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gotten away.  Here, put these on.”
                  Sparrow was shaking with fear.  She was in such a hurry to get away that she simply stripped right where they were and with Sasha’s help, donned the new clothing.  She balled up her old clothing and stowed them in the carriage.  The women wasted no time in getting started.  Sasha’s team was fresh and ready to go.
                  Sasha had mapped out the most direct route to Riverton, Wyoming and prayed that the weather would hold.  If they ran into a blizzard, it would slow them down dramatically.  They would have to lodge somewhere until it was safe to travel again.  As they trotted past the town limits of Lexington, Nebraska, both women began to relax slightly.  Sparrow held her amulet and in her mind, told Jack that she was on her way to him.
     
     

Chapter Four
     
                  Jack, Dean, and Reckless rode at a good pace along the trail.  They’d followed the roads as far as they could while still making a direct line to Riverton, but then they’d abandoned the roads in order to keep on the straightest line possible. 
    As they travelled, Jack was getting to see a different side of his father.  He was humorous and teased Reckless mercilessly about all kinds of things, including Rachel Crispin, the girl he’d been seeing for a couple of years. 
    “When are you gonna make her an honest woman?” Dean asked him.
    Reckless said, “She doesn’t lie.”
    Dean laughed.  “No, when are you gonna marry her?”
    “I don’t know,” Reckless said.
    “Well, why not?  Do you love her?” Dean asked.
    Reckless threw a glance at Jack.  Rachel used to have a crush on the deputy, but that was all water under the bridge.  Jack had warned Reckless that if he hurt her, he’d pay dearly.  The young brave wasn’t quite sure how to answer Dean’s question at first and then decided to be truthful.
    “I do, but it is complicated.  Her parents do not care for me much, I don’t think.  I don’t think they would allow her to marry me,” Reckless said.
    Jack said, “You’d have to talk to Mitch about it and see what he says.  But, Reckless, don’t do that unless you’re really prepared to ask her to marry you.  Also, think about Uncle Owl and Aunt Hannah.  Rachel’s not going to go with you in the winter and she’s not going to like you going without her.”
    Reckless rolled his eyes.  “Yes.  I know all of this.  There is no need to explain it to me.  I have much to think about before asking her.”
    Dean and Jack let the subject drop after that.  Jack was further surprised when Dean would tell a dirty joke every now and then.  It would have been standard behavior for Seth or Marcus, but it was so out of character for his father that it made the jokes funnier than they actually were. 
    The temperatures dropped into the single digits and it became necessary for them to start sticking to the roads again so they could stay in hotels and put up the horses in a stable.  Reckless made fun of this and told them that his horse didn’t need such coddling.
    “You don’t see stables in our village, do you?  Our horses are tough and know how to keep warm,” he said.
    Dean smiled and said, “What’s the average number of years your horses live, Reckless?”
    “Ten, twelve years or so,” Reckless answered.
    Dean stroked the sleek neck of the stallion he rode.  “See this fella?  He’s sixteen years old and still goin’ strong.  Twister might be coddled a little bit, but it’s worth it not to have to buy a new horse all the time that I have to break in.  Plus, I want to keep him in good shape so he keeps making me nice foals.”
                  Reckless smirked.  “I don’t pay anything for my horses.”
                  Dean said, “Yeah, I know how you get your horses, but think about this; what kind of horses are you getting when you just round them up and steal