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Show Instead of continuing the argument, Ike said something in Goshute to the boy. The child looked in astonishment at the three cowboys, then up at Ike, grinning from ear to ear and nodding that he was in full agreement with whatever Ike had said. I had my hand on the butt of my pistol, just in case the cowboys tried anything. I didn't know what Ike and the boy were talking about until Ike ordered the three cowboys to drop their trousers. When they refused, Ike said something to the boy, who immediately removed the bridle from the nearest horse and sent the animal galloping off through the sagebrush. Again Ike ordered the cowboys to drop their trousers. When they continued to hesitate, the boy w'ent over to the second horse and began to removing the bridle. He stopped when the cowboys began to pull down their trousers. Ike kept his rifle pointed at them, the hammer still back. Ike ordered the men to stretch out, face down, on the ground. Reluctantly, Reluc-tantly, they obeyed. "You'll never get away with this," hissed the leader. "A Wine Cup posse will hang you for this." I thought Ike was carrying the matter too far. Freeing the children was enough. But Ike had lived with the Goshutes for many years. They were his people now. They had taken much abuse from the whites. Maybe his courage and this drastic measure would make other white men think twice before abusing Goshutes. On the other hand, he might just infuriate the whites and cause increased persecution of his people. When the angry cowboys were stretched out on their bellies, their lender buttocks glistenint! hile ;m:l smooth under the mild;i sun. tlx boy removed I ho branding iron Irom the smoking coals. Kvon in the sunshine, there was an orange gray glow lo the Wine Cup insignia All it took was a nod from Ike and the boy stepped over to the nearest cowboy and slapped the branding iron against the lily -w hite skin. Though the cowboy screamed out a string of profanities, the boy held the iron steady as a cloud of greasy sweet smoke filled the air. Apparently Ap-parently the boy had seen cattle and horses branded and knew exactly how to do it. except perhaps he pushed a little too hard, holding the iron there a moment too long. But he received no criticism from Ike. As soon as the boy was finished, he returned the smoking iron, which had lost its red glow, to the fire. Ike was as still as a statue as the cowboys continued to curse and complain. The boy branded the second and third cowboy as thoroughly as the first. When the boy finished, Ike sent him over to unbridle the two remaining horses. When the wounded cowboys protested, Ike only mumbled something about them being too sore to ride anyway. After the horses had galloped off, the boy gathered up the trousers and carried them to Ike, who tossed them into the fire. A few seconds later we were galloping off to the west, following the trail the two Indian children had followed a few minutes earlier. Ike returned his Sharps rifle to the scabbard and was carrying the Wine Cup branding iron in his hand. The boy was riding behind Ike, his little brown arms clinging tightly to the black man's thick waist. To be continued |
