To Dream Anew (35 page)

“Perhaps you should—”

The women both jumped in surprise as a loud crash on the back porch interrupted Koko’s words. Dianne eyed the rifle that hung over the kitchen door. Koko seemed to understand and moved to the side of the back door to retrieve the weapon. Before she could pull it down, however, another crash came followed by a scuffling sound from behind the closed door.

“It’s probably just an animal,” Koko said, taking hold of the rifle.

“Probably.” But in her heart she knew neither of them believed that. Still, they’d heard no one approach, and with all the men working just beyond the barns, Dianne had a hard time believing anyone could have made their way to the house without being seen.

Koko reached for the knob just as the door burst open and a man stumbled in and fell across the kitchen floor. The women gasped in unison. It was Takes Many Horses.

“George, what are you doing?” Koko questioned, tossing the rifle to Dianne. She quickly knelt down to feel his brow. “He’s not feverish.”

“I’m not sick,” he said, gasping for air. “I’m exhausted and hungry. I’ve been on the run for weeks. The army is right behind me. I’m sorry,” he said, lifting his gaze to Dianne. “I didn’t … didn’t mean to bring … them here.”

“How far back are they?” Dianne asked, going to the window once again.

“A couple hours maybe. Like I said … I’m sorry.”

Koko helped her brother to a chair. “I have some tea I can fix you. It will help so that you can eat without getting sick.”

The man nodded. “They are trying to kill me. I have to hide. I can’t go on like this or they’ll capture me.”

“Have you done something wrong?” Dianne asked, coming to stand directly in front of him. She was already trying to put together a plan of action.

“No. They simply want me because I’m Indian. There is a great campaign to round up all of the remaining Indians and put them away on the reservations. In case you haven’t been keeping up on the affairs of this land, Montana Territory wants to become a state. You can’t convince the government in Washington to do that when you have Indians running wild. They had me once, but I escaped. Hit the guard over the head.”

Dianne couldn’t hide her reaction. She bit her lower lip and tried to force the worried expression from her face.

“Don’t worry,” Takes Many Horses said. “I didn’t kill him. But I couldn’t let him keep me imprisoned. We were halfway to the reservation when I got away. I thought they’d give up, but they won’t rest until every last one of us with Indian blood is removed.”

Dianne remembered the last time soldiers had come to her house. “Then they’ll be after Koko and the children too. I’ll have to hide all of you.” She looked at Koko, who’d stopped what she was doing and slowly turned.

“Hide us?”

Dianne began to gather up food. “You know they’ll try to take you again. We have the new cellar under the storeroom. I’ll hide you there and get one of the boys to help me put the heavy chest across the trapdoor. Then I’ll pile things around it to make it look as though they’ve been there forever.” She drew a deep breath and met her aunt’s grave expression. “I won’t let them take you or the children … or you,” she said, looking to Takes Many Horses.

“Now go get the children quickly. Tell them what you must. I’ll tell Luke and Micah you had to go away.”

Takes Many Horses got to his feet. His knees buckled but he caught himself on the table. “I can’t stay here. I can’t do this to my own flesh and blood.”

“You have no choice,” Dianne declared. “There isn’t time for anything else. It was bound to happen sooner or later.” She deposited the things she’d been gathering in a wooden bucket. “I need to go speak with the men. I’ll get someone in here to help you into the cellar.”

“We can make it on our own,” Koko said. “Just go and do what you must, and we’ll do likewise.”

Dianne could hardly bear to leave. She thrust the bucket into her aunt’s hands. “Gather whatever you think I missed. Don’t forget water.” She hurried from the room, afraid that if she remained she might be unable to think clearly.

Dianne felt her heart pounding hard. She was almost dizzy from the worry of what might yet happen. Hurrying to the corrals, she spotted Billy Joe and Gabe and motioned them over.

“We have trouble.”

Both men eyed the house, then looked back to Dianne. “What is it?” Billy Joe asked.

“Koko’s brother has just arrived. He’s half dead from exhaustion and starvation. The army is chasing him, and they’re only an hour or two behind. We can’t let them find him, because if they do, they’ll also find Koko and the children. The army won’t let them remain here.”

“What do you need us to do?”

“Spread the word about what’s happening. Tell the men that they are to say nothing. If cornered or questioned about Koko and the children—if it should be the same men who were here before—tell the men to feign ignorance. I don’t want anyone to have to lie, but if pressed, I plan to say they’ve already been removed to the reservation.”

“Where are you going to hide them?” Gabe asked, pulling off his gloves.

“The new cellar. Very few people know about it, but I know you and Billy Joe helped Cole dig it out. I think it’s going to be the best place. I only hope they won’t suffocate down there.”

The men exchanged a look of concern. “If they have to be down there very long,” Gabe replied, “it might not be good.”

Dianne shuddered. “We’ll just have to trust God to multiply the air, like He did the loaves and fishes.” She tried not to worry that God might not honor her prayers because they were technically breaking the law. The law was wrong, she thought, but the Bible did say to obey the laws of the land. Dianne was torn as to what she should do. Her loyalty to family, however, was strong.

Lord, I don’t want to sin against you,
she prayed silently, overwhelmed with hopelessness.
I don’t want to lie to the soldiers or put anyone’s life in jeopardy, but I can’t let them take Koko and the children … or Takes Many Horses
.

“I’ll tell the boys,” Gabe said. “Billy Joe can come up to the house and help you. After I get the word spread here, how about I come get Luke and Micah? I can take them to the river to fish. It will seem like things are just routine that way.”

Dianne bit her lower lip and nodded. Luke, especially, would be beside himself with curiosity as to why they were hiding Koko’s family in the cellar. “Yes, thank you. John just went down for his nap, so he’ll probably sleep right through it all.”

“Good. Then we have a plan.”

