Elliot frowned. “Wouldn’t put you in danger?”
“No. He wouldn’t.” Tears were forming and she couldn’t stop them. “Please don’t let them fire at them. Please.”
“Wait here,” Elliot said as he stepped off the wooden walkway. “Captain Walcott! Tell your men to hold their fire!”
The captain was but a few steps away and spun around. “This is army business, Mr. Chadwick, and I am in charge.”
“And I can see that you are never in charge of an army post again, and I will if a single shot is fired. Now tell your men to stand down.”
“We are under attack here, Mr. Chadwick, and I—”
“Tell your men to stand down,” Elliot interrupted. “Those Indians are merely coming to trade. This is, after all, a trading post.”
“Trading Indians don’t approach on galloping horses,” the captain shouted. “If you don’t believe me, see for yourself.”
Lorna hoisted her skirts and ran for the large wall. Uncle Elliot arrived beside her, both of them looking out narrow slits that had been cut in the high wall. The cloud of dust said the horses were indeed running, but she still couldn’t believe Black Horse would attack the barracks. Holding that thought, she saw beyond the initial impression.
“Look,” she instructed. “There are only a few horses. If they were attacking, there would be many warriors. Many from Black Horse’s band and other bands. There are not.”
“I see that, dear,” Elliot said, “but they do appear to be on a mission.”
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she had to agree, “It does appear that way.”
Elliot spun around to where Captain Walcott stood shouting orders for men to mount up and the gates to be opened.
“Give me a horse,” her uncle demanded.
“I can’t do that,” the captain answered. “You don’t even know how to speak their language.”
Elliot might not, but Lorna did, and before anyone could stop her, she snatched the reins from a man leading a horse toward the captain. Shouts echoed behind her, but she paid them no heed as she flung herself upon the animal and kicked it hard. The horse leaped forward and she lowered her head, somehow thinking that would assist in getting through the opening before the men pulling the heavy gates open could push them shut.
There was a thundering of hooves behind her and shouts, but she kept urging the horse to go faster, through the gate and across the prairie toward Black Horse. When she finally lifted her head enough to glance behind her, and then in front, her heart slammed against her chest.
Using all her might, she pulled on the reins.
Hopping, skipping and tossing its head, the horse fought against the bit. Fearing she’d ride right past Black Horse, Lorna tried to get a tighter grip on the reins, but instantly realized her mistake.
The horse reared and then ran right out from beneath her. She hit the ground with such force, her breathing stopped.
Within seconds, Black Horse appeared above her, bent down, and though she wanted to speak, the burning of her lungs wouldn’t allow it.
The ground beneath her vibrated, telling her the soldiers were close, and she tried to gulp in enough air to warn Black Horse. It wasn’t needed. He knew.
* * *
The rage inside Black Horse grew as he picked Poeso up off the ground. He had known the army men would not protect her. Could not. Cradling her in his arms, he turned to face the soldiers holding many guns, all pointed at him.
The one with many yellow stripes on his coat sleeve shouted, “Put the white woman down, Black Horse.”
He tightened his hold on her. A great sense of relief entered him as he felt the breath return to her body. His heart could feel hers, and this was good. He turned slightly to command Talks Good to ride closer.
“Is she hurt?” a man not dressed like the army men asked as he jumped off his horse.
Poeso lifted her head off his chest. “No, Uncle Elliot. I’m not hurt.” She then looked up at him, and the warmth of her lips touched his cheek before she whispered, “I’m fine.”
“What’s happened?” the man asked. “Why were you charging the fort?”
Black Horse nodded at Talks Good.
“These men tried to trick Black Horse. Told him the army men had tied up the white women and Cheyenne guards and locked them in a room. They wanted Black Horse to bring many warriors and attack the fort.”
“Of course we didn’t tie her up,” the army man said.
The one Poeso had called Uncle asked, “What men?”
Black Horse set Poeso on her feet, but held her close while gesturing for two of his warriors to lead the horses holding two men tied in their saddles closer.
“That’s Jacob Lerber and—” Her voice trailed away as she wobbled.
Tightening the hold he had on her shoulder, Black Horse nodded again to Talks Good. He had told the interpreter what to say as they rode.
“Black Horse says these men are not welcome on Cheyenne land. He says to arrest them, and that if the army does not want them, he will kill them.”
Poeso trembled harder. Then she turned around and said to the army man, “If he doesn’t, I will.”
“Lorna!”
Black Horse felt great pride in the way she turned to the man who had shouted her name. Her back was straight, her shoulders back.
“I will, Uncle Elliot. This man, Viscount Vermeer, is here for one reason. To kill me and claim my inheritance. You know that as well as I do.”
“Do as Black Horse ordered,” the man shouted. “Arrest them.” Then he stepped forward. “I am Elliot Chadwick, Lorna’s uncle. I am happy to meet the great Black Horse.”
Black Horse nodded at the man, and then picked Poeso up and set her on the back of Horse before he swung up behind her. He needed to speak with this man—her uncle—but not with the army men listening.
“Monehe’se?” he said.
“Black Horse is asking if you are ready to go to the fort,” Poeso interpreted.
