Lakota Dawn (28 page)

Shortly before the sun would set, Macha gathered scrubwood for a cozy fire while Chase walked to a stream to fetch drinking water for their last night there. After she finished, she headed to join him to enjoy the return stroll together. As she approached the stream, she froze in panic as she saw a strange coyote sneaking up on her husband, who was on his knees and bending over to fill his canteen. Although an attack by that normally shy creature was extremely rare, Macha sensed something different, violent, about that particular one, and it was evident he meant to strike at her beloved mate.

All she had with her was a knife in a beaded sheath, and she knew it would be perilous to her to attempt to slay the creature at close range. There was no time to fetch her husband’s rifle from the shelter and she decided it was hazardous to shout a warning to Cloud Chaser, as the maddened animal might be provoked into attacking. Yet, she knew she had to do something. Anything!

Macha noticed a tree nearby with well-positioned limbs. She snatched up several large rocks, ran toward the stealthy creature, shouted at it, and threw the rocks when it whirled and growled. Those blows enraged the coyote, and, as she hoped, it began to run in her direction with amazing speed. She darted to the tree and scrambled upward, attaining safety from its snapping jaws as it leapt up and down trying to grab her foot.

Chase, who had heard the commotion and reeled to check it out, flung down the canteen and hurried to retrieve his rifle. Soon, he took aim and fired, slaying the creature with his first and only shot. He ran to the tree, assured himself the animal was dead, and helped a trembling Macha to the ground. He hugged her tightly in relief, as it was apparent the coyote was rabid. He cupped her face between his hands and gazed into her dark-brown eyes. “Are you injured, my love?” he asked as his heart thudded wildly, for he knew how lethal and painful such a disease was.

“No, he did not bite or scratch me. I saw him sneaking up on you and knew that was the only way to save you. He is dead?”

“Yes. A madness lived within him, so I was forced to take his life to protect us and other creatures. See his wounded leg. A sick creature gave it to him from a bite. He did not know what he was doing. You were brave to challenge him. You showed great courage, cunning, and skills, as Dewdrops did long ago when she challenged the grizzly to save my brother. I am proud of you, my wife, and you are a perfect match for me in all ways.”

Macha smiled in delight at his sincere praise and hugged him tightly. “I love you, Cloud Chaser, and could not bear to lose you.”

“You have proven your feelings for me many times, Sunshine of my heart. Now, I must drag his body away from this area and cover it with rocks so no other creature will devour his flesh and spread his sickness. Return to our camp and wait for me there; I will come soon.”

As they lay nestled together on their sleeping mat, feverish passions which were partly fanned by their brush with danger heated their naked flesh more than the colorful flames nearby. Its smoke escaped through narrow openings left between the enclosing hides thrown over the branches; yet, its pleasant intermingled spruce and pine scent wafted around them. Except for their swift and shallow breathing, occasional words, the crackling of the fire, and the muffled songs of a few nocturnal birds, it was quiet inside the small abode. The thick buffalo hide upon which they lay was soft and comfortable, and only a thin blanket covered them from shoulders to feet. There was something about being secluded from others and cocooned in the warm and cozy shelter which heightened their awareness of each other and made them feel even freer to express their love.

Chase’s mouth feasted on Macha’s, and hers did the same with his. Their tongues often danced together as each caressed and stroked the other’s body, giving and receiving pleasure with each touch. Their spiritual bond seemed to grow stronger each time they made love, which thrilled and enchanted them beyond measure.

Chase used his hands and lips up and down her pliant form to arouse Macha to squirming need, and she happily did the same to her virile husband. Soon, they could restrain themselves no longer. Macha pulled Chase close, and as he entered her, she could not hold back a moan of delight. They moved together in passion’s ancient rhythm.

Just before they climaxed within minutes of each other, Chase gazed into her glowing eyes and vowed, “Our Life-Circles will always be joined, my beloved Dawn, for they were entwined by the Creator. We are truly meshed as one. I love you more than any words can tell.”

