He stepped over sleeping men, carried me inside a tobacco shed. I could see the stars through the gap along the bottom of the roof. He fumbled with the snaps on my overalls.

“Damn, these are hard to git into,” he muttered.

“You’ll figure it out.”

His scalp was wet with sweat and his skin tasted of salt and gritty dust. His rough denim overalls scraped against my belly. Then he stood up and undressed.

“Too hot for clothes anyhow,” he said and laid back down. “You dont have to worry about walking tomorry.” He kissed my neck. “We found us a train.”

A commissary tent was set up during the night. Cooks served bacon, biscuits and milk gravy. I stared at the plate Rondal brought me, thrust it back at him, and ran to the river to vomit. When I returned he had eaten my bacon, but gave me the biscuit.

“Stick that in your pocket. You might keep it down later.” He put his hand to my forehead. “You all right? Maybe you should go back to Charleston.”

I had begun to guess what was wrong but was afraid to tell him. He would have sent me back for sure.

“I aint going back,” I said. “Hit’s the heat and excitement, that’s all.”

“Let’s go git you that train.”

“How on earth did you git a train?”

“We aint took it yet, but the boys is keeping a sharp eye on it. Hit’s setting on a spur around the bend.”

The train consisted of an engine, tender and four flat cars. I trailed along behind when Rondal, Talcott and the others approached it. They surrounded it, their guns pointed in the air with the butts resting easy on their hips the way a woman will hold a baby. A man in a blue cap stuck his head out the engine’s window.

“Got her fired up yet?” Rondal asked casually.

“Almost.”

“Where to?”

“St. Albans.”

“How’s about taking us to Logan first?” Rondal’s voice sounded like he was asking for a cigarette.

“Boys, I’m with ye,” the engineer said, his voice full of smiles. “Time to clean things up, aint it. But if I haul yall to Logan, hit’s my job, son.”

“And if we kidnap you and make you haul us?”

The man raised his hands. “Cant argue with no rifle, now, can I? No, sir. Yall climb on. I’ll have her fit in ten minutes.”

Talcott climbed into the cab with his rifle and the others clambered on board. Rondal ran back to me.

“Come on, while they’s still yet room.”

I was suddenly frightened. “You’re coming with me, aint you?”

“Sure I am. You think I’d walk when I can ride?”