“I know, but still, I just cannot even imagine eating now,” Speckled Fawn said. “I . . . I . . . believe I would vomit the moment the food hit my stomach.”
“I shall leave word that you do not want to dine with us tonight, nor do you want any supper brought to you here,” Hannah said, placing a gentle hand on Speckled Fawn’s face. “But please do be careful how much whiskey you consume on an empty stomach.”
“I shall,” Speckled Fawn promised. “I shall drink just what it takes to help lull me to sleep.”
Hannah quickly hugged Speckled Fawn, then left, closing the door behind her.
“Whew,” Speckled Fawn said, sighing heavily. “This is much harder than I imagined it would be.”
She was not a practiced liar, but those lies were required in order for her to steal the child away.
She said a soft prayer that she would soon be with her husband again, and that Shirleen would be reunited with her daughter.
“I must succeed,” she whispered as she held the flax out before her. “Yes, I must.”
She gazed at the flask, then giggled. “If my dear mother could see me now,” she murmured. “Oh, Mama. You would surely condemn me to hell if you knew what a sinner I can be.”
But she did not really believe she was sinning tonight. She was thinking of anyone but herself!
Chapter Twenty-five
My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains
My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk,
Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains.
—Keats
Finally it was dark enough for Speckled Fawn to put her plan in motion. She felt it was safer for her to go to Earl’s cabin after it got dark, hoping she wouldn’t be seen. As she first stepped outside, she surveyed everything around her and saw that most inhabitants of the fort were inside their cabins.
She knew that at least one sentry would be keeping watch at the gate. She was hoping this sentry would fall asleep as the night wore on and she was ready to escape from the fort with Megan.
A lot of things had to fall into place or all would be lost for her. But for now the important thing was to be invited inside Earl’s cabin, for she had the flask of whiskey hidden in her blouse as she stepped up to Earl’s door.
She looked quickly around her. Seeing no one, she knocked.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she waited for the door to open. She knew he was still inside the cabin because she had slipped up to a window and taken a look before coming to the door.
She also knew that Megan was asleep on a small cot against the far wall.
The only other furniture in the cabin were a table and two chairs in the center of the room, as well as two comfortable-looking armchairs before a roaring fire.
She gathered that this was not a cabin used by a family but by a bachelor officer who used it primarily for sleeping. His meals were surely taken at the mess hall in the center of the courtyard.
Finally the door opened. Shirleen found herself looking into cold blue eyes as Earl stared glassily back at her. She saw how bloodshot his eyes were, and he reeked of alcohol. He must have already consumed a good amount of liquor.
She smiled to herself. The fact that he was already half drunk would help advance her plan that much more quickly.
“Why are you here?” Earl asked, his voice slurred. “As far as I can tell, there ain’t nothin’ here that should interest you.”
“Your little girl,” Speckled Fawn said, looking past him at the sleeping child. “I saw you earlier with the child. I . . . I . . . just recently lost my own daughter. Can I come in and see her? I am so lonesome for my baby.”
“I heard about your tragedy,” Earl said slyly, his blue eyes suddenly gleaming. He gestured with a hand. “Come on in. Take a gander at my little girl, if that will make your loss easier for you. But as you can see, my Megan’s asleep. Don’t wake her up.”
“I won’t,” Speckled Fawn said, slipping past him before he had a chance to change his mind.
Hearing him speak Megan’s name gave Speckled Fawn confirmation that this was the right child.
She went and stood over Megan, seeing how truly lovely she was, and how innocent. “I am so alone in the world now,” she said, turning slowly to look at Earl, who came and stood behind her. “You seem alone, too. Can I stay for a while and talk?”
Earl slowly looked her up and down until he had gotten a full view of the buxom woman that she was. “Yeah, and how’s about a drink with me?” he said, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “I’m lonely, too. Let’s keep each other company for a while.”
