Chapter 7
As agreed, Buck and Cristina returned to Rock Creek again the next day to deliver the money to Teaspoon and to attend Sunday service. Rachel accompanied them. As they entered, everyone turned to look at them. Buck stiffened but the Reverend, as soon as he saw them, went towards them to ease the tension.
"Welcome dear, I am happy that you have accepted my invitation. Gentlemen, theese are Cristina and Buck. From today they will attend our community and soon they will celebrate their wedding. We welcome them."
The faithful in the Church were amazed by the Reverend's words, but not wanting to appear as bad believers, they welcomed them and Buck, Cristina and Rachel took their seats. Buck remained tense throughout and breathed a sigh of relief when he came out.
"I thought I was going to suffocate in there", he exclaimed as soon as he could.
"Was it that bad darling?"
"Not the function itself, the tension for people's looks"
"Well, the Reverend gave us a big hand with his speech, no one dared to contradict him. Hold on, love."
Buck smiled at her. After lunch at Rachel and Teaspoon's, Buck and Cristina stopped for a while at the river, in what had by now become their refuge, and then returned to camp.
Some warriors had begun to look suspiciously at the continuous exits from the field of the two newlyweds and Red Bear, who had noticed it, decided to keep an eye on them without mentioning it to Buck. He was afraid he would get upset and do something stupid.
Unfortunately, one of them, Rampant Falcon, escaped the control of Red Bear and one day that Buck and Cristina went to Rock Creek to continue with the wedding preparations and starting up the ranch, he followed them. He didn't dare enter the city openly, but he saw that the two had secretly changed into "civilian" clothes and that they were welcomed in the city as if everyone were used to their presence. This made him suspicious and once back in the camp, he talked about it with other companions.
"Brothers, those two are surely planning an escape or perhaps a betrayal of the tribe. I saw them change their clothes and quietly associate with the whites of Rock Creek. The arrival of that white woman did not bring anything good. It could cause us some problems"
"What do you suggest we do?" asked Gray Fox, one of the most exalted warriors.
"I still have to think about it….We could kidnap her and forcefully tell us what they're up to. If they were to hand us over to the whites, we would eliminate them before they can."
"Don't you think it's too risky? If Running Buck finds out about the kidnapping, he'll kill us. You know what it's made of", Black Eagle pointed out.
"I don't fear Running Buck and on the other hand we could make him believe that the woman ran away because she couldn't stand life in the camp anymore"
"This sounds like a great plan to me. We just have to work out the details", Gray Fox pointed out.
The men drew up a detailed plan of their project and agreed to implement it three days later, when Running Buck was away on a horse sale. They would have managed to send Cristina alone to pick some herbs, preventing her friends from accompanying her.
That morning, Buck was strangely nervous.
"What's up honey? You seem upset to me", Cristina asked him.
"Nothing, it's just that I have a strange sensation, like the one I experienced the day I left Camille at the camp and on my return she had been taken away"
"Don't be absurd, I'm not going anywhere. I just have to go pick some herbs for the field. The girls will come with me, don't worry. Ride safe. See you this evening".
" Maybe you're right. See you tonight darling" and they kissed.
Despite Cristina's words, Buck still felt that strange feeling…
As soon as the party left, Cristina got ready to go pick the herbs she had told Buck about. However, she was soon joined by Sad Eyes who informed her that the girls would not accompany her because their families had assigned them other tasks.
"Can I come with you?" the boy asked.
"Wouldn't you rather be here and play with the other boys? I don't think it's a pleasant pastime for you. Come on, join the others. See you when I get back and we'll spend some time together."
Sad Eyes nodded and said goodbye. Cristina took her basket and her knife and walked away.
Sad Eyes moved to go and join the other boys, but he noticed in passing some horsemen who, without attracting too much attention, were heading right in the direction where Cristina was going. He felt a pang in his stomach and decided to follow them, not showing up.
Cristina reached the clearing where they had indicated that she would find everything she needed. She began to collect the herbs that had been indicated to her and accompanied this work with tribal songs that she had learned from her friends. She got so caught up in the singing that she didn't notice two men blocking her from behind. When Cristina realized it she tried to scream, but it was already too late, a hand had closed her mouth and suddenly she felt a tremendous blow on the back of her neck. In an instant everything was dark.
