The Mandie Collection (25 page)

“Yes, he is a bad Cherokee,” Sallie agreed.

“You should see his foot. I know he can't walk this time. He must have been caught in the trap ever since we chased him night before last. We lost him in that direction,” Joe told them.

“Go.” Morning Star went outside to join John as he came from the barn. The boys followed.

It was quite a job prying the trap from Tsa'ni's foot because it was so tightly secured in the swollen flesh. The foot was extremely painful to the touch, but John tried to be careful as he gently but steadily freed the flesh from the prongs of the spring. When the foot was finally free, Morning Star washed it with liquid from one of the bottles. Tsa'ni winced and bit his lip in pain. Then Morning Star gently wrapped it in a clean piece of cloth and stood up.

“Take him,” she said, pointing to the boy.

John and the two boys laid Tsa'ni on the blanket and, rolling the edges of it, made a swing to carry him. Since Uncle Ned's house was much closer than Tsa'ni's, they carried him there and laid him on a bed downstairs. Morning Star administered more of her medicine.

“You boys go tell his mother he is here, and when Uncle Ned and Uncle Wirt come back with the wagon, we'll take him home,” Uncle John told them. “I'll be outside.”

He went out the door, and Joe and Dimar left on their errand.

The two girls had been watching the whole thing from a distance. Tsa'ni had ignored everyone until now and had not spoken a word.

Mandie came over to his bed now. “I'm sorry you are injured, Tsa'ni, but the Bible says you reap what you sow and you sure have sowed some wild lies. I think you had better pray about it. We'll all pray for you.”

Tsa'ni looked at her sullenly. “What I do is my business, not yours!”

“You have been messing in our business, Tsa'ni; that's how you got hurt!” she reminded him, standing up and straightening her skirt. “Now that you are really hurt maybe you won't be able to mess in our business anymore.”

Elizabeth stepped in. “Amanda, why don't you and Sallie go outside? Let Tsa'ni rest until his grandfather gets back.”

“Yes, Mother,” Mandie answered as she scooped up Snowball and turned to Sallie. “Come on. We'll see what Uncle John is doing.”

Elizabeth did not uphold the things Tsa'ni had done, but she could see how weak he was and she didn't think it was the right time for him to be reprimanded.

Morning Star brought him a bowl of soup, and cradling the boy's head in her lap, she fed him with a spoon. He didn't say a word but greedily swallowed the broth.

Joe and Dimar came back, bringing Tsa'ni's mother with them. She ran to her son, fell to his side and started weeping. Joe and Dimar looked at each other and went back outside.

When Uncle Ned and Uncle Wirt finally came home with the wagon, John stopped them.

“No use to unhitch the wagon, Uncle Ned,” John told them. “We'll be needing it. Uncle Wirt, the boys found Tsa'ni in the woods. He's inside. He has really been hurt this time, I'm afraid.”

The two Indians went inside and came back out shortly, carrying Tsa'ni in the blanket. They put him into the wagon, and helped his mother climb in beside him.

“Please hurry back,” John said as they pulled away in the wagon. “I want to hear what you've accomplished today concerning the gold.”

“Soon,” Uncle Ned called back.

As they all sat around Uncle Ned's table later that night, the old man told his news.

“Pow-wow tomorrow, council house,” he said. “Told Cherokee Papoose found gold. Cherokee no want gold.”

“But you did get all the chiefs to agree to let the Cherokee people vote on what to do with the gold, didn't you, Uncle Ned?” John asked.

“Cherokee vote pow-wow tomorrow, council house,” the old man answered.

“You mean you can get all the people together to vote on something that fast?” John asked in amazement.

Uncle Wirt spoke up, “Tell one Cherokee. Cherokee tell another Cherokee. News travel fast.”

Mandie smiled at the way he put it. “You mean when you tell one Cherokee something, he will tell another and so on, until they all know?”

Uncle Wirt nodded.

“It sure has been a busy day for the Cherokees,” Joe whistled. “Imagine passing the word to over one thousand people in one day!”

“Approximately thirteen hundred to be exact,” John said. “Of course, the families are large in most cases, and they live in large family groups together.”

“That's still a lot of people,” Mandie agreed.

“So now all the Cherokee people know about the gold?” John asked again.

