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He swallowed hard. "You're an Indian? Aren't you?"
"Yes…"
"How come you speak such good English?" Matthew asked. "I mean…you look like an Indian…"
"I went to mission school many years." The man answered. "I am Arapaho. And I have lived among the white's for many years. I worked for the blue coats."
"Gee, never knew a real Indian before. And especially not one that went to school…"
/> "Your mother…and sister…have been captured….by Indians." He said finally watching Matthew's face.
"Captured. By your tribe?" Matthew asked, his shoulders squaring and his face screwed up very seriously.
"No…not by my tribe….My tribe is much further to the north. The Comanche captured them. They have burned your home, and taken your mother and sister, and we must follow and rescue them…"
"Are they hurt?" Matthew's eyes widened.
"I don't think so…but they could be, if we don't get to them first. Will you help me hunt them down?" Hawk inquired.
"Yes…..I shouldn't have stayed out so long. I promised my Mama I wouldn't…." Matthew frowned, "It's all my fault."
Hawk shook his head and smiled sadly. "No little friend it is not your fault. However, we must hurry. Bring your fish; we will eat it along the way…."
"Eat it…along the way? Without cooking it?" Matthew turned his head in question.
"Raw…it is better that way…." Hawk assured him. "Better for you too."
Matthew considered his words and shrugged. "Why do you always watch us?" Matthew asked as he got his gear and followed behind Hawk, stepping in Hawk's vague moccasin prints.
"You are alone in the wilderness with no man to protect you. Your mother…has suffered much, I have seen. Now that your father is gone…I will protect her…and her children…you too!"
"But why?" Matthew continued to prod him.
"You ask too many questions my friend…" Hawk scolded lightly.
"I'm sorry…my Mama says you are a good person and that you protect us from the bad around here." Matthew reasoned. "Do you?"
"I try…yes…today, I had hunted for meat and my eyes were not on your cabin…the others came…and took them away. They have burned your home." Ben explained. "Now we will track them…"
"How do you know all this?" Matthew shouted in terror.
"When I came back from my hunt, I smelled smoke and looked upon the cabin, it had burned. So I went down and checked to see if anyone was there. I saw tracks, Indian and tracks by your mother and your sister."
"Burned my home! But…."
"You can rebuild a home, but you cannot rebuild a dead body. We must hurry."
"Will you teach me to track…?" Matthew asked innocently. "I mean…I am pretty good, but not like an Indian."
"Yes…I am teaching…look." Eve had obviously been dragged. "Indians walk without feet, but the whites leave trails…."
"How come we can't see where the Indians walked?" Matthew observed.
"Because they walk softly and wear no shoes. They wear moccasins. And when there are trails, they erase them."
"But you know how to track them anyway?" Matthew stared up at him as he paused to look at him.
"Yes, I know how to track them anyway." He answered patiently.
