Stone Hand

by Charles G. West

  He stared for a moment longer into the face of the devil that had sought to kill them all. Then with a sudden lunge he sank the knife deep into Stone Hand’s throat and hacked an incision completely around his neck. He got to his feet to avoid the spreading pool of blood that rushed out into the dust around the body’s shoulders. After a final moment’s hesitation, he reached down and drew the war ax from the renegade’s belt and with one mighty thrust he severed the head from the body.

  “Now we’ll see if your brothers still think you’re some damn spirit. We’ll see how many ghost dances are done for you when they see how you’re wandering around the spirit world without a damn head.” He thought about the last time he had reported that he had killed the man. There would be no doubt this time.

  It took but a short while to find Stone Hand’s horse hobbled on the far side of the ravine. Leading it behind him, he returned to his camp to find the women waiting for him, ready to ride. If they noticed the bundle securely wrapped in Stone Hand’s robe and tied on behind the Indian saddle, they made no mention of it.

  “Let’s go,” Jason ordered. “I wanna be in Supply before dark tomorrow.”

  Without further comment the women mounted and followed silently along behind. None was reluctant to say good-bye to the little canyon and no one looked back. Behind them, the valley was silent as a tomb. There was no sound of birds or insects, nothing but the heavy silence remained to envelope the headless corpse that would soon be food for the buzzards.

  CHAPTER 19

  The sun had traveled perhaps three-quarters of its journey across the clear, relentless blue of the sky and the troop, having just stood down from Retreat, was straggling back to the relief of the few shade trees in the camp. Sergeant Major Maxwell Kennedy paused before his tent flap to look at something that had caught his eye out on the prairie to the north. He watched for a few minutes, trying to make out the party approaching.

  “Cora,” he called, “come out here.”

  She poked her head through the tent flap and upon following his gaze toward the prairie, she came out and moved to his side. “Who is it, Max?”

  He didn’t answer for a long time as he continued to stare. As the object moving toward them began to take shape, he began to mumble to himself as if warming up to speak. Finally, he blurted, “Well, I’ll be go to hell…I thought my eyes was playing tricks on me.”

  “Lord, Jesus…” Cora whispered when she recognized the three approaching the camp. “She’s bringing the baby back! I never thought she’d…” The words trailed off in her throat as a vision of a mortified Colonel Lucien Holder formed in her mind.

  Someone had evidently alerted the colonel, for just then the headquarters tent flap was thrown back and the lean, stern features of Lucien Holder emerged from within. “Sarah,” he gasped, barely audible. He stood waiting, his eyes never leaving the small party that was now crossing by the willows. Max and Cora walked over and stood beside him. The colonel glanced briefly at his sergeant major. “Max…What the hell…”

  “I don’t know, sir,” Kennedy replied. Like his wife, Max figured Camp Supply would be the last place Sarah would show up with her child.

  * * *

  Jason eyed the reception committee that had gathered before the headquarters tent. He didn’t relish the confrontation he was about to have but he had made up his mind that it was best to get it out in the open. He didn’t know what was in Sarah’s mind as to what she planned to tell her father about the events that had followed her departure from this camp a year ago. He had recently come to the opinion that he didn’t give a damn anymore. Stone Hand’s death had changed his mind about a lot of things and one of them was to let Sarah choose her own life…and settle it with her father herself. He had not failed to notice that the closer they had come to Supply, the more she seemed to come out of the shell that had engulfed her back in the canyon.

  They rode straight up to the small gathering of people in front of the tent, Jason, leading a spare horse, followed by Sarah, followed by Magpie, carrying the baby. Not a word was spoken until Jason pulled up before them.

  “I brought you your daughter. She’s a little hard for wear but I reckon she’ll be all right.”

  “Coles…” Holder stammered and then turned toward his daughter. “Sarah, what…?”

