Ride the Free Wind

by Rosanne Bittner

  Zeke grinned wickedly. “The Screaming Moon Monsters dwell only in deep canyons, and come out only when the moon is full,” he continued. “They breathe through the rocks of the canyons and make the rocks move. When they are angry, the whole canyon shakes, and when they are not angry, the canyon is still and quiet. They scream at night,” he went on. “Aieee!” he added in a soft, but eerie wail. “Aieee! Aieee! Send us the children!”

  Magpie and Wolf’s Paw looked at one another again and huddled closer, and it was difficult for Abbie to keep from laughing. She did not understand all of what Zeke was saying, except that it must be a story of ghosts or monsters, because of his tone of voice, his inflections, and the eerie wail. Even Falling Rock and Tall Grass Woman listened attentively, as though they believed Zeke; and Abbie decided they probably did, for the Cheyenne believed in ghosts and monsters and night spirits. Storytelling about such things was a favorite pastime in the dead of winter, when the People had little to do but stay inside their tipis and entertain themselves until they could again enjoy the freedom that warmer weather brings.

  “But no children go to the Screaming Moon Monster canyons,” Zeke went on, “especially not on the night of a full moon. No children have ever been found to be brave enough to face the monsters, except …”

  He stopped and lit his corncob pipe, while the children and their parents waited anxiously. Zeke puffed on the pipe for a moment, then leaned toward the children again.

  “Except a little boy and a little girl—a brother and sister—who one day, long ago, decided they would show their bravery by answering the call of the Screaming Moon Monsters!” he continued.

  Little Magpie’s mouth dropped open, and Wolf’s Paw wiggled closer to the fire.

  “The little boy and girl had been bad,” Zeke told them. “They had disobeyed their father and had made a noise when they were supposed to be very quiet; and because of the noise they’d made, an enemy had found them, and many of their people lost their lives. And so, the little girl and boy were very ashamed, and they wanted to do something to make up for what they had done. So they decided they would go to a nearby canyon at the first full moon—a great, deep canyon near their village, where no one else dared go. It was said that the Screaming Moon Monsters lived there and carried the skulls of the dead. Often the little boy and girl had heard their people say that if anyone could ever take one of these skulls from the monsters, he or she would be a great and honored warrior. But there was not a warrior among them, even among the adult dog soldiers, who was willing to go to the canyon and try to get a skull. So the little boy and girl knew that if they could do this, they would be forgiven for their error and would be honored and loved again.”

  He stopped to puff the pipe again, enjoying the looks on the children’s faces. Abbie thought about what a fine father he would make some day; for he loved children, and the loss of his son in Tennessee had left an emptiness in his heart that could not be filled. But Abbie would try her best to fill it. Already she was making headway; she was almost certain she was pregnant again, although she had not yet told Zeke.

  “And so,” Zeke continued, “on the next night when there was a full moon, the little boy and girl took weapons and ventured out into the night. They sang songs to Maheo as they walked to the canyon, praising the gods and asking for protection. The little boy had a medicine bag, filled with good-luck items his father had given him. He clung to it, and his sister clung to him, and together they reached the edge of the canyon. They looked down, and something white, with vacant holes for eyes, looked up at them. Then it moved—very fast!”

  He waved his hand and made Magpie and Wolf’s Paw jump with fright.

  “It came toward them, screaming ‘Aieee! Aieee! Send us the children!’ It swooped past them, blowing cold air on them, but it did not touch them. Behind it, it dragged an ugly skull, and the children were very afraid! But they could no longer face their people in shame, and so their fear was overcome by their desire to win back their honor.

  “And so they did not let the first monster frighten them away. They began descending into the canyon, holding hands and closing their eyes every time another Screaming Moon Monster brushed past them, screaming ‘Aieee! Aieee! Send us the children!’

  “They kept walking, holding their heads high to show the monsters they were brave. Skulls of the dead bounced past them, most of them very small—the skulls of children! But the boy and girl kept walking until, finally, they were at the bottom of the canyon, where Screaming Moon Monsters congregated and danced around them, screaming and laughing and dragging skulls! It was a horrible sight! The most horrible sight the children had ever witnessed! And they were certain that their own skulls would be the next to be tied to the tails of two of these monsters!”

