It ran into the distance, on and on, seeming to narrow as it trickled away. On the western horizon, it vanished into a shimmer of heat under midday sky. Sam reached out to help Chester dismount. For a moment Chester was insulted, but the burn in his arm won out over pride. He allowed Sam to grab him around the waist and lift him down. ‘All right?’ Sam asked. Chester nodded, although he still felt a little dizzy. Blood trickled out under the bandage Sam had made and he suspected the horse’s jolting had dislodged it from the proper pressure point. But he took the reins in his good hand and gave the firmest nod he could muster. ‘Yeah. I’m fine.’ Sam bent to examine the railway track. His boots scuffed the dirt as he knelt, placing a cautious hand on the hot metal. He frowned then shuffled sideways. Little puffs of dust scraped up from the drag of his coat in the dirt. He pressed his fingers to the metal again. He bowed his head, cowboy hat tilting towards the tracks. ‘What are you doing?’ Chester asked.
