Laura's Secrets

by Augusta Wright

  Running Fawn had sensed a deep loneliness within him which had grown over a period of time. She’d encouraged him to take his tepee into the mountains to fast and pray to the Great Spirit to help him guide the people to the hunting grounds.

  At long last, he agreed to go because their hunters continued to return with very little food. Thinking of his mother today, he was amazed at her strength and courage against odds that would overwhelm other people. She seemed to know how to get what she wanted. But it was always for the good of the tribe.

  When he left his People, he journeyed two days from their camp to a ridge high above a small valley with a river running through it. He would have water and game here. Pitching his tepee in the protection of a large rock overhang, he spread his warm furs inside. Scooping out a large hole in the center, he’d placed stones around it. After gathering dry wood, he built a fire. His mother had sent dried corn and deer jerky for him to eat. He sat before the fire eating his first meal of the day as the sun went behind the mountains to sleep. For the first time in his life he realized how lonely he was. He did not know what he longed for. But he felt a great void. He knew he could not think of himself when his people would die without buffalo. He would do all in his power to keep it from happening.

  Chapter Twenty

  The next afternoon, Eagle Talon sat on Spotted Horse hidden in the forest above the valley where he had first seen the Spirit Woman. He hoped she would come and bathe for him again. He liked seeing her strange white body with the straw-colored hair between her legs.

  As if in answer to his thoughts, the Spirit Woman moved up the trail where he had first seen her. She was alone this time, without the large wolf. Her hair was bound and she was clothed. Dressed, she appeared to be like any other white woman he had seen walking by the wagons on the prairie. He and his Indian brothers had lain hidden in the tall prairie grasses, as the wagons passed by.

  Talon sucked in his breath as he watched her remove her clothes and loosen her long straw colored hair. Stepping nude into the cold spring water, she yelled and splashed under the gentle falls. Eagle Talon and Spotted Horse watched her intently. They stared as the Spirit Woman emerged to get soap to wash her long hair.

  After bathing, she stepped from the chilly water, drying her hair with a large cloth as droplets of water ran down her beautiful naked body and pooled at her feet. Talon watched the water glisten and sparkle in the sun. He had never seen anyone else shine so. Was it the water and the sunlight or was it her strong spirit shining through? He felt her spirit call to him. He did not understand why, but her spirit drew him to her. Was it the spirit’s way to show him her body so he would not think of the danger? He felt desire for her as a woman, but was this her way to trap a medicine man? He had to be brave and learn all he could about this wild spirit before him.

  Laura picked up her clothes and walked back to the cabin naked. She enjoyed the feel of the wind kissing her skin and the sensation of the water drying on it. There’s no one around to watch so why do I have to wear clothes if I don’t want to? She enjoyed the freedom.

  A strange sensation came over her. She felt a pair of eyes on her body, and she shivered. Whether it was human or animal she did not know, but she ran the rest of the way to the cabin, bolting the door behind her. She had been foolish to walk around nude. There were always hidden dangers lurking in the dark forest.

  During the night, loud noises on the porch jerked her out of her sleep. Her heart slammed against her chest making it hard to breathe. She listened, trying to figure out if it was sounds coming from outside the cabin or lingering from her dreams. The noises grew louder as someone or something came onto the porch.

  The banging, clawing, and growling on the front door brought Laura upright in bed. An angry bear beat on the cabin door and would burst inside any minute. Because she was holding her breath in fear, she almost passed out. Gasping for air, she remembered the cabin door had been built with steel hooks secured by two thick beams barring the door to withstand powerful attacks. What would she have done if he had broken through? Her guns were near the door on a deer antler gun rack. What a stupid place for her to leave her only protection. She would change their location if she lived through the night.

  Laura heard the firewood, rocking chair, and the dinner bell go flying off the porch—victims of his rage.

  Growling and grumbling, he stumbled from the porch as he got closer to the barn and corral she heard the horses scream in terror. The chickens squawked and thrashed about in their cages trying to get out. The barn door had not been built as sturdily as the cabin door, and it cracked under the weight of the bear’s assault.

