Laura's Secrets

by Augusta Wright

  “He died? Just like that? When did it happen?” Cora asked.

  “The day I got back. I didn’t know what to do with him being dead and all. I…I couldn’t leave him sitting in the rocking chair, so I dug a hole. It took me hours to dig it by myself,” she whispered, as she covered her face with her hands and wept.

  “I couldn’t tell anyone about his death the last time I was here because then it would have made it real. I tried to pretend it hadn’t happened, but it did.”

  Cora jumped up and put her arms around Laura and Hanna patted her back. She let them comfort her for a while then Laura finally said, “Since it happened, I’ve had several months to learn to live alone. I will be staying on the ranch and doing my best to run it.”

  Cora poured Laura a cup of coffee from the pot Hank had bought into the parlor. “I sense there is more you want to tell us. Am I right?”

  Laura dropped her head as she wiped her tears and answered, “Yes, Cora, there is more. Abner may have passed away, but he did leave me with a little present. I am going to have a baby. I found out recently so I still can’t believe it’s happened.”

  “A baby! Oh how wonderful! But wait, you can’t live out there by yourself with a baby. How will you manage? Who will protect you?” Cora wailed at Laura.

  “Thank you for your concern, but please try to understand my situation. I have nowhere else to go. Now you know why it’s been so important for me to save the ranch. I thank God every day he provided the two gold nuggets. Now I have a home for my child. When the winter snows come, I will have food. I killed a bear last week and I’ve been canning the meat,” she told them proudly.

  The women and Hank, who had been listening, stared at her in amazement. Cora squeaked out, “You killed a bear? Why? How?”

  “It tried to come into the cabin one night, but couldn’t bust the door down. Then it went down to the barn to get to the animals. I shot it with Abner’s buffalo gun, and it dropped dead. It may have been from fright since the gun makes a horrible noise. Either way, I have plenty of meat now.” She grinned at their stunned expressions. “If you tell anyone about the bear, please mention I will shoot whomever comes snooping around my ranch. I am on the watch for the outlaws Tuffy sent after me, too.”

  Cora and the women almost swooned upon hearing about the outlaws. Laura hoped each one would spread her bear story and the cause of her husband’s death.

  “One more bit of information for all of you. This will be the last time I come to Everclear. I can’t safely buy supplies from Tuffy since he has made it clear he hates all women and especially me. But when I go to Denver, I will look you up. I want to stay in touch with each of you,” Laura whispered tearfully as she hugged them farewell. She even got a hug from Hank.

  Laura left, riding hard for her ranch. She watched her back trail in case Tuffy heard she was in town and had sent out any henchmen again. She returned to her cabin, bolted the door, and breathed a sigh of relief. She was tired from the long ride, but happy she had let her friends know about the baby.

  Weeks passed as Laura drove herself hard to preserve the vegetables from her garden and any wild berries she found in the forest. Early one morning, she opened the cabin door to find a basket full of wild strawberries sitting on the porch. Her benefactor had returned, but she did not see anyone nearby.

  Picking up the basket, she sampled a few as she placed it on the table. She would make jam later in the day. It would be delicious with the bread she had baking. “I think I’ll leave an offering out and see if this person likes bread and jam,” she said, and started at the sound of her own voice. She’d had no one to talk to since she left Cora’s.

  The next morning, the bread and wild strawberry jam were replaced with a clay container filled with wild honey and honeycomb. Delighted, she picked it up and danced inside. For supper, she prepared a thick bear stew with garden vegetables and a pan of cornbread. She placed a large serving in a pot to keep it hot, sliced a portion of her cornbread, and wrapped it in a dishtowel. She placed the items on the rail of the porch as it began to grow dark, dashed back into the cabin, and bolted the door.

  The next morning the empty pot and folded towel lay in front of the door. She was delighted as she picked them up. It appeared her benefactor enjoyed her cooking. She watched the forest edge for any signs of movement. Seeing none, she turned back inside to start her long day.

  Eagle Talon watched as the Spirit Woman searched the forest. Still unsure of her effect on him, he waited cautiously. He liked her food. He liked the game they were playing. It pleased him to have a woman preparing food for him.

  His thoughts were about the Spirit Woman as he left to go hunting. He decided to kill a deer and share the fresh meat with her. He liked giving the Spirit Woman gifts. She seemed to be pleased each time he left her something and, in return, she shared her food with him. He liked the taste of her food and wondered while he lay alone at night how she might taste. He hoped to find out soon.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Early the next day, Laura began cutting the grassy hay in the meadow behind her cabin. It was thick and luscious even with the horses grazing on it. She prayed her strength held out. She needed the hay for the mares and the cow during the winter. She had plenty to do and not much time to do it. With summer nearly over, the warm days grew shorter, and the long nights had begun to cool.

  Laura swung the sickle from side to side cutting the meadow grass. She would leave it to dry for a few days before she gathered it in the wagon and hauled it to the barn. She worked steadily most of the morning, but she would have to stop soon. Working as hard as she could, she cut three long rows the width of the sickle. She heard a horse whinny from the ridge above her and glanced up.

