Issue #14

Alaina shuddered as the last of the Indians disappeared around a bend in the trail.  If one of them had just happened glanced to the left as they rode past...

Suddenly Jared was beside her.  “That was a little too close for comfort.”

“I...I’ve never actually seen wild Indians before.”

Jared made a derisive sound. “You still haven’t. Other that a few renegade half-breeds, they weren’t any more Indian than I am.”

Alaina glanced up at him in astonishment. “Are you sure? I mean they looked like Indians to me.”

“A few feathers, some buckskins and a dash of paint here and there will fool a most people. Did you notice their saddles?”

“They looked like ordinary saddles to me.”

“Exactly. Indians don’t ride saddles, at least not the kind you’re used to. They don’t make that much noise either unless they’re attacking.”

“If they aren’t Indians, who are they and what are they doing here?”

“I don’t know, but I sure don’t intend to stick around and find out.  Come on let’s get going before they come back looking for us.”

“They don’t even know we’re here,” Alaina said in surprise.

“They will when they find your lean-to.”

“Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.” Alaina’s stomach jumped nervously as she followed him back to the horses. “Where do you think they were headed?”

“It’s hard to say. There were enough of them to attack Centennial of they wanted to. From the look of them, I don’t think they were planning on paying a friendly call wherever they were going. Come on, let’s move.”

Alaina looked over her shoulder.  For the first time, the mountain became a place of danger and her trip a foolhardy undertaking. With a shudder, she turned and hurried after Jared.

Within moments they were mounted and headed up the mountain again. A new sense of urgency pushed them onward toward the summit where there was more protection and less chance of being seen. They were nearly there when Jared stopped suddenly and sniffed the air.

“What is it?” Alaina asked fearfully.

“Smoke. There, above the trees, see it? We’d better check it out. Someone may need help.”

With a sense of foreboding, they approached the column of smoke.  They could hear the crackling roar of the fire long before they saw the cabin, or what was left of it.

Only one wall remained standing. The rest of the log structure was little more than a smoldering ruin, destroyed by the fire that raged through the underbrush in the forest beyond.              

“Stay here,” Jared said. “I’m going to take a look around.”

Time passed slowly as Alaina waited for Jared to return.  He seemed to be taking an awfully long time. As she sat there wondering if he could be in trouble, she gradually became aware of a strange mewling sound, almost like a whimper. She cocked her head and listened intently.  There it was again, and it seemed to be coming from the trees on the opposite of the clearing from the fire. With her usual disregard for Jared’s commands, she climbed down from her horse and went to investigate.

 Cautiously, she entered the deep shadows of the trees.  The sound came again, louder now.  It seemed to be coming from a large pile of pine needles and sticks at the base of a tree.  Alaina knelt next to the tree brush away the debris and uncovered a brightly colored blanket beneath.  Frowning, she gently pulled back the blanket and found herself staring down into a pair of bright hazel eyes.  “A baby!” she said, rocking back on her heels.

The baby didn’t make a sound as she pulled the blanket away dumping the pine needles and sticks on the forest floor. “What in the world?” she exclaimed as the blanket fell away. The baby was wrapped in brightly beaded leather that was laced down the front and secured to a board.

“I wonder who left you here,” she murmured touching the baby’s downy cheek. “I’d better take you to Jared.”

It only took a moment to brush away the rest of the forest debris and pick up the baby, strange contraption, and all.  As she cautiously approached the shell of the cabin, an odd sound came from the edge of the woods.  Mystified, Alaina stopped and listened intently for several seconds. It sounded for all the world as if someone were vomiting. “Jared?” she called quietly. “Jared can you hear me?”

“Jesus, Alaina, don’t come over here!” he said urgently.

Alaina frowned. “Are you all right?”

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Look, Jared, if someone’s sick I might be able to...”

“No, damn it. Just do as I say for once and stay where you are!”

“A...all right.”  She was still trying to decide whether to stay where she was or ignore Jared’s orders when he came staggering around the corner of the cabin. His face was pale, his expression haunted.

“Come on,” he said urgently.  “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“Jared, what’s wrong?”

“Damn it, Alaina, we don’t have time for this.”

“Quiet, Jared, you’ll scare him.”

“What?” For the first time Jared looked down at the bundle in her arms. “Good, Lord!” 

