THE CONTINUING CHILDRENS STORY OF AN INDIAN BOY, PART FOUR.

From the moment Floating Cloud had set eyes on the
strangers horse, he knew someway, somehow that the
horse would be his. His instincts told him, that
although the boy was a stranger, he did look very
much like Two Feathers dead son, he somehow knew
Two Feathers would not be able to resist taking the boy in. It did not take him long to decide a
plan of action, he was feeling quite pleased with
himself. As Two Feathers and the boy walked back to the camp, they did not see Floating Cloud slip
into Two Feathers lodge, he took a pouch from his
belt and when Two Feathers wife Amadahy was not
looking, he emptied the contents of the pouch into
the food, she was cooking.
'That will do the job,' he thought to himself.
Floating Cloud had put a sleeping potion into the
food, when the boy ate the food, it would put him
into such a deep sleep, that the rest of the plan
would be simple. He slipped back out of the lodge,
just as Two Feathers and the boy returned. Floating Cloud smiled as if nothing had happened,
he did not like the fact that this stranger had
startled him, when he was trying to catch fish, he also did not care for strangers in the camp full stop, if it had been up to him, he would have
seen the boy on his way, but the horse was keeping
him interested. As Two Feathers approached, he kept his feelings to himself. The boy introduced
himself as Red Deer, but Floating Cloud did not care to converse with him. Two Feathers said that
Red Deer was sorry for startling him.
'What did it matter, thought Floating Cloud, who
was this boy, that he should care what he did?'

After all the smiles and introductions Floating
Cloud went to his own lodge, to hatch the rest of
his plan. His wife Kachina was busy chopping up
corn for a chowder she was preparing for their
meal. He hand signed to his wife, that he wanted
to invite Two Feathers and Amadahy over for some
food.
"Will there be enough for four of us?"
"Ofcourse there be enough, it will be good to
have the company of Amadahy and Two Feathers."
Floating Cloud then informed his wife that the
chowder smelt good.
"I think so too," she said smiling back the way
he always loved.
"Oh wife you are so beautiful," he hand signed,
he put his arms around her slender waist.
"You beautiful too, now quick go tell Amadahy and
Two Feathers to come across for food."
Leaving his own lodge, Floating Cloud felt very
pleased with himself. Walking towards his neighbours lodge, he saw Amadahy and walked up to
her.
"What you want?" Amadahy enquired.
Floating Cloud started to hand sign.
"Kachina and I were wondering if you and husband
come and eat with us tonight?"
"You had better ask husband, I am on my way to
see Huyana, see if she have any warm clothes for
boys journey."
She liked Kachina, but was never quite sure of
Floating Cloud, he always seemed to be up to
something, she never felt she could trust him. She
watched as he turned to go over to Two Feathers,
she tutted and nodded her head, then turned and
walked over to Huyanas lodge.

