Summary: Adam talks Ben into making a trade with Chief Winnemucca. The trade isn’t your average deal, the Chief has a redheaded white girl and he wants a few head of cattle for her. Adam takes full responsibility for the girl and soon finds out he might have gotten himself in deeper than he expected.<\/p>\n
Rating: T<\/p>\n
Word Count: 21,487<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Romancing the Ponderosa series<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Mrs. Little Joe (Book 1)\u00a0<\/a> Note: This is the sequel to “Mrs. Little Joe” and it should be read in chronological order. Ty \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Redhead<\/strong><\/p>\n Chapter 1<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou may kiss the bride.\u201d I watch Little Joe pull Hannah close and kiss her soundly. Those two have been impatiently waiting the past three months for this day. They would have gotten married sooner, but they had a few setbacks. First off they both had to heal from bullet wounds, which took longer than expected when Hannah got out of bed sooner than she should have. She made it as far as the second step before her not all of the way healed leg gave out, and she fell down the stairs. That fall put her back in bed for another three weeks. But now with her leg completely healed, I watch them take their vows here in the big room. \u201cMay I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Francis Cartwright!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Everybody stands and claps as Joe and Hannah walk arm and arm down the makeshift aisle. Hannah wanted to have a small wedding here on the ranch with only a few close friends, so that\u2019s what we did. Only Roy Coffee, the preacher, a few of her widow friends, Hop Sing, Pa, Hoss and I are here to celebrate with them on their special day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Pa offered them a plot of land here on the Ponderosa to build a house on, but they declined and said they\u2019d rather stay in the ranch house until they started a family. Of course none of\u00a0 us objected to this, yet I couldn\u2019t help thinking that newlyweds ought to have a little more privacy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We all follow Joe and Hannah outside where the celebrating will begin. Hop Sing has spent the past two days preparing a feast, and Hannah, with Hoss\u2019s help, hung decorations from every spot that was possible. I don\u2019t think the Ponderosa has ever been more spruced up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Joe and Hannah stand with huge grins on their faces beside a table covered with a cake and full punch bowl. Everyone takes turns shaking Little Joe\u2019s hand and kissing Hannah\u2019s cheek as they wish them both the best of luck. When my turn comes, I shake his hand and ask, \u201cYou don\u2019t mind if I kiss the bride, do you, Joe?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOf course not! Go right ahead.\u201d He laughs, clearly giddy with love and happiness.<\/span><\/p>\n I bend towards Hannah and press a kiss to her pinked up cheek. If I hadn\u2019t known better, I\u2019d say she had on rouge but I know it\u2019s just the happiness in her heart making them rosy. \u201cWell, Hannah, we\u2019re officially brother and sister now. Welcome to the family!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, thank you, Adam!\u201d She throws her arms around my waist, the rest of her words muffled by my chest. \u201cAny girl would be proud to have you as a brother, I\u2019m so glad to finally be part of the Cartwright family!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I laugh as she lets me go, glad that our relationship is off to such a good start. When Joe first found her a little over three months ago, I had a hard time with my feelings for her. But when I saw how Little Joe took a liking to her and her to him, I had a battle inside me. That battle caused me to say things to Joe that I still regret to this day, even though he easily forgave me for them. I also acted a little hot headed but the state Cyl Lunberg had left Hannah in made me enraged to the point of blindness.<\/span><\/p>\n Hannah begins to pour cups of punch and passes them around as Hop Sing goes into the kitchen to bring out the food. He makes multiple trips, but the table is finally full. I can see Hoss lick his chops in anticipation for all the grub.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019ll bless the food.\u201d The preacher says and all of us bow our heads as we listen to his prayer. \u201cDear Lord, we pray that you bless this food and allow it to nourish our bodies. We also ask that you bless this new marriage between Joe and Hannah.