  He stopped for a moment, leaning back and puffing his pipe, waiting as the adults and the children looked back and forth at each other and then turned to him, waiting for him to continue. He deliberately prolonged this pause until the listeners could take no more.

  “What happened? What happened?” Tall Grass Woman asked.

  Zeke kept a serious face as he finally continued. “Because of the brave hearts the little girl and boy displayed, the Screaming Moon Monsters were unable to cut off their heads. They tried and tried, slashing at their necks with swords and knives and hatchets, but the children’s necks were as stone, for their hearts were brave and Maheo protected them. It was the first time the Screaming Moon Monsters had ever come across a child or even an adult who was not afraid of them in the canyon during the full moon. It made their screaming weaker, and they danced around the children more and more slowly, until suddenly they had no more strength.

  “The little boy and girl pounced upon this opportunity to get a skull. The little boy took his hatchet and the little girl her knife, and each cut off a skull from a monster’s tail! Then they began to feel stronger and braver. The little boy puffed up his chest and threw back his shoulders and pointed skyward.

  “‘Go!’ he told the monsters. ‘Be gone with you! This is our land—our canyon! Tsis-tsis-tas! We belong here! We are the People!’

  “The monsters were so surprised by this bravery that they did not know what to do but obey, and with their last strength they began flying skyward, away from the little boy and little girl who frightened them by their bravery. The little boy and girl began to laugh at them, pointing to them and watching them fly away, and then the canyon was quiet. The Screaming Moon Monsters were gone!

  “By then much time had passed, and the sun began to rise. The little boy and girl started to climb back to the edge of the canyon, for they heard their mother and father calling for them. When they reached the top, they called out to the People and held up the skulls they had cut off from the tails of the Screaming Moon Monsters. The People came running, then stopped and gasped when they saw the skulls. The little boy and girl told their story, and the People believed them; for they had been missing all night, and now they stood at the edge of the canyon, holding the skulls.

  “And so, the little boy and girl were greatly honored. And when they grew older, they became leaders—even the little girl. She rode and fought with the male warriors, and she was as good as they. She and her brother carried with them the skulls they had taken from the monsters, and they were great medicine; for arrows and lances and knives bounced off them in battle and did not harm them. The People thought them to be the bravest of all warriors. But time took hold, and finally they grew old. Their bodies died and the life went from them, as happens to all old ones one day. They were laid out on scaffolds and raised up for burial, and many came from far and wide to see their bodies and pay tribute to them. The skulls were tied to the scaffolds, and their weapons were laid beside them. And then, the night after they died, there was a full moon!”

  He stopped again, and little Magpie gasped. She clung tightly to her brother’s hand, as both waited for the ending of the story.

  “The People continued to watch over the b
odies, even that night,” Zeke went on, “for they wanted to be sure no harm came to them. But just as the moon was high in the sky, the People witnessed a terrible thing! A frightening thing!” He leaned closer to the children again. “White spirits rose up out of their dead bodies and began screaming and laughing. They flew around the People, grabbing the skulls from the scaffolds and tying them to their tails! Then they flew off toward the moon! The People were so afraid, they fainted; and when they awoke, it was morning, and the bodies of the man and woman who had once been the brave boy and girl, had vanished! They were never found, and the People were certain they had gone to be with the Screaming Moon Monsters. And so the very thing they had bravely fought against had finally come to claim the children after all! Again the canyon was to be feared, for the monsters had returned and could be heard screaming there on the nights of the full moon. To this day, not one man or woman, old person or child, has ever been brave enough to go back to the canyon and rid it of the monsters. Until that very brave person steps forward, the Screaming Moon Monsters will always be with us!”

  Silence hung inside the tipi when he finished. Zeke leaned back and puffed his pipe, and the little children scooted back from the fire. Falling Rock finally broke into a grin and touched his brow to Zeke in a sign of respect. “We thank you for a good story,” he told Zeke. “It has been good to have you here with us this night.”

  “And I thank you for inviting us, Falling Rock,” Zeke replied. “It has been good to be here … good food … quiet children … a pleasant dwelling. Abbie and I always like coming here. The winter is long and cold. It is good to share stories and friendship.”

