Strong Wolf’s warriors surrounded him, some on foot and some still on their horses. He handed out the instructions on how to search for the ones responsible for having done this today. He explained about the parfleche bag of honey!
Strong Wolf went to his horse and grabbed the reins. Hannah followed. “Please let me go with you,” she asked, her eyes pleading up at him. “Perhaps I can help in some small way. If Tiny is found with the parfleche bag, I would like to be there in behalf of my brother. I would love to have the opportunity of taking the man to Fort Leavenworth. It would delight me to see him locked behind bars.”
“If we find the men responsible for the child’s beating, they will not be taken immediately to the fort,” Strong Wolf said heatedly. “My people will first have an opportunity to get vengeance in their own way, for I truly believe that when we find these men who did the dirty deed today, we will also find the men who attacked Bird in Ground.”
Hannah gazed at him for a moment longer, wondering what sort of vengeance would be used against the white men, then hurried to her horse and mounted it, thinking that whatever the men got, they deserved. She now knew that she took her life in her own hands every time she rode alone in the Kansas Territory. Anyone who could be this vicious against children, surely would have no qualms against attacking a lady, and raping her.
She shuddered at the thought, then rode out of the village with Strong Wolf and his warriors. She knew to watch for a freshly cut tree. From there they would follow the tracks, which hopefully would lead them to the ones responsible for the young brave’s attack.
Strong Wolf attempted to follow the tracks of Wind on Wings. He became disgruntled and disappointed in the young brave, for the tracks led away from Potawatomis land. That would mean that his attack had occurred on Chuck Kody’s property.
Strong Wolf had not stressed enough to the young braves not to venture away from the land of their people. If they did, they only tempted ridicule! Even senseless b
eatings, for to so many white men an Indian was something nonhuman!
“Aren’t we now on my brother’s property?” Hannah suddenly asked as she sidled her horse closer to Strong Wolf’s.
“Yes. And the young brave’s tracks led this far. They go farther still on your brother’s land.”
“Then, that means that perhaps it was Tiny,” Hannah inferred.
“The only way of proving it was, is to find the parfleche bag of honey on his horse,” Strong Wolf said, glancing over at her. “And, I am sure, whoever stole the honey made sure not to carry it on his steed for long, knowing that if he was caught, he would pay for what he did to the young brave.”
Strong Wolf drew a tight rein and turned to his men. “Our search stops here!” he shouted. “The same as Wind on Wings, we are trespassers. We must return to land that is ours.”
Hannah looked ahead and saw a tree that lay across the ground. Bees were still buzzing around the fallen hive. She could see some traces of honey dripping from it.
“There is the tree,” she said, then turned to Strong Wolf. “It must be the tree that Wind on Wings told us about. See the bees buzzing around the hive?”
Strong Wolf s eyes narrowed as he stared at the tree, then at the hovering of bees. Then he gazed at Hannah. “Still we must retreat off land that belongs to your brother,” he said thickly. “I will not give your brother’s cowhands an excuse to accuse the Potawatomis of going back on treaties that were signed in good faith. This is your brother’s land. One of our young braves crossed upon it. He destroyed your brother’s property when he cut down the tree. He meant to steal the honey he so eagerly sought. It is only best now to return to my people.” He reached a hand to Hannah’s cheek. “It is best that you go on to yours.”
“No, I wish to stay with you,” Hannah said, her eyes wavering. “Strong Wolf, I feel responsible for what happened to that boy today.”
“And why would you?” Strong Wolf said, lowering his hand away.
“Because it was on my brother’s land that the young brave was so badly injured,” Hannah said, lowering her eyes.
“Had Wind on Wings obeyed his elders, he would have not been in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Strong Wolf said. “The blame falls solely on the one who went against orders.”
“Still I wish to stay with you,” Hannah said, her eyes pleading into his. “The sun is still high in the sky. I have time.”
“If you wish, come,” Strong Wolf said, then wheeled his horse around and rode off, Proud Heart at his side, the warrior, dutifully following.
Hannah rode quickly to Strong Wolf’s other side.
The ride back to his village was steeped in solemn silence. Hannah’s thoughts were on Tiny, and how she would again try to urge her brother to fire him. Surely her brother couldn’t condone what Tiny did today, and she was almost certain that it was he who had caused the bruises and cuts on the young brave.
“You are quiet,” Strong Wolf said as he gazed over at Hannah.
“I’m thinking about the cruelties of life,” Hannah said somberly. “There is so much I don’t know, and perhaps never will.”
“Yes, it is the same for me, and I am looked to as one who knows much about life, because I am my people’s leader who will one day be a proud chief,” Strong Wolf said, his eyes weary. “But one must learn to live a day at a time and let things work out as they will, hopefully well enough to survive until the next day.” He paused. He nodded. “Yes, it is hard, this thing called survival.”
His heart skipped a beat when he saw movement up ahead, and then discovered who was suddenly there, awkwardly in the path because he had not moved quickly enough to get hidden.
“Hawk?” Strong Wolf stammered out, drawing a sudden tight rein. His horse came to a halt. Strong Wolf stared at the man he knew from his other homeland in Wisconsin. Hawk! Chief Buffalo Cloud and Star Flower’s son Hawk, with his hawklike features that emphasized his wide, dark eyes.
Hawk’s heart sank to know that he had been discovered. He had followed Strong Wolf and then had circled around. He had thought that he was far ahead of Strong Wolf, when in truth, he came out right in his path!