TenHe came across the two wagons as he rode parallel to the California Trail, which was not something he planned on doing. Something about his conversation with the group of pilgrims, led by Lamont, troubled Simms. They seemed unduly cautious towards a lone individual and their response to his voiced doubts about a god again struck him as being extreme. What concerned him more than anything, however, was the simple fact that they travelled alone. A small band, exposed to a hostile land, was not a strategy anyone back in their home of Kansas would have suggested. It was always better to travel in numbers and most did. Following this course did not always guarantee survival, for Utes in particular seemed none too concerned by the number of people they attacked. Nevertheless, there was a degr
