Ashes of Heaven (26 page)

But his work was good, and he spoke straight to both the whites and his wife's people, so General Crook and Colonel Mackenzie came looking for him, when they offered some of the agency's Shahiyela a chance to earn back their firearms and a pony or two in exchange for riding north in search of Crazy Horse. It was good money, this scouting for the army.

Those two soldiers never got a whiff of Crazy Horse's people, but as things turned out, some of Rowland's blood relatives captured an Arapaho youngster and learned of the existence of a big village of Shahiyela back in the mountains. It was Long Knife who Mackenzie sent to talk with Morning Star that cold day in the valley of the Red Fork. Rowland knew it must have made many of Little Wolf's warriors angry to see so many of their own people come with the soldiers to make war on a Shahiyela camp. And those who weren't angry must surely have been consumed with despair as they set off on foot into the teeth of a winter storm.

Like his Cheyenne relatives, Rowland realized the end was near … now that Shahiyela hunted Shahiyela for the army. Now that family fought family.

The squawman returned to Red Cloud's agency when Crook's winter campaign fizzled out on the Belle Fourche and arctic cold closed down the high plains.

Reports started to drift into Red Cloud's agency that the war factions in the distant camps were no longer as strong as they had been. The constant fighting, the endless hunger, and the terrible cold convinced band after band that making war came at too high a cost. Word came floating in that many of the
Mnikowoju
and Sans Arc bands were abandoning the Crazy Horse camp, then said to be wintering somewhere between the Little Bighorn and the Rosebud country. These first deserters had headed east for the Little Missouri region. But for the time being, word had it the Shahiyela were sticking with Crazy Horse.

Then news reached the agency in February that the Burnt Thigh chief named Spotted Tail had wrangled himself a deal with Three Stars Crook that would guarantee the roaming Lakota some liberal terms of surrender if they came south to give themselves up. If he decided to undertake this mission, Spotted Tail demanded that he be allowed to take along a strong force of armed Brulé headmen and warriors to insure that he would be received with honor in the distant camps. In return, the chief convinced Crook that he alone could bring in his blood relative, Crazy Horse.

Ah, that was the prize, wasn't it? Rowland brooded.

As soon as he heard Spotted Tail and his delegation were being issued weapons, ammunition, and rations, Rowland realized the Shahiyela never camped very far from the Crazy Horse people. So it didn't take any urging for him to ride over to Camp Sheridan at Spotted Tail's agency to ask the army's permission to go along with Spotted Tail when the Lakota peace delegation marched north.

Since the government officials figured the squawman could help when it came time to make the same surrender offer to the Cheyenne, Rowland was told he could accompany the Sioux, but at no more than a yeoman's wages. The money really didn't matter; Bill figured it was time for young Willis to get out of the lodge and find his own way in the world. He told his son to pack a couple of blankets and some extra socks because the young man was going to ride along, if only to get them both out from under his mother's feet for a few weeks.

Less than three moons after Mackenzie's fight had destroyed the richest warrior culture on the northern plains, Bill Rowland and his eldest were on their way to the north country to convince the Shahiyela to surrender when the Lakota came in to the reservation. After all, this quest was nothing more than what he had promised his wife he would do.

Bring in her people—before there were no relations left.

Chapter 21

Light Snow Moon
1877

BY TELEGRAPH

DAKOTA.

Jack McCall Executed.

YANKTON, March 1.—A quarter past 10, Jack McCall was executed, under direction of the United States marshal, for the murder of John B. Hickok (Wild Bill) in the Black Hills, the 2d of August last.

When their village first abandoned the Buffalo Tongue River camp, Antelope Woman was frightened. Then she grew sad.

Almost from the moment Old Crow's peace delegation departed the
Ohmeseheso
village a day's ride south of the Elk River, other voices began to rise in pitch and tone. With those who most professed a desire to make peace with the Bear Coat now gone from the camp, those who stood for continuing life in the old ways gained in power.