“As I love you, Cloud Chaser, my husband,” she replied. As her mouth fused with his, she surrendered to another splendid consummation of their commitment to each other, one which immersed her in sheer ecstasy for breathtaking moments, then encased her in tranquil contentment.

Afterward, Chase cuddled her against his sated and serene body as he told himself how lucky he was to have her and his current existence; and he tried not to imagine how their lives could soon alter drastically.

After they reached the Red Shield encampment and Chase revealed his wife’s awesome deed at Bear Butte, Rising Bear embraced her, took a feather from his chief’s bonnet, and handed it to her with a smile. “You saved my second son’s life and have earned this coup feather. I am proud of you, Dawn, and I am blessed with the two daughters who joined my family when they became mates of my sons. I pray War Eagle will find a wife as brave, cunning, and skilled as Dawn and Dewdrops are; and I pray Hanmani will find a husband when that season comes who is matched to her. Place this feather in a beaded rosette and wear it in honor of your coup.”

“I will do so, my chief and second father, and I thank you for it.”

After others had praised Macha and genial talk was shared, Chase asked, “Did any trouble strike while we were gone, Father?”

“It has been quiet and safe, my son, and I pray it will remain so,” Rising Bear told him. “At the war council, others said they would send us word if danger neared their camps. Surely no word is a good sign.”

“I hope that is true, Father. If Spotted Tail and those who believe as he does will remain in their winter villages, perhaps the Bluecoats’ anger and fear will grow smaller and die during the cold season.” For once, Chase prayed for heavy and deep snow to blanket the territory, as that should prevent the Army from leaving their forts and challenging any Lakota band.

* * *

As many weeks passed in peace, it appeared to Chase as if Rising Bear’s evocation was being answered, as only occasional light snow had dusted the landscape. Even so, Nahemana warned the chief and his three sons that trouble was brewing elsewhere which eventually would involve them; yet, when and how, he did not know, as the Great Spirit had not revealed such things to him.

On what Chase reckoned to be about November twenty-second by the white man’s calendar, his worst dread was realized when Nahemana’s warnings came true when two Oglala braves arrived from Mahpialuta’s camp.

After the chief, council, and warrior societies were gathered in the meeting lodge around midday, one brave divulged, “Red Cloud sent us to our ally, Rising Bear and the Red Shields. Six suns past, Spotted Tail and his Brules stole mules from Fort Kearny; his sister’s son—Crazy Horse—rides with him. Ten suns past, Red Leaf—brother of Brave Bear who was slain by Grattan—and Spotted Tail and his followers attacked the rolling travois on the large trail between Fort Laramie and Fort Kearny. They took its animals, killed many white men, and stole what Whites call
mail
and
gold.”

A worried Rising Bear asked, “Did Red Cloud or any Oglalas ride with Spotted Tail and the Brules who yearn for war?”

“No, for Red Cloud chose at the great council to honor the Long Meadows Treaty until the Bluecoats break it and ride against all Lakotas. Before the fight between the Brules and Grattan, our band often hunted on the Laramie Plains and Platte River grasslands. We were camped near Fort Laramie on that dark day when Grattan and his Bluecoats were attacked and slain, but Red Cloud and our people did not strike back. We had no alliance with the Brules on that sun, so their battle did not involve us. When more attacks came from the Brules, Red Cloud told us we must leave that area to avoid trouble; only Old Smoke—our past chief—and a few elders remained nearby. To this sun no harm has come to them, for the Bluecoats do not
fear an old man and others like him who are too weak to challenge them.”

As Chase listened and observed, he remembered seeing Crazy Horse at the war council in late September and hearing about the young warrior’s daring exploits and fierce hatred of the Whites. Like Chase, the brave, once named “Curly,” had light skin and wavy medium-brown hair, and it was said that he was often mistaken for a white man or a half-breed. But those who had known his mother, Spotted Tail’s sister, vowed the boy was hers by birth and swore his father was not one of the enemy, but a full-blooded Indian. Chase reasoned those claims must be accurate, since Crazy Horse would not be accepted so fully by the aggressive Brules if he were a half-breed.

