Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
The Native American has been generally despised by his white conquerors for his poverty and simplicity.
They forget, perhaps, that his religion forbade the accumulation of wealth and the enjoyment of luxury…
Thus he kept his spirit free from the clog of pride, cupidity, or envy, and carried out, as he believed, the divine decree—a matter profoundly important to him.
— CHARLES A. EASTMAN, THE SOUL OF THE INDIAN
While it was a fact that a white man and an Indian might converse in private, it was not a common sight to see a white woman doing so.
Angelia supposed this was why there were a few startled looks directed toward her.
Indeed, it seemed to her as though a mere scowl might contain material weight, so heavy did these feel upon the back of her head.
Angelia chose to ignore the looks, the stares, as well as the people who gave them. For truth be known, she needed Swift Hawk. She needed his help, his advice, his cooperation, and she needed it now. That is, she required it if she were to ensure her own and Julian’s safety.
Besides, she was perfectly within her rights. It was not as if she were meeting with Swift Hawk privately. Julian was here too.
Strolling a few hundred yards from the scene of the dance, the three of them came to a small wooded area bordering a stream.
Letting go of both men’s arms, Angelia began, “Let us speak to one another plainly, here where no one else can hear us.”
“I can’t, Angel. There’s a meeting I need to—”
“Yes, yes, but a moment, please. Let me say my piece.”
Julian sighed but remained silent.
“Mr. Hawk…” Gazing toward Swift Hawk, Angelia caught her breath.
The moon, which was almost full, was shining down on the man in such a way as to make him look…
handsome. Incredibly handsome, and… She coughed.
“Since you already grasp that my brother knows only as much about scouting as he has learned from this book written by Mr. Bogart, I am wondering…” She hesitated, then cleared her throat.
“I am wondering if you might teach him some skills. Perhaps take him with you, show him what he should know, maybe cover up for him if he makes mistakes, and in exchange I—”
“Angel!”
“Please, hush. Let me finish.”
Julian groaned, but again he remained silent.
Angelia resumed her entreaty. “Mr. Hawk, you know already that my brother and I are in trouble, and that we are running away from the authorities, who are offering a rather large reward for our capture—”
“Have you lost your mind?” Julian spouted. In a more whispered tone, he asked, “Why are you telling this man these things?”
Angelia shrugged. “He already knows about it. Remember? He heard us talking.”
“Oh.” Julian frowned. “Right.”
“Therefore,” she addressed Swift Hawk, “it is important to my brother and myself that we reach Santa Fe as quickly as we can, because, you see, Santa Fe is out of the jurisdiction of the United States. We will not be easily caught there.”
Angelia bestowed Swift Hawk with another sweeping glance, but whatever his thoughts were on the matter, he held them to himself.
Resigning herself to the task at hand, she voiced, “I admit at first I was surprised by Julian signing on to the job of scouting. However, the more I considered it, the more I began to see that perhaps it might be a blessing, for as Julian had reckoned it might, it will allow us to travel to Santa Fe without recognition. That is, it will if I can enlist your aid to help him. Without that aid, I am afraid that within the passing of a few days, Jules will be quickly discovered.”
“Don’t say any more. I—”
Casting her brother a frown, Angelia held up her hand.
Brows drawn together, Swift Hawk drew his arms over his chest. “Why do you ask this of me?”
“Because,” she said, “I cannot take my plea to Colonel Davenport, nor to any other person here, scout or soldier. Colonel Davenport would feel it his duty to turn us in, and I am afraid, quite frankly, to trust any other man—or woman—at this fort. A reward of five thousand dollars for our capture would be too much for a person to resist.”
Swift Hawk scowled. “But you feel that I would resist this?”
“You have already told me as much. Do you not remember telling me that you would not carry tales to Colonel Davenport? That your sense of honor would not allow it?”
Swift Hawk didn’t respond to the question. Instead, he seemed to draw inward. For her own part, Angelia didn’t dare break the silence, either, though she held her breath waiting for his answer.
At last, hardly able to bear the oppressive quiet any longer, she said, “I would not ask this of you if I weren’t prepared to exchange something with you.”
His gaze bored into hers. “And what have you to give me?”
She bit her lip. She didn’t have much to offer. Even she knew it was so. Perhaps Julian might?
