hapter 2"Cody, Cody", Teaspoon looked sadly on the boy sitting next to him on the wagon. "If you insist on trying to impress girls I suggest you try and do it with some more finesse."
"What do you mean, Teaspoon?" the boy by his side looked with interest at the older man.
"Well, take this incident at Tompkins'. I couldn't help noticing how you were staring at young Ellen Curtis."
Cody sighed loudly.
"Now, don't interrupt me, son. Now, as I understand it you asked her out?"
"I asked if she wouldn't mind joining me on a picnic. What's wrong in that?"
"Nothing, absolutely nothing. But the way you asked it was wrong. I saw how you approached her in your ordinary blunt way."
Cody raised an eyebrow and waited for Teaspoon to continue.
"Now, where women are concerned you have to take it a bit slow, you see. I'll tell you about…."
Cody sank down on the bench. It was going to be a long road home, he pondered. He smiled to himself as he remembered Ellen Curtis. Her father, being the owner of the town's brokerage, had been able to send his only daughter away to some sort of girl school from which she recently had returned, now a blond beauty with a city charm that had been very appealing to Cody. He had noticed her only a week ago, and now he took every chance he had of getting into town. His worst fear would be that any one of the others would beat him to ask the girl out, and he cursed himself that Teaspoon had been witness to his first attempt. Now surely, the others would know about Ellen Curtis' presence, and he would have competition.
When they approached the station, Teaspoon was still telling him some story from his youth, but Cody has long ago seized to listen. Instead his interest was turned to Rachel, who at seeing them, walked out to meet them.
"Something must have happen, Teaspoon", he said, nodding towards Rachel. Teaspoon stopped talking and held in the horse at the corral.
"What's wrong, Rachel?" he asked.
"I wish I know," she mumbled. "Buck and Kid had this huge fight earlier, and, well, Kid sort of locked up Buck in the tool-shed."
"He did what?" Teaspoon jumped to the ground, followed by Cody, who was listening to the conversation with interest.
"Kid locked Buck up?" he asked as if he couldn't believe his ears.
Rachel ignored his question.
"There was an Indian here earlier, and Buck suddenly decided to leave, when Kid refused to let him go. I haven't got a clue what it's all about, but I've asked Kid to explain everything when you arrived."
"Where are they?" Teaspoon asked and then turned to Cody. "See to the horse will you, and get those merchandise unloaded."
Cody sighed with disappointment, but complied without any objections. If he was fast, he might be in time to find out what had happened. Whatever it was, he couldn't help feeling a bit happy for himself. With all this commotion, Teaspoon surely would forget to tell the others about Ellen Curtis, he thought to himself.
"Buck's still in the shed, and Kid's waiting for you in the bunkhouse with Jimmy."
"All right, then we better settle this then", Teaspoon said, walking briskly over to the bunkhouse. He wasn't pleased at all, that Rachel could see.
"Kid! What's this I hear that you've locked Buck up?"
Kid rose from his bunk, removing the cold compress he'd been holding to the bruise on his face.
"I didn't have any choice! He was going off to the Kiowa!"
"And that's why you locked him up?"
"No, not just that…"
Teaspoon held up his hands.
"All right. Just tell me everything from the beginning." Kid sat down by the table and told him what had happened.
"I couldn't let him go back there without knowing he'd be OK, Teaspoon" Kid concluded.
"And where did you get this idea that he might be in trouble going back?"
"I told you what they did to him in the village, when we went after Ike!"
"I understand your concern, son, but that doesn't give you the right to prevent Buck from doing what he wants."
"But this isn't what he wants! This has something to do with his brother calling him. He doesn't even know why they want him to come!"
"He said that?"
"Yes."
"Well, if Buck trusts his brother, don't you think we should?"
"He hasn't done anything to gain my trust." Kid objected stubbornly. "And before you say something", he continued, "I know that family can't always be what you want them to be. I've learnt that the hard way", he added bitterly.
Teaspoon rubbed his chin.
"I don't seem to be able to change your mind, son. But I'll have to let Buck out. And if he still wants to see his brother, we're going to let him. Is that clear?"
Kid nodded.
"I still think it's a bad idea", he mumbled, and remained sited as Teaspoon rose and left the bunkhouse. Jimmy looked at Kid as if he wanted to say something, but withheld whatever it was and followed Teaspoon out.
"He didn't mean any harm by it, Teaspoon", Jimmy said in defense of his friend.
