Hell Hath No Fury

by Charles G. West

  “Do as you wish,” Spotted Pony said. “I don’t need any help to kill one white man. I will go alone.”

  “I will go with you,” Crooked Leg volunteered.

  “And I, too,” Running Bird spoke up.

  * * *

  After wrapping Kills Two Bears’s body in his blankets, Spotted Pony fashioned a hasty burial for him in the branches of a large cottonwood. Then the three Lakota warriors were off at once, following the tracks that held close to the slopes of the mountains. The tracks led to the mouth of a ravine and sign that told them the white man had a partner waiting there with their horses. From there, the trail led toward the southern base of the mountain range and was clearly headed toward the trading post on the river. This caused a feeling of caution in the resolve of Crooked Leg and Running Bird, for this was close to the soldier camp.

  As they had suspected, the trail led them to the Clark Fork River, so they continued on to the trading post, moving in close enough to watch the goings and comings to Rubin Fagan’s store. The four horses, two of them with saddles, tied up there gave them confidence that they belonged to the men they chased. “We are lucky to have caught up with them this soon,” Running Bird said, thinking they must have spent a lot of time visiting with the man, Fagan, to still be there.

  Shortly thereafter, they saw the men they chased when they finally came out of Fagan’s store. There was no doubt when they saw the woman that Kills Two Bears had captured. Close enough to see clearly, Spotted Pony uttered an oath when he saw the feather in the hatband of one of the men. “It is the man with the feather, the man who led the soldiers down upon us when we were ready to attack the settlers on the river.” Suddenly, the magnitude of their hunt took on new importance. This had to be the one called Hawk. He was well-known among the Lakota Sioux. A warrior who killed Hawk would have big medicine and be honored by all his tribe. “I will kill Feather In His Hat, this Hawk,” Spotted Pony announced once again.

  “We must be very careful,” Crooked Leg cautioned. “He has powerful medicine.”

  “We’ll follow him and wait for them to make camp,” Spotted Pony said. “Then when it is dark, we’ll see how powerful his medicine is. We will kill all three.”

  * * *

  “John Hawk!” Rubin Fagan had announced loudly when the three travelers rode up to the front porch of his trading establishment. He grunted with the effort required to lift his considerable bulk out of the rocking chair. “If you ain’t a sight for sore eyes. I thought you musta been shot, or scalped, or both.”

  “How do, Rubin?” Hawk replied. “I was thinkin’ the same thing about you. I thought Minnie Red Shirt mighta done the job after wastin’ the best years of her life on you.”

  “Ha!” Fagan snorted in pretended contempt. “Minnie thanks Man Above every night for sendin’ her an outstandin’ man like myself to travel with her on her life path.”

  “Looks like she’s still feedin’ you pretty good,” Hawk said. “Either that, or that rockin’ chair’s startin’ to shrink up.”

  “Huh!” Fagan grunted. “A man’s gotta eat if he’s gonna do a day’s work.” Grinning then, he walked out to shake hands with Hawk. “Who’s this you brung with you?”

  “This is Monroe Pratt and his sister-in-law, Rachel,” Hawk replied. “They’re fixin’ to head out toward Missoula and they might need a few things.”

  “Well, you folks are welcome to my little store, here, even if you are travelin’ in some mighty poor company.” He nodded politely to Rachel and shook Monroe’s hand. “Come on inside and I’ll be glad to help you with anythin’ I can. I’ve got most staples a man could need, and a few things for ladies,” he said, taking notice of the tattered dress Rachel wore. He waited then for the explanation.

  “Rachel, here, has had enough misfortune to last most folks a lifetime,” Hawk said. He went on to tell Fagan about the circumstances that caused him to bring them to his store.

  “Lord have mercy,” Fagan exclaimed. “That’s mighty sorry news, all right,” he said to Rachel. “You come on inside and I’ll get my missus. She’ll fix you up with somethin’ to wear. We don’t do no business in ladies’ dresses, but Minnie can most likely find some deerskin skirts for you to wear.”

  “That would surely be appreciated,” Rachel said. “I would really like to wash this filthy thing I’ve got on.” She glanced at Monroe since she had no money of her own. He nodded his approval.

