hapter 23
Jimmy was in a bad way. He'd been left tied to the stand all night and beside the strain on his muscles the night had been bitterly cold. Bitterly he repented his rash behavior that had made him go back to track the thieves. His hat had been removed and the sharp sunshine of the day made him dizzy. Time passed slowly but he was not concerned with time. All he wanted was water and to get away from the heat. The idea of water was fast becoming a mania. Very soon it was a torture. He could not look at the sky; it had become an open door of a furnace. He felt that his body was being dried up like a shriveled leaf. As in a fog he saw people passing him, not taking any notice of his plight. Hopelessness took him in its grip. He knew that he was done for and all he cared for was to drink. His tongue was like a piece of dried leather in his mouth. The teepees around him begun to sway, to recede, then rush at him. A white haze begun to close in on him. Presently it turned orange. He didn't care. He didn't care about anything. He could only think of one thing -- water.
Finally the sun was setting and Jimmy felt some relief, when he noticed a shadow standing close to him. Looking up he saw a young girl, not much older than him, looking at him. He tried to ask her for water, but he could only croak. She looked at him for less than a minute and then she turned and walked away. Jimmy let his head sunk down towards his chest, longing for the sun to set completely as it stung his eyes. He was so down that he didn't even notice the girl's return. Not until a soft voice said something next to him and he looked up seeing her standing there, offering him water. Jimmy drank greedily from the cup as he felt the cool refreshing water trickle down his throat. It was the most wonderful sensation he'd ever known and he only wanted it to go on forever. His great fear was that it would stop; and surely enough, it did stop. A sharp command and the girl immediately stopped and walked briskly away. Jimmy turned his head, feeling somewhat better, and looked in to the dark smoldering eyes of the brave that had caught him the day before. Feeling the anger rise within in him, Jimmy held his eyes and stared back. The brave walked up to him and with his left hand he slapped Jimmy across the face. Jimmy felt an urge to fight back, but with his hands tied to the stand there was nothing he could do. He gritted his teeth and swore that if he ever got out of there, he'd show his opponent. The Indian brave saw it and for a moment Jimmy thought that he would be killed right there and then.
"What are you doing?" The sharp voice cut through the evening calmness.
"He spoke to Singing Bird." Yellow Fox nodded arrogantly towards Jimmy.
"Maybe Singing Bird spoke to him," Black Hawk suggested calmly. "There's is no honor in beating a defeated enemy. He will have to prove himself later."
Yellow Fox frowned, but refrained from answer. He cast a glance at the exhausted Jimmy before he shrugged and turned to Black Hawk.
"Red Bear not back yet?"
"No."
"He better be back soon, or I'll kill the white without the council's saying." Yellow Fox walked briskly away. Black Hawk sighed. The young man had much to learn about patience he thought. Yellow Fox had proven himself worthy of his title, but sometimes Black Hawk feared that the young man's ambition, impatience and hatred for anything different wouldn't lead them into trouble. He had always been eager to prove himself and he'd been always a poor loser, especially if Running Buck had beaten him in any game, Black Hawk remembered. Yellow Fox had always been convinced that the Kiowa was superior to any white man and for him to be beaten by somebody of two spirits was not easy. Black Hawk sighed again. He knew that trouble was coming. He had had disturbing dreams about the future, telling him about death and disaster. He had told this to the Man of dreams but even he, with all his powers, had failed to tell him to whom this would happen. Black Hawk just hoped that it wasn't the Kiowa.
It was dark when the sound of horses told them that the hunting party had returned. Women rushed out from the tents to greet them and when they saw the meat the men brought back they let out calls of joy and started to take care of the meat despite the late hour. If it wasn’t taken care of it would go bad, so there was nothing else to do. Satisfied with having returned, the men prepared to rest. Red Bear was about to do the same when he saw Black Hawk looking at him with a troubled face. He changed his mind and walked up to his friend.
