Sweet Savage Surrender (20 page)

"You are not old, grandfather.  Not in your heart you are
not," she whispered softly.
             

After he had gone
,
Skyraven sat by herself, allowing her thoughts to wander.   It did seem as if the
great spirit was helping her. 
Skyraven had given her word  when Desert Flower, Lone Wolf's cousin, had married the
Cheyenne
chief's son, Blue Fox. She had
promised
Desert
Flower that she would come when their first child was born.  It was a matter of honor to keep such a promise.  How was Skyraven to know that the child's coming birth woul
d come at so opportune a time?

"A child!"  Living proof of the love between two people.  Now as she thought about it
,
she wished for a child of her own.  John's child.  "
John " she murmured, closing
her eyes for a moment and let
ting
the cool moist air caress her face.  She just might see John Hanlen again very, very soon.  Each day was bringing her closer to
Fort
Lyon
and the man she loved.
           

Chapter Twenty

Early the next morning the small company of Arapahos crossed the dividing ridge between the valleys of the South Platte and the
Arkansas
Rivers
and proceeded to the
Cheyenne
camp on the edge of  Sand
Creek
.
As they traveled
,
the men did most of the talking.
The buzz of their voices sounded like angered bees.
  Skyraven
garnered much information
just
by
listening.
It seemed, she learned from the conversation, that the white men were at it again, going into the buffalo hunting grounds and shooting the buffalo. The chief and her grandfather had decided that joining with the
Cheyenne
in protesting the matter might make it a more emphatic gesture to the white men in charge that they were angry.

"It is a matter of
considerable
importance to prevent
encroachment
  of  the whiteman upon our hunting territory
.”
  Chief Left Hand said.
With the thought in mind of impressing the white men with his importance as chief, he had worn his best buckskin and headdress.

"Yes.  We have given the white man authority only to cross over our land
,
not to infringe on our hunting ground.
“another
chief
, Arapaho, added.

"
The
Cheyenne
tell us they are finding more and
more white
hunters leaving the territory carrying man
y buffalo hides with them.  The white eyes
have no right to hunt on our ground and to
steal away
buffalo
hides to sell to the eastern markets."  
Buffalo
's brother looked very unhappy as he spoke.
”That is, from what I have learned, their intent. The white men in the white man’s villages pay much for such soft skin. But even so, it is not right that they break their word. It is one of the only places where the buffalo still roam in large numbers.”

The favorite hunting ground of the southern herd was that section of
the plains they were on now, t
he land about the Republican River between the
Arkansas
and
South Platte
.  This land had been granted to the Arapaho and
Cheyenne
as a hunting reserve established by the treaty of
Fort
Wise
over two years ago. So soon the white men wanted to break their word.

"I signed that treaty" 
Lean Bear
, the
Cheyenne
chief who had ridden out to greet them,
said. 
“The
treaty promised the Indians could hunt buffalo on the land north of the
North Platte
and on the Republican Fork of the
Smoky Hill River
, so long as the buffalo were is such numbers as t
o justify the chase."

"This is
just the reason we must stop the white man from hunting here.
” Left Hand s
h
ot back. “T
he treaty gives us the right only as  long as the buffalo are  in such numbers as to justify the chase.  If they keep killing our buffalo at such an alarming rate, soon we will not have any rights or any buffalo."  

Buffalo
’s Brother reined in his horse and raised his hands toward the sky, knowing instinctively that the tribe needed help on this matter. He
let out a sharp yell
, that startled the others in the party. When they realized what he was doing, they, too, paused and turned their eyes skyward
.  "Oh great spirit hear me.  Do not allow the white men to do this terrible thing."

Skyraven said a similar prayer. If the white men continued to do such a deed, it would not only anger her people and possibly diminish the buffalo but might endanger her happiness with John Hanlen as well.

The chanting done,
Buffalo
’s Brother gestured for the party to move on. The small band of
Arapaho
neared the village and could see the
Cheyenne
assembled to greet them. Desert Flower, although large with child, rushed up to Skyraven before she could even dismount and cried out how glad she was to see her. There was a special glow to her face that spoke of the contentment of the
life giver
.

