Chapter 8

Ben was summoned to Stone Eagle’s tepee shortly after the wagon train had settled in for their stay. Blossom went with him, ceremonially carrying the long gun, powder, and ammunition that Ben intended to give to Stone Eagle, wrapped up in one of the heavy trading post blankets.

The walk to the tepee was uneventful. There were a lot of curious onlookers scattered about the village, many of whom stopped and stared when Ben was led past them, but none of them said anything to Ben and none interfered in his progress. For his part, Ben did his best to ignore the onlookers, and to keep a serious face, even when Ben spotted a child acting up in an attempt to catch his attention.

The meeting with Stone Eagle went well. Blossom spoke for Ben, even though she had told Ben that Stone Eagle spoke passable English. She introduced the men with Stone Eagle – Running Wolf, the father of Dawn Flower and war chief of the tribe, and Sitting Bear, the village shaman. Both men nodded courteously at Ben when their names were spoken by Blossom.

The rifle, powder, and ammunition were well received as was the blanket. Once the gift had been given, a woman who turned out to be Stone Eagle’s wife offered Ben a beaker of herbal tea. Ben accepted it politely. Then, once everyone had a drink, excluding the women, Stone Eagle asked for Ben’s story of how he came to the trading post and how he’d saved Swift Hawk’s life.

Ben did as he’d been asked. Blossom had warned Ben of this piece of ritual. He knew that by now Stone Eagle had heard everything twice, once from Blossom and once from Dawn Flower, and that he was aware of what had happened at the trading post and what Ben’s involvement had been. The thing was that Stone Eagle wanted to hear it from Ben’s lips. Blossom had told him that the men bragged of their exploits all the time, regardless of how minor that exploit really was, and that Stone Eagle and the others wanted to hear the story told by the man involved in the adventure. Knowing this Ben did his best to retell the tale with enough verboseness to satisfy Stone Eagle’s interest, while keeping as closely to the facts as possible. To Ben’s good fortune, Stone Eagle smiled at the end of the tale.

“You speak truth, lawman,” Stone Eagle stated once Ben had finished speaking, addressing Ben directly in English, his voice deep and gravely. “Blossom has said that you would do so, as did Dawn Flower. My people appreciate the truth. Both Blossom and Dawn Flower say you are a good man and that you can be trusted. They have also told me that you have come to my people with an offer of trade. It is a strange offer, but a worthy offer. I will listen to it.”

With that Ben explained to Stone Eagle that the people with him were travelling westward and that they intended to find a new home far across the distant mountains. He then explained that most of them, the dark skinned people, were unfamiliar with the way, and that they were inexperienced at living in the wild. Since he could not travel with them westward, Ben hoped to make friends with the Cherokee and the other nations that populated the Great Plains, in the hope of gaining a safe passage for the wagon train. To this end Ben was willing to trade for safe passage, and perhaps assistance when needed for his friends.

Stone Eagle spoke with the other two men seated with him, reverting back to his own language. Their conversation was brief. When they were finished speaking, Stone Eagle addressed Ben once again.

“What you ask of my people is something that we could give, after some consideration and reflection,” Stone Eagle stated plainly. “You have shown yourself a friend of my tribe already, and in treating with me, you have shown respect. I will send runners to the other villages that lie about the route your wagons will travel. I will tell the men of those villages that the people in the wagon train are our friends and ask that they treat them as such. There will be other people that your wagon train will need to deal with along the way; the Arapaho, the Shoshone, the Ute, and many more. I cannot speak for them, but if your people treat with them as you do with me, I am certain that the men of those nations will see the wisdom of allowing them to pass unmolested.”

With that declared Stone Eagle asked Ben what he would trade with his people so that a hunter would travel with the train, at least to the edge of Cherokee territory. Ben mentioned the two horses, the sack of beans, and the pouch of tobacco. Stone Eagle seemed pleased with the offer, but he wanted one more thing, for the hunter who would travel with the train. He wanted a long gun for that man as well.

