Wolf’s Blood frowned. “He saw Charles Garvey—face-to-face?”
Dan nodded. “Can you believe it? And Garvey is still half crippled from that fight at Sand Creek—walks with a cane.”
Wolf’s Blood looked up at Zeke and grinned. Zeke laughed lightly. “Wolf’s Blood did that to him,” he told Dan. “He recognized Garvey that day—sunk his lance right into his thigh, right through the bone.”
Dan folded his arms. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
Wolf’s Blood scowled again. “He is the one who killed the Cheyenne girl I was to marry,” he added. “If I was not so badly wounded myself, I would have killed Charles Garvey. But I was only able to get my lance into his leg.”
Dan shook his head. “Isn’t it strange what a small world it is?” He puffed the cigar again. “At any rate, Josh said Garvey is married now—it’s been about two and a half years, I guess. Says the man’s wife is real pretty—prettier than Garvey deserves, I’ll bet. But then the rich ones always get what they want, I suppose. Garvey is a lawyer in Washington, but still writes a lot of articles about the West in eastern newspapers. Josh is in New York. He’s a journalist for The New York Times. He also writes articles about the West, but he tells the truth about the Indians and has already won a wide audience. He and Garvey are getting quite a little battle going, so Josh tells me. By the way, what do you hear from LeeAnn?”
Zeke’s eyes saddened. “Very little. The last we knew she was working in Washington herself. She doesn’t ask for money anymore, and she doesn’t even show a return address when she writes. It’s very obvious she doesn’t want to hear from us and doesn’t want us to show up there.”
Dan scowled. “I’m sorry, Zeke. And Jeremy?”
Wolf’s Blood’s face darkened. “Jeremy is a traitor! He works for the railroad. He has a fancy place in Denver, married a fancy woman, and thinks he is too good for us. We never hear from him either, and that is just fine with me!”
“Don’t speak so harshly against your brother, Wolf’s Blood,” Zeke told his son. “He has his life and you have yours.”
Dan’s blue eyes studied his warrior nephew. “I can’t believe how much like your father you are, Wolf’s Blood, the way he was at your age—hot-tempered, sure of what’s right and wrong, and allowing no deviations. I’ve seen a lot of sons who looked like their fathers. You not only look like yours, but you’re like him in every other way.” He stepped closer. “You remember something, Wolf’s Blood. Zeke and I were always very different, and for a long time Zeke hated our father while I loved him. I disagreed with him about that, but it never interfered with how I felt about him as a brother. I still loved him. I simply hoped that one day he would realize he really did love his father. You think Jeremy has deserted him, but he hasn’t. They’re simply too different to be close, just as Zeke was too different from his father to be close to him. And I hope if you run into Jeremy again you’ll try to understand him, forgive him, talk to him like a brother and see if you can’t patch things up.”
Wolf’s Blood tossed his hair haughtily, reminding Dan of a restless stallion. “It works both ways,” the young man grumbled.
Dan looked at Zeke, and the two men smiled rather sadly. “Yes, it does,” Dan answered. He sighed deeply. “I know a little of how you’re feeling, Zeke. Josh is in New York, and my Jennifer is in Denver now. She’s eighteen already.” He shook his head. “It’s hard to believe. She’s a teacher, and engaged to a professor. I wish you could see her. She’s as pretty as Emily was, only stronger—physically and in character.”
Zeke smiled. “If she looks like Emily, she has to be beautiful. I only met your first wife that one time. She was a most beautiful woman, but she reminded me of a piece of china about to break.”
Dan puffed the cigar for a moment, turning to look at a campfire in the distance. “She was like that. If I’d had any sense I never would have married her. But when you’ve been out here in this godforsaken land, and then you go back to a place like St. Louis and set eyes on something like that, it kind of takes away all your common sense. Before I knew it we were married.” He seemed to be reflecting on a personal basis, as though no one else was there. “You’re right,” he said quietly. “She was a piece of china about to break. We were never very happy. God knows we weren’t together enough to straighten out our problems. But she gave me Jennifer.”
