When Johnny Came Marching Home by William Heffernan Page B

suppertime. Yer welcome ta come inside an' wait fer him."
    I could imagine Rusty's reaction if I accepted her offer. "Can you tell me what path to take to get out to your woodlot?" I asked.
    "You afraid of me, deputy?"
    "I just want to respect your daddy's wishes. I also need to see him now, so I can get home in time for my own supper."
    She shook her head. "My, my. I'm startin' ta wonder if that war hurt more'n yer arm. You all right everywheres else?"
    "I'm fine, Chantal. But thank you for your concern. Now why don't you stop teasing me and tell me what path to take?"
    "I don't mean ta tease ya, deputy. It just gets real lonely out cheer, if you know what I mean. I'd just enjoy the company of a good-lookin' young fella."
    "I take it as a compliment, Chantal. But I've got some work I've gotta get done." I hesitated, then thought I'd ask her about Suggs.
    "Did a fella named Suggs come by here looking for work?" I asked.
    "Bobby Suggs? Yeah, he came by. But as soon as Daddy found out he was a frienda Johnny's he tol' him ta get off his land an' not ta show hisself agin."
    "Did he ever come back?"
    Chantal offered up a coy smile. "He came back one time when Daddy was out workin' the woodlot. Took me for a little walk in the woods, he did."
    "Did he say where he was staying?"
    "He din' say it, but I heard Daddy tell Momma that he'd taken a job at Billy Lucie's place. Ain't seen him since I heard that, so I suppose it's true."
    Lucie's place was located on a high, flat ridge that overlooks the Huntington Gorge. "I still need to talk to your daddy," I said. "Can you point me in the right direction?"
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    I could hear the axes long before I saw the clearing where Rusty and his sons were working. I rode in slowly, taking care not to veer into the path of a falling tree. Rusty noticed me, buried his axe blade into the tall pine he'd been working, and approached.
    "Whatcha lookin' fer now?" he said as a way of greeting. His face and beard were covered in grit and dripping sweat.
    "Fella named Bobby Suggs. A scraggly-looking man, might of been wearing—"
    "Yeah, he was by here coupla weeks back. Lookin' fer work, he said. Friend of Johnny Harris, he said. Soon's I heard that I throwed his ass offen the place. Birds of a feather, I figured, an' I don't need none of that hangin' aroun' Chantal."
    "Did you ever see him again?"
    "No, but I heard he came back. My missus saw someone looked like him sneakin' out of the woods; saw Chantal sneakin' out a few minutes later."
    "What did you do?"
    Rusty's face turned into a snarl. "Whatcha think I did? I figured he was stayin' with his friend in town, so next time I was droppin' off a load of timber I went ta the parsonage an' asked the reveren' iffen he was there. That skinny ol' Bible-thumper tol' me Suggs'd taken a job up at Lucie's woodlot. Lucie's got a cabin fer his workers so's I figured he was stayin' there."
    "Did you go on up to Lucie's place?"
    "Don't have time to go runnin' all over creation after some no-account drifter." His eyes hardened. "I figured he came sneakin' aroun' my place agin I'd sure enough catch up ta him."
    "Did you see Johnny when you were at the parsonage?"
    "No, he weren't there." He gave me a cold stare. "Now I gotta git back ta work."
    "Thank you, Mr. LeRoche. You've been a help and I appreciate it." I turned to remount my horse, hesitated, and turned back. "If you do run into Suggs again I'd appreciate it if you'd let me or my father know."
    LeRoche let out a snort. "I run inta him up cheer on my land, I'll deliver him ta ya in a basket. Whatever's lefta him, that is."
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    It was three thirty when I turned Jezebel into the gorge road and headed toward the skid slash that would mark the route up into Lucie's woodlot. Billy Lucie had a house along the road, but there was little chance of finding him there this early in the day. He'd most likely be up with his men making sure he was getting a full day's work out of each of