Elsa can't believe they need to hide the cattle from bandits. She thinks Ennis is kidding when he says not to go anywhere alone, but he's dead serious.

Shea is looking back at the river in tears. A food wagon sunk, and they've got no food. It's time to resupply. They need to travel a whole week before they can do it.

Thomas offers some solutions, but Shea doesn't want to risk the dangers of going in a different direction.

He's crying for the people for whom he feels responsibility.

John is getting dressed, reminding James that he doesn't have much practice doing it himself, so he's a little slow.

The Duttons are having breakfast. Margaret worries that Elsa has been with the herd most of the week. James says it's making a good cowboy out of her, but Margaret didn't know that was the goal.

Margaret gets snarky with James.

Josef is upset about how things are going, but Thomas points out that they fight amongst themselves, steal from each other, don't do what they say, but do what they say not to do. Josef is silent.

Shea says that river was the easiest crossing they'll have, and if they say not to stop in the middle, they mean it.

Josef counters that the travelers are just that. They are not friends or family. They put the food together to protect it. They want to know who is stealing. Josef is reluctant to show them.

Shea, Thomas, and Josef ask James to join them. James tells John to get in the wagon and not to leave until he tells him to.

The thief thinks that nobody will stand up to him, but he's wrong. Josef needs to stand up to the guy, but he's not a match for him. Things get ugly before James gets involved. He pistol whips both the man and the woman who are fighting and takes the food from the wagon.

Shea gives the guy a refund on his passage. He needs to find his own way to Oregon, and the same goes for the other guy.

Margaret tells Elsa she smells like a goat, but Elsa shares what Ennis said about going anywhere alone. Margaret says Ennis might be hintin' at a bath with her, and when Elsa says no, Margaret says that if he's gotten this close to her, he sure would. Then Elsa tells her about the kiss.

Elsa wonders what's beyond kissin'. She's seen how farm animals are made, but she hasn't figured how it translates to people.

Margaret realizes they have to have the conversation, so they set off to kill two birds with one stone.

They're bathing and talking about freedom when Ennis visits rides up, and he's a little disconcerted.

As they watch him ride away, Margaret laughs. She envies Elsa, she really does.

Wade asks Margaret to send Thomas and James his way when he sees them.

They're going to keep the cattle close to the wagons.

The large thief screams at the wagon train as it leaves. Where is this freedom? Where is this justice? He says they're all sheep with no shepherd and are following the wolves.

Shea takes the opportunity to remind the man that he's a man of his word.

The wagon train has shrunk by half since it started with deaths and desertion.

There is strength in numbers, and they're growing weaker when they need strength the most.

A group is following them, and Thomas wants them to keep things close.

Shea threatens James to share their rations or else. James reminds them again that they need a cook and a wagon for him to stay on board, and Shea promises to hire the first when they get to town.

James tells Elsa she needs to sleep with the wagons tonight because horses and cattle aren't the only thing bandits steal out here.

Elsa wakes in the night and emerges from the tent. She's consumed with attraction for Ennis and reveals herself to him.

She wonders if Ennis has done this before. Sort of, he says. He paid a woman to show home once, but he didn't like her, so his body wouldn't work. But he knows what to do if she wants him to do it. She does.

Margaret wakes to find Elsa gone and finds her in the throes of passion.

The large man left behind is watching camp when he hears a sound. His throat is slit, and the bandits kill everyone.

Margaret gives Elsa the rest of the talk about what decisions she's making now. Every choice has fangs. Margaret says that if Elsa has a child, Elsa will raise it. Elsa goes from being on the moon to facing the realities of her actions, but she doesn't regret it. It's beautiful, and she doesn't regret it.

Elsa asks Ennis if he'll raise their baby if she has one, and she decides they'll be married.

The group sees the previous camp on fire. Ennis hasn't ever killed anyone, but by god, he knows how. They're going to need to be on their toes.

James hold Ennis back and smacks the shit of him off of his horse. Elsa assures James that she knows what loves means, that she chose it, and she loves Ennis.

Ennis says he ain't askin' for Elsa. If she loves him, he's takin' her. If James won't give her to him, he'll goddamn steal her.

James says Ennis says he loves her, but he'll never love her like he does. It's his heart he's runnin' off with, and he better cradle it like an egg. James says that girl is going to run Ennis ragged, and Ennis agrees.

The bandits have the wagon train in their sights, Josef's wife, in particular. They're staying behind for some reason, and it's about to get ugly. But I think they guys are in the back of the wagon, hoping to ambush the bandits and get rid of them before they can do damage. No, they're riding. But Josef has his rifle armed and ready.

The bandit leader sashays up to Josef's wife. She lies that he went to get water. They blow him away but waste more ammunition than necessary, and then the rest of the gang is upon them, and they're running. Our guys come from the other direction, and I have to wonder why bullseye James wasn't hiding in wait to pick 'em off one by one.

The bandits are at the wagon train now, and Margaret is calling the shots.

Elsa is with the cattle and Ennis says to get out her pistol now. Lots of shooting but too many still upright.

Ennis is killed. OMG. Shot right through the heart. His last words to John were I loved her. When Elsa gets there, she's in shock for a second before it hits her. She wails her heartbreak all over the place.

I hope they let Elsa kill the guy.

She didn't wait for permission. She killed him and shot him extra for good measure. But she's going to have a hard time saying goodbye to her first love.