Free Miss Annie And The Chief by Joany Kane Page A

don't mourn.   I need a
favor.   Chato is late in picking me
up and I need to get to the fort.”
    “Sure
thing.”   The marshal offers.   He stands and escorts Annie outside, preparing
to give her a ride to the fort.
    “It just so
happens the Rush brothers, minus one, got a posse up this morning and headed
out in search of Chato,” the marshal tells Annie.
    Annie feigns
ignorance. “Why Chato?”
    “They think he
killed Glen over one of the double breasted mattress thrashers.”
    Annie is
insulted by this reference.   “Excuse me?”
    “I'm sure Chato
had his reasons.   It's a shame he
didn't take out the other two brothers,” the marshal adds.
    “Perhaps Jim
Ringo had his reasons, too.”   Annie
points out.
    *****
    The Rush
brothers ride hard through the Colorado wilderness with their posse. They
search high and low for Chato and Clara.   The posse comes across two teenage Arapaho Indians on horseback.   The Rush brothers don't care that the
Indians aren't Chato.   They shoot
the two defenseless teenagers and then ride off.
    At Fort Mills…
    A long table is
set up outside the main building.   The signing of the treaty is given full pomp and circumstance.   Chief Red Hawk sits across from the
commissioners. Mark is nearby.
    The marshal's
wagon arrives.   The commissioners
and Chief Red Hawk notice the arrival.   Mark hurries over to the wagon and helps Annie down.   He is relieved to see her.   “I was just about to come and find
you.”  
    “Something's
happened with Chato.”   Annie tells
Mark.
    “We can't deal
with him now.”   Mark says as he
escorts Annie over to the table to join the proceedings.  
    Chief Red Hawk
looks comforted to see Annie and shares a smile with her. “I am now ready to
begin the negotiating,”   the chief
tells the commissioners.
    “There will be
no negotiating, Chief Red Hawk.”   Mr. Murphy declares. “The Great White Father in Washington has a new
treaty that needs to be signed.”
    Red Hawk looks
at Annie.   She looks devastated by
this news.
    “Mr. Steele will
read the treaty to you.”   Mr.
Murphy informs the chief.
    Commissioner
Steele begins to read the treaty.   “From this day forward peace between the parties to this treaty should
forever continue. The government of the United States desires peace, and its
honor is hereby pledged to keep it.”
      At the same time out in the Colorado
wilderness…
    One of the
Arapaho teenagers isn't quite dead and manages to get back on his horse and
ride away, carrying his dead brother.   The fatally wounded Arapaho meets up with several warriors.    He tells the warriors the white
men killed his brother for no reason.   Then he dies.   This news
sets off the Indian warriors. The Indian warriors go off in search of the white
men.
    At Fort Mills…
    Mr. Steele
continues to read the treaty. "The Indians desire peace, and they hereby
pledge their honor to maintain it. If bad men among the whites, or among other
people subject to the authority of the United States, shall commit any wrong
upon the person or property of the Indians, the United States will proceed at
once to cause the offender to be arrested and punished according to the laws of
the United States.”
    At the same time
out in the Colorado wilderness…
    The warriors
ride hard through the countryside.   Fueled with anger, they want to avenge the two teenage brothers
wrongfully murdered. The warriors come upon a small contingent of
cavalrymen.   The warriors open fire
on the cavalrymen.    One of
the cavalrymen that gets killed is Captain Taylor.   Two of the cavalrymen manage to escape and head for the fort.
    At Fort Mills...
    Mr. Steele
continues reading the treaty.   “The
Arapaho Indians, parties to this treaty, hereby agree to accept for their
permanent home the land between Rattlesnakes Buttes and the Arkansas River.”
    Red Hawk stands
up.   He is enraged.   “That is less than half of the land we
have now. You cannot