Savage Summer (28 page)

“Since you seem so concerned about him, you can watch over him, Danielle, while I clean my instruments.”

She placed her hand on his arm. “I don’t know what you are doing here, Morgan, but I thank God that you came when you did.”

Morgan smiled, and pushed a tumbled strand of hair from her face. Danielle’s resemblance to Sky Dancer was almost uncanny. But she stirred no passion in his heart as Sky Dancer had. At the moment he just felt pity for her. He was glad that he and Farley had found her alive.

“After you have rested and had something to eat, we will talk. I’m sure we both have a great deal to tell each other, Danielle.”

When Danielle had drifted off to sleep, Morgan stood beside Farley and they both scanned the countryside.

“Do you think the war party will return, Farley?”

“Nope. We gave them a licking today and they ain’t likely to come back asking for more. Still, I’ll keep an eye peeled.”

Morgan’s eyes moved over the wounded Wolfrunner. “Do you think he’s the one that abducted Danielle?”

“Nope, not Wolfrunner. He’d be the one who rescued her from whoever took her in the first place. Do you think he’ll make it?”

“I just don’t know, Farley. It seems Danielle is very fond of him.” His eyes moved over Danielle and he noticed she was sleeping fretfully. “It looks like they have both been through a lot.”

“It ’pears so. I don’t understand Danielle caring nothing ’bout no Indian. She don’t like the fact that her ma was a Blackfoot.”

Morgan watched the stars twinkle in the ebony skies. He could hardly curb his impatience to see Sky Dancer. Soon, he would be able to gaze upon her lovely face. He hoped she would be glad to see him.

Sky Dancer sat on the bank of the Milk River glancing every so often toward the village. They hadn’t heard anything from her father or Uncle Tag. She hoped that they would have found some clue to Danielle’s disappearance. But if they had, wouldn’t they have sent word by now?

She watched several children playing in the river remembering
a time when she, too, had been carefree like those children. She realized she hadn’t yet come all the way home. A part of her still remained in Philadelphia.

Sky Dancer knew she would never be the same carefree young maiden she’d been before she had gone to Philadelphia. She realized that her parents had shielded her from hurt in the past, but they could no longer stand in harm’s way for her. She now had to face life on her own terms, and come to grips with it, no matter how painful an experience it was.

Gathering up the reins of her horse, she bounded onto its back. She would ride out alone so she could think. Waving to the children who cried out her name, she nudged her horse forward at a fast pace. With the wind in her face, and the sun lending its golden rays to the summer skies, she felt a new kind of unhappiness. She no longer belonged to this world. She was caught halfway between two worlds.

Joanna was sitting under the shade of a wide cottonwood tree. She was surrounded by several young children who were eagerly hanging on to every word she said. It had become her habit to teach them to read and write English one day a week. She found she looked forward to these times as much as the children did.

Suddenly the stillness of the village was interrupted by two riders crossing the river. Joanna laid her slate aside, and dismissed the children. Walking quickly toward her lodge, she hoped the newcomers would have some word of Danielle. If they did, they would come to the chief’s lodge first.

Morgan balanced the unconscious Wolfrunner across his lap while Farley carried Danielle behind him. Morgan felt a prickle of uneasiness when he rode up the bank, and was suddenly surrounded by fierce-looking Indians. Their dark eyes seemed to burn into him, but no man approached him. He followed Farley’s lead, and rode to the center of the village.

As they stopped before the huge lodge, Morgan watched
the flap being pushed aside, and the most beautiful woman Morgan had ever seen came out. Her hair was red-gold, her eyes were the same violet-blue as Sky Dancer’s, and her face seemed to be like a figure out of a beautiful painting. He knew without being told that this lovely creature must be Joanna, Sky Dancer’s mother.

Joanna couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw her niece Danielle slumped over, with her head on Farley’s shoulder.

“Farley, thank God you found Danielle!” she cried. “Is she unconscious? Has she been hurt?”

“Nope, she’s just plumb tuckered out. I’ll just carry her into your lodge,” he said, agilely dismounting and lifting Danielle into his arms.

Joanna placed her hand on Danielle’s face to assure herself that she was really all right. When she felt the warm even breath against her hand, she was overcome with relief.

When Farley carried Danielle into the lodge, Joanna turned for the first time to the white man. Her eyes went to Morgan and her lovely face creased into a frown. Stepping forward she glanced down at the wounded warrior.

“Oh, no,” she gasped. “Wolfrunner!” Turning to one of the men, she spoke rapidly to him in the tongue of the Blackfoot. Moments later a woman came rushing out of one of the tipis. White Dove, seeing her wounded son, began to wail and cry.

