Authors: Jeffry S.Hepple
Jack saw the smudge of smoke against the pale dawn sky. “I wonder why they moved away from the wagons to set up camp?” He nudged his horse with his heels and started down the hill toward the fire.
“
There’s only one,” Coyote said.
“
One what?”
“
One person at the campfire.”
Jack stood up in the stirrups. “You’re right. It’s Clementine. I guess she decided she didn’t want to camp with the men.”
“
Camping alone is foolish. Aside from the men, there are bears here. Big bears. Taller than any man.”
“
She’s got my Navy Colt. I think it would stop a bear.”
Coyote was looking toward the three wagons.
“
What?” Jack turned too.
“
Crows.”
“
Indians?”
“
No, birds.”
“
So what?”
“
Crows are scavengers. They flock to dead carcasses.”
“
Come on.” Jack kicked his horse into a run.
Clementine was frying bacon when Jack and Coyote rode in. “Just in time,” she said.
Jack swung down and tied his horse to a pine. “Where are the buffalo hunters?”
“
Dead,” she said. “I shot ‘em.”
“
Go see,” Jack said to Coyote.
The boy wheeled his horse and rode out.
“
I guarantee that they’re dead,” Clementine said. “I put two bullets into each of ‘em from close range.”
“
Why?”
“
They raped me.”
Jack’s mouth fell open.
“
They started passing a jug of moonshine around about the time that the two Bobs and I got back to camp. At first the two Bobs stayed sober but…” She looked up. “Maybe you don’t want to hear this.”
Jack crouched beside her. “Only if it makes you feel better to tell it.”
She considered that for a moment, then shook her head. “I’d rather not talk about it, if it’s all the same to you.”
“
Just tell me how you managed to best eight armed men.”
“
I waited until they were asleep and I shot them two at a time with a six-shooter in each hand. Old Henry was the only one that got a shot off at me. Luckily he was still drunk as a skunk and missed. I think I gave him an extra bullet for scaring me.”
“
Are you okay? I mean, did they hurt you?”
She looked at him for a moment. “I’ve been raped before, Jack. I learned that fighting just gets you beat up. I didn’t fight and they didn’t hurt me. I took a short bath in the river last night, then this morning I heated some water and took a long one. In a day or two the soreness and bruises’ll be gone and I’ll be good as new.”
He put his arms around her. “I’m so sorry.”
“
It’s not your fault,” she said into his chest. “And now it’s over.”
Jack looked up as Coyote rode in. “Well?”
“
All dead. Did she do it?”
“
Yes.” Jack nodded.
“
Want me to bury them?”
“
No. Pour coal oil over them and burn them where they are. Their wagons and gear too.”
“
Every Indian in the territory will come to see what the fire is about,” Coyote argued.
“
Good. Maybe we’ll find your people.”
“
Have some bacon first,” Clementine said, pulling away from Jack. “I started to make biscuits but forgot what I was doing.”
“
I am not hungry.” Coyote turned his horse and rode back out.
“
What’s wrong with him?” Clementine asked.
Jack started to answer but changed his mind.
~
Clementine had climbed into the wagon at sundown and was fast asleep. Jack and Coyote were sitting near the dying camp fire.
“
You should come north with me and the Dakota hunters,” Coyote whispered.
“
Why?”
“
If you go back now, people will ask what happened to the buffalo hunters. If you stay up here for a season or two, people will forget.”
Jack looked up at the stars. “I wouldn’t mind, but living like this is hard for a woman.”
Coyote glanced toward the wagon. “That woman is harder than most men.”
“
Let me think about it.”
“
The country up there in the Black Hills is beautiful. You should see it.”
“
I still haven’t seen the geysers and lakes here.”
“
We can see them on our way north.”
“
I’m worried about the winter.”
“
The people have survived winters since time began.”
“
All right. We’ll go with you if the Dakota agree.”
“
They will. They think your woman has powerful magic.”
“
Yeah. Me too.”
August 14, 1855
New York, New York
N
ancy Vreeland watched the lamplighter through the window until he was out of sight. “This isn’t my home anymore, Mother. Sell it.”
“
It never was your home,” her mother replied. “You always preferred to live across the Bay with the Van Buskirks.”
Nancy turned to face her. “Do you really want to discuss that, Mother?”
“
There was nothing I could do,” Mrs. Vreeland said in a pained voice.
“
Horseshit.” Nancy walked to the loveseat across from her mother’s chair and sat down. “I believed that once, but I don’t any more. You used me.”
“
Think what you like,” her mother snapped. “The house is yours if you want it. It’s worth a great deal of money.”
“
I don’t want the house or the money.” Nancy stood up. “Good bye, Mother.”
“
Will you at least go up and talk to your father before you go?”
“
He’s your husband, not my father.”
“
Nancy, please. He’s dying.”
“
Good. I hope he does so slowly and then rots in hell for all eternity.” She walked from the parlor into the hall to retrieve her coat. “You can tell him that for me.”
“
My Lord, you’re cruel.”
“
Yeah. That’s me.” Nancy put on her coat, walked out and closed the door.
Anna was waiting for her under a streetlight on the corner. “How’d it go?”
“
About as you’d expect.” Nancy turned up her coat collar and stuffed her hands into her coat pockets.
“
Did you see him?”
“
No.”
“
What did your mother say?”
“
She said that I’m cruel.”
“
That’s all?”
“
She said that he was leaving the house to me. I told her to sell it and keep the money.”
Anna put her arm through Nancy’s and they started walking back toward the ferry. “I’m sorry.”
“
Can we talk about something else?”
“
Yes,” Anna said. “I got a telegram from the detectives that I hired to find Jack and Clementine. They say that Jack and Clementine are alive and well, living with a tribe of Sioux Indians up near the Canadian border.”
“
That’s good news. Why aren’t you happy?”
“
There’s a warrant out for Clementine’s arrest.”
“
Is there a law against being a slut?”
“
She’s wanted for murder,” Anna said. “A prospector says that she killed several buffalo hunters in cold blood. He says he witnessed the whole thing and showed a US Marshal their bones.”
“
Jesus. Poor Jack.”
“
Yes. I guess he’s living with the Indians to protect her.”
“
If that’s true, when they charge her they’ll charge him as an accessory.”
“
With all the lawyers in this family we can surely beat that.”
“
I’m not as confident as you are that your family lawyers can beat the Federal Government at trial. But if Jack comes in voluntarily, the government will drop the accessory charges. Can you send the detective to warn Jack?”
“
I doubt they’ll agree. But I’ll try to get a message to him somehow, if the Pinkertons won’t take it.”
“
Living with filthy Indians.” Nancy shuddered. “I can’t imagine.”
Anna squeezed Nancy’s arm. “I’m half Indian and so are my brothers.”
Nancy blushed. “I forgot.”
September 1, 1855
West Point, New York
F
itzhugh Lee shook Johnny’s hand and thumped him on the back. “Here we are at last. Upperclassmen. It’s time to pay back some of those insults we’ve had to endure.”
“
We’ll be paying back the wrong people,” Johnny replied, in a much less enthusiastic tone. “The cadets that tormented us are lieutenants now.”
Lee released his grip on Johnny’s right hand and dropped his arm. “I gather your summer was less than you anticipated.”
Johnny shrugged.
“
Did she throw you over when you got to Ohio?”
“
On the contrary. When I got off the train in Columbus she was waiting as promised.”
“
And?”
“
And she announced that she was pregnant and that we must get married immediately.”
“
Pregnant?” Lee was stunned. “You hadn’t seen her since Easter and you swore to me that nothing happened.”