Savage Conquest

by Janelle Taylor

  When Reis returned home late that night, he told Amanda the decision had been made to entrap Weber and his men the following week. He didn't tell her that the arrests would come during a meeting of the illegal Ku Klux Klan, or while he was confiscating revealing pages from the books in both firms, in McVane's office, and from letters hidden in Weber's home. Timing was essential to success and survival. To prevent discovery or suspicion, Reis couldn't steal those pages and letters until the last minute. It would be a perilous climax to weeks of work and determination, and it would be a beginning to his new life with Amanda Lawrence Harrison.

  Reis was concealed from view when the unsuspecting Weber called on Amanda Sunday afternoon. Reis had warned Amanda he would attack Weber on the spot if that villain offered any threat to her safety, no matter the cost to the mission. Amanda had cautioned him not to react too hastily or rashly or show himself unless Weber physically assailed her and she screamed for help. They agreed on their signals and actions, then waited for Weber to appear.

  Wanting this foul matter settled quickly and without trouble, she immediately came to the point the moment Weber was seated. "I have made a decision, Weber. I told you I would respond to your proposal today, but I cannot." When he started to protest, she hastily silenced him. "Wait! Hear me out first. I think you'll agree with my conclusions."

  Weber sullenly leaned back against the sofa but remained attentive. She informed him calmly, "I want you to hire someone to find Randy. That distressing and puzzling matter needs to be resolved before you and I can make plans for us. I don't mean to imply I don't trust you, but I must make certain you had nothing to do with her departure. I'm sorry, but I feel there is something I don't know. I want you to locate her and bring her home. If there's nothing between you two, then I'll marry you on any day you choose. If there is love between you two, then I will step aside for Randy to marry you. If the feelings are on her side alone, it should be settled before we wed. If you have even the slightest desire for her, it should be faced and dealt with before you make a mistake by marrying the wrong woman. I hope you agree this is a fair solution for all concerned. Well, what do you think? Can you find my sister?"

  She inhaled and exhaled to release her tension. Stunned by this unexpected proposition, Weber couldn't speak and had difficulty thinking clearly. In his hesitation, she added, "I won't lie to you, Weber. I am not madly in love with you and I won't pretend I am. I'll even admit to being selfish and conceited. I will do whatever necessary for survival. Is that honest enough for you? -I shall set a time limit of two weeks."

  Weber probed her incredible suggestion. "I told you I couldn't find her when I went there. What if she can't be found, ever?"

  "Perhaps this will help your detective," she stated, handing him a brass oval frame with Miranda's miniature portrait inside. "She can't simply vanish without a trace. Tell your man to work harder, or hire a better one. Someone in Charleston must have seen her by now. If I get another telegram or a letter from her, I will make it available to you." She went on to tell him about the first one, knowing it was unnecessary. "I'm warning you now, Weber; don't marry me with any desire in your heart for my sister. I don't demand love, but I will demand fidelity. If you have any doubts at all, end them in the next two weeks. If Randy is suffering from unrequited love for you, then she will never return home after we wed. Surely it is best for all of us to make peace first. Do you agree?"

  Weber rose and faced her. He needed privacy to study this turn of events and time to make some plans. Whatever happened now, he would come out the winner. He smiled and nodded. "I'll locate Randy for you, then you can vanquish any doubts you have about me. If she has any fantasy where I'm concerned, we shall deal with it."

  Amanda came to her feet and smiled faintly in return. "Unless there is some pressing business to discuss, I would appreciate your getting to this matter as quickly as possible. I feel it would be best to settle our private lives before we discuss our business affiliation."

  Weber concurred and left without even attempting to kiss or embrace her, which suited Amanda perfectly. He was too busy thinking that now that he didn't have to be so furtive with his search, he could pull out all stops in order to locate Miranda and finally decide whom to marry and whom to slay.

