Wild Desire

Fumbling through the darkness, she found a lamp and match. She almost dropped the match when Adam came quickly to her side.

“Let me light the lamp for you,” Adam said, striking the match and placing it to the wide, kerosene-soaked wick.

“Be careful, Adam,” Stephanie said, holding the lamp steady. “Always remember the danger of my photographic chemicals.”

“Always,” Adam said, chuckling. “Do you think I want to go up in smoke just as I’m about to see my dreams come true?”

Stephanie saw the need for another warning to her brother. “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch,” she said, setting her lamp on a counter, far from the trays of chemicals that she used for developing her negatives. “Didn’t you see Sage’s reaction? It’s obvious that he’s not only against the railroad but also my being a photographer.”

She turned to Adam and reached a hand to his lapel, smoothing it out with a soft touch of her fingers. “My dear brother, I do believe you have a battle on your hands,” she said, smiling up at him. “Now, be on your way. I want to develop the photographs that I took while we had our stopover in Gallup. That town is quite colorful, don’t you think?”

“No less than what I propose for mine,” Adam said, bending to kiss her brow. “I see it as a magnificent place, sis. Absolutely magnificent.”

“Magnificent,” Stephanie said, laughing softly. “To you everything is magnificent.” She reached her arms around him and gave him a hug. “Sweetie, I hope you get your dreams.”

Adam returned her hug. “With your help, I believe it’s within reach,” he said, then was jolted with alarm when she swung quickly away from him.

“My help?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“You didn’t hear anything that I was saying a few minutes ago, did you?” Adam said, sighing. “Oh, well. I’m not going to go into it again. You’ll see soon enough what I mean without me spelling it out for you now.”

Stephanie started to say something else, but Adam was already gone, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

“I wonder what he meant?” she whispered, then began stirring fresh chemicals into water. All around her hung the proof of her love of photography.

Stephanie’s heart was not on her work as she began to unload her case of plates. All that she could think about was Runner, anxious now to begin taking photographs of the Navaho and their lovely land. She had met the man of her dreams; she had to find a way to get him to understand why her photographs could be used for the good of his people, not the bad.

“I must find a way,” she whispered, stopping to slip her suit jacket off. She rolled the sleeves of her white blouse up to her elbows and unbuttoned the two top buttons. She swept her hair back from her shoulders.

Then she proceeded to develop her plates, her heart pounding at the thought of seeing Runner again, under any circumstances.

Chapter 5

I ne’er was struck before that hour

With love so sudden and so sweet

Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower

And stole my heart away complete.

—JOHN CLARE

Sheep were scampering downhill in a cloud of white and dissolved into the swelling herd, bawling their complaint as a sheepherder began driving them into a pole corral behind his hogan.

Sage and Runner nodded a silent hello to the man and rode on into their village, where Leonida stood waiting for them outside her hogan.

She wrung her hands nervously as she waited for Sage and Runner to dismount and tether their horses to a hitching rail at the side of the dwelling, then met Sage and flew into his arms.

“Yaa-eh-t-eeh,” Leonida said in a Navaho greeting. “Darling, I’m so glad you’ve returned home.” She gave him one last hug, then stepped away from him.

“Mother, what is it?” Runner asked. He went to her and took one of her hands. “You are upset. Why?”

“It’s Thunder Hawk,” Leonida said, sighing heavily. “He sneaked away from school again. This is his last year. Why can’t he see how important it is to have a full education? All dealings now are with schooled people. To compete, one must have the same schooling. Runner, you completed your studies. You have prepared yourself well for standing up against those who would cheat you. But what of Thunder Hawk? His stubbornness could be the ruin of him.”

Knowing the truth of his mother’s words, Runner’s thoughts turned back to Adam. He could tell that his boyhood friend was quite educated and could be a challenge to Runner’s own intelligence.

Also, the white woman proved to be a woman of much intellect. Anyone who knew the secrets of the device called a camera had to be very schooled in the subject. She would also be a challenge, yet one that he looked forward to.