Chapter 2

There was a small running stream just a little ways behind where Joe had placed his saddle and Murphy was pushing the girl towards it. When the Indian girl didn't move fast enough, the soldier gave her a hard shove and down she went at Joe's feet. Joe quickly got up and went over to help the girl stand up.

"Are you all right, Miss?" Joe reached for her arm to help her up but Murphy pushed his hand aside.

"She don't need no help…. she's just a squaw! Now get back to where you were!" ordered Murphy, as he kicked at the girl lying on the ground.

That was all it took for Joe to see red and he quickly pulled his gun from his holster. Before Murphy could even blink, Joe's gun barrel was resting under the soldier's chin.

"Kick her again and you're a dead man," Joe growled, through clenched teeth.

As soon as the Sergeant saw that there was trouble, he came running over and demanded, "What's going on here? And why do you have your gun drawn on my soldier, Mr. Cartwright?"

"No one kicks a person whose hands are tied in front of them in my presence… especially a woman," Joe angrily declared, as he continued to hold the gun under Murphy's chin.

"Put your gun away, Mr. Cartwright. You are dismissed soldier… I will see to the prisoner now."

Joe slowly holstered his gun and bent down to help the girl up. As he did, their eyes briefly met and he was immediately taken back by how beautiful she was, but how sad the eyes staring back at him were. They were such captivating eyes too, but oh so much pain was emanating from those soft brown eyes! As she started to rise, she gave Joe a slight smile and then put her head down and just stood there quietly.

"Are you all right? Did he hurt you?" Joe asked anxiously, as he looked on her bowed head.

She gave no answer but continued to stand there with her head lowered.

"Sergeant, how can you treat a woman this way? I can't believe the army is going to hang a woman! Is this true, would they really hang this girl?"

The Sergeant shook his head as he sadly answered Joe's question.

"I don't like it anymore than you do, Mr. Cartwright. But she tried to help a prisoner escape and now she is to hang in his place. I wish there was something I could do, but I have to follow orders whether I like it or not."

The Sergeant took the girl's arm gently and guided her over to the stream so she could refresh herself, then escorted her back to the wagon for the night.

Joe didn't get much sleep that night as the thought of him guiding this young girl to her death kept him awake. He didn't see her again until the next night at the campfire. Once again a soldier was escorting her to sit by the fire and eat, but this time it was a different soldier. Joe was glad of that because he didn't know if he could contain his temper if Murphy laid another hand on her.

She was given a bowl of food and placed a little ways away from the rest of the men. Joe suddenly decided he wanted to talk to this young girl. So as he walked up to the soldier, he told him he would watch her tonight and the solider hastily agreed and walked back closer to the fire. This soldier didn't want to sit by her anyway and this gave him an excuse to go back to the main fire and get warm. Joe looked over at the young girl as she quietly ate with her head down.

"Do you speak any English?" Joe asked, hoping she did.

Once again she looked up at him with those sad eyes and shook her head yes.

"What is your name? My name is Joseph." Joe smiled warmly, hoping it would put her at ease.

"My name is Singing Heart," she answered, as she looked up quickly and lowered her head again.

"What a beautiful name you have. How did you come by such a name?" Joe asked, hoping that she would keep speaking with him.

"When I was born my father said his heart was so full that it sang…so he named me Singing Heart."

She smiled ever so slightly as she remembered her father and then continued to eat.

As Joe watched her eat, he noticed the bruising around her wrists where the rope was tied. Whoever had tied her had obviously tied it too tight on purpose. Joe was starting to see how cruel some people could be to another human being. It was a world he really hadn't experienced much in his young life, and he wasn't sure how he was going to be able to continue guiding this detail. Joe was lost in his thoughts when he heard her soft voice speak to him.

"I thank you for trying to help me, but you really shouldn't. I wouldn't want you to get into any trouble on account of me."

"Aw, don't worry about me…I can take care of myself. I wouldn't call myself a man if I stood by and watched a woman being abused."

Singing Heart smiled as she put down her bowl and picked up a small wildflower that was growing beside her foot. As she gazed at the white flower in her hand, she slowly blew at the soft petals that adorned the beautiful flower.

Watching the soft petals slowly drift to the ground she smiled as she said, "There is so much beauty all around us. We are blessed to live in a land that is so rich with life, and something as delicate and lovely as this flower blooms to give us joy."

Singing Heart picked another flower and held the small flower in front of Joe as she looked into his eyes.

"You have such kind eyes, Joseph. I think I will call you, Joseph with the kind eyes."

Joe grinned as he said, "Well that certainly is a mouth full for a name."

Watching her suddenly smile made Joe feel happy as he took the delicate flower from her hand and slowly rolled it between his fingers. Then he blew on it softly as Singing Heart had done before he asked her, "Where did you learn to speak such good English?"

"My mother was a white woman who was a teacher before she fell in love with my father and lived with his people. She made sure my brother and I spoke good English so we would be able to communicate with the white people we traded with. It was very important to her that we spoke proper English. She taught us how to read, and I would read all the books she had brought with her over and over again. She was a good woman and I miss her terribly. My father and her were very much in love and always showed us how to love and appreciate Mother Earth. They died when the pox killed so many of my tribe. Then there was only my brother and I left to take care of each other."

"That's enough talkin' you two. It is time for the prisoner to go back to her wagon."

The soldier had come back over to where they were sitting and reached down and pulled her to her feet.

"Why don't you let me escort her to the wagon?" Joe asked, as he saw the fear in her eyes.

"That's fine with me. I don't want to touch that squaw anyway!"

Joe felt his temper start to rise again as he started to draw back his arm to punch the soldier. But as he drew back, Singing Heart reached out and softly touched Joe's arm.

"No, Joseph, there will be no violence because of me," she said quietly, as her soft brown eyes pleaded with him to do as she asked. Joe nodded in agreement, but it took all of his self-control to do so. The soldier just laughed as he turned and walked away leaving Joe to escort Singing Heart to her wagon.

"Why didn't you let me hit him? He insulted you with his words," Joe asked, while he frowned slightly as he looked at the beautiful young girl standing in front of him.

Singing Heart brought her head up and smiled as she replied, "Oh Joseph with the kind eyes, don't you know that violence only brings more pain. I do not wish for any more violence because of me."

She squeezed his arm and started to walk towards her wagon. As Joe was walking behind her, his thoughts were all mixed up. How could someone who had so much hate and violence put on her be so kind and forgiving of the very men who hurt her? Joe was really learning about all different kind of people on this trip. All he had wanted to do was prove to his family that he was a man and could take on more responsibility. But so far he was having a hard time understanding all that had happened and just shook his head as he followed Singing Heart to her wagon.

TBC

oxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

I have only written two other stories about Joe as the main character and he was a boy, so I hope if you are enjoying this one you will let me know how I am doing. ~ Sierra