“I am as round as a pumpkin but happy,” she called out, putting her hand on her
belly
as she smiled. When Skyraven had slid from her horse, Desert
Flower
took her hand and led her toward the tepee she shared with her husband. “I’m so glad you have come. Already I can tell the little one wants to make his appearance very soon. You will know just what to do.”

“You are not afraid?” Skyraven asked.

"Not now."
             

There was a large lodge in the middle of the camp built especially to entertain a dozen or more visitimg chiefs or other dignitaries. 
The two young women watched as the men went immediately
into the lodge.   There would be a council
,
and they would decide
what to do about the white man's infringement.
She found Blue Fox starring at her with piercing eyes which
nevertheless
h
eld some kindness.

"I saw Lone Wol
f.  He is miserable without you,” he finally blurted out. “
Everyone thought the two of you would
marry." 

So that was the reason; he was staring at her.  How could she make this
Cheyenne
warrior, husband of her best friend, realize that she couldn't help loving someone else.
Even if he was a white man.
She could no more stop loving John Hanlen than she could stop breathing.  He had become as necessary to
her as the air of life itself.

His dark brows furle
d.  "Why?   How could you....?"

"Do not question her, Blue Fox and do not judge her too
severely
,” Desert Flower said quickly. “
I am sure that Skyraven will tell me all about it and we will und
erstand her feelings in time."
The hand holding Skyraven's squeezed tightly with affection.

Blue Fox only looked at his wife
,
then  left the teepee to  join the oth
er men in the meeting lodge. 

Desert Flower touched Skyraven's arm gently.
“
My husband does not understand but I do.  To him Lone Wolf is the most glorious specimen of manhood and he can not but wonder how you could choose someone else."   Lifting the flap of her tepee
,
she drew Skyraven down to sit upon her   buffalo robe.  "We can talk now.
  Tell me about your soldier."

His name is John Hanlen.  He is a soldier.  A major.
I will tell you about him, but first I must know about your life with blue fox and about the baby you are carrying."

Desert Flower blushed.  "My husband wanted the child very much
,
but he says that making the baby was equally
pleasurable
.  And I agree.
  I want many, many children."

Skyraven remembered the soul-shattering moments with her white soldier in the cave.  "So do I," she whispered.

The two friends talk
ed long into the night, Skyraven telling her Indian friend about her rescue of John Hanlen,
how she carried
him back to the cave.  To Desert Flower she could open her heart, thus it was only to her that she would tell the whole story.  Now that her friend had also enjoyed the passion of love they could talk about woman things.

"He loves you?"

"Yes.  He told me so and I believe him.  There was such tenderness in his embrace that I can not think he lied.  He will come back and bring with him th
e horses just as he promised."

"And then there will be wedding."  Desert Flower s
eemed excited by the prospect.

While the warriors and chiefs held their meeting in the friendship lodge, the two young women made their plans. Skyraven made herself comfortable in her
dwelling, thinking to herself that
Desert Flower would be a pleasant companion in the days spent away from her own tepee.

Chapter
Twenty-One
             

             
Lone Wolf and his good friend
,
Red Dog, clad only in leggin
g
s and moccasins, were crouched upon their haunches side by side watching the activity in the valley down below. 
The ridge upon which th
e
y were crouched  had an almost perpendicular cliff at the back and a steep slope on either side
, and thus made a perfect place of concealment.

The braves
had come from across the
Republican River
several days ago following
the buffalo
carcasses that were strewn across both sides of the river.  Their group of
warriors had
ridden hard and had picked up fresh horses from some of the ranches nea
rby as they needed them.  Horse-
stealing had been going on between the whites and the Indians for quite awhile now
so Lone Wolf had no qualms about what he had done. The white man stole form the Indians and the Indians from the whites.
Neither side w
as less guilty than the other.
But now there was a more urgent matter to be taken care of
—the needless slaughter of the animal the Indians held sacred.

