The locomotive puffed for the last time, and train slowly stopped. The pretty young lady jumped from the train first and looked across the platform for her family. Noticing them, she waved her hands and shouted: "Ma! Matthew! Brian!"
"Katie, sweetheart!" Michaela embraced her youngest daughter. ''How nice to see you at home! How were your exams?'
''Fine. Next year I'll be a teacher, can you imagine?" She suddenly stopped, looking around the station as if it was her future class and said aloud: ''Hello, Children! I'm your new teacher, my name is Miss Katherine Sully, I hope, we will become good friends."
''You have to add something!" Brian teased, "I can speak Cheyenne and sign language, ride without a saddle and throw a tomahawk! And they would obey you without a word.'
Katie mockingly tried to kick her brother. ''Hey, stop it!" Michaela told them, ''You're not kids."
''And after all she's going to be a teacher!" Brian continued, ''I'm really sorry for the parents of those kids."
''Well, if we'll try to recall your school years, sister …" added Matthew.
''I was so scared every time, when Mrs. Slicker stopped me on the street with the words : 'Doctor Mike, I have to talk with you about something…' "
Katie blushed ''I was just a kid …" She still looked around searching for someone, and finally asked "Where is Pa?"
Michaela sighed: ''Perhaps, he will be home next week.
''Next week?!" Katie looked very disappointed, ''But what about Christmas? He always tried to be here at Christmas…"
''He must accompany some writer from Yellowstone to Black Hills, and some other places. The Interior Department asked him, and he couldn't say 'no'."
''Why?"
''Cloud Dancing told him so. He insisted that it must be Sully who shows the Black Hills to this gentleman." "Pa's the only white man who respects this sacred place." Brian added.
''But I've invited my friend, John… you remember, I've told you about him in my letters." Katie said quietly, ''I was going to introduce him to my family."
''He could meet Sully next time." Michaela told her.
''I have no time!" Katie exclaimed, ''He proposed to me…"
''And you?"
''And I told him 'yes'!" Katie declared, looking at her mother with a challenge, ''But we want the wedding here."
''Well," Michaela was very puzzled, but tried not to show it, ''if you're so sure…But I think you have no reason to hurry. You've only known this gentleman just about five months …"
''That's enough for me," Katie said stubbornly. ''But I have something to tell Pa…"
Michaela suddenly felt a kind of jealousy. This was the usual feeling for her for the years of Katie's childhood, and she couldn't help it. Certainly, her daughter loved her with all her heart, but she always was a "daddy's girl," and preferred to share her secrets with Sully.
''I don't want to offend you, Ma," Katie tried to explain ''I'm not going to hide anything from you. This is because my fiancé is an Indian. He was born on a reservation, but brought up with his adoptive father, who was white. He was a physician, like you." From Michaela's facial expression, Katie became aware she was not very happy to hear this. ''Ma, you don't like that he's an Indian?"
''No, of course not. I'm just thinking you need to know this gentleman better before getting married."
Katie gave her another stubborn look, but said nothing. If Pa was here, he would understand me better, she thought.
About a half a year ago the lady who owned the boardinghouse, where Katie lived in Denver, offerred her a job- to give lessons to her cousin's son. Katie didn't need the extra money, but she thought it would be a good way to practice her teaching, so she immediately agreed. This was the day she met the young gentleman for the first time.
She walked upstairs, to her pupil's apartment, and he walked downstairs. The young gentleman gazed at her, then suddenly asked: ''Good morning, are you Jeremy's new teacher?"
''Yes, I am." she answered.
''So am I. I teach him mathematics. We're kind of colleagues, I think." He smiled and added, ''I need to warn you, it won't be easy to teach this boy."
''Never mind," Katie courageously answered, ''I have two brothers myself."
By the light of the lamp she looked at him more attentively. He was a tall and handsome man, about 25, with dark brown eyes and black hair; he was dressed in an ordinary suit, but something about him looked very familiar to her, but she didn't recognize it at first. Then she understood: the upper button of his shirt was untied, and there was a small Indian necklace around his neck, almost invisible under his shirt.
This unusual necklace forced Katie to take an interest in her new colleague. Noticing her look, he blushed a little and said apologetically: ''I hate ties!"
''Just like my Pa!" Katie informed him gladly.
He smiled: ''I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm John McMillan."
''Nice to meet you…I'm Katherine Sully."
''Perhaps, I've heard about your father!" John exclaimed, ''Is he Mr. Byron Sully who works for the Interior Department, and created the Rocky Mountain National Park?"
''Yes!" Katie answered. It always pleased her very much, if anyone had heard about her father, so this gentleman became even more attractive for her.
''I would be very proud if I ever got the chance to meet him!" John said, ''I've also heard that he was an Indian Agent before that."
''Yes. But how did you know this?" Katie wondered.
''From my father. He was a physician on the East-Fork Reservation. He told me that the superintendent fired him, because he really took care of the people…They tried to fire my father, as well -but they couldn't, because he was the only physician who agreed to work there."
He paused, then added, ''He's my adoptive father. I don't remember my biological parents, the only one thing I know about them is that they belonged to the Southern Cheyenne." He touched his necklace and said "This is the only thing I have from my real family. I had lived with two or three adoptive families - Indian families, until Mr. McMillan adopted me. He was infected by the smallpox during the epidemic and died eight years ago. Then I decided to be a doctor, like him. I'll graduate college next year."
"Mr. McMillan," Katie began, but he told her:
"Please, call me John. I was named after my father. It's a pity that I don't remember my Indian name. I can speak Cheyenne, but I can't remember my early life on the reservation clearly…Father was going to tell me more about my people, but he died before he had the chance…" He sighed… "Shall I introduce our pupil to you, Miss Sully?"
"Sure…but please, call me Katie. You can practice Cheyenne with me, if you want -" she added, "-my father taught me…"
"I'd be glad to," he answered, looking at her with some wonder.
They met very often from then on - at first, with their pupil, then they both found that they had a lot of things to talk about, and became good friends. A few months later, Katherine Sully and John McMillan became aware that their relationship was something more than just a friendship…When John invited her to the picnic, they kissed for the first time, and next month he proposed to her, and she said "yes."
Visiting Colorado Springs, Katie decided not just to introduce him to her family and invite him for Christmas. She hoped to persuade her parents and the Reverend to perform the wedding ceremony during the Christmas vacation. They both thought they couldn't live without each other, and didn't see any sense in waiting.
Sully looked at his companion with anguish. This man irritated him more and more every minute.
