Patrick was sensing Liza’s fear for herself and for Matthew, and he had experienced the nightmares brought on by her captivity. “I know your fear for Matthew as well as yourself.”
“I’m also frightened for you and John as well as everyone else here. I think it would be best if I went and found out what they want, it could be something quite simple and a coincidence that we are here at the same time. If Brave Eagle isn’t here then I believe that I’m in no danger and neither is Matthew,” said Liza.
As both Patrick and the lieutenant were vehemently saying that Liza should not put herself in further danger, the lieutenant’s sergeant rushed in telling them that there were two Indians waiting at the gate to see who was in charge. One of them spoke English and the lieutenant and Patrick got up to go and see them.
“Stay here, Liza and make sure the boys stay in their room,” said Patrick.
Liza mouthed to him ‘Be careful’.
She saw that the boys were drawing and blissfully unaware of the drama that was taking place around them. She walked towards the door and looked through one of the windows as she went. Her fears were allayed when she saw the half-breed scout that she knew and there also was Zelma’s brother. Before anyone could stop her, she was through the door and making her way out of the gates. Patrick and Lieutenant Carter tried to stop her but she told them that she knew these two and they would never hurt her and that one of them was Zelma’s brother.
Liza made the sign of peace to them and they returned it to her. Patrick, Lieutenant Carter and the troops were guarding her carefully.
Zelma’s brother told her that they were not there to hurt her or White Wolf’s son. They had heard that she would be making her way back to her town and their chief wanted to see his daughter and his grandson, but wanted to keep her safe from his son, Brave Eagle, which was why they had travelled to her rather than asking her to come further south to them. They had also heard that she now had another son, just as White Wolf had been an adopted son to the chief. The chief and the medicine man understood that her protector would be concerned for her welfare and they were quite willing to meet with her in full view of all there.
Liza told Patrick and the lieutenant what had been said. “They are not here to take me back or hurt me or Matthew. They just want to see us and talk; I no longer have any fears. I know that you are going to worry but I feel that I should go to their encampment and lay my ghosts to rest. You will be welcome to come with me, Patrick, as is the lieutenant and anyone else that you might like to bring. I would also add that if I do this everyone else here can go back to living without fear and we can then go on our way in peace.”
The scout had said nothing up to that point, but he then gave Patrick reassurance that the chief had a powerful feeling that he must see i-tse di-ka-ta and her son before he passes on to the next life and he was adamant that Brave Eagle knew nothing of Liza and her son and that was the way it would remain, especially now that he was no longer accepted as part of the tribe and lived in the country called Mexico.
Everyone at the post was on edge being so near a Cherokee encampment, even if it was considered a small one, and many had realised what was going on. The two male passengers on the stage voiced the opinion that Mrs Kelly should go and see the chief which would mean that they would all get safe passage through the territory and they were quite willing to wait for her return before carrying on with their journey. The driver was of the same opinion.
“I can’t let you go Liza; you’re walking into a lion’s den. Can you really trust the reassurances that these two are giving you. You may end up having to live with them again or worse,” said Patrick.
“I want to get home Patrick and this seems to be the only way to do it. They are going to keep following us until they have what they want and that is just me talking to them for a while. It’s not something that is going to take up too much time or energy and it will make two old men very happy and also keep all of us safe. You know that Zelma’s brother and the half-breed scout don’t lie and I know that the chief and the medicine man would not either,” said Liza.
Liza turned and said that she would visit the encampment in a short while and that she looked forward to being there. The two Indians nodded and turned and rode away.
“Are you going to come with me Patrick?” asked Liza as she knew that he did not approve of her choice.
“Do you honestly think that I would let you walk into that camp without me,” he hissed at her. “What are you going to explain to the boys? Are you going to tell them that you are going to endanger yourself and maybe never return?”
“I think that’s very unfair of you; I’m just trying to get us home safely and if you think that I won’t be returning then perhaps you should stay here and look after the boys,” said Liza tartly.
Patrick put his arm around Liza and said, “Let’s stop this, we never argue, we mustn’t start now. You’re right, we’ve got to get out of this and probably this is the only way.”
Lieutenant Carter informed them that he was also going with them as it could be a way for him to try to understand how and what the Indians want. The boys realised that their mother was going to visit a very old friend and she would be gone for a few hours. The sergeant and the innkeeper’s wife were going to look after them and Matthew was quite happy about that, but this was the first time that John had been left with strangers since coming to live with them and he was naturally concerned, but both Patrick and Liza reassured him and told him to keep close to Matthew.
The custom was for her to take a gift for the chief and she pondered for a few minutes and then had inspiration. One of the main reasons for this meeting was to acknowledge that Matthew was White Wolf’s son and therefore his grandson and she felt the chief would appreciate something that had been Matthew’s and all she could think of was the shoes that he had taken his first steps in. They were precious to her, but they should also be precious to Matthew’s grandfather.
