Chapter 5

After an early start in the cold hours of morning, they rode hard and steady all day, stopping to relieve themselves twice and eat from the grub sack. They made Kansas City, Missouri late in the day as the sun was sinking behind the cold flat horizon, across the river in Kansas.

They stopped at a big fancy hotel and registered as Eli and Rose Crow. The desk man was hesitant at first to let the two Half-Breeds stay in his hotel, but saw the Deputy U.S. Marshal badge and the Indian Police badge, and relented as he looked at the tall, handsome, smiling couple and rang for the bellboy.

Rose bathed in their room using the long bathing tub, where she stretched her long dark legs and leaned forward as Eli washed her back and her hair, just like they did as kids.

She knelt naked beside the tub and bathed her brother, washing his hair and his back.

Rose was happy. She felt as if she had never been defiled and raped on that cold muddy ground by the raiders that killed their ma.

She knew the hurting memories would soon be gone forever.

They dined in the fancy dining room on roast beef, gravy, and bread rolls, with wine to drink from fancy, tall glasses with stemmed bottoms. Rose Elizabeth felt like a lady as she sat across from the most handsome man in the dining hall.

She had dressed in a long white dress, made for her by Mrs. Williams. The bodice on the décolleté dress was tight fitting, with plenty of her light brown skin exposed, just like the elegant ladies at the other tables. Her skirts swept the floor as she walked with the ease of a native dancer.

She held the arm of her brother with her white gloved hand, just like the pictures she had seen in the books and newspapers from back east.

He was dressed in clean buckskins and moccasins, his long black hair braided by his sister and his black hat off the back of his head, held there by the thin leather strap with the carved ivory, arrowhead slide.

As they drank their last glass of fine wine for the evening, Rose felt lightheaded and excited.

Their waiter brought their receipt for the dinner, which had been paid by a tall bearded man seated three tables over.

Eli and Rose looked over to the man and the woman with him, and waved to them.

They walked over and thanked the couple, then asked why they had paid their fare.

“I saw you wearing the badge of a Deputy United Sates Marshal and I wanted to pay for your meal. I am Judge Isaac Charles Parker. My wife and I will soon be on our way to Fort Smith, Arkansas, to my new post as Federal District Judge,” the tall, distinguished man spoke.

“Your Honor, this is my sister, Rose Elizabeth and I am Eli Crow. I have been a Deputy U.S. Marshal under Judge William Story, until he was relieved of duty. I am pleased to meet you and your handsome wife. My sister and I are on our way to Fort Smith ourselves, but first we must go into Kansas and meet up with a friend of mine that I hope will become my wife,” Eli spoke with slow easy words, the way Little Deer had taught him to do, in the company of authority.

“Then I am even more honored that I’ve purchased your meal, Deputy Eli Crow. I look forward to having you in my employ. With your permission, I am now declaring you no longer a deputy. I am appointing you Eli Crow, United States Marshal. I will see you in a few months in Fort Smith.”

“Thank you, Your Honor. I look forward to working under your court’s jurisdiction, Sir.”

“Do you know my assistant court clerk, Mr. Jefferson Whitehead?”

“Yes Sir, he and I have met and have become friends. He is a very accommodating gentleman and has already helped my partner and me.”

“I will send a letter to Mr. Whitehead to prepare the papers, making you and your partner, what was his name?”

“Duncan is the only name I’ve ever known him by, Sir.”

“I will have Mr. Whitehead prepare the papers to appoint you and Deputy Duncan as United States Marshals.”

“Thank you, Your Honor, and thank you once again for purchasing my sister’s and my meal,” Eli reached out and shook hands with the judge and nodded to his wife as Rose held her skirts wide and curtsied to them both like an elegant lady.

Eli and Rose walked out of the dining room and she was even more in awe of her brother. He had never even tried to study the one book Little Deer had taught them to read from.

“I am proud of you, Eli. I felt like I was your lady, not your sister.”

“I came close to announcing you as my wife, but I have a gentleman I want you to meet. He is shorter than you, but he is a fine, educated man and works for the judge. He is Mr. Jefferson Whitehead, the judge spoke of.”

“If this Mr. Whitehead has won the favor of my brother, I am sure I will see him through your eyes. No matter his size, I will be happy to have him court me. Will you still save him and me a room? That is, if I should accept him into my room as a husband,” she said teasingly, her smile coming easily as they arrived at their room.

“I insist that you have a room at the boardinghouse. I want you to keep the books and collect the rent.”

“Then I shall allow this Mr. Whitehead to court me and make sure he proposes marriage to make it legal. I love you, Eli Crow,” she said as they entered the room.

“Are your friends that are waiting for you, sisters?”

“Yes, they are Cherokee Half-Breeds, like us.”

“Then I am excited about meeting them.”

“Then there is Tin Yu, a Chinee girl, Duncan and I rescued from rape and even worse. She is but fifteen and she needs meat on her body.

“The word is Chinese, Eli. They come from China.”

“Well, Duncan is like me. He lacks in education, his word was Chinee. Tin Yu likes me, and I like her. She will like you because I love you and her.”

“Then we will all love you and we’ll all be happy. I think I already like the little man you’ve chosen for me, because my brother Eli thinks so highly of him. I may even let him touch my body, if he can make me feel as I do right now.”