Ben didn’t answer the request right away. He sat and mused over it for a minute or two before reply. Personally Ben didn’t mind giving more to the tribe if it meant that Cecily and the others made it across the plains without running into trouble. In fact Ben had loaded most of the rifles and shotguns into the wagon driven by Idaho Bill with the intention of using them as gifts or as trade with the various tribes encountered along the route that the family intended to travel. Even so, Ben knew what was expected of him during this negotiation. He was after all supposed to be a lawman, and the trade of weapons to the indigenous people of the plains was frowned upon by many. Ben had to act cautious in making his decision.

“I will give the hunter a long gun,” Ben finally said, keeping his voice firm and steady, “but it will not be as good a weapon as what I have given Stone Eagle. It will be a good weapon and I will show the hunter how to use it so he can hunt the buffalo from afar, but I will only give him enough powder and ammunition to last him for a short while. If he wants more, he will need to trade for it.”

Ben’s reply pleased Stone Eagle and the other two men. They accepted the deal. Once they had, Ben was dismissed. He didn’t mind. He wanted to get back to the wagon train so that he could reassure everyone that everything was fine.

“You did well with Stone Eagle and the other men, lawman,” Blossom told Ben as they crossed the valley floor towards where the train had parked. “Stone Eagle saw respect in your face and he heard honesty and fairness in your voice. The family should do well. So when will you leave them.”

That was a question that Ben really didn’t have an answer to, or at least not one that he could tell Blossom or anyone else as a matter of fact. The people at the detention centre had told him that his stay in the past would probably be a week to two weeks at most depending on what he did there, and how much he helped people out. Instinctively he’d know when to ride off into the sunset, but beyond that piece of reassurance they couldn’t tell Ben more. They couldn’t even tell Ben what constituted helping someone out. Clearly rescuing the family from the slavers was helping them out, but did Ben going off to hunt a deer to feed them the next day count the same to the completion of his service here in the past? Ben didn’t know. It meant that any answer he gave Blossom and the others was only a guess.

“A week maybe,” Ben told Blossom as they neared the spot where the others were waiting for them. “I want to work with Cecily a little more on her horse riding, and to take her out, to show her how to hunt. I’m still hoping to get Amos willing to at least handle a shotgun. It would give the wagon train one more adult capable of handling a weapon, if they do run into any trouble. I’ll have to see about that. Regardless, in a week’s time I should bid them farewell and turn back towards the east. I do have a job to do there.”

Blossom didn’t get a chance to reply or even to make a comment on what Ben’s plans were and what she thought he should be doing. By then they were at the campsite that Cecily and Dove had set up in their absence. As they strolled into the camp the people came forward to ask them how the meeting with Stone Eagle had gone. The group’s curiosity saved Ben from any further discussion on his departure, at least for the time being.

The rest of the day was a busy one for Ben. As Ben had told Blossom on the way back to the camp his first priority was to train Cecily so that she could lead her family, and more importantly, protect her family once Ben had left them. As such, at least in Ben’s mind, there was no time to dawdle.

He did pause long enough to eat lunch. Dove had organized that while Ben and Blossom had been off speaking with Stone Eagle. It wasn’t much of a meal; some reheated beans that were left over from breakfast along with some pan biscuits. Ben was looking forward to eating it. He was hungry and he knew that the meal would tide him over for the rest of the day, while he worked with Cecily. While he sat there eating his meal, Ben tried to feel out Amos as to what his intentions were.

“Tell me Amos,” Ben asked the man in a casual manner, trying not to startle Amos too much with his question. “Have you given any thought to learning to use a weapon like I suggested a few days ago. It would help ensure the safety of the wagon train.”

Amos didn’t reply immediately. He was seated at the campfire across from Ben, while Ben was sitting flanked by Cecily and Dove. At first he just looked at Ben as if dumbfounded by the question, but then as what Ben had said sank in, Amos looked away. It was clear to everyone at the campfire that Amos was not only embarrassed by the question, but unsettled by it as well.

“I could teach you to use a shotgun, Amos,” Idaho Bill suggested amiably, jumping into the conversation when Amos didn’t reply. He was sitting off to the right of Ben, sipping his own coffee which Harriet had just refilled. “It sure would help out having another armed man on this train, particularly once the marshal rides off.”

“Is that going to happen soon, Marshal?” Harriet asked as she settled the coffee pot back onto the heating stone they had put at the edge of their campfire. “I thought you’d be riding with us for a while.”

