by Karen Kay
“What is the problem here?” Major Bogard demanded from his daughter, rising from his position along the side of the room to stride into the center.
“Evidently,” George Catlin answered for her, “this Indian here will only sit for me if I paint your daughter’s picture first.”
Major Wendall Bogard stared at Tahiska, regarding his daughter lastly with a firm glare. “Why?” he asked the artist, although his gaze remained on his daughter.
George Catlin shrugged. “Perhaps, like you, the Indian desires something of beauty to gaze upon.”
“And how,” the major addressed his daughter, ignoring the artist completely, “do you know the Indian’s language?”
“I…” She opened her mouth to speak, but Tahiska growled. Startled, Kristina glanced up.
Something was wrong. Tahiska stood, suddenly crouched, and Kristina saw his gaze searching for a weapon. Her own hand felt for her revolver. What was wrong?
Wahtapah and Neeheeowee howled, and towards the doorway arose answering shrieks.
Kristina’s gaze spun towards the entry. Two Pawnee stood there, both suddenly alerted to danger, their own gazes leaping towards the three Sioux. Also weaponless, the Pawnee crouched down, their bodies ready to act as the weapons they needed.
“Father, do something!”
Wendall Bogard glanced from the Sioux to the Pawnee, then back to the three Sioux. Then, stepping between the adversaries, he picked up the peace pipe Tahiska had laid at the artist’s feet. He offered it first to the Sioux and then to the Pawnee braves, motioning in sign that all were here at the fort upon request and that while they were here, all would observe peace.
None of the Indians moved, but the major continued making the gestures of peace, offering again the peace pipe, knowing that amongst the Indians that symbol of peace was enough to have the strongest of warriors lay down his weapons, even in the midst of a fight.
Slowly the Indians, both Sioux and Pawnee, relaxed, but neither withdrew his gaze from his adversary, and though the Pawnee were admitted to the room, both parties continued to glare at one another.
“Why are they here?” Tahiska asked Kristina in Lakota.
“I don’t know,” she answered in the same language, then switching to English, addressed her father. “Did you know that the Pawnee were intending to come here today?”
He nodded. “They’re here to escort Mr. Catlin to their village.”
“You could have warned us.”
“Us?”
Kristina stopped. She glanced nervously at Tahiska.
“Miss Bogard,” George Catlin said, stepping up beside her. “Won’t you please be seated here?” He gestured toward the model’s seat. “I find that I have the desire to paint your picture, with your permission? You’ll excuse us, sir?” Touching Kristina gently on the arm, he guided her to the seat. “Little hot in here, isn’t it?” he whispered for her alone, as he helped her to sit.
Kristina gave him a shaky smile, grateful for his rescue.
Although the portrait was completed within a short time, Kristina was appreciative of the brief reprieve from her father’s anger and Tahiska’s insistence. And though hostilities in the room flared, she posed as calmly as possible.
Her father glared at her, but at least he didn’t speak. The two Indian parties scowled at one another.
Finally, the portrait completed, George Catlin offered the painting to Tahiska, the artist taking the pipe in his hand as the Indian offered it to him in exchange. He glanced at Kristina. “Tell him I’m ready for him now.”
Kristina made the request in sign, noting that the portrait would forever bear her lover’s grimace since he never once, during the entire sitting, took his gaze from his enemy.
The sitting done, Tahiska rose, and motioning his friends and to Kristina to follow, sulked from the room. He left her own portrait behind, and she wondered fleetingly if this was merely an oversight, or if perhaps he was angry with her.
Kristina tried to smile sweetly, her gaze, falling upon her father, but all she accomplished was a blush, and with half an apology she turned to follow the Indians.
“You will not visit our camp again.”
“Why?”
Tahiska glared at his wife, then said, “Our enemies know now that we are in their country and we will have to protect our camp and ourselves. You would only hinder us, causing us worry. You and your friend will stay here until we leave to go home. You will come with me then.”
“Those Indians would not hurt me.”
Tahiska cast her a hard look. They stood outside, in the warmth of the sunshine, arguing. “The Pawnee would kill us and take you prisoner. They hate the whites almost as much as they hate the Sioux. I thought you knew this. Ever since the white trader introduced the smallpox disease amongst them, they have hated the white man. Do you think you would be protected only because you are female?” Tahiska snorted. “Think again. Their customs are strange; they kill their female captives in their ceremony to the morning star. But why do I tell you this? Why do you not know this yourself? Do you value the white medicine man? He is going amongst those people. Shouldn’t the white man have discovered the ceremonies of the Pawnee?”
“They have promised him their protection.”
Tahiska snarled.
“Do you think he is in danger, then?” she asked.
He gave her a strange look. “Indians do not break their word. If they have promised him protection, he is assured it. But we leave the point. You are not to visit our camp again until I inform you otherwise.”
“But…”
“There are other worries besides the Pawnee. The autumn prairie fires have begun. Until this danger is past, you and your friend will stay in the fort.”