They set off with Liza and Patrick in a buggy belonging to the station and the lieutenant riding along. A great deal of noise greeted them from the women in the camp when they arrived and Liza was whisked away into a tent by several of the women. Patrick and the lieutenant tried to stop them, but the scout came and explained to them that Liza had to be dressed correctly for the important ceremony that was about to take place.
Patrick asked what ceremony that may be and was told that she would be talking to both the chief and the medicine man which was the ceremony.
After a little while the flap on the tent where Liza had been taken opened and she stepped out dressed in a beautifully beaded buckskin fringed dress which was almost white, she had matching beaded long moccasins and a band around her head. Her hair had been braided with thin strips of buckskin and was hanging down the front of her shoulders. She wore a heavy turquoise necklace and her arms were covered in numerous bangles.
Both Patrick and Lieutenant Carter drew in their breath in unison. Liza looked over at Patrick and smiled and the sun caught her eyes and they flashed as they had before and Patrick realised why the Indians thought she was their special person because that was exactly what she looked like; she really did not look as if she came from this world.
Lieutenant Carter voiced his thoughts, “If I hadn’t seen that, I would not have believed it. No wonder they think she is the legend.”
Although Liza looked full of confidence, inside she felt that she had stepped back six years and had no way of leaving. She turned again to look at Patrick and they were talking to one another through their eyes and Patrick knew exactly what she was feeling and that was trapped. His eyes told her that he would not let that happen, she was free and she was going to stay that way. She smiled at him again and nodded.
The drums started as did the chanting and the chief and the medicine man came out of a tent and stood waiting for Liza to join them. She dropped her eyes and respectfully walked towards them. Patrick saw that they said something to her and she bowed and
replied and they both touched her head. She stood back a little way and they entered the tent first and she followed and disappeared for over two hours. All the time the drums were beating and the chanting continued.
Patrick was getting very agitated and was beginning to think that he had better go and retrieve her from these men and the lieutenant wondered if they could find the scout or Zelma’s brother and ask what was going on. He didn’t have to move far before the scout appeared next to him.
“Why do you always think that we are going to break our word? You know that we never break our word unlike you white men. i-tse di-ka-ta is quite safe and always will be with us. When they have finished their meeting, you will be on your way to your town and we will be on our way back to our lands.”
At last the tent flap opened and the chief and the medicine man appeared followed by Liza, who was smiling. She stood next to them and Patrick and Lieutenant Carter were waved over and the chief spoke to them which Liza translated.
“Matthew, John and you, Patrick, are being honoured by being given Cherokee names and I would ask you to bring the boys here for the short ceremony. I can assure you that there is no danger in this, in fact it will give a great deal of protection to you all in the future,” said Liza.
“Are you seriously suggesting that we bring the boys over to this camp? You are always so concerned for their welfare and safety and yet you want them here,” said Patrick. “I don’t agree that this is a good idea.”
“My darling Patrick, please believe me when I tell you that this is probably one of the best ideas there could be for us. You don’t realise what an honour this is for all our family and it is given with great dignity and it is very rare that this is afforded to any white people. Will you please trust me in this? You know that I would never jeopardise you or our children in any way,” said Liza.
Patrick smiled and nodded, “Yes, I really do know that, I’ll go and bring the boys back. They’ve never seen an Indian encampment, so it will be an experience for them, but I will be guarding them with my life.”
“You must tell them that when they get here they must not hold your hand and they must only nod to me and not show surprise at how I am dressed. They must look both the chief and the medicine man straight in the eye and they must not look afraid; when they receive their Cherokee names, they must nod their thanks. I will translate what is said for them. And Patrick, you must do the same, and when it is over we can go back to the trading post and get ready to leave in the morning.”
“That’s a lot for small boys to deal with, Liza,” said Patrick.
“I know but it is how it must be. We must show that we respect them.”
Liza waited anxiously for Patrick and the boys to arrive and when they did it was obvious that Patrick had schooled them well. They climbed down from the buggy unaided, but not without difficulty. Liza could see that they tried not to show surprise at how she was dressed and they dutifully nodded at her to acknowledge her presence. Patrick did the same, but he had a smile for her playing on his lips.
The chief and the medicine man moved close to Matthew, and Patrick had the urge to push them away but restrained himself. They stared at him as he was the image of his father, White Wolf, apart from the bright green eyes. They said this to Liza but she did not translate this.
“I am happy to have seen my grandson, i-tse di-ka-ta. He is a fine looking boy I am already proud of him. Your other son is also fine, but he is troubled,” said the chief.
“We are hoping that his troubles disappear with time,” said Liza.
The chief nodded and pulled aside the flap on his tent and Liza stood aside for the chief and medicine man to enter and then allowed the boys and Patrick to go ahead of her and as Indian women did, she entered last.
A pipe was lit and handed to Patrick who valiantly puffed on it and handed it back to the chief, who then passed it on to the medicine man. The smoke from this was then wafted across the boys and Patrick and it was the medicine man that spoke and gave the Cherokee names to the boys and Patrick.
