A young woman yells at Johanna for bathing naked in the river, while an argument over Texan politics disrupts and shuts down Captain Kidd's reading. Durand is a troublesome place for the two of them. Captain Kidd pays him and they successfully reach Durand. On their way, they are intercepted by a man with a black beard who demands a half-dollar from them. Having taken care of Almay, Captain Kidd and Johanna start towards Durand. Outnumbered and running out of ammunition, Captain Kidd and Johanna load their guns with ten-cent coins and kill Almay.

Captain Kidd and Johanna leave early that morning, although Almay and his henchmen catch up to them and start a gunfight. His name is Almay and he offers to buy Johanna from Captain Kidd in the hopes of selling her into child prostitution. After his reading, the pale-haired man from Wichita Falls appears again. During dinner, he tries to teach Johanna how to use a fork. Gannett while he goes into town to arrange for his reading that evening. Again, Captain Kidd leaves Johanna in the care of Mrs. In Dallas, Captain Kidd and Johanna stay with Mrs. Captain Kidd drags her away and they continue on to Dallas. After discovering that Johanna has run away, Captain Kidd and his friend, Simon Boudlin, track her to the Red River, where Johanna is sobbing and watching a group of Kiowa across the river.

The hectic pace of the town overwhelms Johanna, who the Captain leaves with two friends while he gives a reading. As they leave, a pale-haired man and two of his henchmen watch them.Ĭaptain Kidd and Johanna arrive first in Spanish Fort.

Before they leave Wichita Falls, Captain Kidd uses the fifty-dollar Spanish coin the Leonbergers have paid him to buy a dark green excursion wagon. Thus, the white ten-year-old with blonde hair and blue eyes does not speak English and believes that she is Kiowa. Four years earlier, a tribe of native Indians called the Kiowa kidnapped Johanna and raised her. In the town of Wichita Falls, Texas during the winter of 1870, Captain Kidd agrees to transport Johanna Leonberger back to her family in south Texas, outside Castroville. This novel, told in the past tense, opens on Captain Kidd who, since the end of the Civil War, has been wandering from city to city in north Texas and giving professional readings of news stories that he collects from national and international newspapers.

The following version of this book was used to create this study guide: Jiles, Paulette.

Books by paulette jiles in order