  “Minnie!” Fagan called out as he led them into the store. A few moments later, Minnie Red Shirt appeared at the door to Fagan’s residence behind the trading post. Seeing Hawk, she immediately smiled and came to greet him. An ageless Blackfoot woman, Minnie never seemed to have changed in the seven-odd years Hawk had known her and Fagan, while her husband continued to expand on her cooking. Happy to help any friend of Hawk’s, she graciously took Rachel by the hand and led her through the door to the house.

  With the women gone, Hawk turned to more serious questions. “Do you know Roy Nestor? You seen him around here lately?”

  “Roy Nestor,” Fagan repeated. “Not for a long while, at least not in the past year. I’ve seen him a time or two when he was ridin’ with an army patrol.” He paused to recall the man. “As I recollect, I never had much use for that man. Are you lookin’ for him?”

  That answered Hawk’s question as to whether or not Nestor had come this way when he fled from the ambush on the Missouri River. “Yeah, we’re lookin’ for Nestor. He’s the reason that young woman you just met is a widow.”

  Fagan looked immediately at Monroe. “Your brother? Well, I’m right sorry to hear that.” Hawk went on to tell him about the run-in they had just had with Nestor and the fact that he had managed to escape. And they didn’t learn about his killing of Monroe’s brother until after Nestor was gone. Hawk next asked about any reported Sioux raiding parties along the Clark Fork and was told that all had been quiet for most of the summer so far. “I expect Lieutenant Conner would be interested to hear about that party you had a run-in with, though,” Fagan said.

  “Conner,” Hawk exclaimed. “Is he in command of that camp?” It would be good to see Lieutenant Conner again.

  “Yep,” Fagan replied. “He set himself up in a little camp with one company of soldiers.”

  “Well, I’ll let him know he’s got a Sioux raidin’ party on his hands now. What worries me is they were trailing after Walkin’ Owl’s village when we found ’em on the eastern edge of the Garnet Mountains. I’d surely like to warn Walkin’ Owl if I knew where he was headin’.” He glanced over to see that Monroe was looking at something on the counter across the room before lowering his voice. “But I’m bound to take Monroe and Rachel to Missoula.”

  “Your friend Bloody Hand was in here to trade some pelts a couple of weeks ago,” Fagan said. “He told me his village was fixin’ to move across to the western slopes of the mountains. I’ll send my boy, Robert, to find the village and tell ’em about the Sioux war party.”

  “That would ease my mind quite a bit,” Hawk said. “But I don’t want Robert to take any chances and get himself in trouble.”

  “You don’t have to worry about Robert,” Fagan crowed. “He got more of his mother’s blood than he did mine. He’ll watch his scalp. He knows his mother will whup him good if he loses it.”

  * * *

  With their trading all done, Hawk wanted to ride to the small army encampment three quarters of a mile up the river, but Fagan and Minnie insisted on feeding them before they departed. Dressed in a soft doeskin dress, Rachel looked much the Indian maiden as she consented to one quick spin to let them all admire her new clothes. It was not lost on Hawk that it was the first real smile he had seen on her. He couldn’t help wondering how long her mourning for Jamie would last, considering the fact that she had known her late husband for only a short time. He hoped it wouldn’t be for too long a time, because she was a comely woman and looking to be close to the age when most women start to worry if they’re not married. He glanced
over at Monroe across the table from him. Looks about the right age for him, he thought.

  After the meal was finished, Hawk and Monroe shifted the packs around on the horses to provide a little more room for Rachel to ride on Monroe’s packhorse. There was not a great deal of adjustment required due to Rachel’s diminutive size. Some of the smaller packs were transferred to Hawk’s buckskin and Monroe’s roan. To make her ride even more comfortable, Fagan made Monroe a fair price on a child’s saddle he had bought for Robert when he was ten years old. It fit Rachel’s tiny behind just fine. She was delighted. Although the mood was light when they set out for the soldiers’ encampment, Hawk knew there was a heavy cloud of vengeance hanging over Monroe’s head. It was something that demanded a reckoning and he knew riding away to leave Roy Nestor running free was hammering on Monroe’s conscience. In the short time Hawk had ridden with Monroe Pratt, he had judged him to be a generous and honorable man. So when they made a short stop on their way to the army camp to allow Rachel to seek the privacy of the laurel bushes that lined the bank of the river, Hawk spoke his peace.

