Francisca Crow cut a blossom from the bush with her pruning knife. She placed it in the basket, its handle looped over her arm. Laughter caught her attention. Looking toward the river, she saw her son playing with Ponto. Closing the blade of the knife, Francisca walked between the flowering bushes to the house. As she climbed the stairs to the porch, she saw Crow, mounted on Joker, approaching the house. She watched, taking quiet pride in the fact that he was her husband.
Crow, seeing his wife, stood in his stirrups. He removed his hat and waved it over his head in greeting. Nudging Joker in the ribs, he coaxed the mustang into a gallop.
At the river, both Jed and Ponto saw Crow and began running to meet him.
Crow rode up and leaped from his horse. Leaving her flower basket on the porch
