Page 74 of Red Hawk's Woman

Red Hawk didn’t respond. Instead, he paused, hoping the former subject might die. In due time, he asked, “Who attacked you?”

“We don’t know,” responded Lesley. “It happened in the middle of the night. At first we thought it was no more than a thunderstorm. But the noise came closer and closer, and my father felt the first shot.”

“Soka’pii. May I see the injury?” Red Hawk directed the question to Owens, who was still glowering.

At first it appeared as if Owens would not cooperate, but then with a shrug, he said, “Don’t see why not.” He offered up his arm for inspection. An angry, red welt ran all along his forearm. “The shot grazed me.”

Red Hawk nodded.

“We panicked,” Henry interjected. “Carl and I kept up a defense, while the women and Mr. Owens and his man, Fieldman, escaped. We followed them, keeping up a round of shots, until we ran out of ammunition.”

“You have no more bullets for your guns?”

“I think I used all that I had left with me when I fired on you,” said Carl.

“You did not bring all of the weapons and bullets with you?”

“No.”

Again, Red Hawk nodded. But he was puzzled. He had not seen any signs of ammunition scattered about the camp, and if they did not have it here, it should have been there. But these facts he kept to himself. “And then what happened?”

“Something we couldn’t see kept chasing us,” said Henry. “And though we fired and fired on it, it was as though our shots made little impression—as though bullets couldn’t kill it.”

Red Hawk frowned. “How did you get away?”

“As soon as we reached the water,” Carl continued, “it retreated. We don’t know why. We could only thank God that it did. But then all we could think of was putting distance between ourselves and the camp. We ran and ran until we stopped here. And here we have remained…until you found us.”

“Are you ready to return to your camp now?” Red Hawk said after a pause. “I believe that whatever the danger was, it is now gone.”

“Are you sure?” asked Madeline.

“I have been to the camp, and I did not see anything which would have attacked you or me. So yes, I believe the camp is safe now.”

“Do you have any idea who it was that attacked us?” queried Lesley.

Red Hawk shook his head.

“Was it Indians?” asked John Owens.

“Were it Indians,” said Red Hawk, “you would not be here, able to tell me about it.”

“Then who?” It was Henry speaking.

“I do not know. But come, it is daylight. I do think the danger has passed. Let us go back to the wagons. There we can strike a fire, and you can further nourish yourselves before we look through the camp for clues. There is much to repair and to do, as well, I fear.”

Luckily, there was not a single rejoinder or objection. As they all seemed ready to return, Red Hawk led them back to camp.

Chapter

Seventeen

Evening was drawing near. Both Carl Bell and Henry Smith were huddled together at the outskirts of their camp, rifles held ready. Red Hawk stood directly behind them.

Said Red Hawk, “You both hold your weapons well, and standing still, you are both good shots. But it is rare that one can remain in one spot in the midst of a battle. Therefore, you must practice becoming more proficient while moving, even while running. I have set up two posts in the middle of the field. You must practice hitting those posts while at a full run.”

Carl shook his head. “But that’s impossible,” he said skeptically. “How can a man aim and get in a good shot when on the run?”

Instead of explaining, Red Hawk let out a war cry, startling the other two. He jumped forward, around the two of them. Sprinting toward the targets, Red Hawk pulled his bow and arrows from around his back, took what appeared to be casual aim and hit both targets within seconds, one right after the other.