Lakota Dawn

by Janelle Taylor

  Whenever they halted to rest or sleep, they talked about their pasts, eager to share all with each other. Macha filled him in on the events which had occurred during his lengthy absence; and Chase taught her more English, including the words she would need to use during their marriage ceremony, as well as his signals for her to speak them. Although he had done all he could to conceal their trail, they were surprised and baffled by the fact no Red Shield search party had come after them. If a hunt was on, given the tracking skills of his brothers and other warriors, they reasoned they should have been overtaken by now; and they gave thanks to the Great Spirit for continued freedom to complete their crucial tasks.

  On the eighth day after they fled the Red Shield camp, despite all of their precautions and hopes to avoid it. trouble struck…

  Chapter

  Nine

  The route Chase and Macha were compelled to use while evading other Indian bands took them southward toward the North Platte River and its valley where eroded grayish bluffs, verdant forests, and a lengthy escarpment were located amidst thick grass and scattered scrubs. At the higher elevations, they saw ponderosa pine and juniper trees; and in the lower regions there were mainly box elders and sacred cottonwoods, with willows growing in ravines and other vegetation along the riverbank. At long last, such a combination of nature’s beauty provided ample concealment for their movements which vast expanses of grasslands had denied.

  Once they reached the river, they planned to take a trail so heavily traveled by countless emigrants and the Army, it was almost like a well-worn dirt road. Visible were the ruts of many wagons from settlers journeying on what had come to be called the Oregon-California-Mormon Trail and led to its next major landmark at Scotts Bluff. Added to those were ruts from Army wagons hauling supplies and stages taking mail and passengers to Fort Laramie and beyond.

  Chase had viewed such scars on the earth long ago when he was taken away from this territory and again recently when he returned to it. He couldn’t help but think if the Red Shields had not been camping and hunting in this area twelve years ago, his fate might have been different. To appease his anguish and to prevent anger and resentment, he had to believe there was a crucial purpose for those trying episodes in his life, and his existence and destiny were being planned and guided by the Great Spirit, Whom he believed was the same Deity as God. He mentally packed away those thoughts and refocused on the matter at hand.

  As the cautious couple weaved their way past bluffs, hills, and trees, heading for the river and road, they heard ominous sounds, and halted.

  “Firesticks,” Macha murmured as her startled heart thudded in panic and her frantic thoughts whirled in dismay. “Whites are nearby. Do they hunt buffalo or do they attack a camp of Lakotas?”

  Chase knew she was voicing aloud her fears, not asking him a question to which he could not know the answer. “We must sneak closer and see what is happening. Be ready to ride fast if we are sighted and pursued,” he commanded gently. “Take no risks, Sunshine of my heart, for I could not bear to lose you.”

  Macha nodded and followed his lead as he guided her, using nature’s creations to conceal their approach. She kept silent not to distract Chase from his intense concentration, praying for their safety and survival, and for those of the enemy’s victims, as she was certain there would be some when the scene unfolded ahead. She knew something painful had disturbed him earlier, as she had glimpsed an array of various telltale emotions as they flickered across his handsome face. She surmised that he was thinking about the past, for it was near this place where she had first lost him, and must never do so again. She had given up a lot to be here with him now, but he was worth any sacrifice she would be called upon to make to share a Life-Circle with him. She did not know where they would go or what they would do if they could not return to their people. Yet, what must be, must be, for surely this was Wakantanka’s will for them.

  When the sounds were loud enough to indicate the trouble was nearby, Chase halted them behind a series of large sandstone formations and dismounted. He whispered for her to stay on her horse and be ready to flee at a moment’s notice. When she nodded, he smiled, grateful she was so smart and brave. Taking his fieldglasses, he crept to the edge of a huge rock where scrubs grew, knelt behind them, and peered through their tangled limbs at a grisly sight ahead at the road. He used the glasses to be sure of what he saw.

  His sienna gaze narrowed and his body stiffened as he witnessed the malicious aftermath of the slaughter. Even if he were well armed, it was too late to help the victims. All he could do was watch and wait until the attackers departed.

  After they left, Chase joined Macha and related what he had observed: “White men dressed as Indians attacked five Bluecoats and killed them; they stole a travois filled with firesticks and hard balls for them. After the Bluecoats were slain, they shot arrows into their bodies and took scalplocks from them.”

  As Macha listened to the grim news, her gaze widened and her lips parted. “Why did they do such a wicked thing to their own kind?” she asked.

  “To cause trouble between Bluecoats and Indians when Indians are blamed and punished for what happened, and out of greed for those weapons,” Chase sadly explained. “Stay here while I go undo what I can of their evil. After I have done so, we will follow the white men to see where they go and to learn their names. On another sun, I will make certain they are exposed and punished.” He wished he could report the slayings so their bodies could be recovered and buried, but he couldn’t risk possible incrimination. Besides, he reasoned, soldiers probably wouldn’t believe his charges against white men, and the evidence he needed as proof might be gone before he could return with troops. Shaking his head at the senselessness of it all, Cloud Chaser set about completing his gruesome task. When he had finished, he rejoined Macha, and used water from his canteen to wash the soldiers’ blood from the recovered arrow tips, then placed the shafts inside his quiver. “It is done. We go now,” he told her.