  Amanda turned to smile at her husband as he entered the room clapping in admiration for her performance. "Excellent, love, excellent," he complimented her, then swept her into his arms and danced her around the sofa as she giggled happily.

  When he halted and gazed down into her upturned face which shone with such love and joy, he kissed the tip of her nose. "All we have to do now is pray Weber doesn't come across any clues to Randy's whereabouts," she remarked, slightly worried about this brazen ruse. "You did mail my letter to Luke and Randy from Washington yesterday?"

  "It's on the way to Pierre right this moment, love," he replied. "But I'd be willing to bet my boots, comfortable as they are, the case will be over before Randy has it in her hand," he alleged smugly.

  But at that moment in the Dakota Territory, Miranda had her hands full with another matter, an injured and stubborn cousin. The steamer was lingering at its last stop, unloading supplies at the Lower Brule Indian Agency, before heading for its termination point.

  Determined to carry out his own investigation, Lucas insisted they visit the agency to see what they could learn. He assured Randy he felt fine as they left the steamer for a few hours on land. But they observed and discovered things that shocked them. Life on the reservation was not what it was reported or promised to be. . .

  The once proud and energetic Indians appeared spiritless, weary, and poor. Many were in rags, small children naked. Most looked hungry and unhealthy. It was a pathetic and depressing sight.

  Wagons of supplies from the steamer were being unloaded at the wooden structure which housed the agency. Indians in tattered clothing dejectedly waited for their meager portions to be doled out. She could hear complaints about the moldy flour, the spoiled meat, the flimsy materials for clothing, the injustice of this beggardly practice, the humiliations they were helplessly subjected to by corrupt white men, and the despair all felt at being unable to change their new destiny-a destiny which demanded either an acceptance of degradation or the total destruction of their families.

  As Lucas questioned several traders and workers, Miranda learned of the children being forced into schools where they were forced to wear the white man's clothes, where they spoke only the white tongue, where they had to accept the white man's customs and ways over those of their own people. The young boys were required to cut their braids to show obedience to the white man's rules, an act which robbed them of what little pride remained. She discovered that many places used boarding schools to keep the Indian children away from the influences of their parents and tribes. There was a look of bewilderment and sadness in those small faces and somber eyes and it pained Miranda to view such cruelty.

  The entire Indian culture was being destroyed. Indians were stripped of their customs, their religion, their language, their pride and dignity, their very reason for existence and happiness. Tree and scaffold burials were outlawed. Leaders and chiefs were often slain or imprisoned to subjugate the remaining members of their tribes. The males were refused guns or horses for hunting and were forced to depend solely on the whites for food, clothing, and shelter. Unable to seek medicinal herbs, many Indians grew sick and died. It was almost as if the sadistic plan was to starve, freeze, or sicken the remaining Indians until they died or were compelled to escape, only to be tracked down and killed as dangerous renegades.

  She learned of the demoralizing action of constantly moving reservations from one place to another. The Indians had difficulty settling down, for they were whisked away before teepees were barely in place. They were commanded to become farmers, when they knew nothing but hunting and when the reservation lands were unfertile.

  Treaties and promises had been broken or changed as frequently as the white men wished. Ran
dy caught hints of the "Indian Ring," in which dishonest agents or suppliers to government contracts stole part of the goods or shipped inferior ones. Although whiskey was outlawed on reservations, traders were allowed to camp nearby and entice the spirit-broken and restless braves to drink themselves into stupors. It was heartbreaking to witness and hear of such evil and cruelty, to see a proud race trampled and destroyed.

  Now she understood why so many tribes and leaders refused to make peace with the white men. She could see why the Indians didn't trust them, why they continued to make war. The whites didn't want peaceful coexistence; they wanted to take and have everything here. They wanted to subjugate these noble people into demeaning slavery. Where was their Lincoln? Who would bravely sign their "Emancipation Proclamation"? Who would battle to free them?

