by Joel Baker
“I also want to express our gratitude for all the work your builders have done for the Colters,” Molly began. “We are a little overwhelmed by the extent of all you’ve done for us. We really haven’t done anything to deserve all this help. Not to mention how grateful I am to Mato for helping to bring my James back to me.”
Molly reached out and patted James arm with her hand. Both Mina and Lotus smiled at this sign of affection. Mato and Cass were stone faced, wondering what was coming next.
“You have treated us more like family, than neighbors,” Molly continued. “Perhaps you will now tell us why.”
Molly took another drink of cider and waited. Cass cleared his throat.
“To answer your question,” Cass began. “You have to know that until recently, we were a part of the Sioux Nation. We fought beside them, we intermarried, and we participated in every way as a member of that nation. We were called the Teton Sioux and all was well.”
“My father was leader of the Teton Sioux before me. It was during his time the Sioux Nation decided to declare war on the Chippewa. The Chippewa live a long way from the Teton Sioux. We did our part at first. But then we lost too many good men. My father told the Sioux we were now Lakota as in the old days. He told them we will no longer cross the Mississippi to fight and die for the Sioux Nation.”
Dalton looked at James to see if he saw where this was headed. James just shrugged his shoulders.
“The Sioux Nation called us traitors,” Cass said. “They said they would never forgive our leaving them. Then they sent a shaman to our camp. She killed my father.”
“Did you say she?” Molly asked.
“Yes,” Cass said. “We have both male and female shamans.”
“Sorry I interrupted,” Molly said. “Go on.”
“The Shaman did manage to kill my father,” Cass said. “I was made leader in his place. It was a very sad day for the Lakota.”
Cass was silent for a few moments remembering the day they found his father’s body. It was something he would never forget or forgive. Cass looked up and continued.
“The Sioux continues to fight with the Chippewa to this day, while the Lakota live in peace. We believe this is about to change.”
Both Dalton and James looked at each other. Both suspected the reason for Lakota help now and both knew they were swimming in dangerous waters.
“The Chippewa are winning,” Cass said. “They are driving the Sioux back across the Mississippi. The Chippewa have a mighty warrior as their leader. He has defeated the Sioux at every turn.”
James flashed back to a day many years ago, when another mighty Chippewa warrior named Kills Many asked he and Dalton to rescue his only son from the Sioux. Another leader of the Chippewa named Grey Wolf had been with them. They’d rescued the son of Kills Many, but at a terrible price.
“Who is this new leader?” James asked.
“His name,” Cass said. “His name is Stands Tall, the only son of Kills Many.”
“Who did you say?” James asked, trying to hide his surprise.
“His name is Stands Tall,” Cass said, a knowing look on his face. “Have you heard of him?”
“It seems vaguely familiar,” James said. “Go on.”
“If the Sioux are defeated,” Cass said. “They will seek someone to blame.”
“You think they will blame the Lakota?” Molly asked.
“Yes, and they’ll come for revenge,” Mato said. “When they do, it will be a fight to the death.”
“I’m still confused,” Shannon said. “Is there something you think we can do to help you?”
“We hope you would help us against the Sioux,” Mato said.
“So you have done all this work for us hoping to form some sort of alliance?” Molly asked.
“Yes,” Cass said.
“But we’re so few,” Shannon said. “I’m not sure we’d make that big of a difference.”
“Have any of you heard of the Horseshoe Massacre?” Mato asked, looking directly at James.
“I don’t think so,” James said, shaking his head.
“Forty Sioux warriors were cut to pieces by a handful of Chippewa,” Mato said. The Sioux chased the Chippewa into a horseshoe shaped clearing. It was a trap. The Sioux were cut to pieces in a cross fire. It was said that white men were there waiting with the Chippewa in that clearing. They say those white men carried Colter Repeating Rifles. I think Dalton carries one of those rifles now. It’s a rifle that carries the name of Colter.”
A stony silence descended on the hall. The voices of people passing and children playing drifted into the room. Finally James cleared his throat.
“The Sioux call that the Horseshoe Massacre?” James asked, quietly. “I didn’t know.”
“We do not judge you, James Colter,” Cass said. “We all have fought for friends and family. Today the Lakota face an enemy bent on our destruction. The same children, whose voices you hear outside these windows, will have their throats slit as quickly as you or I. We would ask that you join with us against the Sioux.”
After a period of silence, James stood and looked around the table.
“Just so we’re clear,” James said. “There are approximately six thousand Sioux fighters. The Lakota have roughly six hundred warriors spread across maybe fifteen villages?”
“Yes,” Mato said. “Although I doubt the Sioux could field half that number.”
“Okay,” James said. “Let’s use your numbers. We’ll still be outnumbered then roughly five to one. Does that sound right?”
“It sounds about right,” Mato said. “Is that a problem?”
“No,” James said. “No problem. I just don’t have any idea how we could take on an enemy force that large.”
“We have till spring to figure it out,” Mato said. “That’s when we think the Sioux will strike.”
