by Karen Kay
He said, “This one?”
“Yes,” she said, “but put it back. Holding it can bring on the worst of luck.”
“It will bring me no bad luck, now that I know I have it.” He tried to stand to his feet, but no sooner had he put weight upon his feet, than he fell over. Rocks scattered everywhere.
“Lone Arrow?” She practically screamed his name.
“I am here.”
Carolyn breathed out heavily.
He said, “I think that I have broken my foot. You are going to have to go and get a rope and pull me up.”
“A rope? Where will I find a rope? There is none on your pony or mine. And I am afraid that we are alone, completely alone.”
“Then you are going to have to retrace your steps and find Pretty Moon and Big Elk. They will know what to do.”
Carolyn cried. “I don’t want to leave you.”
“You must. And you must go as quickly as you can.”
Why? she wondered. Why did they have to be here alone? She was no master trail woman. She could barely find her way on a well-traveled path, let alone within the wilderness. A wilderness filled with bears, wolves and mountain lions.
She said, more to herself, “I am no trailblazer.”
“You do not have to be,” said Lone Arrow. “Call upon your helper, the whirlwind. It will come to you, and it will lead you to a place where there is help.”
“But—”
“Do not fear. Be strong of heart, for it will come to you. Follow it,” he urged again. “And hurry.”
“Yes,” said Carolyn. “Do you have weapons so that you can defend yourself?”
“I have my bow and arrows, and my knife. My shotgun is gone. These are enough. Now go!”
Getting to her feet as quickly, yet as carefully as possible, Carolyn edged her way back toward solid ground.
As Lone Arrow had predicted, her helper, the whirlwind, came to her. Urging her to follow, it led her through the high mountain forest. Strangely, while watching the thing, there were moments when Carolyn caught an odd glimpse of it. And in those moments, she could have sworn that she espied a big, black bear.
But, at these times, she would rub her eyes, and the image would quickly fade.
Carolyn rode A-la-pee instead of her own mount. A- la-pee, it seemed, was aware of the danger to her master, and she, too, hurried to help him.
Besides, Lone Arrow had often boasted as to the intelligence of the animal. And Carolyn needed all the assistance she could get.
Meanwhile, they followed the trail of the whirlwind.
Never again, she thought, would she doubt that there was a being who lived in and protected this mountain. Never again would she fear a spirit, for without this one to guide her, she would be lost.
It was early evening when she spotted the fire. Sighing with relief, and dismounting, she approached the camp steadily, not bothering to hide her advance. If what she knew about Big Elk were true, he probably already sensed her presence.
Anticipation at the pleasure of seeing Pretty Moon had Carolyn stumbling, when she should have been watching where she was going.
“Who goes there?”
The words had been in English.
Startled, Carolyn paused. And in her confusion, a shot rang out in front of her, barely missing her.
“Don’t shoot,” she shouted, placing her hands over her ears. “I’m unarmed.”
“A woman? Here?” The words had been said by another voice—those words in English, too.
Where had the whirlwind led her?
“Please don’t shoot,” she said, “I need your help.” And with this said, she stepped into the camp of two men whose appearance brought to mind that of two mangy grizzlies. With fur coats, beards and long hair, they looked more animal than human.
“Ah wouldna belief it iffn I hadn’t seen it with me own eyes. Looky, Dixon, it’s a woman.”
“Ah can see that fer myself. What’s ja doin’ here in these parts, ma’am?”
Carolyn paused to catch her breath. “My…my husband and I have been traveling in these mountains,” she said, “and he has slipped and fallen onto a ledge. I need a rope so I can pull him up. Do you have one?”
“We have a rope, little lady, but yer goin’ to be needin’ our help.”
Carolyn gave the men a weak sort of smile. “I’d be beholden to you if you would help me. Please,” she said, “there’s not much time left before nightfall.”
