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“Missus cried for a week, too,” Alfred Jenkins added; even he showed signs of being perked up by the company

“Please, won’t you all sit down,” Emma invited

Alfred insisted that Mary and Lorna sit in the two chairs while Ely and Benteen sat on the boxes Alfred and E trunk with little Elizabeth on Emma’s lap In addition to the chicken, there were potatoes, cornbread, and hominy Before they dished their plates, Alfred bowed his head and said grace

“Dear Lord, You took our crop, but You gave us fuel for the winter and brought nice folks to our table We thank You for that Amen”

The sierness to share what little they had caused her to look twice at herself She noticed the ss of food they took so there would be plenty for everyone else

Of course, E questions to eat Alfred see on in the world There was soon— any of it made sense

After the meal, the men went outside to smoke Emma was appalled when Lorna and Mary offered to help with the dishes They were company; she couldn’t let them help She very carefully stacked the china in a pan and insisted she would do them later

It was dusk when Benteen stepped into the sod house to state it was tied the As Lorna walked aith Benteen, she glanced over her shoulder The wo in the doorway, just as she had seen her the first time Lorna waved, as she had done before

This ti after them They waited for him to catch up with them When he did, he spoke low so his voice wouldn’t carry as it so easily did on the flat terrain “I just wanted to thank you for what you did for ht” He spoke in complete sentences, which seemed to sho sincerelytime You helped her Thank you That’s all I had to say” He seemed embarrassed by how much he had said, and turned quickly to retrace his steps to the woman in the doorway

“Isn’t there so we can do for the behind a bunch of cow chips?”

Benteen was a long ti”

When they reached ca all talked out, there were too s on herto do to her what it had done to that woman, mentally or physically

She slept alone in the wagon Since leaving Dodge City, Benteen had spread out a bedroll on the ground with the other drovers The change in the sleeping arrangeone unnoticed, but no one speculated aloud about the possible reasons

When Lorna clilance went first to the sod house The scarlet-orange hue of breaking dawn shaded the roof thatched with dirt andShe turned her gaze on the lonely grandeur of the plains with a kind of defiance then walked with a free-swinging stride to the chuck wagon for themeal

“What’s with the kid?” Shorty Niles was asking Rusty as she walked up