Summary

The Captain starts the wagon down the hill and searches for a place to cross the Brazos River, hoping that the cracked iron tire will stay together. Eventually they reach Brazos, and the Captain tries to calm himself down for Johanna’s sake. That night, he sleeps “like a dead man” (120), uninterrupted by his usual war nightmares. In the morning, the Captain and Johanna eat breakfast and the Captain checks their two horses for injuries. As the Captain lets the horses rest, and gets some rest himself, his mind wanders and he thinks about his time as a runner.

The next day, they arrive at the Brazos ferry. They see the ferry landing but no ferry. They cross the road themselves, and get on the Lampasas Road. As they travel, Captain Kidd teaches Johanna the names for different trees. Johanna calls Captain Kidd “kontah...