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After echoing an amen, I grab a plate and get in line. Joe and Hannah go first since they\u2019re the special couple, while Hoss watches the food from where he stands towering behind the preacher. Everybody finds a place to either stand or sit to eat their platefuls of food. I can\u2019t help noticing that Little Joe and Hannah go off together slightly apart from everyone else. I want to tell everyone to hurry, since I know Little Joe wants to get on the road to Virginia City, where they plan on staying at the hotel for a week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Pa told them to go someplace farther away than Virginia City for their honeymoon, but they insisted, and said they\u2019d rather stay close to home in case they\u2019re needed on the ranch. They both have generous hearts, I\u2019ll give them that. I wouldn\u2019t want to spend my honeymoon in the bridal suite in Virginia City\u2019s hotel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Once the cake is cut and eaten and a few dances have been danced, everyone sends them on their way. Little Joe, with a look of relief, helps Hannah into our carriage. We shower them with rice as they ride away as Hannah, halfway standing, blows kisses while she waves at us. As I wave back, I hear Pa chuckle beside me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat girl! She\u2019s the perfect match for Little Joe, enough spunk and will power to keep him reined in.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s got spunk all right.\u201d I look over at him. \u201cBut I think we oughta start cleaning up this mess before it gets dark on us in a few hours. Who knows how long it will take, Hannah practically decorated the whole thousand mile acre spread!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNot quite the whole thousand acres, but practically the whole front yard!\u201d He shakes his head as he looks around at all of the decorations and a smile slowly spreads across his face. \u201cYet she deserved every steamer, candle, and ribbon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat she did, Pa.\u201d Hoss walks up beside us. \u201cI could near about feel the pride seepin\u2019 outta her when she was talkin\u2019 to me about her and Little Joe\u2019s plans when we was hangin\u2019 up all this pretty stuff.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBen,\u201d Roy comes up behind us, \u201cI\u2019m sorry to have to leave you to clean up all this by yourself, but I\u2019ve got to get back to town.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry about it, Roy, the boys and I can clean up just fine.\u201d Pa says and gives him a friendly slap on the back before he leaves. Slowly the rest of the guests leave and soon it\u2019s just Pa, Hoss, Hop Sing, and I in the front yard. Pa begins to grab dirty plates off the table and carries them into the kitchen as he calls over his shoulder, \u201cWell, the decorations won\u2019t take themselves down. Get to work!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Hoss and I start untying ribbons from off the posts under the porch roof. When Pa doesn\u2019t come back out of the kitchen, I figure he\u2019s helping Hop Sing with the dishes. Hoss looks over at me from where he stands, arms above his head as he unties a ribbon. \u201cYou know, he\u2019s hurtin\u2019 inside, but he just doesn\u2019t want us to see.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know, Hoss, in a way he just lost his youngest son today.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but he got himself a daughter.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes, but things will never be like they used to be. Little Joe won\u2019t be his old self any longer, he won\u2019t be chasing girls in town\u00a0 anymore or going to the saloon with us to have a beer. He\u2019ll still be Little Joe, just tamer and different.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, the way I figure it, he\u2019ll probably still go to the saloon with us, but just not as often. And if I find him chasin\u2019 any girls in town, I\u2019ll give him a whoopin\u2019 he\u2019ll never forget! Maybe now that he\u2019s married, he won\u2019t get himself beat up as much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe can only hope that\u2019s true!\u201d I laugh.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 2<\/span><\/p>\n I wake up bright and early the next day. The house has a quietness about it that\u2019s not normally there. I guess it\u2019s because I\u2019m the only one up, yet I can\u2019t help feeling the true cause is actually Joe\u2019s absence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Once Joe and Hannah move out, the house will be very different. Even though they\u2019ll be on the ranch, Joe\u2019s presence in the house will be missing. His constant laughter, practical joking, and sarcastic comments aren\u2019t something I\u2019m willing to admit just how much I\u2019ll miss. Even his hot headed nature, that gets him in trouble so often, is something I\u2019ll miss. I can understand how Pa feels, not only am I losing a brother, but a friend and he\u2019s taking a piece of my heart with him. I love him more than he\u2019ll ever know.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n With a sigh, I quietly walk down the stairs carrying my boots so I don\u2019t wake anybody up. I hear a noise and look up from the stairs under my sock clad feet. Pa\u2019s stands by the fireplace and absently stares at the dead coals. He must hear me since he turns and glances at me. He quickly wipes the sad look off his face and replaces it with a smile. I know he\u2019s trying to hide the pain from me but he\u2019s not doing a very good job of it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI thought I was the only one awake.\u201d I sit down in a chair and pull on my boots.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019ve been down here for about an hour.\u201d He steps over and sits down in the chair across from me. \u201cI couldn\u2019t sleep, so I came down here. I\u2019ve been doing some thinking.