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And how could she? Hadn’t she already been doubting Echohawk, even before Tanner had brought the news to Colonel Snelling? The knowing made her feel desperately ill to her stomach.
“An Indian wearing eyeglasses?” William Joseph said, kneading his chin. His eyes widened. “Why, Echohawk was wearing eyeglasses tonight. Everyone saw him. It was such a strange sight on an Indian brave that surely no one missed it.”
“Perhaps you saw Echohawk wearing eyeglasses tonight, but that doesn’t mean that he is the guilty party,” Colonel Snelling said in Echohawk’s defense. “I have never known Echohawk to be anything but wise and reasonable. I won’t believe that he is guilty of this crime tonight.”
“Now, just how many Injuns do you see wearin’ eyeglasses?” Tanner scoffed, his lips twisting into a smug smile. “None, I tell you. None. Only Echohawk, Josiah. Only Echohawk! I say he’s guilty as sin!” He turned to Mariah. “He’s the one, Mariah. He’s got your pa hid away somewhere. Don’t let Colonel Snelling tell you otherwise.”
“How can anyone ever believe anything you say?” Mariah said, finally finding her ability to speak. “My father despised you, Tanner. I know you didn’t care beans about him. So why would you even care what’s happened to him?”
“I don’t want to see anyone at the mercy of Injuns,” Tanner quickly explained. “I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.”
“And you are so sure it was Echohawk?” Mariah said, her voice trembling.
“Positively certain,” Tanner said, squaring his shoulders.
“Well, I’m not,” Colonel Snelling said, slouching down in his chair behind his desk. He looked up at William Joseph. “Go out to the powwow and find Echohawk. Bring him back inside so that he can have his say in the matter. Echohawk must be given a chance to convince me that he is the son of his father—a man of peace.”
“I don’t believe that Echohawk will be found at the powwow,” Mariah said, firming her chin defiantly at their surprised expressions. “He’ll be at Chief Silver Wing’s village. I assure you of that. He is innocent. And thank you for letting him prove it to you.”
“Mariah, how is it that you know where Echohawk has gone?” William Joseph asked, looking down at her with concern in his eyes.
“It’s . . . it’s not important now,” Mariah said, giving him a set stare, “but if he’s left the powwow, he will have returned to his people.”
“It’s a waste of time,” Tanner said, shrugging. “He won’t be there either. He’ll be runnin’ scared.”
Mariah turned and glared at Tanner, suddenly feeling strangely suspicious of how adamant he was to get everyone to believe that Echohawk was the guilty party, when, in truth, Tanner had as much reason as Echohawk to kill her father.
The vile man was capable of all sorts of evil deeds!
All along, she hadn’t wanted to believe that Echohawk was guilty, and she didn’t now that Tanner had pointed an accusing finger at him. She especially wanted to prove Tanner wrong, not only for her own and Echohawk’s sakes but also to possibly turn the accusing finger back at Tanner.
“I don’t think I need any more advice, Tanner,” Colonel Snelling said, rising from his chair. He went to Tanner and took him by the elbow and ushered him to the door. “Now, go and find someone else to pester, will you?”
William Joseph chuckled; then his smile faded when he gazed down at Mariah, seeing so much seething hate for Tanner McCloud in the depths of her eyes. “Mariah?” he said, gently taking her hand. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” Mariah said, then swung away from him. “William Joseph, we’re wasting time standing here talking. Let’s go to Chief Silver Wing’s village. Let’s prove Tanner wrong!”
William Joseph fell into step beside her, Colonel Snelling giving them a salute as they walked past him.
* * *
The rain had stopped. Daylight was just breaking along the horizon, and birds were chattering in the trees overhead when the search party arrived at Chief Silver Wing’s village—what was left of it.
An eerie feeling gripped Mariah at the pit of her stomach and she grew numb as she looked slowly around her. There were now only the remains of wigwams where they had once stood stately beside the river. Stripped clean of their rush mats and bark coverings, they gave the appearance of skeletons standing across the land.
William Joseph edged his horse close to Mariah’s. “Seems that Tanner may have been right about Echohawk,” he said, his voice drawn. “I hate it like hell, Mariah. Like hell.”
“I still don’t believe it,” Mariah murmured. “There has to be an explanation. There just has to be.”
A soldier rode up next to them. “All signs of departure have been erased from the land,” he said. “We’ll have one hell of a time trackin’ them.”
“We’ll do our best,” William Joseph said, resting his hand on a holstered pistol at his right hip.
Mariah’s eyes lowered; then she nudged her horse with her knees and rode along with William Joseph. She dreaded finding the answers—which would surely condemn Echohawk. Not only had he fle
d the fort upon the discovery of what had happened to her father, but apparently he had also encouraged Chief Silver Wing to pull up roots and run.
“We need to rest before moving on,” William Joseph said, dismounting. “Let’s make camp for a while. We’ll sleep, then leave again around noon.”
