“O Creator, O Thee who knows my heart. I beseech Thee to help me, my almost-brother and my wife to repel this man who comes to us with a bad heart.
“O Creator, O Thee who gives us life! You know what I must do. Guide my words that I might make myself easily understood.
“O Creator, O Thee who gives us life! Be with us this day. My heart is filled with love for my woman, and I do not wish for her life to be ruined because of this man.
“O Creator, O Thee who gives us life! My woman did not fully understand that she would have to pledge her body to this man. She is young and was trying to return to the people she loves. Please understand and excuse her.
“O Creator, O Thee who gives us life! Guide my words this day and my actions.
“O Creator, O Thee who gives us life! I offer this, my sacred pipe to you. I will leave it here in a tree on this ledge. It is yours.
“O Creator, O Thee who gives us life! I have said it.”
Red Fox trod toward the single tree which lent its shade upon a desolate ledge. Climbing up to one of its higher branches, he secured the pipe in the tree before jumping back to the ground.
A plan had already materialized within his mind. It could work. Indeed, he was certain it would work.
****
Coming up to the ledge where Poka’aki and George sat, and,who were not asleep, Red Fox shared his store of dried meat with his woman and his brother-in-law, as well as water from one of his bags. When they were both refreshed, he said, "We go now! We go together because I do not know what we will face there. Be alert. I do not know what the man from the Eastwill do when he is faced with the truth of his deception. Wolf, you must come with us, also."
"Yes, we must stay together," said Poka'aki. George nodded.
Because they had left their horses tethered in a growth of pines atop the bluff, they climbed up the bluff to come to stand on the high prairie that stretched out in all directions. To their right was the strand of pines and cottonwoods where their ponies were standing now, heads down as they enjoyed the fragrant grasses that grew up alongside the many pine needles.
Red Fox was reminded it was this same grove of pines where he and Poka'aki had shared their wedding bed.
He said, "Hunts-with-the-wind and I will lead the way down the bluff and then onto the flat-bottom land where stands your father's ranch. We will take our ponies and will tie them at the post, and then, not knowing what we will be facing, we will enter. I will lead the way."
Both Poka’aki and George agreed.
As they approached the ranch, Red Fox felt the oppressive quiet within the house.
Where was everybody?
No one greeted them. No servant was about. Indeed, there was no one to be seen at all.
They entered the ranch house, and then from the dining room came the sound of voices. But the talking was quiet, sounding more like mumbling than speech.
Treading toward the sound, Red Fox led the way there. The wide doors which opened up into the room were closed, and it was from within them Red Fox at last heard the sound of József Fehér's voice.
"Well, this all looks to be in order," József Fehér was saying. "Although my daughter is not here at present, I do not believe we need her signature on this contract to make it legal."
"I believe you are right," said the voice of the man from the East. "What say you, Father De Suiez?"
Red Fox threw back the doors to the room and stood in the sunlight as it shone in through the picture windows in front of him. He gained courage from the sun, as well as from George's and his wife's presence beside him, and said Red Fox, "Do not sign those papers until you see what it is you are signing!"
"Do not sign?" roared József Fehér as he jumped up to his feet, his chair falling back behind him to the floor. But, the elder Fehér paid the incident no attention as he exclaimed, "You! Red Fox! Get out of my house! You have no business here! George, what are you doing?"
"I am here with my partner," said George calmly.
Poka'aki, whose presence had been blocked because of the doors, stepped out from behind them and into the light shining in through the windows.
"It's my house, too, Father. And, Red Fox stays until he has shown you there is a lie in these documents."
"A lie!" Maximillian leapt quickly to his feet. "He, a savage, is accusing me of lying! And, on these documents! How absurd!"
"Get out of my house!" roared the elder Fehér. "George, Briella, you may stay!"
