Wellington's Quest - Robert F. Clifton (beach books .TXT) 📗

“After all these years how did you recognize me?”

“Your limp. You walk the same as you did back in school”, she answered.

After reporting the finding of a white, captive woman Jim led Kathleen to the medical tent. “They'll take care of you here. I'll come back to see what else you need”, said Jim.

Returning to the village he saw soldiers and Winnebago scouts shooting and killing the dogs. Large fires burned in different locations of the Sioux camp. Tipi's, meat, clothing, hides, utensils, tools, weapons, anything and everything used by the Sioux was destroyed.

Jim walked back to the place where he had met Kathleen. There he found the deerskin bundle containing the remains of Kathleen's baby. From the size of the of the pack and the weight he determined that the child had been an infant. He carried the dead child to where a roaring fire sent flames and sparks into the morning sky and with some effort managed to place the body of the baby into the inferno. As he turned to walk away he saw the soldiers and Indian scouts begin to shoot the women and children.

Back at the army bivouac Jim went to see Sandy Cahill. He found him on the ground leaning against his saddle. A large bandage was wrapped around his right thigh.

“I heard you got hit, bullet or arrow?”,asked Jim.

“Arrow, and the head of it is lodged in my leg bone. The doctor says he can't take it out here in the field. I'll have to wait until we get back to Fort Rice. Once there, I guess they'll go digging for it. I heard that you and Horace Green found the Sioux village. Looks like you tuned out to be an army scout after all”, said Sandy.

“Maybe. If so, then it's a good way to go out. I'm done. I just came here to see how your are and to thank you for everything you've done for me and of course, to say good by'”.

“Good by? Hell, there's another battle brewing. You can't quit now. Sully needs you”, said Cahill.

“No he doesn't. He's hired Winnebago scouts. According to him they work cheaper and better. They also do his bidding by killing women and children. Something I don't go for Sandy”.

“Ah yes, there it is again. You the idealist, wanting a perfect world where everyone gets along and lives happily ever after,” said Sandy.

“If I were to describe an idealist it would be you and your kind. You want to change the world. You want to take away the land of the Indian. Take away his customs, his religion and his way of life and what for? So you can take what is his, what was always his, the land and the buffalo. Your kind will carve up and divide his land into lots and sell them as real estate. You'll build and run railroads over the buffalo range. Steamboats will cruise his rivers and more and more of you will force him on to God forsaken parcels of land and force him to become a farmer. If you can't destroy him you'll destroy his way of life. However, like I said, I'm done. Th only Indian I will kill is one that tries to kill me. So, I'm saying good by. You and I don't see eye to eye and there's no way we ever will.

Here's my hand. Good luck, stay healthy and keep your hair Sandy”, said Jim as the two men shook hands.

The next day Jim rode along the side one of the ambulances that carried the wounded back to Fort Rice. Kathleen Higgins sat next to the teamster and from there she talked to Jim. “Does that Paint belong to you?”, she asked.

“Yes, why?”,asked Jim

“To tell you the truth this wagon seat is very uncomfortable”

“You can ride the mare if you want, but I don't have a saddle for her”, he said

“James, you forget that I’m a farm girl. I learned how to ride bareback before I learned to walk”.

Jim dismounted and helped the woman down from the ambulance. He then fashioned a rope bridle and helped her mount the horse. Once Kathleen was settled he climbed up on to the saddle of the army horse and the two of them began the ride to Fort Rice. As they rode side by side and out of earshot of the teamster, Kathleen asked, “What did you do with Tika?”

He turned and looked at her. “Flower? Was that your baby's name?”

“Yes. Jim? Did you save her from the village dogs?”

“Kathleen, she's where no one or no thing can get to her. Her body is safe”.

“Thank you”.

Riding together across the grassland they talked of the days when they were children and schoolmates back in Minnesota. They spoke of the people they knew and their lives up to the Sioux uprising.

“So, you came looking for your Virginia. As far as I know, no one came looking for me”, said Kathleen sadly.

“That's not true. This entire Army under the command of General Sully came looking for you and others like you”, Jim replied.

“Like me? What does that mean? Do you mean an Indian's White woman? When you get time please introduce me to the man because he loved me came looking for me. If you can't, then introduce me to the man who will want me after he knows I was used by a Sioux warrior”, she said with tears in her eyes.

For the next hour they rode in silence, neither knowing what to say. The small procession of ambulances containing the wounded along with the mounted escort made their way across the prairie.

That evening as night fell Jim made a fire, filled the coffee pot half full with water and set it on the fire to boil. As he was slicing salt pork he heard footsteps approaching in the semi-darkness. He looked up and saw Kathleen. “Got enough for two?”, she asked.

“Food? Yes. Knife, fork, spoon, plate and cup, no. however, you eat, first, then I'll eat. Hope you like salt pork”, he said.

