At some point in the middle of the afternoon, she collapsed into a panic.  They weren’t coming.  She was aware of how many disasters could befall a wagon train.  If she had to get to Fort Randall, wherever that was, by herself, then she would do just that.  Somehow.  The track was obvious.  It headed in only one direction.  In that case, her first challenge would be getting across the river.  She stood on the bank and threw stones out into the slow current, trying to gauge the depth.  The stones sank immediately and told her nothing.  She would take the mare in first as a test.  Then she’d come back for the wagon. Turning the mare around in midstream would be the problem.  She closed her eyes.  The truth was, she couldn’t do this by herself.  It was impossible.  Every avenue she chose seemed to lead to the same conclusion.  The only way she could survive was to turn around and head back to the Family, the irony being that then she was absolutely guaranteed not to survive at all.  Calm down, she told herself.  It’s not that bad yet.  Wait one more day.

On the afternoon of the fourth day she saw a mirage that turned into dust rising up not from a wagon train but from the hooves of one lone horse and rider.

5

5

Ellis Gray came on at a gallop.  He reined in when he saw her and slowed his horse to a walk, then stopped and swung down from the saddle.  He removed his hat and pounded the dust off against his leg.  Charlotte stood back, wary.  He had a weathered face and watchful steel blue eyes.  He stood for just a minute taking in the sight of her.  Again, she’d forgotten what she looked like.  Her hand went self-consciously to her face as if by doing so she could hide the damage.

“Ellis Gray,” he said.

“Charlotte,” she said.  “But I suppose you knew that.  Who else would be out here alone in the middle of nowhere?”

His handshake was firm but so was hers.

“We’re a day late,” he said.  “Some things happened.”

“I understand about travel by wagons.”  She wondered if he was aware of that history, or cared.

“I need to ask about yours.  What’s in there?  Any furniture?”

“No.  Just personal belongings and supplies.”

“Is it all right if I check anyway?”

“Yes.”