he repeated quietly. “I am sorry. After tonight, you may have the crying stones. You will need them.”
Abbie frowned. “How can you know that?”
“I… feel it. The Indian is very spiritual—close to the elements and the spirit world. The Indian has visions. Often the Great Spirit warns him of things to come. Now they warn you to be strong, Abigail. First you will stand alone—completely alone. And then I see …” The words became strained, and he closed his eyes, breathing harder. “I see … someone … standing beside you … someone … strong and—”He suddenly shook his head. “Go away, Abbie!” he whispered.
She swallowed. “You’re scaring me!” she squeaked. “You shouldn’t tell me those things!”
He rocked quietly, massaging Mary’s temples again. “I did not mean to frighten you.” He still breathed hard, as though upset. “You will have an inner strength that will see you through whatever happens to you. It will not fail you. Now, please go!”
As Abbie blinked back her tears and rose, Mrs. Hanes returned with the water.
“Zeke?” Abbie said.
But he did not reply, and she finally walked back to Olin, wiping at a tear. “Why did he tell me that?” she asked. Olin took her arm and urged her back toward her wagon.
“When he looks at you, Miss Abbie, he sees his dead wife. That draws him close to the spirit world. If Zeke says he sees somethin’ in your future, he’s probably right, and he’s just tryin’ to prepare you to be strong.”
“It scares me,” she replied, pulling her shawl closer.
“Don’t never be afraid. He said you was a strong girl. Zeke knows.”
“But… who do you think he saw standing beside me? He got so upset.”
Olin stopped walking and turned to face her. “Who do you think?” he asked.
Her eyes widened and lit up with hope. “ Him? ”
“That’s my guess. And if I’m right, Cheyenne Zeke is in for one hell of a battle with himself. A vision is somethin’ that can’t be denied, but for reasons of hisown, the last thing Zeke would ever want is to be involved with another white woman. He’ll do his best to see beyond that vision—to find another vision that will tell him the first one don’t mean what it looks like it means. I know by how upset he got that it was somethin’ he’d rather not have happen.”
“Why shouldn’t it happen?” Abbie replied. “I don’t understand any of this.”
Olin looked down at her, and she was shocked to see the pain on his face. “Miss Abbie, you have to believe me when I tell you … it would be a lot better, for you and Zeke both, if you get your mind off him and just get to Oregon and forget him. Please don’t make me explain. And please don’t make things hard on Zeke.”
“Some things can’t be avoided,” she replied. “And there’s some purpose for me and Cheyenne Zeke—I just know it. I felt it the first time he stepped into our camp and I handed him that cup of coffee.”
Olin sighed. “You’re a child, Abbie. There are a lot of things you don’t understand yet.”
“Then maybe one day I’ll learn from Zeke,” she replied with confidence, taking hope in the vision. Her heart raced with anticipation and with visions of her own: visions of one day standing beside Cheyenne Zeke as his woman, of lying with him at night, and of giving him children to replace the son he’d lost. “I guess I’ll just have to wait and let things take care of themselves, won’t I?” she went on.
Olin sighed and started walking again. “I guess,” he said quietly. “Ain’t no use arguin’ with a love-struck little girl.”
“Tell me more about Zeke, Olin,” she pleaded. “At least tell me about you and him—how you got to befriends and all. Can’t you tell me that much?”
The rotund, bearded man chuckled and shook his head. “Okay. For a cup of coffee I’ll share that much with you.”
“Oh, thank you!” she replied, walking faster now. When they reached camp she
Abbie frowned. “How can you know that?”
“I… feel it. The Indian is very spiritual—close to the elements and the spirit world. The Indian has visions. Often the Great Spirit warns him of things to come. Now they warn you to be strong, Abigail. First you will stand alone—completely alone. And then I see …” The words became strained, and he closed his eyes, breathing harder. “I see … someone … standing beside you … someone … strong and—”He suddenly shook his head. “Go away, Abbie!” he whispered.
She swallowed. “You’re scaring me!” she squeaked. “You shouldn’t tell me those things!”
He rocked quietly, massaging Mary’s temples again. “I did not mean to frighten you.” He still breathed hard, as though upset. “You will have an inner strength that will see you through whatever happens to you. It will not fail you. Now, please go!”
As Abbie blinked back her tears and rose, Mrs. Hanes returned with the water.
“Zeke?” Abbie said.
But he did not reply, and she finally walked back to Olin, wiping at a tear. “Why did he tell me that?” she asked. Olin took her arm and urged her back toward her wagon.
“When he looks at you, Miss Abbie, he sees his dead wife. That draws him close to the spirit world. If Zeke says he sees somethin’ in your future, he’s probably right, and he’s just tryin’ to prepare you to be strong.”
“It scares me,” she replied, pulling her shawl closer.
“Don’t never be afraid. He said you was a strong girl. Zeke knows.”
“But… who do you think he saw standing beside me? He got so upset.”
Olin stopped walking and turned to face her. “Who do you think?” he asked.
Her eyes widened and lit up with hope. “ Him? ”
“That’s my guess. And if I’m right, Cheyenne Zeke is in for one hell of a battle with himself. A vision is somethin’ that can’t be denied, but for reasons of hisown, the last thing Zeke would ever want is to be involved with another white woman. He’ll do his best to see beyond that vision—to find another vision that will tell him the first one don’t mean what it looks like it means. I know by how upset he got that it was somethin’ he’d rather not have happen.”
“Why shouldn’t it happen?” Abbie replied. “I don’t understand any of this.”
Olin looked down at her, and she was shocked to see the pain on his face. “Miss Abbie, you have to believe me when I tell you … it would be a lot better, for you and Zeke both, if you get your mind off him and just get to Oregon and forget him. Please don’t make me explain. And please don’t make things hard on Zeke.”
“Some things can’t be avoided,” she replied. “And there’s some purpose for me and Cheyenne Zeke—I just know it. I felt it the first time he stepped into our camp and I handed him that cup of coffee.”
Olin sighed. “You’re a child, Abbie. There are a lot of things you don’t understand yet.”
“Then maybe one day I’ll learn from Zeke,” she replied with confidence, taking hope in the vision. Her heart raced with anticipation and with visions of her own: visions of one day standing beside Cheyenne Zeke as his woman, of lying with him at night, and of giving him children to replace the son he’d lost. “I guess I’ll just have to wait and let things take care of themselves, won’t I?” she went on.
Olin sighed and started walking again. “I guess,” he said quietly. “Ain’t no use arguin’ with a love-struck little girl.”
“Tell me more about Zeke, Olin,” she pleaded. “At least tell me about you and him—how you got to befriends and all. Can’t you tell me that much?”
The rotund, bearded man chuckled and shook his head. “Okay. For a cup of coffee I’ll share that much with you.”
“Oh, thank you!” she replied, walking faster now. When they reached camp she
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