Free Chieftain (Historical Romance) by Nan Ryan Page A

gone out and helped tend the sick when called on, sometimes in the middle of the night. No harm has ever come to me.”
    “I know, but that handsome Comanche chief…”
    “Will be nowhere near the cottage. He isn’t moving in for another couple of days.”
    “I guess you’ll be okay,” Katie finally conceded. Then asked hopefully, “Will you stay with me for a little while?”
    “I’ll stay right here until you’re feeling better.”
    “You’re a good friend, Maggie.”
    “As are you.” Maggie smiled then and added, “And if you promise to tell no one, and I do mean no one, I have a juicy secret to share with you.”
    “Tell me,” said Katie, her upset stomach temporarily forgotten, her eyes growing round with interest.
    Colonel Harkinscame to his feet when Shanaco, dressed as a white man, and Double Jimmy walked into his office at shortly after two o’clock.
    “Thank you so much for coming this afternoon, Chief Shanaco,” Harkins said, leaning across the desk and firmly shaking Shanaco’s hand. “I don’t believe you’ve met Major Miles Courteen,” he said, indicating a frail-looking, impeccably groomed man with iron-gray hair and warm brown eyes. Slapping Courteen’s shoulder, Colonel Harkins explained, “The damned Bureau of Indian Affairs keeps Double Jimmy and me away from the fort so much of the time I’ve come to rely heavily on Major Courteen.”
    “A pleasure to meet you, sir.” Shanaco was polite to the slender, courtly officer.
    “Chief Shanaco,” said Major Courteen with a friendly shake of his head.
    “Double Jimmy, always good to see you,” said Harkins.
    “Thank you, Colonel,” Double Jimmy replied. “Major Courteen,” he said, acknowledging the soft-spoken southerner for whom he had great respect.
    “Shall we all sit down?” said Colonel Harkins. “We’ve a lot to talk about.”
    When Shanaco, Double Jimmy and Courteen were seated, Colonel Harkins dropped back down into his chair and the meeting began.
    “Chief, I’m aware that you are a young man of much influence with your People,” said Colonel Harkins. “I’m grateful that you were able to impress upon them the necessity of coming in to Fort Sill.”
    Shanacoquickly corrected him. “I had nothing to do with it, Colonel. My grandfather, Chief Gray Wolf, was entirely responsible.”
    “Yes, of course. Sorry to hear of Gray Wolf’s passing,” said Harkins. “You know your grandfather was the last holdout of all the signatory chiefs and—”
    “I know that, sir,” Shanaco cut in.
    Colonel Harkins smiled. “Look at it this way, Chief Shanaco, you can consider yourself civilization’s advance guard opening the way for generations of—”
    “Colonel, I’ve no intention of staying at Fort Sill,” Shanaco again interrupted. “It was only out of respect for my grandfather that I led the People onto the reservation. As I have told Double Jimmy, I do not intend to remain.”
    Again Colonel Harkins smiled. “I hope we can change your mind about leaving. We need you here, Shanaco. For the time being, I am eager to hear what your thoughts are on how to make this transition as painless as possible for your People. Major Courteen and I sincerely want to do what’s best for them, I hope you know that.”
    Shanaco leaned back in his chair and laced lean fingers over his waist. “The first thing you have to do is allow the People to keep at least a portion of their horse herd. If you know anything about the Comanche, you know that their horses are everything to them. You cannot expect proud young men who are some of the best horsemen on the plains to give up their mounts.”
    Colonel Harkinsnodded thoughtfully but said, “I understand that, and I will return the horses to them if in turn you will give me your guarantee that the mounted braves won’t be riding away from the fort, crossing the river into Texas.”
    “No,” Shanaco said flatly. “I can give you no such guarantee. I can guarantee that if you do