Since early morning
,
the
two braves had watched while
three hunters took the stretched buffalo skins from the frames beside a small, sod roofed shanty.  Now they were tying them in bundles up
on the two horse driven wagons. It was obvious these white men had been the ones to leave the
decaying
buffalo bodies for the vultures.

" See.  The white eyes cannot be trusted under any circumstances."  Lone Wolf shook his clo
sed fist as he spoke.  
All the while he had been thinking the white eyes steal everything
,
even our women.  He was still bitter about Skyraven's refusal to marry him.
That she preferred a white man stung his pride to the very core.

"It is bad enough that these intruders are diverting the river water away
from our
hunting grounds for their own use and cutting the trees and other vegetation that offer
us protection
, but to indiscriminately slaughter the buffalo and leave the carcass to rot in the sunshine is unforgivable
," Red Dog hissed.

Turning to his companion, Lone Wolf bared his teeth in anger as he spoke
.
   "
I am not surprised.
Just as I told you.   The white eyes are liars.  I have never tr
usted them  as our fathers do.
Their treaties are useless.
They are much too greedy to keep their word."

"Nor have I
trusted them,
"   Red Dog sneered
.
  "Those men are killing our buffalo for the robes
,
right on
our own  hunting r
eserve.
We were right to leave our fathers' village.  We cannot live in peace with the white man .  We have to drive them out of our country while we are s
till strong enough to fight."

“My
father, Left Hand, and yours,
Lean Bear
, both tried to tell us that the Indian agent is in control of the business of trading
.”
  Lone Wolf spit upon the ground    "Indian agents are no better than any other white man.  They have tried to keep us ignorant of what is going on.
But now we have seen for ourselves."

"You are right my brother, we had b
etter hang on to the
few guns, knives  and other things we have received in t
rade. 
It looks as if we will 
come out the losers
in our dealings with men such as these."

"Both of our fathers we
re there to sign the treaty and we  know what the treaty said;  n
o white man with out just cause and with
out
consent of the Indian agents is to set foot upon this hunting reserve."
And yet here the men were, Red Dog mused, doing as they pleased without any interference.

Lone Wolf shook his head in despair.  "What is the matter with our fathers that they cannot see?  It is not good to trust the white eyes.  We come from two different worlds.
They are like vultures. With them there can be no peace."

"Come.   we have watched their treachery long enough
,” Red Dog called to Lone Wolf over his shoulder as he started toward their tethered horses
.  
“
Let us ride back and tell the others that we must drive these white hunters from our hunting reserve." 

The two braves rode at break neck speed back to the narrow valley on the other side of the ridge where the others were camped.   It was a perfect spot for the teepees.   The cliffs on each side offered concealment., there was an abundance of food and forage for the horses and   there was a stream along which delicious
wild
fruit grew.  The
stream gave them water and a place where the
y
could
bathe and catch fish if need.

“
Here we are free
,
"  Lone Wolf cried aloud as he slid from his war pony
, “without fear of white men’s lies. They will not cage me.”
  The few times he had been in the square dwell
ings of the white eyes he found them
hot, dark and stuffy. 

A sub chief of the
Cheyenne
by the n
ame of Spotted Eagle had seen
how excited they were when they
returned and
had heard Lone
Wolf's voice
.  Now
, he
w
alked over to the two braves.  Spotted
Eagle
was a powerful figure.  Over six feet tall, large of frame but
with no
fat
to mar the beauty of his body, his shoulder-
length hair was braided.  His features dif
fered from those of Lone Wolf in that h
e was older and not as handsome.  His nose was broad, his mouth wide,
and his skin a shade darker.

Spotted Ea
gle was leader of the
Cheyenne
dog soldiers,  Lone Wolf
the
acting chief of few the Arapaho
who had join
ed them.   More young  Arapaho
had become dissatisfied from time to tim
e and were coming to join
Lone Wolf's band. Right now there were only ten
, but the
Arap
a
ho  were gaining in strength. 

