I stayed home and rested in the shade of the wagon because I wasn`t feeling that well. I had a strange ache in my stomach. I thought it was from the dry heat, but it wasn`t. I later found out that it was a sign from God, but I didn`t know it then.

Theodore came home around 5:00 that evening with twelve nice bass. He cleaned them and I started to fry them over the open fire. Then we heard something and saw a man on a horse headed our way. When he got to us he introduced himself as our neighbor, George Brownfield. Of course, out there a neighbor could live ten miles away and still be close. We were glad to meet him because we hadn`t met many people yet. Mr. Brownfield said that he had found a coyote den. He asked Theodore to help dig them out.

We asked him for supper. I was feeling much better. It was so nice to have company. After supper Mr. Brownfield and Theodore went to see about getting the coyotes. They were gone for about half and hour. When they came back they said they hadn`t found any. I thought it was a little strange, but didn`t think much of it because I didn`t know very much about coyotes.

We got to talking with Mr. Brownfield and it got quite late. He was really nice, but as it got later I found him constantly staring at me. It made me very uncomfortable so I was glad when we retired for the night. We had invited Mr. Brownfield to stay the night with us for it was too late for him to go home. Our bed was at one end of the wagon and we made a bed for our newly found friend near the door. We couldn`t let him sleep outside because even though the days were hot--the nights were down right sharp. I didn`t sleep well that night, but when I did sleep, I slept very lightly.

I awoke to a commotion among the sheep. I aroused Theodore. Mr. Brownfield was not in the wagon then, but returned shortly and said the coyotes were in the sheep. Theodore got his gun.

Shortly after that, I heard two shots. I was hoping they had killed the coyotes. Then Mr. Brownfield came back into the wagon. He kept coming toward me with this evil look in his eye. He kept getting closer and closer and then he grabbed me! He was tearing at my clothes. I screamed for Theodore, but Mr. Brownfield just laughed and said it wouldn`t do any good. He beat me up a bit, but I didn`t notice it much then. All I could think about was getting away from him. He swung at me and I ducked. He must of lost his balance and fell or something. I don`t remember exactly how I got away. I was too scared then to dwell on how I did it; I was just glad that I did. I started running from the wagon. I knew I didn`t have much time before he would come after me. I felt like I wasn`t moving at all; like I was just standing there with every muscle frozen. I looked back at the wagon and realized though that I had gone quite a ways. I stopped suddenly and looked for a place to hide. There was no place! There were no trees or buildings to hide behind. I didn`t know what to do! Then I heard something in the distance. I had to hide! There was nothing around me but the sheep. They were my only hope. I dropped to the ground and lay flat on my back, just waiting for something; but I didn`t know what.

That time I spent in the sheep was the hardest thing I`ve ever endured. As I lay on the cold, hard ground I could hear Mr. Brownfield calling my name as he rode hither and yon in search of me. The sheep were disturbed some and the baaing sounds were loud, but not as loud as the sound of my breath and the beat of my heart. My almost bare body was becoming numb from the cold--but not numb enough. The sheep were trampling me and I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out with pain. I was so afraid that Mr. Brownfield would hear me, and Lord only knows what he would do with me if he had found me. The smell was horrid too, but I promised I`d never complain about sheep again if they saved my life. Each minute that passed seemed like a lifetime. I began to realize then what the ache in my stomach was. It was a sign from God, but I hadn`t listed. I hoped God was listening to me then, because I was praying so hard that everything would be all right. In my heart though, I knew that those two shots fired earlier had been meant for Theodore and not any coyotes. I knew Theodore was dead.

When the sun rose, I got up and found nobody there. There was a hushed quietness over the land. I was so stiff and sore I could hardly walk, but I made it back to the wagon. I found Theodore`s cold, lifeless body lying near the wagon. His rifle was still clasped in his hands. There was a big bullet wound in the base of his skull. I couldn`t just leave him like that, but I couldn`t stay either. I grabbed a blanket from the wagon and covered his body. I found one of our horses and rode over to Branum`s store and called the sheriff from Belle Fourche.

Mrs. Branum was really comforting while we waited for the sheriff. When he got there he stopped by the Branum`s store and asked me to describe Mr. Brownfield. He said that he was sorry to bother me, but the information was needed. I hated to think about the whole incident, but I did what he said.

They found Mr. Brownfield at this home fixing fence. He denied having done anything wrong, but I identified him as the man who had killed my husband. Mr. Brownfield was found guilty of murder in the first degree. He was hanged and his body was never claimed.

I knew that God would want me to find some way to forgive Mr. Brownfield. Way down deep I knew that I should, but I couldn`t bring myself to do it. Why should I forgive the man that killed my husband and tried to rape me? The Good Book says to forgive, but in my book he deserved everything he got, and more. I wanted to see him bleed for taking the happiness out my life. In a way he had killed me too, because all I had lived for was now gone.