CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The tall cottonwoods sheltered them from the bright moon overhead as they all three—Red Fox, George and Poka'aki—dismounted and stood close together, speaking to one another in sign.
"They are not a large party, and they are on foot," signed Red Fox.
"We will sneak into the timber where we saw them disappear into and determine where they are camped.
You, George, will take up a place east of their camp.
I will position myself west. Then, you shall fire off a shot and sing the Pikuni war song.
After this, you will pretend to talk to another warrior.
And, you shall answer your own question in a different voice.
Shoot again and again and into their camp, and then silently step toward the south and continue to do the same there.
"I, being in the west, will do the same as you, and, after I have made them believe there are Pikuni warriors to the west of them, as well as to the east, I will go gradually and silently farther to the north of their camp.
There I will do the same as you. If we work this well, I think we might lead them to believe they are completely surrounded by a large Pikuni war party, one set on destroying them.
I think, if we are lucky, they will go back home.
Now, two shots in the air will signal the end to our taunting them, and we will meet there"—he pointed—"on that cliff above their camp and watch to see if they go home. "
George grinned, nodding.
"And, what will I do?" asked Poka'aki in sign.
"You will stay here and ensure no one tries to steal our ponies."
"Stay here?" she signed furiously. "And so, you wish me to have no participation in the fun?"
Red Fox placed a gentle hand upon her face, soothing his fingers over her cheek.
He whispered, "Your voice is too high to pretend you are several warriors speaking to one another.
Do not fear you will miss the fun, since we will be heading into danger as soon as we reach your home.
I do not know what Maximillian will do when I, at last, openly declare his deception to one and all of your family.
Though I have not seen Maxmillian wearing a gun, I also know white men sometimes carry these within their clothing.
"Besides," Red Fox continued, "someone must stay with the horses. We do not wish to lose them. In this, you will aid us."
Poka'aki didn't speak at first, but at last, Red Fox saw a glint of capitulation in her eyes.
"Oh, very well," she signed, "although I think Hunts-with-the-wind could watch the horses as well as I, and I could then add my gunfire with yours, but it would come from another direction.
I wouldn't have to shout or yell out anything. "
Red Fox paused for a moment before he murmured, "Niitá'p, you speak wisely. Wolf could stand watch here, and you could add your firepower to our own."
Poka'aki grinned, and, raising her face up to his, she kissed him soundly on the lips.
He smiled, then signed, murmuring, "I think I would grant you most anything if you would only kiss me again."
She immediately complied and kissed him once more, her kiss long and wet.
Red Fox chuckled softly. How glad he was to see Poka'aki was more than willing to fulfill his wish.
****
"Did you hit the one you shot at?" Speaking in Blackfeet, Red Fox shouted out these words in his natural voice.
Then, in another, deeper tone, he yelled, "I do not know. Come with me into their camp where we can kill them all and count coup."
From the south, where Poka'aki was stationed, came several shots down into the camp, and Red Fox could see several of the enemy were scrambling to take cover.
From his position in the east, George suddenly and in a loud voice began singing the Blackfoot war song, a song well known to all of the Blackfoot enemies. And, from the same spot came one shot, then another.
Red Fox heard George then shout out in Blackfeet, "Hurry, we must rout these Crows from our country. All of you, aim carefully into their camp."
Red Fox took up the song after George had stopped singing it, and when done, answered his own singing, yelling, "áa, we must make them sorry to have ever come into Pikuni country."
Then, becoming quiet, he steadily circled around the enemy, his direction to the north, and, once there, he shot quickly into their camp while George was shooting from the east and Poka'aki from the south.
But, they could not keep doing this for much longer. Dawn was on the horizon, and Red Fox knew he had to hurry to the Fehér homestead. Time was not on his side.
Shouting out in Blackfeet, Red Fox said, "You, Wolf Head, must hurry to camp and bring back many warriors. We will not let these Crows steal any Pikuni horses."
"áa," Red Fox answered in a different, deeper voice. "This I will do. I will bring back many warriors to fight these cowards."
Quickly, then, Red Fox shot twice into the air, the sign for ending their siege of the enemy.