  Sarah Holder made her decision at that point, before her father became totally lost in the confusion of his daughter’s sudden and unexpected appearance. He had been content for many months, knowing that Sarah was safely back East and completely removed from the area of his concern. Then after receiving word that she had never reached Baltimore, he had searched the prairies and settlements for one hundred miles around, all in vain. For no one could give him a clue as to her whereabouts. It was as if she had vanished from the earth. Now, to have her appear like this, in the accompaniment of Jason Coles and an Indian woman, was beyond his comprehension. Before Jason had a chance to speak, Sarah greeted her father. Her manner was almost casual as she explained the situation. The colonel was eager to embrace her explanation.

  “Father,” she gushed, “it looks like we owe Mr. Coles another debt of thanks for saving me again.”

  Jason looked sharply in her direction, finding it surprising, to say the least, that her attitude had turned so miraculously. All traces of the almost trancelike gloom that had cloaked her for days seemed to have been swept away. The fury that had consumed her when she stabbed the body of Stone Hand again and again had vanished without leaving a trace. Once again she was in control and appeared to know exactly where she was heading. Jason backed away and let her tell the story the way she wanted it told.

  Cora Kennedy and the colonel arrived at Sarah’s stirrup at almost the same time. She smiled as she accepted their assistance in dismounting. Father and daughter embraced. Holder glanced up at Jason, still in the saddle. “What happened, Coles?”

  Again, before Jason could answer. Sarah responded to her father’s question. “I was abducted again by that savage. I’ll tell you about it later. Just know that although I was held captive, I was not seriously harmed, Jason rescued me and now I’m back safe and sound and no harm done.”

  “My God!” Holder gasped. “Stone Hand? I thought he was dead!” He looked quickly at Jason. “You said you…”

  Jason interrupted. “I know—I thought I did at the time. But the devil wouldn’t die even though I cut him plumb near in two.” He shook his head in apology. “But, like she said, Colonel, no harm done.”

  “No harm done?” Holder was still confused. “No harm done?” He turned to his daughter and then back to Jason. “What the hell happened?”

  Jason paused, hesitant to embellish.

  “What happened to the scout who went with you? Long Foot wasn’t it?” This from Max Kennedy.

  “Went under,” Jason replied, “him and his wife, too.”

  “Stone Hand?”

  Jason nodded in reply. Max swore softly.

  Further questioning was interrupted by the sudden crying of the baby. All eyes turned to the Indian girl on the horse beside Jason.

  Before the question could be asked, Sarah spoke up once more. “This is Magpie, Raven’s sister. And this is her baby.” She stole a quick glance in Jason’s direction when she said it but he showed no emotion whatsoever. Had not all eyes been fixed on Sarah they might have noticed the flicker of surprise that registered on the face of the Osage girl. It was gone in an instant, replaced by a subtle smile. There was a brief twinkle in Cora’s eye, however, and she stepped forward and took Sarah by the arm.

  “Come, dear, you must be exhausted.” Turning to the colonel, she said, “I’ll take her to my tent so she can rest up a bit. Then she can answer all your questions.”

  They stood silent for a few moments and watched Cora and Sarah disappear into the tent. Colonel Holder looked visibly relieved to have Cora take charge of his daughter. Jason couldn’t help but smile inwardly. The colonel never did know what to do about Sarah. She appeared to b
e bouncing back to the same self-confidence she had exhibited when he first met her crawling out from behind the wheel of an ambulance. If he were a betting man he’d lay odds the story she cooked up for her daddy, about where she had spent the last year of her life, would sure be a corker.

  When Cora and Sarah had gone, Jason stepped down and went around to the packhorse he had been leading. “I brought you something else, Colonel.” He untied the bundle from the saddle pack. “You can do what you want with it. Me, I’d stick it on a pole in the middle of the reservation.” He handed the bundle to Max Kennedy.

  “Merciful God!” Max exclaimed, almost dropping the grisly package. He glanced up at Jason, a trace of anger in his eyes. “What the hell is this?”

  “That,” replied Jason without emotion, “is Stone Hand.”