Gordon Fiedler, the writer and journalist, was the kind of person who only enjoyed hearing himself talk, and couldn't care less about what others had to say. Anyway, Sully wasn't interested in any conversation with him. Instead of celebrating Christmas with his own family, he was forced to spend time with this blabbermouth. This was the worst possible time to leave, and that was not only because of Christmas. He had argued with Michaela right before he left, and she was still angry at him.
Eleven years ago Chief Dull Knife entrusted him with the Cheyenne baby and asked him to take care of the child and tell him about the people he belongs to. He gave the baby the name Lives Free… Now Lives Free was 11, and he was known in Colorado Springs as Josef Sully and wasn't aware he was an adopted child.
That was the reason that Michaela and Sully had argued.
''I 've packed you some food," Michaela said, giving him a bundle. ''And here is some medicine. I hope you don't need it, but it's here just in case."
''Thank you." Sully took the packs and kissed her cheek. ''I'm sorry for being away at Christmas..."
''That's your job." Michaela sighed gravely. ''The children will be dissapointed, especially Joe."
''Michaela," he suddenly asked, ''when are we finally gonna tell him?"
''I think it can wait," she declared.
''We've already waited more than 10 years…after all , I gave them my word, remember?"
''You already told him a lot about the Cheyenne." Michaela objected.
''It was just like a tale for him. It must be here!" He put his palm against the heart, "He needs to feel himself as a part of Cheyenne people…"
''So you'd rather tell him that we're not his Ma and Pa, but some strangers, who just raised him up?"
''We're not 'strangers' to him, any more than we are to Matthew, Colleen and Brian. Anyway, he'll find out the truth someday, from some townsfolk - I think we'd better tell him before that."
''Sully," Michaela said, trying to fight back her irritation, "Why we can't discuss this later, when you come back? I promise to think about it while you're away."
''Good," he agreed. He didn't want to argue anymore and leave her angry and upset...
Meanwhile, the writer continued his monologue, ''Yes," he perorated ''The Wild West will become just a memory very soon . All these Indian wars will be history as well. The Indians finally understood that the way of progress and civilizations is the only possible way for them. We have brought them progress and culture, though they did not realize it. We've brought them new life…"
''Drinking and diseases…" Sully added. But the writer didn't pay any attention to his words.
''Mr. Sully, did you ever hear of their new 'prophet'? He teaches that if the Indians would dance until exhaustion - the earth would wide open and swallow up all whites… a kind of Indian's Paradise…" He giggled, ''Can you imagine such rubbish!"
''If I were you, I'd prefer not to judge the things I couldn't understand." Sully answered, trying to speak as calmly as he could.
''So, you believe this?"
''No, but I understand why they believe in it. After all that whites have done to the Indians, Indians surely have the right to wish whites would be swallowed up… but Wovoka is wrong, and whites aren't leaving."
''Mister Sully, all this is in the past," Fielder declared confidently. ''There is no more war."
Sully kept silent. He didn't want to lose his patience and yell at this man. He understood very clearly there there would be no good results to their arguing.
''Besides that," the writer continued, ''I believe all the stories about the extermination of Indians were severely exaggerated."
''No." Sully just answered, but the look on his face forced the writer to change the subject , and he started to talk about his own books.
Sully wasn't listening to him, but was deep in his thoughts. He remembered the massacre at Fort Robinson. The Cheyenne returned to their land from the southern reservation, because they were starving and dying there…But the chief of the garrison wanted them to go back, and, when they refused to do this, he locked them in some old barracks, without food, and water, and firewood. But the Indians didn't give up, and tried to escape. And almost all of them were killed by the army in cold blood.
Sully's eyes filled with tears as he remembered this - their lifeless bodies, lying here and there - men, women, children. He was hidden in the bush just few yards from them, but couldn't help them. There were two children near him, his daughter, and the Cheyenne baby. When Chief Dull Knife gave him the baby, he said: ''You must save him, Ho'neosovaestse, not just this baby, but the spirit of our people in him. He would be the last free Cheyenne, so I call him Lives Free. …"
There were the traditions of the Cheyenne tribe that were handed down from the father to the son, from the grandparent to the grandchild. Indian children listened to the tales of the elders near the campfires, and soaked in the history and wisdom of their tribe. His son was deprived of all this.. He gave his word to the dying Cheyenne, and when they went away to the Great Spirit, they were sure, that the spirit of Tse-tsetse-staetse would stay alive in this child.
He promised them, but he didn't keep this promise. Certainly, Sully told his son about the Cheyenne many times, just as he had told Katie and Brian earlier. But all these stories didn't touch the boy's soul as much as Sully wished.
Michaela loved her new son with all her heart. Sully guessed that he somehow replaced in her heart the baby they had lost, and when she implored all the townsfolk never to tell Josef that he was adopted, Sully yielded to her. He could see how her eyes lit up, when she just held the baby. Michaela couldn't have any more children, and little Josef made her happy. He couldn't break her happiness. But he couldn't break his word either.
''Mr. Sully!" The sharp voice of the writer returned Sully to reality, ''Look, Indians!"
Now he saw the group of Indians moving towards them. They were accompanied by soldiers. ''Can we go around them?" Fiedler asked Sully, as he looked at the Indians with fear.
''We don't need to do this," Sully answered. "Just wait while they pass by…perhaps, they're going to the Pine Ridge reservation. I'll go talk with them."
Sully rode towards them. Fiedler preferred to wait. They were Sioux, not Cheyenne, but with the sign language they could understand each other.. Sully was right - the Sioux led by Chief Big Foot had surrendered to the army and now were going to Pine Ridge.
The old chief was gravely ill, and he followed his group in the army wagon.. Sully saw him before, many years ago, when the group of Lakhota were invited to the Sun Dance. Even then, Big Foot was not very young, but he was strong and healthy. Now he was a decrepit old man, suffering from pneumonia.
Sully looked inside his saddlebags and had found some medicine Michaela gave him. He offered it to the young woman, who took care of the Chief, but he was almost sure that he was already too late, and this would hardly help at all. In more dismal mood, he returned to his companion, and soon they continued on their way.
All morning Michaela was busy at her clinic, and Katie decided to visit some of her friends. However, about an hour later Katie appeared at the clinic too. ''I thought you were going to visit Jane and Cheryl." Michaela said to her.
"I changed my mind. I talked with the Reverend. He agreed…"
''About what?"
''About our wedding next week!"
''NEXT WEEK?!!!"
