Free The Far Side of Lonesome by Rita Hestand Page B

there as though doom had
done settled on her thin shoulders. The other squaws seemed sad to
see her go, and she didn't look none too happy. What was he
supposed to do, march her back to them? The chief would take the
horses back and then what? It was obvious she didn’t want to go
with them and Jeb wished that she had objected.
    He glanced over at her now. She wasn’t
looking at him, but straight ahead and by her expression Jeb wasn’t
sure what might be on her mind. His eyes slid to her Indian
deerskin dress, and how it rode up on her thigh. She seemed totally
unaware of herself. He turned his head away. He didn’t like the
feeling stirring inside him and he fought it down. He had no right
to look at her like that. But for the life of him he couldn’t stop
the feeling. He hadn't been awakened by a woman in
years.
    The woman was in her thirties he’d
guess, she was no child that was for sure. She had light brown hair
that blew like wisps in the wind around her face as her braid began
to loosen. Her eyes were like a summer sky, compelling. She was
thin and long boned. But one look into her face and Jeb knew this
woman had known hard times, lots of hurts and a vague loneliness
that stirred him, as though he recognized that same loneliness. It
gripped him, tore at him, as though her pain had become his. He
shook his head, that was foolish thinking.
    He glimpsed stubborn pride, and a
unspeakable sadness within her. It was the sadness that pulled him
mostly.
    He scratched his chin, and eyed her,
“Ma’am, you do understand us, don’t you?”
    She shot him a sideways glance and her
glorious head of light brown hair swayed to the soft breezes over
her shoulders, “Of course I understand you, I’m white…why wouldn’t
I?”
    “Yes, Ma’am, I realize that. But are
you scared of us? I mean you don't know us, and was forced on us
and well, I reckon I could understand it if you was.”
    “Should I be?” she asked, giving him a
sardonic look. He could tell she wasn’t afraid of anything. Fear
didn’t seem a part of her.
    Maybe he should thank his God for not
having some wailing, or whinny lady on his hands.
    “No ma’am, I don’t think you should be,
but I’d understand if you was. I mean you were forced on us and I
figure you are as shocked as we are.”
    She nodded. “That’s a good word to
describe it…I suppose you realize I didn't want to come with you.
But the chief had made up his mind. Some of my friends didn't want
me to go.”
    “Yes ma'am I figured as much. Now,
ma’am, we got us a problem and I need your help in deciding how to
handle it.”
    She didn’t wince. She stared at him for
a long time, her eyes going up an down him curiously. “Go
on…”
    “Them Shawnee….well…some of them seemed
kinda reluctant to hand you over. And believe me it weren’t our
intention to grab you and the baby there, the baby bein' another
surprise. But on the other hand, me and Hoot as honorable men
couldn’t quite leave ya there, knowin’ you was white…and that you’d
been a captive.” Jeb tried to use all his manners; he generally
hoped he was doing a good job. “We’d planned to trade for horses,
that was all…ours bein’ worn out.”
    She blinked, and then glanced at him,
“Sorry I wasn’t a horse…” She let him go on ahead of her and fell
back then, as though she'd talked enough. Jeb slowed deliberately,
needing to talk to the woman about the situation they were in. He
hoped she didn't take offense.
    "I understand your quandary. You are
black men, and not accustomed to being around a white woman." When
Jeb didn’t say anything for a long time but stayed with her, she
continued, “I've been a captive many years now. The baby is the son
of the chief’s son,” she announced boldly.
    Jeb sighed a little too heavily, and
her head reared proudly. A soft chuckle caught the wind. "Holy
molie," Hoot whispered.
    “And you wouldn’t leave him….” Jeb
finished for her.
    “That’s right, he’s