"It was a good hunt I see." Black Hawk smiled faintly at his chief.
"Yes. There’s something troubling you." Red Bear said bluntly,
Black Hawk nodded and turned to the edge of the center of the village where the silhouette of a man tied to a stand could be seen in the lights from the fires.
Red Bear turned with a frown on his face.
"What?"
"He was caught by Yellow Fox on our sacred land. Yellow Fox wanted to kill him, but I persuaded him to wait for the council’s meeting."
"Why was he there? A blue coat?"
Black Hawk shook his head.
"He does not look like army to me, but you never know. He was on sacred land. For that he should pay."
Red Bear looked at the older man.
"I thought you just said that you asked Yellow Fox not to kill him."
"I’m troubled by bad dreams, my chief. I want the council to decide the white man’s fate. Besides we’re not at war."
"I’m not so sure. The blue coats think we are."
"No, and you know this. We have decided to avoid war unless absolutely necessary or until the spirits tell us so. That’s why we can’t kill him." Again Black Hawk nodded towards the silhouette. Red Bear sighed and looked down.
"I don’t like this," he confessed.
"I don’t like it either, my chief."
Jimmy heard the noise and the calls as the hunting party returned and at first he thought that it meant the end for him. It took him some time to realize that they weren’t interested in him, not yet anyway. With that realization he sank down again, trying to keep himself from thinking about water, something that once again had become a priority. He was so deep in his miserable thoughts that he didn’t hear the two men approach him. He didn’t know they were there until a hand forced him to look up. He stared back at the man with all the defiance he could muster. He found himself staring into a man, apparently of some importance, that was about ten years older than himself. A warrior, no doubt, but also a leader. Well, he didn’t care. He was determined not to show any weakness to these Indians, he was gonna be killed anyway, but they would not have the pleasure of seeing him scared.
"What do you want here?"
Jimmy was startled. He had not expect the man to speak English. He simply stared at the man.
"I asked what you are doing here?"
"I was following horse thieves." Jimmy replied shortly.
"You desecrated our sacred land."
"So did the thieves."
"You work for the blue coats –army?"
"No, I ride for the Pony Express – some thieves stole our horses." Jimmy was tired of talking. His mouth was dry and his voice was croaking. Red Bear noticed and nodded for Black Hawk to bring some water. Red Bear looked at the young man and frowned. Ever since his daughter had gotten sick, it seemed that the Pony Express people were everywhere. He didn’t like it. Black Hawk was right. This defiantly felt as the calm before the storm. Black Hawk returned with Singing Bird who helped Jimmy to drink some more water. After a while Red Bear sent her away. Jimmy, now feeling better, stared up at him.
"Why don’t you kill me right now and get it over with?" he snarled.
"You’re that eager to die?"
"Well you’re gonna kill me anyway, so what’s the wait for?"
Red Bear shook his head at the young man and turned away. This boy could not tell him anything new. He would have to call a council tomorrow to decide his fate. And he was probably right – the council’s decision was very likely to be death. Black Hawk looked at him and followed as he walked away.
"How long has he’d been tied to the stand?"
"Most of the night and the whole day."
"Let him down. Keep him tied and under guard. I’ll call the council in the morning – until then he might get some sleep."
Black Hawk frowned.
"Why? Yellow Fox will not approve of it."
"He’s had enough. He will have the right to speak in front of the council. Let him rest. I’ll deal with Yellow Fox."
"I heard what he said. He’s a friend of Running Buck?"
"Maybe."
"If this has anything to do with ---"
"It has nothing to do with my decision, Black Hawk."
"Your brother---"
"My brother left. And even if I wish that he’d returned, he does not affect my decisions. I thought you know that, Black Hawk."
"Then it’s the woman."
Red Bear stopped.
"I don’t like what I’m hearing."
"You’ve been acting strange lately. I am concerned for you, my chief."
Red Bear shook his head.
"No, you’re worried. So am I, Black Hawk, so am I."
