The following morning the boys came into the kitchen from the bedroom as their dad was getting breakfast.

"When's Mom coming back?" Louis asked.

Frank acted as though he hadn't heard him and Louis repeated the question.

"I don't know for sure.  She might be coming this morning." And she might not, he told himself.

They sat down at the table.  "She is coming back, isn't she?" Robert asked.

"I really can't say.  I hope so.  I've been praying that she would and I know you boys have been praying, too, but I honestly don't know what's going to happen.  We can't go on the way we have been.  She has to make a choice.  If she's going to become a Christian and live a Christian life, she'll be back.  If she doesn't, she'll be leaving again."

"I don't want her to go," Louis replied.

"Neither do I. But we can't go on the way we have been.  She's got to make up her mind what she is going to do; if she is going to live a Christian life with us, or back to tending bar and chasing with any man who'll give her a few drinks."

Robert thought about that.  "What'll we do if she decides to go the other way?"

Frank Yazzie straightened slowly.  "We can't go on the way we've been doing.  I can't stand it and I know it's hard on you kids.  But, we won't give up on her, no matter what." He pulled in a deep breath.  "We'll just have to pray for her a little harder, and a little longer."

"How long?" the boy demanded.  "As long as it takes."

The boys thought about that.  At least they weren't giving up. That was encouraging.  And they were going to pray for her as long as it took to bring her to Christ.  That gave them strength and encouragement.  Somehow, it made them feel encouraged to know that their dad was going to keep on praying.  They would do the same.

Frank Yazzie phoned the Broucher home to talk to the kids' mother when he didn't get her at her parents'.  He was on the phone for several minutes.

"Are you going to pick up Mom?" Louis asked when he hung up.

His dad shook his head solemnly.  "She's not ready to come yet.  I'm supposed to call her at noon."

"Do you think she'll come back home and stay this time?"

"I hope so, Louis," he replied.  "I certainly hope so."

"Did Corporal Starr say when he was coming back?" Louis asked.

Frank shook his head.  "Not for sure.  He just wanted to be certain that you'd be here when he comes back to talk to you again."

"Do you think I'll have to go to jail?" his voice quavered.

"We won't talk about that now," his dad said, firmly.  "I know you didn't steal that ring.  To me, that's the important thing.  I'd feel terrible if I thought you were guilty."

They ate in silence and were about to leave the house when their dad reminded them that Tawana was back.

"I'm going over and get her before I go to work.  Do you boys want to go along?"

They stopped at the kids grandparents' house and Tawana recognized the truck.  She dashed out the door and threw her arms around her dad.  She hugged Robert and would have done the same to Louis but he ducked behind their dad and shook hands with her.

"I'm so glad to be home," she exclaimed over and over again.  "I've missed all of you so much - even you, Louis."

He had missed her, too, but he didn't tell her that.

A moment or two later Tawana asked about their mother.

"Is she at the trailer?" she asked uneasily.

"Right now she's with Evelyn Broucher," their dad said.

The boys' sister wanted to ask why, but checked herself.  They went out to the truck and climbed into the supercab.

"Are you going to tell Tawana about Mom?" Louis asked.

He nodded.  "We'll talk about that later."

She was about to speak, but remained silent, as though she knew what was taking place.  Their dad asked about Twila and her parents, and how she liked Winnipeg.  He seemed pleased when she said it was all right, but that Saskatchewan was home.

They were nearing the Yazzie trailer when she asked the question that had been on her mind ever since she started home.

"Did-did they catch the guys who tried to attack me?" she asked.

"Not yet," her dad said, "but they're working on it."

She was silent momentarily.  "I-I don't know whether I'll ever dare to go anywhere alone until they do."

"Don't worry," her dad said.  "The boys and I will see that it doesn't happen again."

"But I don't want to take one of you along every time I go somewhere."

When they got to the trailer, Frank went on to work and the kids went inside.  There were two messages on the answering machine.  The first was from Corporal Starr.

"Frank - Starr here.  I'm afraid we have more bad news about Louis.  An item that definitely belongs to Louis has been found at the scene of the theft.  I'll be in touch with you when you get off work.  In the meantime, please be sure that he is available for questioning later today."

Tawana stared at her younger brother.  "What's that all about?" she asked.

"You tell her, Robert,' he said, motioning to his brother.

"Louis has been guiding a lady who's here with her husband from Ontario.  She lost a diamond ring and the RCMP think he stole it."

"That's stupid!" she exclaimed.  "He wouldn't steal anything!"

"We know that," Robert said, "and Dad knows that, but Corporal Starr thinks he's guilty."

"I can't stay here and let them arrest me!" Louis blurted in desperation.  "I've got to leave while I've got the chance."

"You can't do that!" Robert broke in.  "Dad told the Corporal he'd see that you are here so they can ask you questions about it."

"You heard him!  He doesn't want to talk to me.  He wants to put me in jail!"

"You've got to stay here just the same.  You'd put Dad in an awful mess if you run off.  Besides, they'd think for sure that you stole that ring."

While the boys were talking, Tawana went over to the phone and pressed the button on the answering machine.

"Hi, Tawana!" a gruff voice exclaimed.  "We see that you're home now!  We know where you've been and where you are.  We know that your dad's at work and your brothers are there with you.  We're going to be watching.  They can't be with you all the time!  We'll be seeing you!"

Tawana's cheeks blanched and her hand trembled as she drew it away from the answering machine.

"Those guys!" Robert exclaimed.  "Dad ought to get his hands on them for about five minutes.  They'd find out they'd better not grab another girl!"

She was not able to answer him immediately.  She turned to Robert, her voice choked so tightly she couldn't speak.

"You don't suppose that's somebody playing a stupid joke on you?" Robert demanded.

"I-I'm not sure," she managed at last.

"But you don't think so.  You believe that was one of the guys who grabbed you that night.  Right?"

She nodded.  "I'm sure that call was made by one of them. . . ."

"I'd like to get my hands on him.  He'd be sorry he ever tried to attack you!"

She crossed the narrow room and sat down.  "Robert," she began, "I'd like to talk to you."

"Fine!  I'm listening."

"I felt the same way when I went to Winnipeg that you feel now," she began.  "But while I was there I talked to the teacher of Twila's Bible Club for a long time about-about what almost happened to me." She moved nervously from one chair to another.  "I'm still afraid of those two guys.  I want to see them caught and punished for what they did so they won't try anything like that on some other girl.  But, Robert, I don't hate them now.  I pray for them every night."

He stared at her as though he couldn't believe what he was hearing.  "You what?"

"I pray for them that they will receive Jesus and walk with Him."

Her brother shook his head.

"You're different than I am!" he blurted.

She was about to say more, but Robert walked into the other room, leaving her alone.  He returned a few moments later.

"Tawana," he said.  "I'm going to talk to Dad tonight.  I don't think you ought to go anywhere alone until those guys are caught and banished or put in jail or something.  Dad, or Louis and I are going to be with you."

She started to protest, but checked herself.  "Maybe you're right."

"I know I am!"