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Authors: Steve Hayes
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diminished enough for the Pale Eyes to entrust the dying boy’s life in the hands of the Sacred One.
He continued to speak for several more minutes. Then, when he was finished, he nodded to Runs With Head Up, who handed Joey over to Sven. Thanking Almighty Sky, and the Sacred One, Sven gently set the boy next to his sister in the wagon. Violet quickly wrapped a blanket around her brother and cuddled him against her. Tears of joy ran down her face as she began to comfort him.
It was time to leave.
The Apaches slowly dispersed and returned to their wickiups.
Lawless untied the reins from the wagon brake. As he waited for Sven to mount up, Lawless looked across the creek at the sacred white wickiup. Just before dawn he and Violet had wanted to thank Lolotea and tell her how grateful they were, but Almighty Sky had forbidden it. The Sacred One was with the Great Spirit, he said, and could not speak to anyone.
Disappointed, Violet asked Sven if he could change the old shaman’s mind. The big Norwegian shook his head. In order to attain such an exalted level of holiness, Lolotea had to put herself in a deep trance that sometimes lasted for days. So she would not have been able to speak to them even if Almighty Sky had permitted it.
Now, as Lawless looked down from the wagon box, he saw Almighty Sky watching him from nearby. Lawless nodded respectfully, said, ‘I ever ride this way again, Old One, I will bring you much coffee and tobacco.’
‘Such kindness would make this old man happy,’ Almighty Sky said. ‘But you should know it is not meant to be.’
‘Who told you that?’
‘A blue owl came to me in the night and whispered we shall not stand before each other again.’
‘This owl,’ said Lawless, ‘did he say why?’
Almighty Sky shook his head.
Having heard the shaman could predict the future, Lawless probed the Apache’s dark eyes. He saw nothing in them to say Almighty Sky was lying yet he sensed the old man was hiding something, something that pertained to Lawless. Wondering what it was, and why the shaman wouldn’t tell him, Lawless slapped the reins on the rumps of the horses.
The wagon rolled ahead. Behind him, Lawless heard Violet happily telling Joey that they were going home. He didn’t hear her brother’s weak reply but after all the boy had been through, Lawless could easily imagine how relieved Joey must be feeling.
The wagon hit a rut, jolting everyone. As Lawless shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position on the box-seat, he tried to ignore the nagging premonition that kept warning him he was riding into trouble.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
It was mid-morning when they arrived at the Morgans’ spread. The sky had turned dark and thunderheads were gathering over the distant mountains. Ahead, the ranch house looked bleak and desolate on the horizon. As they got closer, lightning flashed over the hills to the west followed by the rumble of thunder.
Violet looked uneasily at the cattle and Clydesdales grazing on the scrubland. ‘Will you stay and look after Joey,’ she asked Lawless, ‘while I try to track down the men? If our livestock gets spooked by the storm, they could blow wild and bust right on through the wire. Could take days to round them all up.’
‘Be happy to,’ Lawless said.
‘I’ll ride with you,’ Sven told Violet. ‘I don’t have enough livestock to worry about stampeding.’
‘What about your wife?’ Lawless said, surprised that he evenremembered Ingrid let alone felt concerned for her.
‘She’ll be fine. Storms don’t bother her, or Raven for that matter. Like everything else in life they pretty much adapt and ride things out.’ He chuckled ruefully. ‘I swear, if anything happened to me, the two of them would not only survive, they’d lick the ranch into better shape than it is right now.’
‘Maybe so. But the desert’s no place for a woman and child to be alone. Especially close to the border like you folks are. Never know when bandidos
He continued to speak for several more minutes. Then, when he was finished, he nodded to Runs With Head Up, who handed Joey over to Sven. Thanking Almighty Sky, and the Sacred One, Sven gently set the boy next to his sister in the wagon. Violet quickly wrapped a blanket around her brother and cuddled him against her. Tears of joy ran down her face as she began to comfort him.
It was time to leave.
The Apaches slowly dispersed and returned to their wickiups.
Lawless untied the reins from the wagon brake. As he waited for Sven to mount up, Lawless looked across the creek at the sacred white wickiup. Just before dawn he and Violet had wanted to thank Lolotea and tell her how grateful they were, but Almighty Sky had forbidden it. The Sacred One was with the Great Spirit, he said, and could not speak to anyone.
Disappointed, Violet asked Sven if he could change the old shaman’s mind. The big Norwegian shook his head. In order to attain such an exalted level of holiness, Lolotea had to put herself in a deep trance that sometimes lasted for days. So she would not have been able to speak to them even if Almighty Sky had permitted it.
Now, as Lawless looked down from the wagon box, he saw Almighty Sky watching him from nearby. Lawless nodded respectfully, said, ‘I ever ride this way again, Old One, I will bring you much coffee and tobacco.’
‘Such kindness would make this old man happy,’ Almighty Sky said. ‘But you should know it is not meant to be.’
‘Who told you that?’
‘A blue owl came to me in the night and whispered we shall not stand before each other again.’
‘This owl,’ said Lawless, ‘did he say why?’
Almighty Sky shook his head.
Having heard the shaman could predict the future, Lawless probed the Apache’s dark eyes. He saw nothing in them to say Almighty Sky was lying yet he sensed the old man was hiding something, something that pertained to Lawless. Wondering what it was, and why the shaman wouldn’t tell him, Lawless slapped the reins on the rumps of the horses.
The wagon rolled ahead. Behind him, Lawless heard Violet happily telling Joey that they were going home. He didn’t hear her brother’s weak reply but after all the boy had been through, Lawless could easily imagine how relieved Joey must be feeling.
The wagon hit a rut, jolting everyone. As Lawless shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position on the box-seat, he tried to ignore the nagging premonition that kept warning him he was riding into trouble.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
It was mid-morning when they arrived at the Morgans’ spread. The sky had turned dark and thunderheads were gathering over the distant mountains. Ahead, the ranch house looked bleak and desolate on the horizon. As they got closer, lightning flashed over the hills to the west followed by the rumble of thunder.
Violet looked uneasily at the cattle and Clydesdales grazing on the scrubland. ‘Will you stay and look after Joey,’ she asked Lawless, ‘while I try to track down the men? If our livestock gets spooked by the storm, they could blow wild and bust right on through the wire. Could take days to round them all up.’
‘Be happy to,’ Lawless said.
‘I’ll ride with you,’ Sven told Violet. ‘I don’t have enough livestock to worry about stampeding.’
‘What about your wife?’ Lawless said, surprised that he evenremembered Ingrid let alone felt concerned for her.
‘She’ll be fine. Storms don’t bother her, or Raven for that matter. Like everything else in life they pretty much adapt and ride things out.’ He chuckled ruefully. ‘I swear, if anything happened to me, the two of them would not only survive, they’d lick the ranch into better shape than it is right now.’
‘Maybe so. But the desert’s no place for a woman and child to be alone. Especially close to the border like you folks are. Never know when bandidos
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