''Well, as soon as John passes all his exams, he will arrive here, and we…"
''Wait!" Michaela interrupted her "We were talking about him proposing to you.. but next week! I can't understand why you do not want to wait!" She suddenly looked at Katie suspiciously: ''Are you saying there is the particular reason for this? Are you…"
''No, I'm not!" Katie said angrily. "The only reason is that we love each other!"
"After all, you've only known him for a very short time! Why don't you want to finish your education first?"
''Colleen got married when she was still in college!" Katie objected, "And she was younger than me!"
"Katie, are you sure that... that's your final choice?"
"You just don't like him because he's an Indian!" Katie was offended. "You 're talking just like Grandma was!"
"No," Michaela began, "but…"
"When Miss Dorothy's daughter arrived here, you were talking quite the contrary! You convinced her, remember? And now you're going to forbid me to marry the man I love! Pa would understand me better!"
With these words Katie left the clinic. This had happened when Katie was about 6.
Michaela opened up her clinic, but stopped on the porch. The face of young red-haired woman, who was standing near the clinic, seemed very familiar to her. She looked just like Dorothy, but much younger. She knocked to the Gazette door, and when it opened, went inside. The next moment she rushed out of the doors, as if somebody had been pursuing her. Then the young woman ran to the Bray's store, and closed the door behind her.
Michaela entered her clinic. Perhaps, she guessed what had happened.
''Mr. .Bray…Uncle Loren…" the woman was out of breath . Loren looked at her with puzzlement, his eyes rolled. Noticing this, she added: ''I'm Lucy, Dorothy Jennings' daughter…Perhaps, you still remember me. What's wrong with Ma?"
''Sure, I remember you!" Loren said. "Nothing's wrong. She's at Grace's cafe."
''But…there was…there was an Indian…an awful savage…right at the Gazette. What he's doing there?!"
To her great astonishment, Loren stayed very calm. He just answered: ''That's just Cloud Dancing. Your mother will marry him this Saturday."
''My mother…WHAT?!! That's a bad joke, Uncle Loren!"
''I ain't jokin' " Loren said, "They had a Cheyenne kind of wedding last week. But next Saturday Rev. Johnson will marry them the proper way."
Lucy's face reddened with anger: ''That's absurd!!!" she yelled, ''How you can just stay and watch this! You're the only kin of hers here - and you are doin' nothing to stop her! I thought you always wanted her to be happy."
"That's right!" Loren answered, "That's why I don't want to stop her."
"Where I can find her?" Lucy was furious, "If you don't want to stop this 'wedding', I'll do it myself!!!"
''Lucy, my dear!!!" Dorothy was so happy to see her daughter, that she didn't notice the look on her face, ''That's wonderful, you've finally decided to visit me!"
''Is it true?" Lucy asked coldly.
''What?"
''Your 'wedding'."
"Yes!" Dorothy's eyes lit up, "I'm so happy to see you…"
"Are you crazy?" Lucy asked angrily, "What are you going to do?!"
"I'm going to marry the man I love," Dorothy said firmly, "And I want you to understand this…"
"Never!!!" her daughter yelled, "I'll never understand, why a civilized woman is going to marry a savage. Poor father, he never could imagine."
"Your father taunted and beat me, and Cloud Dancing loves and respects me," Dorothy objected.
"If you marry him, you can never call me your daughter anymore!" Lucy exclaimed. Then she turned away, and walked towards the clinic. "Dr Quinn?" Lucy asked as Michaela opened the clinic door, "Can you give me something for this coughing. I had a little cold a few days ago, and I don't want the cough to bother me on the train."
"Yes, certainly." Michaela had no wish to help this woman after she hurt Dorothy - but she had no choice, that was her job. "Sit down here and unbutton your dress."
"No, I just need some drops."
"But I need to know the cause of your cough, so I need to examine you first," Michaela said, and Lucy obeyed. There were red stripes on her back and shoulders, and some bruises on her arms. Lucy lowered her eyes.
"Oh, my God!" Michaela exclaimed.
"I fell down from the porch." Lucy said quickly.
"When Dorothy came here for the first time she told me that she was thrown by a horse. Perhaps, this was the same horse. Did your husband do this to you?"
Lucy nodded: "That was my fault. I didn't fix his supper when he came back home."
"No!" Michaela said, "He was the only one to blame! No man has the right to do this!"
"My father behaved the same way." Lucy confessed, "That was why I ran away from home when I was 16. But all husbands are the same…"
"No, my husband, Sully, is different! So is Cloud Dancing. He respects Dorothy, and loves her with all his heart. Dorothy is my best friend, and she deserves to live her life with the man she loves, and with the man who loves her, who is so kind and noble…"
"But he's an Indian! A savage!"
"He's not a savage!" Michaela said, outraged, "A savage is a man who can beat his wife! Cloud Dancing is a very wise man, he taught me a lot of medicine. For example he told me about the herb tea I'm going to give you from your cough."
"Are you going to give me Indian medicine?!"
"If it does not help you, you can bring an action against me." Michaela answered firmly.
"Well…you're the doctor." Lucy shrugged her shoulders. She got dressed and stood up.
"Can I walk with you to the station?" Michaela asked, "I need to send a letter there…"
Lucy agreed, and the two walked through the town square. As they passed the GAZETTE building, Michaela suddenly stopped and asked:
"Have you seen this?" she indicated the signboard, Dorothy's a very good editor and a good writer as well…Have you seen her books at Loren's store? The first one, about Colorado Springs, was published in New York, and the second…"
"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, "Do you mean she wrote them by herself?"
"Yes, indeed. There are a lot of publishers now who want to release her books…"
"I never could imagine," Lucy said quietly, "Ma was just a plain old housekeeper."
"I think you should be proud of your mother." Michaela continued, "I know she's changed so much…But she couldn't do this without the help of her friends, and without the support of the man who loves her…She couldn't be the Dorothy Jennings we know, if she still lived with your father, who abased her all the time…Am I right?"
"Yes," Lucy sighed, "but…"
"When I met my future husband," Michaela said "I never believed we could ever be together. We were so different! But now I can't imagine my life without him…Dorothy was afraid of the Indians, just like you are - until she got to know Cloud Dancing…and now they can't live without each other. After all these years, I've come to understand, that it doesn't matter that the person we love is different, if he makes us happy…I think you must love your mother, if you're going to visit her."
"Sure," Lucy said, "I want her to be happy, but…I don't know what to do."
"Don't leave…You must be at her wedding…Dorothy would be so pleased to see any of her children there!"
