Miss Annie And The Chief (9 page)

Annie
follows.
 
She is now outside in the
back alley behind the theatre.
 
She
looks around.
 
She hears her aunt's
voice from the side of the theatre.
 
She walks around the corner and sees Selma and the "wolf,"
both still partially dressed in their costumes, hopping up on horses.

Annie hurries to
them. “Aunt Selma, where are you going?”

“Annie, I'd like
you to meet Jim Ringo.”
 
Selma
reveals.

The wolf removes
his mask.
 
He's a devilishly
handsome middle-aged man with an affable smile.
 
“Hello, Annie.”
 

“You're running
away?”
 
Annie is aghast.

“No. I'm running
to. My life with Jim. My home is with Jim, wherever that leads me. You will
find your home here. Trust me.”

Selma looks
behind Annie as if looking at someone else.
 
“I think you already have.”
 
Selma looks lovingly at her niece.
 
“Good-bye, Annie.”

Selma and Jim
ride off.
 
Annie watches,
helplessly.
 
Annie, with a shocked
and disbelieving expression, turns to head back into the theatre.
 

That's when she
sees Mark, who clearly has been nearby long enough to have heard the
conversation and knows that Selma and Jim are escaping.

“I reckoned
there was something going on between Red Riding Hood and that wolf.”
 
Mark says.

“You're not
going to get the marshal or stop them?”
 
Annie asks, not sure if she wants him to or not.

“I'm out of
uniform.” Mark smiles.
 
Annie looks
overwhelmed.
 
Mark tries to relieve
her concern.
 
“Jim Ringo is a good
man who has made a couple of bad choices.
 
Never, as far as I know, has he killed a man who didn't either deserve
it or forced him into it.
 
Unlike
the Rush brothers who never made a good decision between them. Jim and your
aunt love each other and want to live out their lives together, peacefully.
 
I shouldn’t stand in the way of such a
dream.”
 

Annie’s eyes
mist, touched by Mark’s wisdom and insight.
 
He extends his arm to her.
 
“Shall we? The second act has just started.”
 
Annie takes his arm.

*****

The next day, in
the Arapaho village Annie walks with Chief Red Hawk.
 
He acts like a perfect gentleman, holding her arm as they
walk.

“The men from
Washington arrive tomorrow. How do you feel?”
 
Annie asks.

“I feel like my
vision has been honored. We ride today, yes?”

“Yes. I brought
my horse as you requested.”

“Good. I wish to
show you a special place.”

Chief Red Hawk
and Annie ride their horses through the Colorado wilderness.Red Hawk rides to a
certain location and stops.
 
He
hops off the horse and then helps Annie down from her horse.
 
He offers his arm to her as he walks
her to the edge of a cliff.
 
He
motions for her to look out at the vista.

Annie looks and
sees one of the most spectacular sights she has ever seen.
 
It is an absolutely breath-taking
panorama view of mountain and valley with a rapidly flowing river.
 
The sound of rushing water envelops
her.
 
She can feel it pulsing
through her veins.
 
The sight is
serene, timeless, unforgettable.

“This is the
land of my father. And his father.
 
They are buried in this land with all of my ancestors. Could you give
this up?”
 
Chief Red Hawk shares
with Annie.

*****

Fort Mills is
spiffed up and decorated with patriotic flare. Cavalrymen are dressed to
impress.
 
Everyone is on their best
behavior as the contingent from Washington DC arrives with much fanfare.

The scouts stand
at attention, Annie stands with them.
 
Annie watches as Mark cordially greets the commissioners from the
capital.
 
She can tell that Mark is
explaining something that involves her because the men look at her and
nod.
 
Mark motions for Annie to
join him.
 
She does.

“Mrs. Landon,
I'd like you to meet Mr. Harney, Mr. Steele, and Mr. Murphy, the Indian
Commissioners from Washington.”
 
Annie exchanges hellos with the commissioners.

“Mrs. Landon has
been teaching the Indian scouts English, and she has been teaching Chief Red
Hawk about our government.”

The men are
impressed and express their gratification.
 
“We have a visit to the Arapaho village planned for you
today.”
 
Annie tells the
commissioners.

The
commissioners weren't expecting this.
 
“Why?”
 
Mr. Murphy inquires.

Mark
answers.
 
“The Arapaho have invited
you to their home, which is a great honor.”
 
Annie appreciates Mark’s response with a warm smile.

“Shall we?”
 
Mark motions to the awaiting
buggies.
 
Mark helps Annie up into
the buggy, even now, during this important time, the touch between them and the
longing it inspires consumes both of their thoughts.

A company of
cavalrymen on horseback, led by Mark, along with two buggies holding the
commissioners and Annie, ride into the village.
  
The group comes to a stop.
 

Chief Red Hawk
is right there, dressed in his most noble outfit.
 
He helps Annie out of the buggy.
 
The commissioners observe this.
 
They hop out of the buggies.
 
Annie motions to the chief to shake hands.

Picking up on
the silent suggestion, Chief Red Hawk extends his hand to Mr. Murphy, the first
of the commissioners.
 
“Hello, I am
Red Hawk. Chief of the Arapaho.”

Mr. Murphy
shakes Red Hawk's hand. “I’m Mr. Murphy.”