Hidden behind the bushes, Sad Eyes had witnessed the scene and, although terrified, he again followed the two men who took Cristina to an abandoned shack.
They threw her on a straw bed and waited for her to recover from the blow.
Gradually Cristina felt herself recover. She opened her eyes, looked around and seeing herself in an unfamiliar place, tried to get up but felt a great pain in her head.
"Well, you finally woke up", she heard a male voice say.
She turned her head in that direction and saw one of the warriors in the field.
"What do you want from me, why did you bring me here?" she asked terrified.
"Hey woman, we'll ask the questions, okay?"
Christina fell silent.
"So, you and your cheating husband, what are you up to? Are you selling us to whites?"
"What? But how do you come up with such an idea. Buck is an honorable man and would never do such a thing!"
"We're not so sure. He's already gone once, abandoned us to live among the whites. Nobody assures us that now that the war is over, he hasn't sold us out to buy points among those damned whites."
"I tell you again, Buck would never do that! He's not a traitor like you!"
One of them slapped her hard.
"Do not you dare. We are honorable men, not that wretched Running Buck"
"He's not miserable! You are the disgrace of the tribe"
As soon as she said these words, she was struck again.
"I have seen you wearing white clothes and having friendly relations with them. This can only mean one thing."
"How dare you follow us? You didn't have the right"
"We have every right to find and punish traitors"
Seeing that Cristina did not speak, Gray Fox struck her several times, but without obtaining results. The woman decided not to give them the satisfaction of knowing plans for her future life. She just had to hold on, Buck would look for her and find her.
By this time it was dark and Buck had returned from his horse deal. Entering his tepee, he did not find Cristina waiting for him. He didn't pay much attention to it at the time, thinking she was still in the company of the other girls and Sad Eyes, but when he opened the trunk to get some clean buckskin trousers, he noticed that Cristina's clothes were gone. He was dumbfounded and ran out in a rage to look for Sad Eyes. Not seeing him, he went to Shining Eyes. When he arrived at her tent, he was greeted amicably.
"Good evening Buck, what brings you to these parts?" she asked gently
"Do you know where Christina is? It's not in the tent"
"No, I haven't seen her all day, sorry"
"But what, weren't you supposed to go together to gather herbs?" asked Buck in alarm and with dread filling his heart. He knew that feeling all too well.
"Yes, but then me and the other girls were assigned other tasks and she went alone"
"Shining Eyes, her clothes are missing, something definitely happened to her!"
Shining Eyes looked at him lost when she heard those words but did not know how to help him.
According to plan, Black Eagle pretended to have overheard their conversation and intervened: "Well, perhaps she got tired of being with us in the camp and simply decided to abandon you and return to her people"
Buck spun around at the sound of those words and cursed Black Eagle: "She would never do that. It was you! Tell me where you hide it cursed"
"Hey Half blood! Moderate your terms if you don't want to try my knife"
They would have fought a duel, if their cries hadn't attracted Red Bear who had his tepee not far away.
"What the hell is going on here? Black Eagle, haven't you had enough of making trouble yet?"
"I wouldn't defend your little brother too much, Red Bear"
"I'm not defending anyone, I just want to know what's going on"
"Cristina is missing. All her things are gone too", Buck announced.
"And you're sure she didn't decide to leave on her own?" asked Red Bear.
"How can you think that? Get to know our projects!"
"Good, so it's true that there are plans!" Black Eagle pointed out.
"You want to sell us to the whites, don't you?" he continued.
"Don't be ridiculous Black Eagle, I blindly trust my brother and his woman, these are things that don't concern you or the tribe"
"Are you sure?" Black Eagle insinuated again, receiving a loud blow from Red Bear himself in return.
"Don't you dare question your boss's judgment or you will regret it. And now go away!"
Black Eagle got up and left, swearing revenge.
"Why did you let him go? It is clear that he knows something. It can't have vanished into thin air without an explanation."
"I know you don't want to hear this, but are you absolutely sure she didn't leave on her own?"
"Damn bro, do you really think that? Then you didn't understand anything about her, about us"
"She's a white woman, Buck, and sincere as she seems to me, she wouldn't be the first to make you suffer"
"I can't believe what I hear. I'll make it on my own"
"Buck, wait!", but Buck had already stormed off.