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThinking about what?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, just about all kinds of things. Little Joe and Hannah mostly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI can tell you\u2019re hurting, Pa, you can\u2019t hide it from me. Hoss and I both noticed it yesterday after everyone left.\u201d I lean up, elbows on my knees, ready to listen. \u201cDo you want to talk about it? Talking can help sometimes, you know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSince apparently I\u2019m not very good at hiding it, it would feel good to talk about it. You know, get it off my chest.\u201d I nod as he leans back in his chair, getting comfortable, as he folds his hands in his lap. \u201cWell, I can\u2019t stop thinking about how empty this house feels without Little Joe around. I know it\u2019s rather silly of me, especially since he hasn\u2019t even been gone for a whole day yet. But there\u2019s just something different about how the house feels, like it\u2019s lost its mirth or something and it gives me an eerie feeling that I can\u2019t seem to shake. Even when Joe\u2019s been away on business, it\u2019s never felt like this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know how you feel, I have the same feeling, but Joe will be back in a week.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes, I know, but it\u2019s only a matter of time before they start a family and will want to build a house of their own. Then he\u2019ll hardly ever be here anymore.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, I figure he\u2019ll be here just about as much as he\u2019ll be at his own house. Joe\u2019ll still work on the ranch, so he\u2019ll have to come up to the house every once in a while. Anyways you still have Hoss and I.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut who knows for how much longer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAh, come on, Pa, I don\u2019t see either of us getting married anytime soon!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be so sure of that, Adam. Three months ago none of us would have even thought of Little Joe getting married.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, I currently don\u2019t know any young lady I plan on marrying.\u201d I say as I stand up. \u201cAnd it\u2019s not like some girl is just going to come riding into our front yard.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNow, don\u2019t be so sure of that either. Remember how Joe met Hannah, he found himself a wife when he was least suspecting it.\u201d Pa laughs as we walk across the room towards the table. I can hear Hop Sing in the kitchen preparing breakfast, so it\u2019s only a matter of time before Hoss is awake and on his way downstairs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Approximately fifteen minutes later just as Hop Sing places the last dish on the table, Hoss appears at the top of the stairs. He walks down with quite a bit of speed, clearly excited about breakfast. It\u2019s easy to get into Hoss\u2019s big, generous heart but good food makes it even easier.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMornin\u2019, Pa, Adam.\u201d He sits down and begins to fill his plate. \u201cI sure hope Little Joe and Hannah are havin’ a good time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure they are.\u201d Pa says as he takes a drink of his coffee. \u201cBut we\u2019ve got work to do and we don\u2019t have time to sit here wondering whether or not they\u2019re having a good time, which I\u2019m sure they are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Hoss and I look at each other knowing this is going to be a touchy spot with Pa. We continue to eat in silence, only speaking when we need something that\u2019s out of reach. We\u2019re nearly finished when we hear horses ride up outside. Pa stands as he wipes his mouth and lays his napkin beside his plate. He quickly walks around the table and to the door.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI wonder who that can be?\u201d Hoss wipes his face. \u201cSurely not Joe and Hannah, I figured they\u2019d at least be able to last a day off the ranch.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo, I doubt it\u2019s them, Little Joe will want his honeymoon and anyways, why would he knock?.\u201d I stand up and walk over to the door. I step out and see Pa standing next to an Indian on a horse. I recognize the Indian, it\u2019s Chief Winnemucca of the Paiutes, but I don\u2019t know any of the warriors with him. I hear an odd sound so I look past the warriors. What I spot shocks me. They have a young girl tied hand and foot on a horse and she has a gag in her mouth, which is where the strange noise I heard came from. What surprises me the most is that she\u2019s not an Indian but a white girl.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n She tosses her head back and forth, her bright red hair flying free from two messily braided strands. It looks to be nearly waist length and it seems an almost unnatural shade of orange red. I\u2019m not close enough to see her face clearly but close enough to hear the unintelligible sounds as they come from beneath that gag.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cShe sure is a fiery little gal, ain\u2019t she?