  She would not allow the bear to kill any of her livestock. Tampering down her terror, she knew what she had to do. Grabbing her buffalo gun, she made sure it was loaded, then climbed up on the trunk below the window facing in the direction of the barn. Laura slowly eased the shuttered window open. The moon had risen several hours before, providing light for her to see the dark figure of the bear clawing at the barn door in the shadows. She raised her gun, said a prayer that she would kill him outright, and squeezed the trigger. The bear dropped in its tracks. She watched for several more minutes before closing the shutter and bolting it. She’d killed her attacker. She would deal with the carcass in the morning. She was not going out tonight!

  Hours later, Laura woke to broad daylight. As the memory of last night came flooding back, she chuckled to herself when she realized she had slept with her rifle clutched in her hands. Retracing her steps to the trunk, she cautiously opened the shutters.

  “Oh, no!” The bear was not lying dead by the barn door. What would she do with a vicious wounded animal lurking around? Flashbacks of what the Wilsons had endured made her terror grow. Shutting the window, she climbed down trying to think of a plan. It was obvious the bear had not broken into the barn before she dropped him. Had she grazed him, knocking him unconscious for a while? Had he crawled off to wait for her to come out? She had heard stories about animal attacks, but nothing like this had happened to them when Abner was alive. What should I do now?

  Gathering all her courage, she unbolted the door opening it enough to peer out to see if he was waiting for her. She prayed he had crawled behind the barn and died.

  Shrieking and jumping back inside, she slammed the door and bolted it. Her heart raced again in terror. An Indian basket sat outside her door. She regained control of herself, and said aloud, “You’re frightened of a basket! But who could have left it?”

  Again, she opened the door, peering at the covered basket, recognizing the Ute designs Willow had used. At least it was a comforting sign—or was it? She glanced around at the wreckage the bear had left in his rage. Was an Indian waiting to attack her? They played tricks on people to gain access to their cabins. Seeing no immediate threat, she grabbed the basket, then shut and secured the door.

  She set the basket on the table and stared at it for a few minutes. Curiosity overcame fear, as she raised the lid and peered inside. She gasped. Nestled in the basket, surrounded by wet leaves to keep it cool, sat a large heart. On top of the heart was one long claw. She had killed the grizzly! Someone had taken it and offered her the heart as a token of her kill. But, she thought with a shiver, who left me the heart?

  She stood several more minutes, concentrating on a number of possibilities, but each time she returned to the knowledge that it was someone from Willow’s tribe. It was someone who was strong enough to process it, because a slight person could not have managed the large carcass. She had heard from others that bear meat was delicious. She decided to find out for herself. She lifted the heart from the basket, washed it, and cut it up into smaller pieces. A delicious stew for her supper tonight would be wonderful. At least she did not have to worry about a wounded bear. But who could be lurking in the forest watching her? She would keep her guns even closer from now on. And no more nude bathing.

  She built a fire and hung the pot over it to simmer all day. She would add he
rbs and fresh vegetables later. She licked her lips in anticipation of the feast.

  She repaired the damage to the porch as best she could, talked to the horses and chickens as she let them out of their pens, and watered her garden as she gathered early vegetables to can. Her garden was producing. Since the Wilsons left, she did not have anyone close to share with.

  Soon, she would have to tell her friends about Abner’s death and the baby. She went over in her mind what she would say and how to say it. When she did go to Everclear, she would not go near the trading post. She had supplies from Denver and she would never buy anything from Tuffy again. However, she wanted Tuffy to know she had come to Everclear without visiting his establishment. She would visit Cora and the girls, take them eggs and vegetables to enjoy, and then she would tell them about Abner and the baby. Nothing spread as fast as gossip from a whorehouse.

