Whistling Elk took two puffs and passed it to Two Feathers who took his two puffs and passed the pipe to Sonny.
This took Sonny by surprise. He paused and then took the pipe. His face was impassive but inside he was going “Yes! Yes! I’ve read about this in books and seen it in movies but here I am actually smoking a peace pipe.”
Sonny took two puffs and began coughing and hacking. When he got control of himself he looked sheepishly at Two Feathers for instruction as to what to do.
Two Feathers indicated with his hand that Sonny should pass the pipe to Jack who was sitting next to Sonny.
Jack took two puffs but was smart enough not to inhale and he started to pass the pipe to Beth but Two Feathers leaned forward, said something and motioned for the pipe to be returned.
Whistling Elk quickly turned and said something in a low voice to Hopping Bear.
Hopping Bear said something to Two Feathers and indicated with his hand “Let her smoke.”
Two Feathers motioned to Jack to pass the pipe to Beth.
Beth was all excited and had been worried that she wasn’t going to be able to participate in the ceremony. She knew that she could do anything that the boys could do and most of the time do it better. To be excluded from something like the pipe smoking because of her sex would not only have pissed her off but would have hurt her feelings.
When she took the pipe it sent a thrill through her. She put it to her lips and savored each puff. She took two shallow puffs pulling a little of the smoke into her lungs. After each puff she gave a cough.
She passed the pipe back to the left.
After Hopping Bear had put the pipe back in its sheath, he said, “When Gray Dog returned and said that he had found Two Feathers’ dead horse and that the whites had taken Two Feathers, we thought the worst. We thought that Two Feathers was dead. Our hearts were heavy.
Two Feathers is fierce in battle and wise in council. As our war chief, he has never been defeated in battle and in council his advice has always been wise and prudent and when he has proposed war it was always for good reason. When he has led our young men to war he has always planned carefully and as a result our young men have always come back victorious and our losses few.
Because of him our tribe is respected among the Cheyenne and feared by our enemies.
Now he is back and our hearts are glad.”
Hopping Bear was finished and the next to speak was Two Feathers.
He stood up and said in a loud voice so all could hear “I, Two Feathers, was captured by the whites. It was easy for them to take me. I acted as if I was a novice warrior untested in battle and unwise in the ways of the Cheyenne. If it were not for the valor and bravery of these young whites,” he pointed to Beth, Jack and Sonny “I would not be with you today.”
He then went into graphic detail of how the white men captured him and how they came upon the three white children. He told of how Curly Bob was going to torture or kill Two Feathers with his knife but the white girl attacked Curly Bob and how Curly Bob had knocked her to the ground.
He told of how Jack and Sonny then attacked the white men. He told of how Curly Bob held a knife to the throat of the white girl and tried to make the boys surrender.
“The two white boys counted coup on the three white men who had captured me and this one” pointing to Jack “killed one of the white men. And the girl,” pointing to Beth “behaved as bravely as any Cheyenne woman would have done. When the white man would have killed her, she cried out to let them kill her rather than have the boys surrender.
They showed bravery as if they were Cheyenne and this bravery put fear into the hearts of the white men and the men surrendered.”
Two Feathers paused.
Beth was translating as best she could to the boys all of what had gone on and what Two Feathers was saying.
Jack was watching Two Feathers very carefully and thought “What an orator. He has this crowd right where he wants them.”
It was true. Except for Beth’s low voice translating, there was not a sound. The tribe, including Hopping Bear was held in rapt attention eagerly waiting for Two Feathers to continue.
When he continued he lowered his voice for effect. Everyone in the tribe leaned forward so as to hear.
Jack thought “He’s got them eating out of his hand.”
As Two Feathers talked his voice rose so that all could hear. He didn’t want anyone to miss what he was saying.
He now told of how the white children cut him down and tended to his wounds and gave him water and fed him. He told of what happened in the morning. How the boys had humiliated the white men by tying them naked to a log and setting them loose to walk bent over like old women.
The crowd seemed to like this part. There was some suppressed laughter and much snickering.
Two Feathers waited until there was silence and told of how the white children cared for him on the trail and at night shared their lodge with him.
“They now share my lodge and will live there as my children.”
“I now speak to you of my shame. I let the white man capture me and humiliate me and by humiliating me, humiliate my tribe and the Cheyenne.
I can no longer serve as your war chief. I am unworthy.”
And with that he sat down.
Immediately there was an uproar. It seemed as if everyone was talking at once.
Gray Dog stepped between Hopping Bear and Whistling Elk into the circle. He held up his arms, palms toward the crowd, turning slowly so that all could see him. He said in a loud voice “I am Gray Dog of the Elk Soldiers Society. I have fought many battles and count many coups. I am Two Feathers’ friend. I have followed him into battle many times. There is no finer warrior nor is there a finer man than Two Feathers.
True, he made a bad mistake, to let the white men catch him but who among you have not made a mistake? I have followed him before and I will follow him now.
And I will fight anyone to the death who says ill of him.”
