by Zina Abbott
Mima interrupted as she fashioned a sling for Leander’s arm. “No one compares you unfavorably to Hannah, Kizzie. We love you both.”
“Yes they do, Mama. Jesse just did it, and you all take your turns at it...well, everyone except maybe Grandpa and Grandma…many times.”
“We don’t mean to, Daughter. We just worry you will get yourself in a bad situation and get hurt.”
Leander spoke up, his eyes focused on Kizzie. “Miss Atwell, I haven’t met your cousin. I’m sure she is very nice and is a lovely girl if she shares your cousin’s coloring.” Leander cut his eyes towards Otto, then back. “But you shouldn’t think of yourself in a lesser light compared to anyone else. Besides being beautiful yourself, you have been blessed with spirit.”
Aware of the silence in the room and her current costume most considered more appropriate for a boy than for her, Kizzie stared at Leander in astonishment. He thought she was beautiful? He thought she was blessed with spirit? She was further surprised when Charlie Gray Cloud spoke next.
“If the brother had gone instead of the young woman, to steal the horse, a man like Tucker would have come up behind him and slit his throat. Because he wanted more from the sister, he did not kill her right away and she had her chance to fight him off. She fought bravely.”
All eyes turned to Charlie who had remained by the door leaning against the wall. Expressionless except for his eyes which had settled on Kizzie, he continued. “My wife is full Kaw. She looks to our warriors to protect our tribe. If it becomes necessary, she has been trained and will fight to protect our family and our people.”
Charlie offered the hint of a smile in response to Kizzie’s silent expression of gratitude. Then he turned to Leander. “We must go. We have a grave to dig.”
Jefferson responded first. “We can help you with that. I don’t think Mr. Jones is up to using a shovel right now.”
Sidney rose from the bench on which he had been sitting. “I’ll grab my shovel and come with you. The man came on my property and threatened my family. It is up to me to see he is disposed of. He turned to Jesse. Son, you stay here. You and Kizzie watch out for your mother and Meredith.”
Otto turned to his father. “I’ll go too, Pa, while you see Mr. Palmer home. All I’ve done for the last two days is sit and guard horses. I can use the exercise.”
Mima stepped closer to the group of men who rose to leave. “Are you sure you don’t have time for some beans with ham before you go? You’re welcome to eat first.”
Charlie flashed Mima his broad toothy smile that appeared to startle her the same way it had Kizzie the first time she had witnessed it. “Thank you, Mrs. Atwell, but no. We wish him buried before the night catches us. We also must make arrangements for someone to finish driving his wagon to Kansas City or the wagon’s owner will not be happy with us.” Charlie turned to Leander. “I have seen Miss Atwell’s mare. She is healthy, but the foal she carries is large for as far along as she is.” Then Charlie turned to Kizzie. “Do not worry about your mare, Miss Atwell. Mr. Jones can come back to check on her after we finish this job and his shoulder is better. I do not think he will mind the extra visit.”
All but Mima moved outside as those who planned to bury Tucker gathered tools and prepared their horses. As the men rode towards the copse of trees where Charlie had left the horse with Tucker’s corpse tied across the saddle, Jefferson Atwell, with his arms folded, studied the backs of the riders. Then he spoke to no one in particular. “I’d put money on Charlie Gray Cloud being more than a friend and blood brother to Leander Jones. My guess he is also a Jones. They both have the same gray eyes.”
CHAPTER 10
Several weeks later, the leaves had started to turn colors the day Leander Jones rode Thunder into the Sidney Atwell yard. He was met first by Jesse who emerged from the barn where they had been stacking hay for winter feed. Leander returned the boy’s greeting.
Leander quickly turned his head towards the house at the sound of the door slamming. A wide smile split his face at the sight of Kizzie crossing the porch and stepping down to the dirt to join them. His eyes drank in the sight of her dressed in a dark blue dress with what appeared to be a pink and white floral design. Covering the front, she wore a white apron. She wore her shining brunette hair pulled back into a bun at the nap of her neck. As he was learning was typical of Kizzie, she had not thought to grab a sunbonnet before coming outside.
“Hello, Mr. Jones. I hope your visit here today means your shoulder is much improved.”
