With joy, Charlie squealed and squeezed Johnny's arm. Monte, too, was all smiles at Johnny's words.

"Ya mean it?" Monte asked.

"Of course he does!" Charlie said. "Johnny doesn't say things he doesn't mean., d'ya, Johnny?"

"Try not to," Johnny said.

"I figure I better ask my Pa," Monte said, his face reddening. "I mean-he told me-"

"I already talked to your Pa," Johnny said.

"Ya did?" Monte asked, looking even more in awe of Johnny then.

Johnny nodded. "And-I talked to Scott," he told Charlie. "Neither one of you are goin' any further than just pointin' me in

the right direction. No more than that."

Disappointed that she wouldn't get to lay eyes on the baby foxes, Charlie still knew better than to protest. Monte, too, looked disappointed, but

Charlie shook her head at him, just barely, and he was silent.

They mounted their horses, Monte behind Charlie on Gurth, and rode towards the huge giant's (as Charlie thought of him)

property. Once they were near, Johnny asked where they went in at, and Monte pointed out the entry spot.

Johnny stopped, and dismounted, and began to untie the bag that held the food and supplies he'd brought.

"How far?" he asked Monte.

"Not real far-I can show ya," Monte offered up eagerly. Charlie could see he was chomping at the bit to go with Johnny, and see

the babies for himself. She already knew what the answer was going to be, and she was not surprised.

"I said you'd wait right here," Johnny said, slinging the bag and a canteen over his shoulder. He paused and leveled an intense

gaze onto Monte. And to Charlie. "So this is where you wait. We clear?"

"Yes, Johnny," Charlie said, and Monte nodded, going silent at that look of Johnny's.

"How far in?" Johnny asked again, and Monte slid down from Gurth's back, and began pointing and explaining the best

way to the fox den.

Charlie dismounted, too, and Johnny handed off his reins to her. Now that the time was here, Charlie couldn't help feeling

anxious about Johnny.

"What if he sees you?" she asked him. "He might shoot at you-"

"He knows I'm here," Johnny said, and Charlie and Monte exchanged a look of pure shock.

"What about the traps?" Charlie persisted. "I don't want you to step on one of them-"

Johnny turned his gaze onto her again, and his intent was plain, even without words. Now you're feeling the worry that

the family felt over you. Charlie absolutely knew that's what Johnny was thinking. She felt her face flame.

"I can tell ya where the traps were last time I was in here," Monte said. "Course he might have moved them by now."

"Likely he did," Johnny said. "I'll watch my step."

And, with that, Johnny headed into the trees, disappearing from their eyesight.

The two children fell silent. Monte paced back and forth, popping his knuckles in nerves. Charlie stayed still, holding the

horse's reins, but her insides were just as jumpy as Monte's outside seemed to be.

"Ya think he'll find 'em?" Monte asked, coming to stand beside her, still popping his knuckles.

"He will," Charlie said, with certainty. "I mean-if they're still alive, he will."

After a couple minutes of silence, the only sound being that of birds chirping, and Monte's cracking knuckles,

Monte said, quietly, "He's really some kind of a fella, alright."

"Yes. He is."

"The way he sort of looks at ya-like he's pinnin' ya to the spot-" Monte said, with a shake of his head.

"I know."

"I always wondered somethin', but I didn't wanna make ya mad by askin'," Monte said.

"What?" Charlie asked, staring off into the woods.

Monte still hesitated. "I heard tell he used to be a gun-hand. Heard he was one of the best. That true?"

Charlie looked at Monte. She shrugged lightly. "I don't know a lot about it. He won't talk about it to me, and neither does

any of the rest of the family. I've asked him things before-like if he's ever been shot-but he won't talk much. Not to me, anyway." She looked

back towards the trees. "But I think it's mostly true."

Monte gave a low whistle. "He wouldn't have to go far to be real scary," he said.

"No," Charlie agreed. "But-he's mostly nice. If you listen to him and all, I mean."

"I'm not aimin' to cross him," Monte said.

Johnny was gone a good long while. Both of the children found a spot on the ground to sit, while the horses grazed on grass.

"He's been gone awhile," Charlie said, plucking at grass with her hand.

"Yeah," Monte said. "Maybe-"

"No!" Charlie snapped. "He meant it when he said to stay here."

Finally, after what seemed like a long time indeed, Monte held up a hand to Charlie.

"Shh. Listen," he said.

Charlie listened, and could hear the crackling of boots coming thru the woods, towards them.

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Both kids leapt to their feet, Monte cracking knuckles and Charlie chewing her lower lip.

And then, there was Johnny, his canteen and bag still over his shoulder.

"Are they there?" Charlie asked.

"They still alive?" Monte asked.

"How many were there?" Johnny asked.

"Three," Monte said.

"I saw two," Johnny said.

Both Charlie and Monte peppered Johnny with questions. Had the two babies looked healthy? Were they still near the old den? Did they

eat the food that he'd brought?

"They look middling well," Johnny said. "A little thinner, maybe, than should be. They were glad to get somethin' to eat."

He mounted his horse, and so Charlie did, too, and Monte grabbed the saddle horn and pulled himself up behind her.

"Did they gobble it up?" Charlie asked.

"They were glad to get it," Johnny said, again.

"Reckon the other one might have died," Monte said.

"Could be," Johnny said, as they began riding. "Or it might be nearby. The other two likely won't leave scraps for it, though."

"Are they wandering far yet, do you think, Johnny?" Charlie asked him.

"Not too far yet."

"Won't be long, though, till they do," Monte said, and then added, sounding morose, "And then they'll get caught in one of

those dad-blasted traps."

At that, Johnny said nothing, and Charlie turned to exchange a look with Monte. Monte shrugged, and they rode mostly in silence.

Back to town, and to Monte's house, where he slid down from Gurth's back, and stood, looking up at Johnny.

"Thank ya for doin' that," Monte said, his expression earnest.

"It's alright," Johnny said. And then, "I'll keep an eye on 'em for a while."

Monte grinned wide. "That's swell, sir-I mean-Johnny."

"See ya tomorrow at school, Charlie," Monte said.

"See you, Monte," Charlie said.

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Charlie and Johnny rode towards the ranch.

Charlie broke the silence to say, "It was the best-for you to do that."

Johnny looked at her. "It's alright, pequeno."

"I'm real grateful to you, Johnny," Charlie said, humbly.

Johnny gave a brief nod, and said, "Well, like I said, I'll keep an eye on 'em for a bit."

There was silence again for a few minutes, and then, her curiosity peaked, Charlie asked, "How'd you get those men to let you

go onto the property? After what happened, with Monte and me, and then with Scott?"

"Don't forget about Teresa kickin' him in the knee," Johnny said.

Charlie smiled widely, at his humor. "That's right! She really did land a good one on him!"

After a moment or so, Charlie asked, again, "How'd you do it, Johnny?"

"Had a talk with him. Reached an agreement," Johnny said.

Charlie wrinkled her forehead. There had to be way more to it than that!

"But how?" she persisted.

Johnny gave her one of his ask no more looks. "It worked out. Let's leave it at that, pequeno. Alright?"

Even though it was phrased as a question, Charlie knew that it wasn't. Not really. He wasn't going to say more about it.

"Alright," Charlie said.

They rode on, and Charlie reached out and took his left hand with her right one.

"You're the uncle that kids wish to have," Charlie said, quietly.

Johnny looked at her sharply, surprised. Then his face softened and looked nearly tender, Charlie thought.

Without speaking, Johnny lifted Charlie's hand to his lips and kissed it.

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