Parcel 12, "Conception and Construction of Armour" Summary

Ned finally gives up on writing letters. Fighting emotional stress, bad weather, disease, and always being just a few steps ahead of the trackers, he realizes he has lost faith that anyone in the government will do anything, and he only writes at all, because he wants his daughter to know who he is.

Ned receives a spring telegram from San Francisco saying he is a father. He celebrates, standing on one leg on his horse and shooting guns in the air. Joe, Steve, and Dan think he goes insane until Kate shares the news, and the entire area breaks out in a huge celebration. The end result is that Tom Lloyd is arrested as a lieutenant to Kelly, even though he has never broken the law.

They are in hiding...