“It is, although still a little tender. I came by to check on your mare.”
At the sight of Kizzie’s tentative smile, Leander wondered if she was unhappy to see him. Grateful for the excuse to check on Sugarcone, he knew she had no idea how eagerly he had looked forward to seeing her again. Unlike previous times after the freight wagons had returned to Kansas City, he had arranged for another driver for the wagon full of trade goods to accompany Charlie on his visit to his family among the Kaw. Meanwhile, after resting a few days waiting for his shoulder to mend, he had loaded a wagon with basic supplies to take to Salina—whatever he suspected they might be able to afford with whatever small trade items and stashes of money they had buried or otherwise hidden from the marauders—to help replenish what the town had lost to the bushwhackers the month before.
Yes, one of Leander’s big motivators for this short run was his interest in the foal Sugarcone carried. Even bigger was his desire to see Kizzie again. He hoped her reaction to him did not signal her disappointment he had come.
Leander had no idea she felt the opposite—she had hoped he had come mainly to visit with her.
Jesse stepped forward and grabbed Thunder’s reins. “I’ll take your horse, Mr. Jones.”
“Thank you, Jesse.” Favoring his left arm, Leander stepped out of his saddle. “Let me get something from my saddlebag first.”
By this time Mima arrived and addressed Leander. “My husband is in the field harvesting more hay, Mr. Jones. You are welcome to wait for him.”
“Actually, I’ve come to see Miss Atwell and check on her mare. I brought something.” Full of curiosity, they all watched as he pulled out a long narrow wooden tube that ended with a fluted edge like a horn on one end and a flat-sided wooden disk on the other end.
Leander turned and grinned at Meredith who, clutching a doll to her chest, had joined the group surrounding Leander. “Hello there, young miss. I see you are doing well.”
“I remember you. You helped Kizzie and Mama fight off that bad man so Mama could get me away from him.”
“I surely did. You were very brave and I was happy to help.”
Meredith angled her chin up and to the side. “See my neck where he poked me with the knife? It’s almost all better.”
“Yes, it sure is. You were a brave little girl.” Fighting back a grimace at the thought, Leander hoped she had not witnessed the struggle in the yard between him and Tucker or how Tucker had met his end, thanks to Charlie’s rifle shot that had saved Leander’s life.
“Where’s the bad man’s knife?”
“Mr. Gray Cloud is the one who shot the bad man so he wouldn’t hurt anyone anymore. He is part Kaw Indian. As the victorious warrior who saved the rest of us, he claimed the bad man’s knife, pistol and horse, as is the Kaw way.”
Kizzie nodded her approval. “Good. I hope he gave the knife to his wife so she can use it to defend her family. I like having a knife on me for protection, but I know I never want to see that knife again.”
With a smile, Leander turned his attention back to her, the young woman who had brought him to the Atwell farm to begin with. “You aren’t favorable to trophies of battles won, I take it.”
Kizzie shook her head. “No. I never wanted trouble with him or anyone else in the first place. It was him who forced me to defend myself.”
“And I certainly will attest that you can handle a kitchen knife pretty well.” He lifted the wooden apparatus for all to see. “Now we’ll
see if you can figure this out. I made a quick stop by the stables at Fort Riley to talk to their stable master. He loaned me this stethoscope and showed me how to use it on a couple of mares in foal at the fort. I want to use it to listen to Sugarcone’s belly.”
Kizzie’s eyes widened with interest. “Wait for me. I want to be there with you, but first I need to change into my trousers so I don’t ruin my new gown Grandma Mary helped me sew.” Kizzie turned and jogged towards the house.
Leander grinned as he quickly admired the feminine form clad in the flattering dress as Kizzie raced into the house to change. Then he turned his attention back to the others in the yard. Her family may not care for Kizzie wearing men’s trousers, but he didn’t mind the sight of her rounded backside when she wore them. Still, he had to watch where his eyes settled for any length of time. Her mama definitely would not appreciate catching him ogling her daughter no matter what she wore.
Mima sighed in resignation. “That girl takes every opportunity she can find to dress in trousers. You are welcome to come in the house for a cup of water, Mr. Jones. It would probably be best if you wait for my daughter before you go out with the mare because she won’t want to miss anything. While you are busy in the barn, I will finish up dinner for everyone. Come, Meredith.”
