“Tom has a point,” Smoke said. “If we can show him that we aren’t stealing buffalo, then we might be able to get out of this without a fight. I’ll cut out three or four cows and go meet him.”
“No,” Tom said.
The others looked at Tom in surprise.
“What do you mean, no? This was your idea,” Clay said.
“I don’t think that Smoke, or Falcon, or any of the rest of you should go. I think I should go, and I think I should go alone.”
“Why would you say something like that? What if you are wrong? You wouldn’t have a chance against them, all by yourself.”
“That’s exactly why I should be the one to go,” Tom said. “If I am wrong, and it comes to an actual armed confrontation, who would you rather have wielding a gun in your defense? Smoke Jensen? Or me?”
“You’re not making one lick of sense,” Clay said.
“Yes, he is,” Dusty said. “And you all know it.”
The others looked at each other and, for a long moment, not one person spoke.
“Clay, tell him he is foolish,” Rebecca said, a catch of fear in her voice.
“I am not being foolish, Rebecca,” Tom said, calmly. “Clearly, I am the most expendable of this group.”
“No, you aren’t expendable!” Rebecca said. “Not to me, you aren’t.”
“Rebecca,” Tom said. “This has to be done.”
“Tom, have you ever had any dealings with Indians?” Smoke asked.
“No. But I have dealt with people in stressful situations. And I’m not one who loses his head easily.”
“No, from what I have seen of you, I wouldn’t think that you would. Clay, you know Dohate, so why don’t you cut out a few cows, how many ever you think it will take? I’ll give Tom a quick course on dealing with Indians.”
“All right,” Clay said. “Dusty, you and Dalton want to cut the cows out? Pick out three.”
“Put a bell on the lead cow,” Tom said. “And string a rope between them.”
“Why do that?” Clay asked. “If you are only taking three cows with you, they won’t be that hard to drive.”
“If they were buffalo, could you bell the leader and string a line between them?” Tom asked.
“Not unless you wanted to get yourself trampled,” Clay said, then, as soon as he answered the question, he realized the point Tom was making, and he smiled. “I see what you mean,” he said. “You aren’t just book smart, are you? When they see you coming toward them that way, they aren’t likely to think you’re leading buffalo.”
“All right, while they’re rounding up the cows for you, let’s talk about Indians,” Smoke said. “First lesson is, when you are talking to one, look him directly in the eye. If he can’t see into your eyes, he won’t be able to fathom your medicine. And Indians set a great store by medicine. The stronger your medicine is, the more willing they are to listen to you.”
“All right,” Tom answered.
“Generally, the first one to talk to you won’t be the leader. Pay attention, you’ll be able to tell who the leader is, so when you start negotiating, that’s the one you want to negotiate with. And, this is important. Don’t ask who is the leader, you have to figure that out on your own. If you do that, he will take it as a compliment, meaning that his leadership is so evident that even a stranger can pick it up.”
“How will I find them?” Tom asked. “I mean, I know they are at the Washita, but how will I find them?”
“You won’t have to find them. They’ll find you,” Smoke said.
“All right,” Tom said again.
“It may be that they will all come toward you, especially since you will be alone, but more than likely, they’ll leave a few behind. And, as they come toward you, greet them like this.”
Smoke held his arm up, crooked at the elbow, with the palm facing out.
“That will show them that you have come in peace.”
“Do you really say ‘how’, when you meet an Indian?” Tom asked.
Smoke chuckled. “That’s close enough,” he said. “Actually, the word is ‘hau’.” Smoke put a guttural phrasing to the word that made it more distinctive, though it was close enough to ‘how’ that Tom could see where that came from.
“Should he take his pistol, or leave it behind?” Clay asked.
“Well of course he is going to take a pistol,” Rebecca said. “You are sending him out to face the Indians alone. Would you send him unarmed as well?”
“I will not take a pistol,” Tom said.
“Why not?” Rebecca asked.
“Think about it,” Tom said. “If they want to kill me, there is nothing I could do about it, even if I had a pistol, especially considering how many of them there are, and how ineffective I am with such a weapon. On the other if I face them without a weapon, they might perceive that as being without fear.”
“Tom does have a point, Rebecca,” Smoke said.
“I do have one more question,” Tom said.
“What’s that?”
“You said I should show them that my medicine is strong. How do I do that?”
Smoke sighed. “Yeah,” he said. “That one will be hard, but you are going to have to do it.”
“How?”
“It is important, no, let’s say it is vital, that you show no fear. No matter what they do, you must not show fear.”
“Do you think you can do that, Tom?” Clay asked.
“Nobody can show no fear at all,” Rebecca said, anxiously.
“I can do it,” Tom said.
“Tom, no, you know you—”
“Rebecca, look at me,” Tom said.
Rebecca looked at him.
“I can do it,” Tom said resolutely.
Dusty and Dalton returned then with the three cows, tied together by one long rope. And as Tom had requested, a bell had been attached to the lead cow. Tom started toward his horse.
“No,” Clay said. “Don’t take that horse, take Thunder. I’ve seen you ride, Tom,” Clay said. “Maybe you can’t shoot, but I’ve never seen anyone who could ride better than you, and on Thunder I doubt there is an Indian in the territory who could catch you. If it looks like things aren’t going to go the way you think they should, you put spurs in Thunder’s side and get the hell out of there.”
“Now that is the most intelligent thing I’ve heard yet,” Rebecca said.
“I’ll get Thunder saddled for you, Tom,” Dalton said.
“Thanks.”
“Dalton, wait,” Clay called. “I seem to recall that Dohate has a taste for horehound candy. I know you got some while we were in Dodge. Do you have any left?”
Dalton was a little embarrassed by the question. He had bought some, but he wanted to keep it secret, not to prevent any of the others from having any, but because he was afraid they would think it was childish.
“Yeah, I’ve got some left,” he admitted sheepishly.
“After you get Thunder saddled, give some of it to Tom. He might have a use for it.”
“All right,” Dalton agreed.
“Tom?” Rebecca called.
Rebecca turned and walked toward the wagon, indicating that she wanted him to come to her. He did.
“Rebecca, you aren’t going to be able to talk me out of this,” Tom said.
“I know,” she said. “So I won’t even try.”
“Good.”
“Do you love me, Tom?”
“Rebecca, this hardly seems the time or place for us to discuss something like this.”
“I will ask you again, very slowly, and very distinctly. Do—you—love—me—Tom? It’s not a hard question.”
“Rebecca, there are things about my past that you don’t know,” Tom said. He held up his hands and looked at them. It was as if he could still see the blood.
“I don’t care about your past, Tom. I only care about now,” Rebecca said. “I know that you are not who you seem to be. I know you are not a cowboy. I know you are not a Westerner. I know that you have an education, a wonderful education, more than anyone I have ever known. And I know that you must have come from a life that is very different from this one. And whatever it was that made you give up that life must have been something very significant. I don’t know what it was and I don’t care what it was.