  When Lucas and Miranda returned to the Martha Lane, both were too gloomy to discuss what they had encountered here. Lucas was also dizzy and lay down to rest, falling asleep quickly. Miranda paced the floor of her small cabin, trying to forget the sights and sounds of this day. If her father hadn't come here years before and eloped with Princess Morning Star, her mother could have been one of those miserable people she had seen today. It stunned and alarmed Miranda to realize her mother's old tribe was now imprisoned and slowly dying near the Red Cloud Agency. Miranda was relieved her mother had not returned here to view such anguish and devastation. All she could do was pray her grandfather and other relatives were alive and safe. She tried to push such haunting knowledge from her troubled mind, but found it impossible to do so.

  Nor could she forget the warrior who had saved her life. She knew he must be one of those "renegades" who refused to stop fighting and settle down on one of those despicable reservations. She couldn't imagine that fearless and strong male confined to those conditions. Why had he defended her and followed her? Why didn't he hate her and all she represented? Apparently, fierce warriors made no distinctions between male and female enemies. If that were true, how could she explain their relationship? She couldn't.

  Upon arrival in Pierre, Lucas discovered this settlement was worse than Yankton, if that were possible. He refused to remain there a single night, gaining passage on a keelboat heading for Fort Sully. He could only hope the conditions there were better and he was beginning to regret bringing Miranda along. If not for the danger in Alexandria and along the way, he would have been tempted to send her home or somewhere safe. He had not imagined any place could be worse or more perilous than being near Weber. But it was too late to stop this journey, and he was too driven to change his plans. At least Miranda was holding up excellently under these arduous circumstances.

  Lucas was delighted to find that Fort Sully was indeed better. What fences existed were low stone ones to separate the officers' quarters or homes from other sections of the fort; there was no tall outer wall to protect the inhabitants from enemies. Lucas and Miranda found this strange in light of the continuing skirmishes between whites and "hostiles." The only barrier of any height surrounded the ammunition and supply sheds and yards, for soldiers were rumored to be as prone to thieving as renegades or white drifters.

  The structures were made of varying materials from wood to adobe. There were barracks, stables, a guard house, trader shops, sutler stores, an infirmary, a chow hall, assorted privies, private homes, small cabins, and supply sheds. There was one oblong building which they learned was a recreation hall, complete with tables and chairs for games and reading. Fortunately, Fort Sully boasted of a library of nearly a thousand books and several periodicals.

  The fort structures were in close proximity to each other, with officers' private homes nearby. The military compound was designed like the hub of a wagonwheel, with businesses radiating like its spokes and settlers encircling it as an outer rim. From there in three directions, other cabins and structures were built haphazardly. Some brave and solitary types had put up their homes and barns at a farther distance away, toward the Missouri River east from Fort Sully. It appeared few people found the western area desirable, for it edged on proclaimed Sioux Territory. In the military surroundings, trees and bushes were scant, grass even sparser. But as the semicircle increased, so did the amount of greenery. There was an abundance of trees, bushes, grasses, and wildflowers. North of the civilian and military encampments was a small Indian village where workers and scouts lived.

  Wanting to keep his real assignment a secret, Lucas decided not to use the letter of protection and introduction from President Grant unless necessary. With so much corruption and fraud in this area, some men might be, suspicious of him and his job. After all, those two soldiers had behaved as if there was something important to conceal.

  Lucas found a sturdy log cabin to rent near the fort, one recently vacated when the fort sutler's brother had died from a snakebite. Unknown to Lucas and Miranda, it was uninhabited because it lay west of the fort and was one of the most distant structures.

  Aware that Lucas Reardon's sister was a real lady, the sutler was glad he had cleaned and repaired the cabin, completing his tasks just that morning in hope of renting it to an incoming and ignorant officer from the fort. When the sutler escorted them to the cabin, Miranda was relieved to find it freshly scrubbed and in excellent condition. She thanked the man who in turn offered any assistance she needed. While she remained behind, the man helped Lucas fetch their belongings from his store, where they were under strict guard.