"You're right," Lucy suddenly agreed, "I'm the only one of her children who could be there. Mabel is somewhere south, I don't know where exactly, and Tom…"
"He was here some years ago," Michaela reported, "but I can't say that he made her happy."
"I know," Lucy said, "He's in jail now. But I don't want to tell her until her wedding…"
She paused, and added: "Don't want to spoil such a happy day for her…"
Michaela rose from the chair, looking at the "GAZETTE" through the window. Colorado Springs has been growing and changing for several years, but the old, central part was almost the same. Only the signboard read "THE GAZETTE of Colorado Springs", owned by Brian and Sara Cooper" instead of "Dorothy Jennings". Dorothy and Cloud Dancing had been living in Yellowstone National Park for more than 10 years. She wrote a lot of novels, and her westerns were well-known all over America. Michaela was very glad for her friend, but sometimes missed her very much.
Katie was right, she suddenly thought. I said this to Dorothy's daughter. I want Katie to be happy, I just don't want to realise that she's not a little girl anymore…It will be not very easy for me, but I'll tell her that I'm not against her marriage.
The doorbell's ring cut out her thoughts. It was another patient.
"Good morning, Mr. Marshall," she said, "Is it your lumbago again?"
"No, Dr. Mike. I need some medicine for my wife."
"What's wrong with her?"
"She cries all day, and can't sleep at night…since Jason ran away three days ago."
"Ran away? Why?" Michaela asked.
Jason Marshall was Josef's friend, and she knew he was a calm and prudent boy, and she couldn't even imagine the reason for him to run away from their friendly home…
-"I'd asked some kids at the school…perhaps somebody told him that he was adopted…Can't imagine who would do such a thing! He was just a baby when we took him from the orphanage in Denver. I don't know where we can search for him…perhaps your son knows…would you please ask him, Dr. Mike?!"
"Sure, Mr. Marshall." she said, feeling almost faint. "What if Josef does the same thing, if he ever finds out the truth about himself? I couldn't bear this…"
Sully didn't want the writer to go to the Black Hills. However, Fiedler persisted on this, and Sully was compelled to do this.
Fiedler was going to write a book about the different sights of the frontier territory, and undertook the role of a chronicler of "Wild West History". So without the Black Hills, the place that was sacred for all the plains tribes, his book would not be complete.
However, Sully told him very little about the Black Hills - he didn't want the description of the ancient Indian ceremonies to cause another contemptuous grin on the writer's face.. The writer was a little disappointed, but Sully didn't care. He showed Fiedler some more sights, and they rode back… On December 29, the fourth day after Christmas, they were somewhere near the Sioux reservation called Pine-Ridge. This place was called in Lakhota-Sioux Cankpe-Opi-Wakhpala, or Wounded-Knee…
Suddenly the snowstorm began, and their way was all covered with deep snow. Sully dismounted and walked along, trying to find a better path He remembered that there must be one, through the hollow…
Momentarily it seemed to him, that time turned back twenty or thirty years… He saw the flocks of tipies, riddled with the bullets, and fluttering with the wind…and the dead Indians lying on the snow.
All of them were dead. Even those who didn't die from their wounds, were frozen to death… The big crow, frightening in his appearance, croaked and flushed from the ground to the nearest tree. The snowstorm stopped, and the dead silence came.
He couldn't help them, but still continued to walk across … Men, women, children…many of them were dressed in the robes of the Ghost Dance, beautifully ornamented…Wovoka, their prophet, told them that these robes would make them invulnerable to the white man's weapons…But the white men killed them all in cold blood.
Fiedler, who was wondering why his guide was gone for so long, tried to follow him, and the sight of the massacre horrified him.
"Mr. Sully," he asked, "What happened here? Why…"
"Because they were Indians," Sully answered, "as you've seen, they had surrendered to the army."
"But, perhaps, if they offered any resistance…" the writer asked.
"Women and children? Do you really think that women and children could offer any resistance against the armed soldiers?"
"I'll write to the Washington newspaper," the writer promised. "That's.. that's barbaric. Sure, I'll write this!"
"Never," Sully had thought with fury. "You're more concerned for your own skin, and for your publicity …"
Not paying any more attention to the writer, he returned back to the Indians….
Soon, Sully had found the old chief's body, and turned him downwards, to Mother Earth. There was nobody near him to wrap his body with the buffalo skin, and put him on the rostrum, together with his Pipe and weapon, and stick on the wand with the eagle feathers near it. There was nobody to mourn for him, and for his people, and to attend their funeral in the proper way…nobody, except him, Sully, the strange man with the white skin and Cheyenne spirit inside.
Sully sat on the snow near the body of Chief Big Foot and took his knife. "I'm sorry. I'm too late.."
he said it aloud, as if they could hear him …When several drops of his blood fell to the ground, he began to chant the ancient Mourning Song…They were Minnekonjoy, not Cheyenne - but there was a chant for them, and for those whose bones moldered many years ago near Sand Creek, Washita, Fort Robinson, and dozens of other places…Sully's voice faded from time to time, but he continued the monotonous Mourning Song…
The writer looked at him with the horror in his eyes -perhaps, he decided that his guide went off his head suddenly - but Sully didn't care…
Finally, Sully stood up and slowly walked to his horse…. The writer followed him, but didn't dare to ask him … The cold snowy wind began to blow again… … Sully silently rode ahead…For the rest of the way he didn't say a word…..
Michaela tried to stay calm with all her strength… But in her thoughts she kept returning to Mr. Marshall's words. She was so afraid to tell Josef the truth - what if he did the same thing. She understood Sully's feelings as well….
"But why doesn't he think about MY feelings?" Michaela suddenly thought.
"Ma, I'm home!" Josef threw his books on the table, but didn't come to kiss her, as he usually did.
"Are you OK, Joe?" Michaela asked, "Nothing wrong at school?"
"I'm fine," the boy answered, turning to keep the right side of his face out of sight. Soon, Michaela understood why. There was a large bruise under his right eye.
"What happened?" Michaela gazed at her son. "Did you fight with someone? Let me check your eye. We need to put something cold on it."
"Just hit Ben Myers for some reason," Josef answered.
"Perhaps, it was "him" , who hit you," Michaela noticed.
"He has the same bruise," the boy objected, "and he deserved it!"
"Anyway, fighting is not the way to solve your problems, I've told you this many times. Why were you fighting?"
"He should have thought a little before opening his damned filthy mouth!"
"Josef Sully!" Michaela raised her voice, "Watch your language, please! A fight is not the solution for your problems…"
"He deserved this!" Josef repeated.