Jimmy was surprised when he a few minutes later was cut down and dragged into a teepee. His hands was tied behind his back, but at least he could lie down. From the opening he could see the warrior on guard but he already knew that getting away was out the question. So he closed his eyes in hope of some rest before dawn. For all he knew it might be the last dawn he’d experienced. Teaspoon gonna have a fit about it, he thought before he fell into an exhausted sleep.
Rachel slowly walked out of bed. A quick look out the window told her that the lights still were out in the bunkhouse. She wasn’t surprised, it was well over midnight. However, considering the circumstances, she wouldn’t have been surprised if one of the riders were up. They were all worried about Jimmy. Checking that Buck was sound asleep she quietly slipped out of the house and swiftly moved towards the stable. She knew that she was taking a risk of being seen by the riders, but she had to go. If for nothing else just to get answers about Jimmy. And there was only one man that could give them to her. Clodhopper looked at her as she entered the stable as if he was getting use to their nightly rides. Leading him out of the stable she tried to walk silently out from the station. She kept a close look on Teaspoon’ shed, since she had a feeling that the older man could hear anything. But there was not a movement. To be on the safe side she didn't mount up until she was absolutely sure that she wouldn't wake up anyone. Then she headed out as fast as she could.
Disheveled and slightly out of breath from the hard ride she reached the small lake and the cave. Dismounting Clodhopper she started to walk up to the cave, a feeling of relief rushing over her as she saw the tall figure standing there.
She more or less stumbled into his arms as he met her.
"Thank God you were here", she mumbled into his chest.
"Something has happened."
"Yes." Rachel took a step back. "One of our riders---"
"I know."
Rachel went pale as a she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.
"Is he --- he isn’t--?"
"No, he isn’t dead."
"But---" Rachel hesitated as she didn’t know how to continue. Red Bear saw it and continued for her.
"My men found him on our sacred land. He violated that sanctity. For that he must pay."
Rachel closed her eyes for a second.
"You can’t do that – he didn’t mean any harm!"
"But he caused harm none the less."
"What will happen to him?" Rachel asked as she tried to keep her voice from trembling.
"That’s to be decided by the tribal council."
"What about our plea for a negotiating? You’re not even going to listen to us?"
"What negotiation?" Red Bear frowned.
Rachel took a deep breath to calm herself. She needed for this to come out right.
"When we realized that he was missing and probably captured by Kiowa, Teaspoon, our station manager had Buck write you a message, hoping for a negotiation about his life."
"I have not received such a message."
"Buck said he knew how to get it through to you."
"He knows – but I’ve been on a hunt."
"Then you will consider it?"
"I’ll let the council know about it. That’s all I can do."
"What will this council do? Can they let him go?"
Red Bear looked her straight in the eye.
"He must be punished for the violation. The council can only decide on how."
"Then he will be killed," Rachel whispered.
Red Bear saw the desperation and fear in her eyes and he felt his heart go out to her. But there was nothing he could do and he hoped she would understand that.
"Can’t you do anything? You can’t let him die," Rachel pleaded as she search his face for any sign of sympathy. When she didn’t find any her fear turned to anger.
"You don’t care do you? You don’t care what happens to that boy, do you? All he was trying to do was to find our horses – you would have done the same in his place. He had no intention of violating anything!"
"But he did," Red Bear replied sternly. "He should have known better than to enter. He saw the signs."
"He doesn’t deserve to die for it!"
"How can you decide that? You don’t know what that means to us. If we break your laws we are being punished for it, so why shouldn’t we be allowed to punish those that break our laws?" Red Bear tried to keep his voice down, but he was tired and her anger pushed him. He shouldn’t have come, he pondered.
Rachel crossed her arms before her and looked at him. She didn’t want this, but it was too late now.
"So tell me," she said sternly, "why it’s necessary to kill a boy for something he felt was right in doing."
