Song Of The Warrior (19 page)

After a couple of swallows, she reached up and grasped the bottle between her bound hands, gulped the liquor.

Billy leaned against the stall door and watched. “Anybody liable to come in here?”

Deek shook his head as he urged the girl to drink more. “No; this isn't a barn that's used much. Anyway, we can always move her or turn her loose. With her taste for whiskey, she ain't goin' very far from the source.”

Billy reached to unbutton his pants. “Okay, squaw, you've had enough; I don't like my women passed completely out.”

Tanner guffawed. “Dead or unconscious never made no difference to me!”

“You're disgusting!” Billy said.

“Maybe we're two of a kind, partner.”

He needed the scout's help for a while; then maybe in a battle, Deek could catch an accidental bullet and Billy would be rid of him. Who would notice if that bullet came from behind?

The Indian girl wiped her mouth very slowly and looked up at him with hatred. “You-you finish with me, you let me go?”

“I promise,” Billy said and forced her over on her back. “Now you just pleasure me and Deek a little and then we'll let you go until you need another drink bad enough.”

“How come you get to go first?” Deek protested.

“Because I'm an officer, that's why.”

She began weeping, but Billy didn't care. He always liked it better when he forced himself on an unwilling woman. Sooner or later, he'd have Willow under him and he hoped she fought him; he liked it that way. He ripped Rainbow's shift down the front and ran his hands over her full breasts while she protested with a whimper. Then he took her, relishing her struggles. He wanted Willow, but for the moment, Rainbow would have to do . . . but not for long.

News spread like wildfire across the Northwest that there had been a big Indian massacre of soldiers at White Bird Canyon. Nervous white settlers gathered in towns and forts, temporarily abandoning ranches and farms. A great cry of indignation went up for the army to “do something.” The telegraph wires to and from Washington hummed even as newspaper editors pricked up their ears at possible front page news.

It took several weeks for General Howard to get his reinforcements and supplies, but he rode out of Fort Lapwai on June 22, at the head of the 1st Cavalry, the 21st Infantry, and the 4th Artillery. Also adding to the impressive forces were guides, packers, civilian volunteers from Walla Walla, a mountain howitzer, and two Gatling guns.

The general lingered at White Bird Canyon to bury the dead from the earlier battle, then rode toward the Salmon River crossing, which he reached on June 27. On that day, his troops were joined by another 175 regulars to reinforce those he already had and also a group of volunteers from Dayton, Washington, to replace the Walla Walla civilians.

In the meantime, two respected Nez Perce war leaders, Five Wounds and Wahchumyus, who had been off hunting buffalo in Montana, returned with their men to join up with Joseph and his nontreaty Nez Perce. The fleeing Indians crossed the Salmon River at Horseshoe Bend and moved up to the high country between the Salmon and the Snake Rivers.

Howard had heard a rumor that Chief Looking Glass's band at Clear Creek on the Middle Fork on the Clear Water River, far to Howard's rear, was recruiting warriors for Chief Joseph's cause. On this rumor, he sent Captain Whipple and two companies of cavalry to arrest Chief Looking Glass. Captain Whipple picked up a bunch of trigger-happy volunteers from the settlement at Mount Idaho, and their combined forces attacked Looking Glass's reservation without warning on the morning of July 1. The troopers looted, burned the encampment, and stole many horses, but they did not manage to arrest Chief Looking Glass.

When word got back to Deek Tanner in General Howard's camp, he chortled with disgust to Billy. “Now, they've gone and done it! Looking Glass and Red Owl were counselin' peace and refusin' to join up with Joseph's band because they didn't want to fight. That stupid bastard, Whipple, has done hit a hornet's desk with a stick and brought a bunch more Nez Perce into this Injun war.”

“Damn!” Billy said. “Howard'll be sore as a boil on a cavalry man's backside. Instead of containing the Indian war, it's getting bigger.”

Deek nodded and rubbed the livid scar on his dirty forehead. “Worse'n that, we're now caught between Chief Joseph's forces on one side and Looking Glass and his braves to our rear. He'll be comin' into this fight, you bet, and bringin' forty or fifty good warriors with him.”

“I suppose that means that other chiefs who have been watching from the sidelines will now put on war paint?”

Deek grinned. “Yep.”

Billy felt the sweat run down his armpits. “Maybe we should just desert; I don't want to die just to sleep with Willow.”

