“Do you know how many?”
“There are three of them. One is in the nursery and the other two went upstairs. They have already found the whisky and are looking for guns.”
“Do you understand them?”
“Yes.”
“How did you know to hide?”
“Conrad told me to bring the girls down and bar the door from inside.”
James decided not to expose their hiding place so he told her to bar the door to the storeroom once he left. He handed her his handgun and holster and told her to shoot to kill. He went back out into the storeroom and she barred the door. James worked north along the narrow stone passageway and came out in the trees near the river. He watched as one of the dog soldiers came out with a bottle of whisky and took a very deep swallow as it spilled over his lips and down his chest. He walked down the steps and toward the river where he proceeded to piss in the river as James came up behind him and slit his throat pushing his body into the river that instantly began carrying his body east with the fast current.
The other two came out carrying sacks of food and drinking another bottle of whisky. They called out for their friend and when they received no reply they stepped down off the porch and walked toward the river. James put his rifle across his arm as he laid on his stomach when a branch broke behind him and he rolled firing at the same time as the brave fell on top of him. The other two immediately fell to a squatting position and trained their rifles on his position. James pushed the dead Indian off into the bushes and they both fired hitting their friend as he fell against a tree. James rolled to his side and took out both but not before a shot grazed his arm. He tore off the bottom of his shirt and tied it over his arm before he crouched.
Dominic sent David to the rear of their position because the Cheyenne loved to come in from different directions and the Senators would be easy prey since they were half in the bag, out of shape and probably scared out of their wits. David came back after a few minutes and said there were three coming in from the southwest which meant they were trying to pin them down so they could pick them off slowly. Dominic knew as soon as they were in place the dog soldiers in the east would attack trying to keep their attention.
“I need three of you to take up behind that stand of trees.”
“You never told us there were Indians.”
“Senator, I believe you are on the committee of Indian Affairs are you not?”
“Yes, but I’ve never shot one.”
“Well, it’s a lot like shooting turkeys except you have to keep cover because they shoot back.”
The three Senators took up positions behind the trees. Fortunately, one was a war veteran but the other two were businessmen who would at least be a distraction. He positioned the other two men facing the trees as they waited.
Garnett climbed up a tree and when the small band of dog soldiers quietly moved under his position he dropped down on the last one slicing his throat from ear to ear before he rolled to the side as the other three turned at the gurgling sound. They immediately crouched and took in the area looking for signs and knowing that someone was very close by. One stayed behind waiting to surprise the white man when Meeks buried his knife deep in his back as his hand muffled any sound out of the Indian as he fell over dead. Meeks motioned to Garnett who worked along the southern part of the trees. Meeks stopped as he heard the twig snap then it was dead quiet. The Indian came out of the underbrush with a war yell that dropped into the air as Garnett shot him between the eyes. They both disappeared into the underbrush knowing that the last one would try to find Mirisa and the children to use as shields. Mirisa handed her rifle to Jonathan and removed her pistol as Maggie held on to her. The Indian appeared next to the horses working quietly as he searched for Mirisa. She cocked back her pistol and he turned to the sound pointing his rifle at her when Matthew shot him in the heart.
The dog soldier stood with his hand over his chest as blood ran between his fingers mingling with the white paint and Jonathan met his eyes with the strength of a seasoned warrior and as his knees buckled Jonathan told him in Cheyenne to tell his ancestors that he died at the hands of mighty Choctaw warriors. Jonathan let out the most blood curdling war cry that Mirisa had ever heard. It echoed across the field with such intensity that everyone turned to the sound.
Conrad leaned up against the tree and nodded at their bravery. Mirisa looked at him and Conrad told her keep her warriors in the trees.
Garnett reached them to find the dog soldier splayed in the dirt between the horses. He kicked away his rifle and turned him over noting the shot through his heart. The blood had soaked into the ground and was matting around his hair. Garnett closed his eyelids and turned to the boys.
“Good shot.” Garnett looked at Mirisa. “Stay there until your husband returns.” She nodded and leaned back against the tree trying to readjust her position without falling out.
“Garnett?” He looked up at her. “Are the girls in danger?” The look that crossed his eyes for just a moment scared her to death. Garnett disappeared and after a few minutes he came back into the clearing with Meeks who reached up as Mirisa handed down Maggie. He helped her down as both boys handed down the rifles before they swung down on their own landing in a crouching position. Jonathan walked up to the dead dog soldier and put his finger in the blood looking at it curiously.
“Jonathan.”
Jonathan turned to Meeks and reached over removing a beaded neckpiece talking to the dead dog soldier before putting it in his pocket and pulling himself up onto his horse. “I want his pony.”
Meeks looked at him and wondered exactly where this strange little man came from because he seemed to be picked right out of a war party. “Jonathan, we’ll find the pony later. Right now we need to get your mother and sister to a safe place.”
