Sweet Savage Surrender (40 page)

Chapter Forty-Two
             
             
             
             
             

Skyraven knew if she lived to be an old woman, indeed lived through this day, she would never forget what the soldiers had done. The village was in panic
, several
lodges were aflame. The Indians were putting up a noble fight but they had few weapons and they
were outnumbered. They battled
fiercely
,
but the strength and pride of her people were d
raining out with their blood.

Skyraven  held her knife poised to strike as she ran, horrified as she saw that the enemy were as thick as the trees that rose from the forest
of their former camp
. Birds screeched and shrieked, fluttering their wings in a frenzy as they darted from tree to tree, protesting the intrusion.  Their angry voices blended with the other cries as the people sought places to hide.  Women c
ried and the children wailed, a
pitiful sound that tore her heart to shreds.  Skyraven could hear
the cries
for mercy and knew that they would be given none.  Just like prowling wolves
,
the white
men were k
illing and maiming her people.

As she dashed
through Black
Kettle's camp, she saw that it
was nearly
as savagely ravaged as her own. Left Hand's camp had been his especially hard
by the ruthless soldiers’ malice
, located as it was in the center of the lodges.  She fought total panic, reasoning with herself that it would do her no good.  She must be strong.  Somehow she managed to keep her calm until a hand clutched at her arm.  Instinctively she rea
cted, slashing with her knife.

"God damn Indian bitch!" swore the man who was stung by Skyraven's blade.  Kicking out with his foot he sent the knife flying from her hand.  She winced in pain, holding her injured wrist, looking up into eyes that looked like a weasels.  Eyes lookin
g through the site of a rifle.

The man paused, his finger resting on the trigger. "This one's got blue eyes."  He put down his gun as if that
fact troubled him.

"Doesn't matter. Shoot her or slit her throat.  You
know what the colonel said." 

With that intent he raised his gun again, but Skyraven
was determined to live.
  She fought against her attackers, biting and clawing those who held her, wrenching away the gun.  With a strength born of fear and desperation
,
she lunged free of her captors and took to her heels, running as if her feet had wings.  Miraculously she escaped the man's bullet, but could hear it whistle over her head. She ran a long way
,
only to at last stumble over a body and fall to the ground.   Quickly  she got up, dodging the bullets that  sent the dust flying  around her. She heard a blood curdling scream.  One of the
Cheyenne
women was struck down and killed before Skyraven's eyes
,
and there was nothing she could do except to mourn her.
             

What men there were in camp had managed a line of defense across the frozen river
,
but their bows and arrows were no match for the cavalry fire.  Her people were fleeing in all directions now that they realized they had no chance.  Skyraven saw that the main body of those still alive wer
e moving up the creek bed, which
alone offered some protection against
the soldier’s
bullets. 
             

Everywhere women were running and screaming, children were crying, reminding her of  Desert Flower and her
little
one.  Before she thought of her own safety
,
she had to find a way to help her.  Blue Fox was away on the hunting trip with the others.  Desert Flower was not as indepe
ndent as Skyraven,
would not know what to d
o.  And there was the baby
.  Desert Flow
er would need help with Big Bear
.  That was the thought which drove her on to run until she pushed through the f
lap of Desert Flower's tepee..

When Skyraven entered the lodge, Desert Flower did not even acknowledge her entrance.  She was sitting with the baby in her lap,  hardly moving
,
just staring straight ahead.  Skyraven gra
bbed the horrified woman
by the shoulders and gently shook her, then led her to the tepee flap.  "I'm here to help you.  You must listen.  We can not stay here."   She took the baby from her arms. "Help me put Big Bear in his cradle board,"  she said,  placing  him inside the woven and wood pouch.  "Lace it.  Quickly."   She aided Desert Fl
owers fumbling fingers.

Carefully lifting the teepee flap while strapping the cradle board to her back, Skyraven peeked out to determine
the best escape route.
The balance of the soldiers had scattered in different directions, running after small parties of Indians who were trying to escape. 

The riverbank
.  Even now she could that some of her people had ma
de it safely there and that they
were digging into the soft sand for places to hide.  "This
way.  Follow me." She led Desert flower and her little son
away from the line of fire
only to run into more fire. 

The soldiers were issuing no quarter, seemed to be coming from every direction.. As the Indians moved
,
they followed and formed a line to block their path.  "We'll cut them off, Captain Nichols," she heard a soldier yell.  They began firing again at the Indians
, even at the bank, picking her people
off one by one.  Even so, some braves were still fighting, shooting arrows.  Skyraven felt glad when she saw two soldiers fall.  At that moment she
hated all who had white skin.

"We must go there," she said pointing off to the right.  Even though it was dangerous, Skyraven knew she had no other choice.  The holes did seem to be saving some of her people.  Those who did not reach the holes were killed, their bodies
cut apart.   A gruesome fate.

"Quickly Desert Flower, w
e must  go to the high river bank.  There are places to hide there."  She changed directions once again, reaching behind her to take Desert Flower's hand to make certain sh
e went in the right direction.

