Her lips had been smashed and the left side of her face was badly swollen. She had also landed on her hip and was limping badly. But despite her injuries, her determination to try and save Joe Moss had only grown with each faltering step toward Genoa. Now, she wasted no time in sacking up all her cash, gold jewelry, and most precious belongings along with food and two canteens of water. She did not know if she would be returning to this farm. If she was caught helping Joe, she was sure that the town’s elders would forever banish her from Genoa . . . sending her away in poverty and disgrace. They would surely take her land by force, including her house, animals, tools, and even furniture. It wouldn’t be lawful, but in this place the church elders were the only law, and they would be led by Eli Purvis, who would no doubt be enraged by her rejection and behavior in Carson City. “It’s probably just as well,” she told her farm animals as she turned them free to wander off into the darkness.