Immediately a huge warrior, well over six feet tall, leapt into the circle next to Gray Dog and said, “I am Spotted Horse of the Elk Soldier Society. It is the council’s place to say if Two Feathers is to remain war chief but I am here to stand with Gray Dog. I too will follow Two Feathers and I too will fight to the death anyone who speaks ill of Two Feathers.”
A loud cry went up from the tribe and warriors were on their feet yipping and yelling. They were clearly in favor of keeping Two Feathers as their war chief, besides who wanted to fight Gray Dog and Spotted Horse. These guys were huge and obviously knew their way around a war club.
Hopping Bear stood up and raised his hands for silence. It was like magic. Everyone sat back down and all was quite.
Hopping Bear said, “Gray Dog is right. I have talked to the council and we want Two Feathers to remain as war chief.”
Hopping Bear sat down. Gray Dog and Spotted Horse returned to where they were standing behind the chiefs.
Two Feathers stood up. You could see that he was touched by the overwhelming support for him.
He said with emotion in his voice “I thank you my people, my friends but I will have to council with Whistling Elk and ask the Great Spirit for guidance. My humiliation is too great.”
There were no cries of support from the tribe. They respected his feelings and his humiliation and respected his need to meet with Whistling Elk and to commune with the Great Spirit. Besides it was the right thing to do.
A long silence fell on the tribe. They were waiting with eager expectation. They were waiting for Whistling Elk to speak.
Whistling Elk was not only a great medicine man he was a great showman. He knew exactly when to stand and speak. If he waited a minute too long the crowd would become restless and lose interested. If he stood up too soon the suspense would not have reached its climax.
As it was, he stood up when the suspense was almost unbearable. A sigh went through the crowd as he came to his feet. Just to milk the moment he waited a
few seconds before he spoke.
Jack saw what was happening and thought in admiration “This old guy really knows his stuff.”
Whistling Elk spoke slowly in a rough voice “I have looked at these white children. I have touched them and have felt the Great Spirit in them. They are spirit children. They are spirit warriors. They are not of this world.
Everyone knows that no white man could capture Two Feathers. He could only have been taken by these white men with the help of the Great Spirit. The Great Spirit allowed these white men to capture Two Feathers so that he could bring these children to us.
Two Feathers’ ordeal was a hero’s journey. He was on a mission from the Great Spirit.
I have given all of this much thought and this is the only conclusion that can be reached.”
An “Ohhhhh” went through the tribe. Of course, Whistling Elk is right they thought, this is the only thing that could have happened. They all knew that no warrior, much less three white men, could ever capture a warrior such as Two Feathers.
To the tribe this made absolute sense. It was the only explanation. How lucky they were, the tribe thought, to have a wise man such as Whistling Elk in their tribe. No wonder he was respected not only by them but throughout the Cheyenne people.
This took all of the tension out of the meeting. A crisis had been averted. Not only did the tribe hear a great story, a heroic story but Two Feathers had been vindicated. Plus, their tribe had been chosen by the Great Spirit to have spirit warriors live amongst them. Now there was no doubt that a respected warrior such as Two Feathers would remain as their war chief. It was truly a great day. This was an occasion to be celebrated.
Whistling Elk began to dance and chant. He circled the fire three times. Then Gray Dog and Spotted Horse joined him. Drums began to beat and other tribe members, men and women, began to dance.
Jack looked at Two Feathers and saw that Two Feathers was looking at him. Two Feathers gave Jack a knowing smile.
Jack was on his feet and in the dance before he actually knew what he was doing. When he began to dance he felt his body go flush and the hair on the back of his neck and arms rose on end as it did the night he killed Dirty Earl. He felt strong and powerful. It was euphoric.
Sonny and Beth followed Jack into the dance. It stirred something primordial in them. They danced until they were exhausted. One by one they staggered back to where they had been seated and collapsed. They were heaving for air and covered in sweat. They felt exhilarated.
The dancing went on for hours. People would drop out and rest and then rejoin the dancing.
Two Feathers reached over and touched Beth on the arm to get her attention. He stood up and indicated that they should follow him and Falling Moon Woman. They all walked through the village to Two Feathers and Falling Moon Woman’s Teepee.
Upon entering the teepee, Falling Moon Woman started a small fire. Once they had light they could see that Falling Moon Woman had prepared three buffalo skin bedrolls for the children.
Two Feathers sat down on what looked like a high back chair with no legs. When Falling Moon Woman and the children were seated, he said, “You will live here in my lodge. You are now my children. You will become Cheyenne.”
Beth translated. She and the boys talked amongst themselves and she said to Two Feathers “We will try and bring honor to you and Falling Moon Woman as your children. We do not know the ways of the Cheyenne and must be taught.
Whistling Elk was right. We do come from a faraway place and someday we hope to return. It will be a long journey for us and someday we will have to leave you.”
“We will face that when the time comes” said Two Feathers “but from this night on you are Cheyenne.”
Without another word he moved over to his bedroll, crawled under the buffalo rug and prepared to go to sleep. Falling Moon Woman smiled at the children and followed her husband to bed.
The children looked at each other, shrugged, picked out a bedroll and lay down to sleep. Although they were excited they were exhausted from the dance and the day’s activities. They went right to sleep and slept straight through until morning.
