Antebellum BK 1 (45 page)

“
I sent him back to buy some fishhooks.”

“
Alone?”

She shrugged. “Yeah.”

“
I want you to take this and hold it in your hand.” He gave her his big Navy Colt pistol. “If any man comes close, point it at him. If he keeps coming, shoot him. I’ll be right back.” Jack turned and ran toward the trading post. When he got there and pushed his way through the crowd, he found Coyote paying for his purchases. Behind Coyote, two of the buffalo hunters, who were going to Yellowstone with them, smiled at Jack and tipped their hats.

Jack returned the smile, wondering if there had been trouble.

“
Did you leave Mrs. Van Buskirk alone?” Coyote asked in an accusing tone.

Jack turned, pushed his way out and ran back to the wagon. “Clem?” he shouted.

“
Here.” She stepped out from between two of their horses. “What’s wrong?”

“
Nothing.”

She gave him back his pistol. “Are you feeling okay?” She put her hand on his forehead.

“
Yes.” He stepped back in annoyance, then looked around. “I want to get moving as soon as possible.”

“
That’s gonna be some time tomorrow,” she said. “Most of our buffalo hunters are in that tent swilling down moonshine and dancing with lewd women.”

“
How do you know that?”

“
Mr. Baker told me.” She pointed a thumb at the big fisherman from Maine who had come west to hunt buffalo.

Baker, who was sitting on the seat of his wagon with a Sharps rifle across his knees and two revolvers strapped to his hips, grinned and tipped his hat.

“
Glad somebody else has been thinking,” Jack muttered.

“
What?” Clementine asked.

Jack shook his head. “Nothing.”

“
Where’s Coyote?”

“
He’s with two of the buffalo hunters. They were paying for their goods and should be along soon.”

“
The two Bobs,” she said with a nod.

“
What?”

“
The buffalo hunters with Coyote are Texas Bob Logan and Bob Longstreet from Virginia. They’re always together. Why don’t you know that?”

“
It’s an old habit.”

“
Not learning people’s names is an old habit?”

“
Yes. Not learning the names of men who are almost sure to die soon.”

“
You think they’ll die up there but we won’t?”

“
Yes.”

She was at a loss for words momentarily, and decided to change the subject. “Bob Longstreet’s brother’s a West Pointer. Maybe you know him.”

“
Pete,” Jack said with a nod.

“
No.” Clementine shook her head. “That’s not him. James. I’m pretty sure he said James.”

“
James Longstreet’s West Point nickname is Old Pete.”

“
How did that come about?”

“
I have no idea.”

“
What was your nickname?”

“
I didn’t have one. They tried to hang several on me, but they didn’t stick. I was just Jack.”

“
How about Robert and the rest?”

Jack smiled. “Robert was Professor. Thomas was Rowdy. William was Bad Billy. Dad was Yank. His father and everybody earlier went to Sandhurst in England. If they had nicknames, I don’t know them.” He thought a moment longer. “Quincy is Pug. That’s all I can remember.”

“
Bad Billy. That one fits.”

“
Yes, but it was only used behind William’s back. Nobody in his right mind would have called him Bad Billy to his face.”

“
I remember your mother saying that Robert was terrified of William.”

“
We were all scared of William. Even Mother. He was like Dad’s horse Beelzebub; only Dad could handle him. He bit and kicked everyone else but he toed the line when Dad snapped his fingers.”

“
Here comes Coyote and the two Bobs.” The relief on Clementine’s face was obvious.

Coyote handed Clementine a package and her change, then he looked accusingly at Jack. “This is a dangerous place for a woman.”

“
And for Sioux boys,” Jack said. “That’s why I came running after you. I didn’t know the two Bobs were watching over you.”

“
I need no watching over,” Coyote said vehemently. “Mrs. Van Buskirk does.”

“
Stop it,” Clementine said. “I sent Jack after you, Coyote. I was armed, you weren’t. Leave it alone.”

“
The boy’s right,” one of the Bobs said. “We’ll need to keep a close watch after dark.”

Jack nodded. “We’ll be leaving at first light even if your associates are dead drunk.”

“
We’ll be ready,” Bob number two said.