  Colonel Holder was stunned for a moment only before realizing the significance of the gruesome remains before him. “Sergeant Major, get this over to the reservation and get it up on a pole. Coles is right. Get it up on a pole and mount a guard around it. I want all those young bucks to see that damn thing.” He turned back to Jason. “And, Coles, well done. I’ll see that you receive additional scout pay for this.”

  * * *

  Magpie had an uncle who lived on the reservation and after some deliberation Jason decided it best to take the girl there. Magpie was not pleased with the decision but she said nothing. After seeing her settled, Jason made camp off by himself, near the horse herd, close to the creek. He assured Magpie that it wasn’t necessary, still the young Osage maiden came to his camp daily to prepare food for him, even when he did not eat it. She was never without the baby. He noticed a definite change in Magpie’s disposition since he had taken her to her uncle’s lodge. He couldn’t define it, it was almost chilly toward him…and yet she never failed to come to his camp each day. He found himself missing the affectionate, almost fawning little maiden she had been on the trail. Maybe she feels differently now that she is back among her own people, he told himself. Maybe, now that the baby is hers, that is all she needs.

  Sitting by his campfire in the evening, Jason thought more about the way things had turned out. In the few days since he had returned to Supply, he had had barely more than a glimpse or two of Sarah. From what he could see, she had adapted beautifully, looking for all the world like the Sarah Holder who had first taken Camp Supply in a tidal wave of charm. He smiled to himself when he thought about how quickly that baby had become Magpie’s. He was even chagrined to notice that Captain John Welch had called on Sarah several times. Jason no longer cared…and he found that rather interesting. He thought more and more about his little valley in the Colorado Territory, and finally one day he decided it was time to return there. Upon making his intentions known to Colonel Holder, the colonel insisted that he join them for dinner that night before pulling out the next morning.

  * * *

  When Jason entered the colonel’s tent that night, the first person he met was Captain John Welch. The two men eyed each other coldly for a long moment before Welch broke the silence.

  “Mr. Coles,” he acknowledged stiffly.

  “Doctor,” Jason returned.

  There followed an uneasy silence, mercifully broken when Sarah swept in from the other end of the tent and immediately took charge. “Why, Mr. Coles, I wasn’t sure you were coming,” she teased. “Another minute and we’d have started without you.” John offered his arm and she took it. Jason followed them in to dinner.

  “Well, Coles, so you’re going back out in the Colorado wilderness,” Colonel Holder stated when the meal was finished and coffee was being served. “That’s mighty lonesome territory for a man alone. I’d be happy to keep you on the payroll here. The army always needs scouts.”

  “I appreciate it, Colonel, but I reckon it’s time for me to get back to ranching.” The thought struck him that it was odd, the colonel referring to Colorado Territory as wilderness. In his mind, Camp Supply was wilderness. Colorado Territory had to be paradise.

  “Well, we shall miss you, Mr. Coles,” Sarah said cheerfully.

  Jason did not reply. He found the situation amusing. Here they were, sitting around the dinner table, and it was Mr. Coles this and Miss Holder that, a world apart from the beaten wretch that had fought for her life like an animal…and John Welch doting upon her every word, his aloof attitude of before completely forgotten. Jason marveled at the transformation. What could have brought about such a change in attitude? Maybe the ambitious young officer had truly had a change of heart and come to realize that Sarah should not be blamed for what had befallen her. Jason doubted it. More likely the young man reconsidered his possibilities for advancement if he married the colonel’s daughter. This line of reasoning made even more sense when Holder confided to the dinner guests that he had received word of his coming promotion in rank to that of general.

  “Does this mean a new assignment?” Jason inquired.

  “Yes, it does. I’m being reassigned to Fort Lincoln.”

  “I suppose you’ll be taking Max Kennedy with you.”

  “Yes, indeed. Sergeant Major Kennedy will go with me. Captain Welch has requested to accompany me as my staff surgeon. We’ll be leaving as soon as replacements arrive.”

  “Well, congratulations, sir. I reckon you’ll make a helluva general.” He glanced at Sarah. The question in his eyes must have been obvious for she answered.

