Chapter 26

It was late afternoon when they rode into the fort. They could see the surprised looks from the troopers. He also saw more than a few smiles and snickers. They stopped at the Orderly room and Fighting Hawk cut the rope holding the lieutenant to the horse. With a forceful push he once again landed unceremoniously on his ass.

Fighting Hawk nodded to Big Owl and Big Cloud as they stood waiting. They nodded back and went to pick up the lieutenant as Fighting Hawk lightly slipped from his horse. They followed Fighting Hawk into the office and directly into the Colonel's office without knocking. The Colonel was surprised to see them, and even shocked to the see the lieutenant tied and gagged.

It was a tense moment as Fighting Hawk stared at the Colonel. Before a word was spoken William moved past the lieutenant and slipped quietly up to the Colonel's desk. Fighting Hawk and the Colonel continued to stare at each other intently.

The soft voice of the Colonel spoke to William, obviously to translate. "Ask him what the Lieutenant did to deserve to be brought back like this." Fighting Hawk remained quiet as William asked in Cheyenne. Fighting Hawk did not answer immediately, but continued to meet the Colonel's gaze.

Then he also spoke very quietly, but forcefully, "The Lieutenant tried to start a war between our people when he ordered his solders to ride through the Cheyenne village. When I told him that he couldn't, he told me that he was quite willing to start a war with a bunch of savages with bows and arrows." Fighting Hawk held up his Colt Patterson revolver and his rifle. "We are no longer only armed with Bows and arrows. The white man has shown us that guns are better to kill our enemies. If the Army wants a war we will call our brothers the Utes, Sioux, Pawnee and the Apache. We will run the ground red with blood. You might kill us all, but we will bleed your people dry of solders before we are done. We will kill every white; man, woman and child. After all we are just savages, we don't know any better."

William eyes were big as he translated Fighting Hawk's words. Fighting Hawk motioned to Big Cloud and Big Owl and they pushed the lieutenant down beside the Colonel's desk. "Now, we go to prepare for war!"

They turned to leave as the Colonel jumped to his feet talking quickly. "No, wait! We don't want a war." Fighting Hawk led Big Cloud and Big Owl from the office and out to their horses. He motioned for them to follow and led the horses over to the trading post.

"Father, why did you say that we are going to war, when you don't want a war?" Fighting Hawk looked at Big Cloud and nodded.

Big Cloud grinned and took a deep breath. "Look around you and see how many solders there are. Now remember that they have to protect all of the white people in our lands. They can't protect their people from each other with what they have got. The thought of a war with the Cheyenne scares them. The threat of bringing in all of the other tribes would mean that no whites survive, and it would take years and more solders than they are willing to send to take this area back. It is a tactic of war. Attackers always lose more solders than defenders, and our numbers would be so large, it would cripple them to destroy us."

Big Owl thought for a minute before he said, "So why don't we do that? We could get rid of every white man in the Indian lands."

Big Cloud slowly shook his head as he answered, "Because the sad truth is that they have enough people to destroy us all. It would take them years of fighting, and it would run most of the lands red with blood, but they would keep coming, and we would all die. There are just too many white men to fight against them all."

Big Owl considered the words of Big Cloud. "So, father is forcing them on the defensive, to get something out of the bargain." Big Cloud smiled and nodded his head.

"Any time that you have to bargain, it should always be from the best position that you can. Now the Army is in a weak position. They know that their lives here will be sacrificed along with every white in the Indian lands. It gives them great motivation not to start a war. But, like any other stick, the more that you wave it, the less that it frightens your enemy." Big Cloud spoke quietly as they climbed the steps of the trading post.

As they wandered through the trading post, looking at the things for sale, William quickly rushed through the door. "Fighting Hawk, you can't just leave things like this. Think of the lives that will be lost, on both sides. You have to talk to the Colonel and try to work things out."

Fighting Hawk stood still for a minute just looking around him. "There are many things that the Cheyenne could use here in the trading post; blankets, knives, guns and ammunition." Fighting Hawk turned to look meaningfully at William.

The shock on William's face was plain. He knew that the trading post had orders not to allow the Indians to buy guns or ammunition. He could see this as a two sided sword. The more arms that they had, the more of a threat they were. But, they were a serious threat now, and they already had guns. He nodded his head, "Anything else?"

Fighting Hawk nodded his head. "I want the Lieutenant gone. He didn't learn anything about the Cheyenne as a people when he learned the language. He is a danger to us all. If he stays, there will be war."

William nodded his head. "I will talk to the Colonel, but I want you to come back with me."

Fighting Hawk shook his head, "No, you will talk to the Colonel. If he agrees then I will talk to the Colonel, and we will work things out." William nodded his head and left the trading post.

Big Cloud slipped to Fighting Hawk's side and whispered, "You are going to make them sell us guns?"

Fighting Hawk smiled at him and said, "No, I am going to make them give us guns." Big Cloud was stunned at the boldness and didn't try to hide it from his face. Big Owl watched everything with a look of amusement. He knew that if Fighting Hawk said that he could do it, then he would make it happen.

William returned in a much more dignified manner the next time. "The Colonel wishes to negotiate with you." Fighting Hawk raised an eyebrow and studied the older scout. He seemed relaxed and confident, that was a good sign. Fighting Hawk nodded his head and followed William back out of the trading post.

The Colonel was considerably more agitated then William when Fighting Hawk followed him into the Colonels office. Fighting Hawk motioned to big Owl and the door, and he nodded his head and closed the door behind them.

Fighting Hawk sat in the middle of the floor with Big Cloud slightly behind him at his right, and Big Owl slightly behind him at his left. The Colonel cleared his throat and sat down at his desk. Fighting Hawk cleared his throat and nodded to the floor in front of him.

William quickly went to whisper in the Colonel's ear. He sat there for a minute and then stood up and moved around in front of his desk and lowered himself to the floor with a grunt. Fighting Hawk was amused to see the difficulty the older man had just to sit down on the floor. He knew that the soldiers were soft, but he realized that the only exercise the Colonel got was walking to his office each day.

The Colonel started off with the major topic of the trade. "William has told me what you want. I'm not sure that I can allow the trading post to sell you guns and ammunition."