Wild Thunder

It was going to be a new world for the Potawatomis.

There was going to be one more exception. He would allow one more white person in his village besides Hannah. Word had been received that a white teacher would be arriving soon, to set up a schoolhouse in his village for the children; they would be taught the same subjects as white children.

He had requested this teacher long ago, and had only recently received a positive response.

“Perhaps she is on the boat arriving today,” he whispered to himself. He was glad that the teacher was going to be a woman. It would be easier for the teacher to gain the trust of the Potawatomis children, whose trust in white men had waned since the recent experiences with them.

From the children’s experience with Hannah, they had learned that white women could be trusted.

Also Strong Wolf had felt that having a white woman teacher living at his village would give Hannah someone of her own kind to befriend once she came to him as his wife. Although he wished for Hannah to learn all things Potawatomis, he knew the importance of her having someone of her own culture to talk with.

“In time, things will come together for me and my woman,” Strong Wolf whispered to himself.

The constant, troubling whistle wafting from the river made Strong Wolf change the direction of his travel. He rode in that direction.

But when he heard the thundering of hoofbeats coming up from behind him, he turned and looked in wonder at Proud Heart as he rode toward him with several warriors.

Proud Heart reined in at Strong Wolf’s side. “The constant whistling,” he said, looking in the direction of the river. “It is frightening our people. What do you think is the cause?”

“Whatever it is, I do not see how it could mean anything good,” Strong Wolf said, frowning over at Proud Heart. He reached a hand and placed it on his friend’s shoulder. “It is good to see you care so much for my people. It will be hard to say farewell when you take over the leadership of the Chippewa in place of your chieftain father. I will miss your friendship, Proud Heart. But I will understand your absence. You and I will be following the calling of our people. I will be a Potawatomis chief. You will be Chippewa chief. It will be from the heart that we both lead our people.”

“Yes, and Father has spoken recently of giving up the title of chief. I will be saying a farewell to you and your people before I wish to,” Proud Heart said, then tensed and looked toward the river when the whistle started its loud blasts again.

“Let us go now to the river,” Strong Wolf said. “Then I must make haste to my woman before she thinks that I have forgotten about her.”

“She knows that you could never forget her,” Proud Heart said, chuckling. “Your hearts are twined together as one heartbeat. It was your destiny to meet.”

“Yes, our destiny,” Strong Wolf said, sinking his heels into the flanks of his horse, sending it into a gallop beside Proud Heart’s.

His gaze was drawn elsewhere as Hawk rode up among the other warriors and made himself known, surprising Strong Wolf since Hawk had been avoiding him.

“And so you also are curious about the noise that has startled the birds out of the trees?” Strong Wolf said, arching an eyebrow over at Hawk. “Hawk, your mother will die many deaths inside when she learns that you have aligned yourself with he whom she considers her enemy.”

“I should have never listened to her,” Hawk grumbled. “I was but a woman while under her guidance! She is a misguided lady. How could I have not seen that?”

“Your mother is beautiful and has persuasive ways, that is why,” Strong Wolf said. “Did she not use her charm on your father to get him to marry her? I am sure that he has regretted often his weakness in the eyes of a woman.”

“No, no regret is felt on his part, or he would have sent her away and married another,” Hawk said. “Even with all of her faults, Father loves Mother. He has seen the goodness in her also. That is

why he still loves her.”

As they came closer and closer to the river, it was impossible to carry on any more conversation. The whistle became louder and louder.

When they finally reached the river, they drew tight rein and stared at the great white riverboat, its smokestack puffing out billows of black smoke into the air. Strong Wolf noticed that not all that many men were visible on the decks of the ship, which seemed strange to him. He had seen the arrival of riverboats more than once at Fort Leavenworth, and always the tiered decks were packed with throngs of people.

Today there were no people at the rails.

He made out the captain of the boat as he stood just outside the captain’s cabin, his hand constantly tugging on the handle that made the whistle continue its blasts.

Then Strong Wolf gazed elsewhere. He now saw why the boat captain was trying to draw attention to the riverboat. He needed help. His great white ship was stuck. And Strong Wolf understood why. This was a particular bend in the river that he had come to know over the years. It was an oxbow that almost doubled back on itself. A sandbar crept way out into the bend before dropping away into a twenty-foot hole choked with logs, tree limbs, and other assorted brush. The river had claimed many canoes. Now it had claimed a huge riverboat.

Only moments ago, thinking about how harshly he felt about most white people, Strong Wolf glared at the riverboat. Until the recent humiliating experiences with the white people, Strong Wolf would have helped dislodge the boat with his strong warriors.

But now? He was not sure. If he got involved with white people again, he might be asking for more trouble and humiliation.

Yet he saw this as an opportunity to once again show the goodness of the Potawatomis and cause the white people to be ashamed for their devious actions against them.

He looked over his shoulder at his warriors. “Let us go and lend our muscle to those who are in trouble!” he shouted, a quick decision having been made.