“Yes, all know,” Uncle Ned nodded.

“Did you tell them to come to the council house tomorrow and vote on what they thought should be done with the gold?” John continued. He wanted to be sure they understood each other.

“Yes,” Ned said.

Mandie, Sallie and Joe looked at one another.

“Just think, we are the cause of all this,” Joe laughed. “I feel kinda good about it when I think of all the good it will do them.”

“I'm glad to be a part of it,” Sallie said. “I hope the people decide on a good use for the gold.”

“Well, I guess we'll know tomorrow,” Mandie said, and then turning to Uncle John, she asked, “Can we go over to the council house to watch tomorrow?”

Her uncle hesitated, looking at Ned and Wirt.

“Papoose go. Papoose Cherokee. Papoose vote,” Uncle Ned told her.

“You mean I can vote, too, Uncle Ned?” Mandie was excited.

“Mmm,” the old man nodded.

“Can I go along for the ride even though I am not Cherokee and can't vote?” Joe asked wistfully.

Uncle Ned and Uncle Wirt both nodded. “Go.”

The four youngsters discussed the matter long into the night after they had gone up to bed.

The next day would hold more excitement for them. It would be a day long to be remembered.

CHAPTER TWELVE

THE CHEROKEES' DECISION

Jerusha, Dimar's mother, came riding up on a pony early the next morning just as Morning Star was putting on the coffee. She walked in through the open doorway, smiling, as she said, “Vote.” She put her arms around Mandie, Sallie and Joe and tried to tell them how happy she was that they had found a fortune for the Cherokees.

“Gold,” she said, hugging the three. “Find gold. Make Cherokee feel good. People need things.”

The three laughed. “Oh, Jerusha, we are so happy for all the Cherokee people. Uncle John says there is enough gold to do a lot of good,” Mandie told her. “Maybe you could build a new church, or a hospital, or even a new school.”

Jerusha nodded her head. “Vote.” Evidently it was a new English word for her and she kept trying it out. She turned to her son and embraced him. “Vote.”

“Yes, I will vote,” Dimar said, embarrassed by his mother's display of affection.

Morning Star stepped forward. “Sit. Eat.” Jerusha sat down and everyone else joined her.

Elizabeth sat next to Dimar's mother. “I'm so glad you could come down to vote. This is such an important thing for the Cherokees. I know you will all agree on something you need.”

The woman nodded her head. “We agree what to do with gold.”

At that moment more guests arrived. Everyone turned to stare as Tsa'ni was carried into the house by a huge man, who turned out to be his father. His mother, Meli, came in behind them.

“We vote,” the man said as he put Tsa'ni on a chair and turned to Uncle Ned. “We vote.” Meli took a place at the table.

Uncle John got up from the table and came across the room to shake hands with the man. “Good morning, Jessan. I'm glad to see you.”

Jessan replied, “John, long time since we met.”

“Where have you been, Jessan?” John asked.

“I take corn to Asheville to sell. Come back to vote,” he said.

John turned to Mandie who was listening to their conversation. “This is Jim's daughter, Amanda. Mandie, we call her. Mandie, this is your cousin, Jessan, Uncle Wirt's son.”

Mandie got up and smiled at him. “I'm so glad to meet you. I want to get to know all my Cherokee kinpeople.”

Jessan laughed, showing perfect white teeth. “Lots of Cherokee kinpeople.”

“How is Tsa'ni's foot?” she asked.

“Better,” Jessan replied. “Well soon.”

Mandie liked her cousin, Jessan, immediately. He seemed too nice to have such a miserable son as Tsa'ni. She was thinking of the many people she would meet when she went with the others to the council house to vote.

Uncle Ned's cabin was practically running over with people, and they soon began loading up for the journey to the council house. Everyone was in a happy mood except Tsa'ni, who never said a word and tried to ignore what the others were saying.

Mandie was glad she didn't have to ride in the same wagon with Tsa'ni. There seemed to be an air of contempt and sulkiness wherever he was. Uncle Wirt and Jerusha rode with him and his parents.

Joe and Dimar sat on either side of Mandie. Joe was aware again of Dimar's interest in Mandie. She never seemed to notice. Joe was determined Mandie would be his wife when they grew up, and he
didn't want anyone else making eyes at her. He liked Dimar, but not when he stared at Mandie.

