the Jornada del Muerto. In 1875 Flashman returns to America with his wife, Elspeth. He meets George Armstrong Custer (whom Flashman had met during the US Civil War) and businesswoman Mrs. Arthur B. Candy, and later travels to Bismarck, North Dakota, to meet with Mrs. Candy and pursue a carnal relationship. However Mrs Candy is revealed to be Cleonie, the former slave girl, who is intent on revenge and at her connivance, he is kidnapped by Sioux and kept captive at Greasy Grass. He escapes just in time to see the defeat and death of Custer—possibly being the one who kills Custer—and to be partly scalped himself by his own illegitimate son from Cleonie, Frank Grouard, who by choice has been living as an Indian. The book ends with Flashman and his son travelling to Deadwood where Flashman meets another former acquaintance, Wild Bill Hickok prior to returning home. Characters Fictional characters Harry Paget Flashman - The hero or anti-hero Elspeth - His loving and possibly unfaithful wife. Susie B. Willinck - A brothel owner and former prostitute. One of Flashman's "wives". Cleonie Grouard/Mrs. Arthur B. Candy - One of Susie Willinck's prostitutes. Sonsee-Array - Daughter of Apache chief Mangas Colorado and Flashman's "wife". Grattan Nugent-Hare - A member of Susie's wagon train, he absconds with two thousand dollars. Flashman later runs into him, discovering that he is one of Gallantin's scalp hunters, and that Susie had an affair with him. Flashman eventually gets into a fight with him over Sonsee-Array, which leads to Flashman accidentally killing him. Historical characters Jim Bridger - Mountain man who confirms Flashman as suitable to be a wagon-captain Spotted Tail - A Brulé Lakota who Flashman initially meets in 1849, and then in 1875 at a wedding in Chicago. He may or may not have slept with Elspeth. John Joel Glanton - Scalphunter who Flashman falls in with. He describes Glanton (who he refers to as Gallantin) as "a burly fellow with feathers in his hat and two pistols belted over his frock-coat; when he turned I saw he had a forked beard and a great red birth-mark over half his face - a Sunday school-teacher, devil a doubt." Flashman is deceived into joining a scalp-hunt, an affair that results in his capture by the Apaches. Mangas Coloradas - Apache chief. Flashman is terrified by his physical appearance, and says, "He was a fine