Riders of the Purple Sage

Jane receives a letter ordering her to visit Bishop Dyer, but she ignores it. A week later, Lassiter tells Jane that someone has been watching him, so he has begun to leave her horse, Bells, in the sage to avoid bringing trouble to the house. He also tells her that he believes the women working for her in the house are spying on her. Jane refuses to believe it, but when Lassiter tells her how to catch the spies, she catches one woman listening in to their conversation and immediately fires her. Over time, all but one of her Mormon employees leave her employ without explanation. Lassiter picks up the slack, proving to be a more generous man than Jane ever suspected.

Late in August, Judkins comes to the house on foot. He tells Jane that he and his crew have been successful in protecting her white herd. As a reward, Jane gives Judkins a small bag of gold to pay the men. The next day, one of Jane’s Mormon riders, Blake, returns to her. He tells her that his mother has died, and he promised her he would not live a coward’s life, so he would like to work for Jane again. He is aware that he is placing himself in danger, but believes it is the right thing to do. Jane asks Blake to go check on her horses that have been grazing on the sage, but Blake tells her those horses are gone. Jane learns that Oldring’s gang took the horses, and she worries about Night, Bells, and Black Star. She puts Blake in charge of these horses. Jane tells Lassiter that she’s considered the idea of running away with him. He is overcome and holds Jane in his arms. When Jane pulls free, Lassiter tells her that she’s not free to leave. When she argues, Lassiter explains to Jane that there are people hiding in the sage, watching her. Lassiter tells her that their plan is to break her down and force her to be obedient.

In Surprise Valley, Bess has fully recovered and collected a menagerie of pets. Venters has settled into a routine of leisure because there is little to do. One day, they go exploring and find more caves. As they begin the trek back to their valley, a storm begins to build. Bess expresses fear of storms because the cavern walls make the sound of the thunder more intense. Bess also expresses boredom with their diet of rabbit. Venters suggests he ride into Cottonwoods for supplies, but Bess balks at the idea, afraid of him leaving. That night, as the storm begins, Bess complains again about the sound of the thunder.

As the storm arrives, Bess and Venters sit in a cave together. Venters looks out on the valley and finds it more beautiful than ever in the light of the storm. Bess presses herself against Venters’s chest. He has always been alone in the night, but now Bess is there, and he feels his loneliness disappear. Venters feels himself falling in love.

The next morning, Venters thinks about his realization of love the night before. He struggles with the fact that he believes Bess was Oldring’s lover but convinces himself it doesn’t matter. He thinks of Jane and knows he must return to Withersteen House to tell her that their relationship is over. He wants to take Bess somewhere they can marry. He worries about taking her to one of the local villages because either the Mormons or the rustlers will recognize Bess as the masked rider and will not allow her to live a respectable life.

Venters tells Bess that he must ride into Cottonwoods, but he will return. She asks him why he would come back, and Venters assures her that he has nothing in Cottonwoods to keep him. He lies and tells Bess that there is no woman waiting for him outside Surprise Valley. When Bess continues to push him, Venters becomes angry and accuses her of wanting to go back to Oldring. Finally, Bess believes he will come back. Bess tells Venters she has something to say to him, but she won’t say it until he prepares to leave.

As he prepares to leave, Venters shows Bess the rock at the entrance to the valley and tells her that when he returns, they might roll the stone and live happily alone in Surprise Valley for the rest of their lives. It’s a joke, but they both realize it is an option. Before he goes, Bess confesses to Venters that she loves him.

Mrs. Larkin has died. Lassiter once urged Jane to give Fay up to a non-Mormon family, but Jane always refuses so Lassiter has stopped suggesting it. Yet, when Lassiter looks at Fay, Jane feels he senses something sinister in her future and it worries Jane. Jane sits in the courtyard waiting for Lassiter when she hears a rifle shot. She worries Lassiter might have been shot, but he arrives with only a grazing wound on his head. Jane treats the wound and asks Lassiter to leave the area, but he refuses. She then asks him if he’ll go after the man who shot him, but Lassiter says no.

As Jane and Lassiter talk, a horse approaches. Jane recognizes it as Wrangle. Jane barely recognizes Venters because he has changed in appearance. His hair has grown long, he is well tanned, and there is a certain maturity about him that is new. Jane and Lassiter tell Venters what has been happening, and Venters explains that he found the red herd and Oldring’s hiding place. He tells them he believes Oldring and Tull made a deal to steal the cattle. Venters says that it is because of his relationship with Jane and that he hopes that if he breaks off their relationship now, Tull will back off. Venters promises to go into the village and tell Tull himself. Jane begs him not to shoot Tull and he promises, but Jane worries that he and Lassiter have switched roles, with Venters as the violent man set on revenge. Venters also asks to take supplies back to Surprise Valley. Jane gives him permission to take whatever supplies he needs.

Jane takes a moment to herself and contemplates this new information about Tull. She questions her continued belief in the Mormon faith, worried that the more she tries to be a pious woman, the less moral her Mormon leaders become. She holds on to tenets of all religions that speak of kindness, realizing she is moving away from the more refined teachings of the Mormon faith.

Lassiter tells Jane that Venters confronted Tull in the village. Venters didn’t shoot Tull, and instead, he told him that his relationship with Jane was over. Venters called Tull out for his deal with Oldring and every bad thing he ordered Jerry Card to do. He finished by telling Tull he promised he wouldn’t shoot him, but that if he ever saw him again, he would. Jane says goodbye to Venters and gives him a pack she filled for him. As Venters leaves, they hear a gunshot. Lassiter arrives to tell Jane that Venters got away safely but tells her he is going to follow Venters just to make sure he arrives back to his hiding place. Lassiter tells Jane that if she is kidnapped while he is gone, he will come find her.

Judkins arrives to inform Jane that the white herd is gone. Judkins explains that Tull’s men have been harassing the cattle for so long that they were nervous and thin. A dust devil came, causing the cattle to stampede. They tried to guide the herd but were unable to keep them from falling into a deep wash. Judkins apologizes to Jane, but Jane assures him it wasn’t his fault.

Lassiter returns and assures Jane that Venters is safe, but he refuses to tell her much more about this hidden valley Venters has found. A few days later, Lassiter shows her that they’ve been attacked. He points out blood on the ground, then takes her into the barn where they find Blake’s body. They also discover Jane’s horses have been stolen.