The Oglala brave continued. “Red Cloud asks if the Red Shields still choose peace until we are all forced to fight.”

“We think, feel, and speak as Red Cloud does,” Rising Bear replied.

The second Oglala brave asked, “When war comes, will you ally with us against the Whites?”

Rising Bear responded, “We will do so.”

“We ride now, but we will bring word when trouble strikes.”

Wind Dancer took a deep breath and asked, “What action do the Bluecoats take against Spotted Tail and the Brules for their new deeds?”

“We do not know, for it is dangerous to scout at the forts.”

Wind Dancer looked at his half-brother. “Cloud Chaser has scouted at Fort Laramie and can do so again if he is willing to go.”

Chase nodded. “It is wise to learn the thoughts, feelings, and plans of such a powerful force, so I will do as Father asks.”

“I will send my second son to the fort again,” Rising Bear said. “After his return, I will send word of his findings to Red Cloud.”

“That is good. We go now, and we will tell Red Cloud of your deed.”

After the Oglalas left, Rising Bear asked, “Will you take companions with you for protection, for we do not know what
perils you will meet along the trail from Crow and Whites? They can hide nearby while you scout.”

His father’s concern over his safety and survival warmed Chase’s heart. It also was evident that Rising Bear believed he could achieve his goal for a second time, and that confidence gave him great pride. “I cannot take those who are the hunters and protectors for their families, and I need War Eagle to do such things for my wife while I am gone. I will take Bent Bow and Broken Lance with me. We will ride on the next rising sun, for we must seek the truth fast.”

“So be it, my son, and may Wakantanka guide and guard you three.”

When Chase went to his tepee to prepare supplies for the journey, he found his anxious wife awaiting him.

“Did they bring bad news, my husband?”

“Yes,” Chase replied. As he related the entire matter to her, her gaze widened, then narrowed before she gasped in dismay.

“Why must you place yourself in peril again when the Bluecoats are riled against all Indians?” she asked in a quavering voice. “Is there not someone else who can go this time?”

Chase shook his head. “You know, Sunshine of my heart, I can pass as a white man and I am already known there, which makes it safest for me to go. We must learn how the Army will handle these latest events. It is my duty to help my people, and to help our allies.”

“Such words are true,” she admitted with reluctance as her heart drummed in trepidation. “Let me go with you, my husband. I will stay hidden nearby. I cannot bear being parted from you again for so long.”

Chase cupped her face between his hands, gazed into her misty eyes, and asked, “Do you forget what you told me only this morning? You must not endanger yourself and the child you think you’re carrying. War Eagle will guard you and hunt for you while I am gone. I will return as fast as I can, my love.”

Fearing this new separation, Macha pleaded, “Please, my husband. I will be safe at your side, for your prowess is large.”

Chase gathered her in his arms and stroked her back. “Even great prowess could not protect you and our child if we encountered many Crow, Pawnee, white men, or Bluecoats and they attacked us. It would be dangerous for you to ride swiftly to flee them. And it would be dangerous for me, as I would be distracted by fears for you and our blessing.”

Macha took a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly for a moment. “You are right, my husband.” She lifted her chin and looked at him. “Promise you will return to me,” she implored.

Chase embraced her. “I will return to you, my cherished wife, for we are destined to grow old together. After my preparations are completed, I will show you in many ways how much I love and need you.”

As Macha watched her husband smile and wave before he rode away with Bent Bow and Broken Lance, she recalled the exquisite passion and enormous pleasure they had shared the night before. As promised, he had told and shown her how much he loved, desired, and needed her; and she had done the same for him. She had never even imagined those sensations and emotions could be so powerful and rewarding. And she knew that would not be true with any other mate.