  “We ain’t talked much about our business arrangement, what with all that’s happened,” Hawk said. “When we started out, you just wanted me to help you find your brother, dead or alive.” Monroe nodded and started to speak, but Hawk continued. “Well, we found him, so I reckon that takes care of what we agreed on. We’re done with that. Now I figure it’s time to decide what we’re gonna do next. It’s still a good day’s ride to Missoula and I don’t recall you sayin’ how far down the Bitterroot Valley your ranch is from there. I don’t know if you want me to ride with you to take Rachel home, or not. But I oughta tell you I’m no longer on your payroll. I’ll go with you to Missoula if you want me to, but I won’t be expecting any pay for doin’ it. Once we get Rachel settled, we can come back and see if we can pick up Roy Nestor’s trail, if you wanna do that.” He paused a moment while Monroe thought about it. When he continued, he said, “If you don’t need me to go to Missoula, I expect I’ll go ahead and see if I can pick up Nestor’s trail now.”

  Hawk’s offer was not anticipated by Monroe, so he took a moment to digest it. Seeing Rachel emerging from the laurel bushes at that point, he made his decision quickly. “That’s damn decent of you to offer to go after that murderer on your own, and I appreciate it. But I’ve got a bigger stake in this than you have, so it’s important to me and my family to punish Nestor by my own hand. That said, I could sure use your help in finding that son of a bitch. Whaddaya say you ride with us to the Bitterroot Valley, then we’ll hunt Nestor together?”

  “If that’s what you want, then hell, fine by me.”

  Monroe reached over to shake on it. “Good,” he said. “I’m a fair man, so I’ll see that you get something out of the deal.” He walked over to give Rachel a boost up on her horse. “Hawk’s gonna keep us company on the way home,” he said to her.

  “Good,” she said, relieved to hear it.

  * * *

  Lieutenant Mathew Conner looked up from his reading when the corporal stuck his head in the tent that served as his headquarters. “Somebody wants to see you, sir. It’s somebody you might wanna see and he’s got some people with him.”

  Seeing the generous grin spread across Johnson’s face, the lieutenant was puzzled for a moment. “Well, send him in, Corporal . . . No, wait, I’ll come outside. It’s too damn hot in this tent.” He got to his feet and went outside, where he found Hawk with a man and a woman waiting outside the small ring of tents. “Hawk!” Conner exclaimed, grinning while Johnson chuckled. “What are you doing up this way? You must be lost.”

  “How do, Lieutenant?” Hawk replied, accustomed to Conner’s japing. “When I heard it was you the army sent out here in the woods, I figured you musta got in trouble with the major again.”

  “Not me,” Conner pretended to protest. “I’m striving to be the best officer in the regiment.” He laughed at the absurdity of his remark. Hawk laughed with him. He was well aware of the lieutenant’s penchant for trouble due to his lack of respect for military protocol and his fondness for a practical joke. He was certain it was the reason Conner had been passed over for promotion so many times. “I hope the colonel sent you up here to scout for me. I see you’ve got someone with you.” The sight of Rachel in her doeskin outfit prodded his curiosity.

  “This is Monroe Pratt and his sister-in-law, Rachel,” Hawk said. “We’re on our way to the Bitterroot Valley. They’ve had a heapin’ portion of hard luck and we’re tryin’ to take the lady home.” He quickly told Conner about the murder of Rachel’s young husband and her subsequent capture by the war party of Lakota Sioux.

  Conner was stunned by the news that Nestor had reappeared. “Are you sure it was him who killed her husband?”

  “That’s what the lady says,” Hawk answered. “Shot him in the back, then finished him off with a knife.”

  “I always knew Nestor was a worthless piece of trash,” Conner said, a deep frown etched across his brow. “But I guess I never suspected how evil he really was. I know he sure had it in for you.”

  “Reckon so,” Hawk said.