June
30, 1855

Jackson’s Hole, Oregon or Nebraska Territory

J
ack looked up from the map at the faces surrounding him. “The land features match the descriptions in Colter’s journals.”

“
Whose journal?” Texas Bob asked.

“
John Colter. He was the member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that discovered this area.” He pointed. “That mountain range must be the Tetons.”

“
That means titties,” Clementine giggled. “Did you know that?”

Jack ignored her. “Colter came here in 1806 through Togwotee Pass which must be that cleft there.” He pointed again. “People have always thought that Colter exaggerated the beauty of this place. Now we can see that he didn’t.” He looked at all the hairy-faced men. “Some of the Indian bands that we’ll come across up here will have never seen a white person before. A few will have had bad experiences and consider us their enemies. We must stay vigilant and try not to make any new enemies by being too quick to pull a trigger or end up dead by being too slow.” He began folding the map. “This ground along the river is very boggy. I suggest that we camp here and send out some scouts to find a firmer path, suitable for the wagons.”

“
We’ll go,” Bob Longstreet said.

“
Coyote and I will join you,” Jack said.

“
And me,” Clementine added.

Jack knew better than to argue with her and simply nodded.

~

“
I’ve never seen flowers like these,” Clementine said, turning in her saddle to observe the display of colors in the grass.

“
Stop looking at the flowers and watch the ridges,” Jack grumbled.

“
We are being followed.” Coyote pointed to a line of trees. “Six or eight riders.”

Jack looked but could see nothing. “How do you know?”

“
They frighten the birds. The birds fly until the riders have passed, then they land again.”

“
Clever,” Jack said. “Can you tell what tribe they’re from by how high the birds fly?”

“
Does it matter?” Coyote asked, ignoring the sarcasm.

“
If we knew their tribe, we’d know if we should open fire or let them approach.” Jack checked his rifle.

“
Whoever they are they know we have firearms,” Coyote said. “It will take courage to attack us. If they come at us shouting war cries, we should shoot.”

“
Unless they know what you know.” Jack turned in the saddle to look behind them, and then he looked back at the trees. “They’ll be within rifle range when they come out of the trees, but we’ll be beyond the range of bows and lances. We’ll need to decide fast.”

“
Do you see the two Bobs?” Clementine asked nervously.

Neither Jack nor Coyote answered her. Their attention was on the column of Indians that was appearing from behind the tree line on the ridge.

“
Can you identify them?” Jack asked.

“
Dakota,” Coyote said. “I will go talk to them.” Before Jack could respond, the boy had kicked his horse into a trot.

~

Jack, Clementine, the two Bobs and Coyote were dismounted while the Sioux scouting party waited on the ridge above them.

Clementine folded her arms. “I’m not going.”

Jack looked helplessly toward the Indians on the high ground. “They’re not going to understand why we’d listen to a woman. Think of some other excuse to decline.”

“
We cannot say no to an invitation to visit their camp,” Coyote insisted.

“
If y’all want, we could watch after your missus, Colonel,” Texas Jack offered.

Jack shook his head. “Coyote will have to go alone.”

“
How am I going to explain that?” Coyote asked. “They will see it as an insult if our leader refuses their invitation.”

“
I’ll be okay with the two Bobs,” Clementine insisted.

Jack looked at the two grizzled men and considered threatening their lives, then decided it might do more harm than good. “Okay. We’ll meet the headman, pay our respects and be back in camp before dark.”

“
I don’t think so,” Coyote said. “They had a successful hunt today. There will be dancing and celebrating until dawn.”

“
Well then I’m not going,” Jack said.

“
Don’t be silly,” Clementine replied. “I’ll be fine. None of the buffalo hunters has ever been anything but polite to me.”

Jack blew out his cheeks in frustration, then nodded. “Okay. I guess we don’t have any other choice.”

~

“
What was in that pipe we smoked last night?” Jack asked as they rode down the valley toward their wagons.

“
Tobacco and dried mushroom,” Coyote answered. “My head feels heavy from it.”

“
My stomach is so upset that I can’t feel my head. Are you sure we’re going the right way?”

“
Yes.” Coyote pointed. “There are the wagons.”

“
Nobody’s there,” Jack said in alarm.

“
There’s a campfire. To the right. In that clearing.”