\u201d I jump at the sound of Hoss\u2019s voice. I didn\u2019t hear him walk up behind me since I was so focused on the redheaded girl. I glance back at him and realize I only came about five feet outside of the door. I guess when I caught sight of that girl it sort of stopped me in my tracks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Hoss and I both walk over to Pa yet he\u2019s so busy conversing with the Chief that he doesn\u2019t notice us standing beside him. \u201cBut Chief Winnemucca, I do not trade for human life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPa, what does he want?\u201d I cross my arms over my chest.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, Adam, Hoss, I didn\u2019t see you standing there!\u201d He quickly turns to look at us. \u201cChief Winnemucca wants to trade us this girl for five head of cattle.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut why does he want to get rid of the girl?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey traded the Shoshone for her, but now they no longer want her. They say she\u2019s too much trouble.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see how a little gal like that can be too much trouble.\u201d Hoss says.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you going to do about it, Pa? If you don\u2019t trade for her, someone else will. And if no one will take her they\u2019ll probably kill her.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know, I know, I just don\u2019t like the thought of buying a person.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, think of it as giving her a new life instead. Who knows how she came to be with the Indians or how long she\u2019s been with them.\u201d I can see the wheels begin to turn in Pa\u2019s head. \u201cI tell you what, you trade five head of cattle for her and I\u2019ll pay you the full amount for them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAlright, but what about the girl? I don\u2019t have time to keep an eye on her.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll take full responsibility for her and I\u2019ll pay for all her expenses.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI hope you know what you\u2019re getting yourself into, son.\u201d After I give him a final nod, he turns back to the Chief. \u201cChief Winnemucca, I will trade you five head of cattle for the girl just like you ask.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGood. Red hair squaw cause much trouble, no longer want. Need much beef, people hungry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe will have our hands get your cattle.\u201d I don\u2019t hear the rest of what Pa says because I walk towards the girl where she still sits on that horse. She looks down at me with gray eyes, eyes that are filled with anger and fear, but mostly fear. I reach up to untie the gag and she jerks away. I have a strange feeling I\u2019ve just bitten off way more than I can chew. She just might turn out to be a little redheaded spitfire.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 3<\/span><\/p>\n I tenderly touch the bruise on my cheek. That girl sure can throw a pretty hard punch, I\u2019ll give her that. Since she wouldn\u2019t let me ungag her, I untied her legs. She struggled the whole time while I pulled her off the horse, flopping herself around. I undid her hands from behind her back and as soon as they were free, she ripped off the gag. She threw it at me and turned to take off running, but I quickly reached out and snagged her around the waist. It was like trying to hold a wildcat! She scratched my arm up and when she realized I wasn’t going to let her go, she punched me in the face. I didn\u2019t want to but I didn\u2019t have any other choice, I hit her in the jaw to knock her out. Since she was out cold, I carried her into the house.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Now I watch her struggle from where she sits tied hand and foot on the sofa. I had to retie her, she would have only hurt somebody or herself if I left her unbound. She glares up at me, fire in her eyes, clearly hating me even though I don\u2019t haven\u2019t the least idea why.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo, are you ready to tell me your name now?\u201d I sit down on the table facing her, my brows raised. \u201cI\u2019ve told you mine. I figured I was doing you a favor taking you away from the Indians, not giving you a reason to hate me!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSome favor!\u201d She\u2019s even angrier and seems a little scared. \u201cI would rather have been killed by them than taken away from them and thrown into white man\u2019s world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut you\u2019re whiter than me!\u201d I gesture towards her skin. \u201cWhy would you want to live with them? You don\u2019t belong in their world but with people of your own kind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow do you know I belong in white man\u2019s world?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI was just assuming you didn\u2019t like living with the Indians, but since apparently I was wrong, I\u2019ll go talk to my Pa and the Chief about holding off that trade.