Sweet Savage Surrender (30 page)

"I am the one who made the good
bargain, as you say.  I love Skyraven
very much.  He asked for four but I offered six as token of the high esteem with which I hold my future wife."  John wanted the tribe to know how
honorable his intentions were.

"Mmmm.  You are generous, John Hanlen, but as you say
,
Skyraven is a special woman.  Perhaps it
is
you who made the good bargain.  Now, go to her.  At last she has pulled free of the women
and she is looking your way."

John didn't have to be told twice.  Hurriedly he hastened to Skyraven's side, his smile as radiant as the stars that shone in the sky.  "I was afraid I wouldn't g
et a chance to talk with you."

"I would have found a way."  Her fingers caressed the bow.  At the back of her mind was the thought that
little by little John Hanlen seemed to be taking
to Indian ways.   Her heart held hope. "It is an honor to be so gifted by Blue Fox.  He does not offer friendship ea
sily, particularly to whites."

"Then I will value his friendship all the more."  Reaching down
,
he took her hand in a show off affection.  "I have made arrangements with your grandfather to give him his horses.  He
has approved of our marrying."

"I know.  He told me."  The love in her h
eart was mirrored in her eyes.

Sitting down on a log
,
they made tentative plans.  Skyraven  wanted  an Indian wedding
,
with her grandfather performing the ceremony.  John was as eager as a young boy to please his intended in any way possible.  He was really not overly religious
,
although he had been raised
as M
ethodist.   It really didn't matter to him who married them as long as they were legally wed and could spend the rest of their lives together.
He looked deep into the beloved blue eyes. “I can only truly find happiness when you are my wife,” he said to her. He might have said more, but the couple’s solitude was disturbed as several of the
Cheyenne
sought them out. It was the one time John
wis
hed the tribe wasn’t quite so friendly!

The night seemed to fly by.  John and Skyraven were too closely watched to be able to steal away and had to content themselves with the kiss they had stolen while dancing under her blanket.  When the celebration was all over
,
the two young lovers went their separate ways reluctantly.  John would  again sleep in the tepee with some of the young unmarried braves. Tonight Skyraven would no longer
be in Desert Flower's teepee, but instead
would be with Morning Dove, one of Blue
Fox's aunts, and her family.  
John and Skyraven  had only
tomorrow
to be together before  John  would be on his way back to
Fort
Lyon
to report to Colonel Chivington about the possibility of a peace counci
l
.  Skyraven would be accompanied back to her own village on
Smokey
Mountain
. 

They
were completely happy when they parted, each of them determined that there
would
be peaceful relations between their peoples. They both knew that now was not the time to speak further of a marriage ceremony. F
or  now the peace council was very imp
ortant to their future plans, for i
f there was no peace
,
there could be no thought of a life together.  Peace.  Could he really make such a promise?  He knew he had to try ev
erything within his power.

Lying on the floor of the tepee
,
John slept poorly, a fact not aided by one of the brave's snoring.  So, he thought, in that
,
too
,
they were just like his own kind.  He was tormented by the nee
ds Skyraven's loveliness
had awakened.  At last
,
after tossing and turning for a long while
,
he slipped out to calm his ardor in the icy stream.  While some men might have counted sheep
,
he counted off the days, the hours, the minutes until he could make her his forever
.
             
 

PART TWO:  Darkness Before the Dawn

Sand Creek - 1864

“The sun’s rim dips; the stars
rush
out:

   At one stride comes the dark.”

----Samuel Taylor Coleridge,
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Chapter Thirty
             
             

Lieutenant  Colonel Henry Sedgwick rode his horse into a lather as he
approached
Fort
Lyon
.
He'd just been out on another scouting mission, this time with three of his men, and had left them in a hurry
so he could deliver this news.
There were several ranches in the area whose cattle had been stolen
,
and the ranchers questioned gave testimony that they had seen Indians doing the deed.  On the pretext of punishing the culprits
,
the
colonel would be able to get rid of at least a few of the heathen brutes.  It didn't really matter if they weren't exactly c
ertain just which Indians had been responsible
. 
Hell, Ind
ians were Indians, weren't they?
  He smirked to himself, then hummed a cheerful tune as he stabled his horse.

It had worried him when Major Hanlen had come back spouting off about peace and telling everybody who would listen just how noble the Indians were. Still, he had smiled politely and listened, as if he agreed with every word, just biding his time until just such a chance as this thing about the stolen cattle presented itself.

