Chapter 8

Next day they all woke up and started on their chores. Gathering the eggs, feeding the livestock, attending the garden. While Victoria was attending the garden, she would always look towards the hill hoping that her grandfather and uncle would be coming over the top. So she went back to attending the garden. Her mother was cooking, she was making biscuits and gravy for breakfast.

"Come and get guys!" shouted Gloria.

The girls with a basket of eggs ran towards the house and Victoria grabbed her basket of vegetables and walked towards the house. The girls put the baskets on the counter top and went to the table and ate breakfast with their mother. Then Gloria got up and started putting stuff away as the girls were still eating.

"Momma, when is grandpa and uncle coming back to visit, it felt like daddy was here when they were hear?" asked Maria.

"I know sweetheart, they'll come when they can," smiled Gloria.

The girls went back to eating breakfast. Victoria got up and took her plate and the girls' plates to the sink and started doing the dishes.

"You guys better hurry, you don't want to be late for school," said Gloria.

"Okay, come on, we don't want to be late, let's go," said Victoria helping them get ready and out the door.

"I'll see you all later, be careful now," said Gloria waving goodbye.

"We will, bye mom!" shouted Madison waving back.

She went back inside the house and started doing some more work around the hous, then went to work at the hospital. At the Indian village, everybody wanted to hear about the witch doctor, Black Elk already told the whole village about it, but they kept asking.

"What did he look like again "hokscila" (boy)," asked an elder.

"He was ugly, scars on his face, he was big also, but not to big to be killed," said Black Elk.

"Alright that's enough for today," Luther Standing Bear came walking up.

So they got up and went about their ways.

"Thanks dad, its non-stop, even though they heard it a thousand times," smiled Black Elk.

"I know son, it's just it's been a lot of talk about how hard it is to kill a witch doctor," said Luther Standing Bear.

"This is true but I didn't kill him Gloria did," said Black Elk.

"Yes, but they don't need to know that," said Luther Standing Bear.

"Dad, I know were not supposed to talk about the dead, but, I saw moms picture around his neck, along with other pictures of people he had taken from family's. When Gloria killed him all those photos went blank, there was no photo anymore, they disappeared," said Black Elk.

"Maybe their souls were in those photos, and when she killed him, their souls were free, and now they can live on peacefully," said Luther Standing Bear.

"True, now they can be at peace and move forward," said Black Elk.

"Waschia!" (white men) yelled in the Lakota language.

Everybody came out and came running towards the warrior.

"Where?" asked Luther Standing Bear.

"Over the bluffs I was scouting for buffalo, and I saw "waschia" (white men) bent down, hiding looking for buffalos," said the warrior.

"How many?" asked another warrior.

"Five maybe ten," said the warrior.

"Did they see you?" asked Luther Standing Bear.

"No, I don't think so," said the warrior.

"Well just in case, were going to be prepared, just in case they decide to come up here," said Luther Standing Bear.

So the men made sure their weapons were close by, because you never know when the white men are going to attack. The same warrior and a couple of other warriors went out to hunt buffalo again, when they came to a valley where buffalo were grazing, there were only twenty buffalo's dead, skinned, then left to rot there on the plains. Those white men killed for sport and trophy, selling the hid for $3.00 per hide and .25 for each tongue.

So they moved forward, and came to another valley, there were thousands of buffalo's, so they ran down the hill and killed a few, then the women followed and went down and started cutting and skinning the buffalo, using everything on the buffalo, the horns, bones, fat, tails, hair, muscles, stomach liner, gall and blood, skull, beard and teeth, bladder, hooves, scrotum, liver, tendons and hide. They took it all back to camp to be used, they left nothing, they use everything on the buffalo.

"Good hunt?" asked Luther Standing Bear.

"We went back to where I saw those white men, there were twenty buffalo dead on the plains, there skin was taken and left there to rot. Then we went further up the hill and found more buffalo's, so we killed what we needed," said the warrior.

"That's good, those white men just kill for sport and money," said Luther Standing Bear shaking his head.

"We'll have a great feast tonight," smiled a warrior.

They went about their day while the women prepared the meals. So Luther Standing Bear and Black Elk went into town. Now everybody knows Luther and his son, so they were no strangers to the towns folk. A few didn't like the fact that Black Elk could come into the stores and into town. So they were loading their horses with a few things they needed, to take back when gun shots went off. Everybody was running and hiding in the stores, a bullet pierced Black Elk in the gut, he ran to hide behind a horse troff, Luther started running as well, he got shot in the leg, and hid behind a building, they started cocking their guns back and getting ready to fire. The Sheriff came running out ready to shoot.

"Alright Haskell! I know it was you and your men, now drop your guns!" shouted the Sheriff.

"Aw sheriff, we were just having a bit of fun we were, besides, how can you let those Injuns come into town like they own it," said Haskell.

"You know better than that Haskell, any non white person that comes through here, is welcomed the past is over, gone, move on," said the Sheriff.

Black Elk started to get up slowly, just in case Haskell starts to fire again. Luther Standing Bear limps over to Black Elk.

"You alright?" asked Luther.

"I'll be fine, it's not the first-time dad," Black Elk trying to hide the pain.

"We all have our weapons drawn Haskell, either you and your men drop yours, or I'll shoot you on the spot," said the Sheriff.

"I'm not going to drop my weapon for no savage, or anybody matter of fact," said Haskell.

"Haskell, last time, or I will order my deputies to shoot you, and they don't miss," said the Sheriff in a stern voice.

"My men don't miss either Sheriff, don't forget that," said Haskell.

"I won't Haskell, last time, call off your men," said the Sheriff.

"No," Haskell raising his gun to shoot Black Elk again.

The Sheriff looked up at his deputy and nodded his head.

"I'm going to enjoy this, just like old times, ain't that right Luther," smiled Haskell.