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Four Winds burst into laughter, then stopped. “No, I have thought it over and it is best that I go to my village and make things right with my people,” he said seriously. “But I will ride with you as far as your village, then we shall say our farewells there.”
Strong Heart nodded. “That is good enough,” he said. He turned to Elizabeth. “Come, my love. There will be no more looking over your shoulder. We ride on open land in peace!”
Elizabeth inhaled a deep breath, loving the sound of those words, and how wonderful they made her feel inside.
Chapter 35
While we live, in love let’s so persevere,
That when we live no more, we may live ever.
—ANNE BRADSTREET
The sun was setting in the west behind the distant mountains, sending off streaks in the sky that resembled streamers of orange satin.
A damp chill suffused the air as the three horses rode from an open meadow into the forest where autumn blazed. Yellowed sycamore leaves dropped into streams and sailed away. Elizabeth smiled and gazed over at Strong Heart and Four Winds as they rode side by side. Maysie was now behind Four Winds, holding his waist.
Strong Heart and Four Winds were lost to the world as they talked about their past—where they had gone on their childhood adventures, or had challenged each other in all kinds of games.
It touched Elizabeth deeply to see them goodheartedly joking between themselves. Strong Heart seemed to have forgotten that Four Winds had for a while ridden with outlaws. Four Winds had redeemed himself totally by helping Strong Heart become a free man again.
Elizabeth felt such tenderness toward Four Winds, for if not for him, there would have been no future for her and Strong Heart. To her it had looked bleak these past few days!
But now, she sighed to herself, everything was all right and would soon be perfect, when she and Strong Heart joined their hands and hearts in marriage.
She shifted her eyes to Maysie, glad that for her, life was finally going to be good. There was a look of peace and contentment in Maysie’s eyes as she sat in the saddle behind Four Winds, her lustrous long hair flowing in the wind.
Elizabeth shook her own hair so that it fell away from her face and shoulders. She had thrown her own bonnet into the wind shortly after their departure from Seattle. She lifted her eyes to the heavens where stars were just emerging in the twilight and the moon had risen over the mountain peaks to replace the sun. She closed her eyes, reveling in this new freedom which would last forever.
Her peace was shattered when horses suddenly appeared from behind the trees a short distance ahead, plunging toward them. For a moment she was too stunned to think, for she had not expected anybody to try and stop their journey to Strong Heart’s village. He had been exonerated of all charges. She had thought they were free to ride without fear, or of having to defend themselves against—
Elizabeth’s thoughts stopped still when she quickly recognized Morris Murdoch among those approaching.
Four Winds, too, recognized the members of the outlaw gang that he had been part of.
They saw that these men were not innocent passersby, but were intent on attack as they jerked their weapons from their holsters and opened fire.
“Find cover quickly!” Strong Heart shouted, edging his horse back beside Elizabeth’s. He snatched her reins and led her horse with his into a thicket of trees. Four Winds followed and he and Maysie slid quickly from the saddle.
Four Winds grabbed his rifle from its holster and tossed it toward Maysie. “I hope you know how to use this,” he shouted.
Maysie caught the rifle, paling as she stared down at it. Then she positioned herself beside Four Winds as he started firing with a pistol at the attackers.
Elizabeth stood bravely beside Strong Heart, firing a pistol he had given her, while he used his repeating rifle. The outlaws sought cover. The shooting did not slow as gunblasts erupted from both sides.
Then there were the sounds of other horses coming, making Elizabeth and Strong Heart exchange worried glances. Elizabeth feared that this was the end, for surely those arriving were more outlaws. The attack made no sense to Elizabeth, unless it was revenge for Morris Murdoch on the Suquamish for thwarting his business plans. Or the attack could be for another reason—against Four Winds, for turning his back on the outlaws to live the life of an Indian brave again.
But then the outlaws ceased firing and mounted their horses, fleeing in the opposite direction of the arriving horses. Elizabeth knew that whoever was approaching was not coming to help the outlaws.
Lowering her pistol to her side, Elizabeth stepped out into the open with Strong Heart, Four Winds, and Maysie. The
y watched as several horsemen, the sheriff and her own father in the lead, rode on past. They heard gunfire erupt between the fleeing outlaws and the posse.
“My father?” Elizabeth whispered. “Fighting alongside the law?” She shook her head, having never been as confused as she was now.
She ran with Strong Heart toward the confrontation a short distance away. She paused to catch her breath, then saw the bodies that lay strewn along the ground, the stench of gunpowder lying heavy in the air—the fight was over.
Jerkily, and with an anxious heartbeat, Elizabeth’s eyes moved from man to man on the ground, praying that her father was not among them.