“I’m not sure when I’ll be riding out,” Ben admitted hesitantly. “I’m already overdue for the place I should be at, over in Kansas. I figure I can stay with the wagon train for another week, but that is it. After that, I’m going to have to bid you all farewell. Hopefully by then you’ll be far away from here, and well on your way west.”

“So when do we ride out of here?” Idaho Bill enquired when no one else spoke up. “From the sounds of it, it should be soon.”

“It will be,” Ben acknowledged promptly. “The fact is, and I’m sure you know this Bill, but I’ll point it out for the rest of the people here, the season for travelling westward started well over a month ago and it is slipping by even as we speak. I’m hoping Stone Eagle picks an emissary to travel with us today. If he does we could pull out of here and head off westward tomorrow morning at the very earliest. I don’t think it’ll help much, but it might.”

“What do you mean; it won’t help much, Marshal Ben?” Cecily asked anxiously, glancing at Ben from where she sat beside him.

“It’s just the truth, Miss Cecily,” Ben told her. “Even if the wagon train does well crossing the plains and you don’t run into any trouble, the trip is still a long one. The fact is that even if you were to load up and leave here this very second, I doubt that you’d make it across the Rocky Mountains this year. Most likely you’re going to have to hole up somewhere this winter and wait it out until the passes are clear next summer.”

“Oh,” Cecily murmured in response, concern etched onto her features.

“It’ll be all right Miss Cecily,” Idaho Bill chimed in, attempting to reassure the women. “By the time we hit the foothills, you’ll be a true frontier woman and know all you need to know about surviving out here on the plains or over there in the mountains. I’ll make sure of it, as will Ben here before he leaves.”

“I’ll help as well,” Dove added quickly, giving Cecily a reassuring smile. “You’ll see, I’m certain of it. Everything will be fine.”

Cecily didn’t respond, except to give each a quick, nervous smile. Ben noted this and told himself that he’d have to speak to Cecily later, to help her accept the fact that she was going to have to manage things herself, down the road, and that he wouldn’t be there to help her out. That thought brought Ben back to his original question.

“With all that said, Amos,” Ben intoned in a thoughtful manner, drawing the man’s attention to him once again. “Do you want to learn to use a weapon? It would make life easier if you did.”

“I know that Marshal, sir,” Amos declared adamantly, “but I can’t do it. If white folks see me with a weapon they’ll come after me, and after Cecily and the boys. It’s just too dangerous.”

“But I’ve used a rifle twice now, defending people other than my own,” Cecily protested in reply to Amos’s words, looking her brother squarely in the eye, “and no one has said boo about it to me. Idaho Bill is a white man and Harriet is a white woman. They know we don’t mean them any harm.”

“I know that Cecily,” Amos threw back, shaking his head as he did, “but I just can’t risk it. Idaho Bill and Harriet are good people, but the fact is there are plenty of white folk out there who won’t care if they think we mean them no harm or not. They’ll come after us as quick as can be and lynch me up if they see me armed. No sir, Marshal, I just can’t risk it.”

Ben sighed in response to that reply, as did the others sitting with him. They all knew how important it was to the wagon train that Amos actually took part in protecting it, and his reply frustrated them all. Even so, Ben couldn’t fault Amos for refusing to touch firearms. However it did make Ben think about an alternative, and on thinking about it, Ben asked Amos one last question.

“What about a knife, Amos?” Ben pressed the man. “What about learning to use a knife? It wouldn’t be effective in a firefight, but it would give you something to defend yourself with, if you were ever attacked up close by someone seeking to do you harm.”

Amos eventually said he’d think about it. It was all Ben could ask.

The wagon train pulled out of the village the next morning. Stone Eagle had picked a man to travel with the train, acting as escort and emissary, for so long as the wagon train was within Cherokee territory. After that, Idaho Bill or whoever was left to lead the train would try to make friends with the next tribe and get safe passage by them.

The hunter’s name was Running Dog and according to Blossom he was a seasoned hunter and warrior. That meant that he could be expected to lead well, hunt and provide for the train if necessary, and protect himself if the train or he was attacked. Since he was in his mid-twenties, it also meant that he wasn’t as high spirited as the much younger braves, which made him a good choice as an emissary. With luck, Running Dog would smooth any ruffled feathers that might occur along the road westward.

