Blood Feather by Don Bendell

had gotten from any other prey.
    He had passed near Cañon City but was now in an area called High Park, north and west of the town and southwest of Pikes Peak. The terrain was rolling hills and valleys covered with large growth evergreens as well as piñons and cedars. The area had an abundance of grizzly bears, elk, mule deer, turkeys, and mountain lions, but very few people. The miners would come in droves, but not for a number of years. Now there were fur trappers, Ute Indians, and a few large ranches.
    Blood Feather decided to get closer to civilization, as it was in his twisted mind to select only certain victims. There had to be something about them that would make him desire taking from their spirit. Usually, that trait was only the subconscious sense that he could intimidate them, but he also liked to challenge himself in some ways. Hence his desire to pit himself against Joshua Strongheart.
    That is when the idea struck him. He would locate Strongheart’s actual area, his place of living. He would find someone close to Strongheart and kill that person, or even better he would kidnap someone. He would make the half-breed pursue him.
    Joshua went to Fort Union first and found that General Phillip Sheridan was there, as well as several colonels. They wanted a briefing, Joshua was told. First, he would prepare his report for Lucky and then he would use that to brief the general.
    There was a billiard hall at Fort Union, adobe but covered with red bricks. This was where the men congregated when they could manage a little time off. Joshua Strongheart, a year earlier, had gotten addicted to a new drink, iced tea. He could not drink alcohol because the Lakota blood he carried betrayed his system. He would become a monster if he drank.
    Bellying up to the bar, he said, “Howdy, do you have a new drink called iced tea, by any chance?”
    The bartender had a pleasant smile and a long handlebar mustache, a white shirt and red sleeve garters.
    â€œRight ya are, laddie,” he said with a thick Scottish accent, “and a tasty drink it is. Ya want sugarrr with that, sirrr?”
    â€œPlenty,” Joshua responded with a smile.
    The bartender chipped some ice with a pick, filled a frosted glass with tea, and added several spoonfuls of sugar.
    Strongheart enjoyed the cold drink and spotted a large group of boisterous drinking soldiers around the several billiard tables. He noticed Chris Colt having words with several men. A black-skinned cowboy stood next to Chris. Strongheart sensed trouble brewing.
    â€œI say that you cheated me, Scout!” Joshua heard a burly man saying with a strong Southern accent as he walked up.
    Strongheart saw a man in an oversized, rumpled tunic with corporal stripes, and he had four men around him who seemed to be friends. They all looked like they were ready to jump on Colt if the leader started swinging at Chris. Joshua thought quickly, trying to figure out a way to defuse the situation so he and his new friend did not have a big fight on their hands.
    The bruiser looked like he was ready to let go with a balled up ham-sized fist, and Joshua stepped forward holding his hands up.
    â€œWait a minute, boys!” Strongheart said. “Don’t start fighting just yet. We need a strength test first.”
    The behemoth said, “Well I shore as hell aint havin’ no durn blanket nigger tellin’ me what ta do. Y’all heah him?”
    Strongheart seethed inside but instead smiled and said, “Now, that’s not the right attitude. Most men who want to toe the line around here do the strength test first, unless you are both too yellow to try it.”
    Chris Colt grinned, knowing Strongheart was trying to defuse things somehow, without having the slightest clue how he was doing it.
    He said, “I’m not yellow, mister. I’ll do it, I’ll go first.”
    Joshua was glad Chris said that, as he needed him to go first.
    The giant bully roared,