His eyes widened when Speckled Fawn slid the flask from beneath her blouse. “Well, what have we here?” he said, chuckling.
Speckled Fawn flinched when he grabbed the flask from her. “Come on,” he said, drool spiraling from a corner of his mouth. “Sit. Drink.” He winked at her. “Then maybe we can have ourselves some fun, if you know what I mean.”
“Sir, I . . . just . . . lost my husband and daughter,” Speckled Fawn said, faking sadness. “But if you think it’d be alright, I would like to drink with you. That’s why I brought the whiskey. I needed someone to drink with.”
She frowned at him. “But that’s all I want from you,” she said firmly. “Company and booze. That’s it. Do you understand?”
“That sounds good enough for me,” Earl said, flopping down on a chair.
He motioned for her to sit down opposite him at the table. “Here,” he said. “You brought the booze. You take the first drink from it. Go ahead. Take a swig.”
He suddenly scooted the flask across the table to her.
Despising the very sight of the man, yet knowing she must proceed with the plan and then get out of there as quickly as she could, Speckled Fawn took the flask from him. She hadn’t had a drink for many years and knew how quickly she could get drunk. She had to play it safe.
“Got a glass?” she asked, not wanting to share the taste of the man’s mouth on the flask after he took a drink from it.
“Yep, think I can manage to find one,” Earl said, stumbling out of his chair. He went to a small cabinet on the wall just above a table where a basin of water sat. He took two glasses from the cabinet, then went back and sat down on his chair opposite her.
He scooted one of the glasses over to her.
He watched with squinted eyes as she poured herself a small amount of whiskey.
“That’s all you’re gonna drink?” he asked, chuckling. “Just like a woman to brag about wantin’ to drink, then you can’t stand the taste of it. Go ahead. Drink what you like. I’ll have no trouble drinkin’ the rest.”
Glad he assumed that most women hated whiskey, she smiled and took a sip.
He threw his head back in a fit of laughter. “That ain’t enough to drown a fly in,” he said as he took the flask back from her. “But it just leaves more for me.”
When the whiskey hit Speckled Fawn’s belly, she cringed. This had to be the worst liquor she had ever tasted. And she knew it was very strong.
She was glad that Earl wasn’t pushing any more on her. She would just take delight in watching him get drunker and drunker, and then take advantage of him when she could.
She watched him down one glass of whiskey and then another. He became quiet, seeming more interested in getting drunk than anything else.
“Whiskey helps a lot when you need to forget,” he said, his words slurring even more than before. “I need to forget. Oh, Lordie, if you only knew what I seen recently. Well, you don’t want to know, and I cain’t ever say.”
Speckled Fawn knew what he wanted to forget without his telling her, so she just stayed quiet and waited for him to pass out.
He was having trouble keeping his head up, and each time he took another drink, much of the whiskey sloshed out of the glass onto his lips.
He was losing control.
That was what Speckled Fawn wanted.
She had worked in enough dance halls to recognize the signs be
fore a man passed out.
Thank the Lord, this man was nearing that point now.
“I was wrong to take my daughter from her mother,” Earl suddenly blurted out.
He looked over at Megan, who was still sleeping soundly. “I do regret taking the child to raise by myself,” he said. “I only took her to bring hurt into my wife’s heart. I’ve grown tired of her and the child. And now here I am, stuck with a child to raise all by myself.”
His words were so slurred Speckled Fawn could hardly make out what he was saying. But knowing so much about him from what Shirleen had told her, she could decipher enough of what he was saying to make sense of it.
He slid a slow gaze over at Speckled Fawn. His eyes glittered glassily. “Since you’ve lost your own daughter, would you like to have mine to take her place?” he asked thickly. “I’d gladly part with her. She’s done what I needed her for. Now I’d like a life of my own, alone.”
Speckled Fawn was stunned by the way things were happening. Never had she expected this. She realized now just how evilhearted this man was.
“If you don’t truly want her, why did you take her?” she asked cautiously.