“Now, see here, ma’am,” said the big, darker one of the two men. “We’ve been trackin’ from one holler to tother and we’re plumb tuckered out. Sit yerself down a spell and have some supper. We’ll git to it soon enough—tomorrow.”
Carolyn sighed. Why, oh why had the guardian spirit led her here. If it had been Big Elk and Pretty Moon, they would already be on their way.
She said, “You don’t understand. The situation is desperate, and we need to leave now. Please, if you would just lend me your rope, I’ll be on my way.”
“Dixon,” said the smaller of the two gents, “why don’t we help the little lady?”
“Because ah’m tired, that’s why.”
“Do you have a rope that I might borrow?” Carolyn asked.
“Borrow?” asked the big, dark man. “Borrow? More’n likely steal it. Naw, ah ain’t given yourn no rope.”
Well, there was nothing else to do. Clearing her throat, Carolyn said, “I have a gold cross I could give you if you will come with me yet this night.”
“A gold what?”
The bigger of the two men was already on his feet.
“A gold cross.”
He said, “Let’s see it.”
“I don’t have it here. It is upon my husband’s person. But I promise that as soon as he is rescued, we can give it to you.”
The big man rubbed his chin. “Now, how big would ya say this cross is?”
Carolyn held up her fingers, exaggerating the cross’s height by perhaps an inch or two…maybe three.
“That big is it? And how fer away is it that he fell?”
“No more than a few hours.” Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, Carolyn anxiously awaited their answer.
However, even she was not ready when, without warning, the big man jumped to his feet and shuffled dirt into their fire.
“Now, why didn’t ja say so in the first place? But I’ll be warnin’ ya. Iffn thar ain’t no cross, we’ll be obliged to have ta kill ya.”
Carolyn did not answer. There was no point. She merely nodded.
Turning around, she quickly jumped onto A-la-pee, and away they went, back the same way she had come.
“Is that Injun thar yourn’s husband, ma’am?” asked the tall man, waving a torch down the steep incline.
“He is,” replied Carolyn, “and he has the cross upon him.”
“Injun,” called out the skinnier, shorter of the two men. “We’re a goin’ ta need ta see that cross afore we git ja up here all nice like. Yourn had best throw it up here.”
“Are ya loony?” the bigger man asked, taking a swat at the shorter one. “What if he misses?”
“Wait!” said Carolyn. “Why not have him show you the cross? That way you’ll at least be able to see that I’m telling you the truth.”
“Good idee there, ma’am. Did ja hear that, Injun?” However, Lone Arrow was not being very cooperative. Crossing his arms over his chest, he asked, “Why should I?”
It was Carolyn who answered, Carolyn who said, “Because I have promised these men that they may have it, if they will only help you up.”
“And have they eyes with which to see it in the dark?” came Lone Arrow’s cocky reply.
“Now don’t go being smart, Injun. Jest hold it up.”
With great ceremony, Lone Arrow complied.
As the two men once more swung the torch down the cliff’s incline, Carolyn watched their eyes alight with greed.
Barely daring to breathe, she said, “It is solid gold, and very old.�
��
“Jest what we need,” said the bigger man, the one who more closely resembled a bear.
But Lone Arrow practically ruined the rescue when he called up to them, “This cross, though it is well made, and as my wife has said, is solid gold, is cursed. You should know this.”
The bigger man laughed. “Oh, ah’m so afraid. Does ya belief in curses, Jordie?”
“Naw,” said the skinnier fellow, though he appeared slightly anxious. “Does you?”
The bigger man did not answer. Instead, he said, “Ah think it’s time we hauled this Injun up here with us folks. We’ll do it real easy like.”
No sooner had the words been spoken, than he produced a rope. One end was tied to his horse’s saddle, the other was thrown down to Lone Arrow.
“Grab hold, Injun, and we’ll bear ya up.”
But the big, reddish horse would not move, and no amount of cursing at the animal did any good.
