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"I'd like to think that." She grinned.
"Did you love him?"
"What a strange question for an Indian to ask. No, I did not love him." She shook her head. "I told you, my father brought him around. I never encouraged it. I want an honest, good God-fearing man, not a drunk. I have had enough of drunkenness."
"Why is it strange for an Indian to ask such a question?"
"I don't know," she bowed her head, then looked at him with guilty eyes. "Never thought an Indian was concerned with the word love."
"You think we have no feelings." He chortled.
"I have no idea. I've never considered it. In the villages we visited, I could tell the women loved their babies, but the warriors were always so mad. Always thinking of and planning for war. To me at the time, I feared them as they were always angry. My father said it was natural that our government lied to your people and broke all the treaties."
"If he was an Indian agent, why wouldn't he believe me?"
"He was an agent, and he understood your people's plight but after he began drinking so much, nothing mattered any longer. He was simply bitter about everything, including the Indians. He lost his job because of his drinking, because one of the chiefs went to Washington and told of his drinking. They fired my father, so he was bitter with your people."
"That makes sense," Moon nodded now. "We had to fight back, or they would wipe us from the face of the earth. The women did not worry of such things. If you did not love this Earl, why did you not run him off with your gun?"
She chuckled now. "Earl wouldn't scare that easily with this kind of gun. He'd laugh at me, and probably try to take it away from me. Then he'd be mad because I wanted to use it on him. Like you just did, he'd probably laugh in my face. And, because if I'd have shot him, my father might have taken me to jail, because Earl was his drinking friend. As long as Earl was around my father never bothered me. And I slept better knowing my father was passed out drunk. Earl wanted me, but I refused many times. Most of the time I could fend him off. But usually my father could keep him in line. He would never willingly marry me. And, I didn't love him. I know what men do in saloons aside from gambling and drinking. I've dragged my father out of them many times since my mother's death." She said boldly. "I will not be a whore for any man."
"Were you afraid of him?"
"Earl?"
He nodded.
She licked her lips and nodded, "A little bit, yeah. But only when he was drunk. He had no sense of morals when he drank. I guess no man does."
"Then why are you sorry he is dead?"
She shook her head, "Well now that's easy. But we are going around and around with these questions. With you there, he'd hang you and then badger me and call me names. He would never have stopped to consider or accuse Earl. As it is, he did not see you. And that is a good thing. I guess you could go your own way and leave me now, if you want. I will never tell who killed Earl. Your secret is safe with me." She looked at him with sad eyes. "I certainly wouldn't blame you. You don't deserve to be burdened with me. And it would be bad for you to be caught with me. I know that. I wasn't thinking very straight this morning when this all happened. I'm just now realizing what we've done."
Shining Moon nodded, but he really didn't understand the logic. "I would never leave a woman alone, like this."
"Why not?"
"I admire your bravery. But I don't think even you know these woods and hills well enough to survive. Especially at night."
"What bravery?" she chortled.
He looked into her eyes and saw the unshed tears. "To have lived with a step-father so long and survived a man like Earl so long, is very brave."
"I survived by hook and crook. Pa will be mad, he'll come after me." she confessed.
"Yes, but you have one advantage."
"What?"
"I will not let him harm you."
"You don't owe me anything." She looked into his eyes and a slow smile curled her lips. It was a beautiful, shy smile. "But I guess I owe you!"
"I would never leave a woman to survive on her own in these mountains. There are too many things to worry over."
"Like what?"
