BLESSING WAY Chapter Eight
"Where the hell you been? I was getting worried. Your beer is probably…" Heyes stopped mid sentence when Kid raised his head and Heyes could see his face. He stood up so fast, he almost knocked his chair over.
"What's the matter? You hurt?" Heyes said as he rushed to his partner's side and reached a hand out, quickly placing it on his arm.
"Kid?" Heyes said softly. "What?" There was concern and fear on Heyes' face.
Kid opened his mouth to speak, looked around the saloon at the rowdy calvary men but quickly closed it and lowered his head so his face was again hidden by the brim of his hat.
"You want to get out of here?"
Kid could only nod. Once outside, Kid headed straight for the hotel and up the stairs, two at a time, to their room with Heyes quickly following behind.
Heyes caught up and closed the door.
"Kid...tell me."
Kid was standing with his back to Heyes. He could tell as his partner's shoulders shook, he was crying.
"Jed!"
Kid wiped a quick hand across his face and sniffed loudly as he turned. There was a mixture of grief and anger on it.
"Those men in the bar…"
Heyes gave Kid a confused look. "There...there were mostly soldiers…I don't understand."
"Sit down Heyes I'm going to tell a story about what and who those men..." Kid spat out the word ``men''. "...really are. You remember Skunk talking about Wounded Knee?"
"Skunk? Wounded Knee? I don't understand." Heyes said, his mind was racing to connect what Kid was trying to say. Suddenly fear gripped Heyes. " You're talking about soldiers and you're about Indians together and they ain't good."
"It's not Heyes. It's not." Kid said sadly.
The room had become unbearably warm. Heyes squeezed his eyes closed and whispered, "How many?"
"Killed three hundred-"
Heyes jumped up, his eyes wide. "That's the whole village! That's children…"
Kid nodded sadly.
Heyes moaned, "No one survived?" He asked in a hushed whisper.
"Red Cloud, Pure Willow and a baby."
"How do you know this?" Heyes looked accusingly at Kid, as if he were lying. "How in the hell could you possibly know this?"
"Sit down, Heyes. Skunk…"
"Skunk? Skunk ain't dead? And where would you have seen…"Heyes stopped. "Skunk is here?"
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"Glad to see you, Joshua, but we can't be seen together." Skunk looked accusingly at Kid. "I told him that."
"I know," said Kid, "If someone comes in, we were checking our horses."
Kid had warned Heyes about Skunk's appearance. He was an old broken man. there was no life left in his eyes. A long single silver braid ran down the back of his weathered blue cavalry jacket to his waist. He wore deerskin leggings and moccasins and his every present red fox hat.
"I need to finish tending to these horses."
"Skunk, we're your friends."
"And that's why I can't be dragging you into this."
Kid stepped up, "You mean setting things right. That ain't dragging."
Kid could feel Heyes' eyes bore into his back.
Skunk hadn't missed Heyes' look.
"You want to help. Come back in the morning." Skunk paused before saying with a tired smile. "Thaddeus, you and Joshua have been good friends...Kola...Friends."
Heyes took his saddlebag off his shoulder and opened it. He rummaged around before withdrawing the grizzly paw necklace that Red Cloud had given him. He held it out to Skunk.
"Take it. It's not mine."
Skunk started to protest, but quickly realized he was not going to win the argument.
Skunk was overcome with emotion. He could only nod his head in appreciation.
"Tomorrow Skunk. Tomorrow." Kid said.
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Heyes could feel his anger, frustration and fear growing until he finally exploded.
"DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?! WE CAN'T DO THIS! THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO!" He pulled his gloves off and slammed his hat on the bed. "Nothing," he said softly.
"And that's why nothing changes, Heyes. Maybe if a few more people stood up for what's right." Kid looked down at the peppermint candy he turned in his hand, then slowly raised his eyes to meet Heyes'.
"You do what you need to do Heyes and I'll do what I need to do."
"Kid", Heyes pleaded. "You have a good idea what Skunk is planning. You can kiss our amnesty goodbye forever and our lives too. It won't be just some lawmen after us, it'll be the whole damn United States!"
"I can't just sit back and let them get away with it. Makes me no better than them."
"Yes it does. We wouldn't be having this discussion if you were the same."