“We’re heading due west and north but we have to ride hard.” They all mounted as Garnett handed Maggie up to her father. They turned west and headed to the road before heading north. When they reached the crossroad, Meeks put Maggie on Mirisa’s horse and told her to head to Denver and notify the authorities. She bent over kissing him before turning her horse toward Denver as the boys kept pace with her without an effort.
Garnett and Meeks dismounted west of the house and worked their way down the ledge toward the northern end of the house. They could see the two bodies near the river so they slipped over the railing of the second floor and entered through the bedroom. They both put their rifles down and pulled their handguns as Meeks slowly opened the door with his boot listening for any movement. They checked each room and when they reached the split Garnett went up to the music room which was empty then they headed slowly down to the great room before checking the rest of the house. Meeks tried the door to the cellar but it was barred from the inside so he worked his way across the room to the nursery.
The house was empty but a few of the rooms were trashed so he knew that they had been in the house. Garnett checked the wardrobes and under the beds.
“I think they are in the wine cellar.” They locked all the French doors as James came back through the front door. “Did you find any more?”
“I found two dead near the stable and your stable man has been fatally wounded with an arrow to his chest. The ones here are Arapaho. I have only found six painted ponies but that doesn’t mean there aren’t more in the area.”
“The children?”
“They are in the cellar with Jasmine.” He walked over and called down to Jasmine. She came up cradling Lizzie and opened the door. James took Lizzie as she went back down and brought up Sarah who started crying when she saw her father. “Where is Mirisa?”
“We sent her and the children to town to notify the authorities.”
“I’m going to head back to where I left Dominic unless you need me here.”
“No, I’ll secure the house.” They both nodded and retrieved their horses heading east circling around Dominic’s house before heading in behind the small band of dog
soldiers standing in the shadows of the trees discussing strategy. They both waited as three of the Indians mounted and with a great cry headed into the clearing between their position and Dominic’s trying to draw their attention. While the other two dog soldiers were watching, Garnett threw his knife taking out the closest Indian who fell forward causing second one to swing around as James shot him. The group of dog soldiers immediately pulled up as Dominic stood and everyone started firing causing them to panic as one more fell. The last two dog soldiers turned south and fled as the bugle sounded in the distance and a small troop of soldiers came from the east trying to cut them off.
Dominic told Garnett he was going to get the men back to the house and would return with a wagon so that they could move the bodies down to the foothills of the de Cristo Mountains. The Senators who had brought their own cameraman to document their hunts began staging photos standing near the dead Indians and so the embellishment of the fierceness of the attack and the bravery of their repelling them was growing before they mounted their horses. It would make great stories long into their old age. James shook his head as he watched as they took souvenirs thankful that no one wanted to desecrate the dead.
Dominic returned with two men driving the buckboard and they began loading the bodies. They rounded up the horses and before they headed south, Garnett walked over and untied one of the ponies.
Dominic walked up. “Why are you keeping one?”
“Your son claimed him.”
“Matthew?”
“No. Matthew actually shot and killed a dog soldier but Jonathan claimed his horse and I think his spirit.”
Dominic shook his head in disbelief but he knew that Jonathan would not only leave to live with the Choctaw but he would never accept any other life despite the fact that the Indian Nations were slowly being forced to relocate and give up their ways. Mirisa was right when she said he would follow his own path in life.
“Where are the children?”
James lit his cigar and leaned over his horse. “They sent Mirisa into Denver and I found Jasmine and the babies in the wine cellar.”
“Did you run into trouble?”
“Nothing I couldn’t handle but they did make a mess in the house and drank a few bottles of the good whisky.”
“Any casualties?”
“Meeks lost his stableman and I think the Army said they found two more dead just east of the road. They are sending out more patrols afraid that this band of Southern Cheyenne will retreat further into the hills.”
They watched as the Army escorted the wagon south before James and Garnett headed west to Denver to get Mirisa and the children.
They dressed the turkeys and put them in the smokehouse until they were ready to cook them for Thanksgiving. The day had a chill to it but so far there was no sign of snow other than in the high peaks of the Rockies.
Garnett went into the nursery and picked up Lizzie before sitting down on the floor with the girls as they played with their dolls. They both had sweet little voices and would interact with him as though he was the same age. When Mirisa came in to check on them, Garnett was sound asleep on the big bed with Lizzie curled up in his arms. She quietly put Maggie and Sara down for a nap and put a blanket over Garnett but left him sleeping.
“The girls down for their nap?”
“They are and they took Garnett with them.”
James just smiled. “I think he’s still a little on edge.”
Mirisa pulled out her herbs and rewrapped James arm which had a nice scab forming over the wound. James pulled her in his arms as she thanked him for saving the girls.
Mirisa decided she needed to spend some time alone so she headed up to the music room and played for a while. She poured a glass of wine and stood at the doors looking at the clouds as they continued to move down the mountainside. She knew by now that the elk and mountain goats would have thick wooly layer of down around their bodies, the bears would be settling in for the winter and the sound of the eagles would echo through the valleys.
