Gus and Lorena take shelter at Adobe Walls before heading east to meet up with Call and the herd.

There were all sizes of buttons — it gave Augustus an idea. He had a pack of cards in his saddlebags, which he quickly produced. "Let's play a few hands," he said. "The buttons can be our money." He spread a blanket near the fireplace and sorted the buttons into piles according to size. There were some large horn buttons that must have been meant for coats. "Them'll be our fifty-dollar gold pieces," he said. "These here will be tens and these little ones can be fives. This is a high-stakes game we're playing." "Don't you cheat, Gus," Lorena said suddenly. "If you cheat I won't give you no pokes." Augustus was so pleased to hear her talk that tears came into his eyes. "We're just playing for buttons, honey," he said.

Next: Call and the Herd Cross the Canadian

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