“We have seen them and what they do.” Lone wolf and Red Dog told the assemblage of braves all that they
had
been watching since early morning. “Three white men are murdering our buffalo. It is they who leave the skinned bodies of the dad buffalo behind them.”

"I thought as much,
"  Spotted Eagle grunted
.

"The white eyes do not share like
we do,” said another brave.
  The hunters of the Arapaho and
Cheyenne
always saw to it that every family rec
eived a fair share of the kill. The white men took the skin and left the meat, yet they did not even think to offer that which they did not want to those in need.

"And they will keep demandi
ng  more and more of our ground,"  Red Dog grumbled.” Has it not already been proven so? Peace, they say. Ha.”

“But what can be done?” a young brave, barely into manhood, asked.

All three of the Indian warriors exchanged glances.  Lone Wolf and Spotted Eagle uttered
sim
ul
taneously “
Let us sweep down an
d drive these white men away."

Lone Wolf was a respected leader anong the
Cheyenne
as well as among his own Arapaho.  Together
, he and spotted Eagle made all the decisions. They
were responsible for defending their land and for the
general welfare of the others.
Quickly they prepared themselves for a confrontation. Telling the other braves to follow them,  they gathered together their war regalia including rifles, lances
,
bows and arro
ws, war paint and war bonnets.

When they were well prepared,
they rode
to the ridge where
they watched
and waited astride their war
ponies until
the white men had loaded both wagons and
started to
leave.  Then with wild, shrill war whoops
,
they galloped down the sides of the steep cli
ffs. 

The three white hunters saw them  coming and whipped the horse into
running
as fast as was possible while pulling a
wagon full of buffalo hides.  The Indians slowed down p
urposely
and did not follow
.  They did not want get close enough to shoot or be shot.   Any disturbance in their own territory might give the soldiers reason to come in  and shrink their hunting grounds even more. 
The area of the buffalo herds was not their choice of place for an all-out war since war in the hunting grounds would scare away what buffalo were left.
They just wanted to frighten the white men enough  that they would be reluctant to return and would caution others to remain well outside of
Indian territory
.

Their plan worked well
, or so Lone wolf boasted
.  The three white men  were frightened nearly to death when they looked behind them to see so many painted faces, war bonnets and  feathered lances. 
They made a comical sight as they ran, each one in a different direction.

"Like prairie chickens!" 
Lone wolf observed, and
t
hat was exactly what the Indian warriors had intended.  They enjoyed seeing the enemy shake in their shoes
and scurry away.
"Now let us go back to camp."
The
time would come when there would be an all out war
,
but not here and not now.  With a signal from their two leaders, the warriors retreated to the bluffs as soon as the wagons had crossed over the
Sandy
River
.  The braves
rode triumphantly back to camp knowing that their
mission had been accomplished.

When the white men returned to their own camp
,
they did not tell the
story as it really happened. 
Since  they did not want to appear cowardly
, they
greatly exaggerated, insisting that there had been more Indians than there actually were, nearly a hundred, they said, and that the entire episode happened
outside
the
Indian territory
.
The outright falsehood was told that the Indians had fired for no reason and had stolen horses and buffalo hides that were rightfully theirs. The
hungers
hadn’t
really meant to start a furor.  The lie just grew in their effort to save
their
own skins and to
make themselves
look honorable and brave.   They knew that they could get into a
lot of trouble for hunting
on the Indian hunting reserve.

"Th
ey were on the war path alright,
” one
of the men had said in ending the story.  "You should have seen those  horrible painted faces.  Why
,
there we
re probably Sioux, Kiowa
, Comanche,
Cheyenne
and Arapaho.  I
'll just bet any man here that t
he tribes have  all got together and deci
ded to kill every one of us."

Within an hour Colonel Tappan, the officer in charge of
Fort
Lyon
  while Colonel
Chi
vington
was in
Denver
City
, had sent men out along the
Arkansas River
to investigate complaints. A seed of fear had been sown by three greedy men. The people living nearby were sure that an all-out war with the
Ind
ia
ns was about to take place.