aside saying that she had expected Nell to sleep most of the day. Mrs. Davis had purchased material for Annie's dresses and was cutting the pattern.
    There was a knock at the door and Mrs. Davis answered. She returned saying that Collier wished to talk with Nell. Nell checked her appearance in the parlor mirror and rushed to him.
   He looked solemn.
   "Lane, I've been wanting to talk to you."
"I'm going back out there," he said bluntly.
"Why? Why would you do such a thing so soon?"
"We have to get the bodies."
"Well, yes, but, why do you have to go?"
   Collier led her out on the broad verandah. "We're short handed. Those bodies need to be recovered before they become too badly corrupted."
   "Couldn't you just resign?"
   "I could, but several of those men were my friends, good friends.
   She considered her selfishness. She was afraid for him and for herself if she lost him. "Of course you have to go. I'll wait for you."
   He led her over to a long bench against the wall and had her sit. He sat beside her and spoke to her softly. "I don't know that you should do that, Nell."
   She felt a strange anxiety growing inside her. Was everything going to change? Was he changing his mind about their relationship? "Why not?"
   "This is no place for you or Annie. None of us know how serious this thing is going to get. We've heard rumors of Custer and the Seventh coming out here. If things get any worse, this post could be under very heavy pressure. They could wipe us out." He stopped. He took both of her hands in his. "You both would be so much safer back in Missouri. I'll have all I can worry about without you and Annie to be concerned for. I'll join you when I can get free. It won't be long. I just can't go now and you really can't stay."
   It took Nell several seconds to digest everything he was saying. What would she do? She had no income, no place to live, and no possessions. Her family in St. Joe was her only real support other than Lane and frankly, he was committed to this emergency.
   "How long will it be?" She looked into his eyes, afraid of the answer.
   "I don't know. I'll come as soon as possible."
   "I guess that's the way it must be. Maybe it would be best. I have a lot to explain when I get home."
   He smiled and gave her a hug. "There you go. I knew that you would understand."
   She looked at him with imploring eyes. She straightened his shirt and fumbled with the buttons. "You will be careful. Don't take any unnecessary risks."
   He held her tenderly. "I'll be the biggest coward you could ever want."
   She laughed in spite of the tears in her eyes. "I'll bet. Somehow that just doesn't seem to fit you."
   They stood, embraced and shared a long kiss. He walked to the railing of the verandah and told her goodbye. For the first time she noticed a dark gelding tied in front of the picket fence that crossed the yard. A Remington rifle loosely hung from the saddle. A troop of cavalry and several wagons were forming up in the square.
   Collier mounted the gelding and turned it toward the troop. In minutes, it was on its way toward the southwest and the Santa Fe Trail. She watched them leave and gave Collier a wave. She turned and climbed the verandah steps.
   Mrs. Davis was standing at the doorway. A knowing expression was on her face. She put her arm around Nell's waist at the doorway. "Looks as though Fort Larned is going to lose a good scout." She gave Nell a squeeze.
    "Yes. It is." She smiled as they entered the doorway and went back to Annie's new dresses.
***
Other than a few simple frame store buildings facing the railroad tracks and a scattering of clapboard and sod houses there wasn't much to Ellsworth, Kansas. For the time being, this was the end of track for the
    There was a knock at the door and Mrs. Davis answered. She returned saying that Collier wished to talk with Nell. Nell checked her appearance in the parlor mirror and rushed to him.
   He looked solemn.
   "Lane, I've been wanting to talk to you."
"I'm going back out there," he said bluntly.
"Why? Why would you do such a thing so soon?"
"We have to get the bodies."
"Well, yes, but, why do you have to go?"
   Collier led her out on the broad verandah. "We're short handed. Those bodies need to be recovered before they become too badly corrupted."
   "Couldn't you just resign?"
   "I could, but several of those men were my friends, good friends.
   She considered her selfishness. She was afraid for him and for herself if she lost him. "Of course you have to go. I'll wait for you."
   He led her over to a long bench against the wall and had her sit. He sat beside her and spoke to her softly. "I don't know that you should do that, Nell."
   She felt a strange anxiety growing inside her. Was everything going to change? Was he changing his mind about their relationship? "Why not?"
   "This is no place for you or Annie. None of us know how serious this thing is going to get. We've heard rumors of Custer and the Seventh coming out here. If things get any worse, this post could be under very heavy pressure. They could wipe us out." He stopped. He took both of her hands in his. "You both would be so much safer back in Missouri. I'll have all I can worry about without you and Annie to be concerned for. I'll join you when I can get free. It won't be long. I just can't go now and you really can't stay."
   It took Nell several seconds to digest everything he was saying. What would she do? She had no income, no place to live, and no possessions. Her family in St. Joe was her only real support other than Lane and frankly, he was committed to this emergency.
   "How long will it be?" She looked into his eyes, afraid of the answer.
   "I don't know. I'll come as soon as possible."
   "I guess that's the way it must be. Maybe it would be best. I have a lot to explain when I get home."
   He smiled and gave her a hug. "There you go. I knew that you would understand."
   She looked at him with imploring eyes. She straightened his shirt and fumbled with the buttons. "You will be careful. Don't take any unnecessary risks."
   He held her tenderly. "I'll be the biggest coward you could ever want."
   She laughed in spite of the tears in her eyes. "I'll bet. Somehow that just doesn't seem to fit you."
   They stood, embraced and shared a long kiss. He walked to the railing of the verandah and told her goodbye. For the first time she noticed a dark gelding tied in front of the picket fence that crossed the yard. A Remington rifle loosely hung from the saddle. A troop of cavalry and several wagons were forming up in the square.
   Collier mounted the gelding and turned it toward the troop. In minutes, it was on its way toward the southwest and the Santa Fe Trail. She watched them leave and gave Collier a wave. She turned and climbed the verandah steps.
   Mrs. Davis was standing at the doorway. A knowing expression was on her face. She put her arm around Nell's waist at the doorway. "Looks as though Fort Larned is going to lose a good scout." She gave Nell a squeeze.
    "Yes. It is." She smiled as they entered the doorway and went back to Annie's new dresses.
***
Other than a few simple frame store buildings facing the railroad tracks and a scattering of clapboard and sod houses there wasn't much to Ellsworth, Kansas. For the time being, this was the end of track for the
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