Summary

In Chapter 26, Nelly writes to thank Riley for the money he sends her. It is keeping them alive while the whole town is dying. Riley’s army gathers in the public square. His battalion is headed north. Santa Anna delivers an eloquent speech. Ximena emerges from the crowd, looking troubled, and says to Riley, “Keep your eyes open!” (215).

A norther makes the journey difficult, destroying tents in its wake. One night, Riley has a nightmare that he is holding his wife whose body is cold. Ximena calls to him in the dream, urging him to wake up. Dalton hands him some mezcal when he wakes. That morning, they hear that two men died in their sleep.

The troops arrive at La Angostura in mid-February. Four more of Riley’s men died on the journey. Three days later, Santa Anna and Ximena arrive. As...