A man from the hunting party turned to Vinnie and the young boy.
"Sequoia, we are leaving," he said.
"Will they give us cattle?" asked Sequoia.
The man nodded and turned his horse around.
The boy followed.
"What are you doing, Frank?" Vinnie asked.
The cowboys were taking some of the cows from the herd.
"We're giving cattle to the Cherokee," replied Frank.
"They are very hungry.
These cattle will keep them alive.
Plus, we must have peace between us."
Vinnie watched the Cherokee ride off with the cattle.
"What if you didn't give them anything?" Vinnie asked.
Frank got back on his horse and said,
"They probably would have attacked."
Vinnie shivered.
Cookie got back onto the wagon beside Mandy.
"Is everything okay?" she asked.
"There's nothing to worry about," said Cookie.
The cowboys continued along the Chisholm Trail.
They rode for hours, and Mandy was getting tired.
"We're at the end of the trail now," Cookie said to Mandy.
He pointed ahead.
Mandy could see some buildings and men on horses.
"What is that place called?" she asked.
"That's Dodge City," Cookie answered.
Frank rode up to the wagon.
"Why don't you take the kids to the hotel, Cookie?
We'll get the cattle to the market."
Cookie urged the wagon's horses forward, and Vinnie followed close behind.
"See you at the hotel!"
called Frank as he led the cowboys in another direction.
Cookie and the kids went to the center of town.
Dodge City was muddy and noisy, and cowboys were everywhere.
Their faces were different colors.
They were dressed in different ways.
But they were alike in one way—they all were dusty and dirty.
The men laughed loudly and seemed to be having a good time.
Cookie stopped his horses in front of a large wooden building.
The entrance had swinging wooden doors.
The children could hear a piano and lots of shouting.
"What's this place?"
asked Vinnie, patting his horse's neck.
Suddenly, a man stumbled backward through the swinging doors.
He landed in the muddy street.
Another man came out shaking his fist.
"This is the saloon," said Cookie.
"Not a place for children."
Cookie took them across the street to the hotel.
Inside, families were eating at tables and people were playing cards.
"Nellie?" Cookie called to a pretty young woman wearing an apron.
"Howdy," she said in a friendly voice.
"Glad to see you're back from the trail safely."
"Thanks, Nellie," said Cookie.
He introduced the children.
"Keep an eye on them for me.
I'm going to the saloon for a little drink."
"Hey, kids, we're about to have a square dance in the back room," said Nellie.
"Do you want to dance?"