“Yes, by all means,” her uncle replied and climbed onto his horse.
Nudging Horse ahead of the others, Black Horse said, “Black Horse missed Poeso. Missed her much talking.”
She twisted and her smiled filled her eyes. “I missed you, too.”
“Epeva’e,” he answered.
“Epeva’e,” she repeated.
Her uncle rode up on one side, while the army man with many stripes rode up on the other.
“I am Captain Walcott. I will need to get an official statement from you, Black Horse, in order to determine punishment.”
Black Horse let his eyes fill with hate as he turned toward the man.
The man looked away. “I will get an interpreter.”
“There is no need,” Poeso said. “Black Horse has said all he has to say to you.”
Black Horse nudged Horse into a faster gait, smiling deep inside. She was a good woman. A strong woman. One who made him proud. He then briefly glanced at her uncle, and determined he would wait to see if he was a good man or not. One he could trust.
Their arrival at the wide gates did not follow standard procedure. The guards did not make them take out their knives and leave them and their bows on the ground beside their horses. Instead, they rode right through the gates into the center of their fort. The army man did not approve, but Poeso’s uncle declared it would be this way, and so it was.
Her uncle climbed off his horse and held up his arms to help Poeso down. Black Horse was not ready to release her. Would never be. Therefore, he swung off Horse and lifted her down himself.
“I would like to speak with you, Black Horse,” her uncle said.
“I will interpret,” Poeso said.
Black Horse shook his head. He did not want to be separated from her, but this talk was not for women.
Her uncle nodded. “I—we would prefer it be someone else.”
“And I’d prefer it be me,” she answered. “So it will be.”
Black Horse didn’t need to know the white man�
��s language to read the man’s thoughts, and was surprised when her uncle nodded.
“This way,” the man said.
Black Horse turned in the opposite direction and gestured for Rising Sun to stand guard over the men they’d captured. He did not trust the army to keep them tied.
“Lorna,” the uncle said. “Tell him not to worry. The prisoners will be secured.”
“His warriors have been ordered not to leave them, even once they are secured,” she answered. “And they won’t, no matter who tells them to.”
After giving Horse’s reins to Stands Tall, Black Horse joined Poeso and her uncle. They entered one of the many doors and he waited until the door was closed before he turned to her. “Do you trust him, Poeso?” he asked in Cheyenne.
“Heehe’e,” Lorna replied.
Black Horse turned to Elliot Chadwick and said, “I do not need an interpreter.”
The uncle said nothing as their eyes met, but Poeso did.
“Very few people know that he can speak English, Uncle Elliot. You must promise not to tell anyone.” The plea in her voice was as strong as the pleading in her eyes.
When he spoke, her uncle addressed him. “Thank you, Black Horse, for your honesty. I appreciate that in a man.” He then walked back to the door. “We will not need a translator after all, dear.”
Poeso shook her head. “I’m staying anyway.”
Black Horse lifted his chin and crossed his arms. “I not speak until you leave, Poeso.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t do this. Not now. I’m not leaving.”
He took his eyes off her and stared across the room.
“Lorna, please, it—” her uncle started.
“No,” she snapped. “This is about me, and I have every right to be here.”
Black Horse was reminded of when he’d first brought her to the village, and had to hold in a sigh. She was a very stubborn woman, but he was a stubborn man. She must remember that.
She huffed and puffed and protested. Just when he thought she would never give in, she stomped a foot and then bolted for the door. “Fine, be that way. I don’t want to talk to you, either. Neither of you!”
* * *
Lorna slammed the door so hard behind her that wood rattled the length of the building. The joy of seeing Black Horse had transformed into a ball of anger so great her stomach hurt. She had questions, plenty of them, and it wouldn’t have hurt him to answer them. Or to speak to Elliot with her in the room. She’d proved she was trustworthy.
Frustration bubbled inside her. She’d wanted to tell Black Horse she was returning to the village with him. That she no longer wanted to go to California. No longer needed to go. She wanted to see his smile, his happiness at that.
“Goodness, child, you scared the life out of me, racing out on that horse.”
She lifted her gaze to William. “I’ve known how to ride a horse since I was a child.” Glad he hadn’t seen her fall, she added, “My father taught me.”
“He taught you to ride astride?”
A heavy sigh left her chest. “No.” Black Horse had done that. Still furious at being sent from the room, she crossed the wooden walkway and stepped down on the hard-packed dirt. The compound was a flurry of activity and a shiver tickled her spine as her gaze landed on a separate building in the far corner, where several warriors and army men were gathered in two separate groups.
“Don’t fear. Douglas is being well guarded, dear,” William said.
She was over the shock of seeing Douglas, and in truth, with Black Horse near, the man didn’t frighten her. Jacob Lerber didn’t, either. “He doesn’t scare me, but I am glad Black Horse captured him. Now I won’t have to look over my shoulder the rest of my life.”
“Douglas told the captain he’d been searching for you, that he was only here to take you home,” William said.
“Lies,” she said. “I will never return to England.”
“No one expects you to.”