"It ain't fair Heyes!" Kid stood up from the bed and began pacing the floor. "It ain't fair"
"When has life been fair?"
"I have to do something Heyes. I can't live with myself knowing what I know and doing nothing. " Kid shook his head, "I can't."
Heyes closed his eyes and sighed.
"You can't..." Heyes started.
Kid turned, furious. His hands were clenched in fists by his side. "STOP TELLING ME WHAT I CAN OR CAN'T DO! They saved your life Heyes. The children..," A sob caught in his throat. "The children…We already told Skunk we would meet him tomorrow. I'll be there...Will you?"
Heyes dropped his head into his hands, defeated.
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There were loud noises coming from the old hotel that had been converted into barracks. Many of the soldiers had overindulged, enjoying the rare break. Guards were on each corner of the building and stationed at all entrances.
Skunk watched the movement to and from the makeshift barracks. He knew Colonel Forsyth would be checking on his men. The good thing about military men is that they liked their routines and rarely deviated.
Skunk was shirtless under his jacket. His chest was painted in colorful colors. The necklace that Heyes had given him hung hidden behind his buttoned jacket.
He repeated: "Wanikiya, pila'maya Wowahwala bluha Way gnee ktya" (Life giver, thank you. I have calmness. I'm going home.)
Finally, he saw the distinctive figure of Colonel Forsyth walking towards the hotel with his Lieutenant and bodyguard by his side.
Skunk exited the livery and moved quickly to intercept the officers by the steps to the hotel.
"Excuse me Colonel Forsyth? Might I have a word?"
The Lieutenant had quickly stopped Skunk from coming to close. Skunk cast his eyes downward and held his fox hat submissively in one hand.
The Lieutenant didn't see any visible weapons. He ran his hands quickly over Skunk's body, pausing as he felt the necklace. Skunk pulled it out from his jacket with one hand. The man drew back, repulsed.
The Colonel was already on the porch ready to enter the building when he stopped.
It had begun to rain.
"Lieutenant," He waved irritably at the man, motioning them to the porch. "I'm not standing in the rain."
"No weapons," he said as they both climbed the steps.
"Yes?" The Colonel asked impatiently. His attention was on the loud noise coming from the hotel. His body posture conveyed his anger.
He held his hand up before Skunk could speak, "Lieutenant go in there and find out who told those men they could overindulge in that saloon. That is NOT the behavior of American soldiers representing this country!"
"Yes Sir!"
Once the Lieutenant was gone, the Colonel looked at Skunk.
"Well...state your business."
"Tiwicakte."
"Excuse me?"
"Tiwicakte." Skunk repeated as he quickly reached his hand behind his head and pulled the stiletto from his braid plunging it into the Colonel's neck. He pulled the Colonel close, whispering in his ear, "Murderer."
He dropped the Colonel's dead body, quickly reached inside his fox hat and pulled the stick of dynamite tucked in the lining. He could hear the excited shouts of the guards, and bullets hitting off the front of the hotel and railings. Skunk quickly ran a fingernail across the head of the match, and lit the shortened fuse to the explosive. He stumbled and almost fell as a bullet hit his leg, another his arm. He clutched the stick of dynamite to his chest.
"WOW KSUE YEA!" (In memory of those who died)
Bloody, Skunk threw himself into the building.
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When the explosion blew out most of the windows in the hotel, both Heyes and Kid had thrown themselves onto the floor. Kid and Heyes slowly raised their heads and stared wide-eyed at each other.
"Damn you Skunk!," Kid said, jumping up. "Damn you!"
They stumbled down the stairs of the hotel joining the every growing crowd. Some people rushed towards the burning inferno that had once been a barrack, but were driven back by the intense heat and fire.
There were screams of the wounded and dying, intermixed with townspeople's shouts as they tried to relay buckets of water to the fire. It quickly became apparent that it was hopeless.
The rain began to fall harder.
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Author's Notes:
Colonel James William Forsyth, who led the Massacre at Wounded Knee, died at the age of 72 in his home state of Ohio, obviously not by a fictitious character named Skunk.
Below is part of an official report submitted by Colonel Forsyth two days after the Massacre.
"In closing report, I desire to express my admiration of the gallant conduct of my command in an engagement with a band of Indians in desperate condition and crazed by religious fanatics."