  With a happy heart, Laura opened the cabin door the next morning to find a larger covered basket on her porch. She searched the area for her benefactor. Seeing no one, she dragged the heavy basket inside. She raised the lid and saw a hindquarter of bear meat. It was cut into pieces with the bone removed, making it easier for her to manage. Whoever took the carcass, was sharing the meat with her. The goodwill offering pleased her.

  Slicing off several pieces to fry later, she stored the rest in the cold cellar. She would enjoy it as long as she could before canning it for the winter. Bear meat would be nutritious for her as the baby grew. She would not have to worry as much about meat when the snows came. A fear seeped in about being alone during the winter, but she moved her thoughts to the chores for the day. She had helped a woman on the wagon train have a baby so at least she had an idea of what was to come. Could she do it alone? She tried not to worry about it, deciding to plan out what to do when the time drew closer.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Eagle Talon was very busy after the Spirit Woman shot the bear. He’d heard the explosion of the buffalo gun echoing throughout the valley. Hurrying through the darkened forest, he hid near the cabin to investigate. He could smell the scent of gunpowder in the air, but did not know what she shot. Hearing a whinny from one of the horses down in the barn, he turned in that direction and saw a large dark form slumped against the barn door.

  Now, on the second day, he was riding Spotted Horse and leading his packhorse pulling a travois loaded with bear meat, he gave the huntress the heart as her prize for the kill. It would give her strength and the spirit of the bear would guard her. He left her a large part of one of the legs as well. Knowing the grizzly would be too large for her, he’d decided to take the rest to his people. Time was slipping by, and he had not been able to find the buffalo, but perhaps the bear meat was a beginning of a good omen.

  Eagle Talon felt himself grin. His mother would tan the bear skin for him and he would give it to the Spirit Woman to cover her bed in the cold months to come. Perhaps she would invite him to lie under it with her. Where had that thought come from? He must not think of her in such way. He did not know if she was good or bad medicine for him. His spirit had connected with her spirit in ways he could not explain. He continued toward his village with the cooled bear meat he had hung in the tree overnight, wrapped in wet leaves, and covered with the fur.

  When the village came into his sight, he urged his stallion to move faster. He wanted to talk with his mother and his grandfather, Smoking Owl. He needed their council regarding the Spirit Woman.

  A crowd gathered about Eagle Talon as he slid from his horse and proudly showed off the bearskin and the meat. Sounds of approval were heard as he talked of his vision quest and finding the bear left by a white hunter. His mother divided the meat among the families to begin processing it. Hungry eyes gazed upon the meat as the women went to work.

  Talon carried the fur into his mother’s tepee. She turned on him as the flap closed. “Now tell me the truth about the bear,” she demanded.

  He hooted at her, saying, “I cannot fool you, can I? I went on the vision quest, as you wanted. I have not had the dreams of the buffalo, but I did find a Spirit Woman. It is she who has provided the meat.”

  Running Fawn studied her first born, “What do you mean she has provided the meat?”

  “The angry bear attacked her and she killed him with her long rifle. She is too small to eat all the meat so I left her enough for her needs and brought the rest here to you. I would like for you to tan the hide as a gift for her.” He sat cross-legged near the fire, noticing for the first time the bear’s missing ear. I wonder how that happened?

  After several moments of silence his mother softly asked, “Does this Spirit Woman have hair the color of dry grass in the hot summer?”

  Talon should not have been amazed at her knowledge, for she, too, was a spiritual leader of the tribe. He nodded. He would not meet her eyes for fear she would see all his thoughts about the Spirit Woman.

  “I have had dreams about a woman with long, straw-colored hair who speaks to animals. Does she speak to animals?” she asked.

  A strangled sound came from his lips as he tried to clear his throat to answer her, “I have seen a silver wolf come at her call and dance around and kiss her. Even Spotted Horse, who will not obey anyone but me, wants to go to her. It is as if she calls to both of us.”

  “My dreams have been unclear about her. She could be good medicine or bad medicine for you and for our tribe. You must be careful until you know. When will you go back, my son?” she asked knowing even now he yearned to return.