“You have been a little too quiet today.”
Mirisa turned to her husband and thought it would be nice to be alone with no responsibility, no children and no worries. He walked across the room and picked up the whisky and put it on the table before he turned the couch around so it was facing out the doors toward the mountains. Meeks took her hand and pulled her down onto the couch curling up with her as they watched the day slowly start to slip behind the clouds. He talked to her about everything and nothing in particular.
“James sent me up to find you.” Garnett sat on the arm of the couch and asked them what they were watching.
“We’re watching the world go by.”
“I miss the warmth of the lodge and the smell of good cooking. I think I’ll spend the night unless you have something planned. Actually if you do have something planned, I am definitely spending the night.” Garnett walked over to the piano and started playing a soft melody as Mirisa remained curled up with her husband. James finally came in to find out why no one came down for dinner.
“James.”
“Yes, Mirisa.”
“Thank you for just everything.”
“You’re welcome but I think it’s time your husband takes the rules off of you.”
“There are no rules.”
“Tell your husband that because there are definitely new rules.”
Mirisa looked at Meeks who kissed her and told her that they were late for dinner.
Mirisa was standing on the edge of the ledge looking out over a valley that was covered in snow. She didn't feel the cold but she knew that it was all around her. She raised her hands and put her head back. The drums seemed to come from an echo and slowly they started to increase. Mirisa loved the sound of the drums as they enveloped her very soul with reassurances of peace and protection. Mirisa didn't hear him as he approached but she knew before she opened her eyes that he would be there. The mountain lion was crouched down low on the boulder watching her. He was so beautiful, his coat was full and thick in a dark caramel color that came with winter and his eyes were alive. He crept forward on the rock until they were so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath as he growled low while his lips curled back.
Mirisa closed her eyes and the drums continued to roll. When she opened them the mountain lion was gone and she was lying in the bed with her children around her. The dreams or visions were always stronger when Jonathan was sleeping near her but tonight she knew that it was somehow important.
Mirisa left the children in the big bed and made sure the doors were locked before she went to bed. Meeks didn't wake her when he came in but he found the room colder than the rest of the house. Meeks put more wood in the fire and curled up with her. Instantly upon his touch she turned into him and wrapped herself in his embrace. He pulled the heavy blanket up over them and fell asleep.
When Mirisa came down to start breakfast, they were all talking around the bar and stopped as she walked into the kitchen.
"You have to either learn how to change the subject smoothly or just tell me rather than trying to hide whatever it is you don't want me to know." She poured a cup of coffee and climbed up on the barstool next to her husband.
"We found mountain lion prints outside the lodge this morning and the snow was knocked off the railing on the porch to the back bedroom." They all watched for a reaction.
Mirisa thought about her dream. She looked at her husband but still didn’t respond. Meeks asked her if she had seen it and she said only in her dreams. She didn't say anything else but maybe she needed to talk to someone who could answer her questions. She leaned over and kissed her husband good morning.
"Are you going to go look for him again?"
"You don't think we'll find him do you? He left tracks this time which will make it very easy to find and kill him. I don’t know if it is the same one that keeps coming around but probably. What I don’t understand is how he could get so close without Dog alerting someone e
specially in the middle of the night."
She watched them as they put on their hand guns and took the rifles and ammunition out of the gun cabinet. Meeks kissed her before they left and told her to stay out of the wine cellar.
“Make sure you come home before the storm comes down from the mountain.”
“I think the weather will hold out.”
She smiled and touched his lips with her fingertips. “I’ll put on a large pot of beef stew because you will need it.”
She sat the children down in front of the fire and fed them a hot lunch as Jonathan told the stories of the great mountain lion that saved the mother of the people. The winter that year had been a bitter winter stranding part of the tribe into the frozen mountains. The mother was climbing the mountains seeking her children and calling into the winter wind as her words froze falling like ice sticks leaving behind unanswered prayers. The mother travelled until her feet could move no longer as the mountain lion appeared. He slowly circled the mother and finally sunk his teeth into her deerskin coat pulling her along the ledge until they reached his den. There he kept her warm until the mountain awoke and the snow fled the land. Jonathan talked half in English and half in Choctaw but did it so frequently that even Sara was picking up the language or at least understanding it. The story was nothing like her dream but he frequently told stories that seemed to come from the years before men were part of their life. Mirisa never asked questions but listened as the children talked about the stories like they did the books she read them.
Matthew looked up at his mother and reached out as she looked up at him.
“What’s the matter Matthew?”
“I’m having dreams that you get lost in the clouds above the mountain and I can’t find you.”
“You must always stop and ponder your dreams for they hold meaning.”
“What do they mean?”
“It might be your delayed fear of me being in danger or that you don’t know if I could save you in time should you be in danger. You have several times found me in times of need so have faith that you will always be able to find me if you clear your thoughts.”
The Visitor - New York 1871-1873 Page 25