At the sight of Kizzie descending the stairs wearing her trousers and the red checked shirt he had seen her in before, Leander quickly downed the last few swallows of water in his cup. With a smile he escorted Kizzie out the door and to the barn. There they were joined by Jesse.
Kizzie turned to her brother with a teasing grin. “Papa’s going to want that hay stacked when he gets back, Jesse.”
“Then maybe since you’re dressed for barn work, you can help me. I want to watch Mr. Jones listen to Sugarcone’s belly, too.”
“Maybe I will help you, if Mama doesn’t fuss too much about it.”
The siblings entered Sugarcone’s stall to find the mare lying down in the hay. Kizzie noticed she was doing that more and more, but was not sure if it was normal for a mare in foal. Sugarcone raised her head and nickered as Leander entered. He dropped on his haunches as he spoke to the mare with soothing tones.
Leander looked up towards Kizzie. “Please go to her head and try to keep her calm. The quieter it stays, the better I’ll be able to hear.”
Kizzie did as instructed. Her eyes never left Leander even as she occasionally leaned over and whispered words of comfort in Sugarcone’s ear each time the mare reared her head to see what Leander was doing to her with the piece of wood.
Leander placed the fluted end of the wood firmly against Sugarcone’s hide and then leaned until his ear pressed against the earpiece on the other end. Neither sibling said a word as they studied the look of concentration on his face. Leander moved the stethoscope around until he reached a point on her side towards her back where he held it awhile, and then smiled.
Next Leander placed the wood piece on Sugarcone as close to the ground as he could reach. He frowned as he listened, moving the instrument from place to place. Finally he stood and turned to Kizzie. “I have my suspicions about something, but I need to stand her up to be sure.”
Leander helped Kizzie coax Sugarcone to her feet. He kept one hand on the mare to calm her as he listened in several places on one side of her belly, before he repeated his procedure on the other side.
Finally Leander straightened up and grinned as he addressed Kizzie and Jesse. “I think I’ve figured out why she’s so big. First I’ll let Kizzie listen, Jesse, if you’ll hold the horse’s head, then I’ll let you listen.”
First Leander placed the wooden piece on Sugarcone and urged Kizzie to listen. “Do you hear the heartbeat? You may also hear some gurgling sounds of food moving through her gut, but the heartbeat is definitely clear.”
Kizzie’s face beamed with a smile. “I hear it. It sounds strong.”
“It is. Now, careful so she doesn’t kick back and catch you, let’s move to her other side. I want you to listen over here.”
Leander positioned the wood piece again and let Kizzie listen. She turned to him with a grin. “You can hear the heartbeat from both sides.”
Jesse spoke up from where he held Sugarcone’s halter. “I want to listen, Kizzie.”
Leander turned to Jesse and held up his hand. “Wait up a minute, Jesse. We’re almost finished.” Turning back to Kizzie, he placed the stethoscope back into position. “Listen again real close, Kizzie. Pay attention to the sound and speed of the heartbeats for a few seconds before we move back to the other side.”
After they moved to the other side and Kizzie listened for several seconds, she stood up straight and stared at Leander in awe. “There are two heartbeats in there. Three, actually, because I could hear Sugarcone’s which was slower. But there were two separate heartbeats that were faster.”
Leander’s eyes lit up and he grinned at her. “That’s right. Sugarcone has two foals in her.”
Excited, Kizzie stepped towards Sugarcone’s head and took her halter from her brother. “You need to hear it, Jesse. I’ve never heard anything so exciting before.”
Jesse stepped next to Leander and took his turn listening to both sides of Sugarcone’s belly. Then he straightened up and smiled at Kizzie. “I heard them--both heartbeats. Looks like Sugarcone is going to have twins.” Then he sobered. “It’s too bad the Army’s going to get both of them.”
“No!” Both Jesse and Leander turned at Kizzie’s outcry. Biting her lip, she defensively argued. “I don’t want the Army to have any of Sugarcone’s foals, but I know Papa made a contract and we have to honor it. But that officer that tried to take Sugarcone from me is only expecting one horse from Sugarcone. “I’m not letting the Army have both.”
