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Matthew took Jane Ann by the hand and put her under the table, pushing the chairs around her so she couldn’t get out. She cried. "You stay there, Sweet Pea, you'll be alright." He told her.
She hushed and watched all the commotion going on in the cabin now.
Eve glanced at Matthew, he called her the same thing Hawk had called her. It brought him to mind, and the determination she needed too.
Then he scampered toward Bended Knee and his mother to help reload the guns. When he finished theirs, he went to Little Eagle and Bear and reloaded them. The young braves smiled at him.
The Comanche were using bows and arrows, which surprised Eve. "How come they don't have guns?"
"Probably no ammunition." He told her.
"Oh yes, I can see where that might be a problem for them, since they are supposed to be on reservation land with no guns."
Bended Knee nodded. "The Comanche is like a wild dog, you cannot pen them up, and they fight harder."
The arrows flew so many at a time it sounded like bullets hitting the house. One flew in through the window and nearly hit Little Eagle.
Bended Knee assessed their strategy and nodded, "As long as they don't use fire on the arrows, we are alright, but if they do, we must leave by the back door that Hawk made and escape into the forest. We will go deep into the forest and climb trees. Don't worry, I'll help you."
"Will they use fire?" Her eyes rounded in horror.
"Eventually, yes." He nodded grimly.
"How long do we have?"
"I do not know…" He glanced at the others, then her again. "Little Eagle and Bear told me that they burned out several settlements along the way. That is why they stayed with us."
Eve grabbed her belly, "Oh my God!"
"Hawk would want you to be brave now!"
Eve nodded. "Yes," she sucked up the tear and squared her shoulders. "He would."
She held her head up proudly. "I've been through raids on the wagon train, coming out here, my home in Texas, and now here. I will remain brave." She glanced at her children. Jane Ann wanted out, but Matthew kept her there and brought her rag doll to her. Jane Ann sat down now and played with the doll.
Eve saw him do it, and smiled sadly.
In some ways, Eve was glad Hawk wasn't here; At least maybe he was safe and would live through this.
But his child…she nearly choked.
She couldn't cry. Hawk wouldn't want to see her like this. Besides, she was a strong woman, and she knew how to fight. She'd done it before. Bended Knee looked over at her, "I will check to see if there are any in t
he back…"
She nodded.
He returned after a time, "I saw no movement, but that does not mean they are not out there. We will wait a while."
"When will they try to burn us out?" She asked.
"When they see they cannot kill us with their bows and arrows. Sometimes, they stop at night, if they do, we will leave then."
"Do we have to leave?"
"Yes…the Comanche do not stop in battle unless a chief is with them and is killed. We are not enough to hold them off. They will storm us eventually, or burn us out. Either way we are dead. This way we have a chance." Bended Knee told her.
"I will do exactly as you say." She told him her eyes staring into his solemnly.
