head and began to pray.
Chapter Six
I could not believe my ears as Jenny Lee McCall poured out her story in a flood of words and tears. There had been a fight. Hawk had killed a man. Victoria had miscarried. Hawk was in jail.
I glanced at Shadow, too stunned to speak.
Shadow did not waste time asking questions. He thanked Jenny Lee for coming, escorted her to the door, and reached for his buckskin jacket.
“Let us go,” he said. Handing me my bonnet, he took me by the arm and propelled me out of the house.
Moments later we were headed for town.
Sheriff Bill Lancaster was reluctant to let us see Hawk, but one look at Shadow’s face stifled the lawman’s objections and he let us into the cellblock after first making sure that Shadow was not concealing a weapon.
Hawk’s face lit up when he first saw us, and then his expression turned to one of shame.
“Are you all right?” I asked anxiously. His face was swollen, his mouth cut, his nose bloody. I made a mental note to insist that he be allowed to clean up.
“I am all right,” Hawk answered.
“What happened?” Shadow asked.
Hawk let out a long breath and then told his story, how the stranger had accosted Vickie and put his hands on her, refusing to let her go. A fight had ensued, the man had reached for his gun, and Hawk had stabbed him.
I went cold all over as Hawk finished his story. We had many friends in Bear Valley. The Indian wars had been over for years. And yet I knew there were many people who would believe that Hawk was guilty of killing the man in cold blood simply because he was part Indian.
“I killed him in self-defense,” Hawk said, his eyes pleading with us to believe him. “But the sheriff does not believe me. He said he saw the whole fight and that I killed the stranger in cold blood.”
“I believe you,” Shadow said. “Do not worry.”
“Have you seen Vickie?” Hawk asked anxiously. “Is she all right?”
“We haven’t seen her yet,” I replied. “We wanted to see you first. Don’t worry about Victoria. We’ll take her home and care for her if Lydia doesn’t feel she can handle it.”
Hawk nodded, and then he looked at Shadow. “I am going crazy in here, neyho ,” he said, quiet desperation in his voice.
Shadow nodded, his dark eyes filling with compassion and understanding.
Hawk gripped the bars in both hands, his knuckles going white. “I would rather be dead than have to stay in prison.”
Shadow nodded again. “Do not worry, naha . I will not let that happen.”
Hope flared in Hawk’s eyes, and then he let out a long sigh. “Tell Vickie I am sorry for what happened. Tell her I love her.”
“I will tell her,” Shadow said. “We will stop by again before we go home.”
Outside, we walked hand in hand toward the doctor’s office. I glanced at Shadow, started to speak, and then changed my mind.
“What is it, Hannah?” Shadow asked.
“You told Hawk not to worry, that you wouldn’t let him stay in jail.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t mean to try and break him out, do you?”
Shadow did not answer for a long moment, and then he said, “Our people die if they are confined in prison for a long time. We were not meant to live inside four walls, but to live wild and free. It is better for a warrior to be dead than in prison. I will not let Hawk die a little bit each day.”
“Shadow…”
“I have been in prison, Hannah,” he said, his voice bitter with the memory. “I will not let that happen to Hawk. We will wait and see what kind of justice the white man has for an Indian.”
“And if a jury finds Hawk guilty?”
“Then I will do what must be done.”
I didn’t argue. I knew that Shadow would do what he had to do, and nothing I could say would stop him. Jenny Lee had said there were many people on the street who had seen the fight between Hawk and the stranger. Surely someone had seen Lyman Carter reach for his gun. Surely that someone would come forward at the trial, if not
Chapter Six
I could not believe my ears as Jenny Lee McCall poured out her story in a flood of words and tears. There had been a fight. Hawk had killed a man. Victoria had miscarried. Hawk was in jail.
I glanced at Shadow, too stunned to speak.
Shadow did not waste time asking questions. He thanked Jenny Lee for coming, escorted her to the door, and reached for his buckskin jacket.
“Let us go,” he said. Handing me my bonnet, he took me by the arm and propelled me out of the house.
Moments later we were headed for town.
Sheriff Bill Lancaster was reluctant to let us see Hawk, but one look at Shadow’s face stifled the lawman’s objections and he let us into the cellblock after first making sure that Shadow was not concealing a weapon.
Hawk’s face lit up when he first saw us, and then his expression turned to one of shame.
“Are you all right?” I asked anxiously. His face was swollen, his mouth cut, his nose bloody. I made a mental note to insist that he be allowed to clean up.
“I am all right,” Hawk answered.
“What happened?” Shadow asked.
Hawk let out a long breath and then told his story, how the stranger had accosted Vickie and put his hands on her, refusing to let her go. A fight had ensued, the man had reached for his gun, and Hawk had stabbed him.
I went cold all over as Hawk finished his story. We had many friends in Bear Valley. The Indian wars had been over for years. And yet I knew there were many people who would believe that Hawk was guilty of killing the man in cold blood simply because he was part Indian.
“I killed him in self-defense,” Hawk said, his eyes pleading with us to believe him. “But the sheriff does not believe me. He said he saw the whole fight and that I killed the stranger in cold blood.”
“I believe you,” Shadow said. “Do not worry.”
“Have you seen Vickie?” Hawk asked anxiously. “Is she all right?”
“We haven’t seen her yet,” I replied. “We wanted to see you first. Don’t worry about Victoria. We’ll take her home and care for her if Lydia doesn’t feel she can handle it.”
Hawk nodded, and then he looked at Shadow. “I am going crazy in here, neyho ,” he said, quiet desperation in his voice.
Shadow nodded, his dark eyes filling with compassion and understanding.
Hawk gripped the bars in both hands, his knuckles going white. “I would rather be dead than have to stay in prison.”
Shadow nodded again. “Do not worry, naha . I will not let that happen.”
Hope flared in Hawk’s eyes, and then he let out a long sigh. “Tell Vickie I am sorry for what happened. Tell her I love her.”
“I will tell her,” Shadow said. “We will stop by again before we go home.”
Outside, we walked hand in hand toward the doctor’s office. I glanced at Shadow, started to speak, and then changed my mind.
“What is it, Hannah?” Shadow asked.
“You told Hawk not to worry, that you wouldn’t let him stay in jail.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t mean to try and break him out, do you?”
Shadow did not answer for a long moment, and then he said, “Our people die if they are confined in prison for a long time. We were not meant to live inside four walls, but to live wild and free. It is better for a warrior to be dead than in prison. I will not let Hawk die a little bit each day.”
“Shadow…”
“I have been in prison, Hannah,” he said, his voice bitter with the memory. “I will not let that happen to Hawk. We will wait and see what kind of justice the white man has for an Indian.”
“And if a jury finds Hawk guilty?”
“Then I will do what must be done.”
I didn’t argue. I knew that Shadow would do what he had to do, and nothing I could say would stop him. Jenny Lee had said there were many people on the street who had seen the fight between Hawk and the stranger. Surely someone had seen Lyman Carter reach for his gun. Surely that someone would come forward at the trial, if not
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