Wild Thunder

Feeling insulled by the behavior of Patrick today, Strong Wolf leaned over and placed his hands flat on the desk, so that he was closer to his face. “I ask you again,” he said, his voice edged with anger. “Do you suspect that Strong Wolf and his warriors are responsible for blowing up the bridge?”

“Strong Wolf, if I had, I would have sent my soldiers to your village to arrest you,” he protested. “Now, I hope that sets things straight between us so that we can go on to something else.” He cast Hannah a forced smile. “Like what Hannah is doing here this morning?”

Hannah started to take a step forward.

Claude gently grabbed her wrist and eased her back to his side, realizing that Strong Wolf wasn’t finished with the colonel yet.

Hannah looked questioningly over at Claude. He slowly shook his head back and forth, and she soon understood.

“I am glad that you trust me,” Strong Wolf said, drawing the colonel’s eyes back to him. “We both, in good faith, have touched the goose quill to treaty papers.”

Strong Wolf straightened his back and folded his arms across his chest. “But I must admit, Patrick, that I, a man with copper skin, do not always understand the white man’s law,” he said solemnly. “It is too often like walking in the dark. Whites complain that redskins are intruders upon their rights. Yet we, the so-called intruders, are the first true Americans. How smooth the language of the whites when they can make right look like wrong, and wrong like right.” Strong Wolf stated.

“Strong Wolf, in my case I must listen, always, to both sides when a crime is committed,” Patrick said, heaving a sigh.

“Have I not shown in many ways my friendship toward you?” Strong Wolf demanded. “Is that not enough? Enough to believe Strong Wolf over evil white men? Strong Wolf has always been the white man’s friend. I have always spoke well of those who are good at heart. I feel that you, a great war chief, would not hurt my people. You know that my objective is not war. Had it been, I would have attacked and killed the war chief and his soldiers long ago!”

“Don’t threaten me,” Colonel Deshong said, his eyes squinting angrily. “And as far as friendships go, when someone says they have proof of even a friend’s guilt, I have to investigate.”

“I am a true friend,” Strong Wolf said tightly. “And to strengthen my friendship with you, the war chief for this territory, I offer to go again for more meat for you and your men.” He offered to do this, knowing that with men like Tiny around, he needed this strengthening of camaraderie with the colonel.

Colonel Deshong’s eyebrows forked. “As a matter of fact, we do need more meat,” he said, smiling up at Strong Wolf. “You are a true friend for offering to bring more for our tables.”

“You will soon have it,” Strong Wolf said, then looked more somberly down at Patrick. “And do not forget that favor when evil men might again wrongly accuse me of crimes I have not committed.”

“And now that that is behind us, what has brought this lovely lady to the fort with you, Strong Wolf?” Patrick said, rising from his chair. He went to Hannah. “You surely did not come just to listen to the two of us have a heated discussion.”

“No, not quite,” Hannah said, laughing awkwardly. She tilted her chin, causing her long golden hair to tumble down her back, her dress more feminine than usual. And today she was not riding a horse. She had come in a buggy. “I have come to ask you to do a special favor for me.”

“Why, certainly,” Patrick said, clasping his hands behind him as he rocked slowly back and forth. “Just ask and it is yours.”

“Would you please send a wire to my parents and my sister in Saint Louis?” Hannah said, sending a beaming smile over at Strong Wolf, who stood with his eyes on her.

He had placed his anger behind him and now waited for her to announce their upcoming marriage.

“Why, I would be happy to,” Patrick said, unclasping his hands. He reached a gentle hand to Hannah’s arm. He led her to the desk and handed her a pen. “Just write down what you wish to be sent, and I shall do you the honors.”

Hannah took the pen, smiled over at Strong Wolf, then dipped the pen in the inkwell. She wrote out the message that her parents would soon be reading, and then one for her sister.

She knew to expect an explosion from her father and pitied her mother having to be the one to calm him. He would have to understand that Hannah was no longer his concern; she was a woman with her own mind.

And as for Clara? She knew that Clara would be happy for her. But would Clara be willing to give up her ambitions of teaching? She was just about to graduate from college.

Hannah only hoped that Clara would care enough for Hannah’s future with her husband to come and help her establish it. Her hand trembled as she wrote that note to her sister. It was the more important of the two!

She signed her name to the notes and handed them to the colonel. “I believe I have covered everything in my notes to my parents and my sister,” she said, smiling to herself at his reaction when he read them, then stared up at her.

“Yes, sir, I am going to marry Strong Wolf,” Hannah said, linking her arm through Strong Wolf’s. “As soon as my parents can accept the marriage and will arrive here to share the happy event with me.”

“We would like for you to be there also,” Strong Wolf said, addressing Patrick.

“It would be my pleasure,” Patrick said, nodding.

Hannah turned soft eyes to Claude. “And you, Claude,” she said, smiling at him. “Would you please?”

“Why, most certainly,” Claude said, smiling widely over at her, and then Strong Wolf. “I would have been hurt to the core had you not included me.”

Hannah turned to Strong Wolf and hugged him, then watched as Patrick sent the wires.