  Sensing she was being watched, she stopped her work. Scanning the ridge and trees, her hand moved to rest on her holster. She listened to the birds in the forest as they continued their tweeting. All was quiet. Soon she relaxed and went back to cutting the tall grass. She cut another row before quitting for the day. She had other chores she would need her strength for. She walked toward the cabin, leaving the sickle in the field where she had stopped.

  For supper, Laura fried slices of some fresh deer meat her unseen benefactor had left her. She said a prayer to the Lord for the blessings of the food He provided, and asked Him to watch over Jim and Rowdy, keeping them safe, and then she ate her solitary meal.

  After a tiring and busy afternoon of chores, she ate her light supper and then cleaned the kitchen. Laura liked to write in her journal each evening before going to bed. It was a quiet and relaxing part of her day to think of all the simple pleasures she enjoyed. The peace and quietness of the serene mountains, sounds of the gurgling spring, tall green pines, and aspen whispering to each other in the breeze added to her sense of well-being. When she did go to her lonely bed, she relived her one glorious night with the two angel men who had come and gone in her life. One of them left something very special behind. As she placed her hands on her rounding belly, she thanked them both for their love. A sudden flutter under her hands startled her. The baby had shifted, and she felt it! What a wonderful feeling! She fell asleep with her hands resting on her treasure.

  The next morning when she went to the meadow, all of the hay had been cut and the sickle leaned against a tree. Questions flew through her mind at the hard work that was done in one night. She would be able to rake the hay in a few days to store in the barn. Who could have done such a special thing? My mysterious benefactor? She scanned the forest again for him.

  Seeing no one, she picked up the sickle and returned to the cabin. Since she did not have the laborious work to do anymore, she decided it would be great to fish and rest. The day was warm and sunny as she headed to the river with her fishing pole. Laura sat down on a rock near the river and cast her line into the rushing water. She could already smell the fried trout for supper. Her mouth watered at the thought.

  Waiting by the stream for a trout to take the bait, she heard
a horse galloping on the ridge high above her. It seemed to be following the narrow trail where she searched for her healing plants. Looking upward, she saw in a flash a white-spotted horse and rider racing between the trees. She heard a yell and a loud thud as if something hit the hard ground.

  Laura jumped up and raced up the lane to the cabin as fast as she could. She grabbed her bag of herbs, and started out on the forest trail.

  When she came around a small bend in the path, a beautiful spotted horse stood over a man who lay on his back, motionless. As she approached, the horse turned and came at Laura with bared teeth. To protect herself, she hit him square on the nose with her right fist as hard as she could.

  When her fist met his nose, it set him down hard on his rear end as his back legs slid out from under him on the mossy path. She glared shaking her finger at him, “If you attack me again, I will hit you harder. Now get up and help me with your master.” She stepped around the stunned horse, walking to the injured rider. Behind her, she heard the horse get up, and shake himself. As she bent over the rider, the horse came up behind her leaning over her shoulder. He nickered softly. “Males! They are all alike. Treat them rough and they respect you.” She scoffed and pushed the horse out of her way.

  The man lying on the ground was an Indian. But his features were unlike anyone Laura had ever seen. The oval shaped head surrounded by the thick black hair shiny as a raven’s wing was braided into two long braids that reached passed his shoulders. She touched the bridge of his shapely nose, which was almost “hawk-like” as she continued downward tracing his lips with her finger. Greatly enjoying the feel of his skin beneath her fingers. The hue of his skin was a dark brown instead of the reddish browns she had seen on other Indians. The rawhide holding his breechcloth in place had broken, exposing his maleness. She was surprised at how well-endowed he was. Of course, she had only seen two other men from which to pass judgment, but he was bigger than they were. She wondered inappropriately, when he gets excited does it stay the same or grow?

  Shaking herself, she came back to the present situation and drew the loincloth over his privates so she could concentrate on his injuries.

  It appeared he struck a tree limb as he galloped along the path. His chest had scrapes and cuts from the rough bark. He fell backward from his horse, striking the ground. She lifted his head, feeling his neck bones carefully; making sure his neck was not broken. Warm blood wet her fingers. She could easily stop the bleeding on the cut, but she worried he might have a brain injury. She hoped not. Taking clean cloths and herbs from her bag, she wrapped his head to stop the blood flow. Then she began to examine the rest of his body for broken bones.

  As she felt down his left side and along his leg, she noticed a stirring under his loincloth. Oh please. Even when unconscious, they react to a woman’s touch! When she examined the other side, his penis rose up. Well, now she knew what it would do when aroused even by accident. It was longer and thicker as she struggled to cover it with the loincloth.

  Did she want this stranger as she had wanted Jim and Rowdy? What is wrong with me?

  Laura knew she could not leave him on the damp ground with only his loincloth as cover. Standing up, she noticed for the first time a hidden footpath leading off the well-worn animal route. The spotted horse followed her until she came into an open area where a tepee stood in the middle of a small clearing.

  She opened the flap and ventured inside where she found a bed with Indian blankets, furs, and buckskin clothing. Various baskets and pottery jars decorated with the same designs of the items left at her door were near the fire pit in the middle of the tepee. “So this must be where my benefactor lives.” She looked around, pondering what to do next.

