Chapter 4

(This chapter is sad so you may need a tissue or two.)

Joe was having trouble getting to sleep tonight as he planned how he would help Singing Heart escape and take her away where no one could find them. He knew his pa would be disappointed in him for breaking the law, but he couldn't let Singing Heart die. Some day he hoped he would be able to explain to his father why he had done what he had. But for now, the most important thing was to get Singing Heart away from here. Joe decided he would make the break at dawn when the camp was barely coming awake. Just how he would go about doing this was in his thoughts as he closed his eyes to drift off to a restless night of very little sleep.

The next morning after tying Cochise and the other horse he had gotten behind the wagon where Singing Heart was kept, Joe slowly edged around the wagon and came up behind the guard that was at the front of her wagon. He quickly hit him on the back of his head with the butt of his gun and laid him under the wagon so no one would see him. Joe had tapped him lightly so he would only be out for just a few minutes. He just wanted to give them time to escape and the worse the guard would have would be a headache later on.

"Singing Heart, come we must hurry," whispered Joe, as he got into the wagon and grabbed her arm to take her from the wagon.

"Joseph, what are you doing? It is still early. Is it time to leave now?" Singing Heart rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she tried to understand what was going on.

"We must hurry before everyone is awake! I am taking you out of here. I will not let them hang you. We will go away together and make a life somewhere else where they won't find us. Now hurry!"

As Joe spoke he pulled her to the front of the wagon and jumped to the ground and turned to help her out.

"Joseph, we can not do this! This isn't right and you will get into a lot of trouble for helping me. I will not let you do this for me!"

Singing Heart tried to pull back, but Joe pulled her over his shoulder and carried her to the back of the wagon where the horses were tied. He gently set her down and turned to get her horse so he could put her on it. Joe was taking her whether she wanted to go or not. He knew this was the right thing for him to do. Singing Heart was always talking about someone's path, well maybe this was the path that was chosen for him he thought, as he untied the horse.

The horse that Joe had gotten for Singing Heart was not use to him and started to rear up when he untied him. Unfortunately this made just enough noise to awaken one of the soldiers that was bedded down close to the wagon. As fate would have it, it was the same soldier who had been so mean to Singing Heart and had no use for Indians. When Murphy saw what was happening, he quickly yelled for the rest of the detail and picked up his rifle.

By this time, Joe turned around and saw Murphy getting ready to take aim at them, so he quickly grabbed Singing Heart to put her on her horse. The soldier might shoot him, but he was going to get her out of here even if he had to die trying. The camp was coming awake now from all the shouting as Joe grabbed for Singing Heart. She resisted because she knew there was going to be trouble for Joe and tried to keep him from putting her in the saddle.

"No, Joseph! We cannot do this. The soldiers are awake now and you will be hurt!"

"You aren't going anywhere… you Indian lover! Helping a prisoner escape is punishable by death!" Murphy yelled, and slowly grinned as he raised his rifle to shoot Joe.

Singing Heart turned in time to see the soldier aiming his rifle at Joe. "NO!" she screamed, and stepped in front of Joe as the sound of a gunshot rang through the air!

"Singing Heart!" Joe cried, as he realized what had happened. He quickly grabbed for Singing Heart as she slowly started to fall to the ground. As they fell to the ground together, Joe cradled her in his arms and kept saying her name.

"No… Singing Heart… No! This isn't what was supposed to happen. I am so sorry, it's all my fault you got shot," Joe softly cried, as he reached for the bandana that was around his neck and held it to the bleeding wound on her chest.

"You will be all right. We will get the doctor to help you and then we will leave this place together just like I planned." His tears were falling on his hand as he held it tightly to the wound trying to stop the bleeding.

"Please don't die! Please don't die," Joe begged, as he wiped at the tears that kept falling from his eyes.

Singing Heart winced as she placed her hand on his cheek. "Do not weep for me, Joseph. I will join my family soon and we will all be together again, this is what I want. My path in life has come to an end and I am ready to go. I am so happy that the Great Spirit brought us together in the last part of my journey. Remember what I told you and listen for your heart's song, my sweet Joseph with the kind…" She didn't finish the last part as her arm fell to the ground beside her.

"NO! NO!" Joe pleaded, as he cradled her body to his… rocking back and forth as the sobs over took him.

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Joe buried Singing Heart under a beautiful pine tree close to the stream that they had sat by the night before. He wanted her to hear the wind as it whispered to the trees and the bubbling stream as it flowed over the pebbles. As Joe was placing the last stone on her grave, a tear rolled down his cheek and fell on the sand by his knee.

"Thank you for helping me to become a better man," Joe whispered softly.

"I am so sorry that I couldn't save you, sweet friend. Maybe you were right about your path being chosen for you. You accepted it and maybe I should too. But I want you to know that you have taught me so much, Singing Heart, and I promise I will listen for my heart song as I journey on my path through life. And every time I hear the wind blowing through the trees or the water gliding over the rocks in a stream… I will know that the earth is singing its song and I will think of you."

Coming up behind Joe Sergeant Peterson placed his hand on Joe's shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"I am so sorry things turned out the way they did, Joe. She seemed like such a special girl. I think in the long run this was for the best, as now she won't have to suffer. I know life seems unfair at times the way people are treated. I don't like it anymore than you do. Sometimes I really hate my job." The sergeant ran his hand through his hair as he let out a long sigh.

"Who knows, maybe the day will come when people won't be judged by the color of their skin but only by what is in their hearts."

Joe stood up and shook his head. "If people would have half the love and kindness in their hearts as she did, then this world would be a much better place. Murphy was aiming at me and she took the bullet for me, you know."

"I know," Sergeant Peterson said, as he reached out and took Joe's hand in a warm handshake.

"There will be no charges brought against you, Joe. Murphy should never have done what he did, and as far as I am concerned, my report will say she died on the trip from a fall from her horse. Have a safe journey home."

Joe nodded, then walked over and quickly mounted up on Cochise. He touched the brim of his hat and turned and rode off leaving the sergeant watching him ride away.

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Three days later Joe rode into the yard bone-tired from his long trip. As he dismounted and started to tie the reins on the old rail in front of the house, Ben came out the door smiling broadly.

"Joe, you're back early. We didn't expect you back so soon, son. It's so good to see you. How was your trip?"

Joe wearily finished tying Cochise to the railing. Then he smiled slightly as he came over and put his arms around his father and hugged him tightly as if he never wanted to let him go. Ben enjoyed this closeness with his son and continued the hug until Joe finally pulled away. As father and son walked towards the house, Joe stopped and looked at his father.

"Pa, have you ever taken the time to listen to the sounds of the earth all around you?"

As Ben regarded his son with a rather perplexed expression, he shook his head. "No, I don't think so. What are you talking about, Joe?"

Patting his father lovingly on his broad back, Joe replied, "Well, Pa, neither did I until I met an amazing Indian girl who taught me the joys of life and how to appreciate all the beauty that surrounds us. All we have to do is take the time to look around and the earth will show us its beauty," Joe smiled, as he fought back the tears that were forming in his eyes.

"Let's go into the house and I will tell you all about her. Her name was Singing Heart and she had the most beautiful spirit of anyone I have ever met. She taught me so much, Pa, and I know now that I have become a better man because of her."

The End

May you have only joyful songs as you journey on your path through life. ~Sierra