"Please tell me what's wrong?" Michaela asked again.
"Nothing," the boy muttered, turning away…
"Sweetheart, you know you can tell Papa and me anything that's bothering you, and we'll understand."
Josef shrugged his shoulders.
"Ben said at school his father knows exactly that my Pa…spent a time with some Indian squaw, and she begot me…That you just didn't want the people gossiping, and raised me as your own…So I just helped him to shut up!" he ended, "I don't want this bastard talkin' about my Pa like this…"
"Watch your language!" Michaela told him again, "And don't pay attention to what some fools are blabbing. Your father never was unfaithful to me, and never broke his wedding vow…Some people just don't understand Sully's friendship with the Indians…"
"Ben said that you both have light -coloured hair, and mine is black…"
Michaela suddenly felt almost faint…It was time to tell him the truth - she knew this in her mind…But the next moment she remembered the despair in Mr. Marshall's voice, when he told her that his son ran away…she imagined the same thing must havehappened with them, and said aloud:
"Your great-grandparents could have black hair, that's nothing strange…"
"Yes, I know," he said, but it seemed to her there was some tension in his voice…
Josef finally kissed her cheek and ran outside;
"Brian's waiting for me to go fishing! See you, Ma!" he said before the door slammed behind him.
Michaela fell into the chair, silently weeping. She had been afraid of this moment for about 11 years, and it had finally come…and she didn't know what to do…
Sully couldn't wait for the moment to see Fiedler off on the train. But it became much worse when he left. More and more, the sight of the bloody massacre appeared in his mind…the sight of the many massacres he had seen…This happened again, many years after "the end of the Indian wars". This was clear to him, that this war would never end…And that he must to tell Josef the truth as soon as he can, before the Indians were gone…
Lives Free was raised amongst the whites, and was sure he was one of them.
Certainly, he stayed alive, and was adopted by a loving and friendly family. He goes to school, and then will study at the college. He learned to read and write, even takes French lessons from his Ma. He visited Boston on his vacation, and Michaela took him to the opera and the museum. He never knew what starvation and humiliation is.
No Cheyenne child could even dream of this. But many things, that were close and clear to any Cheyenne child, had been missed by his son …That was him, Byron Sully, who said once: "They will never have a future if they have forgotten their past" So now he had no choice.
But Michaela…. Josef was her last child…"She'll understand me," Sully had thought, "as she did so many times".
He suddenly felt how he missed her…her supportive hand on his shoulder, her sympathetic and loving eyes. She shared with him all his troubles and losses, and she would help him to find the right words to tell Josef the truth…
The way back home never seemed as long to him as it did this time….
Sully had reached the homestead about midnight. All except Michaela were already sleeping. She was sitting at the chair beside the fireplace, reading a book. He silently approached her and touched her shoulder. Michaela immediately turned to him:
"Sully! I'm so happy you're home!"
"So am I!" he said, kissing her.
"I'll fix supper for you." she rose from the chair.
"Wait." he stopped her, "Please, wait…we need to talk…"
Perhaps, it wasn't the right time, but Sully was so overwhelmed by the sight of the massacre he witnessed, that he couldn't wait…He needed Michaela to support him right now…
"About what?" she asked him, with an unusual tension in her voice. But, unfortunately, he didn't notice that….
"About Josef. Did you tell him?"
Michaela suddenly became furious. ..At first, there was Katie with her hasty wedding, then Mr. Marshall with his sad news…and Josef with his troubles…And now that question…Her patience was over.
"No," she said firmly, "I didn't, and I won't."
"So you think I should tell him?"
"I'm sure there is no need to tell him at all!" she declared.
Sully looked at her with the perplexity.:
"But you told me…you promised me you'd think about…."
"No!" she raised her voice, she didn't care about waking up all the family: "I will not allow you to take away my son!"
"Michaela., are you all right?" he asked, looking at her with concern. He didn't expect a reaction like this.
Even Michaela herself wondered at her own behavior, as if someone else was speaking instead of her.
"I'm fine," she said angrily, "but I've had enough! I was worrying about you all those years we've been married! But you're only worried about the Indians, but not about your own family!!!"
"Michaela, please…" he began, but she interrupted him:
"Just remember what happened after you helped them to escape from Palmer Creek?! Just remember your trip to Fort Robinson with Katie! I could never live without thinking, what might happen to you again, what other trouble you'll find! And now you want to take away my last child, just because of some promise you gave to some people who've already been dead more than 10 years! They don't care about your promises anymore!!!"
"Michaela, stop it, please!" his voice was quiet but sharp.
She knew that was really time to cut it out, but she couldn't…
"You have no right to do this!" she said instead, "After I lost my own baby because of you!"
He said nothing, and in this silence she raised her eyes to him for the first time, finally aware of how she hurt him…
"Sully," she whispered, "I'm so sorry…please, forgive me…I didn't mean it…" But it was too late - he turned away and left, slamming the door behind him..
"What's wrong Ma?" Katie stood behind her… "Why are you sleeping here?"
It was early morning. Michaela had been crying aloud all night, and finally fell asleep in the chair…"
"Ev'rything's wrong, Katie!" Michaela said, her voice trembling, "Sully was here last night, but I …I told him something awful…I've hurt him so much. How I could say this?! He left, Katie, and I don't know what to do!" the tears streamed down from her eyes again, "I don't know if he'll ever forgive me."
Katie looked at her with condemnation at first. Michaela suddenly remembered how she came back home in Boston, and the children told her that Sully left for Colorado Springs. They had met her with the same look…
But the next moment Katie hugged her and said:
"Don't worry, Ma. He knows how you love him, and he will come back. Just let him be alone for some time…"
But Michaela shook her head:
"I need to find him."
"I'll help you," Katie offered, "I just need to go meet John at the train station."
She kissed Michaela and hurried to leave.
A few minutes later Michaela heard Brian's footsteps. He read the newspaper and talked with his wife, as they walked downstairs.
"This is rubbish he's writing!" Brian raged aloud, "Just think: the army garrison 'was threatened' by two hundred Indians, starving and unarmed, including women and children…Nonsense! He supposes that the soldiers 'defended themselves'. Defended themselves from unarmed people with their cannons! They just killed them, like at Washita, and now they try to justify themselves…"
He read few more lines, and then spat out with disgust:
"Look, Sara, he writes, that 'he regrets so much'. That kind of person never felt sorry for any Indian. At first they'd kill them all, and then they 'feel sorry'… Morning, Ma!"
