The buckboard rolled slowly across the snowy prairie, the tired old horse refusing to go faster than a walk, and Matilda Hardwick kept glancing anxiously around. It had been a day and a half since she'd gone into town for supplies and she knew the Finsters would be after her as soon as they realized she'd run away with the children. An orphan with six brothers and sisters, Matilda had been overjoyed when Hack and Lucretia Finster came to the orphanage and adopted them all. Remembering her feelings that day, Matilda sighed. The Finsters had only taken them because they wanted help on their farm. For a sleeping place in the barn and very little food they picked up seven free pairs of hands and the hard work and poor food had taken its toll on the children until the only solution was to just leave.

The horse balked, startling Matilda out of her reverie. "Luke! Jimmy!" She turned and shook the boys and they clambered over the seat of the buckboard.

"What's wrong, Tilly?"

"I don't know." Matilda clucked and snapped the reins but the horse danced up and down and refused to go any further.

"Wait a minute." Luke was the oldest of the boys and now he hopped down in the snow and walked to one side. "There's something there he don't like...Tilly! There's a dead horse..." He bent over and called, "There's a dead man, too." Jimmy and Matilda climbed down and went to Luke. He was kneeling by the side of the stranger, going through his pockets.

Matilda slapped him. "Luke, what are you doing? Stop that!"

Luke held up some bills. "Look at this, Tilly. Fifty dollars he don't need no more and we can use." He started to roll the man on his side to get at his gunbelt and jumped as there was a faint moan.

"Luke?" Jimmy grabbed Matilda. "Luke, that feller ain't dead."

Luke stood up, scowling. "He's almost dead. If we was to leave him here..." Matilda looked at him and he hung his head. "I know, Tilly. I was just saying if." He stuffed the money back in the man's pockets, then took him under the arms. "Well, don't just stand there, Jimmy. Grab his feet."

The children moved over as they heaved the stranger into the wagon and little Adam asked, "Who is that, Tilly?"

Matilda shook her head. "I don't know, Adam. You can see he's mighty cold, though, so why don't you pile the blankets on him and crawl under? We've got to keep him warm till we get to where we're going."

Luke asked quietly, "Tilly, just where are we going?"

She bit her lip. "Let's just keep moving." He wanted to say more, but she had already taken the reins of the horse, and walking beside him managed to lead him past the dead animal. Then she climbed back onto the seat of the wagon and they were once more on their uncertain way.