  “Ai.” Falling Rock nodded. “And is good to share woman, too, hey? You go now to your tipi and keep woman warm, and I do same.”

  Tall Grass Woman giggled, and Zeke chuckled and touched his brow. Abbie watched innocently, not realizing what had been said. “I’ll go along with that, Falling Rock,” Zeke was saying. He motioned to Abbie to leave, and she rose and nodded to Tall Grass Woman.

  “Ha ho,” she told her good friend.

  “Wagh,” Tall Grass Woman replied with a wide grin. She grasped Abbie by the shoulders and touched her cheek with her own cheek. “Momata.”

  Abbie and Zeke left, hurrying through the deep snows to their own tipi, where Abbie immediately began building up the fire that had begun to dwindle. “What does ‘Momata’ mean?” she asked Zeke.

  “Very blessed,” he replied.

  She smiled. “I am very blessed,” she answered. “I have you … and the People. I have everything I want.” The fire began to burn harder and she straightened to face him. “I even have life inside me again,” she went on quietly, unable to keep the secret any longer. “Again a son or daughter grows in my belly, put there by my husband. I am very blessed.”

  Zeke had been shaking snow from his moccasins when she said it. He suddenly stopped and looked at her when he realized what she was telling him.

  “Abbie!”

  She smiled. “I’m sure of it, Zeke. I only flowed once after you came back from Santa Fe. I haven’t flowed since. That would make me at least three months along.”

  His eyes glowed with love, and he walked over to her and opened her robe, studying the small girl beneath it. “Abbie, I—Maybe it’s too soon. I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen again.”

  “It won’t,” she replied confidently. “This will be a good one, Zeke! And there is no Dancing Moon here to spoil it!”

  Their eyes held in shared joy, and he pulled her into his arms, determined not to show her his fear. There was no sense in making her worry, too. She was happy. But he remembered the awful, helpless feeling he’d had when she miscarried … and she was still so young. But perhaps this time it would be all right, for she had not even been ill, and she was healthier now. She had color in her cheeks and was not so pitifully thin.

  “We’ll make this a good one, Abbie girl,” he told her. “I don’t want you doing any hard work, understand? No more lifting wood and carrying heavy bundles of skins and such. You’ll get plenty of rest and always be warm. I’ll see to it.” He hugged her tightly, his heart pounding at the thought of finally having another child. It would not matter if it was a girl or a boy, and yet … a son would be good. A son to replace the one he had lost.

  He released her and they smiled and kissed lightly. Then he helped her build the fire up even more, and the tipi began to warm, although just as with Tall Grass Woman’s tipi, a comfortable warmth would not be reached on this bitter night. Zeke led her to their bed, which was built high on grass and leaves that were covered with the softest buffalo robe they owned. Zeke had purchased several woolen blankets for her at Bent’s Fort before winter set in, and they were layered between a cover of buffalo robes, so that when they slept the wool would not scratch them. They removed their moccasins and crawled in between the robes, and Zeke pulled her close.

  “Tomorrow when midday makes it a little warmer, I’ll help you bathe,” he told her. “And I’ll put that cream on you that we bought at the fort. I want you to stay soft and pretty, Abbie girl. I won’t let the prairie sun age you. And next summer we’ll have that cabin. I’ll make things good for you and the baby, you’ll see.”

  “I know you will. You don’t need to tell me those things.”

  He kissed her again, this time harder, and his hand moved down to the hem of her tunic, then beneath it. He caressed her slender thighs and her small, round bottom.

  “Zeke, it’s too cold to undress,” she whispered.

  “Then don’t,” he replied. “We’ll just pull up your tunic.”

  She laughed lightly as he pushed at the tunic, and she felt a wonderful, tingling sensation in her blood when she knew he was removing his own leggings and loincloth.

  “Come here, Abbie girl,” he told her, moving on top of her. “I’ll warm you, Kseé.”

  Late the next day the sky darkened with an oncoming winter storm, but the howling of the wind was dimmed by sounds of great commotion in the village. Cries of death, anger, and sorrow combined with shouts of vengeance.

