
"Don't know, but if something happened to George, I don't want to take a chance."
As Polk and Magee approached, they finally noticed the sheriff motioning for them to get down. They ducked down, continuing to bicker in quieter voices.
The approaching people disappeared into a gully. Cooper was beginning to question his reasoning for joining this search party. If he didn't know this boy at all, why was he putting himself in possible danger?
Ellie's tears were Cooper's answer. Seeing the little girl crouched in the damp
"Where we gonna look?" Polk asked to no one in particular. After leaving the town behind, they had fanned out and most of their conversation died off. It was a while before anyone responded.
Bergman broke the silence. "George Banyon didn't take food or other provisions. He wasn't going farther than he could walk from his home. This stretch of field covers between town and the Banyon place. We'll cover the ground surrounding their property first. Also, something scared George enough to carry a gun. Something scared him enough to take his Pa's gun without waking him. Even though George has his own gun, it was important enough to take the over/under without permission."
Cooper was impressed with Bergman's logic. He'd been on the road long enough to know that you don't go off on a long journey without first figuring out what supplies you needed. It also made him question beginning their search with night descending and Bergman's Colt revolver the group's only weapon. If George needed his father's gun for protection, and the boy was somewhere nearby, maybe Bergman was walking them straight into trouble.
A thought crossed Cooper's mind. "What about the boy's dad? Shouldn't we consider where he went?" With the commotion of Ellie running into the Calder's dining room, he'd forgotten the boy's dad was also gone.
"Oh, that's easy. Probably passed out somewhere, as usual," Magee said with a snobbish laugh.
Cooper recalled seeing Magee just this morning snoozing in his barber's chair, a half-bottle of whiskey in his hand. He guessed a drunk would naturally know another's inclination, even while looking down his nose at his peer in vice.
"How old is this boy, anyhow?" Cooper asked.
"What, sixteen-seventeen now?" Polk asked, his dull eyes peering at Magee. In the light of the oil lamp, Polk's eyes gleamed yellow, and his beard stubble seemed as prickly as the thorny undergrowth at their feet.
"Sounds about right. Ellie's no more than about eight. Their parents spread them out pretty good."
"Mr. Banyon's a surly sonofa-bee." As Polk walked, he turned the valve to brighten his lamp.
"Sure is. Makes Hank Calder look like a choirboy," Magee said as he watched Polk. "You just don't know what you're doing at all. Give me that." Magee took charge of holding the lamp.
Cooper noticed movement at the top of the slight rise they were cresting. Judging his abrupt halt, Bergman also took note. The field they'd been crossing for the last half hour was transitioning to forest. A green wall of trees provided a backdrop for the movement; two people in the distance, steadily approaching.
For the moment, Magee and Polk seemed more concerned about the oil lamp than finding the boy. Magee played with the lamp's valve as Polk held its handle.
Cooper surged past them, moving toward the others. "Bergman," Cooper whispered. " Sheriff Bergman. "
Bergman held a hand up, "Yeah, I see it, Coop," the sheriff said, then blurted in a louder voice, "Everyone get down!" He motioned to the others. The doctor took Ellie's hand and they both kneeled in the grass. Having not heard Bergman's order, Polk and Magee continued walking toward the front of the group. Polk looked like a scolded child as they walked. Magee held the lamp, his chest puffed out like the victor of a great battle.
"Who is it?" Cooper asked, keeping his voice low.
"Don't know, but if something happened to George, I don't want to take a chance."
As Polk and Magee approached, they finally noticed the sheriff motioning for them to get down. They ducked down, continuing to bicker in quieter voices.
The approaching people disappeared into a gully. Cooper was beginning to question his reasoning for joining this search party. If he didn't know this boy at all, why was he putting himself in possible danger?
Ellie's tears were Cooper's answer. Seeing the little girl crouched in the damp
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