Wolf’s Blood tried to picture Jennifer, a full-grown woman now. Was her hair still as red as the sunset? Were her lips still the color of roses and her skin as soft and smooth-looking as the cream his mother skimmed from churned milk? He turned and walked to his horse, suddenly angry with himself for having thought about her, wondered about her. He had seen her only once; that was six years ago, and it was most likely he would never see her again.
“We’ll be heading south in the morning,” Zeke told Dan. “I’ll go tell Iron Hand and the others to be ready. What’s next for you, Dan?”
Dan threw down his cigar stub. “Back to Fort Robinson—to wire my superiors and tell them they’ll have to come up with some better ideas or get ready for a full-fledged war.” He met his brother’s eyes and Zeke smoked the last of his cigarette.
“You be careful, Dan. I’d love to see the Indians win this one, but I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“It’s hell being able to see both sides, isn’t it?”
Zeke stepped out the cigarette stub. “Life’s been hell for me ever since I can remember, except for Abbie.” He put out his hand. “Give our love to Bonnie.”
Dan nodded. “You know I will.”
“And let us know if anything develops with Josh and Charles Garvey. If Josh decides to spill the truth, we should know, because we’ll be involved, too.”
“I wouldn’t worry—not for a long time anyway. Josh wants the time to be just right—wants to carve his own place in the world first, build his own importance and reputation. He’ll have to be very sure of his timing, and ready to defend his stand. If and when Charles Garvey ever finds out who Joshua Lewis is, there’s no telling what the man will do.”
“That’s for certain. The son is worse than the father was, if that’s possible.”
Dan folded his arms. “It’s strange how Winston Garvey just disappeared, isn’t it? I wonder if the boy had anything to do with that—maybe wanting to come into his father’s money.”
Zeke’s eyes turned cold. “Charles Garvey had nothing to do with his father’s disappearance. That’s one thing I’m sure of.”
“Well, brother of mine, how do you know—?” Dan didn’t finish the sentence. The look in Zeke’s eyes frightened even him. “Good God, Zeke … you?”
Zeke smiled, but it was an almost evil smile, one a man would give when experiencing a haughty, vengeful victory. “Now, Dan, did I say that?” He put a hand on the other man’s shoulder. “Subject closed.” Dan stared at him in surprise, wanting to ask questions. But he could see they would not be answered and knew he was probably better off not knowing.
He nodded with understanding eyes. “I hope it isn’t another six years before I see you again, Zeke.”
Zeke’s eyes saddened. He knew it was very likely he would not see this brother again either. Dan had been loyal, coming west to search for him years ago and landing himself in the Army in the process. They had been close, even though separated by miles and years most of the time.
“I hope so, too, Dan.”
In the distance drums started beating. Red Cloud, Swift Arrow, and the others would hold another pow-wow of their own, without white men, to decide what they should do about the miners who illegally came into their land. There was a treaty. The whites would obey it, or suffer the consequences.
Abbie dug some carrots, trying to keep busy. Ellen pulled some weeds nearby, worried about her own husband now, who had gone back to Fort Lyon. In only a few months he would be through with the Army, and they could settle in the little cabin whose foundation had already been laid before he left. Hal was everything she
had imagined he would be, considerate and gentle, but a strong man who she knew would protect and defend her. She was more in love now than the day they married.
Abbie was happy for her daughter, but worried about Zeke. In Pueblo all she heard were stories about gold in the Black Hills, the determination of men to go there in spite of the treaty with the Sioux, and the fact that they might be attacked by Indians. What would happen to Swift Arrow? Surely he would be in the midst of the fighting. She only hoped Zeke had run into no trouble of his own. And poor Dan. Surely Dan would also be heavily involved. It would be hard on him, knowing Swift Arrow was out there—somewhere.
It was late July. Zeke should be back soon if nothing had gone wrong. She laid the carrots in a basket and stood up, turning at the sound of a war whoop on the northern rise, wondering at first if she should get her rifle.
She shaded her eyes as two Indians rode hard toward the ranch, then she set the basket down and smiled. “Ellen, it’s your father and Wolf’s Blood! Go and get Sonora!”
