Slocum and the Spirit Bear (9781101618790) (19 page)

21

When Slocum approached the spot outside of the town where the wagons had been left, he was nearly shot by an overly anxious Josiah. As it turned out, the near-miss was the most excitement the group had had since Slocum and Hevo had struck out on their own. The entire group was more than ready to get moving, and even though there was barely enough daylight for the wagons to travel a few miles, they did so in high spirits.

Hevo and Namid bade their farewells almost immediately. Their lands were to the northeast, and they were anxious to get back to them. Even so, the McCauley children wouldn't let them go before they'd had a chance to tell Namid how beautiful her flowing hair was. James Wilcox smiled at her and wouldn't say a word. It seemed the young boy was taken with her as well.

Despite his obligations to remain with the wagons, Slocum felt it more important to deal with Spirit Bear once and for all. There was an Army supply post a day's ride to the northwest, and he took the old man there before any of his more persistent followers took it upon themselves to find him on their own. Every step of the way, Spirit Bear muttered and chanted. Just when it seemed the old man had found a soothing melody, he would shift into a heated tirade about the death of all white men. For the last stretch of trail leading to the outpost, Slocum stuffed a bandanna in Spirit Bear's mouth so he could ride in peace.

The man who took custody of Spirit Bear was a sergeant named Owen Teales. He didn't seem to know what to do with Spirit Bear until Slocum explained that the old man was behind the recent attacks scattered across this and many other territories.

“Just take some men to his camp in the hills,” Slocum told the young sergeant. “Be sure to keep your guard up, though. There'll be more redskins than you'll know what to do with in those parts.”

Feeling he might be able to impress his superiors, Sergeant Teales agreed to send a cavalry unit to Spirit Bear's camp in the hills. Slocum gave him directions, made sure Spirit Bear was locked up, and headed out in the morning to meet up with the wagons. Normally, pointing a group of Indian hunters toward a cluster of targets wouldn't set well with Slocum. Having met those particular targets on more than one occasion, however, he found it fitting that those crazed killers and thieves meet their end at the hands of a bunch of well-armed palefaces.

Once he'd reunited with the wagon train, Slocum rode with them all the way into Colorado. It was a quiet trip, marred only by a few tough river crossings, during which they lost a pair of horses and busted a wheel. Upon arriving at the portion of the Rockies where Ed's mining claims were, the group disbanded to begin their new lives.

“Stay with us, John,” Theresa said when she'd carried her first armload of possessions into an old log cabin that was to be her and James's new home. “At least for a little while.”

“That's not part of the deal,” he replied. “I was only paid to get you here.” When she scowled at him, Slocum grinned and kissed her on the cheek. “I'll check in on you two when I come along to collect my percentage of that claim.”

She pulled him close and whispered, “How about staying until the morning? I'd love to have one more night with you.”

Slocum felt a pull toward the open trail, but he wasn't about to refuse a lady.