No more than two days passed before the other chiefs decided the village should migrate east from the Buffalo Tongue toward the Powder in hopes of remaining close to the Crazy Horse people. At the very least, the new powers declared, they could follow the scarred trail left by the Little Star People. After the
Ohmeseheso
had been twice attacked by the soldiers, after they had twice fled in search of Crazy Horse's village, after his people had twice sheltered the Shahiyela, Antelope Woman could not blame these Northern People for wanting to be near the mysterious Lakota war chief.

When all was said and done, some of the
Ohmeseheso
's finest warriors, leaders and holy men had gone north to talk with the Bear Coat. Chances were good they were all dead by now. If not dead, then chances were better than good those men were prisoners like Old Wool Woman had become. Why should they keep the village anywhere close to that soldier fort, where the
ve-ho-e
could strike quickly, without warning … again?

Antelope Woman could almost believe the arguments that compelled the camp to pack up and move east, abandoning the Buffalo Tongue. She could almost believe those leaders who declared it might well be better to go in search of Lone Wolf and Morning Star to reunite the Northern People. Almost believe that they would be all right at the White River Agency.

Almost, but for Antelope Woman's brother, White Bull.

She was certain he would never allow himself to be captured by the soldiers, certain he could not be killed by the
ve-ho-e.
Most certain that White Bull would not have fooled himself about the Bear Coat's intentions.

The fighting had been going on for too long. It was time to believe in peace.

Not long after striking the Powder River, they caught up to the village of the Little Wolf and Morning Star people. Nearby lay the camp of Crazy Horse. Together, the
Ohmeseheso
and Little Star People continued south at a leisurely pace.

Then yesterday as they slowly moved up the Powder, the migrating village passed by the remains of Old Bear's camp attacked by Three Star's pony soldiers more than a year ago.
*
In that Light Snow Moon the
ve-ho-e
had burned everything they could before they retreated. Lodges and poles, meat and hides, weapons and powder, all of it gone the way of smoke. But now, the earth had been at work a year to reclaim that terrible site. No more were there burnt rings and the carcasses of a few soldier horses. Now they found only a few scattered bones not dragged off by scavengers. Just about the only sign Antelope Woman found of where each lodge once stood, were the short stubs of charred lodgepoles lying here and there, their blackened nubs poking from the crust of endless snow, where that lodge had been burned to the ground.

Each dark stub was like a jagged, broken bone, obscenely protruding from a wound, each one like a ceremonial marker commemorating an
Ohmeseheso
death in this year of dying.

That night they camped a short distance upstream from that tragic place, near the ground where the soldiers had butchered the People's ponies before the
ve-ho-e
retreated any farther. Both the site of the burnt-out village and this graveyard of bones were brutal reminders to the People of just how much they had lost to the white man.

Reminding the Northern People just how much was asked of them when the Bear Coat told them they must surrender.

Near the mouth of the Little Powder, Spotted Tail's impressive party ran across them. This chief of the
Sicangu
Lakota had with him an escort of 250 armed warriors and a pack-train of army mules sway-backed beneath many gifts from the white agents at the southern agencies. Explaining that he had already visited the Sans Arc and
Mnikowoju
camps of Red Bear, Roman Nose, High Bear, and Touch the Clouds on the Little Missouri near the sacred
He Sapa,
*
Spotted Tail called together a big conference of the
Ohmeseheso
and Lakota leaders.

“Where is my nephew?” he asked impatiently, not finding Crazy Horse among those who gathered for the council.

“He is away hunting,” He Dog apologized. “Perhaps it is better that he isn't here to listen to these words you bring of surrender.”

“A leader of his people can no longer decide things for only himself,” Lame Deer said. “If Crazy Horse wishes to hunt and fight alone, then I will let him.”

“Spotted Tail,” a voice called.

Spotted Tail turned away from the stone faces of the Little Star warriors and found the man who had called him—Crazy Horse's father. “You have something to say for your son?”

Worm reached out as he stepped forward to touch Spotted Tail's hand. “Crazy Horse left a message for me to tell you. He touches his uncle's hand through mine … and promises that he will bring in his people as soon as the weather makes that possible.”