“Oh, hell, don't you think about nothin' besides women?” Deek grumbled. He scratched a louse loose from his beard, cracked it between his nails. “The Nez Perce treasure; now that's something worth worryin' about. If we can just find out where that gold is, you could buy a lot of purty women to entertain us.”

Billy considered a moment. He didn't trust Deek, but the scout knew more about Indians and this wild country than he did himself, so he couldn't break up the partnership yet. One thing was sure; this Indian campaign was turning out to be a lot more dangerous than Billy had expected. If it weren't for the lure of the girl and the gold, Billy would have deserted and gone back to civilization.

 

 

General Howard was feeling the pressure and the criticism, both from Washington and the press. Right now, he was worried about his forces being caught between Chief Joseph and Looking Glass's forces now that that idiot, Whipple, had turned peaceful Indians into enemies by attacking their camp. He must bring this outbreak to a close before other Indians joined in and trouble spread across the wilderness like an out-of-control wildfire. He had no desire to be known as this year's George Armstrong Custer.

However, Chief Joseph's forces were riding so far ahead of him that when his troops crossed the Salmon River with an enormous amount of effort, the Indians had crossed that same water back again far to the north near Craig Billy Crossing. The general really began to sweat in the summer heat as he called another meeting of his officers.

“The Nez Perce are making fools of us,” he fumed, “and now we've got hostile warriors between us and the town of Lewiston. If they decide to attack all those settlers in the Camas Prairie area, the whites are defenseless. We've got to get to the other side; cross the river again just like they did.”

Deek shook his head. “Beggin' your pardon, General, but I know the Craig Billy Crossing; the Injuns might manage to ford the river there, but you won't; not draggin' artillery and all these supplies.”

“We've got to try because of the time involved,” Howard said. “I'm worried about those unsuspecting settlers out there like sitting ducks.”

 

 

So the army took the difficult trail to the Craig Billy Crossing. As Deek had said, the river was in flood stage and there was no way the army could cross. Forced to admit defeat, the troops had to return back down to cross at White Bird. They were both discouraged and embarrassed by the time they reached their original starting point, Grangeville, July 8.

In the meantime, there had been skirmishes between the Indians and various volunteer and small cavalry detachments. With every passing day, the hostile Indian bands were growing in number. After the brutal attack on his camp, Looking Glass indeed ceased counseling for peace and brought his people in to join up with Chief Joseph. Husis Kute and Hahtalekin, leaders of nontreaty Palouse and Nez Perce bands from the lower Snake River, also rode in to join with Joseph's forces.

It particularly delighted Raven that in their movements, the hostiles ended up near the eastern boundary of the Nez Perce reservation. With General Howard away on his wild-goose chase, the hostiles visited friends and relatives in the area of Kamiah, urging some of the reluctant to join up with them. Many did, although a few who had been with them all along decided they had rather stop fighting and live peacefully on the reservation.

Willow smiled as she watched Raven racing horses and engaging in high jinks with his friends. “I suppose he's gotten over me; I'm glad he's in such good spirits.”

Bear nodded. “I gave him a little respect and responsibility; I think it helped.”

“Are you talking about that last night before we left?” she blurted without thinking.

He looked at her strangely. “Why do you mention that?”

Now that she had brought it up, she might as well finish it. “You've never told me where you two went or what you did that night.”

He hesitated. “Don't ask.”

Whatever it was, he either didn't want her to know or didn't trust her. That truth stung.

He must have realized her hurt from her expression. “Look, Willow, there are reasons, I—”

“Never mind; it doesn't matter.” It did, of course, but she wasn't going to beg. She thought she had proven that she was Indian in her heart, but maybe Bear still thought of her as white.

“I wish I could make love to you,” he whispered. “I miss having you in my arms. When this is over—”

“I'm beginning to wonder if this will ever be over.” She sighed, watching Raven ride toward them.

“What do you mean? Chief Joseph's forces have made fools of the army. More and more chiefs are riding in and bringing their people with them.”

“You don't realize the power and strength of the U.S. Army.” She shook her head. “So what if we now have six or seven hundred people? Only a small group of those are warriors, and compared to the might of the United States government, it's pitifully few.”

“Your government isn't so mighty,” Bear scoffed. “The Sioux annihilated the best of your army last year at the Little Big Horn.”

“And what did it get the Sioux?” Willow countered. “Now they are exiles in Canada who dare not even ride below the border for fear the soldiers will capture or kill them.”

Bear conceded that with a nod. “Anytime you change your mind, Willow, you can leave; go back to the whites.”