  “Zeke, what is it?” Abbie asked, her heart pounding. He was already pulling on his moccasins.

  “Stay here,” he told her, throwing on his buffalo robe against the cruel cold outside. “I’ll be right back.” He quickly left, and Abbie hurried to the tipi entrance to look out. The warriors had gathered at the center of the village, shaking their fists and shouting angrily, and at first Abbie thought that perhaps an enemy was nearby. Already some of the men were bringing horses, as others approached carrying war lances and weapons. She recognized the word Mexicans, and she noticed that eight Cheyenne men who had been to Bent’s Fort to trade for supplies were in the middle of the confusion, shouting and waving their arms. Zeke was there now also, trying to reason with the men, but already many of them were mounting up, including Zeke’s brothers.

  After several minutes, Zeke hurried back to his tipi. “Get my rifle!” he told Abbie, reaching over and slinging a quiver of arrows over his shoulder. He picked up his leather weapons belt and cinched it around the outside of his buffalo robe. Abbie retrieved his rifle and turned to face him with fear in her eyes, shivering not just from the cold but from fear. She pulled her own robe more tightly around herself.

  “What’s happening? Where are you going?” she asked.

  “Just to Bent’s Fort, that’s all. It’s all right, Abbie.”

  “But… why?”

  “The men who just came from there tell us Charles Bent was murdered by Mexicans, at San Fernando de Taos. All the Bent brothers are good friends to the Cheyenne. My brothers and the others are angry. They intend to ride to Bent’s Fort and offer their services to William Bent. They’re hellbent on riding south and scalping every Mexican they can find!”

  Her eyes widened. “You … you wouldn’t go with them!” It was more of a statement than a question.

  He walked over to her and bent down to kiss her cheek. “I won’t go
with them, not to Taos anyway. I’m trying to convince them to stay out of it. They don’t need to go getting mixed up in the Mexican War. I just want to ride to the fort with them and try to keep them out of trouble.” He took the rifle from her hands, and their eyes held for a moment. He kissed her once more, as a few horses thundered past the tipi. “Don’t worry, Abbie. I’ll be back in just a couple of days. Keep the fire burning and the robes warm.” He gave her a wink and quickly left. She walked to the entrance of the tipi again. More warriors were riding out, and in moments Zeke had his Appaloosa ready to ride. He mounted up with a natural ease to ride off into the darkening sky, snow flying from beneath his horse’s hooves.

  Abbie’s heart felt tight and painful. She walked back to the fire and huddled next to it. She knew then that she would spend the rest of her life worrying every time Cheyenne Zeke rode away, for in this savage land, danger lurked around every boulder and in every shadow and behind every tree.

  “Keep him safe, Maheo,” she whispered.

  Bent’s Fort swarmed with angry Indians, all arguing about what should be done. William Bent was the center of attention; he was surrounded by several other trappers and traders, all arguing with one another and with the Cheyenne. Zeke watched his brothers carefully. He was not extremely fond of William Bent, because unlike George and Charles Bent, William had sold whiskey to the Indians. Zeke had seen him sell it to Red Eagle, even though the man knew Red Eagle had a drinking problem. Still, the Bent brothers were basically honest traders who had been good to the Cheyenne and counted most of them as friends, and William Bent had a Cheyenne wife and two half-breed sons. All three brothers had worked together to try to thwart illegal whiskey traders who were unlicensed and who sold worthless, watered-down whiskey to the Indians for valuable skins.

  Illegal whiskey running had become rampant along the Arkansas. A four-dollar barrel of heavily diluted whiskey, sold at the rate of one to four pints of whiskey in return for one buffalo robe, could bring a cheating whiskey trader up to eight thousand dollars in St. Louis for the robes. The profits to be made from the unwitting Indians were tremendous, and Zeke had tried to explain this to his brothers. But they did not think in terms of American dollars. Money meant little to them. If they could get whiskey and supplies for the robes, if they could keep themselves and their families from starving, or keep them warm, or buy their wives and lovers pretty trinkets or needed cooking pots with a buffalo robe, then to them it was a fair trade, even though the trader would reap tremendous profits in St. Louis for the robes.