man’s face at the mention of Windhawk’s name. “You heard me clearly! My husband, Windhawk, will see you both dead for this!”
Jim jumped to his feet and looked at his brother. “Hell’s bells, Chester! Did you hear what she said? You told me this Windhawk ain’t no real person!”
Chester was studying Joanna’s face. “He ain’t real. The girl is just using him to scare us. Tell my brother the truth, little lady.”
Joanna smiled, knowing the two men would now be looking over their shoulders, and she doubted they would sleep too well that night. “If it suits your purpose to think Windhawk doesn’t exist, so be it. You will find out soon enough that I am telling the truth,” she said, amused at the way both brothers’ eyes kept darting back to the dense trees.
“You’re lying,” Chester said, in a voice that showed he was trying to convince himself as well as his brother that the legendary Windhawk didn’t really exist.
Joanna merely shrugged her shoulders and bent down to wash her face in the river before cupping her hands to drink thirstily. Too many things had happened to her yesterday for her to sort them all out. She was still hurting because of Windhawk’s betrayal, and she had no notion why Harland had gone to such extreme measures to get her away from the village.
She Who Heals had been unable to sleep the night before for worrying about Joanna. She entered Windhawk’s lodge, and saw that Joanna was not there. It is early yet, she told herself. Joanna could have gone to the river for water. But why was the cook-fire not lit, and why did Joanna’s bed look as if it hadn’t been slept in?
She left the lodge, hurriedly walking in the direction of the river. Her fears of last night were becoming a reality, for when she reached the river, she saw no sign of Flaming Hair. She Who Heals questioned the women who were gathered at the river, but not one of them had seen Joanna, either.
By now, Windhawk’s mother was also searching for Joanna. Sun Woman went from lodge to lodge, inquiring if anyone had seen her. By midmorning, the whole village had been alerted, and everyone was frantically searching for Windhawk’s missing wife.
Farley mounted his horse and crossed the river, searching for tracks.
Red Bird entered Windhawk’s lodge. Seeing the discarded bear-claw necklace, she remembered Flaming Hair had worn it the day before. She smiled to herself as she slipped it over her head. She had the necklace…she would soon have Windhawk!
Chapter Eight
An uneasy feeling spread over the Blackfoot village. It was nightfall, and still no one had seen Joanna.
Farley went to the pasture where Fosset was always kept with Windhawk’s herd. When he discovered Joanna’s horse was missing, he rode back to the village to gather a group of warriors to search for her.
Sun Woman sent word to her son to come at once. The women and children of the village watched and waited infear, while the warriors made a wide sweep of the countryside in search of their chief’s woman.
Joanna was well-loved by the Blackfoot tribe, and everyone was worried about her disappearance…all but one. Red Bird felt her heart leap with joy. The Flaming Hair was missing, and she hoped she would never return.
Morning Song was frantic. She remembered how upset Joanna had been the day before when she had learned about Red Bird. She wondered if Joanna had left because of the Piegan woman. She felt that it was her fault, since she had been the one to tell Joanna about Red Bird.
Farley bent down and examined the ground along the river thoroughly. There had been too many horses crossing the river; he couldn’t locate Fosset’s hoofprints. His heart was heavy, and fear gnawed at his insides. He loved Joanna and was afraid of what might have happened to her.
Sun Woman and She Who Heals looked into each other’s eyes. They both loved Joanna as a daughter, and both knew in their hearts that Joanna would never have gone away without
Jim jumped to his feet and looked at his brother. “Hell’s bells, Chester! Did you hear what she said? You told me this Windhawk ain’t no real person!”
Chester was studying Joanna’s face. “He ain’t real. The girl is just using him to scare us. Tell my brother the truth, little lady.”
Joanna smiled, knowing the two men would now be looking over their shoulders, and she doubted they would sleep too well that night. “If it suits your purpose to think Windhawk doesn’t exist, so be it. You will find out soon enough that I am telling the truth,” she said, amused at the way both brothers’ eyes kept darting back to the dense trees.
“You’re lying,” Chester said, in a voice that showed he was trying to convince himself as well as his brother that the legendary Windhawk didn’t really exist.
Joanna merely shrugged her shoulders and bent down to wash her face in the river before cupping her hands to drink thirstily. Too many things had happened to her yesterday for her to sort them all out. She was still hurting because of Windhawk’s betrayal, and she had no notion why Harland had gone to such extreme measures to get her away from the village.
She Who Heals had been unable to sleep the night before for worrying about Joanna. She entered Windhawk’s lodge, and saw that Joanna was not there. It is early yet, she told herself. Joanna could have gone to the river for water. But why was the cook-fire not lit, and why did Joanna’s bed look as if it hadn’t been slept in?
She left the lodge, hurriedly walking in the direction of the river. Her fears of last night were becoming a reality, for when she reached the river, she saw no sign of Flaming Hair. She Who Heals questioned the women who were gathered at the river, but not one of them had seen Joanna, either.
By now, Windhawk’s mother was also searching for Joanna. Sun Woman went from lodge to lodge, inquiring if anyone had seen her. By midmorning, the whole village had been alerted, and everyone was frantically searching for Windhawk’s missing wife.
Farley mounted his horse and crossed the river, searching for tracks.
Red Bird entered Windhawk’s lodge. Seeing the discarded bear-claw necklace, she remembered Flaming Hair had worn it the day before. She smiled to herself as she slipped it over her head. She had the necklace…she would soon have Windhawk!
Chapter Eight
An uneasy feeling spread over the Blackfoot village. It was nightfall, and still no one had seen Joanna.
Farley went to the pasture where Fosset was always kept with Windhawk’s herd. When he discovered Joanna’s horse was missing, he rode back to the village to gather a group of warriors to search for her.
Sun Woman sent word to her son to come at once. The women and children of the village watched and waited infear, while the warriors made a wide sweep of the countryside in search of their chief’s woman.
Joanna was well-loved by the Blackfoot tribe, and everyone was worried about her disappearance…all but one. Red Bird felt her heart leap with joy. The Flaming Hair was missing, and she hoped she would never return.
Morning Song was frantic. She remembered how upset Joanna had been the day before when she had learned about Red Bird. She wondered if Joanna had left because of the Piegan woman. She felt that it was her fault, since she had been the one to tell Joanna about Red Bird.
Farley bent down and examined the ground along the river thoroughly. There had been too many horses crossing the river; he couldn’t locate Fosset’s hoofprints. His heart was heavy, and fear gnawed at his insides. He loved Joanna and was afraid of what might have happened to her.
Sun Woman and She Who Heals looked into each other’s eyes. They both loved Joanna as a daughter, and both knew in their hearts that Joanna would never have gone away without
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