Why, Macha fretted, did many seasons of peace have to end when he returned and why did he have to be the one to endanger himself in order to delay, according to the grim opinions of their leaders and allies, the inevitable war. Perhaps, she mused, that grave probability was why the Great Spirit had summoned Cloud Chaser home at that particular time, as he was needed for those tasks, and such events had enabled him to earn his way back into their band. If he had returned sooner, she reasoned, perhaps he would still be an outsider or would have been rejected and banished. She must believe the Creator knew best and carried out His plans in His own way and at His own pace.

Macha lay one hand over her abdomen and thought of the baby whom she suspected was growing there, and her heart
warmed with joy and pride. She wondered if it would be a boy or a girl, what name it would carry, and what experiences it would confront during its lifetime. She prayed for her beloved’s safe and swift return, and for a new and better peace to blanket their territory. If not—

“Why do you stand here in the cold and wind, Dawn, when you can see him no longer?” Hanmani joined her and teased. “Surely you will not plant yourself to this place until he returns.”

Macha turned and smiled in amusement as she adjusted the buffalo hide wrap around her chilly shoulders. “One season, my good friend, you will understand such emotions and fears for the man you love. It almost feels as if he takes my heart and spirit with him.”

“Do not worry, for my brother has much prowess and will return.”

“That is so. Come to my tepee, for there is a large secret I will tell you,” Macha hinted with a merry grin, knowing how pleased and excited Hanmani would be about her pregnancy. She also knew her best friend would not tell others until she was certain it was true. As soon as she knew for sure, she would reveal the news to her mother and Winona, as there was much those two women could teach her and there were many preparations to be made before that blessed event arrived.

Over a week later and far from the northern section of the Black Hills, Chase—attired in his old garments, hat, and boots—reined in his horse at the sutler’s store at Fort Laramie. He was astonished and dismayed by the changes—the awesome progress—he viewed: many new quarters had been built, more than he had seen under construction during his last visit, which implied many more troops were expected. Several new and old cannons were positioned for fast and efficient use, and no doubt as warnings to would-be attackers.

After leaving his two companions at a safe and secluded distance to make camp and await him there, he had encountered a large patrol scouting the area closest to the military post.
Upon arriving, he had seen many guards on duty, their weapons also at the ready. Other units practiced on the parade ground, and scattered small groups did their daily chores. Below the bluff, only a few tepees of “loafers” remained in sight, telling him some had either recovered their pride and returned to their bands or had been run off like unwanted scavengers or had moved to another fort. In another area, the conical dwellings of the past Brule chief Old Smoke and his elderly friends were situated amidst trees near the river. Since no settlers’ wagons could be seen, he assumed none had gotten stranded there for the winter, which gave him a cunning idea to explain his presence.

Chase dismounted, secured his sorrel’s reins near a water trough, and entered the sutler’s store. He noticed two soldiers strolling around and looking at items, men who only glanced at him and nodded. He walked to the wooden counter and smiled. “How are things going, Ben?”

The man looked up from the supply list he was tallying. “Chase Martin, isn’t it?”

“That’s right; glad you remember me. Been a while since I left. How have things been in these parts?”

“Business is pretty good since those new soldiers got assigned here. From what I was told, more’s comin’ next spring; that suits me just fine.”

Chase returned the genial man’s smile. “I guess it does. I imagine winter’s a fairly slow period for you.”

“Yep. I usually have to make real good durin’ the other seasons to keep me in business. I’m hopin’ it’ll be better this year with these new boys here. Leastwise not as dull as the last two winters.”

“There was a heap of excitement when I was here in September,” Chase remarked in a casual tone. “Been having any more Indian trouble?”

“Yep, here and there, mostly raids by them Brules. Where you been and what you been up to? I thought you was long gone by now.”

Chase faked a frown. “After I left, I rode along a few rivers north and west of here, but the pickings didn’t look good and
too many Indians are free-roaming these days. Trapping isn’t good in these parts anymore; the creeks, rivers, and streams are about trapped out for prime pelts, at least enough of them to make my time and efforts worthwhile. It’s also mighty dangerous out there alone with things going crazy. I called it quits and sold my traps down Kearny way. I hung around there for a while trying to find odd jobs to see me through the winter, but not much was being offered. I figured I’d look up this way in case some settlers got stranded and needed to hire a scout and guard to help them.”