Sedgwick's optimism quickly evaporated, however, when he arrived at Colon
el Chivington's headquarters. 
He was informed that the Colonel, his wife Martha and their three children were in
Denver
City
.  No doubt on another little political excursion with the hope of furthering his own nest.  Henry fumed and shouted that someone must ride into
Denver
to bring the Colonel back. He was needed here and not in
Denver
.  But no one wanted to disturb Chivington who was a guest at the home of Terri
torial Governor John Evan's
.  Colonel Chivington had been leaving another officer, Colonel Tippan in charge of
Fort
Lyon
quite frequently of late and
had left specific orders that he was not to be disturbed unless the
re was an extreme emergency. 

"But that is exactly what I have to report.  This is an extreme emergency."  Henry was red in the face with anger because
nobody would   listen to him.
He  seemed to forget , for the moment at least, that he was talk
ing to a senior officer.

"Colonel Chi
vington has made two points very clear, Lieutenant Colonel Sedgwick."  Colonel Tippan emphasized the word "lieutenant
" in the mention of his rank.  "John Chi
vington  and Governor Evans have very important business to
discuss and both  he
and his family  are
badly in need of a vacation."

Realizing that he had forgotten himself for a careless moment, Sedgwick was contrite.  "Yes, Colonel Tippan , sir.   I understand that, but if no one else will go to
Denver
City
,
then I request permission to ride there myself.  I have to talk to Colonel Chivington.  The news I have is so important that it can't wait."  Henry was not going to take no for an answer.  He had an opportunity to make a name for himself and come hell or high
water  he was going to do it.

Colonel Tippan tried to get him to reveal
the urgent matter,
but Henry insisted that it was for the ears of Colonel Chivington and no one else
.   Thus Colonel Tippan had no choice:  h
e must either grant the lieutenant colonel
permission to go to
Denver
city or
have him thrown in the brig for insubordination, for Sedgwick insisted he was going
no matter what.

"Permission granted." The truth of the matter was that Colonel Tippan was anxious to get the unreasonable  Sedgwick out of his hair for a
while.
He never could quite understand why Chivington had befriended
this obnoxious
, overbearing man
,
but then again
,
he
really didn't know either the colonel or the lieutenant
colonel
very well.  It seemed that both of them had been away a good deal of the time since he was assigned to
Fort
Lyon
, just a month ago.

"Thank you, Sir."  Henry knew he had been unreasonable
,
but he
wasn’t planning on taking a
chance that anyone else would get the credit for the i
nformation he had gathered.   By
God
,
he
rightfully 
deserved the  honor of  leading the soldiers out to engage in battle with those brazen cattle thieves. And he knew just which Indians he wo
uld choose.  Hanlen's Indians.

He would destroy that Indian village he had seen.  It was
the
close
st one at hand
and would make an easy
target
.
Why
subject himself and his men to a long, tiring ride when there were Indians practically under their very noses? 
He knew that
Colonel
Chivington would agree with him, for they had talked at length about the Indian problem. Why, the colonel
   practically hated those beastly savages as much as he did.  Tippan, how
ever, was of a different ilk. 
He was not so sure that Colonel Tippan would agree with what he wanted to do.  Some people had even said that Tippan was soft on Indian rights
. He would have to work it out very carefully. If he just happened to be on his way to
Denver
and if he just happened to encounter a hostile band of braves, well…….
Some people had seen Indian warriors in that area.  Many settlers were certain
that they were planning an all-
out war with other plains tribes against the whites.  To Henry's way of thinking,  such a report
would not be too far from the truth. 

He
finally decided to send a message to
telling him about the cattle raids and asking for permission to proceed, just to cover his ass
.
  It would give what he was plann
ing an air of respectability--a
ll official and proper. 
Perhaps he'd even ask for reinforcement
s and insist that the
urgency of the situat
ion demanded immediate action.

Chapter Thirty-One
             

Daybreak swelled over the land
,
hinting that it was  to
be an unusually hot day for this
time of year.  Skyraven clothed herself in her lightest buckskin dress and
leggings
and did what she could to make herself comfortable for the journey.  One last time she checked the knots to make certain that her precious bundles were properly
tied for the traveling ahead. 
Then patting Running Antelope's neck affectionately to let the mare know she was glad that they would be rid
ing as one again, she mounted.

As the caravan moved nor
thwestward across the tree-
covered sand hills, Skyraven turned her head.  She was moving away from
Fort
Lyon
and John Hanlen.  That thought made her sad until she forced herself to realize that when next she saw him
she would be closer to becoming his bride. 
And perhaps he will bring with him my grandfather's six new horses and saddles
, she reflected with a smile.