Joanna asked one of the warriors to help the white man carry the unconscious Wolfrunner to Gray Fox’s tipi. When they had laid him on the buffalo robe, Joanna dropped to her knees and began to examine him carefully. Seeing the bandage that was wrapped about his chest, she looked up at the white man inquiringly.

“Don’t remove the bandage,” Morgan said, dropping down beside Joanna. “I am Dr. Morgan Prescott and I just put fresh bandages on the wound this morning.”

Joanna’s eyes met soft silver eyes. She knew this was the man Sky Dancer had told her about. She didn’t know why he was here, but she could guess. There were many questions
that formed in her mind, but they would keep until later.

“How is Wolfrunner, Doctor?” she said, voicing her concern for the warrior she had loved almost like a son.

“I’m not sure. He’s lost a great deal of blood, but the wound is clean, and that’s always a good sign.”

Joanna spoke to White Dove, telling her what Morgan had said. She then turned back to Morgan. “How is my niece, Danielle?”

“As Farley told you, she is suffering from no more than exhaustion. Other than scratches and bruises, she is doing just fine.”

“Come with me, Doctor, I would like you to have another look at Danielle. There is no telling what conditions she has had to suffer through.”

As they walked out of the tipi, Morgan couldn’t keep his eyes from straying to Sky Dancer’s lovely mother. He didn’t know if she knew who he was, or why he had come. Even though she was a white woman, she wore the doeskin gown and moccasins as if she had been born to them.

“I am curious, Doctor. How did you and Farley find Danielle when the whole Blackfoot nation has searched for her in vain?”

“It was a strange quirk of fate…” He paused, not knowing what name to call her.

She smiled slightly and he drew in his breath at her loveliness. “You may call me Joanna,” she offered, seeing his dilemma.

“Joanna, Farley and I were on our way here when we ran into a party of Assiniboin warriors. They had wounded Wolfrunner and were trying to carry Danielle away with them.”

Joanna took a deep breath. “It was very fortunate that you came along when you did. You have my gratitude, Doctor. As a matter of fact you will have the gratitude of the whole Blackfoot tribe.”

Morgan looked into the violet colored eyes that were so
like Sky Dancer’s. “I don’t want your gratitude, Joanna. I want your daughter.”

There was no surprise on Joanna’s face at his announcement. Seeing the sincere light in Morgan’s eyes, she knew that he loved her daughter. She was not ready to deal with Sky Dancer going away with this man, but hadn’t she always known it might happen?

“My daughter isn’t mine to give, Morgan Prescott. I am sure Farley has told you that she can only be given by her father.”

“Where is she? May I see her? I have come a long way to find her.”

They had reached the lodge, and Joanna turned to Morgan. “It will not be permitted that you see her alone. But you will be allowed to see her in the company of others. She is not in the village at the moment, but I expect her any time now.” She reached out and laid her hand on his arm. “Don’t hurt Sky Dancer. If you cannot accept what she is, ride away right now, and she will never be told that you were here.”

“It is because I accept who she is that I am here, Joanna. My problem now is whether Sky Dancer will accept who I am.”

For a long moment the two of them looked into each other’s eyes. “I cannot imagine that will be a problem, Doctor. The problem you will have to face will be with my husband, Windhawk.”

Farley chose that moment to come ambling out of the lodge grinning at Joanna. “Danielle will be stirring soon, and I ’spect she’ll be hungry too.”

Joanna slid her arm about Farley’s waist, and kissed his cheek. “It seems as if you are always showing up at the right time, my dear friend. Countless times you have turned defeat into victory for me and mine.”

Farley’s eyes danced merrily as he warmed under Joanna’s praise. Morgan was seeing a different side of the old trapper. It was apparent that he adored the redheaded goddess.

“I couldn’t a done it without Morgan,” Farley said, watching Joanna’s eyes. “He were right beside me when I was chasing them Assiniboin.”

Joanna’s eyes twinkled as she looked at Morgan. “I have already offered the good doctor my gratitude, Farley, but he didn’t want it.”

“You don’t say—now is that a fact,” Farley said, scratching his head.

“That’s right, Farley. He said he wanted my daughter instead,” Joanna said, moving quickly into the lodge, leaving Morgan with a startled expression on his face.

Farley turned to Morgan, shaking his head. “You damned fool. Do you want to get yourself killed? You’d better watch what you say or it might get back to Windhawk. You best not be forgetting that Sky Dancer is a princess of the Blackfoot tribe, and these Indians don’t take kindly to an outsider staking his claim on her.”

Morgan was still staring at the lodge flap where Joanna had just disappeared. It was beyond his imagination how someone with her obvious breeding and beauty would bury herself in a Blackfoot village. He was anxious to meet the man who had won her heart and fathered Sky Dancer.

“Come on,” Farley said, walking away. “You can bunk in my tipi, but I warn you that I ain’t much of a cook. I make a hell of a good cup of coffee though.”