As they arrived at the reservation center the seven-sided, dome-roofed council house came into view. There must have been several hundred Cherokees milling about it. Every Cherokee in North Carolina must have come to vote. They laughed and talked happily with each other. Almost all the women had red kerchiefs tied around their heads. The young girls looked as if they were wearing their best dresses as they shyly chatted with the young Indian men. It seemed to be a great big party.

When Uncle Ned found a place to leave the wagon and unhitch the horses, they all got down and walked to the council house. All the people turned to look at the group. Mandie smiled at them.

Elizabeth turned to Joe. “Well, I guess we're the only white people around, so we'll have to wait outside,” she said, laughing. “Let's stand in the shade here by the doorway.”

“Sure, Mrs. Shaw,” Joe agreed. Turning to Mandie who was going ahead with Uncle John, he called to her. “Don't forget. Vote for a church, a hospital, or a school. Maybe a hospital would be best, the way Tsa'ni keeps getting himself hurt,” he laughed.

Mandie called back to him. “Maybe that would be the best anyhow.”

She followed the crowd inside. The Indians moved back to make way for her. She gazed at the inside of the huge building. There were bleachers to sit on. Stout log poles held up the dome-shaped thatched roof and the symbols of the clans adorned the posts. The place of the sacred fire was directly ahead as they entered. Behind the fire sat men with stacks of papers and books.

Uncle Ned was watching her, proud to show off his people's council house. He pointed to the men. “Vote,” he said and led them across the room. He explained in Cherokee who Mandie was. Most of the Cherokees knew Uncle John from his visits.

The six men sitting behind the papers got up and smiled at her.

“Jim Shaw's papoose vote,” one spoke, indicating the papers.

The second man said, “Papoose find Cherokee gold.”

Between Uncle John and Uncle Ned they called the men's names as they spoke to the girl, but Mandie was too fascinated with everything to remember who they were. However, she knew they must be important people to occupy the place behind the fire.

The first man handed Mandie a piece of paper. “Vote,” he said.

She took the paper, looked at it, saw that it was completely blank, and turned to Uncle John. “What do I do? Just write down what I think should be done with the gold?”

“That's right. Just write down whatever idea you have about using the gold.” Uncle John turned to the first man and took a piece of paper for himself. “Have all these people already voted?”

“Yes,” the man answered.

“We must be late, Uncle Ned,” John whispered to the old man.

Uncle Ned had a sly smile on his face. He moved away from the others and wrote on his piece of paper and handed it back to the man who was giving them out. The man carefully recorded it in his book.

Mandie sat down on a bleacher and wrote the word
hospital
on her slip of paper and returned it to the man, as Uncle John, Morning Star, Dimar, and Sallie all gave their papers back to the Indian in charge.

“We wait,” Uncle Ned told them, pointing to seats nearby.

Mandie turned and saw Tsa'ni being brought in by his father, Jessan. Meli, Jerusha, and Uncle Wirt followed. They took pieces of paper from the men, wrote, and returned them. They turned around and looked at Mandie and her group.

Mandie quickly turned to Dimar and Sallie. “I hope they don't come over here with Tsa'ni.”

Before they could reply, the other group headed their way and sat down on the bleachers in front of them. She pulled her long skirt back and moved her feet to keep from touching them. No one spoke. Everyone seemed to be waiting.

The men with the papers began gathering up all their things. The first one, who had spoken to Mandie, stood up. He beat on a drum a couple of times. Silence fell over the crowd.

“Vote is done. We have counted all votes,” he said in a loud, booming voice. “I will read the decision of our people on what to do with the gold found in the cave.” He picked up one of the open books and began reading from it. “We, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina, do not wish to accept the gold found in the cave.” He paused and looked up.

Mandie couldn't believe her ears.

He continued, “Even though it was purported to have belonged to our great warrior Tsali and to be left by him for our people, gold has always brought bad luck to our people. Therefore, we hereby designate as the holder of the gold with complete authority to use it as she wishes, the daughter of our beloved Jim Shaw, who has gone on to the happy hunting ground. We leave it in the hands of Amanda Elizabeth Shaw, who found the gold, to do whatever she deems best with it. Signed—The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina.”