Chapter 18
The trip back to the Center was somber. No one expected a Lakota request to join them against the entire Sioux Nation. James wondered just how much the war against the Chippewa might have drained the Sioux ability to strike at the Lakota. There was also something else floating in the back of James mind. Something a little crazy that just might work.
It started to snow just as Matthew and Dalton finished brushing down the horses and putting the harnesses away. Dalton told him of the Lakota request to help them against the Sioux. They walked across the central area through the snow toward the Center. A soft light from the oil lamps spilled out of the windows of the cabins onto the snow covered porches. The smoke from the fireplaces hung in the air a few feet above the roofs.
Matthew stopped and looked around.
“It really is beautiful here,” Matthew said.
“Yes,” Dalton said. “It would be a shame if we had to move away.”
“You mean if we turn down the Lakota?” Matthew asked.
“I don’t see any way for us to stay this close to the Lakota and not side with them,” Dalton said. “I think it may have been one of the reasons they were so helpful. They saw how close to them we would be.”
“If we have to leave,” Matthew said. “I may need help dragging Fala out of that cabin. Especially since she’ll be eight months pregnant.”
“It’s the same with Shannon,” Dalton said. “I think James has something in mind. I can tell. Think about it. You and I both know he’s never been one to run away from a fight.”
The snow picked up as they headed for the Center. They stomped the snow off their boots as best they could and entered the living area. A large fire warmed the room. Jessica and Jason sat to one side with Max stretched out beside them. James and Molly were on one of the couches.
Nate and Nina sat off to one side with their son Jacy and daughter Copa. Jacy and Copa were watching the Colters with interest. Always on the fringe, this was the first time they’d been ask to attend a Colter family meeting.
Fala, now four months pregnant, was beginning to show. Matthew joined her on a couch with Shannon an
d Dalton. James stood and walked up by the fireplace.
“Shannon,” James said. “Could you or Matthew reach out to Banner? I’d feel better if he and his brothers were here.”
Shannon quieted for a moment. She stood and faced in different directions. When she faced west, she hesitated for a few moments.
“Banner and West should be here shortly,” Shannon said. “We can start. I’ll send anything we say to them until they get here. They’re close anyhow.”
James recapped everything that was said in the meeting with the Lakota. He also told Nate and Nina about the Colter involvement with Stands Tall, son of Kills Many, and the battle known as Horseshoe Massacre.
Shannon got up at one point and let Banner and West into the Center. Both dogs walked over and sat down close to the fire.
Banner, do you have any questions? Shannon asked.
No, Banner said. The tribe wants your help.
“Go ahead dad,” Shannon said.
“So,” James said. “We have a history with the Sioux. Now we have another history with the Lakota. There is no doubt that they need our help.”
“Would we make any difference?” Molly asked. There are only a few of us that could help Mato and the others. Fala, Shannon and the children will be no help. I’m too old to be much help. I could be wrong, but I don’t think Nina would be much good with a tomahawk.”
“They want our weapons,” Dalton said. “They know that James and I wouldn’t make much of a difference. But they know our weapons would make a big difference.”
“The point is,” James said. “Even if we decide not to help the Lakota, we will be less than three miles from where the Sioux will attack. If the Sioux come this way, the dogs will make them regret they ever came into the land of the dogs. But it will take time. We will still have to leave this place. We cannot let two or three thousand angry Sioux come that close to where we live.”
“Fala is having that baby,” Dalton said. “We cannot stay in this place and risk a single Sioux warrior coming here, let alone three thousand.”
You haven’t told him? Banner asked.
No, Shannon said. I will tonight.
Banner had told Shannon several weeks ago she was going to have a baby. She and Dalton had been too busy to sit down and talk. Shannon was also enjoying a brief time for her and the new baby, to enjoy the shared knowledge of the others existence. Shannon smiled in the knowing.
She’d tried talking to the baby on occasion as she talks to Banner. But there was no response. Someday, Shannon thought to herself, I’ll call out to baby and baby will answer. Won’t that be something?
“What weapons do the Lakota have?” Matthew asked.
“The same as the Sioux,” Dalton said. “Mostly black powder muzzle loaders. There are still large numbers of handguns around.”
“Did you see Mato scoop up the guns those men at the canyon were carrying?” Shannon said. “He grabbed their rifles too.”
“There are a lot of guns around,” Dalton said. “The problem is ammunition. All you can do with an empty rifle is swing it like a club.”
“I saw some of the Lakota warriors with bows,” Matthew said. I think they could really be running out of ammo.”
“How much ammo do we have left?” James asked.
“We brought six barrels sealed with wax back with us,” Dalton said. “I make that about sixty thousand rounds, and a barrel of black powder.”
“That’s all that’s left?” James said.
“It’d be enough if we weren’t going to war with the entire Sioux Nation,” Dalton said.
“What about lead?” James asked.
“We’ve got six or seven bars,” Dalton said. “We brought the reloading equipment back. We have enough primers for the reloads. Powder will be the problem.”
“The Lakota are getting black powder from somewhere,” James said. “We could ask them.”
“Wait a minute,” Molly said. “You’re acting like a decision has been made.”