Jack awoke just at sunup and woke up the other two. Falling Moon Woman and Two Feathers were still asleep. They silently slipped out of the teepee and walked down to the river. It appeared as if they were the only ones in the village awake.
“I wonder where they pee around here?” Sonny said.
“I don’t know” said Jack “but let’s find a bush. Beth can go first and then you and I can go.”
Once they had attended to that pressing matter they sat down by the river to talk.
“Do you think we are prisoners, Beth?” said Sonny.
“No, I think we are just what Two Feathers says we are. We are his adopted children and as far as he is concerned, Cheyenne.”
“Yeah, but what if we don’t want to be his children and Cheyenne?”
“I thought you were the guy who wanted it all,” said Jack.
“I do, but we have to think this out. Don’t you ever want to go back home?”
“Of course he does,” said Beth. “But what choice do we have? We’re felons. We killed a man and stole seven horses, rifles, pistols, supplies and $3,000 dollars in gold. If we go to a white settlement, they’re liable to string us up.”
“That’s not fair,” said Sonny. “We couldn’t just stand by and let Curly Bob torture or kill Two Feathers.”
“Of course we couldn’t,” said Jack. “Beth is just stating reality. To kill a white man for wanting to carve up an Indian is murder in the 1870s west. Beside, who said that life was fair?
The way I see it, we have no choice but to take up Two Feathers’ offer. If we stay here, several things happen. After two or three years, this thing with Dirty Earl will blow over. We’ll be older and bigger and will be better able to take care of ourselves. Right now we’re just twelve-year-old kids. When we are fourteen or sixteen, we’ll be considered adults in this time and age in America. We won’t be thrown into some orphanage or farmed out to different families as slave labor in the guise of adoption. And the most important reason of all, this is a chance of a lifetime. We will live as plains Indians. Be plains Indians. It boggles the mind.”
Sonny flopped back on his back, spread his arms out in the grass and thought about what Beth and Jack had said. He smiled and said with excitement in his voice “OK, when do I become an Indian? I’m ready.”
Beth and Jack started to laugh. Beth jumped on top of her brother and started tickling him. Jack joined in and helped her.
At first the members of the tribe would have nothing to do with the kids. They had seen what happened to Whistling Elk when he had touched the children and none of them wanted to hit the turf like Whistling Elk had done. But little by little they came around. They saw Falling Moon Woman touch the children and her eyes didn’t roll back in her head and she didn’t fall down. It was the tribe’s children that brought the rest of the tribe around.
Beth, Sonny and Jack began looking for children their own age and at first hung around them at a distance. There was a group of young Cheyenne that looked like they were between the ages of eight and twelve. The girls were playing with dolls and even had a small teepee erected as a playhouse. They even had a buffalo skin stretched out with pegs and some of the girls were scraping the hide of flesh and fat. The boys were about thirty feet away from the girls and it looked like they were stalking an old buffalo robe that had been thrown over some sticks that had been driven into the ground. When they got close enough to the robe they would start shooting it with arrows.
Beth, Sonny and Jack moved closer. When they did the Cheyenne children stopped what they were doing and at first just looked at the three white children. Then a girl about eleven or twelve walked over to them and said something in Cheyenne to them.
Beth said, “She wants to know if we want to play.”
“Sure,” said Jack.
Beth said something to the girl and the four of the
m walked over to the children. The children parted in front of Beth, Sonny and Jack. No one wanted to get too close to them.
“I think that after the buildup we got from Whistling Elk, nobody wants to get too close to us,” said Sonny.
“I think you’re right,” said Jack. “Beth, tell them that we may be spirit warriors but we are now also Cheyenne and would never do harm to the Cheyenne. We only harm our enemies and the enemies of the Cheyenne.”
“That’s a little thick. Don’t you think, Jack?” said Sonny.
“There’s no harm in a little mystery. What do you think, Beth?”
“A little mystery is fine Jack but I’m not going to lie to them. I’ll tell them that we are just children like them and we won’t and can’t harm them and that they have nothing to fear from us.”
Beth started talking to the Cheyenne children and when she finished a tall skinny boy of about twelve or thirteen stepped forward and started talking. As he talked he waved his arm pointing at the other Cheyenne children and there was contempt in his face and voice. When he finished his little speech he spread his feet apart shoulder width, puffed out his chest as best he could, folded his arms over his chest and gave the three white kids a stern look.
Beth turned around immediately so as to face the boys and so that the skinny boy couldn’t see her stifle a laugh. She said, “He says he is Tall Boy.”
Jack interrupted “Well he’s got that right.” The boy was about five foot ten inches tall.
Beth looked annoyed at Jack and continued. “I told them that they had nothing to fear from us and he said ‘I am Tall Boy and I fear nothing. If these prairie chickens,’ That’s when he pointed to the rest of those kids.” explained Beth “won’t play with you, I, Tall Boy, will be your friend.”
“Well if he’s so brave,” said Sonny “then why did it take a girl to come over to us first?”
It was Sonny’s turn for Beth’s annoyed look. She said with her best sarcastic voice “We’re here to make friends, you nitwit, not piss people off.”
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