Dianne wished she didn’t feel so afraid. “Thank you both. This has to work. It just has to work.”

“But I don’t want to hide. I want to fight,” Jamie declared. “You keep telling me I’m white. That I look white—that I’m more white than Indian, but now you’re telling me I have to hide.” Koko began to sob, and Susannah clung in terror to her mother’s skirt.

Dianne grabbed Jamie by the arm and pulled him from the kitchen into the dining room. “Look, you need to think about someone other than yourself this time. If the soldiers come, they might very well leave you behind, but they won’t leave your mother here. Nor will they leave your uncle, whom they’ve been pursuing for weeks. You have the ability to be a hero in this matter. Your mother and sister need you. Takes Many Horses needs you as well. He can hardly stand, much less defend himself.”

Jamie’s stiff stance relaxed a bit. “But I could stay here and fight with you.”

“But your mother will never go into that cellar without you,” Dianne whispered. “Don’t you understand that? She won’t allow us to protect her if her children are in jeopardy.”

Jamie said nothing for a moment, then exhaled heavily. “I’ll go. I don’t like it, but I’ll go.”

“Thank you. You are an honorable son. Your father would be so proud right now. You may not think it honorable to hide, but sometimes the Lord asks us to rest and wait upon Him. That’s all you’re doing now. You aren’t a coward.”

“No, you are not a coward,” Takes Many Horses said from the doorway. “You are going to be my strength, for I surely have none left.”

Jamie straightened at this, the proud spirit returning to replace defeat. “I will be your strength, Uncle.”

“Good. Then let us hurry, for the time has grown short.”

Jamie went to Takes Many Horses and put his arm around him in support. Dianne followed, feeling helpless to make matters right. By the time they got to the storage room, Billy Joe had already managed to get Koko and Susannah down into the cellar.

Takes Many Horses went down the ladder next, with Koko steadying him from beneath and Jamie helping him from above. Dianne could see the fear in Koko’s eyes.

“I will keep you safe,” Dianne whispered. “
He
will keep you safe.”

“We’ll be praying,” Koko offered in return. “Don’t risk your life for ours. I could never forgive myself if you were killed and left the boys without a mother.”

“They’ll have to go through us to get to her,” Billy Joe said sternly.

Jamie hurried down the ladder just as the sound of horses’ hooves could be heard rumbling in the distance. There was no more time for words. Dianne caught sight of Takes Many Horses and read the longing in his eyes. Longing to be free instead of captured in a hole in the ground. Longing to say words that had to remain unspoken.

“Help me maneuver this chest over the trapdoor,” Dianne instructed Billy Joe. “Then pile all of these things around so it looks like they’ve been here forever.” She grabbed armfuls of blankets.

The two of them quickly had the trapdoor hidden away. They took the supplies that had been sitting behind the chest and arranged them around it to look natural.

“Come on. We’ll have to go greet them. They’ll know something’s amiss if we don’t show up quickly at the sight of an army in our front yard.” Billy Joe followed her out. Dianne stopped only long enough to lock the storage room. “They’ll no doubt insist on my opening it, but at least it’s a small deterrent.”

They hurried to the front of the house, where the commander was dismounting when Dianne came through the front door. “Why, hello, Captain,” she said in her most cheery greeting. “Welcome to the Diamond V.” She didn’t recognize him from having been there before, but that was no reassurance that he didn’t know about Koko and the children.

“Ma’am,” he said, touching his hat. “We are tracking a dangerous man—a Blackfoot runaway. He’s been on the run for several weeks, and our scouts have tracked him here.”

“I’m afraid your man is mistaken. I’ve seen nothing of a dangerous Blackfoot.”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t just present himself to you. We’re going to search the premises. I’d advise you to stay inside so as to be safe.”

Dianne felt a bit of relief course through her. Maybe they’d have no interest in searching the house. But just as she thought this, the captain motioned one of his men.

“I want you to accompany this woman into the house and then search to make certain he’s not inside hiding. Take two men with you.”

“Yes, sir,” the private replied.

Dianne swallowed hard, but the cottony dryness of her mouth left her feeling gagged. Billy Joe stood faithfully at her side as Gus approached from the barn.

“What’s going on here?” he demanded to know.

“We’re searching for an Indian. We’ve tracked him here and we intend to flush him out,” the captain replied. “I’ll trust you’ll direct my men to places they might look—places where an animal such as this could hide.”

“You bet,” Gus answered. “I don’t want any vicious varmints around here. You boys come on along with me. I’ll grab my gun and we’ll go huntin’.”

Dianne would have smiled had the situation not been so grave. The private returned with his two companions and motioned Dianne into the house. “Ma’am, if you’ll lead the way, please.”

Dianne gathered her skirts and entered her home. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Billy Joe followed her, but his presence offered her little comfort. She wished Cole were home but at the same time worried about how he might have handled the matter. His nonaggressive stance against the Lawrences had left her puzzled as to who he was and why he didn’t act. She would have demanded Chester and Portia stop their threats and underhanded scheming by now.

“Where does this hall go to?” the private asked.

Dianne turned. “It goes to the back of the house. There are stairs there to the second floor.”

“And this way?” He pointed in the direction of the dining room and kitchen.

“There is a small sitting room and then the dining area. The kitchen is to the back of the house, and a small storage room.

Then there’s an enclosed mud porch that leads outside. Oh, and a narrow hall leads to the back stairs. It goes full circle.”

“Let’s start that way,” the soldier said, pushing past Dianne.

The men fanned out and searched behind furniture and under the dining room table. When they came to the kitchen, two of the men went immediately to the back porch, while the private in charge checked the room by himself. Coming to the locked storage room door, he turned to Dianne.

“Where does this go to?”

“It’s a storage room. We keep it locked unless we need something from it.”