before the twentieth ball, your knife and your fire-stick will be mine!"
Everyone waited in silence.
At last Silent Deer tossed his rifle to the ground to land near the knife. He turned on his heel and stomped off into the darkness.
Dancing Cloud sat silently and listened. Mumbling could be heard among the warriors as they talked about how angry the white man was and how Silent Deer had bargained well.
Thomas snickered as he followed James to their lodge. "Shit, boy, don't you know that an Indian's firearm is not his most valuable possession. They're easy enough for a red man to get. He just steals um! The red devils are at times inclined to put more store in a string of glass beads they can use to entice some pretty little squaw into giving 'em a good time, than a fire-stick he can steal a dozen times in one day."
James stepped into the darkness of the cane and clay lodge as Thomas paused just before the entrance and chuckled again. Without warning a hand shot from the interior of the lodge, gripped a handful of Thomas’ rawhide shirt and jerked him forcefully inside.
Before Thomas was quite sure what happened, he lay belly-down in the dirt with his head pulled painfully upward. James increased the pressure by shoving a knee into the small of the man's back. Then James actually pressed a sharp blade against Thomas’ throat.
"Listen here, boy. I done whipped your arse once. You sure you want to try it again?" Thomas half-chuckled. He had to admit, if only to himself, he liked the young man's spunk. And even if he had come out on top in that first encounter, he'd suffered from the painful reminders of that scuffle for days. It was a glorious scuffle, even though he suspected James had let him win.
James gave a quick tug to Thomas’ hair as his knee bore down on his back. He slid the razor sharp blade lightly over the skin of Thomas’ neck.
Thomas felt the sting of splitting skin and tried to chuckle bravely, but the sound was like a nervous whine even to him. "You just got to calm down...you put a little more pressure on that blade an' it'll cut clean through to my neck bone." He silently reminded himself that the kid was just showing off.
James growled as he leaned close and a shiver erupted in Thomas’ belly.
"You listen to me, old man, and you had better listen closely. Didn't George warn you about me before we left the post?" He gave another quick jerk to his hair. "I lived like one of these savages for the past year-and-a-half that I spent with the Choctaw. I wasn't just with them; I became one of them. And I'm going to get just as close to being a Cherokee. I suggest you don't underestimate me again.
Anything happen to my horse and I will cut you from ear to ear. You got that, old man?"
Thomas swallowed hard and found his throat too dry to answer. James allowed him a little slack and he nodded slightly.
"Good!" James said with false cheer as he pulled Thomas to his feet. "Now go and keep an eye on Eagle. And you had better hope that no overly zealous brave takes it into his head to steal him. If he's not where I left him come morning, it's your scalp I'll come looking for." With a hard shove he propelled Thomas outside.
As Thomas burst from the doorway, several nearby Indians whooped in fun. When he wiped his hand across his throat and looked at the blood on his fingers, they laughed even harder.
Thomas looked at the blood. "I think tha kid got a mite carried away." To the onlookers he waved his arms and yelled, "All right, all right, the show's over. Ya can all go home and go ta bed now." He knew exactly whose lodge he was going to visit tonight. With a chuckle he headed off. Ta hell with the horse!
Inside the lodge, James stretched out on his furs as a grin crept across his features. The Cherokee had no way of knowing how proficient he was at the game or how determined he could be when it came to getting what he wanted.
His brow furrowed slightly when he thought of Thomas bringing Eagle into the
Everyone waited in silence.
At last Silent Deer tossed his rifle to the ground to land near the knife. He turned on his heel and stomped off into the darkness.
Dancing Cloud sat silently and listened. Mumbling could be heard among the warriors as they talked about how angry the white man was and how Silent Deer had bargained well.
Thomas snickered as he followed James to their lodge. "Shit, boy, don't you know that an Indian's firearm is not his most valuable possession. They're easy enough for a red man to get. He just steals um! The red devils are at times inclined to put more store in a string of glass beads they can use to entice some pretty little squaw into giving 'em a good time, than a fire-stick he can steal a dozen times in one day."
James stepped into the darkness of the cane and clay lodge as Thomas paused just before the entrance and chuckled again. Without warning a hand shot from the interior of the lodge, gripped a handful of Thomas’ rawhide shirt and jerked him forcefully inside.
Before Thomas was quite sure what happened, he lay belly-down in the dirt with his head pulled painfully upward. James increased the pressure by shoving a knee into the small of the man's back. Then James actually pressed a sharp blade against Thomas’ throat.
"Listen here, boy. I done whipped your arse once. You sure you want to try it again?" Thomas half-chuckled. He had to admit, if only to himself, he liked the young man's spunk. And even if he had come out on top in that first encounter, he'd suffered from the painful reminders of that scuffle for days. It was a glorious scuffle, even though he suspected James had let him win.
James gave a quick tug to Thomas’ hair as his knee bore down on his back. He slid the razor sharp blade lightly over the skin of Thomas’ neck.
Thomas felt the sting of splitting skin and tried to chuckle bravely, but the sound was like a nervous whine even to him. "You just got to calm down...you put a little more pressure on that blade an' it'll cut clean through to my neck bone." He silently reminded himself that the kid was just showing off.
James growled as he leaned close and a shiver erupted in Thomas’ belly.
"You listen to me, old man, and you had better listen closely. Didn't George warn you about me before we left the post?" He gave another quick jerk to his hair. "I lived like one of these savages for the past year-and-a-half that I spent with the Choctaw. I wasn't just with them; I became one of them. And I'm going to get just as close to being a Cherokee. I suggest you don't underestimate me again.
Anything happen to my horse and I will cut you from ear to ear. You got that, old man?"
Thomas swallowed hard and found his throat too dry to answer. James allowed him a little slack and he nodded slightly.
"Good!" James said with false cheer as he pulled Thomas to his feet. "Now go and keep an eye on Eagle. And you had better hope that no overly zealous brave takes it into his head to steal him. If he's not where I left him come morning, it's your scalp I'll come looking for." With a hard shove he propelled Thomas outside.
As Thomas burst from the doorway, several nearby Indians whooped in fun. When he wiped his hand across his throat and looked at the blood on his fingers, they laughed even harder.
Thomas looked at the blood. "I think tha kid got a mite carried away." To the onlookers he waved his arms and yelled, "All right, all right, the show's over. Ya can all go home and go ta bed now." He knew exactly whose lodge he was going to visit tonight. With a chuckle he headed off. Ta hell with the horse!
Inside the lodge, James stretched out on his furs as a grin crept across his features. The Cherokee had no way of knowing how proficient he was at the game or how determined he could be when it came to getting what he wanted.
His brow furrowed slightly when he thought of Thomas bringing Eagle into the
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