“What about the dogs?” Jacy asked. “Won’t they help?”
Everyone turned to look where Jacy sat.
“No one knows, Jacy,” James said. “Normally the dogs keep to themselves and avoid fights between humans. If it’s a matter of the Colters surviving, they have been known to wade in. They’ve saved our lives more than once. But we would never ask the dogs to fight for us. That is their decision to make.”
“I’m a little confused,” Fala said. “Have we decided to help the Lakota or not?”
“Be patient,” Molly said. “They’ll get to the point eventually.”
James and Dalton smiled at her briefly.
“Did you bring all ten rifle crates from the cache?” James asked.
“Yes,” Dalton said. Twelve rifles to the crate.”
James was quiet for a few minutes thinking. He paced back and forth in front of the fireplace. Banner and West watched James, their heads moving back and forth. Finally he stopped and turned back to the group.
“I think we can all agree,” James started. “The Colters will have to relocate away from here early next spring no matter what. At least until the Sioux are no longer a threat. Does everyone agree?”
James looked around the room before continuing.
“We have three options in assisting the Lakota,” James continued. “One would be to simply move and leave the Lakota to fight off the Sioux as they can. A second option would be to loan them weapons to use against the Sioux. The third would be to do everything we can to assist them in their fight against a common enemy.”
“Why are the Sioux our enemy?” Nate asked.
“Our presence here is no secret,” James said. “Neither is our role in the Horseshoe Massacre of the Sioux. Once they are finished with the Lakota, the Sioux will put it all together and come for us no matter where we are.”
Everyone sat quietly waiting for someone else to speak. Long after it became awkward; Molly stood and looked around the room.
“Many years ago,” Molly began. “James and I faced an enemy bent on our destruction. It was a group called the Peoples Temple, led by a psychotic killer. Good people came together and destroyed the evil. The Colters have faced adversity more than once since that time. What we’ve learned, is that when good people stand by and do nothing, evil wins.”
“James and I are in the twilight of our lives, but I know James. We will do what we can to help the Lakota. Not because we are brave, but because we believe it will serve the family best in the long run. The children must be evacuated from this place. It is just too dangerous. Nate must help the children and women to safety. Dalton and Matthew will have to go with James because that’s the kind of men they have become. It’s why we love them so.”
“I’m going too,” Jacy said, from the back of the room.
“Of course you are”, Molly said, smiling at him. “You’re a man now, and need to do manly things.”
Banner? Matthew asked. Do you understand what was said here?
Yes, Banner said.
Do you know what it means? Matthew asked.
Yes, Banner said. It means many people are going to die.
What will you do? Matthew asked.
What we always do, Banner said.
The meeting ended and everyone talked until late into the night. Shannon told Dalton about the baby and that it would be a boy. They decided to wait awhile before telling Jessica about her new brother. They would tell everyone at Christmas.
Fala was beside herself with worry. She’d never faced having Matthew leaving and possibly being maimed or killed. She also remembered what an enemy did to her family’s village. She decided she had to put on a brave face. In her gut Fala knew Matthew would have to focus all his attention on the task at hand. He couldn’t do that if he was worried about Fala and the baby.
****
The Colters waited until after New Years to meet with Cass and Mato. Dalton thought they should wait longer, but James knew the Lakota were anxiously awa
iting their answer. They decided to take a wagon with a case of rifles in the back. Since Jacy was the best shot in the family, James asked him to join them at the meeting.
A cold January wind was blowing down the main street of the Lakota village. Cass and Mato were waiting for them on the porch. Both had huge buffalo robes wrapped around them. Mato seemed upset about something, but it was hard to tell. Both looked serious.
James walked onto the porch and waited for Jacy and Dalton to bring the crate from the back of the wagon. Mato stared at the crate as they carried into the building. The crate was in the middle of the table as the men sat down. Two women brought in mugs of hot cider with mint leaves floating on top. The room was warm from a large fire in the fireplace.
“Did you have a merry Christmas?” Cass asked.
“Yes,” James said. “A very merry Christmas. Dalton found out he and Shannon are having a little boy in the summer. Of course, Fala and Matthew are also having a baby in the spring.”
“Mato and his wife Mina are expecting also,” Cass said. “It is their first. We were told it would be a son.”
“Congratulations, Mato,” James said. “These are hard times, and the only things that soften them are the ones we love.”
That is true James Colter,” Mato said. “Those that we love and those we can call friends.”
“We find neither are easily discarded Mato,” James said. “Which brings us to your request. As we understand it, you want us to join you in a desperate fight to the death against an onslaught of thousands of Sioux warriors bent on revenge and bloodshed.”
“Put like that,” Mato said. “I’m not sure I want to be there.”
Dalton was taking a drink of hot cider and almost choked laughing.
“Shannon was right, Mato,” Dalton said. “You have a good sense of humor.”
“Don’t tell anybody,” Mato said. “You’ll ruin my reputation.”
“We discussed this at length,” James said. “You’ve done so much for us; we want to help you as much as we can. There are some conditions, however.”
“Like what?” Mato asked.
“Jacy,” James said. “Open the crate.”
