Epilogue

Slocum left the Farmers and Merchants National Bank brick building in Abilene, Kansas, and stepped into the brilliant late June sunshine on the Abilene boardwalk. Walter Kenny’s proceeds of $143,000 from the 1,912 head of three-year-old steers was bound for San Antonio via Wells Fargo. Considering Kenny’s expenses at under $20,000 for help, supplies, horses and wagons, including paying Slocum’s bonus for getting that many steers there out of 2,000 head—Kenny had a comfortable fortune headed his way.

Slocum looked up and smiled at the woman seated on the surrey. Dressed in a fashionable driving dress and a large straw hat on her head, she looked at him with sparkling eyes as he climbed aboard next to her.

“Well, Mrs. Cruces, let’s go see the world.”

“I may miss having a horse between my legs all day long driving this rig.” Then she handed him the reins to the spanking team of driving horses. “I’m ready to go anywhere, sir.”

Slocum laughed and clucked to the horses. “I’d kinda wanted to go see Chicago.”

“I thought we were headed back to San Antonio?”

“Anything suits me, Angela. Anywhere you want to go suits me.”

She hugged his arm. But before she could speak, a cowboy on a bucking horse who was blasting his pistol into the air came charging down Main Street. Shouting and hollering, he was waking up any late morning sleepers and clearing the street.

“Let’s go anywhere then,” she said and moved her rump over against him. “Anywhere will do.”