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Back Come Again No More Save as PDF
Chapters (55)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover
  3. Title Page
  4. Contents
  5. PART I 
  6. 1.
  7. 2.
  8. 3.
  9. 4.
  10. 5.
  11. 6.
  12. 7.
  13. 8.
  14. 9.
  15. 10.
  16. 11.
  17. 12.
  18. PART II 
  19. 13.
  20. 14.
  21. 15.
  22. 16.
  23. 17.
  24. 18.
  25. 19.
  26. 20.
  27. 21.
  28. 22.
  29. 23.
  30. 24.
  31. 25.
  32. 26.
  33. 27.
  34. 28.
  35. 29.
  36. 30.
  37. PART III 
  38. 31.
  39. 32.
  40. 33.
  41. 34.
  42. 35.
  43. 36.
  44. 37.
  45. 38.
  46. 39.
  47. PART IV 
  48. 40.
  49. 41.
  50. 42.
  51. 43.
  52. 44.
  53. 45.
  54. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  55. Touchstone Reading Group Guide

She dragged the suitcases to the bus station and bought two one-way tickets to Sheridan. Red refused to leave without Molly, so they brought the dog along as well. The man at the ticket window said that Molly could ride the bus as long as she sat quietly in the aisle and didn’t bark. Emaline promised that she could keep the collie quiet. He explained they would have to change buses in Casper. She nodded. They were going to Sheridan, even if they had to change buses a dozen times.

They rode all day, staring out the window at the slender fingers of snow that had drifted between the clumps of sagebrush, a lone rider pushing a little band of horses over a distant rise, windmills and stock tanks and isolated ranch houses. The bus was almost empty, the driver was a dog lover who bought little treats for Molly when they stopped and even let Red stand beside him for a time as they drove.

They were still fifty miles west of Casper when Red leaned his head on her shoulder.

“We’re not going back to Daddy, are we?”

“No, we’re not.”

“Good. He’s nice to me sometimes, but he scares me. He’s always so mad about something.”

“Yes, he is. We’re going to a place where people don’t lose their temper all the time, all right?”

“Yes. I’d like that. Will there be horses there?”

“More horses than you could ever ride.”

They changed buses in Casper and climbed onto another almost empty bus for the ride north. It was past suppertime when they reached Sheridan. Emaline found a pay telephone at the bus station, dropped in a nickel, called the 8T8. Eli himself answered the phone.

“Grandpa?” she said. “It’s Emaline.”

“Well, hello, Em. This is a surprise. Hang on a minute, I’ll pass you to Juanita here.”

“No, Grandpa. It’s you I want to talk to. I’m not in Oregon anymore. I’ve left Jake. I’m at the bus station here in Sheridan with Red. Do you think somebody could come and get us?”

She heard a deep intake of breath on the other end of the line. “Sure, honey. We’ll be there just as quick as we can.”

Emaline hung up the phone. The boy clung to her hand.

“Are we going to be all right, Mom?”

She ran her fingers through a thatch of red hair that needed cutting.

“Yes, honey. We’re going to be just fine. We’re going home.”

PART IV
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THE WILD HORSES

1940

40.