“I haven't seen or tasted it in two years. Right now I'll bet it taste better than dry buffalo meat', she answered.

“Don't bet. This is army issue. Would you like coffee or tea? I have both”.

“Could I have coffee Jim?'

“Sure, hope you like it black, but I do have sugar”.

“Fine, with sugar please.”

After they finished their meal they sat by the fire. Jim sipped his coffee and from over the rim of the cup he saw the sadness on Kathleen's face. “Something wrong?”, he asked.

Kathleen offered a weak smile. “Just thinking of my daughter, my baby”.

“That's only natural. You'll never forget her nor should you. Rest assure that she is in heaven”.

“And, the dogs didn't get her”.

“Kathleen, I told you that they didn't or couldn't. Besides I heard that the army killed over a hundred dogs”.

“That's about the right number. When times are hard and there is no meat the people eat the dogs, particularly the puppies”, she said.

Jim decided to change the subject. “What will you do when you return to Minnesota?”, he asked.

“What do you suggest? Do you know of any white man who will marry me once he learns that I gave birth to a Sioux opa la (baby)?”

“At the moment, no, but there has to be someone out there who will not care about the baby. If it is that much of a concern of yours then don't tell him or anyone”.

“When I get back to Minnesota word will get around”, she replied.

“I understand that we will be compensated for out property losses.

For you, it means the house your parents owned. You can sell the land. Sell and go to a place like Philadelphia or New York”, Jim advised.

“And do what?”, she asked.

“It all depends on what you want. I know that you were one that graduated from high school. You have an education.”

“Right now I want to know that somewhere there is a white man who can love me, who can ignore what happened to me. I want to feel his arms around me, feel his lips on mine. I want to know the feelings of love instead of being unfeeling and cold as stone”, she responded.

“I can understand how you feel. However, right now you're very vulnerable. You have lost a child. You're heading back into a world and a society that will have questions and probably accusations, questions that I don't have the answers to give to you right now. When I reach the fort I'll quit my contract with the army, draw my pay and head out looking for Virginia”.

“Oh well, guess I'll go home and take the money and run. Thanks for supper”, she said as she got up and walked away.

Jim watched her disappear into the darkness. Then, his thoughts returned to Virginia. What if she was in the same situation like that of Kathleen? Would he feel the same about her or would he have questions?

Could he ignore the fact that a Sioux warrior made love to her, held her, possibly impregnated her? At that moment, he didn't know. He wanted to think that because he loved her it didn't matter, but did it? Did it matter?”

After their arrival back at Fort Rice Jim resigned as an Army Scout for Sully's expedition. He turned in the Spencer carbine that had been issued to him along with the ammunition. With the return of the army mount he now rode the black and white paint mare that he took from the Sioux.

He sat on a rough hewed bench behind a canvas curtain draped over a rope. On the other side of the drapery Kathleen Higgins soaked in an old copper bathtub as she scrubbed away dirt and grime.

“I'm writing a letter for you to take to a friend of mine, a Mister Sidney Tozer. He's a lawyer. He'll help you get your money and if interested sell your land. Then, I'm heading for the Sutler's Store. I'll also see if any of the women in the wagon train has a dress your size. If they do l'll try to buy it. Do you prefer any particular color?”, he asked,

“Any thing, but red”.

“Alright, I'll be back soon”.

“Take your time. This water is delightful”.

“Good, enjoy it”.

Jim left the room and headed for the sutler's store. He still had most of the money that Wilcox had given him. Now, with his army pay he was able to purchase the things he would need for his next journey, a passage through the badlands. This trip would be different. This time he would be alone.

He stood at the counter ordering canned fish and smoked and dried meat, what canned vegetables he could find and peaches. Added to that was coffee, flour and sugar, a small tub of lard and five pounds of salt. Salt was needed if by chance he wanted to save and preserve any meat that he hunted and killed.

“Anything else?”, asked the merchant.

“Do you happen to have a Spencer repeating carbine for sale, plus ammunition for it?”, asked Jim.

“Nope! But, I do have the new Henry. It's a forty four caliber. The magazine tube holds sixteen rounds where as the Spencer holds only seven. Also the magazine tube loads from the front instead of the rear of the stock like the Spencer. Here, take this one. Get the feel of it. Notice how smooth the lever action is. On the down stroke the lever ejects the spent cartridge casing. Here's the best part, it also cocks the hammer for each shot. Yes indeed this is a fine rifle”.

“How much?”, asked Jim.

“They're getting fifty dollars a piece for them back in the States. Mind you now, I have to pay for shipping costs to get them out here”.

“I asked you how much?”, said Jim.

“I'm asking seventy five dollars”, said the sutler.

“And, I'm offering sixty”, Jim replied.

“How about seventy dollars and I throw in another magazine tube?”

“Done”, said Jim shaking hands with the man.

“Sold, now