Floating Cloud walked over to where Two Feathers
was tending to Red Deers horse, he was rubbing a
poltice that he had made up, on to the horses
wound. Two Feathers looked up from what he was
doing.
"You okay friend?" he said to Floating Cloud.
Floating Cloud signed that he had asked him and
Amadahy over to their lodge for some food.
"You come?" he hand signed.
Two Feathers thought this was a good idea, he
thought it would be a good chance for the boy to get some sleep without being disturbed.
"That would be good," he said.
"First I go check on the boy, make sure him
okay."
"We will see you both later," Floating Cloud
hand signed. He turned to walk away, nodding to
himself, he rubbed his hands together in a smug
way.
'Now for the next part of my plan,' he thought
to himself. He continued on his way. He finally
reached his neighbours Crazy Horse and his wife
Chumani, he entered their lodge.
"How are you my friend?" said Crazy Horse.
"I am fine, but I need to talk with you." Floating Cloud hand signed.
"After I eat meal," said Crazy Horse, you wait
here.
Floating Cloud sat down and made himself comfortable.
"You want some food?" said Chumani.
Floating Cloud signed that he was okay, he would
be eating later. He was getting impatient, he
started to fidget, he wanted to tell Crazy Horse
of his plan. A while later and Crazy Horse finished eating.
"Come friend, let us take a walk," said Crazy
Horse.
As they left the lodge, Crazy Horse turned to
Floating Cloud.
"So tell me, what is it that is so urgent my
friend?"
As they walked Floating Cloud felt a chill in the
air, he shivered.
"I have a plan, I need you in on it." Signed
Floating Cloud.
"What kind of plan you got in mind friend?"
Replied Crazy Horse.
"The boy at Two Feathers lodge, he has a fine
looking horse, we get good deal for him at near
by neighbouring camp. If you help me, we share what we get for horse."
"What you got in mind?" replied Crazy Horse.
"I have sleeping potion, put into boys food, it
not be long now, boy go into deep sleep, I need
you to kidnap him, take him into desert."
"How I do that without Two Feathers and wife seeing?" said Crazy Horse.
"I have invited them over to our lodge to eat, so
the boy will be alone, all you have to do is slip
into their lodge, get rid of the food in the pot,
then pick the boy up and making sure know one is
about carry him to your horse and ride off."
"I see this is good plan, but what if the boy
should awaken?" Enquired Crazy Horse.
"I told you, he sleep long and deep. Now listen
carefully, you must watch out for them coming to
our lodge." signed Floating Cloud.
Crazy Horse liked Floating Cloud, he was always
scheming, coming up with some plan.
"Okay I do this plan. I go tell wife, I take
horse out for ride, get some fresh air."
That good idea, now go hurry, we don't have much
time." Hand signed Floating Cloud.
Crazy Horse turned and walked back to his lodge.
Floating Cloud thought to himself.
'I hope I can trust Crazy Horse.'
He knew that his plan from now on, was in someone
else's hands, this made him very nervous, he liked
to be in control. He reached his lodge and all he
could do was wait.

When Crazy Horse arrived at his lodge, he told
his wife Chumani that he needed some air and was
going for a ride.
"You no come back to late," Chumani told him.
Crazy Horse always knew his wife would not really
care when he returned, sometimes he felt like he
got in the way, she was always doing something or
other, busy with her jobs from morning, noon till
night.
"Yes okay, don't wait up for me," said Crazy
Horse.
Chumani decided she would do some embroidery,
she took her porcupine quills, that she had dyed,
she cut them up, then placed them in water, to
soak. She took each quill, nipped off the sharp
point, then flattened the quill with a piece of
smooth flat bone, called a quill flattener. She
held one end in her teeth and drew it between her
thumb nail and the end of her forefinger, doing it
again and again, until the quill was quite flat, then she applied it to the skin she was decorating, then sew it with some sinew thread.
She was so engrosed in what she was doing, that
she had already forgotten about her husband.

Crazy Horse had gone out riding around the camp,
keeping his eye out for Two Feathers and Amadahy,
when eventually he saw them leave their lodge, he
waited to make sure they would not return. After
a while, he felt it was safe to go to their lodge.
As he entered, he saw the pot of food, he looked
around for somewhere to get rid of it, he decided
to put it on the fire, which immediately went out,
then he saw the sleeping boy, he went over to him,
picked him up, the boy was as light as a feather,
he knew he would have to be quick now, so he left
the lodge, looking all around, then ran to his
horse, he placed the boy on the horse, still
watching for signs of anyone from the camp, then
quickly jumped up and was gone. He made sure he
took the boy far into the canyons.

When Amadahy and Two Feathers finally returned to
their lodge, they were shocked to find Red Deer
gone.
"Where is the boy?" she exclaimed.
Two Feathers went outside, looking around, he
called out, but the boy was nowhere to be seen.
A couple of his neighbours came out of their lodges to see what the noise was about. Two Feathers asked them if they had seen anything, but
they had not, it was as if Red Deer had just
disappeared. Two Feathers walked back into his
lodge.
"I cannot see any sign of the boy wife."
Amadahy turned to her husband.
"Look someone has been in here, they've emptied
the food onto the fire. What is going on husband?"
"This doesn't make sense, why would this happen?
Maybe he sleep walks. I will go look for him, but
not now, wait till first signs of daybreak."
"But he could be dead by then," cried Amadahy.
"It's late, we not find him in dark, boy brave,
come along way, he clever be okay. We get sleep
now, look in morning." Replied Two Feathers.
As they lay down Amadahy couldn't help thinking
that Floating Cloud had something to do with Red
Deer missing. She kept her thoughts to herself,
soon they were both sleeping.

There was a stillness in the camp, as a rider came
back, he jumped down off his horse and returned to
his lodge where Chumani was asleep.

To be continued ........