Red Hawk shakes
the hands of the other commissioners introducing himself as he does.
 
When the introductions are finished,
Chief Red Hawk motions to the commissioners to follow him.
 
“Let me show you our village.”

The chief offers
his arm to Annie.
 
She takes it as
he escorts her through the village.
 
“We have lived on this land for as long as our stories have been
told.”
 
The chief tells the
commissioners.

Chief Red Hawk
leads the commissioners, Annie and Mark through the village giving them a
tour.
 
He stops at various places
to explain elements of the Arapaho's way of life.
 
He introduces the commissioners to various villagers. He has
the women give the commissioners samples of Arapaho food.
 
He has the children give the
commissioners gifts of Arapaho homemade items.
 
The commissioners seem impressed with the tour.
  
Chief Red Hawk is doing his
earnest best to show how the Arapaho deserve to stay on their land.

Once the tour
has ended the group returns to the buggies and horses.

The chief
addresses the commissioners. “I am familiar with your founding fathers, George
Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson. I know their eloquent
words.”
 

Red Hawk proudly
recites from the Declaration of Independence.
 
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men
are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness."
 

Mark gives Annie
a look of admiration; he’s amazed by the teachings and progress she has made
with the chief.
 
Their eyes lock as
he nods his respect for her.

The chief
continues.
 
“I negotiate with you
to allow the Arapaho the same unalienable rights that you had fought so hard to
secure for yourselves from the Great Father across the Atlantic.
 
Thank you.”

Not one of the
commissioners responds with a "You're welcome."
 
Mr. Murphy looks guilt ridden.

Chief Red Hawk
tries again with more conviction. “Thank you.”

Annie knows what
Red Hawk is expecting and realizes the commissioners won't reply, so she
does.
 
“You're welcome, Chief Red
Hawk. I hope we will see you this evening at the fort for the dance.”

“Yes, Miss
Annie, I will be there.”
 
He
replies, grateful for her acknowledgement.

*****

It’s evening at
the fort.
 
The courtyard is
decorated for a festive evening.
 
A
live fiddle band plays a festive tune.
 
The commissioners mingle with officers, ladies and gentlemen from town.

Chief Red Hawk
is the center of attention.
 
Many
guests surround him, trying to talk to him. He handles it with grace and
dignity.

Annie arrives
with Chato. She is dressed in a beautiful gown and looks absolutely
stunning.
 
Mark joins her.
 
Now he's the one blushing, his breath
catching, his insides dancing with desire.
 
“You're beautiful.” He manages to say.

“Thank you,
Captain.”
 
Annie replies as her
cheeks turn as red as Mark’s.
 
They
try to focus on the evening and not each other; they look at Chief Red Hawk
mingling with the people.

“How do you
think it went today?”
 
Annie asks
Mark.

“I think what
you have accomplished with Chief Red Hawk is extraordinary.”
 
Annie appreciates Mark’s comment with a
smile.

“He has better
manners than most of the men in my company.”
 
Mark adds.

“A kind way to
avoid my question, Captain.”
 
Annie
recognizes.

Mark sighs.
“Unfortunately, I don't think the visit to the village mattered in the least.
The commissioners are here to have the treaty signed and to take more land from
the Arapaho. I doubt even the arrival of the Savior Jesus would stop these
government men from taking what they want.”

Annie's
expression goes from disappointed in the truth of Mark's words to unexpected
delight.
 
Mark turns to see whom
Annie is pleased to see.
 
Annie has
just locked eyes with Captain Harmon Taylor.
 
He joins Annie and Mark.

Annie and Harmon
clasp each other's hands, cordially, yet with some familiarity.
 
Mrs. Landon, it is good to see you
again.
 
Captain Taylor beams.

“And it is good
to see you, Captain Taylor.” Annie replies.
 

“You look
lovely.”
 
Captain Taylor
compliments.
 
“It appears leaving
Pennsylvania has served you well.”

The two captains
officially greet each other.
 
“Hello, Captain Caldwell.”

“Captain Taylor.
Where are you coming from?”

“I've been with
General Howard meeting with Chief Joseph and the Nez Percé up north. I'm headed
for Apache country.”

The band
finishes a song and starts another.
 
Captain Taylor extends his hand to Annie.
 
“May I have this dance, Mrs. Landon?”

Annie is pleased
with the request.
 
“I haven't
danced since my wedding.”

Annie takes
Captain Taylor's hand as he leads her to the dance floor.
 
Mark looks upset that he didn't beat
Captain Taylor to the punch.
 
Chief
Red Hawk watches Annie and Captain Taylor dance. A couple of commissioners
corner Mark for conversation.

The song and
dance end.
 
Another song begins,
Captain Taylor clearly wants to continue to dance.
 
Annie is willing.
 
As they dance, they converse.

“It is good to
see you again, Mrs. Landon.”
 
Captain Taylor states.

“Seeing you
brings back memories.”
 
Annie
shares.

“I hope not all
painful.”

“Time and
experience has removed much of the pain.”

“Glad to hear
it. Would you be agreeable if I called you Annie?”

Mark has had
enough. He excuses himself from his conversation and interrupts Captain Taylor
and Annie.
 
“May I cut in?”