Oklahoma Territory Spring 1861
Henry Larson and his daughter Linda Lou live on his farm. Henry’s wife died of a fever the winter before last. Henry has a large bald spot on the top of his head and has the middle age pot belly. Linda Lou is a 16-year-old girl with long, straight blond hair, and a thin build. She is a little taller than her father. She is an average man’s height.
Henry is out in the field and Linda Lou is tending to the chickens. She looks out at the open plains and sees some horses with riders in the distance. Linda Lou senses something is wrong. She rushes to the house. Inside the house she grabs a revolver, checks to make sure it’s loaded, she then rushes out to the stable. She mounts a horse, and rides off to join her father.
She hears a couple of gunshots and a man scream. Linda Lou raises her gun and continues riding. Two shots ring out. One shot strikes her horse. The horse bolts, throwing Linda Lou. The horse falls to the ground screaming in agony. Linda Lou has the wind knocked out of her. She looks around for her revolver as several Native American men rush towards her. She spots her revolver and scrambles for it. She grabs her revolver as one of the men reaches her. He strips the gun from her with one hand and grabs her arm with the other hand. Linda Lou struggles in vain, the man is too strong. The man strikes her and everything goes black.
Linda Lou has lost track of how many days she has been in the Indian camp. She thought of killing herself a few times but it never went further than a thought. Walking Bear was her tormentor inside the teepee; Autumn Leaves was her tormentor outside the teepee. Autumn Leaves was shorter than Linda Lou, but Autumn Leaves was much stronger. Autumn Leaves was always yelling at her and occasionally beat her with her hands or a stick.
Looking up, Linda Lou sees Running Horse. He is a boy, about seven, who is Autumn Leaves and Walking Bear’s little brother. Running Horse has a bow. He pulls back the string and releases it as if firing an imaginary arrow at Linda Lou. Running Horse laughs and Linda Lou flinches. It may be harmless play, although to Linda Lou it was another reminder of how tenuous her life was.
There is some shouting and a flurry of activity in the camp. Linda Lou sees some braves on horseback, marking the return of a hunting party. She notices a man in the party has a beard and brown hair, a white man. Linda Lou positions herself so he would see her. Surely he would rescue her. Autumn Leaves pushes Linda Lou aside and rushes to the white man. Linda Lou eventually learned he was called Sky Eyes.
*
Ian McClintock, known as Sky Eyes, lies beside Autumn Leaves inside their teepee. “Who is that white woman I saw in camp?”
“That’s Walking Bear’s woman. The others in the hunting party came back with horses. He came back with her. I have a fool for a brother.”
“Autumn Leaves, you shouldn’t say that about your brother.”
“We call her White Fox. She is weak, lazy, and stupid. Are all white women like that?”
Ian decides against the truthful answer in favor of the correct answer. “Yes, I suppose that’s why I’m with you.”
Autumn Leaves smiles and presses closer to Ian.
Oklahoma Territory Autumn 1868
The tossing and turning of Autumn Leaves wakes Ian. Suddenly, she wakes and grabs Ian.
“Autumn Leaves, what is wrong?”
“I saw in a dream, we were all dead and a white fox was dancing around us.”
Ian holds her tight. “It was only a dream.”
“I’m afraid it’s a bad omen.”
“Autumn Leaves, believe me, Walking Bear, and you have no need to fear a fox, white or otherwise.”
Autumn Leaves pretends she is consoled but she knows it was a bad omen. She knows White Fox will somehow be the death of her family.
The next day Sky Eyes, and most of the other men, are going on a hunt. Autumn Leaves looks apprehensive.
“Don’t worry Autumn Leaves. I’m with all the best warriors, including your brother.”
Ian, his brother-in-law, Walking Bear, and the other warriors slowly ride out of the camp.
Ian and most of the other men are leaving to hunt for food; he passes White Fox on the way out of the camp. Ian never spoke to White Fox in all the years he knew her. She reminded him of what he was; that may have been part of the reason. He didn’t talk to her mostly because of the contempt Autumn Leaves had for her. Ian knew it was unwise to talk to a woman your woman despises. When Ian was a short distance from the camp he turned around and waved to Autumn Leaves.
*
Linda Lou hears the sound of a bugle blaring. Pandemonium engulfs the camp and she sees horsemen in the distance. A smile grows on her face. Autumn Leaves grabs her and forces her into a teepee. Linda Lou struggles but Autumn Leaves is too strong. Autumn Leaves takes out a knife. The women struggle over the knife. Autumn Leaves grabs a war club and hits Linda Lou over the head. For Linda Lou everything goes black.
