Meet the New Dawn (28 page)

He took out his knife, and Zeke was not surprised when the man quickly slashed the weapon across his own chest. Dan glanced over and stared wide-eyed, unaware of why the man was displaying a sign of grief. He stood back with other soldiers, unable to hear what was being said, but suddenly aware there was more going on than a simple farewell. Swift Arrow pressed his fingers against his wound, then smeared streaks of blood on Zeke’s cheeks.

“I show you now only a little of how I will grieve when I know my brother has breathed his last breath.”

Zeke’s jaw flexed with emotion, his eyes tearing. Wolf’s Blood swallowed and turned away, fighting a display of emotion himself.

“Ne-mehotatse,”
Swift Arrow said softly to Zeke.

“Zeke swallowed.
“Ne-mehotatse,”
he replied.
“Ciksuya canna śna cantemawaśte yelo,”
he added in the Sioux tongue. (“Whenever I remember you, my heart is happy.”)

Swift Arrow nodded and turned to Wolf’s Blood, touching the young man’s shoulder so that he turned to face his uncle. He touched a streak of blood on each of the boy’s cheeks. “You are the son I never had. Your father let me have you for a while, and for this I am grateful. You brought light to my life. I will see you again, Wolf’s Blood, but there will be much sadness when I do. May the Gods be with you.”

“And with you, my uncle,” the boy replied. A tear slipped unwantedly down his face and Swift Arrow quickly whisked it away with his thumb, then smiled.

“Do not be ashamed. It is only tears of fear and cowardice that bring shame, not tears of love and sorrow. Go now. Stay with your father and take your people south. This is my home now.”

He looked once more at Zeke, then turned abruptly and walked to his horse, mounting up and waving once before
riding off. Zeke breathed deeply for self-control before walking back to Dan, who still stood staring.

“What the hell was that all about?” the man asked.

Zeke took some tobacco from a pouch and began rolling a cigarette. He didn’t feel like talking about it anymore. What good would it do to tell Dan and Bonnie? They had enough worries of their own. Right now Bonnie waited at Fort Robinson, probably worried to death about her husband riding into hostile Indian country.

“Swift Arrow is just thinking he might be killed fighting,” he told Dan. “He felt this was out last good-bye.”

“But … he cut himself. That’s the Cheyenne sign of mourning, as though someone else was going to die.”

“He used it to signify himself this time,” Zeke lied. “I hope he’ll prove to be wrong. I’m worried, Dan, about this whole mess,” he continued, trying to veer the conversation in another direction. “Things are going to explode up here.”

Dan sighed, lighting a thin cigar. “You’re right there, brother. And it’s all thanks to Custer. He spotted some flakes of gold in a creek and shouted it all over the East through the newspapers. You know what that means. There are already miners all over these hills. I can’t keep up with it, Zeke. Red Cloud and the others are stomping mad, and I don’t even blame them.”

“And Custer will do everything he can to make matters worse. He’s an arrogant cuss. I’ve heard plenty about him, ever since he attacked the Cheyenne at the Washita. Personally, I’d like to see him surrounded and scalped some day. It would serve him right.”

“Well, you just might get your wish. He’s the careless sort—takes a lot for granted. He’d better not take these Sioux and Cheyenne for granted, I’ll tell you that. There are thousands of them in these hills, and they’re damned good fighters. And there can be thousands of them in the hills all around you without your even being aware of it. I wish I could get Bonnie to go east and get out of this mess, but she won’t leave my side, which makes me very happy but worries me, too. At least Joshua isn’t around.”

“How is the boy doing?”

Dan frowned, taking a puff on the cigar. “I suppose I ought to tell you, Zeke, that before he went off to college, Bonnie told him the whole truth about his identity.”

Zeke glanced at Wolf’s Blood, who looked as surprised as Zeke was. “What did he say?” Wolf’s Blood asked.

Dan shrugged. “Well, he actually took it quite well. I’d say he’s actually happy about it. But he said he wished he was part Cheyenne instead of Arapaho, because you’re Cheyenne and he thinks you two are the greatest warriors who ever walked.”

They all laughed lightly, the spell broken over the sad parting with Swift Arrow. But there was still a gnawing pain in Zeke’s chest. There would be time for weeping later, when he was alone and could smoke his prayer pipe. He sobered again and puffed his cigarette.

“I hope you warned the boy not to tell anyone else his identity—that it could be dangerous,” he told Dan.

“We did. But I have to tell you, Zeke, that he deliberately went to a talk given by Charles Garvey himself in Washington. He actually stood up and argued with the man about Indians, without Garvey even realizing who he was talking to. Josh told us in his letter that Garvey was raging mad and they had a hell of an argument. I’d have loved to see it.”

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!