Ben presented Running Dog with the rifle as promised when he showed up that morning leading his horse and ready to go. He made certain that he made a big deal of it, first handing Running Dog the powder and ammunition pouch, and then the rifle, so that everyone in the village knew that Ben kept his word and that he also respected Stone Eagle’s choice of escort. Blossom helped out, translating what Ben said into the Cherokee language, speaking loud enough that everyone heard. Only later did Ben learn that Running Dog spoke English, although not as well as Blossom or Stone Eagle. Thankfully Ben hadn’t put his foot in his mouth at any point leading up to the ceremony or after it, nor had anyone else in the train said anything that might tick off their new friend. Ben did make certain that everyone knew this fact, once he had learned it himself.

The trip westward was long, tiring, and for the most part uneventful. They rose well before dawn so that they could have breakfast made and eaten before it was time to pull out. The men and boys made certain that all the mules were hitched to the wagons, and all the livestock was tied to stringers so that they could be led along as the wagons rolled forward. Ben and Running Dog scouted the trail ahead each day, making certain that there weren’t any obstacles along their chosen route and then took time to hunt. The first day out, Ben shot his first buffalo, and while the animal’s coat wasn’t a thick as it would’ve been in early spring, Dove promised Cecily that she’d show her how to tan it so that a winter coat could be made from it.

As for the wagon train encountering other villages along the route west, it didn’t happen, and while on occasion the drivers in the wagon train spotted an single rider pacing the train, only once did they actually encounter another band of Cherokee hunters during the period Ben was with them. The reason for this was mostly because Stone Eagle’s messengers had done their job. The villages along the route had been forewarned and they knew that the wagon train was being escorted by a Cherokee warrior. The other reason there were no encounters was because of Running Dog. Both Running Dog and Ben ranged ahead of the train every morning, and if they did encounter a hunting party or a group of travellers going from one village to another, Running Dog spoke to them, ensuring that there would be no trouble.

The one time that the whole train came in contact with another party of Cherokee was when a hunting party rode in to tell Running Dog that there was a herd of bison ahead of the train that the local tribe was hunting, and they wanted the train to hold up, while the hunt took place. Naturally the thought of taking part in a major hunt filled Ben’s imagination and he asked Running Dog to see if they could partake in the hunt as well. It took only a little negotiation and the presentation of a long rifle to the hunting party leader to gain permission. In the end, Running Dog, Ben, Cecily, and Idaho Bill all took part, each of them taking down a cow, and while the train willingly gave up most of their kills to the local tribe, they kept the skins. When the hunt was over the train had lost a day of travel, but they had earned the friendship of another village, as well as gaining a supply of fresh meat.

Night times were just as busy as day time. Once camp was made and all the livestock was tended to, either Ben or Idaho Bill took Cecily aside to teach her what she needed to know to survive out on the plains. In addition to spending some time riding, so Cecily could keep her seat if necessary, Ben saw to it that she learned to spot sign, to track, and to use the weapons Ben had given her. He even taught her a little unarmed combat.

That caught Running Dog’s eye, the first night that Ben showed Cecily how to avoid a knife thrust, and how to throw a man who threw a punch at her. The hunter was well versed in dirty fighting and he wanted Ben to spar with him. To Ben’s surprise, Running Dog was a very worthy adversary. What he lacked in technique and style the man made up very easily with ingenuity and determination. Ben won each match, but he did find himself hard pressed at time, and when the evening was over and it was time to crawl into his bedroll, Ben was again hard pressed to meet the demands of the two women that shared his bed. It was even worse when Ben pulled first watch and the women insisted on his attention, once he finally came to bed.

It actually took eight days of travel from Stone Eagle’s village for Ben to actually feel that it was time to turn about and head back the way he’d come. It came upon him suddenly, and for the most part, it was unsettling. Fortunately it came upon him at the end of the day. The train was camped by a stream that cut the prairie running towards the southeast. The livestock had been turned out to graze, the one milk cow that was still producing was milked, and supper was cooking when it happened.