She felt guilty enough for having caused this split between the two brothers without thinking that maybe now Bear regretted his choice. “I love you,” she whispered. “All I want is to be allowed to live in peace in some little corner of the world and raise our children, grow old together.”

He took her hand and he was so near that she could feel the warmth of his body. The look on his rugged features betrayed that it was all Bear could do not to sweep her into his arms and make passionate love to her. “When we get to Montana,” he whispered urgently, “if you are not already making me a son, I plan to give you one.”

She slipped her arms around his neck before he could react, and kissed him deeply, hotly, until both their hearts pounded hard with excitement. “Why don't we begin now? We could give up this wild, crazy exodus, stay here on the reservation with the treaty Indians. I don't care where we are as long as I'm with you.”

She kissed him again, slipping her tongue between his lips, molding herself to the angles of his hard, muscular body. She pressed her breasts against him, rubbing against the swollen hardness of his maleness.

For just a moment, they clung together in mounting excitement. She wanted him to make love to her more than anything at this moment.

Abruptly, he pulled away from her and reached to jerk her hands from his neck. “Willow, what are you doing? You know the taboo! I can't—”

“Forget the taboo; forget this vain war!” She tried to take him in her arms again. “I want you; I need you. This is an impossible task, attempting to walk thousands of miles on the hope that the cavalry won't chase us. Is this wild dream of freedom worth dying for?”

He snorted in disgust. “You are a white woman after all, it seems. Either that, or you have never seen this grim little reservation they intend to settle us on.”

“I-I'm sorry.” She felt the tears gather in her green eyes. “It's just that I want security and children. I'm already tired of running ahead of the army like harried coyotes, always afraid we'll be surprised and attacked.”

“I love you, Willow,” he said gently, “but in some ways, you're as immature as my brother; putting your needs ahead of your people. A man of honor cannot do this.”

“I know.” She hung her head. “I just don't want you to be the one who pays with your life for freedom.”

“Willow,” he said, looking down at her, “men must always be willing to pay with their lives for freedom; otherwise, their children will never have it. Someone always has to pay the price. Is it not the same with whites?”

Willow thought of Valley Forge, the Alamo, and the recent Civil War. “Yes, you are right; I'm sorry.”

Raven rode up and dismounted. “I forgot to tell you, I have done something guaranteed to offend General Howard and his troops.”

“What?” Bear asked.

Raven grinned. “When we were across the river from them, I jerked up my breechcloth as I rode away, showed them my bare rear, and made an obscene gesture.”

“Oh, Raven.” Willow shook her head. “You could have been shot. That was so foolish.”

Bear laughed in spite of himself. “That was indeed a boy's prank. It's a wonder they didn't kill you.”

“They shot at me and cursed. The soldiers were very angry.” He paused and looked at Willow. His gaze softened and he sighed, looked away.

He is still in love with me, Willow thought, and that's too bad, because the brothers care about each other. I love Bear very much, but I also care about the irresponsible, irrepressible Raven.

“Somehow,” she said, “this will all work out the way it should and maybe then the Nez Perce can live at peace.”

Bear shook his head. “Only if One-Arm Howard stops chasing us. With his career depending on it, I don't think he intends to lose this war.”

Willow bit her lip. “I'm afraid you're right.” She didn't want to think about that anymore. “I think I'll work with the children awhile this afternoon.”

“Fine.” Raven smiled. “Can I come along? I want to hear more of that story about the two towns.”

“A Tale of Two Cities,”
she corrected with a laugh as she reached for the novel. “Bear?”

He shook his head. “I've things to do; you two go on.”

Willow and Raven started out of the lodge and headed for a shade tree where the children usually gathered.

Raven said, “I would like to own a book someday.”

“I suppose I owe you an apology; when I began to teach, I didn't think you were serious, that you really cared.”

“I do now, Willow, just as I care about you.”

She started in surprise, but he shook his head. “You were right; I can see why you love my big brother; he's just like Luci's husband in that story, good and honorable. In some ways, maybe I'm like Sydney Carton; I drink too much and don't have any honor.”

“That's not true!” she protested. “Why, if I hadn't fallen in love with Bear, I might have loved you.”

He grinned a bit sadly as they walked. “I always come in second best to Bear; he's braver, he has more honor, and the woman I love loves him.”

“You'll find another woman sometime.”

“Probably,” he conceded as they walked toward where the children were gathering under the tree, “but I'll never love her as I loved you.”

“Please don't talk that way.”