Desert Flower stumbled and fell once or twice but was soon upon her feet again
.  "Hurry!  Hurry!"  was all Skyraven
could think to shout.  Each time she heard the retort of a gun she winced, fearing for Desert Flower and the baby
,
but the
Great Spirit
was with them.  They ran until they thought their lungs would burst but  did not stop until they
reached the high river bank.

Desert Flower was panting and looked as pale as the white of the tepees.  "I...I  don't think I can... can run another step."   She was indeed breathless.  "I can
't.  I can't.  You go on....."

They had reached the banks of the
Sand
River
where vegetation grew in abundance.  Dropping down in a crevice in the clean moist sand they both lay flat on their backs, exhausted.   Their chests heaved in an attempt to bring in  more air. Skyraven's head whirled, her heart thumped wildly.  She wanted to stay there in the shelter of the riverbank forever but she knew there wasn't enough room for both she and Desert Flower.  One of them had to
find another hiding place.  Skyraven made the sacrifice.

"You stay here
, with the little one
.  I'll find another place to hide."  She squeezed her arm
tightly
.  "Don't make a sound.  Don't come out of hiding for any reason.  Do you promise me?"  Desert
Flower shook her head "yes".

After a short rest
,
Skyraven sat up and looked around her, then crept to the edge of the creek bank to look on the other side.  There she saw the Blue coats still milling around the village.  Some were  committing terrible acts, looting,
and pillaging
, setting fire to her village.  Worst of all
,
they were yelling and hollering as they took scalps from those whose bodies were scattered about on the gro
u
nd. She also heard the sound of hoof beats, the clink of metal and the sound of the blue coats angry voices
,
but she did not know
where they were coming from.

"You stay here with Big Bear in the tall grass.  Nobody can see you.  You are well hidden.  I am going to take a look further upstream to see what our chances are for escape .  If we can get away
,
we can at least try to  make it to
another camp," she whispered.

Crawling on her hands and knees
,
she left  the clump of thick vegetation
,
behind which Desert Flower and the baby were well hidden. Thinking to lead any soldier who might be lurking about away from Desert Flower, she moved to a crouched position
, then sprang up to run again.

"Oh G
reat
S
pirit
,
please be with us now in our hour of need,"  she mumbled  raising her eyes skyward.  Her grandfather had said she would be spared.   Now she would know the truth of the vision he
had spoken of.

Hiding as best she could in the available foliage, she followed along the river bank  for at least a half mile.  Looking back
,
she could see soldiers following  small bands of Indians who were trying to escape
,
  but she was well in advance of them.  "Please dear spirit be with me now," she repeated again, over and over.   She had to live.  She could do nothing for Desert Flower or for the ot
hers if she met her death now.

The sound of the hoof beats were growing more distant now.  She felt sure  that she had gotten as far away from the soldiers as she could.  Only then did she allow herself to stop and catch her breath again. She had seen no
soldiers go anywhere near
Desert Flower and the baby
’s hiding place.
  At least she could take comfort in that.  Of her grandfather she did not know.  The flames from her burning village made her shudder as she imagined it to have been th
e medicine man's funeral pyre.

"Oh, G
randfather!  Grandfather!"  She felt tears sting he eyes
,
but hastily brushed them away.  There was no time for that.  Not now.  She w
as still not fully out of danger.

Skyraven hunkered down, making her way slowly.  Was she imagining things or had she seen a horse?  Reaching out to climb up the embankment for a look, she grabbed hold of a black rock then gasped in horror as she realized that it was not a rock at all but the toe of a soldier's black boot.  Her eyes traveled upward to meet the sneering gaze of a tall, lanky cavalry man an
d his evil grinning companion.

"Here's one, Charlie.  Can't let her get away that easy,"  he said kicking his boot from beneath the grip of her fingers  and sending
wet sand flying into her face.

Skyraven reached up and brushed the damp sand from her closed eyelids, sputtering choked curses beneath her breath.  So,
she was to die after all.  S
he had no doubt after what she had seen
,
that these sold
iers would show any 
clemency
.

"What's that you say, girlie?"

Although every nerve in her body was taunt as a bow string by now
,
and her mouth
as dry as the canyon walls, Skyraven knew she
had to say something.   She had to know why they had done this terrible thing to a peaceful people.  Had to at least have her say before they
killed her.

"We have done nothing to you.  Why do you h
unt us down like animals?  The Great S
pirit will punish you for what you have done."  she murmured,
trying to pretend a courage tha
t she really did n
ot feel.  She was frightened, m
ore frightened than she had ever been in her life and
surely not ready
to die, but she would neve
r  let the white eyes know it.

"She speaks English, Boyd."  The man took a step closer.  Taking her chin roug
hly in his calloused hand he lifted her face upward.  "A
nd look at those blue eye
s.  This one is part white." 

What a fascination the white men had for blue eyes
,
she thought.  One might have thought they had never seen eyes the color of the sky before.  Even so
,
Skyraven scorned her white blood.  The whites were murderers!