Doc Ch. 10

I watched them for awhile then I finally took the hint I was in the way and went to find Grandpa. When I caught up with him, he was discussing the lease with Red Cloud and the other tribal elders. Apparently they had finally grasped what he had been describing, and now they were getting into 'the fine print'.

Grandpa had written out what he thought was a good lease for everyone concerned, which he explained to them, then asked for any changes they wanted. When they appeared to be in agreement, he said he'd have to check with the courthouse in Hill City to make sure it was a proper legal document and if it was, then he would file it with them. After that he would get his neighbors to do the same thing. That way, all the local ranchers and other legitimate settlers could show they had the Sioux's permission to be on this land and that the others were trespassing and unwelcome. He said if he had to, he would make the trip to the army in Fort Laramie where the treaty had been signed, but doubted it would be necessary because the actual law was here.

When it looked like they were about done, I asked Grandpa, "Uncle Henry, the girls and Dawn are almost packed and ready to go. Are you going to be much longer?"

Grandpa replied, "No, we're about done here for now. We were just going back over some things and are just shooting the breeze now. I'm ready whenever they are. Let's go to check on them; if they're ready, maybe we can get back early and get you set up before dark."

When we got to where the girls had been packing, I sensed tension in the air and saw that Running Deer was staring daggers at her sister and Dawn. "So what's going on here?" I demanded.

Running Deer wouldn't answer me right away, so I asked Little Doe. "She insists on helping even though you say no. So we don't let her. Now she mad at us."

I turned back to Deer. "Running Deer, what do you have to say for yourself?"

She stood erect and proud. "I can help! Arm don't hurt now. I'm not helpless!"

I shook my head in exasperation then tried to motivate her. "No, Running Deer, you're not helpless, and although you don't feel pain anymore, you are still hurt. I don't want you to hurt your arm worse than it already is, and I sure don't want you crippled! That's why I made you promise. Is this the way a Lakota woman treats her husband when he orders her to do something – to shame him that his words are not to be listened to?"

Before I could say anything else, Running Deer ran to me crying, "Please Clay, don't send me away! Beat me for being bad, but let me stay! I will listen and do as you say!" Little Doe and Dawn looked on nervously, afraid of what might happen.

I held the sobbing, terrified girl in my arms while I comforted her, and explained how I did things. "Nobody is going to send you away, but you must do as I say. I don't do things without a good reason, but if you don't agree then talk to me, and I'll try to explain it better."

The other two got back to work and finished our packing. Dawn's lodge, minus the poles, fit on the wagon with the girls' things, with room to spare. A little while later, just as the loading was finished, Grandma Dove and Standing Bear joined us. With everyone present, we mounted up and headed for home with the women talking quietly in the wagon. Grandpa drove the wagon with the four women and Standing Bear rode next to me on Grandma Dove's horse. I had the gift horse from the girls' father on a lead, loaded with my medical pack and the other supplies Grandpa and I had brought out with us that first day.

While I kind of pitied Grandpa being alone with all the women chattering away to each other, my riding partner and I were very quiet, as so far, I hadn't heard Standing Bear speak a word. Wondering about that, I asked, "Uncle Henry, don't Standing Bear speak English?"

He replied, "He speaks American just fine. He's just shy and don't know you yet. You'll have to make friends with him and let him get used to you." After that, I did try to engage Bear, but he was so shy, all I got was an occasional shy smile, nod, or shake in answer to questions. He wasn't ready to open up yet, but from his posture by the time we got to the ranch, he was at least relaxing with me.

We were back at the ranch by mid afternoon. Grandpa gave us the tour of the house, showing the women their new home. During the tour, they decided which rooms were for Dawn and Standing Bear. As soon as they could, Little Doe and Dawn jumped right in cleaning the place, while Running Deer watched, longing to help. I saw how much she wanted to be a part of it, so I said ok, she could help as long as she was careful and promised not to use her bad arm. She squealed with joy and rushed to help. Soon, it wasn't safe to be near them – if it didn't move it got cleaned.

Once they were organized, the women shooed all us males out of there, telling us to go do something else, that this was woman's work. That got me to wondering if everything was woman's work.

As we left, I asked Grandpa, "What should we do now?"

Looking pointedly at Standing Bear, he said, "This young man needs some friends; he looks kind of lost here. I promised Jake I'd take him fishing in a few days after the rest of the camp moved, but seems to me, we got the time right now. Let's go get Jake and the other two boys and see if Ed and Don want to join us. I'm sure we can scrounge up enough poles for all of us."

Fishing was fun. I helped Standing Bear learn to fish like the white man does, with a pole, line and hook. After awhile he started to relax some and loosen up. Before long we had a stringer full of fish and had a ball catching them.

Too soon it seemed, it was time to head back to the house for chores and supper. When we brought the fish in, Dawn took them from us and told us go get cleaned up while she got the fish ready to fry. I said I would clean the fish for her, but she just gave me a strange look as if I'd said something wrong, almost as if a man couldn't be trusted to prepare food right. Hmmm... more 'woman's work'?

While the food was being prepared and cooked, I took Standing Bear out with me to check on the stock. I got him to help Brad and Davy do their evening chores of feeding the chickens and the milking.

With him and the other boys productively occupied, and the other adults busy about the ranch with their own chores, I had some time of my own without others around me. Quickly glancing around to make sure no one saw what I was doing, I slipped into the shed where my truck was hidden to check if anyone had found it. While I was checking, I also wanted to get some things from the camper. I had left some tell-tales to let me know if the truck had been disturbed, but everything was fine when I looked.

I knew Grandpa and I couldn't keep it secret from the rest of the family,especially my wives, forever – it simply wasn't fair to them – but I wasn't, and they certainly weren't, ready for that information to be shared yet. With careful preparation, I would be able to let them in on it. I knew no one in the family would blab, but I didn't want to scare them either.

Working quickly, I cleaned all the canned goods out of the camper's cupboards and also set out the rest of my guns to be stored in the house. Thinking they might come in handy later, if I was actually going to be a doctor, I also grabbed all my medical books, especially my old Medic Manuals from the Service. While I was at it, I decided I needed my reloading equipment and all the dies.

After packing everything except the long guns in some wooden boxes I found in the shed, I carried it all to the house. It took several trips, but I got it done while everyone else was busy with the evening ranch chores. If anyone saw me, they probably thought I was just doing the heavy fetching for the women and keeping Deer from using her bad arm.

Just as I finished putting stuff away, Standing Bear came in with the other boys, who wanted to say good night. The boys were getting along well together and Bear appeared to have been accepted. The way they acted together, I figured they would all soon become friends. The boys said their goodbyes for the day and Grandpa led them out to go to their own supper with their families at the big house.

The women called me and Bear to supper, where we were served some of the best fish I had ever had. After eating, we sat and talked for a bit while the ladies sewed. Within this scene of domestic tranquility, I was very pleased to note that it hadn't taken them long to adjust from living in a lodge to living in a house. Even Bear seemed to be adapting and adjusting quickly, asking more questions and opening up with me. When I thought about it, while the structures were different, the point of having a weatherproof dwelling wasn't.

Soon it was time for bed, and after saying our goodnights, we went to our own rooms. It seemed the door was no sooner closed than the twins attacked me... Later, after much vigorous and enthusiastic lovemaking, I was drifted off to sleep cuddled between my two sweeties, I thought maybe being married wasn't such a bad thing after all.