Read Online Meet the New Dawn by Rosanne Bittner - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rosanne Bittner
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but some distance away. She eyed Zeke seductively, annoying him with her beauty, for he was feeling very Indian this day and enjoying it. She deliberately lifted her tunic, showing more of her legs as she ran up to a large pine and stopped, peering around the trunk at Zeke as he and the other men stopped. Zeke glanced over at her again, and she smiled.
“That one is Sweet Grass,” Red Leaf told Zeke with a laugh. “She lose her man when soldiers shoot him down. Since then she sleeps with any Sioux man who needs a woman, as long as he brings her meat. Your own son has been sleeping with that one. He looks happy in the mornings.” They all laughed, and Zeke looked over at the woman again. He grinned to himself. There was no doubt that if Wolf’s Blood had been sleeping with that one, he had learned all he needed to know about women.
Red Leaf ran to a tree roughly twenty yards distant. He whipped out a knife and gouged a small white spot into the trunk, then ran back to where the others stood. Zeke folded his arms and waited while the young man took an arrow from his quiver, which a friend carried for him. “Do you know of anyone who can hit such a small target with his arrow?” Red Leaf asked Zeke.
Zeke shook his head. “There are many who could come close. Even I could come close. But to hit that very spot would be difficult for me with an arrow, but not with my knife. First you must prove you can do it with the arrow.”
Red Leaf grinned and nodded, placing the arrow in his bow and bending the handmade, perfectly balanced bow outward.There was a long, quiet moment while he held the bow steady before releasing the arrow. Then a soft whirring sound was heard as it arched slightly and landed with a thud, its head sitting perfectly in the tiny spot Red Leaf had gouged out as a target.
The man and his friends whooped and cheered and Red Leaf pushed at Zeke. “I like your fine horse!” he laughed. He started to go to the tree to remove his arrow.
“Wait!” Zeke called out. “Leave it where it is.”
Red Leaf turned and frowned, his bronze arms glistening in the morning sun. “But is is your turn, white belly,” he teased.
Zeke nodded. “Step away.”
The Indian moved aside, watching Zeke curiously as he pulled out the huge blade. Taking no time to stop and gauge his aim, he tossed the knife. It zipped through the air faster than the eye could watch. There was a cracking sound and a pinging thud, and Red Leafs arrow shaft was suddenly split, still vibrating. The knife hung against the arrowhead, and the force of the throw had literally pushed the arrowhead down slightly when it met the same target.
There were gasps and excited utterings among the Sioux, as Red Leaf and the others moved closer to inspect the target. Zeke’s knife had split right through the shaft.
It was then that several warriors came riding in, three of them dragging carcasses of deer behind them. Several in the village ran to greet them, followed by Red Leaf and the men with him, and for the next few minutes there was general commotion. From what Zeke could catch of the rapid Sioux tongue, there was first talk of a good hunt, then jabber about the new visitor who had split Red Leaf’s arrow with his knife. Moments later a welcome sight greeted Zeke, as his son was now walking toward him. Their arrival had been one of such commotion that Zeke couldn’t even be sure who was among those who had come in.
“Father!” the boy exclaimed. “They told the truth. It is you!”
Zeke’s heart tightened. His son had actually grown more! He was no shorter and just as broad and muscular as his father.Zeke felt as though he was looking at himself, for there was barely any difference except for the lines of age in the father’s face. Wolf’s Blood! How he loved this son. How he had missed him. Memories flashed in Zeke’s mind of a small boy who used to ride with him every morning, racing against the wind, declaring that some day he would be a
“That one is Sweet Grass,” Red Leaf told Zeke with a laugh. “She lose her man when soldiers shoot him down. Since then she sleeps with any Sioux man who needs a woman, as long as he brings her meat. Your own son has been sleeping with that one. He looks happy in the mornings.” They all laughed, and Zeke looked over at the woman again. He grinned to himself. There was no doubt that if Wolf’s Blood had been sleeping with that one, he had learned all he needed to know about women.
Red Leaf ran to a tree roughly twenty yards distant. He whipped out a knife and gouged a small white spot into the trunk, then ran back to where the others stood. Zeke folded his arms and waited while the young man took an arrow from his quiver, which a friend carried for him. “Do you know of anyone who can hit such a small target with his arrow?” Red Leaf asked Zeke.
Zeke shook his head. “There are many who could come close. Even I could come close. But to hit that very spot would be difficult for me with an arrow, but not with my knife. First you must prove you can do it with the arrow.”
Red Leaf grinned and nodded, placing the arrow in his bow and bending the handmade, perfectly balanced bow outward.There was a long, quiet moment while he held the bow steady before releasing the arrow. Then a soft whirring sound was heard as it arched slightly and landed with a thud, its head sitting perfectly in the tiny spot Red Leaf had gouged out as a target.
The man and his friends whooped and cheered and Red Leaf pushed at Zeke. “I like your fine horse!” he laughed. He started to go to the tree to remove his arrow.
“Wait!” Zeke called out. “Leave it where it is.”
Red Leaf turned and frowned, his bronze arms glistening in the morning sun. “But is is your turn, white belly,” he teased.
Zeke nodded. “Step away.”
The Indian moved aside, watching Zeke curiously as he pulled out the huge blade. Taking no time to stop and gauge his aim, he tossed the knife. It zipped through the air faster than the eye could watch. There was a cracking sound and a pinging thud, and Red Leafs arrow shaft was suddenly split, still vibrating. The knife hung against the arrowhead, and the force of the throw had literally pushed the arrowhead down slightly when it met the same target.
There were gasps and excited utterings among the Sioux, as Red Leaf and the others moved closer to inspect the target. Zeke’s knife had split right through the shaft.
It was then that several warriors came riding in, three of them dragging carcasses of deer behind them. Several in the village ran to greet them, followed by Red Leaf and the men with him, and for the next few minutes there was general commotion. From what Zeke could catch of the rapid Sioux tongue, there was first talk of a good hunt, then jabber about the new visitor who had split Red Leaf’s arrow with his knife. Moments later a welcome sight greeted Zeke, as his son was now walking toward him. Their arrival had been one of such commotion that Zeke couldn’t even be sure who was among those who had come in.
“Father!” the boy exclaimed. “They told the truth. It is you!”
Zeke’s heart tightened. His son had actually grown more! He was no shorter and just as broad and muscular as his father.Zeke felt as though he was looking at himself, for there was barely any difference except for the lines of age in the father’s face. Wolf’s Blood! How he loved this son. How he had missed him. Memories flashed in Zeke’s mind of a small boy who used to ride with him every morning, racing against the wind, declaring that some day he would be a
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