He went back to his tepee to look for some traces and suddenly he heard a noise. He stopped abruptly and heard it again. He pulled back a flap of the tent and saw Sad Eyes terrified hiding in his tepee.
"What are you doing here boy?"
Sad Eyes was sobbing, and Buck knew instinctively that he knew something.
"Do you know where Christina is? Did you see her?"
Sad Eyes could not speak and sobbed. Buck shook him gently and said: "Please Sad Eyes, if you know something you have to tell me! Please"
"They kidnapped her!", he said in one breath.
"Who? Who kidnapped her? Speak out!"
"Rampant Falcon and Gray Fox. They keep her in an abandoned shack and they hit her because they think you are selling the tribe to the whites. She doesn't speak, she bears the beatings in silence"
"Oh my God. Can you take me to her?"
Shining Eyes nodded, but asked: "Wouldn't it be better to inform Red Bear?"
"No, he doesn't trust us, I'll go alone"
"But they are dangerous"
"Please Sad Eyes, take me to her and then run home immediately, so they don't know it was you who told me where they are."
Sad Eyes nodded again. Buck got him on his horse and they set off quickly in the direction of the cabin.
When they were near the place indicated by Sad Eyes, Buck dismounted him and ordered him to go home. The boy tried to protest but Buck was adamant. Sad Eyes could do nothing but take the road to the camp.
Buck approached almost blending into the landscape, as he had learned to do living with his brother. Approaching the shack, he spied what was happening inside from a small crack. His blood froze: he saw Gray Fox shaking Cristina hard to make her speak but she made no sound. He saw her from behind and for a moment he feared he had lost her. For a moment Cristina turned her bruised face away from the beatings and Buck could see her terrified eyes.
A fury that he had only felt on the day of Ike's death came over him. He took his bow, went to the door, kicked it in and shot an arrow that lodged in the arm of Gray Fox, who screamed in pain.
Cristina screamed as she saw the arrow lodged in her captor's arm, thinking she would be next. Great was her relief when she glimpsed the silhouette of Buck at the door of the cabin. Buck advanced on her, almost at the bed, when Cristina's relief turned to terror. Behind her husband had appeared Rampant Falcon who had returned from supplies and had heard the scream of his companion.
It was a moment, Cristina reached out for Buck's boot, grabbed his knife and threw it at Rampant Falcon, sticking it into his arm with which he was throwing his knife against Buck's back. The knife managed to take the shoulder of the latter who had the strength to stretch the bow and wound the other arm of Rampant Falcon.
Gray Fox, meanwhile, enduring the pain of his wound and recovering from his surprise, had taken up the pistol he always carried with him. He didn't have time to point it at Buck who was hit in the chest by a bullet that again came from the door of the cabin: Red Bear was standing holding a rifle.
Gray Fox fell to the ground with blood pouring from his mouth.
Rampant Falcon tried to fight back by overcoming the pain, but Buck aimed his bow at him and Red Bear his rifle. Realizing that he was now defeated, he surrendered.
Buck rushed to tie his hands, while Sad Eyes entered the shack and hastened to embrace Cristina.
"You're fine, aren't you? Don't leave me too" and he burst into tears.
Cristina, although in pain and still dazed, hugged him tightly. Buck handed Rampant Falcon to Red Bear, took back his knife, and rushed to Cristina.
"How are you dear? What have they done? Are you okay?", he asked terrified that they had hurt her more than he could see.
"I'm fine, Buck, I'm fine, but you need to get your shoulder treated, you're losing blood"
Buck in the hustle and bustle didn't even remember that he had been hurt, but he replied: "Don't think about me, I'm fine, let's go home"
He took her in his arms and she let out a moan in pain from the beatings she had taken.
When he had approached the door, he looked his brother in the eyes and said: "Thank you" and then he turned to Sad Eyes: "And thanks to you too, if you hadn't warned Red Bear, it might have ended very badly" and he rubbed him the head.
Buck was helped by his brother to get Cristina on his horse. He drove the animal very slowly to cause as little pain as possible to the woman. Cristina leaned against her husband's chest and fell asleep.