Red Bear watched her standing before him, slings of her hair kept falling down into her face as she angrily pushed them away. Her eyes shining from anger and fear and determination. She was ready to fight whatever way she could for that boy and Red Bear knew it. But she had never looked as beautiful to him as she did right now either. This was why he had fallen in love with her in the first place, her spirit. But now he had to disappoint her and how much he loathed to do he had no other choice. He motioned for her to sit.
"I rather stand."
"Please, sit." Red Bear sat down looking up at her. He was too tired for this, but this was important to him, to make her understand. Rachel looked hesitantly at him and then she sat down, at a distant. Red Bear sighed silently. How was he going to make her understand?
Rachel looked at the man opposite her. She knew that he was going to try and explain Jimmy’s fate to her, but she couldn’t see how he could do that. However you looked at it, it was wrong. She had to convince him about that, she had to convince him to let Jimmy go. She was convinced that he could do that, after all he was a chief of some sort. His reluctance to act had disappointed her at first, but now, when seated opposite him, watching him, she become unsecure. What if he was telling the truth – what if he couldn’t do anything? She wanted him to tell her that he would set everything right, that Jimmy would be returned to them by morning and that she wouldn’t worry. He looked too sincere and he had told him before that he didn’t lie. But if he couldn’t do anything for Jimmy, then who could? She couldn’t believe she would have to accept Jimmy’s fate without a fight. She couldn’t do that. But as she looked at Red Bear it became harder and harder for her to be angry with him. She loved him, no matter how much she tried to ignore that feeling, she knew she did. She didn’t want to love him because she knew it would not bring her nothing than heartbreak in the end. And besides, she didn't even know if he loved her. But because she loved him, she would listen to him, she knew that. But she didn’t know if she would understand.
"We believe that the future is told by the past," Red Bear begun, searching for the right words in a language he knew but was unfamiliar with. He suddenly realized the enormity of what he was trying to do, it would be hard to explain even in Kiowa. It was something that was to be felt rather than told. But he would try. "That’s why our ancestor’s are so important for us. You see, they’re not really dead. They live in the land beyond the sun and they give us guidance as spirits. Life is like a hoop, it never ends. What we do today, we don’t do it for tomorrow, not even for next year. We might not even do it for our children, but we do it for their children. That’s why we can’t bend the rules – not for anybody. We will fight for our believes every day, so that our children’s children and their children can live in harmony with their past and present and therefore their future. I don’t know how else to explain this for you."
Rachel sat in silence, slightly bewildered of what he had told her. She did understand, at least some of it, but she had a difficulty grasping it. She had lived day by day for so long that to meet someone trying to live not only in his present but in his future and his people’s future left her speechless. But she was still angry.
"What does that mean?" she asked in a tense voice. "That your people go before your family?"
"It’s the same thing."
"So you would sacrifice your brother, your daughter, your lo—" she broke of, hesitant of using the word, but then continued, "or your wife for the benefit of your people?"
"I did not say that." Red Bear rose. "You don’t understand."
Rachel rose and walked up to him.
"No, I don’t understand. I don’t have the same perspective as you do. I live a day at a time, and I live for my family. And I’ll fight for that family. Now, Jimmy’s part of my family and if you don’t understand that, then we have nothing more to say to each other." She turned to walk away when she felt his hand around her arm. Angry she turned around only to be face to face with Red Bear.
"I love you, Rachel."
She felt as if he had hit her and she knew she had tears in her eyes.
"Don’t you do this to me! I don’t need this. I was angry with you."
"I didn’t want to hurt you." Red Bear drew her closer to him and hugged her. "I wish that there was something else I could tell you, but---"
"I know," she interrupted as she fought the tears that threatened to run down her cheeks. "But I wouldn’t love you if you had changed – God knows I want you to do something for Jimmy, but I love you because you who you are – and you can’t change – I ---"
She could feel tears streaming down her cheeks and she knew she was babbling – but he had told her he loved her and she was at a loss of what to do. Somewhere in the back of her mind, some part of her that still was sane, a voice kept telling her that no good would come out of this, that she was heading for sorrow, but she didn’t care. Red Bear silenced her with a tender kiss.