“I have…”
“I will not argue this point with you. Do not defy me. I know that you have a mind that will do as you feel necessary, but you will not ride on the plains at this time of year. You have told me yourself that this is your first autumn here. You are not well enough equipped to handle these fires, though I know you ride well. Many an able Indian has been lost to their rage and they at least understood the danger.”
“When will I see you again? You seldom visit our fort.”
“I will see you when I am ready to return to my people, perhaps before. You will come with me then.”
“Maybe.”
He glowered at her. “You are my wife!”
“I am not!”
He peered at her for several moments. Then, finally, “So be it.” He spun around, treading away so quickly, Kristina was left off guard. But before he disappeared completely, he called over his shoulder. “You are to stay here.”
And Kristina, in a fit of temper, returned, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Tahiska paid her no attention, leaving her behind as Wahtapah and Neeheeowee joined in his lead, the three disappearing through the gates as silently as they had come.
Kristina turned away more upset than ever, and she wondered why. Hadn’t he finally agreed they weren’t married? It was what she’d wanted, wasn’t it? But at what expense?
Yes, she’d wanted the acknowledgment that no bonds linked them, but not like this. Not at the cost of losing him. Perhaps another might feel victorious, but not Kristina. She’d never felt more like crying.
Chapter Fourteen
Kristina stared at the prairie fires in the distance, extending over the high bluffs, stretching off into the horizon. Sparkling like a chain of fiery jewels, they appeared suspended in midair. The cool evening air touched her skin, sending chills down her spine. She shivered.
“Where’s your shawl?”
Kristina glanced hurriedly at Julia, then back at the scene. “I left it in my room. I didn’t think I would need it when we came out here. After all, the sun was warm only this afternoon.”
Julia grimaced. She stared at her friend before stating, “Didn’t it get cool in the evening back east? It’s September now and it will continue to get cooler u
ntil next spring. Here, use mine.”
“Thanks, Julia, but I couldn’t. Then you’d get cold. I’ll only be here a little longer. I can stand it.”
Julia shrugged, but draped half the shawl around her friend’s shoulders. “Here,” she said. “We’ll share it.”
Kristina grinned at her. “Tell me, Julia, why does this scene look like magic to me?”
Julia laughed. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I thought it looked like magic the first time I saw it, too. It’s the bluffs set afire. But at this time of night, you can’t see the bluff, only the fire. Makes it look like there are fires in the sky.”
Kristina looked out upon the scene from the security of the fort. She and her friend were standing on the planks of the fort’s wall, gazing out over the wooden posts. Several others walked along the plank, also enjoying the autumn evening.
“It’s beautiful,” she agreed. But its beauty made her ache.
Where was Tahiska? Was he safe? Had the Pawnee looked for him? Had they captured or killed him?
Kristina worried. In fact, she had disobeyed his orders almost immediately, setting out for his camp the very next day after their meeting. But of him, she had found nothing. Almost a month had now elapsed since she had last seen him, and in that time she had come to discover that she desired his company more than she coveted a clean reputation. Only what good did the self-realization do now? She couldn’t find him to tell him. And he hadn’t visited the fort for an entire month.
Where was he now? Did he think of her? And if he did, why didn’t he seek her out?
She kept reminding herself of his heritage, that he would fare as well on the open prairie as she did within the fort. Besides, if something had truly happened to him, Kristina felt sure she would know it. Somehow she would feel it.
These thoughts didn’t, however, ease her anxiety. And if the Pawnee weren’t enough of a threat, what about these prairie fires? His warning about the natural danger was still fresh in her mind. Did he heed his own cautionary advice?
And then there were those things she didn’t want to consider. They hadn’t parted on the best of terms. It was horrible to think about, but wasn’t it possible that he had finally given up on her?
“It’s odd,” Julia said, interrupting her thoughts. “I would never admit it to anyone else, but I miss our excursions to the Indian camp.”
Kristina nodded.
“Why do you suppose they haven’t visited us here?”
Kristina took awhile to answer, finally shrugging. “You don’t think anything has happened to them, do you?”
“No,” Julia responded. “Somehow I think you and I would feel it. More than likely they’re preparing for winter. They’ll need some winter stores, won’t they?”
“Maybe, but it makes me wonder why. They came here to investigate the trade. Don’t they know it yet? And why aren’t they here more often learning the trade? It’s as though they don’t really care about it. They’ve had time to learn our system and get back to their people. Do you ever wonder why they are still here?”
“It sounds as though you would like them gone.”
“No.” Kristina gazed out toward the plains. “It’s just that there are things here that don’t make sense. And I worry. Do you suppose the Pawnee have attacked them, after all?”
Julia didn’t answer.
“I’m afraid, too, that Tahiska has left me.”
Julia spun around to stare at her, stating at last, “I think that’s highly unlikely.”
“He was very upset that I haven’t agreed to marriage.”
“Still, I don’t think that.”
“What he doesn’t know is that I have changed my mind. I think I have gone a little crazy this past month without him. I believe I just might like to marry him—maybe even leave with him when he returns to his home.”
Julia didn’t move. Nor did she speak. At length she said, “I suspected this would happen, I guess I knew all along that one of our civilizations would have to give. I just never thought that it would be our own. I will miss you.” She cleared her throat and, shaking her head, continued, “I will miss them all, but most of all I will miss the warmth of your friendship. If I could, I think I would follow you, but my life belongs here. Have you decided how to tell your parents?”
