News of the World

The Captain realizes the futility of explaining Johanna’s situation to the Leonbergers—that is, that she needs an adjustment period—while sitting on their sofa, drinking a very strong coffee. Johanna, meanwhile, is in a corner of the room, sitting on her haunches, holding her ankles.

Wilhelm and Anna tell the Captain in broken English of how Johanna’s parents were killed, in grizzly detail. He only responds with simple affirmations of having understood. Anna tells Johanna to get up, but she ignores him and remains in the corner. They begin discussing her. Wilhelm states that she needs to be retaught their ways, that she needs to work, that they need a lot of help around the farm. The Captain agrees that she can work, but asks Wilhelm and Anna to bear in mind everything Johanna has been through, and to not be harsh on her. Wilhelm asks about the receipt again.

The Captain spends the night on a hard bed upstairs in the Leonberger home. Johanna remains in the wagon, wrapped up in her poncho.

The next day, the town gathers to see Johanna. She retreats into the hayloft in the barn and throws things at anyone who attempts to approach her. The Captain tells the people to just please leave her alone for a little while.

Later on, the town gathers together to celebrate Johanna’s return. They are kind, well-meaning, and hard-working people. The celebration is filled with wonderful foods from the Alsatian region of France/Germany, along with Texas-style brisket. Adolph, the messenger, comes over and sits down with the Captain. Adolph tells him about the Leonbergers, and that their nephew had run away. The Captain accurately deduces that he ran away because the Leonbergers overworked him. Adolph and the Captain muse over the fact that the people from the town celebrate Johanna’s return, but afterwards, no one will stop by and check up on her welfare. Adolph briefly mentions how he had done what he could to chase down Johanna’s kidnappers. He mentions to the Captain about adoption papers, and that Wilhelm and Anna will not adopt Johanna because of the legal responsibilities that would come with it. The Captain notices that the Leonbergers sit alone at the festivities, and that no one goes over and speaks with them. Adolph informs him that Wilhelm and Anna hadn’t adopted their nephew, either. Adolph takes the Captain by the sleeve and very poignantly tells him that he cannot leave Johanna with them. The Captain says he will try and visit, and then quickly leaves before tears start running down his face.

The Captain returns to Castroville (the Leonbergers actually live in the small village of D’Hanis, twenty-two miles away), and stays the night in the hotel there. From there, he travels to San Antonio. He is very happy to be back. He loves the city and its river. He looks in the windows of the old building where he used to have his printing shop. He stops in at Branholme’s law office and spends thirty minutes discussing adoption, the legal status of returned captives, and the Printing Bill. Branholme does not provide a very positive outlook regarding adoption, and he hopes that in a few years Governor Davis will rescind the bill, so that the Captain can reopen his printing shop.

From there, the Captain checks for mail at the post office and reads a letter from his daughter, Elizabeth. She states they will come back in two years, and states the difficulties they would have traveling to San Antonio. She tells him that if he has money he could send them some, that it would be very helpful. He also purchases more newspapers, though he will not be doing a reading in San Antonio. His readings are only popular in the small towns in the north and west of Texas. He has a room at The Vance House and pays a boy to go out and bring him back a pint of whiskey. He ruminates in the night that he is neither a cripple nor stupid.

The next morning he travels back to the Leonberger farm. He wants to explain Johanna’s situation, her state of mind, to them, and get them to treat her well. He will do what it takes, whether that means reason, bribery, or something else. It is night by the time he arrives. He stops underneath a mesquite tree. He notices a light on in the farmhouse window. Then he notices Johanna, alone, walking among the grasses, carrying heavy leather halters and feed for the horses. She calls to the horses in Kiowa. He calls out her name. She stops and stares back at the wagon. He notices she is dirty and still wearing the same dress as when he dropped her off last. He’s angry that the Leonbergers haven’t provided her new clothing. She calls out his name and comes over to feed Pasha. It’s the only way she can think of to make herself welcomed. He notices dark red stripes across her arms and hands from the dog whip. The anger he feels freezes him in place. He tells her, calmly, to drop everything and come along with him. She drops it all and jumps over the fence and comes running to him. She’s crying and saying she will go with him. They head north. The Captain says that if anyone has a problem with him taking her, then they will shoot them full of dimes.

Over the next several years, the Captain and Johanna travel all over Texas, reading the news. He teaches her to read and write. She learns English well, but continually speaks with an accent that is not Texan and struggles with the pronunciation of the letter r. She never learns to value what white people value, and he notices that he has learned from her to value those things less as well. He becomes more and more interested in foreign news. He never does figure out what made Johanna change so drastically over those four years with the Kiowa, but knows that she remains Kiowa at heart and will until the end of her days.

After three years, his daughters move to San Antonio. His son-in-law opens a printing press. The Captain helps out. They all live in the old Betancort house and Elizabeth works at recovering the rest of the Spanish lands of her mother’s family. Olympia drifts for a while but eventually remarries.

One day, John Calley, who always remembered the Captain from Durand and respected him, pays him a visit. By this time, Johanna is 15 years old and has transformed into a southern belle. Calley stays with them for a while and he courts Johanna. They grow to like one another. John undertakes a difficult project of obtaining cattle from the wild country, but because he is tough and resourceful, he becomes a “made-man” within just two trips. He and Johanna eventually marry.

In their last scene together, she and the Captain sit on her bed and talk. She cries. She is worried about marriage, and in familiar words, he calms her. Just as when she was with him during the readings, and it was time for him to read, she looks down at his watch and announces it’s time to go. They embrace. She says she will visit, and tells him that he is her “cuuative watah” (208).

Johanna and John make a living driving cattle. It’s a life she can love. They live into the 20th century and have two children.

The Captain grows older, but still remembers the shootout he had with Johanna at his side.

Britt Johnson and his crew are killed in 1871 by Comanches while they are driving freight. Simon and Doris have a family of six children, all their names beginning with "D," and travel north Texas as musicians.

The Captain dies, and in his will he requests to be buried with his runner’s badge from 1814: "He said he had message to deliver, contents unknown (209)."