Chapters 29, 30 and 31 Summary

By 1888 the MacIveys are doing only one cattle drive every two years and keep their cows on land they own in order to avoid any further altercations. Tobias puts his energy into growing the orange business but Zech is intent on increasing the cattle business and buying even more land for the MacIvey family. Glenda has suffered two more miscarriages while Skillit and Pearlie Mae now have five children.

One day Skillit surprises Tobias by telling him that Skillit is leaving the MacIveys in order to start his own homestead and farm for his own family. Skillit is torn by leaving the MacIveys after twenty years but knows that he must establish a legacy to leave his own children. Both families are sad at the parting but understand Skillit's need to move on with his own life.

By 1892 Tobias has hired...