“He was hidden under a pile of trash, and strapped to this thing, whatever it is.”

“It’s a cradleboard. Indian women use them to carry their babies.” Jared glanced back over his shoulder. “His mother probably put him in it today to keep him safe.”

“Are you sure he’s an Indian? He has auburn hair and hazel eyes for heaven’s sake.”

“Oh he’s Indian all right. His daddy had bright red hair, but his mama was a full-blooded Bannock. I met them last fall.”
“Was?” Alaina gave him a horrified look. “They’re both...?”

 “Dead,” he said in a flat voice as he reached out a shaking hand to touch the baby. “I’m surprised you found him. Indian babies are taught not to cry when they’re in their cradleboards.”

“He didn’t really cry. It was more of a whimper. He’s kind of a cute little...”

“Look, Alaina, we don’t have time for this now,” Jared interrupted.  “I want to be as far away from here as possible in case those renegades come looking for us when they find the lean-to.”

“What about the baby’s parents?”

“There’s nothing more anybody can do for them.”

Alaina was appalled. “Aren’t you going to bury them?”

“It would take me most of the afternoon to bury them, even if I had a shovel, which I don’t. That time would be far better spent putting distance between those renegades and us. My other concern is that fire over there. As wet as everything is from the snow, it shouldn’t be a problem.  On the other hand, I want to tangle with a forest fire even less than the renegades.”

“I...I guess you’re right.” Alaina’s stricken look bothered Jared almost as much as what he’d seen in the clearing.

“Look,” he said, “I don’t like it any better than you do, but I don’t see that we’ve got much choice.”

“N...no, I guess we don’t.” Alaina looked down at the cradleboard.  “What are we going to do with him?”

“I don’t know. Zeke didn’t have any relatives that I know of, not that they’d want this baby anyway.”

“How could they not?” Alaina protested.

“As a rule, whites aren’t too wild about Indians, even ones this size.”

“But he’s half white!”

“Most folks wouldn’t see it that way. Half-breed is a dirty word around here.”

“Maybe his mother’s people...”

“Even if I knew where to find them, the chances are they couldn’t take him. Most tribes have too many mouths to feed as it is.”

“Oh, Jared, we have to do something.”

“I know.” Jared traced the baby’s downy cheek with his knuckle. “Don’t worry we’ll think of something. In the meantime, we better get going.”

“All right, but first I need to fix him up a sugar-teat to keep him happy. Here,” she said handing the baby to Jared, “Hold him so I can get the sugar and a clean handkerchief out of my saddle bag.”

It only took a few minutes for her to make a small bag from the handkerchief, fill it with sugar and tie it off, but Jared’s impatience nearly drove her crazy.  He scanned the area constantly, jumping at the slightest noise, and peering into the shadows of the trees.

“Those renegades have surely found our lean-to by now,” he said pacing across the clearing and back.

“I never even thought about taking it apart. If I had, there wouldn’t be anything to find.”

“There was no reason to think we needed to.”

 Alaina stuck the sugar-teat into the baby’s mouth, and smiled as he started to suck on it. “There you go, sweetheart, that should keep you happy for awhile.  Jared, will you hand him up to me as soon as I get on my horse?”

“The cradleboard is made to carry on your back,” he pointed out as she mounted her horse.

“I know, but I want be able to look at him. It’s the only way I’ll know for sure if he’s sick or not.”

Jared glanced at the baby before handing him up to her.  “He seems content enough now.”

“It’s the sugar-teat. They settle the fussiest baby.”

“I hope so. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”       

Alaina looked at the smoldering cabin as Jared swung up into the saddle. “I won’t hold you to your promise, any more.”

He glanced back in surprise.  “What promise?”
“We don’t have to go on to Saratoga.  In fact, it would probably be best if we went back to Laramie City.”

“It’s a little late for that now,” he said turning away in disgust. “In case you missed it, there are a dozen or so cold-blooded killers between us and Laramie City. Believe me, if there were any way to get us off this mountain right now, I’d do it.”

Alaina bit her lip and followed him out of the clearing feeling small and selfish. If it hadn’t been for her they wouldn’t even be here. A small noise drew her attention to the baby in her arms. On the other hand, if they hadn’t come along, he’d have starved to death. “Lucky for you I’m so stubborn,” she murmured.