carefully arranged the front of her skirt over her knees. Soon all three were crouched around the collection of marbles on the ground.
"Do you know the rules?" Lije asked.
"Some of them." Diane nodded. To Susannah's surprise, Lije showed no exasperation with Diane's lack of knowledge of the game. Patiently, he explained everything. "The object is to knock the other person's marbles out of the circle."
"But I don't have any marbles."
"You can have some of mine," Lije volunteered.
"May I have that blue one? It's ever so pretty." Diane pointed to one that Susannah knew was Lije's best marble.
"Sure," he said without hesitation.
Susannah stared at him in amazement, then realized he was certain to win it back. Taking his lead, she gave some of her own marbles to Diane. Once the marbles were evenly divided, Lije demonstrated the use of the shooter marble. Diane watched in dismay as he pocketed a red marble of Susannah's that he had successfully knocked out of the dirt circle.
"You get to keep the marble you hit out of the circle? But that means I could lose my blue one. You are so much better at playing this game than I am. I won't have a chance."
"I'll use my left hand to shoot the marble instead of my right. I'm not as good with that hand."
"That would be the fair way," Susannah agreed.
Lije proved to be adept with his left hand, but not nearly as accurate. He missed with his next shot. Susannah took her turn, but out of courtesy to Diane, she didn't aim at the blue marble. She scored twice and missed.
"You can try now," she said to Diane.
Diane held the shooter marble in almost the correct position. But there was no snap to her thumb, and the shooter more or less rolled off her finger.
"That was a practice shot," Lije said quickly. "Since you're just learning, you can try it a couple more times before it countsâonly make sure your flick your thumb, like this." Again he demonstrated the technique. Again Diane tried to emulate it without success. She retrieved the marble and tried again; the result was no better. "Here, let me show you."
Lije came around the circle. Taking her hand, he molded her fingers and thumb in the right position, then had her try it without the shooter. Finally, he had her use the marble again. This attempt was slightly better.
"Let's try it again," he said. "This time you hold the marble, and I'll shoot it. I want you to feel the way my thumb rakes across your finger."
He shifted closer, angling his body to curve against her right side, his left hand resting on her shoulder, one knee on the ground for balance. Again he took Diane's hand and cupped it in his, molding it in the proper position.
As soon as the shooter was in place, Lije leaned down until their faces were nearly cheek to cheek. "We'll aim for that yellow marble."
Somethingâsome sound, some vibration of the ground, some movement in the outer range of her visionâpenetrated Susannah's absorption in the pair. She looked up and instantly froze at the sight of Captain Parmelee's wife bearing down on them, a look of pure hatred on her face.
"Cecilia!" The shout came from Captain Parmelee. Susannah had a brief glimpse of him outside the sutler's store, his arms laden with wrapped parcels, his expression one of shock and consternation. Then his wife was on them.
"You filthy, horrible creature. What are you doing touching my daughter," she screamed, her hands grabbing Lije like talons, ripping him away from a startled Diane and flinging him to the ground. She instantly seized Diane and pulled her upright, dragging her close as she turned a murderous glare on Lije. "Don't you ever put your dirty hands on her again." She shook with rage. "Do you hear me? Don't you ever come near her again!"
"But, Mama," Diane protested, near to tears, "Lije and Susannah are my friends. We were playâ"
"Shut up!" She gave Diane a hard shake that frightened her into silence. "They are nothing but dirty little Indians. You are never
"Do you know the rules?" Lije asked.
"Some of them." Diane nodded. To Susannah's surprise, Lije showed no exasperation with Diane's lack of knowledge of the game. Patiently, he explained everything. "The object is to knock the other person's marbles out of the circle."
"But I don't have any marbles."
"You can have some of mine," Lije volunteered.
"May I have that blue one? It's ever so pretty." Diane pointed to one that Susannah knew was Lije's best marble.
"Sure," he said without hesitation.
Susannah stared at him in amazement, then realized he was certain to win it back. Taking his lead, she gave some of her own marbles to Diane. Once the marbles were evenly divided, Lije demonstrated the use of the shooter marble. Diane watched in dismay as he pocketed a red marble of Susannah's that he had successfully knocked out of the dirt circle.
"You get to keep the marble you hit out of the circle? But that means I could lose my blue one. You are so much better at playing this game than I am. I won't have a chance."
"I'll use my left hand to shoot the marble instead of my right. I'm not as good with that hand."
"That would be the fair way," Susannah agreed.
Lije proved to be adept with his left hand, but not nearly as accurate. He missed with his next shot. Susannah took her turn, but out of courtesy to Diane, she didn't aim at the blue marble. She scored twice and missed.
"You can try now," she said to Diane.
Diane held the shooter marble in almost the correct position. But there was no snap to her thumb, and the shooter more or less rolled off her finger.
"That was a practice shot," Lije said quickly. "Since you're just learning, you can try it a couple more times before it countsâonly make sure your flick your thumb, like this." Again he demonstrated the technique. Again Diane tried to emulate it without success. She retrieved the marble and tried again; the result was no better. "Here, let me show you."
Lije came around the circle. Taking her hand, he molded her fingers and thumb in the right position, then had her try it without the shooter. Finally, he had her use the marble again. This attempt was slightly better.
"Let's try it again," he said. "This time you hold the marble, and I'll shoot it. I want you to feel the way my thumb rakes across your finger."
He shifted closer, angling his body to curve against her right side, his left hand resting on her shoulder, one knee on the ground for balance. Again he took Diane's hand and cupped it in his, molding it in the proper position.
As soon as the shooter was in place, Lije leaned down until their faces were nearly cheek to cheek. "We'll aim for that yellow marble."
Somethingâsome sound, some vibration of the ground, some movement in the outer range of her visionâpenetrated Susannah's absorption in the pair. She looked up and instantly froze at the sight of Captain Parmelee's wife bearing down on them, a look of pure hatred on her face.
"Cecilia!" The shout came from Captain Parmelee. Susannah had a brief glimpse of him outside the sutler's store, his arms laden with wrapped parcels, his expression one of shock and consternation. Then his wife was on them.
"You filthy, horrible creature. What are you doing touching my daughter," she screamed, her hands grabbing Lije like talons, ripping him away from a startled Diane and flinging him to the ground. She instantly seized Diane and pulled her upright, dragging her close as she turned a murderous glare on Lije. "Don't you ever put your dirty hands on her again." She shook with rage. "Do you hear me? Don't you ever come near her again!"
"But, Mama," Diane protested, near to tears, "Lije and Susannah are my friends. We were playâ"
"Shut up!" She gave Diane a hard shake that frightened her into silence. "They are nothing but dirty little Indians. You are never
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