With little sound and great stealth, they each one took position on a high cliff overlooking the enemy, and, huddling together, they discovered this enemy quickly slinking off into the east, obviously returning to their own camp.
They all three grinned at one another.
Said George in sign, "And, now I have no need to return to camp, since the enemy is going home. Let us hurry back to our ponies and ride like the wind to my father's ranch. I feel we have little time."
"I, too, feel this. But, we are close now to your home and should reach the cliffs overlooking the homestead before the sun has climbed to the midpoint in the sky. It is then when I think we must act."
****
As they paused on the cliffs above the Fehér property, the sun was midway to its highest position in the sky, the mid-morning sun bathing the prairie and bluffs in warm, glorious golden sunshine.
Delightful songs of the meadowlarks, the goldfinches, the white-crowned sparrows and several warblers filled the air around them.
Stretched out below them, the green but quickly turning brown flat-bottom land was cleared of all bush except the groves of hardwood and pine trees, which grew up strong alongside the Marias River.
Closer to hand, on a wide cliff jutting out below them, grew a thriving assortment of blue forget-me-nots, as well as blue larkspurs nestled into a patch of grassy green.
Also, present in the same spot were some wild red geraniums, as well as a yellow patch of wild parsley.
With the sun above them giving them warmth and a westerly breeze whisking away their fatigue from their long nightly ride, life felt, at present, pleasing and kind.
But, Red Fox was not to be taken in by the beauty around them.
There, below them, the Fehér ranch housed a snake intent on poisoning those around him with lies and deceit, causing his victims' minds to be slow and sluggish, unaware of the danger.
Using only hand signs for communication, George asked, "What was it you were about to tell me a few weeks ago when we'd had to leave here in such a hurry? Wasn't it something to do with numbers?"
"It was," answered Red Fox in sign. "It was a misplaced dot, as you called it."
"Yes, that's right," replied George, again using only sign. "I remember now. It was about a little dot which could make a ninety-thousand-dollar difference in something. Where did you see it? And, why so much attention did you give it?"
"I do not know what the both of you are talking about," Poka'aki interjected, using only sign.
"Patience, my woman. You will soon know," Red Fox signed.
"The misplaced dot is on a secret paper this man from the East possesses; it is by these written words he hopes to bind your family to his, and to cheat them.
As you know, during my fast several weeks ago, the Creator showed me there was a lie on a paper this Easterner possesses, and He showed me, also, where I would find it on the paper.
This dot was the only difference between the papers you and your father hold and a special document this man from the East has hidden. "
"Why, that scoundrel!" George's hand motions mirrored his rage. "Bankers! How could Frederic have brought that snake into our country?"
"I don't understand," said Poka'aki in sign.
Placing his arm around his woman's shoulders, Red Fox murmured in her ear, "This man you have pledged yourself to marry is a liar, and if he gets away with what he is planning, he would also be a thief.
We are here to prevent your father signing the wrong paper, which would cost your family ninety thousand of the white man's dollars.
When I left here to go home to my people, I stationed my wolf here to inform me of the moment the Black Robe arrived.
The Black Robe has come to your father's home to put his mark of approval upon this paper which contains a lie. Do you understand now?"
"Maybe. A little," she whispered.
Red Fox picked up a rock and drew in the ground:
$100000.00—$10000.000
He then asked with sign, "Do you see the difference?"
"Oh my," whispered Poka'aki. "He really is a snake, isn't he?"
George answered, muttering, "He is, indeed."
"And, you found this error?" Poka'aki asked of Red Fox, using the language of sign only.
"I did, but my eyes were guided by the Creator," answered Red Fox, using the language of sign.
"It took me much time to find it, and even when found, I did not know why the little dot was so important.
It was only when your brother showed me the difference that I came to understand.
My woman, you must not join forces with this man in anything, least of all, marriage.
He is a weak man, a coward and a cheat. He would cause your life much misery, even if you were to not live with him. "
"Amen," said George softly.
And, a little later, Poka'aki echoed, "Amen." Then, after a moment, she asked Red Fox with sign, “Do you have a plan?”