Summary

In Chapter 18, Simon and Damon cross a river and walk to San Patricio where they hop on a train headed for San Antonio. On the train, another musician hands Simon a letter from Doris. Doris tells him he must not write anymore, as Colonel Webb found out about the secret letters. Simon reflects on his childhood and how his mother died unmarried. His father was a travelling fiddler and so Simon was raised by his great-uncle David Alexander. He vows to marry Doris and looks forward to having a life with her.

Damon and Simon arrive at San Antonio in Chapter 19. They get directions to Colonel Webb’s house. The two spend their first night sleeping on the street before getting hired as musicians at a hotel called the Plaza House, where they are given food and lodgings. The hotel owner forces them...