Morgan couldn’t help but laugh at the strange character whom he had come to respect over the weeks since they had left Philadelphia. “Oh, no, Farley, let us hope your cooking is better than your coffee.”

Suddenly Morgan felt lighthearted. The long journey was at an end, now he was anxious to face Sky Dancer.

It was an hour later when Morgan came out of Farley’s tipi. He gazed about the village as the Indians went about their normal day-to-day chores. He looked at the children with a doctor’s eye. They seemed to be well fed and happy. A group
of them were gathered about an old white-haired Indian man, and seemed to be listening to him attentively. He wished he could understand the Blackfoot language, because whatever the old man was saying made the children laugh delightedly. Apparently the Indians revered their elderly, which was more than could be said for the white race. Remembering what he had said about Indians that day in the summerhouse made him feel deeply ashamed as he looked at the dark-eyed children.

The women went busily about preparing their evening meal, and wonderful aromas drifted through the air. This village was so totally different from anything Morgan had been led to believe about the Indians. He had watched them cry over the wounded Wolfrunner, and he now saw them laugh. There was a peacefulness here, and it seemed to settle on him like a tonic.

If it weren’t for the ache in his heart to see Sky Dancer, he knew he would feel totally at ease.

Suddenly there was a thundering of hooves, and the children looked up from their playing. Morgan tensed as he watched a young Indian maiden ride her big black stallion into the village. The children ran along beside her, and she smiled down at them.

Sky Dancer was riding astride and agilely slid off her mount. Picking one of the smaller children up in her arms, she walked toward the chief’s lodge with the other children tagging along beside her.

Morgan heard her speak to them in the language of the Blackfoot. One little boy held up his hurt finger, and Sky Dancer kissed the hurt away.

Morgan’s eyes roamed hungrily over Sky Dancer. She appeared so different in her fringed buckskins, knee-length moccasins, and beaded headband.

Morgan was at a loss as to how to approach Sky Dancer. Suppose she were to look at him with contempt? She had just reached her lodge when the mother of Wolfrunner called out to her. Morgan watched as the Indian woman
spoke to her, and he assumed she was telling Sky Dancer about Danielle and Wolfrunner.

Sky Dancer glanced over to Farley’s tipi and drew in her breath at the blond-headed man who was dressed in buckskins. Surely that couldn’t be Morgan! No, Morgan wouldn’t be here!

Morgan took a step toward her, and she felt her heart leap with joy! There could be no mistake—it was Morgan!

Without pausing to think, she ran toward him. Her feet seemed to fly as he reached out his arms to her. He caught her about the waist and lifted her into the air!

As her tears wet his face, Morgan murmured her name, over and over. It was too public for a kiss, but Sky Dancer gloried in his warm embrace.

“You came, Morgan!” she cried. “I cannot believe you are really here.”

He set her on her feet and smiled deeply into her eyes. “I came to take you home with me, Sky…Dancer. Did you think my love so puny that I wouldn’t follow you?”

She brushed the tears away with one hand while he clutched the other. “I wasn’t sure. I didn’t think you would want me when you found out who I was. When did you come? How did you find me?”

“There was nowhere you could go that I wouldn’t find you, my little Indian princess.” His eyes spoke of his love for her, and she wished he could take her in his arms.

Sky Dancer saw his eyes move over her, taking in her appearance. “You find me…different?” she asked hesitantly, fearing he wouldn’t like the way she was dressed.

“You are no different now than you were when I fell in love with you.” He gazed at the soft buckskin that molded her soft curves. Taking both her hands in his, he worshipped her with his eyes. “Well, perhaps you are a little different, but I like what I see, my little Indian princess.”

She smiled up at him. “You look a bit different yourself, Morgan.”

Farley came out of the tipi and sized up the situation in a
flash. He hurriedly stepped between Sky Dancer and Morgan, breaking their hands apart. “Have you both gone clean out of your mind? Sky Dancer, you know better than to let Morgan touch you with the whole village looking on. You best go to your ma at once.”

Sky Dancer nodded, suddenly brought back to reality. “Farley is right, Morgan,” she said, stepping back a few paces. “I must leave you now.”

“When will I see you?” he wanted to know, taking a step toward her.

“I do not know. Perhaps Farley can bring you to my father’s lodge later.” Turning away, she moved gracefully toward her lodge. Just before she disappeared inside, she turned back, and waved at Morgan.

“You are a fool, Morgan. This ain’t Philadelphia, you know. Iffen you want to keep your scalp, you better play by the Blackfoot rules. You ain’t allowed to touch Sky Dancer lessen her pa says you can.”

Morgan’s eyes narrowed. “I can be patient, Farley, because I know he will have to give her to me sooner or later. I will not give her up.”