Thoughts of Douglas disappeared as she heard her name and saw Betty running across the compound. Moving forward, for the woman was clearly upset, she met her friend in the center of the compound.
“Lorna, you must come to the trading post,” Betty said breathlessly.
“Why?”
“They are cheating, clearly cheating.”
“Who’s cheating?” she asked. “Cheating what?”
Betty waved a hand toward the building near the wide gate. “The army. They are only giving pennies for the pelts and furs we worked so hard on.”
Lorna glanced toward the long line of Cheyenne men carrying armloads of furs toward the building, and the anger inside her increased. Everyone had worked very hard to produce excellent pelts, including her, and she wasn’t about to be cheated for her efforts. Was not about to let the people she cared about be cheated. Snagging Uncle William’s arm, she asked, “Do you know anything about furs?”
“Some,” he answered. “I have several clients in the fur-buying and manufacturing business.”
“Good,” she said, moving forward.
The warriors graciously stepped aside, giving her clearance to enter the building, however, once inside, the man behind the counter didn’t even acknowledge her. With one hand, he was flipping over hides and shouting numbers while writing on a tablet with his other hand. She moved closer to peer over the pile of hides, and noticed the only number he wrote was one.
“Excuse me,” Lorna said.
The man barely looked up. “This ain’t no place for a woman.”
Stopping the man from flipping over another pelt by placing both hands on the thick fur, she asked, “How much are you giving us for this one?”
“Us?” The man shook his head. “I’m trading these with those Injuns behind you.”
“How much?” she asked without further explanation.
The man was tall and burly, with a thick black mustache that he rubbed with one hand. Letting out a huff, he finally replied, “That one there is worth about a dime.”
“A dime?”
Still at her side, Uncle William said, “Now, see here. Tanneries out east pay at least three dollars for a hide of this size.” Flipping a corner to examine the underside, he added, “More, considering the condition is excellent.”
“Well, you ain’t out east, now is ya?” the man replied, flipping the corner back down.
“No, we are not,” William answered, “but all the same, we will not be cheated.”
“We?” the man spat. “You two ain’t with those Injuns.”
“I beg to differ, my good man,” William replied.
“Beg all you want,” the man answered. “Now move aside, I got work to do.”
William patted her shoulder. “Wait here, dear.”
Lorna nodded and turning to offer the burly man a snide smile, she planted her hands more firmly on the pile of hides. He glared. She returned one just as uninviting. When he looked away, she said, “Have you heard of Black Horse?”
“Everyone’s heard of Black Horse.”
“These are his hides, his people.”
The man nodded. “I know that, missy.”
She let out an exaggerated sigh. “The Cheyenne are peaceful people, until they are cheated. I’ve seen what happens then.” The man glanced her way. “The two men Black Horse just brought in, he told the captain they are not welcome on Cheyenne land because they tried to trick him. If he finds them on his land again, he will kill them.”
With a frown, and a somewhat shaky hand, the man said, “I don’t set the prices, the army does.”
Just then William returned with Captain Walcott in hand, and was already arguing a case. He certainly was a lawyer. An excellent one. By the time he finished, the captain, though grudgingly, informed the burly man to increase the rates.
Although they were not given the prices William claimed the furs were worth out east, they were provided much more than the pennies being offered before.
Not in a trusting mood, Lorna moved to
the back side of the counter where she retrieved another piece of paper and wrote down every price quoted, ensuring the correct amount would be tallied in the end.
When Uncle Elliot entered the building, her heart jolted and she gestured for Betty to take over writing down the numbers. “Where is Black Horse?”
“He has things to do,” Elliot said with a clipped tone. He then turned to his brother. “William, you need to join us.”
“What things?” Lorna asked. “With the army? About Jacob and Douglas? Who’s interpreting?”
Elliot’s hold on her arm tightened as he propelled her out the door. “Don’t worry about Black Horse. He can take care of himself. Right now, we need to speak with you.”
“About what?”
Scowling slightly, he said, “About Black Horse.”
Chapter Eighteen
Lorna had already formed a dislike for the army fort, but right now she hated the four walls of this little room with everything she had. She wasn’t too fond of her uncles, either. “What do you mean they have to let them go? Both Douglas and Jacob are mean and evil and—”
“But they have not committed crimes against you,” Elliot said.
William appeared a bit more disturbed over the situation. “We both believe what you told us about Douglas, dear, but that happened in England. We can’t press charges against him here. I know that sounds unfair, and it is, but there is nothing we can do about it.”
Unable to find another argument concerning her interactions with the two men, she tried another route. “They tried to start a war. They wanted Black Horse to attack the fort.”
“Yes, they did,” Elliot answered. “But that is not against the law, either. If it was up to me, I would let them loose, let Black Horse deal with them.”
“He would kill them,” she said.
“I know,” Elliot said. “And then you would never have to worry about them again. He was afraid you and I had already left for California. That is why he was riding so fast toward the fort. After he captured them, Lerber told him we were preparing to leave last night and that he could lead Black Horse to us.”
“More lies,” she said. “I wouldn’t have left, not without telling Black Horse.”
“But you are willing to leave?”
Her Cheyenne Warrior (Harlequin Historical) Page 23