Wild Splendor

Kit studied his options and came to the conclusion that the only way to dislodge the Indians was to starve them out. He quickly decided to institute a “scorched earth” policy. He would burn the crops, destroy the orchards, and kill or capture the sheep.

As Kit saw it, it was not his business to kill the Navaho, but simply to move them. He would go about doing this in a way that would save the most lives. Instead of hunting down the Navaho any further, especially Sage, he would make them come to him.

He would make Sage give up his captives.

Kit turned to the soldiers. He raised his rifle in the air. “Go to work destroying, burning, and taking . . . !” he shouted.

Chapter 21

We vowed we would never—no never forget,

And those vows at the time were consoling.

—MRS. CRAWFORD

Leonida was washing the wooden dishes in a basin of water just outside her hogan door, glad that Pure Blossom had felt well enough to eat her morning meal. Leonida already had food cooking for the noon meal, having learned quickly that it was best to prepare meals early in the morning instead of during the heat of the day. On this mountaintop the sun was more intense, and even the brisk breezes were not able to alleviate the heat that it created.

“I will be in council with the elders the remainder of the morning,” Sage said as he stepped out of the hogan, attired only in his breechclout and moccasins. “Runner is at Adam’s?”

Leonida turned to Sage, warming through and through with the remembrances of what they had shared throughout the entire night, it seemed.

“Yes,” she murmured, drying her hands on the tail end of her skirt. “He came home long enough to give me a big hug, then ran back to Adam’s lean-to. Sally has changed. Not only is she allowing Runner in her lean-to but she also allows several other young Navaho braves. The braves are teaching Runner and Adam some games.”

She glanced up at the glaring sun, wiping a bead of perspiration from her brow with the back of her hand. “Those boys have the right idea,” she said, laughing softly. She gave Sage a teasing smile. “Perhaps I will join them in their fun and games instead of working so hard.”

Sage placed his hands at her waist and drew her against him and kissed her.

Leonida wrenched herself away from him, her face flooding with color as she looked guardedly from side to side. “Sage, not out here for everyone to see,” she murmured. She then looked up at him, slowly smiling. “I’m not saying I don’t want you to kiss me. I would even invite you back inside our hogan—that is, if you wish to postpone your council meeting until later.”

“Your suggestion is tempting,” Sage said, his eyes twinkling down into hers.

“Fire! Fire below!”

Those words, and the desperation in the voice of the Navaho sentry, sent spirals of chills up Leonida’s spine.

She glanced quickly up at Sage, seeing fear in his eyes and knowing that the threat today was real, perhaps explosive.

Sage stiffened, knowing that fire was almost as bad an enemy as Chief Four Fingers, and now Kit Carson and his soldiers.

Fire could wipe out the entire crop of the Navaho. Fire could kill their sheep. Without those things his people could not survive.

Breaking away from Leonida, Sage met several of his warriors and ran with them through the village toward a cliff where they could look down upon the valley below. They saw wisps of smoke rising. Sage knew that the tall grass and brush surrounding the orchard, garden, and grazing pastures of the sheep were as dry as tinder, and a breeze was rising. In the freshening morning breeze, the whole valley could quickly become a raging bonfire.

Leonida broke into a mad run and caught up with Sage. “How could a fire get started?” she asked, breathless as she walked briskly to his side. “There has been no lightning. And it is midmorning. In the valley dew should still be on the grass.”

“An enemy would start the fire purposefully to ruin the Navaho,” Sage answered back, glaring down at Leonida. “There is only one enemy who knew where to set the fires. That is Four Fingers. I was wrong to allow him to escape my vengeance. Now he has gotten his, over the Navaho.”

“I feel responsible!” Leonida cried, finding it hard to keep up with Sage as he stamped on toward the cliff. “Four Fingers wouldn’t have become this bitter with you had it not been for his interest in me. I wish that I had stayed hidden from him when he came to trade with you. I should have known to. The moment he looked at me I knew what to expect from him. I shouldn’t have lingered so that his interest in me would not soar to such ungodly heights.”

Sage frowned at her. “Never blame yourself for what others do,” he growled. “Your heart and your intentions are pure.”

“I never meant anyone harm,” Leonida said softly. “Especially you.”

“Wait for me,” Runner cried, running after Leonida and Sage. “I want to see. Let me see.”

Sage’s full attention was on the smoke billowing up past the cliff just ahead. He broke into a faster run as Leonida stopped and waited for Runner. Even though the child was almost too large for her to carry, she swept him into her arms.

A coldness seemed to seize Leonida’s heart when she saw more dark billows of smoke rise into the sky from the valley below. In her mind’s eye she was remembering the peach trees in the valley, and the rich pastures, and large fields of corn, beans, and squash.