\u201d I stand and move towards the door. I don\u2019t really plan on doing it, I just want to see her reaction. \u201cIt\u2019ll save me some money, anyhow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n She jerks around and tries to stand up but falls back onto the sofa, clearly defeated. \u201cPlease, I don\u2019t want to go back. They will not take me!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAh, I see I\u2019ve hit the spot.\u201d I sit back down. \u201cNow, tell me the truth, who are you and why were you with the Indians?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey call me Red Mist.\u201d She cast her eyes down and looks at her tied hands. \u201cWhen I was ten years old, my mother, father, younger brothers, and I moved west from a place called New England. While moving, all three brothers were killed in accidents. My mother died of a broken heart before we got to Nevada. Once here my father found land and started a house, he never finished it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n She stops, clearly upset, which makes me feel bad. I give her a few minutes before asking, \u201cWhat happened to your father?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe pushed a big log up for a wall of the house. He slipped off and the log fell on him, it killed him.\u201d She reaches up and tries to wipe the tears off of her face with her tied hands. \u201cI tried to bury him but the log was too heavy. I waited a few days and then I left. I walked and walked until I ended up collapsing. I woke up in\u00a0 the Bannock village. I lived with them until five months ago. They gave me as a gift to the Shoshone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut how did the Paiutes get you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere was sickness in the village. They thought I cursed the village with the sickness. They traded me to the Paiutes for medicine and three horses.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhy did they think you cursed them?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy hair. They don\u2019t like red hair, they think it\u2019s a curse.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey had you tied and gagged, why?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI’m wild, they didn\u2019t know what to do with me and they\u2019re scared of my hair and pale skin. They thought I was a spirit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re definitely a wild spitfire of a gal!\u201d The front door swings open and Pa and Hoss come in. He gives me a small smile after looking at the girl but he doesn\u2019t know she\u2019s still tied up. He\u2019ll probably think it barbarous of me yet he didn\u2019t see what she did when I took her off that horse. I just hope he\u2019ll understand and not make me untie her, who knows what she\u2019ll do. She\u2019s slightly calmer but I still wouldn\u2019t put it past her to try and make a run for it again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad to see my son\u2019s making you feel comfortable.\u201d But then he walks around the sofa and sees her tied. She turns and looks up at him, her red eyes clearly testifying to the fact that she was just crying moments ago. Pa quickly looks at me and I know I\u2019m in for a tongue lashing. \u201cAdam, what is the meaning of this, why is she still tied up?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPa, let me explain.\u201d I quickly interrupt as I see him take a deep breath in preparation to yell again. \u201cShe wouldn\u2019t calm down and tried to run away when I untied her so I had no choice but to tie her up again. She is rather violent. Look.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I hold out my arm to him and he inspects the scratches on it and the bruise on my cheek. He looks back and forth between me and Red Mist like he\u2019s not sure if she could have done this to me. \u201cYou did this to Adam?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d She gives him a blank look. Hearing Hoss start to chuckle to himself, I give him a look. He shuts up but I can tell he\u2019s still amused that a little girl like her could beat me up. Pa starts to pace back and forth across the room, clearly unsure of what to do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAdam, I don\u2019t know what to tell you!\u201d He sits down in his red chair beside me and crosses his legs. But then he quickly uncrosses them as he leans up and rests his elbows on the armrests. Apparently he\u2019s been struck with an idea, if the look on his face is any indication. \u201cYoung lady, what\u2019s your name?<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRed Mist.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSurely you have an English name. And maybe some family who\u2019d be willing to take you in?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI was born Misty Eleveth.\u201d She glances at me before continuing. \u201cAll of my family is dead. I have lived with the Indians since I was eleven years old. I have no one in the white world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow many years have you lived with the Indians? Quite frankly, you look so young I haven\u2019t the least idea how old you are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve lived with the Indians for fourteen years. I don\u2019t know how to live in white man\u2019s world.\u201d I do the calculations in my head, she\u2019s twenty-five.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, Misty, if it\u2019s alright to call you that?