Finally, Carolyn could stand it no longer, and she said, grabbing the reins out of the shorter man’s hands, “Here, A-la-pee.” She placed the reins within A-la-pee’s teeth. “You know what to do, don’t you, girl? You need to lead this other horse. He’s pulling Lone Arrow up from that ledge down there. You can do that, can’t you, girl?”
A-la-pee whinnied, bobbing her head up and down. And she did exactly as she had been bade.
The sorrel followed her without question, and Carolyn held her breath as steadily, inch by very slow inch, Lone Arrow was hauled up toward them. Finally, he was close enough that the two men were able to pull him up onto the ledge.
First she could see his head, then his torso, then his legs. Finally, gaining purchase on the ledge himself, he rolled to safety. Meanwhile Carolyn, bending down, threw her arms around him.
But Lone Arrow had other things on his mind, and sitting up, he held the cross out to the two white men, saying, “Here is the cross that you were promised. Know, that if you take it, you will be cursed, for that which belongs to the mountain god must remain with the mountain god.”
The big, dark man yanked the cross out of Lone Arrow’s hands. “We ain’t superstitious, Injun.”
“Naw,” said the skinnier gentleman. “Thank ya, ma’am, but we’ll be goin’ on our way now.”
“But it’s dark and—”
“Ah don’t know if we’ll be goin’ right away, Jordan,” said the darker of the two men. “Ah’ve an idee tha’ this here woman’d make a fine widder.”
“Naw, Dixon,” said the smaller gent. “We’s helped the lady, let’s git.”
“He’s only an Injun. Wouldna make a difference iffn we was ta take a little more. Besides, it’d be easy. He’s plumb broke his foot.”
Carolyn gasped. Had Lone Arrow retained his weapons? Were they in a position where he could use them?
But she needn’t have worried.
With a grin, Lone Arrow said, “I think this here Injun might have a thing or two to say about it.” And with a whistle, A-la-pee came running toward him.
“A-wa-ssaa-hii!” he called, whereupon A-la-pee began to rear. Up and down, twice. One of the men fell to the ground beneath her.
“No!” cried the man.
“Call her off! We’ll leave!”
Another whistle from Lone Arrow, and A-la-pee stood still.
That, however, was all the two men appeared to need. Without another word, or so much as a backward glance, they stumbled toward firmer ground, running away so quickly, they might have resembled two scared jackrabbits.
Lone Arrow laughed, and coming up onto his knees, he brought A-la-pee’s head down to him. “Good girl,” he said, as he breathed into her nose. “Good girl.”
But Carolyn was not quite so demure and she stared after the men until they were no more than mere specks. After a moment, she said, “Thank goodness they’ve gone. Let’s get off this ledge and make camp. Then I had better see to your injury.”
“Éeh,” said Lone Arrow, “we will, but before we do that, there is something that you should see.”
“Oh?” she asked. “What is that?”
Digging into his quiver, Lone Arrow produced a handful of gold coins.
“Wh-what? Where did you get these?”
Lone Arrow grinned at her. “On the rocks below us. There was a sign there like this.” Picking up a stick, he scratched into the dirt. “I became curious and began digging, and I found the white man’s gold. There is more there, but I thought this might be enough for you.”
“For me?” she asked. “You mean for my family?”
He nodded. “Did you not say that they need the white man’s riches?”
Flipping one coin after another through her palm, she said, “I think this will be more than enough. But is it safe? Is it cursed?”
“It is not part of the treasure from the sacred cave,” he said. “I have no knowledge where this came from, only that, while you were gone, it was shown to me by the god who lives in the mountain.”
“Then I could keep it?”
“I think there is no one else who could find better use for it.”
While Carolyn laughed. “My goodness,” she said. “Who would have thought that I could have good luck? You know what? I think the miners are right. This Montana Territory certainly is a ‘treasure state.’ In more ways than one.”
And sitting precariously upon the mountain’s rocky projection, the two lovers embraced.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Carolyn relaxed down into the sudsy warmth of the perfumed bath, lost in thought.