"Then tell me, Jimmy, how you would feel in Buck's situation."
Jimmy looked down on the ground as they walked towards the tool-shed.
"I sure wouldn't be happy about it", he admitted.
"I worked hard to get you to work as a team, and to my joy, you've done better than I ever expected", Teaspoon said. "You're as good as family to me, and I don't want to see it ruined because you can't respect each other."
"He's just worried."
"Do you know why, Jimmy?" Teaspoon stopped and looked at the boy. Jimmy shook his head wondering what Teaspoon was aiming at.
"Because he's afraid. And don't try and tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about. Kid has seen a part of Indian culture that he didn't understand and therefore it frightens him. He has to get over that, it's that simple." Teaspoon looked seriously at Jimmy. "Or one of them might be forced to leave", he added sternly. Jimmy remained in silence as Teaspoon continued to the shed. Without further hesitation he removed the lock and opened the door.
Buck took his hat in his hand and rose from the floor. Without a word he went past the stationmaster, out of the shed, only barely being able to contain his anger.
"Where you're going, son?" Teaspoon asked behind him, seeing that also Buck wore visible signs of being in a fight. It must have been some fight, he thought.
"To see my brother." Buck continued towards the stable without even looking back. As the door of the bunkhouse opened and Kid stepped out on the porch, Buck threw an angry look over at Kid, but continued to the stable. Teaspoon sighed and walked after Buck.
Jimmy stood where he was, just watching, unable to decide what to do. Cody came out of the stable and smiled at Buck, but his smile disappeared when he saw the look on Buck's face and he quickly moved out of Buck's way.
"I understand you're angry, son", Teaspoon said as he reached Buck.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Kid only thought he was doing you a favor."
"Then he should stop thinking." Buck begun to saddle his horse.
"So what do you think you're brother wants?"
"I don't know. But I won't find out by staying here." Buck took his horse by the reins and led it out of the stable, with Teaspoon following close behind.
"Have you ever considered that Kid might be right?"
Buck stopped and looked at Teaspoon.
"What do you mean?"
"You're sure this ain't a challenge? Or a way for your brother to get rid of you to secure his position as chief? Having a brother among the white can be a burden for a war chief", Teaspoon said meaningly, seeing how Buck tensed. I seemed to have hit a sensitive point there, Teaspoon thought to himself; suddenly feeling worried about Buck.
"I'll risk that", Buck said and mounted his horse for the second time that day.
"Are you coming back?" Teaspoon asked finally.
Buck looked over the station, his gaze lingering for a moment at Kid, then he looked down at Teaspoon.
"I don't know", he mumbled and urged his horse forward, not wanting to stay any longer than necessary.
Jimmy and Cody strolled over to where Teaspoon stood watching the disappearing rider.
"You think he'll come back, Teaspoon?" Cody asked.
Teaspoon shook his head.
"I honestly don't know, Cody."
Red Bear stood watching the horizon when he heard soft footsteps behind him. He kept his eyes on the horizon, when the man behind him started to talk.
"He's not coming, my chief."
"There's still time."
"We should return. This is not a good place to spend the night."
"He'll come." Red Bear turned to face the older man. Black Hawk had been a friend of his father, and when his father had died, Black Hawk had been there to take his place.
"Your trust in your half brother is commendable, but it will not make him come."
"He'll come." Red Bear repeated stubbornly.
"You're as stubborn as your father." Black Hawk sighed. "Maybe Running Buck has changed. He has been living in the white man's world a long time now."
"He is still Kiowa."
"You don't know that."
"You were there when he proved it. No one but a Kiowa could have survived the test. The spirits chose his trial."
"But then he returned to the white world. You let him return."
"I couldn't ask him to go against his heart."
"So if his heart belong in the white world…"
"He's Kiowa." Red Bear interrupted the older man, well aware that he insulted the man. But right now he didn't care. Too much were at stake, too much that was precious to him.
Black Hawk frowned and looked at the younger man. Red Bear was like a son to him and the sudden outburst against tribe custom surprised him. But then he saw the tired and weary face of his chief and decided not to hold Red Bear's words against him. His chief was under a lot of strain, and it was up to him to ease it.
"My chief" he started, nodding towards the single tent. "We should get back to the village."
Red Bear closed his eyes and once more turned towards the horizon. But there was no rider in sight, nor did he hear any sounds of hoofs. Deeply disappointed and worried, he nodded.
"Let's get back."
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