Hesitant, Leander shook his head. “First of all, the heartbeats sound strong, but this is Sugarcone’s first pregnancy. There is a little more risk with twins than a single birth. She’ll probably come out of it all right, but we have no guarantees both the foals will make it. Second, knowing Captain Prescott, he will take the position that any and all get from the birth goes to the Army. He’ll pay double, but he’ll want both.”
Defiantly, Kizzie shook her head. “I won’t allow it. If anyone gets the second foal, it should be Jesse. Papa owes Jesse a horse when he turns fifteen, just like he gave me Sugarcone. But, like you said, the Army is trying to grab up all the good horses. Even though he’ll be just shy of fourteen when the foals come, he won’t be able to ride the one we keep until he’s closer to fifteen. Otherwise, Papa might have trouble keeping his promise to Jesse.” Kizzie flicked her eyes towards her brother but ignored the look of wonder on his face. “Don’t look so shocked, Jesse. As much as we fight sometimes, I recognize it’s only fair you get your own horse when you’re fifteen, even if you have to help raise it from a foal.”
Leander folded his arms as he studied the siblings. “I understand your sentiment, Kizzie, but you play a dangerous game with Captain Prescott. If he hasn’t been out yet, my guess he will be out soon. If he sees her before she foals, you better hope he still believes Sugarcone was bred a month or two earlier than what she was. Afterwards, if both the foals live, you will have to watch for surprise visits from the captain and hope you can hide the foal intended for Jesse in time before the captain or any of his men see it.”
Kizzie and Jesse looked at each other before Kizzie turned back to Leander. “We’ll make it work. Just please promise me you won’t betray us to Captain Prescott.”
Leander studied Kizzie’s face, his gaze lost in the depths of her dark brown eyes. “I have no obligation to volunteer information to Captain Prescott. The only offer I’ll make assuming these foals turn out as good as I suspect they will is to tell him I’ll let Thunder cover Sugarcone again when she is ready.”
“Good. When she is ready. And maybe we better not tell Papa yet. Probably the fewer people who know, the better.”
“Not tell me what?”
All eyes turned to Sidney Atwe
ll who stood at the opening of the stall. He surveyed the scene before he settled his gaze on Jesse. “Son, I see the hay isn’t finished. It appears you encountered a distraction you were unable to resist.”
“I promised to help Jesse finish, Papa.”
Sidney nodded to acknowledge Kizzie’s offer and next turned to Leander. “Good to see you again, Mr. Jones. I see you’re shed of that sling. I trust your shoulder is healing well.”
“It is. A little tender still, but I’ve regained most of my strength.”
“Good.” Sidney turned to face Kizzie who slid back as if to hide her face behind Sugarcone’s head. “Now, what is this, Daughter, that you think you should not tell your father?”
Jesse blurted out the news before Kizzie could choose her words. “Sugarcone has two foals in her. We think the Army should only get one and we keep the other for me.”
Kizzie scowled at her brother. “That was my news to tell, Jesse. Only…” Kizzie turned back to her father and nervously licked her lips. “Only I was worried if you knew right away and that Army captain came here you would feel honor-bound to tell him and then he would want to claim both horses. Leander…” At the sight of her father’s raised eyebrow, Kizzie cleared her throat. “I mean, Mr. Jones, he promised he wouldn’t volunteer the information to Captain Prescott. But, if both foals make it all right, we have to keep Jesse’s hidden from anyone that shows up from the Army. And, I didn’t mean to speak against you, Papa, but I figured the fewer people that knew, at least for now, the less likely someone would slip up and say something that would cost Jesse his horse.”
Sidney stared at Sugarcone as he considered Kizzie’s words. “It’s a good plan. But, as much as I appreciate you considering me an honorable man, Daughter, you should trust me better than that. We’ll say nothing for now except to your mama. After Sugarcone drops her foals, if both of them make it all right, we’ll choose which one goes to the Army and which one Jesse keeps. But by then we need to bring the whole family and Shorty Sanders in on our scheme. It may take all of us to keep Jesse’s horse from the requisitioning grasp of the good captain.”