Upon reaching Montana, the horse drovers begin to settle in at Hat Creek ranch. Call and Augostina have a confrontation, in which she reveals the reason for her animosity towards him: he had accidentally shot her mother. Call convinces her that her mother's death was an accident. Call had tracked her mother's brother, a bandit, but she had jumped in front of a bullet meant for the bandit. He also reasons with her that her father, Gus, had not raped her mother by pointing out that her name, Augostina (the feminine derivative of "Augustus"), was given to her by her mother to honor her father's memory. Call then makes her a partner in the ranch. As part of their deal, Cherokee Jack attacks a small herd of cattle on Kenilworth Ranch, killing two cattlemen in plain view of Dunnigan and Newt (who is now aware of Dunnigan's plan to name him his inheritor). Dunnigan uses this attack to stir up fear, and to begin to consolidate his control. Jack also attacks Clara's family and Gideon while they are on their way into town. Gideon and four others die in the ambush, and Clara is severely wounded. However Johnson manages to warn Call of the attack. Call returns to canyon where the attack had taken place, finds Gideon's body, and also finds a blood trail leading away in another direction. He, Pea, and Isom follow the trail and find Cherokee Jack attempting to flee into nearby hills. Isom chases Jack down, and before Call executes him, Jack tells him about the arrangements he had made with Dunnigan. Dunnigan's alliance begins persecuting the smaller outfits, using cattle his men had planted in the other men's herds as an excuse. Call rounds up all the men he can, and attempts to stall Dunnigan long enough for reinforcements to arrive from other unaffiliated groups. He confronts Dunnigan with the money purse about his relationship with Cherokee Jack, which Dunnigan denies. Newt, seeing the evidence, knows that Dunnigan is lying, and goes to join Call. Dunnigan attempts to shoot Call, whereupon Newt shoots Dunnigan and the others surrender. Call and Clara bury Gideon, whereupon Clara decides she wishes to leave Montana and return home. Newt goes to speak with Ferris, and tells her that he doesn't feel that their arrangement of him assuming Dunnigan's estate should still be valid. She tells him that she feels it is, but he cannot accept. He goes on to say his goodbyes to Call as well, expressing a desire to move on, and Call finally proudly identifies himself as Newt's father.
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