She began running toward them. Every time her husband returned from danger now she was more relieved than usual. The last winter had been so terrible for him, so full of pain. Surely it would not be long before he found a way to die honorably. But he came back again. She still had her Cheyenne warrior!
His Appaloosa came galloping toward her, and he called out in Cheyenne for his “white woman.” She laughed and reached up, and he grabbed her, slowing his mount but not stopping. She gave a little scream as he turned the horse, hoisting her up in front of him and heading for their secret place at the stream.
“Zeke, I’m a mess!” she objected. “I’ve been digging carrots.”
“You look beautiful,” he told her, heading toward the place where the grass was thick and soft, and the irises bloomed.
Chapter Seventeen
Abbie brushed out her husband’s hair, something she always loved to do. A blanket was wrapped around her naked body, and Zeke sat on the soft grass wearing nothing. No one would bother them here. They all knew better. This was their parents’ special place, and having all his gear already on his horse when he returned, Zeke had simply taken his woman to their place by the stream as soon as he returned. They had everything they needed to spend the day there, and they had been apart too long.
Abbie’s superficial objections did not last long, for when Zeke Monroe wanted his woman, there was seldom any arguing. It was not long before it didn’t seem to matter that she had just been digging carrots. He was back! Zeke was back and she was lying beneath him. The best part was that he seemed so very strong and well. How she prayed he could stay that way!
He had taken her quickly and with great passion. She knew that it would not be enough for him, nor was it for her. They would talk, but they would make love again before he took her back. Now he smoked quietly as she brushed his hair. How she had missed doing this when he was gone. It was something Indian women liked to do for their husbands and so did Abbie. Then she began rebraiding one tiny section at the side, weaving a beaded rawhide strip into the braid.
“In Pueblo all I heard was talk about gold in the Black Hills,” she told him as she worked.
He watched the rippling waters of the nearby stream. “It’s there all right. You know what that means?”
“White men in Indian Territory.”
“Plenty of them. Too many for poor Dan to keep up with. His job is to kick them back out, but it’s an impossible task, Abbie, and I think the government is going to make its own rules and say to hell with the treaty. That’s not only illegal, but the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne won’t stand for it. It’s a real powder keg. I’d like to get my hands on General Custer. He started the whole thing.”
She sighed deeply. “If not Custer, it would have been someone else. Did you see Swift Arrow? Is he all right?”
He nodded, taking another drag on his cigarette. He knew she sensed that his brother loved her, but she never spoke of it. “He’s as mean and ornery as ever, if that’s what you mean. And if there’s trouble, he’ll be in the thick of it.” He threw down his cigarette. “It’s such an impossible mess, Abbie. I can see both sides and I don’t see an answer. The white man’s desire for gold is incredible. Most of the men going there, risking their lives and stirring up trouble, will never find enough gold to make it worth it. Only a few will find the right places. But they all dream of being one of the few, my darling. It happened in California, and then here in Colorado. Now it’s happening in the Black Hills. Once there was nothing in Denver. Then someone found gold, and now look.
“Whites everywhere—and nearly all Indians run out of the territory. It has to end someplace, but I don’t see where it will. The worst part is they’re spreading the rumor that there could be more gold in the Black Hills than any of the other strikes. So the surge will be even worse. It’s going to be bad for them, Abbie. The Sioux, Swift Arrow, and the others—they’ll never win this one. The gold-hungry miners and the government behind them will sweep through there and that will be the end of it. I see the entire Indian nation in this country slowly crumbling by the wayside, and sometimes I wonder if there will be any left some day—like the buffalo.”
She leaned down and kissed his shoulder. “Let’s not think about it for today. I’m so glad to have you back, and feeling so well besides.”
He put out his cigarette, turning and grabbing her around the neck, pulling her around in front of him. He bent his legs and she rested her head against his knees, facing him as he traced his fingers over the silky skin of her shoulders and studied her dark eyes.
“You’re wanting to tell me something else, Abbie-girl. I can see it in those eyes. Did something happen I should know about?”
