what we believe in, and for those we care for.”
“I agree, wholeheartedly,” Nate said. “But you’re forgetting something, too.”
“Which is?”
“That this new trader hasn’t done anything wrong yet. He hasn’t caused any trouble. We can’t close him down and drive him off without a reason.”
Zach put a hand on the hilt of his bowie. “All right, Pa. I won’t do anything, for now. But I’ll keep an eye on things, and my ears open, and if I find out this new trader is as bad as the last, there will be blood.”
Chapter Six
Chases Rabbits was surprised when Long Hair sent for him. He was in his father’s lodge, letting his father admire his new rifle, when a runner came and said that whites had come to the village, and Long Hair needed Chases Rabbits to translate.
Chases Rabbits hurried back with the runner. Two horses with saddles were outside the chief’s lodge, along with a string of four more. So was a gathering crowd of his people. He held his head high and made sure to hold his new rifle across his chest where all could see it. Then he bent and was in the chief’s lodge.
Other warriors were already there, prominent men, the most important in their tribe.
Long Hair beckoned. He had seen over eighty winters and was one of the most revered leaders of the tribe. His name came from the fact that his hair, once black but now as white as snow, had never been cut. He wore it in a single braid drawn up at the back. When he let it down, as he sometimes did at celebrations, it was as long as two tall men lying down head to toe.
Chases Rabbits was deeply honored, and greatly proud, to be called upon. Because of their many dealings with whites, quite a few of his people spoke a little of the white tongue, but he spoke it best. He had his mother to thank for that. She had lived with a white trapper when he was a boy.
Long Hair indicated that Chases Rabbits should sit on his left, between him and the white men.
Not until Chases Rabbits sank down did he look at them and realize who they were. He had to think to remember their names. Then he turned his attention to the great chief.
“You will speak to these whites for us. Find out why they have come. They do not know our tongue and do not know sign. But they smile and are friendly and seem to have something important to say.”
“I have met them,” Chases Rabbits revealed. “They are with the man who has the new trading post.”
“Then perhaps they have come to ask us to trade with them,” Long Hair said. “Question them for us.”
Chases Rabbits turned to their visitors and switched to English. “My heart be happy at seeing you again, Mr. Geist.” He was not so happy to see the other one, Petrie. He had not liked how Petrie treated his friend Nate King.
“Well, this is a stroke of luck,” the blond man said cheerfully. “Chases Rabbits, isn’t it? I’ll be grateful if you can help us.”
“What it be you want?”
Geist was seated cross-legged, his elbows on his knees. He made a tepee of his fingers and tapped them to his square chin. “I have heard about Long Hair. They say he is a great and wise chief. Tell him for me that I am honored to be in his presence.”
Chases Rabbits did as the white man wanted.
“I am here on behalf of Mr. Levi—”
“Me sorry,” Chases Rabbit broke in. “Who?”
“On behalf of Toad,” Geist clarified. “He has left it to me to drum up business for the trading post. I figure the best way to do that is to hook up with one of the tribes and have them spread word among the other tribes about how friendly we are.”
“Me sorry again,” Chases Rabbits said. “What mean hook up? Like hook Nate King use to catch fish?”
Petrie laughed.
“No, not like a fishhook,” Geist said, glaring at Petrie. “Hook up means to be a special friend. We would like to be special friends with the Crows. As a token of our friendship, I brought four horses for…” He seemed to catch himself. “I brought three horses as gifts for Long Hair and one horse as a gift for you.”
“Me?” Chases Rabbits said in great surprise.
“I would like you to be our interpreter. In exchange, you’ll get free gifts. The horse is just the first of many.”
The prospect of a flood of wealth dazzled Chases Rabbits to such an extent that he nearly missed what Geist said next.
“The rest of your people will get special treatment, too. We’ll give you discounts on the trade goods that we won’t give others.”
“Discounts?”
“A blanket that might cost someone from another tribe four buffalo robes will only cost your tribe three. That sort of thing.”
“It be nice of you.”
Geist reached over and patted Chases Rabbits on the arm. “Like I said, we want to be special friends with the Crows.”
“Why us?” Chases Rabbits thought to ask. “There be many tribes. The Shoshones, the Arapahos, the Nez Perce—” He would have gone on, but Geist had an answer.
“The Shoshones already have a special white friend in Nate King. As for the others, they’re too far away. You Crows are the closest.”
Long Hair impatiently asked what the white man was talking about.
Chases Rabbits explained. He made it a point to end with “They want me to talk for them in council because I speak the white tongue so well.”
The burly warrior on Long Hair’s right raised his head. “This is a good thing for the Apsaalooke,” he said, using their name for themselves. “The Shoshones have done well by their friendship with Grizzly Killer. Why should we not benefit by having this white man for our friend?”
Another warrior spoke. “Think of what it will mean. More horses. More guns. More knives.”
“More pots for the women,” a warrior at the end said, and they all grinned.
“It is a good thing,” Long Hair agreed, and turned to Chases Rabbit. “Tell the white man we accept. Thank him for me for the horses. Say that from this day on, we will regard him and the other whites at the trading post as our brothers. They are always welcome at our fire.”
Chases Rabbits translated Long Hair’s acceptance to the whites. Geist was pleased. “I can’t tell you how much this means to us. You won’t regret it.”
A pipe was produced and passed around.
Chases Rabbits sat straight and tall. His status in the tribe had changed; he was now a man of importance. He thought of Raven On The Ground and how impressed she would be. He couldn’t wait to tell the Kings. He was sure they would be happy for him.
Chapter Seven
The pair was barely out of sight of the Crow village when Geist shifted in his saddle and snapped, “You almost gave us away back there when you laughed, damn you.”
“Don’t talk to me like that,” Petrie said.
Geist drew rein. “I’ll talk to you any damn way I please. There is too much at stake for you to act the fool.”
“Now, hold on,” Petrie said. “They have no idea what this is about. That boy and his fishhook was close to the truth, but he doesn’t know it. That’s why I laughed.”
Leveling his rifle, Geist asked in a tone pregnant with menace, “Are you talking back to me?”
“Never,” Petrie said, staring calmly at the rifle’s muzzle. “How long have we been together? I’ve never had