  Thinking himself remiss in properly greeting his visitors, Conner introduced himself to Monroe and Rachel. “I’m truly sorry for the loss of your husband, ma’am. Can I offer you some water or something to eat? Why don’t you have a seat back there under my tent flap?” He turned to the corporal, who was standing by the tent watching. “Johnson, get my camp chair out of the tent for Mrs. Pratt.” While Rachel reluctantly followed the corporal down the bank to the tent, Conner returned his attention to Hawk. “If you ain’t a sight for sore eyes. Tell me about that Sioux war party. Our scouts haven’t turned up any sign of hostile activity north of this river for the entire three months we’ve been patrolling this area. How many?”

  “I don’t know for sure,” Hawk answered. “I can only guess there aren’t many more than twenty or so, just from what I could tell by their tracks.” When Conner raised an eyebrow at this, Hawk reminded him that their tracks were mixed up with the tracks left by Walking Owl’s village. Then he explained that he didn’t have a chance to get in close enough to see because of the sudden discovery of Rachel hiding in the bushes. “It was just luck that I didn’t sit down on her when I went into those bushes,” he said. “I killed the buck that was lookin’ for her. I reckon I coulda asked him how many they were, but he didn’t seem to be very talkative at the time.”

  “Up in the Garnet Range, huh?” Conner asked, ignoring Hawk’s attempt to joke. “I’ll get a patrol up that way in the morning. We’ve been concentrating on the Mullan Road, concerned about any attacks on freight trains or traders traveling on it. So now we’d better be watching for a new party of hostiles to show up. Are you sure you’ve gotta go to Missoula? I could sure use your help in finding that war party.”

  “You shouldn’t have any trouble findin’ ’em,” Hawk assured him. “Who have you got scoutin’ for you?” When told he had two, Ben Mullins and Raymond Red Coyote, a Crow, Hawk commented, “Both of those men are good scouts and I don’t reckon anybody knows the mountains north of the river any better than Ben Mullins. You don’t need me. I can tell you where to start lookin’, though.”

  After telling Conner what Rubin Fagan had told him, that the Blackfoot village was moving to the western slopes of the Garnet Mountain Range, Hawk decided it was time to get started toward Missoula. The sooner they could see Rachel safely to the Triple-P, the sooner he and Monroe could get started after Nestor. In all honesty, Hawk had doubts about ever tracking Nestor down. He could go in any direction and he was experienced enough to know how to hide his trail. It would be Hawk’s guess that Nestor would surely leave the territory, never to leave a trace again. He had expressed these thoughts to Monroe, but Monroe was adamant about his desire to search for Nestor, so Hawk assured him that he would do the best he could to pick up Nestor’s trail. So their call on the cavalry camp completed, the three travelers prepared to leave.
>
  Lieutenant Conner stood by as Monroe helped Rachel up into her miniature saddle before climbing aboard his horse. Hawk, already in the saddle, turned the buckskin’s head toward the river trail. Before he touched his heels to the willing gelding, Conner said to him, “You shouldn’t run into any trouble between here and the Bitterroot River. Our patrols haven’t reported any sign of any Indian activity, hostile or friendly, between here and there. And you’re not likely to, anyway, with the presence of so many soldiers. Not just my company, two companies of the Seventh Infantry were sent up to Missoula this month to build a permanent fort, so any raiding parties would be damn fools to be anywhere near there. As a matter of fact, I’ve got a patrol that is probably on their way back from up that way. Maybe you’ll run into them.”

  “Good,” Hawk responded while thinking to himself, It’ll still be a healthy idea to keep a sharp eye. Having just run up on a party of Sioux that he didn’t expect to find in Blackfoot, Salish, and Kootenai country, he was not willing to become too careless. He gave Rascal a nudge and the big horse sprang immediately into a trot, leading his packhorse with Rachel, then Monroe following.

  “Why don’t you come on back to work for me when you’re done with that?” Conner called out after him. “They don’t need you down at Ellis as bad as I need you here.” He received no more than a wave of the hand in acknowledgment. Hawk had committed his services to Monroe for as long as it took to run Roy Nestor to ground. When he left Fort Ellis he had promised Major Brisbin that he would return, so he would keep that promise, even if it would be a longer time than the major expected. Already, they had spent more time at Fagan’s and the army camp than he had planned. More likely than not, Conner’s small temporary camp would have been called back to Fort Ellis by then, or maybe even sent up to Missoula to reinforce the two companies there.