  * * *

  Using great prudence, Chase and Macha trailed the wagon and men to a farm many miles away. By that time dusk had arrived. There would be scant moonlight to guide them after dark.

  Chase left Macha with the horses where she would be safe for a short time while he sneaked closer to see what he could observe. The man who appeared to be the gang’s leader guided the wagon into a barn and the others dismounted and followed him. Keeping his guard up, Chase crept to the large wooden structure and listened to them planning their next mission— an attack on a stagecoach. He had to find a way to stop them.

  Chase peered around the side frame of an open window and saw the men hiding the stolen items in a cellar, then covering the trapdoor with bales of last year’s hay. Yet, even knowing where the evidence was stored, he couldn’t be sure the crates and barrels would remain there long enough for him to ride to Fort Laramie, convince the Army of his claims, and return with troops to show them. He absolutely would not leave Macha behind to watch the barn and men for the shipment’s removal, and she could not follow the villains if the gang transported the weapons elsewhere during his absence. He could only hope to bring their deeds to light as soon as he could do so without endangering his beloved.

  Chase returned to an anxious Macha with just enough time to put a safe distance between them and the farmhouse before dark. As they sat close together on his bedroll and consumed the last of the food Macha had brought along and Hanmani had sneaked to him during his last meal back in camp, Chase related what he had learned and what he hoped to do later.

  Macha was excited. “It is a good plan, my love, for they must be punished; and it is best for it to come from their own kind.”

  “That is true. At least we know part of the reason why they did such an evil thing: if their plan had found victory, the Army would have blamed and punished Little Thunder and Spotted Tail’s bands. With the Brules gone or their forces weakened, the man who owns this land could make his farm larger and other Whites could come t
o farm here. It is good dirt and has much water for growing food and special grasses for their animals. I will try to trick the Bluecoats into entrapping them soon so they can cause no more trouble.”

  “If our people allow us to return to them, when war comes between the Whites and Lakotas, will you fight our enemy to the death if it must be?”

  “When I first returned, I hoped and believed peace or at least a truce was possible, but the more I learn about the troubles and bad feelings between and within the two sides, I know war will come one sun. When it rises, I will ride with my family and people if I am allowed to do so. I do not wish to slay those like my mother and adoptive parents, but I fear I will be forced to battle their kind for our safety and survival.”

  Chase was positive a horrific and bloody clash would result when the secret of the Black Hills was exposed and prospectors flooded them. There was no doubt in his mind that all seven tribes of the Lakotas would attack “yellow rock” seekers and sacred site encroachers with a vengeance, and soldiers would be sent to rescue and protect imperiled white men. During his travels, he had met and seen men ensnared by “gold fever” and knew what a dreadful and dangerous disease it was. He kept his worries to himself, as he didn’t want to frighten his beloved.

  “We must sleep now, Dawn, for we must ride at first light.”

  “Will it be safe for you to hold me and kiss me, for I need to draw courage and comfort from your arms and lips?”

  Chase pulled her into his embrace and kissed her. He, too, needed to draw solace and encouragement from her love. One hand slipped into her hair and fingered its sleek strands. The other roamed her back, then cuddled her closer to his aroused body. She was so precious to him, and he yearned to possess her fully. But he wanted that unique moment to be special. By tomorrow night, if nothing else obstructed their path, she would be his wife and belong to him in all ways.

  Macha adored the way he touched her. He was such a tempting mixture of strength and gentleness. She loved him with all of her being, and desired him with every part of herself. He warmed her as no roaring fire or scorching summer sun could ever do. She could hardly wait until she could discover the delights of bonding their bodies as one, to experience the sheer joy of having him completely. Soon, she vowed, soon.

  Chase separated himself from her, took a deep breath, and said with reluctance, “We must sleep now, for on the next moon, we will get little rest after we are joined.”

  Macha smiled. “That good news pleases me greatly, my love, for I can no longer resist my craving for you.”

  “It is the same for me.” Tomorrow night…his mind vowed.

  Before they approached Fort Laramie on the sixth of August, Chase concealed the bow and quiver of arrows which War Eagle had loaned to him weeks ago, along with the shafts which had been embedded in the soldiers miles away. He knew it wouldn’t be wise to ride up armed only with Indian weapons. He smiled at Macha, seeking to reassure her, as they neared the fort.

  The military post was strategically positioned atop a lofty bluff overlooking the Laramie River, eastward of the Laramie Mountains and vast stretch of the Rockies. The wisely chosen site provided well for the troops and passing emigrants: they had easy access to fresh water from the river, food for their stock from the grasslands, and a road connected the area to forts and trading posts in both directions. There was no stockade encompassing its structures and cannons, as if the Army didn’t fear an Indian attack. The compound included barracks, stables, a bakery, sutler’s store, smithy, lumber shed, saddlery, magazine, guardhouse, supply storages, and officers’ quarters. Most of the buildings were two stories high, with many windows, railed porches, and high-pitched roofs with multiple chimneys jutting from them. They were situated around an enormous parade ground with a tall staff, from which the American flag danced about in a strong wind. Fort John, a large adobe building which had first served this area and now belonged to the American Fur Company for trading with trappers and Indians, was set close to the river bluff. Unlike the new fort, John had two guard towers and an adobe-enclosed yard for protection against “hostiles,” as well as two brass cannons and weapons within the workers’ easy reach.