Chief
Lean Bear
, Blue Fox and many other braves were accompanying Skyraven  back to their own village in the Smokey Hills
,
since
it was not deemed proper for
a woman
to
travel alone.  Her grandfather had gone back a few
days before, feeling his presenc
e was necessary at the Arapaho camp.  Skyraven, however, had wanted to spend a few extra days with Desert Flower. 
Lean Bear
  and a few of his braves planned to continue on with Skyraven so that he might meet with Chief Little Raven and Chief Left Hand about John Hanlen's propo
sal for a peaceful settlement.

Skyraven sat astride Running Antelope, her buffalo robe and the length of calico John Hanlen had given her safe within her parfleches. Her horse pulled a travois  loaded with gifts from Desert Flower's family
,
as well as her personal belongings. Blue Fox had laughingly teased her about returning with so much, saying she would not be able
to fit  it all in her lodge.

A warm, comforting thought  stayed with her as she traveled along.  Her spirits were high. 
Lean Bear
had assured her that the
Cheyenne
chiefs would somehow be able to talk some sense into their rebellious young braves.  Somehow they would make them see that as chiefs they were responsible for the entire tribe, which included the women, children, the old and the sick. Surely the young braves would fall into line when they knew that peace with the whites was the only answer. 
             

"I have thought about what your John Hanlen has said,"
Lean Bear
looked back as he slowed his mount and waited for Skyraven to catch up with him.  "If we lay down all our weapons except for those necessary for hunting
,
then how can there we any misunderstanding?  Without weapons there can be no war.  The white men will know we want peace.
”
 

"At least it will be a b
eginning," she answered back.

"There is nothing in this life worth having that
does not command a
great price.  And yet, it will not be easy.  Living with the
white
man
can be a test of our patience and our wisdom.  There will be times when their greedy ways might cause anger.  Some of the braves have tempers that are hot as a summer fire.  It will take
skill to keep them in line."

Skyraven
smiled as she saw that
Lean Bear
had carefully shined and polished the medal the great white father had given him.  Of all his possessions
, this was the one of which
he was most proud. 
A
s it caught the gleam of the early morning sun
,
it glittered with radiant lights.  S
eeing it prompted her to ask, "What is he like, this Great White Chief of all the white men?"

"Tall, very, very tall.  At least two heads taller than our biggest braves.  Thin of body.  He holds himself with the grace of the
Cheyenne
and Arapaho."

"Does he have hair li
ke the sun, like John Hanlen?"

"No, it is dark like an Indian's."  He laughed as he confided, "he has hair all over his face.  Like some of the traders.  It is his eyes, however, that drew me to him.  They look deep into your soul without looking away.  I knew in my heart that he was a man to trust.  And I felt the same about your John Hanlen.
  Such men are all too rare."

They galloped across that land for what seemed to be hours, bouncing over the uneven ground.  Skyraven's teeth seemed to rattle in her head, her muscles ached
,
yet she kept a smile on her face determined to bare any discomfort as well as a brave.
 
A slight breeze brought a measure of comfort as it touched Skyraven's face and rip
pled through her unbound hair l
ike a lover's caress.  Her eyes touched on the rugged beauty of the land, a vast terrain of browns, greens and yellows.  Ahead of them the  hills stretched out like a multicolored ocean, rising up and falling like the curves of a sleeping woman.  An area usually peaceful but which no
w swirled with clouds of dust.

"Horses!" she heard
Lean Bear
exclaim.

Skyraven squinted, adjusting her eyes to the glare of the sun.  A dark blue blur merged with the light brown of the earth.  Soldiers.  The th
undering hooves of their horses
echoed violently throug
h the stillness.  Thinking the group perhaps was
led by her
yellow-haired
soldier, Skyraven felt her heart skip a beat.  For the moment she knew no fear, at least until the swirling depths gave proof they were attacking.  They were coming in four groups with their cannon rolling along behind their horses like huge logs. Like a swarm of raging bees they came closer, closing the distance little by little, forming in
to straight lines.

"They are attacking!" 
she heard Blue Fox exclaim an
d in that moment remembered the vision her grandfather had had once—of the white men sweeping over their land like a great cloud.

Still, she did not want to believe.  "It is a mistake!" she cried out. 
It had to be.

"We must do as John Hanlen said.  We must show them that we are peaceful." 
Lean Bear
fumbled in his saddle bag for the piece of paper he always carried, the treaty he had signed while meeting with the whites in
Washington
.  He held it in his hand.  "Stay behind me.  Do not draw any weapons. I will go
foreword
to show these papers from
Washington
which will tell the soldiers that
we are friendly."  Taking one warrior named Star, he started toward the troops, waving the paper as proof of his good will and proudly pointing to the medal hanging around his neck.  A few of the other Indian
s rode a few yards behind him.

