Much to Kenna Collier"s vexation, Crow and his men agreed to continue with the train to Fort Laramie. "That man has been a thorn in my side even before I met him," she thought. Then Kenna remembered the night that Hiram had been killed. She and Captain Crow were frolicking in her bed. The memory brought a smile to her face. "Too bad," she thought, "that you and I are at odds, Mr. Crow. You would make a delicious distraction on this hellish trip."
Unseen by Kenna, a man who did recognize her, sat upon his horse watching as she trudged alongside one of the wagons. Earl Stump lit his pipe and took it from his mouth. He checked the burn of the tobacco and then clenched the stem between his teeth. Nudging his horse"s ribs with his heels, Stump moved up next to Crow and Tala. “Say, Jed, remembe