  Making a decision, she picked up his blankets and some rawhide strings. She emerged from the tepee, pushing the horse out of her way. She spotted a travois lying near the edge of the clearing. This was what he had used to transport his tepee, and now she would use it to move him. Before long, she figured out how to harness the horse to it and led him down the path to his injured rider.

  Several hours later, she had the injured man in his tepee. She debated on whether to take him to her cabin or his tepee, but the path to her cabin was steep, and his tepee was only a short distance away. She’d had a tough time getting him moved, but the horse was a big help. Laura told him what she wanted him to do and he stood patiently while she managed to roll the injured man onto the travois. The horse then walked slowly to the clearing, dragging his load. The hardest part had been figuring out how to get the large man into the tepee. She rolled him off the travois and into a sitting position against the door opening. Then she managed to push him head first into the opening onto some furs. After crawling over him to get into the tepee, she pulled and tugged him until she had the rest of him inside. Spreading out blankets along his long torso, she again rolled him over until she had him off the ground, securely nestled in his buffalo robe. Totally exhausted from all the pulling and tugging, she stopped to rest.

  She took the blankets off the travois wiping as much dirt and mud off as possible before covering him with them. She would bring clean blankets from the cabin when she went to get warm clothes and food for herself. She checked his head wound, pleased to see it had stopped bleeding. She made sure he was warm and left the tepee.

  Spotted Horse followed her down the path like a lap dog. She heard him clopping along behind her and was glad he was willing to follow because she would use him to transport items she could not carry back to the camp. He waited outside while she rounded up the things she would need for the night. She placed them in two large Indian baskets and secured them with rope across the horse’s back. She put live coals in her cast iron stewpot so she could carry it back to the tepee. She would build a fire before dark with those. Taking her rifle and latching the door to the cabin as she left, she took hold of the rope on the large spotted horse and led him back to his master.

  Shadows danced on the walls of the tepee. Talon’s eyes blinked open and closed as he tried to remember how he had gotten here. Am I dreaming? Am I dead? What happened? His head hurt so much he could not think. He moaned. A sound nearby caught his attention as one of the shadows came closer to him. Straw-colored hair fell across the furs as a cool hand rested on his forehead.

  The Spirit Woman! He must be dreaming she was in his tepee. He liked her touch. It soothed him, as he knew it would. He moaned again when she removed it. “Does your head ache? Will you drink something?” she murmured in a sleep-laden voice. His throat was dry. He could do nothing but nod.

  She cradled his head between her firm breast and one arm as she offered him water with the other. She smelled of flowers. After he quenched his thirst, she gave him willow bark tea sweetened with honey. He wanted to ask her so many questions, but sleep overcame him as she laid his head back onto the soft furs.

  Laura cared for him for four days and nights. He did not seem to be getting any better and she was concerned he might die. She had not been able to get much soup or willow bark tea down him before he would drift off again. His body burned with high fever and she resorted to bathing him with cool water as often as she could. His maleness responded to her as she bathed his fevered body. She put cold water on it making it docile.

  At those times, she burned, wanting to make love to him. He was a powerful man. It may have been him who had been watching her cutting the meadow hay. He must have left the food at her door. Had that been his way of courting her? She did not know Indian customs, but if he ever woke up, she would soon find out.

  Before dawn on the fifth day, he woke, and Laura was able to get more food and tea down him than ever before. He reached up and touched her breast. She gasped. With a grin on his handsome face, he fell back asleep.

  Since he had not died and now seemed to be improving, thoughts began to swirl in her head. Was he lusty? How did Indians make love? Was it different from white people? When he woke again, she was sure she would find out. Thankful his fever had b
roken, she left him to do her daily chores with the aim of returning to check on him later in the day. She hoped he would get better. He was such a handsome man even if he was an Indian. Could he speak English? She hoped so because her Ute was limited.

  Entering the tepee later in the day, she jumped when a husky male voice asked, “What is your name?”

  “Oh, you’re awake. Good. How do you feel? Are you hungry? Is your fever back?” She drew near to his pallet and placed her hand on his forehead.

  He grabbed her wrist with surprising strength, pulling her down to him, “What is your name, woman?”

  She stared at his full lips and the curve of his chin before answering, “My name is Laura. What’s your name?”

  “I am Eagle Talon. You have been caring for me?”

  She nodded waiting for him to release her arm.

  “Thank you for helping me. I am a medicine man and I dream dreams. I have dreamed of you,” he said.

  She gasped louder and tried to pull away from him but he would not release her.

  Instead he pulled her down onto his pallet and into his embrace. “What happens between a warrior and his Spirit Woman is for their joy.”

  “Why do you call me Spirit Woman?”

  “The first time I saw you, you were coming up out of the water and your beautiful body glistened. Your spirit called to my spirit at that very moment. When you spoke, a wild wolf came to you. It was powerful medicine, Spirit Woman,” he said in awe as he pulled her tighter against his hard body.

  “You saw me bathing? Were you watching from the ridge? I could feel hungry eyes upon me but couldn’t see you.” At least now, she knew who had watched her.