Chapter 12

Years have come and gone and no problems. Black Elk was a warrior now, he's killed many blue coats already. Gunned down a covered wagon and killed the settlers inside, scalped them, and adopted the women and children into the tribe or, sold them to other tribes. Black Elk thought about his sister and his nieces but never came and visited, neither did Luther Standing Bear. Luther Standing Bear went into the Chief's "tipi" (house).

"You know I have family over the hill, I want you tell my son's warriors to leave them alone, because I know some will test him to see if he would run them off the land, please my daughter lives there with her kids, their father was on of us. Kicking Horse, he was great warrior, I don't think he would like his own people killing or running them off," said Luther Standing Bear.

"I will call council," said the Chief.

So the chief called council, and all the warriors including Black Elk came up to the Chief's "tipi" (house).

"Many of you know we got most of our land back, and many victories in battle with the blue coats, I know some of you have family's that live in town, or just over the hill, Black Elk I know you have a sister and her children that live over the hill, I want you guys to know, that home is not to be touched, or burned down, they are one of us, Black Elk's sister was married to Kicking Horse, he was great warrior to us, so don't harm them, I have said what I needed to say," the Chief walked back inside his "tipi" (house).

"We understand, we won't drive off one of our own," said one warrior.

"Hey Black Elk, we understand, we won't drive or kill them, they can stay, they really haven't caused us any problems," said the other warrior.

"Good," said Black Elk.

So they went on about their day. The warriors went out and started to watch for covered wagons, any outlaws riding on their land. Meanwhile blue coats were riding into the camp real fast, all the Natives saw them and started shooting. All the warriors herd gun shots and rode real fast back to camp. Even Gloria herd the gun shots and then she saw smoke.

"Mom look! Shouted Victoria from the barn.

"I know darling I see it, oh please be alright brother," whispered Gloria.

Gloria herd screaming and more gun shots, then more smoke but it was dirt flying. It was the warrior riding in. As the warriors rode through, they were all shooting and killing the blue coats, some blue coats were retreating and some of the warrior were chasing after them and killed them before they could go any further. Then all the screaming stopped and the smoke was dim but it was still kind of Smokey.

"Mom, I hope grandpa and uncle are alright, "said Victoria.

"Me too sweetheart, me to," said Gloria.

Then there was silence, then suddenly more gun shots, but these shots were different. They just kept going. More screaming from the Indians, they were running and being gunned down by a hand crank weapon.

"Mom!" shouted Victoria.

"Girls come inside now, please!" shouted Gloria.

The girls started running towards the house, that gun machine was loud and it kept shooting. Luther and Black Elk ran and hid behind rocks and stayed down. Then shooting stopped, and the smoke blew away. The Soldiers from a distant watched and the rest of the soldiers came down on their horses to investigate the scene.

Any survivors they would take them captive and move them on reservations. About 300 Indians including women and children were killed, the soldiers built a massive grave, the rest were taken captive to reservation life. Some of the soldiers were walking towards the rocks, they almost found Luther and Black Elk, but by the time they could check behind the rocks, one of the lieutenants whistled, and the four soldiers came back down and headed toward the Fort with the other wounded Indians, and started walking them to the reservation, while the other soldiers stayed to bury the dead and take their belongings.

"You girls stay inside please," said Gloria.

"Mom?" asked Victoria.

"I'm going to look over the hill, I'll be right back, "said Gloria.

So Gloria left the house and walked towards the hills. She got down on her belly and crawled up the hill and looked over. She had tears in her eyes, as she saw the men drag the women and children and the elders and young warriors across the dirt and dumped them in the ground to bury them. She saw their homes burnt down, and everything destroyed. Soldiers came by with wagons and loaded the poles that made the tipis stand, they loaded them up, then they took pots that were not broken and utensils that were still good and loaded them up on the wagon, so they can take them to a trading post to sell and get money.

Gloria was watching all this take place, when they left, she looked back and it looked like the Indians never lived there, she rolled over and looked up at the sky. And then rolled back over, she started walking down the hill. Luther Standing Bear and Black Elk slowly came out from behind the rocks and saw Gloria. Gloria saw them and ran towards them hugging and crying on them.

"Oh I was so afraid for you guys, I'm glad you are alright," said Gloria crying.

"It's alright girl, everything is alright," said Luther Standing Bear.

Black Elk started walking towards where the tipi's use to be and started looking around, he was angry, he grabbed his knife, a tear started to roll down his cheek, Luther Standing Bear walked up from behind him and grabbed his knife and looked right at him in his eyes.

"It is not worth killing your self over, it's not your fault this happened my son, either one of us could have stopped the white man's fire. There are too many now, we've tried and won many times, but this time we were outnumbered, and now we are so few, are people are dying because of the white eyes I need you now son, I don't want to bury my son, I need you more than you realize my son," said Luther Standing Bear.

Black Elk looked at his father, he put the knife back in his pouch and looked at Gloria. Gloria had a tear running down her cheek and walked up to her brother and hugged him. He had forgotten what it was like to be hugged by his sister again, he had forgotten what it was like to be loved, his heart was hard, for he still maintained the warriors' way. So all three of them went up the hill and didn't look back. Black Elk was walking ahead of them.

"He's going to be hard to break father, it's going to be hard to make him the way he was before he was a warrior, "said Gloria.

"No, once he sees the girls, he'll remember, and he'll be like he used to be when he was a kid, he knows now that we are so few, and if he tries to get our people back he will be killed, because there are too many of them and so few of us now, he'll be alright," said Luther Standing Bear.

"I hope so," said Gloria.