Mercy thought Isaiah's first word was just hilarious when she heard. Even she knew at her tender age that mama and dada were the norm. She proceeded to tell Permelia about it. Then she told Evelyn. She even told Francis, who she was usually reserved with.

"Maybe we haven't been spending enough time with him," Ruth worried as she bounced Isaiah on her knee.

"I still think you're reading too much into it," Kid said. "It was probably just easier for him to say and he's certainly heard it enough over the past few weeks."

"You're right," she said. Nonetheless, she was repeating and using "mama" to him every chance she got.

That afternoon Evelyn and Permelia were getting some food together.

"You going on a picnic?" Ruth asked, looking at the heavily loaded basket.

"Not exactly," Evelyn said. "We heard there's a band of migrants and we think we saw a couple of their kids peeking at the show last evening. They looked so hungry. Practically skin and bones."

"Poor little mites," Permelia said. "I can't stand to think about kids being hungry, so we're getting some food together to take to them."

"That's very kind," Ruth said.

"Well, outcasts have to help fellow outcasts, don't they?" Permelia asked with a humorous twinkle in her eye.

"I don't know about that, but I know children of God have to help children of God and the migrants were made in His image the same as anybody else. We've got some things we can give from our supplies too. I'd love to meet them."

"So you can find out if they know God," Kid said a smile in his voice, knowing his wife all too well.

"Well, there's that. And I am interested in their culture too."

"So am I. We'll all go." Kid knew the people were probably harmless, but then one did hear stories of kidnapped children and the like. It always paid to be cautious.

They found that the gypsies were quite friendly and appreciative of the food. They weren't too proud to accept help. They put on a show of their own with dancing and music in payment for the food, which Mercy and Isaiah loved.

When they got back, Francis was still out looking for actors as he had been that morning. Kid and Ruth could tell Evelyn was a little worried about it, so they offered to go looking for him if they would watch the children, which they agreed to.

There weren't too many places he could be. Kid saw a church and wondered if that was the very chapel where the Battle of the Alamo had taken place only a few years before. The battle where Davy Crockett had died.

There was a man he wished he'd gotten to meet. He wondered how much of the man was fact and how much of him was myth. For he was well aware that most of the stories that circulated about himself were largely myth. He assumed it was the same for Davy Crockett.

"I think I see him," Ruth said, pointing to the window of a store. The glass was too low-quality to tell for sure, so they went inside to see.

"I'm telling you I don't carry tincture of opium," a young storekeeper was saying to Francis. "That hasn't changed since this morning. I can order it for you. And I do have calomel."

"I don't want calomel!" Francis shouted, banging his fist on the counter. "And I can't wait around for you to order some. I need it now!"

"Look, here. You're not going to yell in my store. I'll call in a ranger to take care of you." Rangers being the local law enforcement in Texas.

Ruth spoke up. "We'll take care of him, sir. Don't worry. He's with us."

Kid was the one who went over and got him, of course. Francis thrashed in his grip being fighting mad, but Kid didn't let go of his shirt. "Just settle down or I'll take you over to the jail myself."

Kid didn't really know if they had a jail in San Antonio, but then neither did Francis and it got him to stop struggling.

Kid took him back to their campsite and didn't let go of him until they were there. "I thought you were supposed to be out finding actors to take our place?" he asked gruffly. "Looks like to me you only had one thing on your mind."

Francis sank onto the bench they had out without making an answer.

"I'm sure he was looking for them too," Ruth said, giving the aging actor the benefit of the doubt. "Did you find any prospects?"

Maybe it was the kindness in her voice that brought on the confession, but he mumbled like a petulant child, "I haven't been looking for replacements. Not even in Austin."

"Well, why ever not?" Ruth asked, her words mixed with a gasp.

He shrugged. "Just didn't feel like it."

Kid was angry. "Well, you'd be advised to start feeling like it. Cause we part ways here in San Antonio. We'll keep performing for you as long as you're here, but you better have 2 other actors with you when you go."