  On a grassy area below one section of the extensive bluff, Chase glimpsed a few homes, other structures he didn’t know the reasons for, and a cluster of Indian tepees where “loafers” camped and often lived year long. All of what he viewed, he tried to convey and explain to Macha as they approached, though so much of it was unfamiliar to her, it was confusing. He promised he would clarify such things to her at a later time.

  The only reason Macha was not terrified of this new experience was because she was close to her beloved and had such confidence in him. She knew he did not fault her for not understanding all he was trying to tell her, for he knew her language lacked translations for everything they saw. But she was smart and eager, and he was a good teacher.

  Chase glanced toward the office and dwelling of his target—Lieutenant Hugh Fleming, Fort Laramie’s commander—for that was where any copy of the treaty and any enlightening letters from deceased Indian agent Thomas Fitzpatrick and the current agent Thomas Twiss would be kept. He had been told in May by a talkative soldier that Fleming had initiated an assault last year on the Minneconjous—one of the tribal members of the Seven Council Fires of the Lakotas. He hoped that didn’t mean Fleming was an Indian-hater and troublemaker.

  He knew his way around the site from a visit there in May before he traveled to the trading post called Fort Pierre and then made contact in early July with his family and people. As they got closer, he smelled bread being prepared in the bakery structure, and that indescribable scent which only Plains grass and the summer air seemingly possessed. He saw men unloading supply wagons which probably had arrived late the previous day, soldiers checking or repairing their gear, men tending the stock, a few standing guard, and the brilliant sun reflecting off windows and the river’s surface. He heard the American flag flapping in a strong breeze, the smithy’s hammer as he shod army horses, and the prairie wind whistling past his ears. He felt calm yet apprehensive, both ready for and dreading the hazardous challenge ahead.

  Macha, too, felt very alert and on her guard. She did not fear as much for her safety and survival as she did for his. She could guess the enormous risks he would be taking when he crept into the commander’s abode for the papers he insisted were so important to them. She did not want to even imagine what his fate would be if he was captured. It was as if she had waited her entire life for Cloud Chaser to grow to manhood, return home, and to join with her. Now, she could lose him again in the blink of an eye, and this time, to death, forever. What would she do if he were slain and her family and people rejected her when she returned?

  Macha took a deep breath. Even if she were scorned and banished, she admitted, that would never be as bad as losing the only man she had ever loved. As she stole a glance at him, her heart raced. Protect him for me, Great Spirit, for he is my destiny.

  Chase entered the sutler’s large store, and Macha waited near the open door as he had instructed earlier. He was relieved only a few people were inside, and those men only glanced at her for a moment as if they were accustomed to seeing “squaws” with white men and such a female did not deserve their attention for more than an instant. “Do you have a dress and pair of shoes or boots I can buy for her?” he asked the owner.

  “I got a few new ones and some I bought from women emigrants down on their luck. They’re over there in that corner,” he said, motioning to the back one on the left. “The new ones are four dollars each and the worn ones, two dollars; the shoes are three dollars a pair.”

  “Thanks, I’ll go look them over. It sure would be nice for her to have a change of clothes so she can wash those ripe buckskins,” Chase said and chuckled. He selected the loveliest new dress available and used a paper which he had outlined her foot size on with a piece of charcoal from a past fire to pick a pair of shoes for her. He chose a rifle and requested am
munition for it, and gathered other needed supplies, piling them on the counter as he did so. He told the sutler he had traded his old rifle, which didn’t work well, for the woman with him because he needed help and a man’s comforts at his cabin come winter time.

  “Looks to me as if you made a good deal; she’s a pretty one.”

  “Yep, and real obedient and respectful. Smart and hardworking, too.”

  “I know plenty of trappers who took Indian wives. It’s hard on a man to live alone in the wilderness all winter and to do all the work himself.”

  “Yep, that’s what I learned last season. I was lucky I came upon a camp of friendlies on my way here, and one of them needed to rid himself of a daughter. The unfortunate cuss had four of them, so his small tepee was overcrowded and his band didn’t have enough young bucks to go around.” Chase chuckled. “Good thing I got out of his area before her papa could learn that old rifle won’t be much use to him.”

  The sutler laughed. “Most Indians aren’t too smart about our weapons—and a lot of other things about us. And I doubt anybody would sell him ammunition for it anyways.”

  Chase paid for his purchases with money he had received from selling the Martins’ farm, stock, and other possessions in Oregon. He made certain he chatted, joked genially with the store owner. He told the man he was there to buy those items and to rest for a day or two before heading out to find a better site to use that coming winter, since his last one was all trapped out. “Is it all right if she changes clothes in your storeroom? I’d be more relaxed if she’s wearing white woman’s garb so people won’t be staring at her.”