“Rose, you are so much smarter and prettier than the others. Will you help them with their education and their books? I want beautiful, smart babies and I want beautiful, smart women too.”

“Then we will school them with books.”

It was close to mid-morning before the two came laughing and talking down the long winding stairs of the hotel.

They dined on beef and potatoes and gravy and bread rolls once more, drinking coffee and enjoying the feeling of being alive.

This was a special feeling for Eli. He was with his sister once more and she was laughing and enjoying life. All the days of worrying about where she was and wondering if she was well, were gone now. They’re together and that was all that mattered.

Rose Elizabeth also felt special. Her brother Eli had returned for her, just as he said he would one day. He brought happiness into her world that had known no happy feelings in many years. She felt more alive, the smells coming from the kitchen made her hungry, and the food tasted better than she could ever remember.

Most of all, Rose Elizabeth Crow felt cleansed of the horrible memories that had haunted her for much of the past five years. She felt whole again and she felt proud and elegant as she sat in her chair, and as she walked and talked.

Eli told her she was beautiful and when she looked into the mirror in their hotel room this morning, she knew she was beautiful, she felt beautiful.

I am now a woman. I am nineteen years old and I am tall and I have long beautiful hair and I have a big bosom that I am proud of.

“I love you, Eli Crow. I am a woman and I love who I am today,” she said in a soft whisper, just like the voice of Little Deer. The sound coming from her lips was a soft breeze that carried to Eli, as he sat looking at this beautiful creature, who was his sister, Rose Elizabeth Crow.

Eli and Rose rode from Kansas City, Missouri at midday, stopping by a small creek for the night. He guided them upstream to a place that was wide and deep enough to swim.

Though the waters were cold and not as clear as the creeks back home, they splashed and swam and played as if they were kids again, back home in the safety of childhood surroundings.

They slept together in the same bedroll, holding each other tightly, sleeping soundly.

Early on the second day out of Kansas City, they came to Boones Crossing, Kansas. Eli felt as if he was returning to his second home. With his sister Rose at his side, he rode up the quiet street to the marshal’s office.

He reached up and caught Rose as she leaned from her saddle, laughing, knowing he was there to catch her, making sure she was safe as he set her long legs to the ground. They walked into the office of Marshal Dal Hopkins, as he sat with his head down, feet on his desk, leaning back in his chair asleep.

“Marshal, I’m back,” Eli said in his soft voice and Marshal Hopkins awakened, shaking his head as he saw his tall young friend standing before him.

“Eli, you did come back. Don’t tell me ... this has to be your sister Rose. I can see the likeness between you,” he said as he stood from his chair and grabbed Eli in a bear hug, smiling at the return of his young friend.

“Rose, I am proud to meet you. I feel like I know you already, the way Eli spoke of you before. You are a very beautiful young woman,” he said as he hugged her tall, slender body also.

“Thank you, Marshal. Eli has told me of the friendship he shared with you while he was here. I am proud to know you, and I thank you for helping my brother become a man,” she said as she held the man tight.

“Eli, you’re a Deputy U.S. Marshal, and an Indian Police. I’m proud of you, son.”

“Marshal Hopkins, Eli is now a full United States Marshal. We saw a Judge Isaac Parker in Kansas City and he gave Eli the full title,” Rose told him proudly.

“Eli Crow, United States Marshal. I like the sound of that, Eli. I’m proud of you,” Marshal Hopkins said with tears in his eyes.

“Thank you, Marshal. I owe you for this and I came to thank you once again, and to let you meet my sister. We’re on our way down to Fort Smith, Arkansas, where Judge Parker will assume the duties as Fifth U.S. District Court Judge.”

“Eli, I hope you take Rose over to meet Mary. You need to see that girl, she’s a full grownup woman now, much as your sister Rose. Pardon my looking at you, Rose. I was comparing the beauty of two handsome women.”

“Thank you, Marshal. Eli has already told me of Mary Connor, and he plans to ask her to be his wife.”

“Glory be, Eli. She will faint dead away when you walk in and ask her. I want to be there.”

“Then let us go, Marshal. We have many miles to travel and winter is coming fast already.”

Marshal Dal Hopkins walked in Connor’s General Store first, speaking to Sam as he always did.

“Sam, where’s your womenfolk?”

“They’re in back, Dal. You need them for something?”

“No, but there’s a tall stranger here to see your daughter, Mary. A tall stranger with long black hair in a braid.”

“Dal ... did Eli come back? Where is that boy? I’ll get Mary.”

“Wait Sam, I’ll get Eli. I want you to meet his sister, Rose. She’s a beautiful young woman, near bout as tall as Eli,” Dal Hopkins said as he stepped to the door and motioned to Eli and Rose to come in.

“Eli, I knew one day you’d come back. I hope you came to see Mary, she’s just about worried herself sick since you left”

“Mr. Connor, I have come to ask Mary to be my wife, that is if I have your permission to marry her.”

“You certainly do and Gladys will just be thrilled too. She has always told Mary you’d be back to get her.”

“Will you ask her to come in here? I want all of you to meet my sister, Rose. I went back over in Missouri to get her and we’re all going down to Fort Smith. I’m a U.S. Marshal now.”

“I see the badge, Eli, and we’re all proud of you. Rose, you look just like Eli said you did. You sure are a beautiful young woman. I hope you’ll be good friends with my Mary, she’s never traveled outside this town before.”