Buck kissed them and stroked her hair. He realized he was shaking. He had risked losing the most precious thing he owned.
Meanwhile, Red Bear and Sad Eyes had raced forward to camp with Rampant Falcon tethered. Arriving, Red Bear immediately ordered Black Eagle to be captured, but was told that when the warrior saw him quickly departing with Sad Eyes, he had taken his horse and fled.
Red Bear ordered some men to organize an expedition to capture him and then to go to the shack to take the body of Gray Fox and throw it to the dogs.
While giving these orders, he saw a girl attempting to escape: it was Yellow Feather, Black Eagle's betrothed, probably his accomplice, who had taken Cristina's things away from Buck's teepee to make him believe she had left of her own free will.
Shining Eyes immediately understood everything and blocked her with a fury that she didn't know she had. The girl was interrogated by Red Bear, confessed and was tied to a post as a warning to the tribe for anyone who behaved like a traitor.
The girl in tears had indicated where she had hidden Cristina's things and Shining Eyes had gone to retrieve them so that she could find them in her place when her friend returned.
A little later Buck arrived with Cristina. He was helped to lay her on her bed and the medicine man was called.
When he came out of her tent, he said to Buck, "This poor girl has been roughed up for a long time, but fortunately she is a strong woman and will recover this time too. Now a woman is with her to check that she hasn't suffered any violence. Don't worry and now sit down, I have to heal that shoulder"
Buck said nothing: while the medicine man medicated him, he prayed to the Great Spirit and the Christian God together that Cristina would not have to suffer that humiliation.
The woman came out shortly after: "Don't worry Running Buck, they didn't touch her in that sense"
Buck let out a great sigh of relief and rushed into the tent. He didn't move from Cristina's side until nearly an hour later she opened her eyes.
She moaned and tried to speak, but Buck put a finger to her lips and gently said: "Don't force yourself, don't worry, everything's fine. You are a little battered but you will recover soon".
Cristina gave him a half smile and motioned over his shoulder.
"Don't worry about me, I'm fine, they treated me. And by the way, thank you, your promptness saved my life" and he kissed her lips softly.
Cristina fell asleep again and woke up a long time later.
Buck was dozing beside her but he felt her move.
"Hey, how are you?"
Cristina tried to get up and Buck helped her.
"Are you hungry? Can I get you some soup?"
"Yes, thanks"
Buck started to get up but Cristina held him back: "I was afraid I would never see you again, but I didn't speak, I didn't want them to dirty our dreams"
Buck took her in his arms and squeezed her tightly: "It's okay honey, it's over! Do you want me to take you to Rachel and stay with her until you're healed?"
Cristina clung to him and replied: "No, I don't want to leave you anymore, stay with me please"
"Okay, I'm not taking you anywhere, from now on I will never let anyone separate us, I swear"
He hugged her and then brought her soup and mashed potatoes. Cristina ate slowly but managed to finish everything.
"Well, you don't lack appetite, I'm happy" and he smiled at her.
While Buck collected the bowls, Red Bear looked at the teepee: "May I?"
"Sure, come in!", replied Cristina.
Buck was silent.
"How are you?" her brother-in-law asked.
"A bit bruised but I'll be fine. Thank you for stepping in and saving my husband's life."
Red Bear nodded but then said: "Cristina, Buck, I have to apologize. I doubted you Cristina, for a moment I thought you had left the camp of your own free will, abandoning my brother. Now I realize how stupid I was. Buck, please forgive me if you can"
Buck looked at him sternly and said: "I really thought you understood. I owe you my life but it will be hard to forget"
"Buck, please don't drive a rift in the relationship with your brother, he made a mistake but now he is deeply repentant. Make me happy, forgive him"
Buck just said: "I'll try"
Red Bear nodded, wished them good night and left.
"Don't be so hard on him, he's always had a hostile relationship with the white man, his distrust is understandable"
"He didn't trust me"
"No, he's just making a great effort to adjust to your new decisions. It's not easy for him."
Buck was silent.
"Please promise me you'll forgive him."
Buck looked her straight in the eye and said: "Is there anything I can deny you?"
"I hope not" and smiled at him.
He kissed her and then lay down next to her. Immediately they were overcome by sleep and tiredness and slept all night embracing each other.