She smiled. Alas, she had many things to smile about.
Things had gone well for her in Virginia City. Not only had the gold paid her parents’ debt, there had been enough left over so that her mother and father could make a fresh start. But best of all, her father had miraculously healed while she had been gone. He still limped, but he could certainly walk.
The only problem had been that Lone Arrow had not accompanied her back there. Instead, he had escorted her to Fort Ellis, telling her that when the time was good, she would return to him.
He had given her a horse, saying, “It is for your parents.”
“But,” she countered, “I already have the gold.”
“A white man’s gift,” he said. “This pony is a red man’s gift. It is said by our wise men, that when a man gives a horse for a woman, that marriage has great promise. I think it could be true.”
Carolyn had smiled, and had accepted the offering.
Even her parents had been joyous with the endowment, and although they had at first been upset with her decision to return to Fort Ellis, they had eventually yielded to her. It had been Carolyn’s own happiness that had been the deciding factor.
“But you must come and visit from time to time,” her mother had coaxed.
“Of course I will,” Carolyn had told her in return. “I will even bring Lone Arrow, if he will come.”
“You do that,” her mother had said.
“It’s not good-bye,” said Carolyn. “I promise you that.”
And embracing, both mother and daughter had cried.
But Carolyn’s tears were those of joy. How could she feel anything else but happiness? For within only a few days she had returned to Fort Ellis, here to await her husband. And it was here that she would remain. She and Lone Arrow would make their lives beneath the shadow and within the protection of the Bighorn Mountains.
After all, the sacred treasure cave was now as much her responsibility as it was Lone Arrow’s. An obligation she would cherish so long as she existed.
She raised up an arm, to wash it, and as she did so, a breeze stirred the hairs on her delicate skin.
At last, she thought, and inwardly she smiled. Outwardly, however, Carolyn pretended that she hadn’t felt so much as a stirring of a single hair.
Indeed, she proceeded with her bath, humming. First she washed one arm, then the other. One leg raised, then the other.
And it was not long before she heard the words, �
��I think that my wife teases me.”
Grinning, Carolyn swung her head around until she was able to cast her gaze upon Lone Arrow. She sighed contentedly. Never, had she seen a more wonderful sight. And the only thing she could think to say was, “What took you so long to get here?”
She heard his chuckle, watched as he approached her, watched as he knelt next to her.
“I had things to attend to.”
“Did you?” she asked.
“I did,” he replied. “First I had to check the infirmary to see if there were any soldiers who had fallen or had some mishap while helping you.”
“And were there?”
“There were none,” he stated. “Nor have there been reports of unusual accidents.”
She grinned. “Not a one.”
He sighed. “Then it is my belief that you are no longer cursed.”
“I know,” she said, with a slight giggle, while he raised a finger to her cheek, there to caress it gently.
She closed her eyes and moaned.
And then, without a word passing between them, she felt him place something around her neck.
Gazing down, she saw her necklace.
“Lone Arrow!”
“It is another present. Your friend did not at first understand why I needed to purchase it from her. But when I told her that this should remain with us because it is the emblem of the first vow between us, she gave it to me gladly.”
“Oh, Lone Arrow. I—I—”
“There is more,” he said. Bending, he extracted something from a parfleche bag, and standing up, held a dress out for her inspection. It was a very beautiful dress, too. He said, “It is an elk-tooth dress. It is a special kind of garment, and highly prized amongst my people. When one’s family gives a bride this gift, it is their way of saying that she is welcome to their family and to their clan. They would have you know that they are happy for me, for you, and that you are now a part of us. They welcome you.”
“Oh, Lone Arrow. It…it’s perfect. I…thank you. Please you will tell them thank you for me.”
Coming down onto his knees beside the tub, he said, “Soon we will be at my home, and you can tell them yourself.”
Carolyn grinned. “Yes, I will. Now, come, help me out of here,” she said.