"Morning, Brian, Sara…" she answered, "what are you talking about?"
"Another massacre," Brian answered, "near the Sioux reservation."
"The author of this article, Mr. Fiedler, is always so biased." Sara added.
"What's his name?!" Michaela almost yelled.
"Gordon Fiedler," Brian looked at her in perplexity, "He's from Washington…what's wrong, Ma?"
"This man….this man is the writer Sully accompanied to Black Hills… Oh, my God! He saw this…again!"
"That was very painful for him, I can imagine," Brian sighed, "Do you know, when he's coming back?"
"I don't know," Michaela said quietly, "I don't know, Brian…"
"Well," Katie said, "Have you visited the reservation, as you were going to? Any news?"
John shook his head:
"No. Almost nothing…I wanted to find out anything at all about my childhood before I meet your father…but I couldn't. Nobody remembers me, almost everyone who lived there 15 years ago is already dead. There was another epidemic last year…Sometimes I think I must be there, like my father was for so many years. Perhaps, I could help as the physician…" he sighed gravely, "After my visiting there I feel ashamed."
What for?"
"For living like the white man, without any troubles, while my people are dying."
"Do they have any kind of school?" Katie suddenly asked.
"Yes, but they have no teacher now. He was afraid of another epidemic, and left…There was another problem - the teacher couldn't speak Cheyenne, and some of Cheyenne didn't speak English - so they couldn't understand each other."
"Fine," Katie said, "I am a teacher, and can speak Cheyenne. You're a physician. And not only do we speak their native language, but we understand and respect their tradition…" John couldn't believe his ears:
"Katie, are you sure?"
"Sure, I am!" she declared, "We'll go to your reservation after I graduate from college."
"I was going to ask you - but I was afraid you'd be against it." he confessed, "But what about your parents?"
"My Ma left Boston for Colorado Springs, and became the town doctor. The town had never seen a woman doctor before. This was a challenge in the 1860's. And my Pa…I think he would be glad to hear this. I think we need to tell him first."
"It's a pity I couldn't find out about my early life on the reservation, or my Cheyenne name.. This is all I have from my past," he touched his beads, "but I don't even know what it means…"
"I think Pa or Cloud Dancing could explain it to you." Katie suggested.
Colorado Springs had become much larger over the years, but this hill remained the same.. The top was now overgrown with the hide grass and bush The poles where the buffalo skin was fastened in the old days, now had fallen and were hidden under the grass, but it was the same place - thirty years after Sully has found it without any difficulties. .
Many years ago the Cheyenne medicine man Cloud Dancing brought a strange white man there, who had decided to share his path with Tse-tse-staetse. He was wise, and had seen that the soul of this ve'ho is in the dark side, Cloud Dancing didn't know why he wanted to help him, as if this stranger was his son or brother…He left the white man on the top of the hill for his first Vision Quest ceremony, and prayed for four days asking the Great Spirit to heal this man's soul, as he, Cloud Dancing had healed his body… On the fifth day the medicine man had seen that white man come down from the hill, squaring his shoulders, as if he had thrown away a heavy load. And a wolf cub followed him.
This time there was neither Cloud Dancing, nor Wolf near Sully. He was alone with his thoughts and losses, and even Michaela didn't want to understand him.
Sully knew that Michaela felt sorry for her insulting words. But he knew as well, that if he returned, he would yield to her again. Sully couldn't see her crying…and he couldn't deny his promise.
He lost his path, and couldn't find the right way again. "I couldn't change anything for them, - he had thought bitterly, "I couldn't help them in Palmer Creek, and in Fort Robinson. I couldn't even bring up Lives Free as part of Cheyenne people. His people's tragedy would be for his son, just another page of his school textbook.
Anyway, he would betray someone close to him - his Indian family - or Michaela…
Sully took a handful of tobacco from his leather pouch, and scattered it in a circle, saying the prayer to the Great Spirit.
Many years ago Ma'heo had sent him a Vision Quest. His Wolf. His friend for a long time. Unfortunately the life of wolves is much shorter than the human life…
"Perhaps, I don't deserve to receive any answer now," Sully had thought, "I've left their path, and I don't want to continue…"
He sat cross-legged at the center of the tobacco circle… He was going to stay there for a long time….
"Morning, Ma!!" Josef ran downstairs, "Brian asked me to help him at the GAZETTE today. May I come to town with him??"
Yes. But I need to talk with you first."
"About what?"
"Come here and sit down." she said instead of answering, "It's very important."
She took a deep breath and continued: "You know, Colleen and Brian always called us 'Ma' and 'Pa'."
"Yes."
"But you know also, we are not their biological parents. We adopted them."
"I think it doesn't matter," Josef shrugged his shoulders "They love you, anyway, and you love them…"
"You're right." Michaela pronounced, trying to stay calm, "and now I need to tell you something…. Some years ago Sully received a letter from a man named William Rowland. He asked your Pa to help in negotiations between the army and the Northern Cheyenne. But there were no negotiations. The Indians were locked in the old barracks, and were dying from starvation, cold and thirst. The army wanted to force them to go South, but the Cheyenne couldn't survive there. And they preferred to die free."
"I know," Josef said, "Pa told me.."
"That's not all the story. Sully couldn't help them to escape, but he found a way to see them, and Chief Dull Knife gave him a Cheyenne baby, called Lives Free. Sully took him out of the barracks, hidden under his jacket, and most of the others were killed…"
Josef looked at his mother attentively:
"That baby…I know that was me.. You adopted me and called me Josef after your father."
Michaela looked at her son with the great perplexity:
"Joe.. Do you mean you knew this before?"
"Yes," he lowered his eyes, "I was ashamed that I needed to hide this from you…"
"Who told you?" Michaela exclaimed, "Was it Mr. Bray? Or someone else?"
Josef shook his head:
"Don't ask me. I gave her my word…"
"I can keep a secret, I swear," Michaela said. "I'd never tell 'her'. Who is she?"
"Katie." Josef confessed, "It happened accidentally, while she told me about their trip to Fort Robinson…She even started to cry, and I vowed I'd never tell that she did this…But anyway, I think there was no reason to hide this from me…"
Michaela hugged her son tightly, feeling the tears streaming down from her eyes…
"Don't cry, Ma," the boy told her, "everything's all right, I love you…"
"Joe, sweetheart, I was so stupid…I was afraid to tell you, particularly after I knew that Jason Marshall ran away. His father told me, that was because of somebody told him he's adopted." …
"No!" Josef objected, "Jason ran away because of the watch…"
"Because of what?"
