A love between two very different men is put to the test. John Strobaw, a young mixed-blood, grows up in the relative security of a family farm after the Civil War. His mother raises her family as Americans, but his foster brother, Matthew Brandt feels his red blood more keenly and leaves to ride with Crazy Horse. John doesn’t understand the longing he feels for his absent companion until he has his first sexual experience with a man and he only thinks of Matthew. After the murder of Crazy Horse, Matthew makes his way back home. John fights hard against a growing lust for Matthew, but when he ultimately succumbs, he is lost to this handsome, dusky warrior. Just when the future looks bright, another suitor appears -- a handsome Cheyenne army scout, and trouble looms on the horizon.

Echoes of the Flute

Gideon accorded my pa due deference as we ate, but reserved his real attention for Matthew. What did Laramie look like? Was that Brulé home territory, or had they been driven west like many of the tribes? The questions went on and on.


Rachel Ann, even with stars in her eyes, eventually caught on. Was the flush that crossed her pretty features embarrassment at realizing she was merely a courtesy or anger that Matthew was prey? For his part, my brother-who-was-not-a-brother handled himself well. He described things he knew, and answered with a simple “don’t know” if the point of the question was something he wasn’t familiar with.


I was about to bring up the subject of Matthew’s wound when he managed to slip in our “misadventure” during one of the infrequent pauses in Gideon’s conversation.


“Nothing serious, I hope,” he said. “Gunshots can be nasty things. Even slight ones. Infection, you know.”


I waved a hand in the air. “Don’t worry. I put enough honey on it to attract bees.”


Chapter 53