She frowned. “Sort of.”
He twisted a piece of her hair in his fingers. “And what is that supposed to mean? It isn’t Ellen, is it? Is she all right? How did the wedding go? Is she happy? If Hal Daniels harmed her, I’ll—”
“Ellen is fine,” she told him quickly. “In fact, she wears a happy glow she never had before, and it was on her face the first time I saw her after their wedding night. I’m sure she’s very happy, and Hal is good to her, Zeke. He’s off to active duty again, but he’ll be back in the spring. This will be a long winter for poor Ellen.”
He toyed with the piece of twisted hair. “Well, I’ll have my own talk with her when we go back. But I’m glad she seems happy, and glad they’ll be settling nearby. Hal must have been sent on down to Camp Supply. I didn’t see him at Fort Lyon. By the way, I didn’t tell you about the odd thing that happened at Fort Lyon, did I?”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“That Lieutenant Henely was there—the man who attacked the Cheyenne at Sappa Creek. He was showing off a war bonnet tipped with buffalo horns that had belonged to White Bear. He also had a silver belt he’d taken from a young woman after she’d been killed. There was a Cheyenne woman there watching him show off the articles, bragging about the battle. She recognized the articles, even named the woman from whom the belt had been taken. She looked straight at Henely and predicted the man would come to a violent death for what he’d done.” He studied the reddish tint to her lustrous hair. “It was a chilling moment. She seemed so sure.”
She ran her hand along his powerful forearm. “Well, you certainly know how the Indians are about those things. You made a prediction once that one day I would stand beside you, although at that time you wouldn’t tell me because you were so afraid harm would come to me if you made me your woman.”
Their eyes held. “It wasn’t Ellen who was on your mind, was it?” he asked.
She swallowed. “No. We … received a letter … from England.”
He studied her eyes, the old jealousy rising, even though he knew it was unnecessary. “Edwin Tynes?”
“Yes.”
He let go her the piece of hair and began straightening it by pushing bis fingers through it. “He’s been gone a good ten years. I didn’t figure we’
d ever hear from him again.”
“He just wanted to write once, to inquire if things were still all right here, and to let us know he’s fine, living in his mansion in England. He finally married again. I think he knew we would like to know that. And he sent a copy of an English newspaper, showing one of the many articles he’s been writing about the American West, and the strength of its … pioneer women.”
She saw the mixture of jealousy and sadness in his eyes. Sir Edwin Tynes owned a massive estate next to their land, and the widowed Englishman had watched after Abbie and the children while Zeke had ridden south to search for LeeAnn after the Comanches stole her away. Tynes had fallen deeply in love with Abigail Monroe. He admired her strength and courage, and was fascinated by her beauty in spite of the hardships, her willingness to come to a lawless land with a half-breed husband and put up with all the difficulties that combination can bring to a woman. Tynes had made no effort to hide his love, and had offered Abigail the world on a silver platter, for he was a wealthy, educated, worldly man. Zeke knew the man loved Abbie, and for a while he made life very difficult for his wife, thinking perhaps she would be better off with someone like Tynes after all. Zeke’s love for her was so great that he considered bearing the sorrow of letting her go, so that she could live out the rest of her life in luxury and wealth and comfort. For deep inside the brave man lay a little boy who had always felt guilty that he had brought his Abbie to this land and that she had suffered so much for staying with him. He almost rode north after finding LeeAnn and bringing her home, planning to join the Sioux and Red Cloud and let himself be killed. That would free his Abbie to live the life she deserved to have.
But Abbie would have none of it. She had turned down a chance at something most women prayed for. But Abbie didn’t want Sir Edwin Tynes’s luxuries and comforts. She wanted only her Zeke, accepting whatever hardships might come with that. For what good was a fancy bed and beautiful clothes, a mansion and servants, if she could not have her Zeke? Edwin Tynes could have given her everything, and she turned it down; and though Zeke was tempted to just leave her, for her own good, he also could not go. Though he knew she’d have been better off, he could not bear the thought of another man touching his Abbie.
Meet the New Dawn Page 29