  “And I’ll be going to Fort Lincoln with Father. From there I suppose I’ll continue on to Baltimore.” She smiled sweetly at Jason.

  “Perhaps we can persuade you to linger awhile in Fort Lincoln,” John Welch inserted.

  Jason studied the faces of the two young people across the table from him. Well, he decided. I reckon they deserve each other. He had a suspicion there might be a wedding in Fort Lincoln. It was time for him to go. “Well, folks, I’ll be leaving now. Colonel, thanks for the victuals. Miss Holder, best of luck to you, ma’am.”

  A few moments later he was outside in the clear starlight of the evening. It felt good to be out under the stars. He glanced back at the tent flap. He thought about Colonel Holder’s offer to keep him on the army payroll. Maybe it would have been the smart thing to do. He could sure use the extra money. It was hard to explain—he just didn’t have the stomach for it anymore. Deep down he didn’t feel the Indian was getting a fair shake. All the army was doing now was running the poor devils into the ground, sending them off to reservations on land so sorry it wouldn’t sustain life of any kind. He didn’t want any part of it anymore. He couldn’t really say he was sorry to close this chapter in his life. There was a loneliness in his heart but it was not a painful thing and he looked forward to the morning that was to come. He still had a few of his horses and with a little luck maybe a few head more were still grazing in the sweet grass of his little valley.

  CHAPTER 20

  Magpie did not come to his camp that morning. He could not deny the feeling of disappointment that resulted. Still, why should he have expected her? She knew he was leaving to go back to his ranch in the mountains. Too bad, he should have said his good-byes to her the day before. He was afraid he was going to miss her. But he’d soon get over it, he told himself as he tightened the girth strap one more time before stepping up into the saddle. Satisfied that he was done with Camp Supply for good, he turned the Appaloosa’s head to the north and urged him forward.

  He was passing the sergeant major’s tent when the flap was suddenly thrown back and Max stepped out. On his heels was Cora and she called out in mock indignation, “Did you think you were going to just ride out without saying good-bye to your friends?”

  Jason grinned and reined up before them. “Why, Cora, I figured you would still be asleep.”

  “No such thing, Jason Coles. Get down off that horse and give me a proper hug.”

  “I reckon you heard we’ll be going to Lincoln,” Max said.

  “Yeah, I heard. I don’t suppose you’ll shed too many tears over leaving this place.”<
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  Max laughed. “I reckon not.”

  He spent a few minutes more saying good-bye to Max and Cora and then he was back in the saddle and moving off to the north at a brisk pace, anxious to get the dust of Camp Supply behind him. Still he could not shake a feeling of loneliness, even when the sun caught the tips of the far hills and bathed them in a golden wash, a sight that normally cheered him. He rode on for a quarter of an hour, something worrying in his mind. Finally, without stopping, he swung the Appaloosa’s head sharply around to the west and headed toward the Cheyenne reservation.

  It was still early when he reined up in front of Magpie’s uncle’s tipi. She was sitting outside before the fire, holding the baby, dressed in a buckskin dress and leggings—like she was ready to travel, he thought. He glanced over at her horse, hobbled beside the tipi. It was packed with all her belongings.

  He smiled. “Looks like you’re going on a trip.”

  She got to her feet, a look of impatience fixed on her face. “I am going on a trip,” she said and went over to untie her horse.

  “Where you going?”

  She fixed him with a stern look. “You know where I’m going, Jason Coles. I’m going with you.”

  “Damn!” he chuckled. “I don’t remember asking. You sound mighty damn sure of yourself.”

  She was struggling hard to maintain the no-nonsense facade she had so carefully constructed but his smile was infectious and she could not avoid the embarrassed grin that pushed the corners of her mouth up. “Enough talk! Time to go.” She handed him the baby while she jumped up on her horse. Reaching for the infant again, she could not avoid his eyes. They were laughing at her. “You dumb man. If I wait for you to ask me, I’d be an old woman.”