FAITH
FAITH (after an idea by Nesciri)
Ike and Kid rode hard toward Kiowa territory. Kid
didn't have a plan but he was going to try to find an Indian trail and leave
the pouch there with a message and a map showing where Buck was. Ike had carefully
drawn from memory the same symbols Red Bear had used once before to call Buck.
A bear and a buck stood facing each other as before but Ike made one change.
Ike drew a knife pointed at the buck's heart. He hoped that would convey to
Red Bear the seriousness of the situation and cause him to come as quickly as
possible.
When they had reached the area where Ike and Kid had last seen the Kiowa village,
it was impossible not to think of the time when they had sat high on a bluff
and watched as Buck underwent ritual torture to prove himself a true Kiowa.
Then they had been helpless and could only watch as Buck was severely beaten
and tied for two days over burning coals before being made to jump across a
pit of rattlesnakes. Kid had prayed for him then and he prayed for him now.
The irony was not lost on the two friends that Buck had survived that physical
trial only to be losing a spiritual one.
They rode for a mile past the old camp hoping for
a glimpse of smoke or some other sign telling them where the village was located
now. In this strange twist of events, both riders would gladly have welcomed
the sight of a Kiowa war party charging at them from over the hill. It however,
soon became obvious that they were not going to find the village on their own.
The Kiowa were well hid and it would take a miracle for the two to stumble on
the village. They both hoped that even though they could not see the Kiowa,
the Kiowa could see them.
"I think we just need to leave the pouch and
the message," Kid sighed feeling a little discouraged.
Ike nodded his head in reply and quickly surveyed
the area looking for a prominent spot to leave the pouch. <There in that
tree.> Ike and Kid rode over to a tree that stood by itself not far from
the faint trail they had been following. Ike carefully removed the pouch from
his pocket and tied it to a lower branch of the tree. Ike then took the message
and wrapped a piece of leather around it and tied the loose ends around the
branch. Satisfied that it would stay in the tree, Kid and Ike mounted their
horses again. They started to ride away but stopped to look back at the pouch.
It looked forlorn hanging from the branch and it swayed a little in the gentle
breeze that caught it.
<Now what?> Ike wanted to hurry and get back.
"We go back to Buck and wait for Red Bear. Hopefully, the others have Yellow Crane."
