Race to the River

Craig made his way to the wickiup on the left, but he did not enter. You did not enter the wickiup of a chief without announcing your arrival. When he was outside of the open flap of the chief’s wickiup, Craig called:

“Chief Avonaco”

A moment later an Indian woman of about forty-five years of age appeared from inside the wickiup. On seeing Craig she smiled and said:

“It is good to see you again Craig”.

“It does my heart glad to see you again too Iara” replied Craig to Chief Avonaco’s wife.

Iara waved her hand at the opening of the wickiup to indicate to Craig that he was welcome to enter. Craig did so. He stepped inside to find Chief Avonaco sitting and looking into the fire which, despite it being early afternoon and warm, was lit. The chief looked up, smiled briefly at Craig and, without saying anything, waved a hand to instruct Craig to sit beside him. Craig sat down on the chief’s right-hand side.

After Craig was sitting, Iara lit a peace-pipe and brought it to the chief who took a long and slow drag on it. He then passed the pipe to Craig who did the same before handing the pipe back to Iara. Craig was not a smoker and never had been. On his first couple of visits to the village, over three years ago, when he had been handed the peace-pipe, after taking a puff he coughed violently when the acrid smoke entered his mouth. He had been very embarrassed by the incidents but his Cheyenne friends did not seem to mind, they had been happy that he had at least followed their traditions by smoking from the pipe. Since those days Craig had learned a technique that allowed him to smoke the pipe without choking.

After smoking the pipe, Craig and the chief made small talk, asking after each other’s welfare and what they had been doing and what news each other had since Craig’s last visit. Eventually it was time for Craig to tell the chief exactly what the purpose of this current visit was.

“Chief Avonaco, it has come to my attention and to the attention of the chief of the soldiers at the soldier fort, that some Cheyenne warriors have been killed by white men. What do you know of this incident?”

Chief Avonaco sat in silence for a moment. Eventually he looked up at Craig. Craig didn’t know what age the chief was, but he looked to be about fifty-five years of age which was at least ten years older than his wife. When the chief spoke, there was worry and despair in his voice:

“This situation worries me friend Craig (Chief Avonaco quite often called Craig “friend Craig”). There has been peace between the white man and the Cheyenne for a while now since the treaty was signed. These killings threaten that treaty”.

“What actually happened Chief Avonaco?”

Again the chief hesitated before speaking.

“Six warriors left the village to look for game to hunt. They were gone for over an hour when three of the warriors returned and told me that they had been attacked by white men. A soldier patrol entered the village a little later and the three warriors who had been killed were with them. Two of them had their hair taken and the soldiers said that one of the warriors lived long enough to tell them that six white men with their faces covered had attacked them”.

Craig shook his head after hearing the account of what had happened.

“I am sorry Chief Avonaco. It disgusts me that white men would do such a thing to the Cheyenne. It makes me ashamed to be a white man” he said.

“Do not be ashamed friend Craig. Not all white men are the same, just as not all Cheyenne are the same” replied the chief.

“I make you a promise” Craig said to the chief “I will not rest until I find the men who did this and make sure that they are punished”. Craig then said one last thing to his friend. “Chief, I probably have no right to ask this of you, but can you please find it within your heart to ask your warriors to refrain from attacking any white men that come into your territory. I am sure that I speak the truth when I say that neither the white man nor the Cheyenne want to start another war”.

Once again Chief Avonaco sat in silence before answering Craig’s question. When he did, he began by nodding his head:

“Very well friend Craig. I will tell my warriors not to seek revenge for the killing of their brothers, but if the killings keep happening, then it may be difficult to stop them from seeking justice in the only way that the Cheyenne know how to seek justice”.

“I understand” replied Craig.

Just then Craig and the chief could hear a commotion outside of the wickiup. Iara, who had been working away in the wickiup whilst Craig and Chief Avonaco had been talking, went outside to see what the disturbance was. She came back into the wickiup moments later in a very agitated state:

“Come, look” was the only two words that she said to her husband and to Craig.