“Are you okay, lawman,” Blossom asked Ben when she found him standing a short distance away from the camp, staring off to the east.

“No, I’m not okay,” Ben declared firmly in reply, not even glancing at the old woman. “I need to head back the way we just came. It’s time for me to leave.”

“Ah,” Blossom murmured thoughtfully in reply. “I wondered when that time would come. Now it is here. Will you stay the night, or leave now without saying good-bye to your friends.”

“I think I can stay the night,” Ben declared promptly, although his words didn’t carry very much confidence.

“I understand,” Blossom reassured Ben. “You are not the first lawman to cross my path. I have seen others before, who when the time comes they simply ride away, never to be seen again. I am used to it now. That is why I have travelled this far with the family. They will need my help once you are gone.”

“How so?” Ben enquired in an uncertain voice; wondering what Blossom was getting at.

“The women will pine for you, lawman,” Blossom chuckled in response, “and while Amos has kept his distance, you have made friends with the two boys. You have shown them respect for the first time in their short lives, and you have taught them things. They will not understand you leaving.”

“It has to be,” Ben sighed sorrowfully in reply. “I wish I didn’t have to leave, but I must. Will you make them understand that?”

“I will lawman,” Blossom promised, “but tonight you must take time and say your good-byes. There will be no time in the morning.”

Ben did that. He told everyone that it was time for him to leave. Cecily and Dove took it the hardest. Cecily tried to be stoic about it, but tears welled in her eyes in response to the news. That night Ben lay with both Cecily and Dove, making love to each of them one last time.

“Woolgathering, Ben?”

The familiar voice yanked Ben’s mind back to the present causing his head to snap up in response to the voice and the question. He blinked a couple of times as he rapidly remembered where he was, and what he was doing there. As his mind cleared, Ben’s face began to colour.

“Umm, yeah, hi,” Ben mumbled awkwardly in reply, his eyes finding and focusing on the speaker as he spoke. “I was thinking about my recent trip. You know the one I took after first meeting you. I guess I was really wrapped up in it. I didn’t see you come in.”

The woman was Maria Cortez. Ben looked at her in an appraising manner as his mind cleared and his thoughts returned to the present. Maria was a medium tall woman with a slight, almost thin figure. While her complexion was relatively fair, it was clear that Maria was of mixed heritage, although her Hispanic background was dominant. She had short curly black hair, big brown eyes, and high cheekbones. She was certainly attractive to look at, and definitely desirable. What she was wearing made her even more so. She had on a retro style cocktail dress that was form fitting, incredibly short and cut in a manner that benefited Maria’s appearance. The top had a plunging cleavage that left nothing to the imagination of whoever might look at the woman. It was matched with a bustier that pushed up what Maria had, to her benefit. The fact that it was black made it look even better on her. The proof of that was how the other patrons of the Rose were looking at her. Both men and women eyed her with interest.

“So, are you going to invite us to sit down?” Maria enquired in a teasing voice, giving Ben a little smile as she did, “or are you going to spend the rest of the evening ogling me.”

Maria’s question startled Ben. His focus had been solely on the woman who’d asked to meet him, and in his distracted state of mind, he’d missed the fact that Maria had arrived in the company of another woman. Ben blinked, and then he blushed.

“Sorry,” Ben said apologetically. “I guess I really am out of it. Please, both of you have a seat. Can I get you something to drink, or maybe something to eat? My treat.”

Maria allowed the woman who was with her to slip into the booth seat across the table from Ben first, before slipping in beside her. The other woman was familiar to Ben, as well. Her name was Angela Taylor-Woods and she worked at the detention centre with Maria. He hadn’t met Angela before leaving for his trip into the past, but he had gotten acquainted with the woman during his debriefing period at the centre. Both Maria and Angela had helped Ben get over the regret he’d experienced on returning to his own time, from leaving Cecily and Dove behind. They both had done a great job of distracting him, before he was released from detention and allowed to return to his old day-to-day existence of before. As the women settled, a robot waiter rolled up to the table to take their orders. Maria ordered red wine, Angela ordered a beer, and Ben requested a refill. Once the robot had taken off to fetch their orders, Ben once again apologized for not seeing them arrive.