Liza translated that the name they had chosen for u-ne-ga wa-ya, White Wolf’s son was u-ne-ga ta-wa-di-u-s-di which meant White Hawk in partial memory of his father, and Liza’s new son was u-ne-ga a-u-s-ti tsu-la, Grey Fox, but both sons would have the words ‘son of Green Eyes’, u-we-tsi-dv-hi i-tse di-ka-ta, added to their names. Patrick would now officially be known as ga-no-du, the Master of Life and protector. They would all now be recognised as members of the Cherokee nation and no harm would ever come to them from any of the people no matter what any member of the tribe may wish, this being the reference to Brave Eagle.
The ceremony was over and Patrick said that the boys had wondered if they could look around the village as they had never seen one before. The scout was summoned to show the boys whatever they wanted to see and Liza had the distinct impression that this was beneath his dignity. Matthew was informed that Zelma’s brother was here and he asked to see him. Both the scout and Zelma’s brother stood tall and looked rather fierce but both had a sly smile on their lips and under the watchful eye of Lieutenant Carter and his sergeant, the boys wandered off with their new found Indian family.
Liza went into the tent where her clothes had been changed earlier, and the women there told her that they had placed her ‘white’ clothes in the buggy and that what she was wearing were for her to keep. She was overwhelmed and thanked them for their kindness and told them how beautiful the clothes were and she would treasure them always.
The time came for them to leave and the boys were gathered up and put in the buggy with Patrick and the sergeant and he was expecting Liza to join them, but the chief, the medicine man, the scout and Zelma’s brother arrived on their ponies and they had brought one for Liza. They were going to escort everyone back to the outpost, leading the way with Liza. Liza had to think about how she mounted her pony; it had been six years since she had ridden one, but she managed to leap on it with her stomach across its back and then swing her left leg over and there she was upright, riding high. She hadn’t forgotten the knack. Patrick was amazed at the agility and he thought that she would probably suffer for that the next day.
They rode back with the chief and the medicine man either side of Liza, the scout and Zelma’s brother following with the buggy and the lieutenant taking up the rear. The soldiers saw them coming and were prepared to guard the outpost if necessary, but it was not needed. As they neared the gates Liza said her goodbyes and respectfully thanked them for the honour that they had bestowed on her family. She slid from her pony and handed it to the scout and the chief and the medicine man turned their ponies and parted either side of the buggy and the lieutenant as did Zelma’s brother and the scout and they rode off towards their camp.
Liza walked alone through the silent soldiers towards the post and through the door. Inside everyone was also silent; there were more people there than had been when she left. Trappers and homesteaders had moved there for safety and those who had been there earlier were finding it difficult to believe that Liza was the same person who had gone to the camp those few hours earlier. This beautiful Indian woman bore no resemblance to the Liza Kelly that they had got to know. Patrick and the boys burst into the room; Matthew full of excitement about what had happened that afternoon; John was very quiet and Patrick put his arm around Liza and said, “You were right, everyone has come out unscathed and we can all get on our way now without fear, thanks to you.”
Liza nodded and looked at John, “I don’t think we all came out unscathed,” Patrick followed where she was looking and saw that John had the expression on his face that they had seen when they first saw him in Ireland.
“You had better go to him, Liza,” said Patrick.
“Not dressed like this, it’s the last thing that he needs at the moment,” said Liza. “I’ll get changed.”
There were mutterings amongst the newcomers. At the time nobody realised that the danger had passed and they wanted to send Liza out to the Indi
ans as they felt that she was the reason for their troubles. The trappers were French and they were even more vehement in their condemnation. Liza understood what they were saying and they were not opposed to ‘stringing her up’ and showing the Indians that they were in charge and had rid themselves of the problem.
Liza went over to them and said in their own language that hanging her would add to their problems rather than take away from them and that any danger had passed now and they could get back to whatever it was they were doing before they had felt the need to take refuge there. They were taken aback that she could communicate with them so well in their own language and looked somewhat embarrassed.
Patrick had gone to John. He sat down and lifted him onto his knee. “What’s the matter John, we’re all back safely and you have an Indian name as well as your own now, and that will always make you safe. Mummy arranged that for you.”
“She’s changed, she’s not mummy any more. I don’t know who she is now. I don’t want to go home with her anymore. She didn’t say hello to us, she just looked as if we weren’t there, I didn’t like that, I don’t think she loves us anymore,” said John.
“I know she looks different but she’s just gone to change back into what she was wearing before and I don’t expect you to understand but she had to act like that. It isn’t that she wanted to but it’s what she had to do. You’ll see that when she’s finished changing, she’ll be back to her usual loving self. I promise you that,” said Patrick.
As Liza was about to go into their room to change, the lieutenant stopped her and asked if what she had done today meant that the Indians were going to be completely peaceful now. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they left the area tonight or tomorrow morning. Whatever was done today covers you and your sergeant also and probably your troop, so you will have no problems with them again. You will always have their friendship no matter where you come across them.”
Against All Odds Page 17