"Mr. Marshall's pocket watch. .He brought it to school," the boy explained "but the guys tried to wind it, and it broke.
And Ben Myers told Jason: 'Your father would kill you'. It was a special watch - Mr. Marshall was rewarded with it during the war…So Jason decided to hide somewhere until his father would be not so angry at him…"
Michaela looked at her son suspiciously:
"Do you know where he is?"
"Yep," Josef blushed, "I showed him Pa's cave…But he came back home yesterday, and nobody punished him for the watch!"
Ma'heo, the Great Spirit remained silent to his pleas. He didn't receive any answer.
"I've lost my path, and I'll never find it again, because I've betrayed them!", Sully thought bitterly, for perhaps the tenth time today, "They didn't forgive me for that."
Suddenly it seemed to him, that somebody was watching him through the bush…He glanced around, but he saw nobody.
Several minutes later he noticed a wolf cub, walking right toward him. He was quite small, but old enough to be afraid of men. However, he was not going to run away, but sat on the ground just a few feet from Sully, and looked at him with the great interest.…
Sully shook his head in disbelief - it seemed to him, that time had turned back again. His Wolf looked at him exactly in the same way many years ago, during his first ceremony of Vision Quest.
He still couldn't dare to believe.. If the cub does not run away, this could mean only one thing - he's forgiven and will find his path again.… Sully stood up, and slowly walked down from the hill, not daring to turn back. But he couldn't bear it and the next minute looked over. The wolf followed him, sticking through the high and tough dry stalks, and Sully carefully lifted the cub, and placed him under his jacket. Next moment Sully felt as the tiny damp tongue licked away the tear from his cheek…
"Here he is!" Katie pointed to the hill, "He's walking down, so you can talk to him."
John was embarrassed:
"Katie, are you sure this is the right time? You just told me there were some problems…."
Katie shrugged her shoulders:
"He's walking back down, it means that he has already found the answers, and is able to listen to you."
"How do you know this?" John wondered.
Katie just smiled:
"After all, I'm his daughter…I'm going to town, to tell Ma that we've found him, and he's all right."
And, before John even could answer, she rode away. John sighed and slowly walked to the bottom of the hill, to meet Sully there…
"I'm so happy to meet you. Mr. Sully." John told him, "I hope Katie told you about me."
"Yes," Sully answered, "Nice to meet you, John…"
Sully stretched his hand out to John, and the young man shook it shyly. This hand was strong, but friendly, and the bright blue eyes (the same colour as Katie's)of his future father-in-law looked at John so cordially, that he finally managed to say:
"Mr. Sully, I love your Katie, and I want to marry her…"
Holding his breath, John looked at Sully's reaction, and finally sighed with relief, noticing a slight smile on his sun-tanned face.
Sully liked his new son-in-law as well., and was happy to see how the young man's eyes lit up with love and happiness, when he was talking about Katie. Sully was sure, that his feelings for her are strong and sincere. He also appreciated that John was speaking about Cheyenne with pride and great respect…
"I don't know if I have any right to call myself Cheyenne," John finally said, "I can't remember much from my childhood…My adoptive father was going to tell me all about my Indian family…but he died before he could."
He took off his beads, the same colours as Sully's, but much shorter.
"That's the only thing from my past. I think my real parents placed this around my neck…These beads have been with me as long as I can remember.
Sully stood frozen, looking at the string of beads the young man was holding in his hand…He suddenly felt a lump in his throat. He was afraid to even think about this for all these years…. Instinctively, Sully touched his own beads…they had once been a little longer, before he removed the part of it to make another one, much smaller, but enough for a little child's neck…
"No," he said hoarsely, "It was 'me,' who put this on you, Lives In Hopes…"
Truthfully, Katie didn't ride to town yet - she was hiding in the bush nearby, listening to the conversation between Sully and John. Some time ago, Michaela told her how nervous Sully felt during Colleen's wedding, so she was not sure that he would enjoy their hasty decision…She could see from her shelter, how they were talking and shaking hands…then they hugged each other and continued their way down to the bottom…Then Katie smiled happily, and mounted her horse quickly, before they noticed her…
Michaela was going to mount her horse also - she finally decided to look for Sully and ask him to forgive her.
She was almost ready to do this, when she suddenly heard the horse. It was Katie, out of breath, but with a broad smile on her face.
"Everything's fine!" she shouted, "He's coming home! There's no need to go anywhere!"
Soon they saw them - Sully and the young gentleman, Katie's fiancé…
Sully dismounted and walked to her. He embraced her as if nothing had happened some hours before.
"Sully.. I'm so sorry," she whispered into his ear, "I didn't mean what I said to you…"
"I know…perhaps I wanted too much from you. Perhaps you need more time to think."
"No," she objected, "you're right. I told him. I don't know why I was so frightened of this. Joe said he already knew, but he loves us as his Ma and Pa anyway!"
Sully kissed her tenderly and whispered:
"Thank you. You always understand me…"
"Couldn't say that about me this time," Michaela sighed, "I'm so…"
He covered her mouth with his lips:
"Stop blaming yourself…Everything's all right."
Sully kissed her again, but the cub, who was sleeping under Sully's jacket, suddenly woke up and squealed.
"What is it?" Michaela's eyes widened "This is my Wolf." Sully answered her seriously. "He came to me."
He took out the wolf and carefully put him down on the floor.
"Perhaps this means that you have found your answers." Michaela said.
Suddenly she became aware that Katie and John were still standing behind them. They could see the older couple kissing at the porch just like newlyweds.
"Sully," Michaela murmured, "That's improper, we're not a young couple…"
"I don't think it's improper!" Sully smiled, "I wish them the same after 20 years of marriage…Let them look."
"You're right," Michaela kissed him again. "Let them look."
The little wolf, who was forgotten for such a long time, finally decided to remind them about himself. He jumped up and bit Michaela's skirt…
Sully took him back under his jacket, and they entered the homestead, laughing.
"We have no time to prepare everything for your wedding!" Michaela worried.
"Doesn't matter," Katie answered, - We don't want a big party - just a supper at Grace's."
"But your dress…do you think we could make it in a week?"
"I want to wear your dress," Katie said, "Like Colleen did at her wedding."
"I don't know…It was kept in a trunk for so many years, perhaps the lace has turned yellow…"
"Please, Ma!" Katie insisted, "It's lucky, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is," Michaela smiled, "we'll check it tomorrow."
"But I can find something in a local store…" John said.