“No! This cannot be true!” He Dog snarled.

Calmly, Spotted Tail replied, “I will send one of my people, He Dog, along with one of yours, to go find my nephew in the hills. They will take my gift of tobacco to him and ask him to come see me himself.”

Once the two couriers had started away to find the solitary hunter, Spotted Tail continued. “Three Stars Crook promises the Crazy Horse people a northern agency.” This elder who was some fifty-three summers old now began to use on the eager hundreds just those words that might give them all hope. “Somewhere you choose: in the Powder River country.”

“We can stay in our own land?” Lame Deer asked.

Iron Star was suspicious, having heard rumors of what the white man wanted to do with all Indians on the agencies. He asked, “They will not send us all back to the
Mnisose?
”
*

Spotted Tail shook his head and looked upon those chiefs benignly. “The soldier chief tells me you do not have to give up your horses, or turn over your guns. He realizes a man needs a gun to hunt, needs a pony to hunt—needs both to feed his family. Three Stars makes you a good offer.”

Lame Deer asked, “If we do not go in?”

“More soldiers will come. And there will be more grieving in Lakota lodges.”

Always, more soldiers.

Then Spotted Tail looked over at the father of Crazy Horse. “I want you to tell my nephew to bring his people in—so there will be no more hunger, no more fighting, and no more dying.”

After a second day of talks, most of the chiefs joined in promising to bring in their people once the weather moderated. But still, Crazy Horse had not shown up to speak with his uncle.

Before leaving, Spotted Tail again touched hands with those friends he had not seen in many, many seasons, then turned south with his escort and a few lodges of the Shahiyela who were ready to turn themselves in. The chief was eager to tell the soldier chief and agents that he had the warrior bands' vow they would come to surrender peacefully before summer.

And it was here on the Powder that the peace-seekers gone to see the Bear Coat finally found them two days after Spotted Tail had started back for the southern country.

“Where is my brother!” Antelope Woman shrieked as soon as the delegation got close enough for her to see that White Bull was missing from their number.

The village had turned out to watch the return of Old Crow, Crazy Head, and the rest. Pandemonium reigned as the People pushed close to the riders.

“He stayed behind!” Two Moon cried at her in the tumult.

She lunged to the side of his pony. “He is safe there with the Bear Coat's soldiers?”

Two Moon smiled down at her and caught her hand in his, squeezing it gently. “He will be safe.”

As Old Wool Woman dismounted, Antelope Woman turned to her. “Is this true? My brother is safe with the soldiers?”

“Yes,” a trail-weary Old Wool Woman answered, “because he is now one of the Bear Coat's soldiers.”

“White Bull? A soldier? For the Bear Coat?” She clamped her hand over her mouth at this shocking news.

“When I last saw him,” Two Moon explained, “White Bull was wearing a soldier uniform. The Bear Coat said he would take your brother on the war trail this spring.”

“White Bull stayed behind?” Wooden Leg lunged up from the throng.

Both Antelope Woman and Two Moon turned to find the young warrior coming to a stop between them. His face was turning red. “Yes,” Two Moon said.

“This is true?” and Wooden Leg shook his head. “He is wearing a soldier uniform?”

Two Moon explained, “Yes. All is true what we have told you.”

Several other young warriors were gathering at Wooden Leg's shoulders, noisy in their protests.

“I cannot believe that he would commit such a treason against our people!” Wooden Leg shrieked.

“He is not against our people!” Old Wool Woman declared.

Then Two Moon added, “Perhaps it is all right for a man to surrender to the soldiers if the man feels that is best.”

“White Bull decided long ago that his feet should stay on the path to peace,” Antelope Woman declared about her brother.

Wild Hog stepped up. “I am baffled at why a holy man of the People—who has fought long and hard for the
Ohmeseheso
—would now give himself over to our enemies.”

“White Bull has a special medicine,” Antelope Woman tried to explain as more of the Elkhorn Scrapers came up to get in on the debate. “If his medicine told him to become a scout for the Bear Coat—”