The grisly scene unfolded slowly with a horror that made Skyraven cry aloud.
When
Lean Bear
was twenty or thirty paces from the  line of soldiers, the
officer
shouted out an order.  The soldiers lowered their rifles, took careful aim
, then
all fired together.  An explosion more
fiercesom
e
than thunder boomed out.   
Lean Bear
and Star  doubled over in
pa
in and
fell from their horses, their blood spilling
out
over the ground.

Skyraven choked back a sob.  A cry of anguish rose up  from her throat.  "Noooooo!"  She gulped in a  mouthful of air, holding it in her lungs until she had calmed her fear.  She must ride quickly to their sides and see to their wounds.  Nudging her heels into Running Antelope's sides
,
she
started
forward
then stopped abruptly.
With muted alarm  she saw that it was too late.  As
Lean Bear
and Star lay on the ground  writhing in agony several  soldiers ro
de forward and shot them again.

"Skyraven, move back."  Only Blue Fox's barked command could have pierced through her trance.   Riding to her
,
he took hold of Running Antelope's horsehair bridle and
led her away from the danger.

"It can not be!"  She prayed that her eyes had deceived her,
prayed for
a miracle
to stop the carnage.
  Suddenly the soldiers scattered, retreating hastily in the face of their own danger.  Looking towards the hills
,
Skyraven saw the reason for their hasty retreat.  A large party of
Cheyenne
led by the Cheyenne Dog Soldier, Bull Bear, had heard the shots and now came to aid their brothers, whooping and firing their guns.  In that moment Skyraven k
new her prayer had been heard.

As if the wind had drawn the current, the tide changed.  The blue-coated soldiers sought to pull back and return from where they had come. Though Bull Bear  ordered his warriors to cease their attack, a group of renegades defied him and kept up a volley of fire. When the smoke of the guns  had settled
,
the bodies of seven
Cheyennes
and four troopers
were strewn upon the ground.

Lean Bear
h
ad suffered a volley of shots. S
urely he could not have survived. 
Even so
,
Skyraven held that hope
,
until it shattered when at last the soldiers
had vanished and she came to Lean Bear’s
side. 
His eyes were stil
l
open, staring in disbelief.  Clutched in his hand was the treaty he valued so highly.  He who had spoken of peace had been k
illed violently, senselessly.
             

The Indians rode in silence. 
Lean Bear
's body was dragged back to the village on Skyraven's  travois behind
Lean Bear
's own horse.  With sad faces and downcast eyes, Skyraven and Blue Fox followed close behind.  Next came the small number of braves who had been chosen to accomp
any the Chief on his mission.

I can not believe that this has happened
, Skyraven thought.  Surely she would awaken to find it  only  been a very bad dream.  But no, it was true.  How could she ever forget watching
Lean Bear
shot before her very eyes?  An anger festered inside h
er that could not be soothed.

As soon as the body arrived
,
it was carried to the burial lodge on a blanket.   Four braves each holding one  corner of the chief's own red blanket
,
carried it inside while  the keening of the women rent the air.  In the burial lodge
,
  the
Cheyenne
medicine man chanted and rattled gourds while  presenting  a  sweet grass offering.   Skyraven, Desert Flower and  the women relatives washed the body.  They dressed the chief in his finest ceremonial clothes
,
then wr
apped him in a buffalo robe.
His war bonnet, his buffalo hide shield
, his
many decorated buffalo robes, his bows
, his
own per
sonal peace pipe
, his
arrows--
all of his personal pos
s
essions were wrapped in raw hide bags to be
pl
aced beside
his body, which
was placed on a platform high upon four poles
on a
hill overlooking the village.  His own war pony was shot and left near the platform so that he was provided with everything h
e would need in the next life.

A lone Indian went to stand on the hillside.  Skyraven could see from the markings on his headbands that it was Blue Fox.  He had a single white feather in his hair
, his
blanket  was held close about him.   In sadness
,
she listened as he sang songs
,
chanted and  began to speak half to his father half to himself.  Leaning back into the shadows
,
he promised that soon he would see to it that none of the white soldiers who had helped to kill his father would  remain to tell about it.  Wanting to tell him words of comfort, Skyraven kept her distance instead, sensing that he needed to be alone
with his anger.

When he returned to the village down below, he went to comfort his mother, his wife and to hold his baby son
. T
hen, he talked with the other warriors long into the grey light of morning  about what they would do to retaliate for
Lean Bear
's senseless murder
.