*
Linda Lou regains consciousness, she shivers for a moment. She doesn’t know why she is still alive. Maybe Autumn Leaves thought she was dead. She puts all speculation out of her mind. She knows she has to get out of the tent before she misses her chance for rescue. Scrambling out of the tent, she sees a dismounted cavalry soldier a few feet away, his revolver is in one hand as he pulls Autumn Leaves with his other hand.
An adolescent Running Horse aims a rifle at the soldier. The soldier faces Running Horse and shoots him twice. Autumn Leaves takes out her knife. Linda Lou lunges at Autumn Leaves. She grabs the knife arm of Autumn Leaves with both hands and gives a hard yank. The force spins Autumn Leaves towards Linda Lou, who steps into Autumn Leaves forcing the knife’s blade into the chest of Autumn Leaves. Autumn Leaves has a surprised look on her face as Linda Lou feels the life drain from Autumn Leaves.
*
The hunting party is returning to camp after a successful hunt and Ian can see the camp in the distance. He should be happy to be returning to his beloved Autumn Leaves, but something seems wrong. When they get closer a couple women scramble over the snow towards the warriors.
A woman shouts, “Soldiers came. They killed many. They took many away.”
“Autumn Leaves?”
A woman shouts, “She was killed.”
Ian hoped it was an answer to another warrior’s question about his woman. Ian swiftly rides into the camp. There is no livestock, only a few teepees still stand. He rides where his teepee stood. He dismounts his horse and screams, Autumn Leaves! He continues screaming until an elderly man with a fresh scar on his face limps up to Ian.
“She is dead, Sky Eyes”.
The elderly man continues speaking but Ian doesn’t hear him. The words, “She is dead”, keep echoing in his brain.
Dakota Territory 1881
Linda Lou married that cavalry soldier. He died with Custer. Since then she has concentrated on what stole her youth.
Linda Lou ties up her horse and pulls her Winchester out of its holster. She lies on the ground with her rifle at the ready; the sun will rise soon. She has been tracking Walking Bear and his companions for five days. They are hunting but soon they will learn they are the hunted. Linda Lou had hoped to catch up with Walking Bear two days ago, the anniversary of the day he kidnapped her.
The sun rises on Linda Lou’s back. She aims and shoots one of the horses in the rear. The noise wakes Walking Bear and his companions. She has a clear shot at Walking Bear but wants to save him for last. Moving her aim, she shoots one of his companions in the chest, then the other between his shoulder blades. Walking Bear gets his rifle and fires in Linda Lou’s direction. Linda Lou knows with the sun in his eyes he has little chance of hitting her.
“I am Linda Lou Larson! You called me White Fox! Now you will die!”
“You are my wife!”
“For that you will die! Linda Lou shoots him in the belly, then the chest, then between the eyes. She stands, then turns and smiles as she bathes her face in the morning sun.”
Texas 1897
Linda Lou looks through her binoculars. She sees Sky Eyes riding down the road towards her. She has been looking for him since she dealt with Walking Bear. His real name is Ian McClintock. Linda Lou has been practicing her fast draw since she learned he had been a gunfighter. He gave up his life as a gunfighter many years ago. Ian McClintock, trapper, gunfighter, rancher, but to Linda Lou he is Sky Eyes.
She waits until she could easily shoot him off his horse. Then she shoots his horse. The horse falls to the ground and Ian rolls away from the horse. His hat falls off, revealing his gray hair. He stumbles to his feet and Linda Lou reveals herself. She has her rifle on Ian.
“What do you want Lady?”
“When you knew me I was Linda Lou Larson.”
“Who?”
“You knew me as White Fox.”
“What do you want?”
“I want your life.”
“Why what did I do?”
“You didn’t do anything. You let me live in that camp for seven years. You didn’t do anything and for that I’m going to kill you.”
Linda Lou throws down her rifle.
“Draw your gun!”
“I don’t want to kill a woman.”
“You won’t.”
“I didn’t know you wanted to leave.”
“If you really believe that then that is enough reason for me to kill you.”
“White Fox, I mean Miss Larson, I don’t want to draw on you.”
“Let me change your mind. Your squaw; I killed her. I stuck a blade in her chest and enjoyed watching her die.”
The anger wells up inside Ian. He reaches for his gun. Linda Lou draws her gun from its holster and fires at Ian. He drops his gun and staggers back. Linda Lou slowly walks towards Ian as he falls to his knees.
“Your squaw had that same stupid look when I killed her.”
Linda Lou watches Ian collapse and die. She gives him a swift kick. When she saw there was no reaction her smile broadened. She danced around Ian’s body.
THE END