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She felt the same ache in her heart as she had since that moment her son had been ripped from her side. “I have not seen David since,” she said, her voice breaking. “Chief Brave Wolf sent out a search party, but he couldn’t find any signs of my son. It is as though he has disappeared from the face of the earth.”
“So you asked Injuns to search for your son before coming here to ask our assistance?” Colonel Downing said, again lighting his cigar and taking slow, deep drags from it. He then took it from his mouth again. “Why is that, young lady? Why didn’t you ask to be brought immediately to the fort?”
“There were circumstances that made that difficult,” she said, her voice catching.
“What sort of . . . eh . . . circumstances?” Colonel Downing demanded.
r /> She was beginning to feel trapped. She couldn’t tell the colonel about the time that had been taken to search for Night Horse, or about the time since his rescue, when Brave Wolf needed to stay close at hand in case he worsened.
No one could know about Night Horse. Especially not this prejudiced colonel and his soldiers. They might try to reclaim Custer’s Indian scout.
“His mother was ill,” was all she could say, and it wasn’t a lie. When she had first arrived at the village, Brave Wolf was concerned about Pure Heart’s health. It had turned out that her illness was mainly worry about her younger son.
“What did that have to do with anything?” Colonel Downing said, then shrugged. “Never mind. The fact is you are here. You are asking for our help. And, young lady, I think you’ve been through enough. I’ll give you my support the best I can. I will send several men out soon to search for your son. Tomorrow. Describe him to me.”
“He is only five. He has blond hair and blue eyes, and he is the sweetest young man you’d ever want to meet,” she blurted out. She leaned forward. “Sir, please find him for me. Please?”
“We here at the fort will give it our best shot,” he said. He rose from the chair. “I’d best get you to a cabin. You can relax there. And I’d stay out of view of the men. What you’re wearing makes for not only conversation, but accusations you might not want to know about.”
Mary Beth could feel the heat of a blush rush to her cheeks.
Did he know more than he was saying? Could he tell that she had been intimate with an Indian?
“Come with me,” he said, rising from his chair. He rested his cigar on the ashtray and reached a hand out for Mary Beth. “I wish I could offer you a dress, but there are no women here. We’ve learned that it is not good to have women on the fort premises. I don’t like having them to worry about should Indians decide to attack.”
“I understand,” Mary Beth said softly. “And I appreciate your kindness in offering me a place to stay. I am so grateful you will send out a search party for David.”
Mary Beth was again aware of eyes following her as she stepped out into the open courtyard. She couldn’t get to the privacy of the cabin soon enough.
“This is used for any overnight visitors who happen along,” the colonel said when they reached the cabin. He opened the door and stepped aside, gesturing with a hand for her to go on in ahead of him.
She stepped past him and looked slowly around her. The room was nice. It was clean. It was sparsely furnished with a chair, bed, and table, but it was adequate. She didn’t plan to be there for very long.
“I’ll leave you now,” he said. “I hope you find the room comfortable enough.”
He gave her a half salute, then left her alone.
She closed the door and leaned against it. The colonel’s attitude made her feel as though she had just been put through a torture chamber.
But at least the colonel had agreed to search for David. She could withstand anything for any amount of time if in the end she had her son again in her arms.
Yet she couldn’t forget the men’s eyes as they’d stared almost accusingly at her. She now felt afraid, for she remembered tales of how white women who were rescued by the cavalry after they had been with Indians were treated like dirt.
She stared at the bed. She was almost afraid to fall asleep.
She wanted to leave, to go where she felt safe . . . with Brave Wolf.
But she couldn’t. She had no choice but to stay, for at least long enough to see if the cavalry could find her son.
Now that she knew the fate of the wagon train, she knew how lucky she was to be alive. She prayed that David was also still alive.
Keeping her clothes on, even the moccasins, she climbed onto the bed. She curled up and cried again over her son, and for those who had needlessly died.
She cried until her eyelids became heavy and she welcomed the peace that came with sleep.
She was awakened by hands around her throat.
She had slept until it had grown dark outside, yet there was enough light from the full moon shining through the window beside her bed to make out the features of her assailant and discover that he was one of the older soldiers at the fort.
