Chapter 3 Summary

For several days, the family travels in their wagon across Wyoming and Nevada. At night, Jim pulls a canopy over the wagon, and they all sleep in the wagon. They are in high spirits, and Anna sings the whole way. Looking around at the beautiful desert scenery, and hearing her mother's happy singing, Mazie feels closer to happiness than she ever has before. The air is fresh and clean, and soft to breathe, not like the coal-dust wind left behind in Rascoe, the mining town. The ancient wagon makes a happy jingling noise, and Mazie's parents are full of laughter.

When Nellie, the horse, stops suddenly, it is all Jim can do to finally get the horse moving. Then Nellie takes off in a run, with the wagon careening behind her, and Jim can barely catch her. Then, of course, she refuses to...