  Before dusk, they were unpacked and settled into their new home. Lucas had assisted Miranda with the sweeping and dusting, and he had opened the windows to allow fresh air to flow through the cabin. Miranda had scrubbed all the dishes, even though they had appeared clean when she began her mandatory task. Lucas had purchased enough wood from the sutler to last until he could join a woodcutting crew and furnish their own. As they dined on the meal which she had prepared, they relaxed and chatted about their new home. The cabin had two rooms: one was a combination kitchen and living area; the other was a small bedroom. It was agreed she would have the private room and Lucas would sleep on a cot purchased from the sutler.

  The next week passed swiftly in a blur of excitement. Lucas's injury healed nicely and ceased to trouble him. He spent his days making friends with the soldiers and settlers, observing and questioning everything he saw or heard. It was a simple task for someone with Lucas's jovial personality and good looks. The people in this rugged area admired artists and writers, people who could put life into words or capture it in oils or photographs. Each person was eager to play a part in the making and recording of history. Every time Lucas lazed around the sutler's shop, men lingered to "talk off his ears." As for those from the fort, the bored soldiers were eager for any source of diversion and talked freely and rashly with the cheerful young man.

  Miranda was full of questions when Lucas returned from a visit to the whiskey wagons which were camped nearby in a grove of cottonwoods for one week, pay week. He described what he had seen in colorful details for her, including the prostitutes and two musicians who traveled with the group. Miranda jestingly inquired if Lucas had partaken of either trade. He grinned and shook his head.

  Miranda spent most of her time with Lucas; she hadn't made many female friends. The upper officers' wives seemed to be waiting until they were assured of her social station before offering their company or inviting hers. The lower officers' and enlisted men's wives, what few there were, felt it was improper to approach her and kept their distances. On fear of penalty from the commander, the lowly "laundresses" made it a point to avoid her completely, as was required of them where all "proper" females were concerned. The social system was rigid here, and Miranda didn't know where she belonged. She concluded that she, as the stranger and new comer, should be approached first by whoever wished to become her friend or acquaintance.

  There was one female who Miranda and Lucas found fascinating and colorful, Calamity Jane. Martha Jane Canary was a large, strapping woman who was widely known for her foul language, hard drinking, exp
ert horsemanship, skilled shooting, and men's attire. She was reputed to be the most famous female in the entire Dakota Territory, and often teased about being continually drunk and broke, even though she worked at several jobs normally held by males. She rotated between being a driver for supply wagons and stagecoaches, and a scout for the cavalry. Of course most people said she spent her money buying drinks for all present when she entered a new town or saloon, for that was her way of making friends and gaining attention. She boasted of knowing every legendary male in the West, good or bad. But most of them denied knowing her.

  Miranda and Lucas met this rustic character in the sutler's shop one afternoon. Despite her mannish appearance in looks and clothing, both were taken with her vivacity and genial nature. Jane had been many places and had faced countless dangers, or so she claimed. Her independent and obstinate nature caused many people to avoid her or to gossip about her. It was sad and unfair, for Jane simply wanted freedom and adventure, things which the present age didn't allow even a strong and smart female. Jane was so interesting and charming that Lucas and Miranda didn't care if her tales were true or not. After that day, Jane became a welcome visitor in their cabin whenever she was at Fort Sully. It did not take long for Lucas and Miranda to realize that being Jane's friend meant she would defend them with her life if need be.

  But there was a sadness about Jane, for she knew that the present society would never permit her to reach her potential and to carry out her dreams. Miranda decided that Jane used her boistrous and comical manner to conceal her disappointments and bitterness. At twenty-one, the Missouri born Jane Canary could probably outshoot and outride most scouts, soldiers, Indians, and outlaws. Yet, few were willing to let her prove it. Only Custer and Miles were appreciative of her skills and courage; they had discovered she was an excellent scout, when sober.