  “I will leave in three suns,” he said to his mother.

  “I want us to pray and sing to the Great Spirit to bring us the buffalo and a good harvest before you go. Our people cannot remain in this place long without food and better shelter. Even though it is early summer, we see signs telling us this winter will be bad,” Running Fawn told him.

  Talon left early on the third day, anxious to get back to the Spirit Woman. He still did not know why, but he wanted to be nearby, watching her.

  On the same day Talon began his trip back, Laura left the cabin before dawn to ride to Everclear. Leading her packhorse with a basket of eggs packed in straw and a number of other baskets filled with fresh vegetables, she rode hard, wanting to get there and back before dark.

  Hours later, she reined the horses in at Cora’s. Beating on the front door, it took a while before it was opened by a sleepy Hank who was not pleased to see her.

  “Hello, Hank. Would you tell Cora I am here to visit with her, please? And I have eggs and produce on the packhorse. Would you please bring it in?”

  “She hasn’t been to bed but a short time. Will be none too happy to be woke up,” he grumbled.

  “I know, but please tell her I need to talk with her.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Cora made her sleepy grand entrance in another wild flowered lacy wrapper.

  She gave Laura a big hug and motioned for her to sit down.

  “I brought you and the girls some produce and eggs from the ranch. I had Hank unload it. But I wanted to visit and find out how you all were.”

  “Oh Laura, I am glad you came. Something wonderful has happened to me. I received a letter from a lawyer in Denver, a Mr. Miller. His letter said I’d inherited a nice hotel in a good location there. I couldn’t believe someone’s generosity to an old whore.” She wiped tears with her lace handkerchief.

  “That’s wonderful, Cora. Who did it? One of your gentleman callers? An old love? Oh, tell me quick.”

  Sniffing, Cora whispered, “That’s the strange thing. The letter said it was anonymous. The hotel and a bank account are in my name. I can do whatever I want with it. I can sell it or I can live there and run it as a hotel or a whorehouse. My choice, the letter said.”

  “Cora isn’t it what you always wanted? A place of your own? If you want a different life, now you can be respectable—or not,” Laura said crying with Cora. “How soon will you be leaving?”

  “I’m not sure. Two of the girls want to go with me, and t
he others don’t. I’m confused about what to do. Any suggestions?”

  “When I worked for you, you told me how much you wanted out of the business. Here’s your chance. If the girls going with you want out, then take them. The others can stay here or go somewhere else.”

  “For someone so young, you’re so wise. You’re right to remind me that this is what I’ve prayed for. And, yes, whores do pray.”

  “Oh, Cora, I know you pray. I also know you’re one of the kindest and nicest women I have ever had the pleasure to know. When are you leaving? Your new life is waiting!” Laura hugged Cora again. “But before you pack, I need to tell you and the girls something that’s happened. Will you call them down so I only have to explain it once?”

  It wasn’t long before the six sleepy whores were assembled around Laura in the parlor. She stood up, pacing the floor as each sleepy-faced woman watched her.

  “You all know the details of what happened to me the first time I came alone to the settlement to buy supplies. The results proved to be in my favor since Cora was gracious enough to give me a job and safe place to stay. I couldn’t go back to the ranch for a week until I could steal my horses back and get home. Well, when I made it home, Abner was upset with me. He accused me of all kinds of vile things and even threatened to beat me, but when I got his attention, I told him what happened. He couldn’t believe what Tuffy had done. He started walking around, cussing, and yelling about how Tuffy shouldn’t have attacked a married woman, especially not with an audience. He kept working himself up about Tuffy stealing my horses making it so I couldn’t come home and take care of him. He was a sick man and needed me to help him. I tried to get him to settle down, but he kept on yelling and pacing. He was disappointed because he’d trusted Tuffy all these years and this is how he repaid him. He quickly tired and sat down in the rocking chair. Looking at me, he said, ‘Laura, I’m sorry.’ And he died right there!” She squeezed tears from her eyes as she glanced at her audience to see the effect.