“Don’t you hear well? Have you got cotton or something else in your ears?” he said, squinting at her again. “I told you I took Megan in order to hurt her mother.”
He leaned closer to Speckled Fawn. “I’m serious,” he said. “Would you like to have the child? Yours was taken from you by the heathens. Now you can have mine instead. Take my daughter and you’ll no longer be alone.”
He chuckled again and began talking even more erratically. “How’d you escape your captors?” he said. “You’re mighty clever to have done it.”
He didn’t give her a chance to answer because he didn’t really want an answer. He just wanted to ramble on and on. “I hate all redskins,” he said, glowering. “They are murdering, lice-infested savages.” He chuckled as he stared at the flask of whiskey. “I had me an Indian squaw one day. It was about a year ago. I’d been out alone hunting and there she was, all alone, picking berries. I recognized her. She was known to be the wife of a powerful Assiniboine Indian chief. She was Chief Blue Thunder’s woman.”
Afraid of what else this man was going to tell her, Speckled Fawn felt sick even before he confirmed her suspicion. She was almost sure that she was sitting face-to-face with the son of a bitch who had ended the life of her chief’s wife.
But Speckled Fawn had to play his game. She knew he enjoyed telling her what he had done. He deserved what he would eventually get. A man like him wouldn’t live long. Someone would take offense at his arrogance and silence him forever.
“I’ve not heard of that Indian chief,” she lied. “Or his wife.”
“Well, you’re hearing about her now,” he said, snickering. “I threw that squaw to the ground. My, oh my, did she plead and fight as I raped her. When I was done, I silenced her forever with my knife.”
Speckled Fawn tried not to show how horrified she was feeling. Oh, Lord, she was face-to-face with a rapist and murderer.
She flinched when Earl suddenly slapped the knife sheathed at his right side.
“This here is the knife that did it,” he bragged. “There’s one less savage squaw on this earth now because of me. I believe the Comanche renegades were accused of the crime, for no one ever came lookin’ for good ol’ Earl Mingus.”
He leaned even close to her. “See?” he said. “I did you a favor. The Comanche came and killed your husband and child, didn’t they?”
“Yes, Comanche, but not Assiniboine,” she dared to say. “They are known to be peace-loving people.”
He frowned. “Are you an Injun lover or what?” he said, his head swaying as the alcohol fully claimed him.
“No, you must know I’m not, after suffering such losses because of them,” she said. She rose from the chair and went to Megan. She looked over her shoulder at Earl, whose head was resting on the table. “Are you serious? Can I truly have the child? I promise to be a good mother.”
He shrugged. “That doesn’t matter. I just wanna get her outta my hair,” he said. “Take her.”
He lifted his head unsteadily from the table and gazed at Speckled Fawn through blurred vision. “But where will you take her?” he said. “Your home was burned.”
“I have a friend who lives in a small settlement not far from where my cabin had been,” she said, hoping that her lie was believable. “Until the child is older and better able to travel, I’ll stay there. Then later I will head for Boston, my true home. Don’t you agree with me that the long journey back East would be too hard on the child if I took her there now?”
“Probably so,” he said, shrugging.
“Then you agree to my plan?” she asked. “Can I truly take her? Take her now?”
He nodded and stood shakily. Then he watched Speckled Fawn gather Megan up from the bed and into her arms. The child slept through it all.
“Thank you,” Speckled Fawn said as she glanced quickly at Earl, then rushed out of the cabin.
She was glad there was no moon.
Everything was pitch-black as she headed toward the gate.
She looked over her shoulder at the cabins. She saw no lamplight in any of them. Everyone else had gone to bed for the night.
She prayed that the sentry was asleep, too.
She also prayed that the gate could be easily opened without making noise.
Breathlessly she made her way toward the gate, disbelieving her luck. She had a feeling that when tomorrow came, and Earl was sober and realized what he had done, he would decide to come after Megan.
