Mrs. Hall had spoken of the valley her pa had discovered years before, tucked away in the Black Hills. A series of small waterfalls descended to a stream that ran the length of the valley, splitting it in two and providing fresh water. Deer, elk, and antelope, along with beaver and bobcats, made their home there. A small herd of buffalo grazed at the far end of the valley, while pine, quaking aspen, and bur oak grew within its boundaries.
They listened as she spoke of it, but Sharps knew, possibly better than most, that many times, the mind played tricks, and how a body remembered a thing could be vastly different from how it actually was.
He rode ahead of the wagon Mrs. Hall drove, with Steve beside him, so they were the first to come upon the valley just as the sun started to go down.