"No more talk," he said softly as their lips met again. "I’ll advise the council to meet with this Teaspoon tomorrow," he continued as he kissed her cheek, salty from her tears. Rachel bowed her head until it rested on his chest, taking in his smell as she slowly calmed down. Red Bear’s arms still held her tight and for a second she forget everything for the sole fact that he loved her. The stood there for a few minutes, relishing in the closeness, neither of them wanting to break the magic and return to the harsh reality. Finally Red Bear placed a hand beneath her chin and lifted up her face.
"I need to return," he said reluctantly.
Rachel nodded and let go off him. Without a word she turned and started to walk back to Clodhopper. She had only walked a few steps when she rushed back into his arms, kissing him passionately. Then she stepped back.
"Please," she said, then she hesitated. "Treat him fairly," she added as she stumbled over the words. She saw Red Bear nod and unable to stay she walked briskly over to Clodhopper and mounted. When she was in the saddle she looked back, but Red Bear had disappeared. With nothing else to do she headed back to the station and hopefully a few hours of rest.
It’s was a moody bunch of riders that met Teaspoon before dawn the next day at the bunkhouse for an early breakfast. Despite their worry they had managed to get some sleep and even Rachel was up, fixing breakfast, although she looked very tired. Lou suspected that she had been crying as well, since her eyes were red, but she didn’t say anything. Kid and Buck stayed away from each other and Lou exchanged eyes with Ike, who nodded in understanding. They both realized that it couldn’t continue like this, but none of them knew what to do to get their friends back on speaking terms.
"What happens now, Teaspoon?" Kid was the first to break the silence at the breakfast table.
Teaspoon used his napkin to wipe off his mouth before he answered.
"We expect new horses today. Someone needs to meet them, then we need to get these here Express working again. We got a run this afternoon." A mutter of disapproval met this announcement.
"Now, don’t argue with me – despite what you think, you were hired to do a job. Now just because something has happen doesn’t mean you can ignore that. Now one of you have to do that run."
Teaspoon sipped some more of the coffee.
"Now for this morning’s activities," he continued, "we’ll head out direct after breakfast to the meeting place. I want to be there before the Kiowa. I’ll take Cody and Noah with me."
"That’s fine with me," Noah nodded as Cody reached over the table for another piece of bread.
"Does that mean we don’t have to take that run this afternoon then?" he asked lightly.
"Yes." Teaspoon looked at the four remaining riders. "That means one you have to do it. Buck, you’re out until you healed up. That leaves Kid, Lou or Ike. You can decide among yourselves who’s gonna take it."
"We’ll do that," Lou replied without saying anything more. "So what are you planning to do, Teaspoon."
"Our first priority is to determine if Jimmy really is a captive and if he’s still alive. If he is, we’ll see what we can do. I don’t want to say anything yet. We don’t even know if the Kiowa will show up, so don’t get your hopes up to high."
"We don’t even know if they got the message," Kid said with rendered him a dark glare from Buck.
"If they found it they’ll meet you," he said quietly, knowing that there might be a slight chance that the message hadn’t been noticed or fetched. But with his daughter at the station, Buck didn’t think Red Bear would miss it.
"Let’s hope for the best," Teaspoon concluded and dropped the napkin on the table. "You’re ready boys?"
Noah and Cody rose from the table after Cody grabbed another piece of bread and put it in his pocket.
"Hey, Teaspoon, you think we’ll be back in time for lunch?" he asked as they walked out the door. When the door had closed a tensed silence settled in the room.
"Cody, I want you to take your rifle with you," Teaspoon said quietly as they walked towards the stable.
"Any special reason?" Coda asked a bit surprised.
"I’ll tell you when we get there."
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