“Haven’t seen any wagons lately and don’t know of anybody who needs a hired hand. I ain’t busy enough to need one. So what’s your plan now?”

After the two soldiers left together without making purchases, Chase quipped, “I surely don’t want to join the Army, not when things are heating up so fast in this area. I’d like to keep my scalp a few years longer. If I lose any hair, I want Mother Nature to be to blame.”

“Me, too,” Ben concurred with a chuckle, “so I’m glad we’ve gotten so many reinforcements here, and I’ll be even happier when those others arrive come spring or early summer.”

“You think war’s a sure bet?” Chase asked.

“From where I stand, it is, especially with Spotted Tail and his braves kickin’ up a fuss every few weeks or so. Army can’t look the other way, even if most of them boys don’t want to go challengin’ the Sioux Nation.”

“You think Spotted Tail’s still mad about that Grattan mix-up and Brave Bear’s death? From what I heard, Grattan and his men fired first.”

“That’s what I heard, too, but it ain’t what’s bein’ reported.”

“What do you mean?” Chase asked. He watched the man glance toward the door to make certain they were alone, then lean closer to speak in a near-whisper.

“I heard some of the folks near the fight scene said the Brules attacked first, just outright massacred those soldiers without provocation. Add them raids and attacks afterward, and the Indians are takin’ full blame. I know what Private
Cuddy said after he was rescued, afore he died, but I don’t think that’s what’s been reported to Washington.”

Chase realized that if what he was being told was accurate, the President and Secretary of War didn’t know the truth about the Grattan incident and would consider the Lakotas as the aggressors.

“Did you hear what happened last month?” Ben asked.

“I know some Brules stole mules down Kearny way. Anything else?” Chase queried, seeking details on the second episode.

“Yep, they attacked a stage on her way here on the thirteenth. They took the mail and twenty thousand dollars in gold bullion and killed just about everybody aboard and the Army guards. Major Hoffman sent out a unit to try to track ‘em and recover the mail and gold, but those boys returned empty-handed. If you know much about Indians, at least those high-rankin’ warriors, if they don’t want to be seen, you can’t find hide nor hair of ‘em. They know how to hide their trail so it’ll look as if the ground swallowed ‘em up. And you can bet if you do sight ‘em, you best watch out for a trap. If you ask me, most of the boys here don’t know half what those Indians do about fightin’ and strategy. If we didn’t have better weapons and if we don’t outnumber ‘em when war comes acallin’, we’re in deep trouble.

“I have to admit, Chase,” Ben continued in a gruff tone, “I have to respect ‘em in some ways, and I understand some of their problems and feelings. A man can’t stay here long without learnin’ at least a little about ‘em, or he’s blind and deaf. ‘Course, my opinions don’t matter none to the Army. Hoffman’s already sent out another report on last month’s trouble, but he says mail to and from Washington is slow as a snail this time of year. He don’t expect any action to result before spring. Then, I’d bet my store, it’ll blow in with a vengeance when they retaliate.”

Chase returned to a dismaying point. “Why would any White witnesses lie about the Grattan fight? Don’t they realize that’ll only provoke war?”

“I imagine so, but how else can they get the Indians shoved
out of the area? I would guess that’d please them settlers so they can enlarge their farms. Please some traders along the road, too. If the Indian trouble is solved, more settlers will move in or pass through, so that’ll give them plenty of business without dealin’ with the locals. Like you said, good trappin’ days are gone and the buffalo herds are thinnin’ out and they’ve been ordered not to raid enemies for horses and hides, so they don’t have much left to trade with. Makes me wonder why they’d break the treaty and lose them annuity goods they’ll be needin’ something desperate soon.”

“I guess it has to do with pride and freedom and a way of life they’ve practiced for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years,” Chase tried to explain. “You know what most folks—Whites and Indians—think of the ‘loafers,’ so you can guess what the Indians must think and feel about having to depend on Whites for survival. Either way, Ben, it isn’t a hopeful situation for them. It’s a shame, but a lot of people on both sides are going to get injured and killed.”