Kristina moaned.
Julia hugged her. “Just think about it,” she whispered. “You’ve some time. And I will help you in any way that I can.”
Kristina couldn’t look at her friend, not with tears ready to flow. She wouldn’t fall victim to them. “I only hope…” her voice broke, “…that there will be a reason that I will need your help.”
Julia nodded and, hugging her friend closer, gazed off into the night.
“What if something has happened to him?”
“Don’t do it, Kristina.”
“I can’t wait. It’s been over a month and I’m afraid something has happened to him. I don’t intend to sit here and ponder it anymore.”
Julia trailed after Kristina, barely able to keep pace.
“If you do find him, he’ll be furious with you.”
“Do you think I don’t know that?” Kristina called back over her shoulder. “This is something that I have to do.”
“I can’t let you go by yourself.”
Kristina stopped. She pivoted around. “And I can’t allow you to accompany me.”
“What will you tell your father? He’s still forbidden you to ride alone.”
“He’ll never know. I’ll be back before he finds out.”
Kristina turned back in the direction of the livery, her steps lively and quick.
“How did you get permission to leave, anyway?”
Kristina grinned at her, waving a paper in the air. “The colonel. It seems I’m going to visit friends.”
“What friends?”
“Mary Williams. She was here yesterday. Her daughter is sick and she was asking if anyone here could come out to her place for an hour or two so she can do chores.”
“I don’t believe it. Are you really going there?” Kristina looked guilty for a moment and Julia was quick to note it. “You’re not, are you?”
“I am. It’s just that I didn’t tell the colonel that I only intend to stay for a few minutes, maybe an hour. Nothing more.”
“Kristina, you shouldn’t go.”
“I have to.”
“Isn’t there anything I can say to talk you out of this?”
“No there isn’t,” Kristina said, tugging at the livery door. “But I appreciate your trying.”
Kristina handed her paper to the soldier in charge.
“I’ll say hello to Mary for you,” Kristina said. “Julia, you act as though I’ve never ridden onto the prairie by myself. I’ll be fine.” The soldier delivered her horse to her and Kristina quickly mounted.
“I don’t think you should do this. This is only your first year here and you are unfamiliar with the fires.” Julia frowned, but seeing her warning go unheeded, she stated calmly, “Watch for the wind, Kristina. Ensure it is never at your back.”
“Thanks. I appreciate your concern, but I’m a good rider. I’ll be back before dusk, you’ll see.”
Julia watched her friend ride off until Kristina’s figure was blurred in the distance. Julia turned away. What was that old superstition? That if one watched a loved one depart, they would never return.
Julia chided herself. Pure silliness. Besides, she hadn’t watched her until she could see her no more. The superstition just didn’t apply in this case. She was sure of it.
After visiting Mary for a little over an hour, Kristina galloped out onto the plains. She felt animated. Being confined to the fort for over a month had taken its toll on her, and the vast slopes and valleys were a welcome relief. She believed the danger of the prairie fires was over-exaggerated. But just in case, she intended to keep to the high bluffs where the fires were small and easy to avoid.
Within the hour, she reached the place w
here the Indians had been camped. She looked for signs as to where they might have gone, but there was nothing, not even a trace to say they had ever been there.
Kristina led her horse to the stream where she and Tahiska had spent several afternoons. She sat down on a rock and contemplated where Tahiska might have gone, if he were even still in the area.
She would never find them and she knew it. The only way to make contact with them would be to let them find her.
This decided, Kristina headed for the high bluffs.
For several hours she rode over the bluffs, keeping herself entirely visible. At noon she dined on an Indian staple of wasna and buffalo tongues, which had recently been brought to the fort by a neighboring tribe. Still she saw nothing.
As she traveled along the elevated cliffs, she looked down upon an immense prairie. She could see nothing beyond it except the wavy, green grass. She followed the high summit to its very end and sat forward upon her pony as she stared at the plains beneath her. In the distance lay another summit bluff, which looked blue from this far off.
Kristina smiled. With the sun warming her limbs and the scene stretched out before her in all its beauty, she felt quite at peace.
Deciding the Indians were not to be found today, she turned her horse. But her eye caught something in the distance, and she turned back toward it. It was a flash, like a signal. There it was, again…and again. It appeared to come from the remote blue ridge.
Kristina regarded the surrounding terrain. She had been following the summit of an elevated bluff. Below her lay the prairie, completely flat for miles. The grass grew high there and Kristina knew instinctively that danger lurked in those tall grasses. The vegetation was too high to make traveling easy. Yet the only way to the blue summit, where she had seen the signals, was through this prairie.
Kristina checked the direction of the wind. She inspected the horizon. She saw no signs of fire or of high wind.
If the grass was still green, it would not take well to a fire, making the prairie safer, Kristina reasoned. It would do her no harm to trudge down to the plain to determine the freshness of the grass. If it was at all brown, she could easily climb up this summit to safety. If it was green…
