Chapter 4: Women Rules

Wendy opened the double doors leading from the COL’s office into their sitting room where her daughter Karen and White Hawk were sitting with CPT BJ Hunnecut’s wife Sonia, LT Quinton Young’s wife Mary and Annette Cotton who was a nurse.

She told the COL that all the women had decided to have a grand dinner and to instruct the cooks to provide the supplies for the meal.

With a cute smile and soft whispered “Thank You Dear” she closed the door.

The COL grunted then turned to CPT Hunnecut and said for him to inform the cooks and return with the estimated time when the supplies would be delivered as his wife would soon be asking.

CPT Hunnecut stood saluted and stepped out lively whispering something under his breath as he shook his head side to side.

COL McBride just sat back let out a deep breath and said “Women”, then turned to Mr. Wagonar and said he was free to go unless there was anything else that needed to be discussed. Mr. Wagonar asked again about the 11 men suspected of stealing his horses. COL McBride said that they had passed through about a week ago and were heading southeast to Kansas City. They didn’t have any horses with them at that time but could have had them hidden somewhere.

Mr. Wagonar stood thanked the COL and offered his hand, the COL shook his hand and moved to open the door for him to leave.

After closing the door and returning to his chair the COL looked right at TWO-NAMES and said, “Tell me your story, I know there is more to this than what has been said so far.”

I took a moment to think and finally decided to come clean and tell the truth, or at least some of the truth.

So I began, I seem to have been chosen by the spirits or something and brought here from my place. It is very much like this place but different at the same time. There are many things in my place that are not found here. I don’t know how or why only that it is as I say.

COL McBride was the first to speak, and said, “How can you prove this to us?”

Big Sky spoke inviting the COL to come and see all the things I had at their camp. Nothing he had ever seen before but so simple.

Grey Hawk then asked why I would say such things, things that would make men laugh, or call him strange in the head.

The COL agreed with what both Indians had said and asked to visit their camp in a day or two.

Grey Hawk said he would tell his Grandfather.

This shocked the COL into asking the two Indians to introduce themselves again and tell him a little about them.

Grey Hawk laughed and repeated his name then explained that White Hawk was his mother, White Eagle and Golden Hawk’s daughter.

Big Sky said his name and explained that it was his younger brother that had been killed by the first white men. Continued saying Big River was his father and Blue Sky was his mother. Blue River was his younger brothers name.

CPT Hunnecut returned and said the cooks had already delivered the supplies. Then asked if the COL wanted him to give us (pointing at the three Indians) a tour of the fort. COL McBride said that was a great idea but he would lead the tour.

We followed the COL around the fort where he pointed out the different buildings explaining the purpose. We had just returned to his office and sat down when Karen opened the door and said dinner would be ready shortly. She added that we needed to wash up before dinner.

We had our marching orders and followed the COL to a fancy indoor privy where we took turns washing in the sink that had running water that came from a raised tank at the back of the building. The Windmill pumped water into the three tanks, the small one for the COL; a slightly larger tank at the DOCs for medical and his use; and a large one for the rest of the forts soldiers.

The dining room table easily sat everyone; COL James McBride was at the head of the table. To the left of James was Two-Names, to his right CPT BJ Hunnecut. Wendy McBride was at the other end of the table and sitting to her right was White Hawk and to her left her daughter Karen. BJ’s wife Sonia sat next to him and next to her was LT Quinton Young with his wife Mary next to him. Sitting between Mary and Karen was nurse Annette Cotton.

Sitting next to Two-Names was Big Sky and next to him was Grey Hawk. LT Olsen was seated next to Grey Hawk and the chair next to him and White Hawk was empty.

The meal was exceptional, prairie chickens with corn, peas, and bread. Tea, coffee, or water to drink and pumpkin pie for dessert. Thankfully the table conversation was limited to asking for something to be past and comments on how good the meal was. Karen let it slip that she along with her mother and Sonia Hunnecut had cooked the meal and just got the supplies from the army cooks. Grouse and rabbit were plentiful around the fort and a constant staple to replace beef.

After the meal COL McBride wrote out a letter of introduction for Two-Names giving himself as a friend and reference.

CPT Hunnecut tried one more time to make an issue but COL McBride finally gave him the order to stop pursuing something that has been settled and added that if he continued to make trouble with the Indians he would initiate charges to that affect.

This made CPT Hunnecut even more upset and he stomped away. COL McBride made the comment that if he didn’t stop it might get him and a lot of his men killed.

The Indians thanked everyone and left the fort heading back toward the Indian camp.

Not 2 hours from the fort the sound of shooting erupted.

Cautiously we rode up to the top of the small ridgeline and looked down into the prairie. There was a wagon that had one of the four horsed pulling it on the ground dead or seriously injured. This had the wagon stopped and the driver looked to have been shot too.

There were people in the wagon shooting out the front and back at the eight men riding around the wagon shooting at them.

Two-Names decided to ride down and see if he could end the fighting and find out what was going on.

Before he got 30 yards away two of the horsemen turned and charged him shooting at him. Lucky for him they ran out of bullets after only three shots were fired at him.

Two-Names drew his pistol and fired twice taking both riders off their horse hitting them in the shoulder of their gun arm. One of the horsemen circling the wagon was shot and fell from his horse.

The other four decided to flee and rode off. From the wagon a woman called asking for help.

Two-Names rode up to the wagon as the rest circled to make sure the men that fled were not coming back.

In the wagon was a woman, a young girl, a small boy, and an older man. The young girl and old man had both been shot. The girl in her left leg, just above her knee and lucky for her the bullet was slowed down after passing through the wood side of the wagon. The old man was shot in the right shoulder. The driver of the wagon was also shot in the right shoulder but all of them were alive.

White Hawk got in the wagon and began to treat the wounds with the woman helping. Big Sky and Two-Names moved the driver into the wagon and let the small boy sit on the bench with Big Sky who was going to drive the wagon back to the fort where the DOC could help the wounded.

Two-Names and Grey Hawk tied the wounded gunmen to their horse and brought them along as well.

When they reached the fort and had driven inside, CPT Hunnecut shouted, “DAMN Indians! Who have you killed this time?”

This caused Margret to leap in front of him and scream so loud it almost echoed off the fort walls. “He saved our lives from bandits YOU DAMN FOOL IDIOT!”

COL McBride came out of his office and yelled “ATTENTION! CPT Hunnecut report IMMEDIATELY! Someone get LT Olsen!”

SGT Franklin was the first soldier to reach the wagon and when he saw the injured people shouted for “DOC House!”

CPT Hunnecut moved toward the COL but Margret was in his face making it almost impossible.

COL McBride shouted, “MADAM, please move so the CPT can reach me, I need to have words with him.”

This brought Margret up short and allowed CPT Hunnecut to report to the COL. She then turned to the wagon and met DOC House as he reached the wagon at the same time. SGT Franklin and several soldiers were moving Governor Hamilton, Jebadiah, and Zelda out of the wagon so DOC House could check them out. Rufus ran to Margret and hugged her waist.