“You’re right. I guess we’d both be feelin’ like they are if we were in their place, about to lose everything and—” Ben halted and glanced at the door. “Looks like I got a few customers comin’. Did you want some supplies today afore I get busy?”

“Yep,” Chase answered and told the owner what he supposedly needed. As Ben gathered his requests, Chase thought it was good men like the sutler and innocent women and children who made Chase hate what was bound to happen to them when the destructive hostilities swung into full force. If only there was something he could say or do to delay them for a long time, he brooded, knowing there was no way he could prevent the inescapable.
If there is a peaceful path to follow, Great Spirit, lead me to it and help me walk it to save many lives and much suffering for my father’s and my mother’s peoples.

“Did you ask for writing paper and sealers?” Ben questioned.

The man’s voice pulled Chase from his intense thoughts. He hadn’t requested such items and wondered why the sutler made such a mistake. Then an idea leapt into his head, and he
realized the Great Spirit had answered his prayer in haste and with cunning. “Sure do, Ben. I’d like to write some friends back in St. Louis to let them know where I am and how I’m doing. Thanks.”
And thank you, Great Spirit, for Your guidance.

After Chase obtained permission to bed down later in the Army stable, he strolled around the fort making observations and talking with soldiers to learn all he could about the military’s preparations and future plans.

By the time he was resting on his sleeping roll beneath a blanket and a dark new moon, Chase felt assured the Army wouldn’t provoke a war with the Lakotas until its additional reinforcements and weapons arrived next spring, unless it was issued a challenge it could not ignore. That, Chase concluded, was a decision which seemingly rested on Spotted Tail’s broad shoulders, as the Brule chief was the one who was initiating most incidents and arousing the soldiers and settlers against all Indians. Surely his band had retaliated enough to avenge Brave Bear’s murder and Grattan’s attack. Was there any way, Chase pondered, that he could persuade that chief to halt his raids and killings to allow matters to settle down for at least a while? Since Spotted Tail’s nephew—Crazy Horse—looked as White or as mixed-blooded as he himself did, his own appearance shouldn’t cause hatred and suspicion to rise in Spotted Tail against him. Chase viewed the situation as a two-pronged problem: he didn’t know where the Brules were camped or if they were moving about to keep their location a mystery to the Army, and he doubted Spotted Tail would heed his pleas for cessation since the chief was obtaining great coups.

On Sunday, Chase took a course of action which could help avoid or at least delay trouble if he was believed and his advice was followed. He wrote long and detailed letters to the President
and Secretary of War of the United States of America and to Major Hoffman. In those missives, he related the facts concerning the Grattan battle and urged them to check Private Cuddy’s report on the incident and to speak with trustworthy men like Bordeau and other honest traders. He revealed the Brules’ motivation for raiding the businesses where the annual annuities had been stored and had been refused to them, items to which the Indians felt they had a right. He explained that the thefts of the horses and mules and robbings of stages were viewed as payments for the losses of Indian lives and possessions during Grattan’s attack. He disclosed facts about the White gang which had tried to frame Indians for their evil actions; there was an Army report at Fort Laramie detailing that. He related news of the whiskey and gun peddlers and gave the names and descriptions of those four men.

Chase explained the Lakota way of life, their beliefs in one Creator and in closely knit family circles, customs, tribal differences, ways they were dissimilar from their Indian enemies, reasons for past warfare with foes, dependence upon the buffalo and grasslands. Then he related the Government’s demands upon all Indians and how White infringement had drastically changed things for them. He included the pernicious effects of diseases and whiskey which had been brought to this land, how they were cheated by fur traders, and the eventual annihilation of life-sustaining buffalo herds and other animals. He disclosed facts about the greed and fraud concerning the annuity goods, their inferior condition and inaccurate amounts, and how Indians were forced to line up for hours and practically beg to receive them.