Wild Embrace

Looking closer, he saw how frightened she was, and understood. Her testimony today was the only one, besides Strong Heart’s, that he would listen to.

Judge Cline looked at Strong Heart again. “You may be seated,” he said. “And thank you for your honesty. An honest man is hard to find these days. It is refreshing when I come across one.” He smiled warmly at Strong Heart as he slowly sat down. “Lad, this trial won’t take long, I can promise you that.”

Hearing Judge Cline speak so kindly to Strong Heart gave Elizabeth cause to hope. The judge narrowed his eyes as he stared at her, again.

Then Judge Cline gently spoke her name, and gestured for her to come to the podium to take a seat. Her legs trembled as she rose from her chair. The whole courtroom had fallen into a hushed silence, everyone shocked that she, a white woman, would testify on an Indian’s behalf.

And she alone knew that they had not seen or heard anything yet. Before God and the town, she was going to openly defy all the unspoken laws that had been set down between the whites and Indians.

And she was going to do more than that.

She was going to reveal things to these gawking, high and mighty people that would set their tongues to wagging into the night and many days to follow.

When Maysie reached a comforting hand to her, Elizabeth took it and clung to it for a moment, then went to the podium. She sat down gingerly on the padded seat after swearing to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth.

“We won’t bother with cross-examinations nor such bunk as that today.” Judge Cline said, causing a stir in the courtroom which the judge ignored. He leaned to one side, eye to eye with Elizabeth as she turned to him. “Young lady, just tell me everything you know about what has brought Strong Heart to this courtroom. You are speaking on his behalf. I, as well as everyone else in this room, am prepared to listen. Begin speaking and you won’t be interrupted until you are finished.”

Elizabeth was amazed at the generosity of this judge, having feared the day that she would have to face him. The authorities whom she had already had dealings with in Seattle had neither been respectable nor honest.

But again, this man made her feel as if there was some hope—some reason to believe that justice would be served, and her love would be set free so that they could resume their lives together.

“Your Honor, I have never met a kinder or gentler man than Strong Heart,” she began softly, fighting back tears as Strong Heart gazed devotedly up at her. She wiped her hands on her skirt and continued. “This man has saved my life not once, but many times. He did this at the risk of losing his own life. But do not get me wrong, I do not sit here testifying in his behalf because I feel as if I owe him for his kindness. It runs deeper than that. I testify for him because I know him to be innocent, and very wronged by the white community. This man, who will one day be a great chief, has been humiliated before the whole town, and made to sit in jail beside the most degenerate of criminals.” She cleared her throat, then looked over at the judge. “Your Honor, I was also wrongly jailed and placed with hardened criminals. The sheriff and deputy treated me as less than a lady by . . . by . . . trying to rape me,” she said, her voice growing in strength as she spoke. She aimed her speech solely at the judge. “Strong Heart knew that I was innocent. He released me. It was after we fled Seattle that someone else went to the prison and set it on fire. The deputy and sheriff both died in the fire. So as you see, he is innocent of that crime.”

The judge found her story plausible. For years, he had known Sheriff Nolan’s wicked reputation. He was surprised no one had torched the prison before.

Elizabeth looked over at Strong Heart. “He released Four Winds from the prison because of loyalty to a friend he did not believe was guilty of any crime. This man, whom some would relish seeing hanging from a noose, has a big, kind heart. There is surely no one else quite like him on the face of the earth. Because of his beliefs and loyalties, he has risked his life over and over again these past weeks.”

Again, she looked at the judge. “And for this he might be condemned to die,” she said, her voice breaking. ”And, Judge Cline, if you need proof of his whereabouts on the night of the fire and deaths of the sheriff and deputy, I can vouch for him. After he released me from the prison, we traveled quickly into the forest where we camped, so that we might rest before traveling on to his village. And by a campfire I made love with this man who will soon be my husband.”

The shock of this statement registered and the whole room seemed to reverberate with the gasps and exclamations of dismay.

Judge Cline’s eyebrows shot up in amazement at Elizabeth. Then he picked up his gavel and slammed it against the desk. “Order in the court!” he shouted above the clamor. “We . . . shall . . . have order in this court!”

Everything became quiet, except for a few whisperings. The women’s eyes rested accusingly on Elizabeth, apparently appalled by the thought of a white woman stepping forward and brazenly admitting to having slept with an Indian.

Yet she held her chin high, her eyes unwavering as the judge looked at her again.

“Continue,” Judge Cline said, a quiet smile pulling at his lips.

“Judge Cline, I believe I have said my piece,” Elizabeth murmured, smiling back at him.

“A testimony like I have never heard before, and perhaps won’t hear again,” Judge Cline announced, laying the gavel aside. He sat back in his chair, rocking slowly back and forth as he placed his fingertips together before him.

Then he leaned forward, his elbows on the desk, and began to speak again. “Never have I seen such courage as you have portrayed today, young lady,” he said. “I’m inclined to believe you, for you knew the repercussions before speaking up—the way people would react to such a statement as this. That you could be shunned by the white community. Yes, young lady, it must be true, or you wouldn’t have taken the chance of harming your reputation by telling a story like this—”

A sudden commotion at the back of the room made Judge Cline lose his train of thought. He stared at an Indian who was making his way down the aisle. A ripple of excitement flowed through the crowd at his presence.

Judge Cline slammed his gavel down, causing a quick silence to ensue. He glared down at Four Winds as he came to stand before the bench, his jaw set with determination.

“What is the meaning of this?” Judge Cline asked, leaning forward. “Do you not understand that you have just interrupted a court of law?”

“Ah-hah, yes, I understand,” Four Winds said, folding his arms across his chest. “And that is why I am here—to speak for my friend, Strong Heart.”

Four Winds glanced over at Strong Heart, relieved that he had not come too late. Then he smiled at Elizabeth.

He turned and found Maysie in the crowd, the hurt in the depths of her eyes making his heart ache. The knowledge of what he had to do to guarantee his friend’s freedom had kept him away from Maysie.

She had to learn to live without him, for he would not be free to love her. His announcement today would condemn him in the eyes of the white community, and even his own people’s eyes, forever. There would be no future for him.