"You don't have to!", Sully told him, "Come on…"
The thin leather didn't lose its elasticity in all these years, even the beadwork and the porcupine quills retained the same bright colours. Sully carefully got his wedding robe from the trunk, and gave it to John:
"Cloud Dancing's wife, Snow Bird, made this for their weddings. She died at Washita, together with your parents. Cloud Dancing gave it to me at my wedding day, in memory on her and my Cheyenne family. Now it belongs to you…"
"Thank you," the young man said "that's such a great honor for me…"
"And this is an honor for me to call you my son, Lives In Hopes," Sully answered. "Pa," he suddenly heard Josef's voice behind him "What do you think? Could this survive intact for about 10 more years - until my wedding?"
"Sure, son," Sully answered, "now it belongs to you both, this is a memory of your people."
"I can't believe it! That's Lives In Hopes!" Michaela said, "Katie told me he was Cheyenne, but I couldn't even imagine this. Just remember - we searched for him many times, so did Cloud Dancing. But we couldn't find him. And Katie met him in Denver!"
"Cloud Dancing told me once that nothing happens without a reason…Perhaps the Great Spirit moved her to him…I couldn't wish a better choice for Katie…"
"Did she tell you about her job on the reservation?" asked Michaela.
"Yes, she did," Sully answered, "and Lives In Hopes is going to be a doctor there. I think they would be a good couple…like we are."
"I hope so, but I'm worried about her…the truth be told, I didn't want her to marry him. I've seen how Dorothy was suffering when the townsfolk didn't want to understand her…"
"But she came through this, and now she's happy," Sully objected.
"Yes, so I've agreed with Katie…but the reservation…"
"She's strong, Michaela. Just like you. Your mother was worried too, when you decided to go West alone… But Katie will be not alone there."
"I know, but…"
"You don't raise children to keep them in a way that puts your mind at ease. Worrying about her doesn't give us the right to tell her how to live her life."
"You already told me that before," Michaela said.
"Yep.. About Matthew. Michaela, I'm worried about her too, but I have no right to stop her."
"Neither do I." Michaela sighed, "I can understand this in my mind…but not in my heart…"
"Our hearts will always follow her, won't they?"
"Sure, they will." Michaela agreed….
When Michaela finally fell asleep, Sully rose from the bed and went downstairs…
Katie found her father sitting by the fireplace..
She touched his shoulder, and he turned to her.
"What's wrong, Pa?" she asked, "Why are you sitting here? You and Ma…."
He shook his head: "Nothing's wrong, Kates. I was just thinking…"
"I know, about me." Katie looked into his blue eyes with the same expression…"You feel bad about my marriage."
"Not bad," he told her, "just a little nervous…all fathers are…It's hard to realize that your baby is all grown up, and doesn't need babyin'".
"But I love you both in spite of the fact that I'm grown up and getting married."
"I know," he said, "So, here we are…How about a ride, Katie?"
"Riding?" she wondered, "At night?"
"Yep," he nodded, "just you and me."
"Sounds good," she smiled, "let's go!"
They had dismounted near the creek - that was the place they often walked together when Katie was a child…
"You taught me fishing here," Katie said.
"When I took you with me for the first time, you insisted on putting all the fish we caught back into the creek. You were about 4 then."
"I don't remember, Pa." she suddenly asked, "Was Mama angry at me for my…for our decision?"
Sully shook his head:
"No, she isn't, she's just worried about you…like I am. This is not easy, you know…"
"I know…but I want to help, and John…Lives in Hopes, does as well. I like to call him by his real name…"
"Katie," Sully told her seriously, "I respect your decision, so does Michaela. But you must know - it's not an adventure…It's thankless and hard work…sometimes dirty work, sometimes even dangerous…"
I know." she nodded.
"There will be a lot of times, when it seems you can't help them, when you want to lose heart, and give up. But I believe you're strong, like your mother. Just don't give up, Kates…"
"I won't" Katie said firmly, "after all, I'm your daughter, and you taught me good…"
"Michaela and me, -- we've been through so much. Ain't always been easy, but we always make it work. I wish the same for you two - you and Lives In Hopes."
"Thank you, Pa," Katie said, "I love you."
She hugged him tightly, and for some time they were just standing like this…Then they rode back home..
The front door was locked. They glanced at each other, smiling conspiratorially and then entered the homestead through the window, like Katie did very often in her childhood…
Cloud Dancing met them near the signboard "The Yellowstone National Park", as somebody told him that they were coming. Perhaps he knew that already.
"I'm glad to see you here, my brother!" he said, "I can see a smile on your face, it means that you brought me good news."
"You're right, "Sully answered, "There's a lot of good news… This man, who came here with me, is Katie's future husband. They're going to marry next week, and we all want you and Dorothy to be there…"
"We'd be glad to…But that is not all the news you've brought me."
"Sure," Sully said, "There is more. Here." he lifted the cub and showed him to Cloud Dancing, "Here is my Wolf…"
The old Indian patted the tiny head with his finger:
"You've found your path again, that's good. But I can see you have something else in your heart…"
"Yes," Sully confessed, "Just want you to meet Mr. McMillan. His father was a physician on a Cheyenne reservation, and he wants to take the same job."
"Nice to meet you." Cloud Dancing said, and stretched his hand out to John.
"You've already met before," Sully suddenly said, "but he was too young to remember that…or how Myra Bing nursed him…how Robert E. And Grace were going to adopt him…how you rode with him a long way to Montana…Now he has a white man's name - but he still is Lives In Hopes…"
The eyes of the old Indian were wet, when he finally hugged the man, whom he was searching for so many years..
"It's a pity that I was raised among whites," Lives In Hopes began, but Cloud Dancing said,
"I've thought about that plenty of times. You must stop blaming yourself - both of you," he looked at Sully and Lives-In-Hopes,
"I was blaming myself too, for living apart from my people. Long ago I thought that we must walk our old path to save the spirit of our people. …But I was wrong - the spirit of Tse-Tse-Staetse is here," he put his palm against his heart, "It's safe and alive here, even now, when all the world has turned over, …I can see this spirit in you, Lives-In -Hopes, and in your son, Sully. I'd be glad to teach them both all that I know…"
"Come on, we need to do something…"
Near the dawn three men reached the top of the hill. The oldest was in his ceremonial robe, and held the bag with the Sacred Pipe. And the wolf followed them…
The ancient chant of Thanksgiving was the same, as it was hundreds of years ago, when the world was different…It was heard even now, when all had changed, now when the buffalo's gone.