“I agree, sir. That delay between Columbus and Schulenburg this afternoon was most fortuitous,” Patience heard Winston saying. She assumed he was speaking to Alexander, as he was the only person Winston ever addressed as “sir.” Which meant they had returned from their mission to check the lay of the land, as Alexander had put it. Hopefully not only had they found the wagon waiting, but they’d also found no Pinkerton agents standing watch as the train emptied. She had to agree that the delay earlier in the day had been a saving grace. They’d been due into San Antonio before twilight, which would have left her exposed to watching eyes as she left the car. But the train had needed to stop to let a huge herd of cattle lumber across the tracks. Alexander had estimated the herd to be as much as two miles wide and fifteen miles long. The slow crossing of the beasts had delayed them over an hour. It was as if God himself had tried to throw down a blanket of protection for her, because now it was fully dark.
