Gus and Lorena shelter from a storm in the ruins of Adobe Walls. Lorena still hasn’t spoken. She can’t stand to have Gus out of her sight and follows him everywhere. He finds a box of buttons, and they use them for gambling chips. Lorena eventually begins to talk. They meet Wilbarger with his herd. He brings them a tent, food, and a mule. He and Gus enjoy talking to each other.

Gus and Lorena camp by the river. He thinks Call will catch up to them with the herd in a week. Lorena can’t stop crying. She keeps repeating that they shouldn’t have taken her.

The men get caught in another storm. Lightning hits some of the cattle and the others stampede. In the morning, thirteen cows are dead, along with Bill Spettle, who was struck by lightning. They have to cross the Canadian River and Call is nervous. They strip naked to cross. Hailstones hit as they traverse the water. When it stops, Po Campo puts hailstones in a bucket, and Pea Eye sees Gus riding toward them.