\u201d Pa looks worried for a moment, but she nods as a slow wide smile spreads across her face. It\u2019s a very pretty smile. \u201cWould you be willing to learn the ways of the white world? My sons and I will help you learn them if you want.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI would like that, thank you.\u201d She glances down again and looks back up. \u201cI seem to have no other choice. The Indians no longer want me and now I\u2019m in a world where I feel lost.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMisty, we\u2019ll help you in any way we can and anything we can\u2019t help you with, my daughter-in-law can.\u201d Pa lays his hand on her arm in that comforting way of his. \u201cBut first let\u2019s get you untied and, if you\u2019re hungry, some food in your stomach.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 4<\/span><\/p>\n Reaching out, Pa unbinds her hands and leans back as she unties her feet. She gives me a look and slowly rises to her feet. I see her give her wrists a quick rub like she\u2019s checking for bruises. I didn\u2019t tie her tight enough to bruise but those leather strips the Indians tied her with were really tight.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI guess I\u2019m hungry. I haven\u2019t eaten since sunrise this morning and that was only a little bit of jerky.\u201d She looks up at Pa. \u201cI hope my hunger doesn\u2019t trouble you much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo, no not at all! We would be glad to feed.\u201d He offers her his arm, which she takes after some slight hesitation. \u201cYou can call me Ben and this is my other son, Hoss.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHoss? The Indians give strange names, I didn\u2019t think that white man did, too.\u201d She sits down in the chair Pa pulls out for her.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, ma\u2019am, I\u2019m just such a big fella and it\u2019s just a nickname, my real name is Eric.\u201d Hoss sits down across from her while I take my seat at the end of the table. \u201cI reckon the Indians had a reason for calling you Red Mist just like I have a reason for being called Hoss.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhy did they call you Red Mist?\u201d I fold my hands on the table.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI was given the name because of how the Bannock found me the night I collapsed after all my walking. It\u2019s said that they saw a red glow coming from between two mountains and when they went to see what was making it they saw the valley was filled with a red mist. At the bottom of the valley I laid, all my red hair spread around me. They say my red hair made the red mist.\u201d She says it so plainly that you\u2019d think she believes every word of that story and I\u2019ll wager she does.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDo you believe this story?\u201d Pa asks as Hop Sing brings a cup of fresh coffee and a plate of yesterday\u2019s leftovers for Misty to eat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d She looks down at the plate, clearly uncertain about what\u2019s on it. \u201cMy mother taught me about God and how to read the Bible before she died. I carry her Bible with me always, it brings great comfort to me. I have never believed in the Indians gods or stories.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I see her uncertainty about how to go about eating so I pick up her fork and hand it to her. Since she fiddles with it not knowing how to use it, I gently take her hand and show her how to hold it. She gives me a small smile as she scoops up a piece of cold ham. She starts to chew and her eyes light up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou like it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes. What is it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHam, it\u2019s the meat that comes from a pig. We had it yesterday at my little brother\u2019s wedding.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou have more brothers?\u201d Her eyes widen.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cJust one more.\u201d I hold up a finger. \u201cHe\u2019s in town with his wife, Hannah. They\u2019re on their honeymoon.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHoneymoon? I\u2019ve never heard of a moon that has honey.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s what white people call the time after a man and woman get married.\u201d Pa laughs.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh! That is a very pretty word for such a special time in one’s life.\u201d She takes another bite. \u201cBen, you must be very proud to have three sons.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes, I am.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut where is your squaw? A man must have a squaw to make sons.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSadly, all my wives are dead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWives? You must be an important man to have wives.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, not all at once! My first wife, Adam\u2019s mother, died and then I married Hoss\u2019s mother. She died also and then I married my youngest son, Joe\u2019s mother.\u201d Pa explains.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\nLeo (Book 3)<\/a>
\nRose, My Love (Book 4)<\/a><\/p>\n