The good thing was, he would have no idea where to look. By then, Megan would be safely in her mother’s arms.
Speckled Fawn was certain that God was with her tonight, because she found the gate ajar and the sentry fast asleep.
She prayed that the child wouldn’t wake up at the wrong time.
She slowly stepped outside, past the sentry.
Then she held Megan near to her heart and ran as fast as she could until she fell into Blue Thunder’s arms. He gently took the child, who awakened at that moment, her eyes wide with fear when she found she was in the company of Indians.
“You are safe with us,” Blue Thunder tried to reassure her. “You are going to be alright. I am taking you to your mother.”
Megan’s eyes widened; then she trustingly hugged Blue Thunder. He took her to his horse and mounted, holding her carefully on his lap.
With pride in her eyes, Speckled Fawn rode beside Blue Thunder as they headed back toward the village. Now she would be fully accepted by Blue Thunder. She had finally proved her worth to him.
She could hardly wait to get home and tell her husband what she had done, although she knew that he probably wouldn’t be able to hear her in his deep sleep.
She hoped a miracle would happen and he would awaken again as he had before.
Chapter Twenty-six
Kiss the tears from her eyes,
You’ll find the rose
The sweeter for the dew.
—Webster
Shirleen was stirred from her sleep by the sound of horses outside.
Was she dreaming?
Or was she truly hearing horses coming into the village?
Having remained fully dressed as she had stretched out before the night’s fire, she rushed to her feet and ran outside. She could see Blue Thunder’s face beneath the moon’s glow, and then, oh, Lord, she saw her sweet Megan lying nestled on Blue Thunder’s lap, asleep.
Shirleen was overwhelmed with a joy she had never known possible as she ran toward the oncoming horses, her arms outstretched.
When Blue Thunder saw her, he drew rein and dismounted, handing Megan to her. Only then did the child awaken and realize what was happening.
“Mama! Mama!” Megan cried, clinging to Shirleen’s neck. “Oh, Mama, Papa took me away! I didn’t want to go, but he took me anyway!”
“I know, dear,” Shirleen
said, gazing lovingly at her daughter, wondering if this was real or if she was dreaming.
But her daughter’s arms around her neck were real enough!
Her tiny body cuddled so close to Shirleen’s was real!
Shirleen looked through thankful tears at Blue Thunder as he stood there, smiling, watching the wondrous reunion of ina and micinski.
Then he suddenly became aware of the silence around him as the people of the village came out of their lodges, solemnly staring at him.
He looked at one person and then another. Finally he noticed someone standing at the doorway of his uncle’s lodge.
His people’s shaman, Morning Thunder.
He also realized that when he had first seen Shirleen, she had come from his own lodge, not his uncle’s, where she had promised to stay until he returned with his uncle’s wife.
Speckled Fawn also became aware that things were not as they should be. She could feel the color draining from her face when she, too, saw Morning Thunder standing just outside her husband’s lodge.
She looked quickly at Shirleen, who had promised to stay with Dancing Shadow while Speckled Fawn went to help rescue the younger woman’s child.
She gazed into Shirleen’s eyes. “What has happened?” Speckled Fawn asked in a faint whisper, for she was almost certain of the answer without hearing it.
“I am so sorry,” Shirleen said softly.
“He . . . is . . . dead?” Speckled Fawn cried out as she slid from her saddle. “My husband . . . ?”
“He died peacefully with a smile on his face, for he thought I was you,” Shirleen said, her voice catching. “He . . . even . . . spoke some last words to me, and they were about you, Speckled Fawn. Only you.”
“And I wasn’t there,” Speckled Fawn choked out. With tears streaming from her eyes, she broke into a run and was soon inside her lodge, at her husband’s side.
Shirleen turned to Blue Thunder. “I truly did all that I could,” she said, a sob catching in her throat. “I talked with him those few moments when he finally found voice enough to speak. He . . . did . . . seem content to die.”
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