Glancing toward her brother, Angelia realized she was in trouble.
The only thing she could discern about Julian was his agitation as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, as though he couldn’t wait to be gone.
To add to the impression, Julian kept staring at the dancers off in the distance.
Clearly his attention was not centered on this conversation, and if anything, he was here in body alone.
That left her to fend off the question, and the only thing she could give to Swift Hawk was…
“Knowledge,” she said.
“Knowledge?”
She nodded. “Yes, knowledge. Of the white man. Of the way he thinks, his schools, what he teaches. For instance, do you even know how to do this dance that they are doing?”
Swift Hawk frowned.
“I could teach you.”
“I have no need of the white man’s dance.”
“Then you’ll be missing out on a great deal of fun.”
“Fun? I have no need of the white man’s idea of fun, either.”
“I see.” Angelia could feel her face fall, but it was not within her to give up so easily. “You seem unusually critical of the white man, Mr. Hawk. Are you, perhaps, a spy?”
“Some of my people believe there is much about the white man to be critical of, and I am no spy.”
“But the folks here suspect most Indians, and most believe that the Indians are here only to spy. Besides, if you were such a person, you would hardly tell me, would you?”
The question went unanswered, and when he didn’t appear to have anything else to say on the matter, Angelia decided to take another tack.
“There is a great deal more I could teach you. It might be worth your while to learn as much about the white man as you can, since he is moving into your territory farther and farther west with each passing year…and…”
Angelia stopped short. The man looked more like a boulder at the moment than flesh and blood. And he said, “I know as much about the white man as I care to know. I have learned much about this already from William Bent, who is a trader at Bent’s Fort.”
“Yes,” said Angelia. “I see that he has taught you English very well. But has he shown you how to add and subtract a column of figures, so that you can tell if a white man or a trader is cheating you?”
Swift Hawk raised an eyebrow.
Angelia pressed her point. “These are the very things that could save your people from despair. Truly, it could free them.”
“These things could save my people?”
“They might.”
“Tell me how this could be.”
It was the one question Angelia was prepared to answer, since she had already put some thought into the subject, and leaning in close to him, she consciously shifted her weight, while her upper body swayed toward him.
“By showing you how to read and the basics of simple arithmetic, I can teach you to understand the white man’s culture so that your people are not entrapped by it. ”
Swift Hawk had backed away from her an inch or two. “How will this help me to free my people?”
“By bringing them understanding. And with understanding, ignorance departs. By knowing all you can about the white man and his ways, you would set your people free from misunderstandings so that they would survive the onslaught of the incoming culture…for it is coming.”
Swift Hawk didn’t answer. Indeed, he was silent for such a long time, Angelia was concerned that she had lost her cause. At last he said, “I will think on it. And I will give you my answer soon.”
“But—”
“That is all I will say at this time and in this place.”
“Oh, I see.” She tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “Well, then, please do let me know your answer as quickly as possible.”
“I will.”
“Well, that’s that, then, is it?” Julian spoke up from the shadows. “I must say I am relieved to know I might have your help, Mr. Hawk. And if I might add to my sister’s cause, I will help her with your tutoring as much as possible.”
Again, Swift Hawk raised an eyebrow. “Will you?”
“I certainly will.” Julian extended his hand toward Swift Hawk, who stared at that hand before clasping it in his own. “Now, if you two will excuse me…”
“Julian!”
Julian clamped down hard on his heels and turned to his sister. “The wagon master is having a conference. I can see it from here. I need to be there.”
“But you can’t leave me alone with—”
However, her protest was useless. Her brother had already turned and was walking away even as the words left her lips.
Angelia glanced toward Julian, then back toward Swift Hawk. Shyly, she smiled. “Please forgive my brother’s manners. But as you can see, he is quite anxious to learn about scouting.”
“Haa’he. That he is,” said Swift Hawk, who, although he held fast to where he stood, was drawing back away from her…perhaps spiritually.
Angelia cleared her throat. “It is embarrassing, isn’t it?”
“Embarrassing?”
“To be left alone, as we are, here in the dark with only the moon above us for our light.”
Swift Hawk didn’t say a word. Perhaps it was this that allowed the music from the dancing to drift toward them. Even the wind carried the tune.