Education, Wild West Style
Part 5
Washington and Trouble
With Luke alongside him, Running Bear felt confident in this white man's world, he cut quite a figure in Washington society. Luke had bought new clothes for him but kept the frontier styling. Trying to dress him as a white man Luke realised would have just made him look ridiculous. Tailored buckskins were perfect and at that time in history, long hair in a pony tail didn't look out of place.
Luke's father was impressed with the report and the fort commandant's added comments. He was also enormously impressed with Running Bear's command of the language.
"I'm proud of you Luke, you appear to be doing an excellent job. Proof of that should soon be forthcoming. The government is opening up that territory for settlers. This will be the first time we have allowed Indians and settlers to cohabit. Your reservation police are going to have to be very diplomatic. How do you intend handling the initial contacts?"
"I have Lt. Tom Arnold, my two corporals and myself, Dad. My plan is that the Indian police will patrol in threes, with one of us riding with each patrol while we assess how the settlers and the Indians get on. We will try to educate each settler group into realising that provided they keep off Indian lands they will have no problems with the local tribe, and the tribal police are there to help the whites as well."
"Well done Son, you have obviously given this a lot of thought. I would like to meet this young Lt. of yours sometime. Perhaps he should make alternate reports to me, then I get four verbal reports a year instead of two, and if he's from the Boston Arnold's he will be a good man."
"He is Dad, we were at the Point together, but he is a career soldier so his training was longer than mine."
Luke felt this trip had been very beneficial in changing some thinking in Washington about moving Indians off their lands. If this experiment worked, Luke could see more of this type of planning going on. The Indians would worship him he thought with amusement.
Life could not be better Luke thought, until he got careless. His father never came to his suite so Luke got out of the habit of locking his door. When his father knocked and entered one morning a few days before he and Running Bear were to return to the reservation, he saw the two boys cuddling in their sleep, Luke spooned into Running Bear.
Luke woke hearing his father growl in anger.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Luke was very flustered, "I can explain Dad."
"I doubt that boy, but I'll be in my study when you are decent."
Luke was petrified, `was this mistake going to cost Running Bear and his tribe', that was Luke's only worry.
He bathed and dressed before going to see his father.
"I'm sorry Dad that you had to see that. Running Bear is very unsure being here and away from his tribe so we sleep together."
"That is bullshit Boy and you know it."
Luke hung his head, he hadn't sounded convincing even to himself so he hadn't expected to fool his father.
"Yes it is, I am sorry that you caught us though Dad. It is a very long story, how Running Bear and I grew close enough to warrant sleeping with one another."
"I have all morning so go ahead."
Luke then told his father everything that happened after he was captured, leaving out nothing except his love making with Running Bear.
"I don't expect you to understand Sir, but I love Running Bear with all my heart, and I will do anything I can to help and protect his tribe. Lone Arrow is no happier than you at what has transpired between his son and me, but he accepts that our relationship is special."
"I assume I have received the edited version of your story, and that you and Running Bear have carnal knowledge of one another. Leave me now Luke, I need to think about this, at the moment your actions disgust me."
Luke left, full of foreboding at the likely action his father would take. He went to Running Bear and told him. Now there were two worried young men.
Luke Snr. knew another senator who he was sure was into young boys so he went to him to talk. Lucky for Luke, this senator opened up to Luke Snr.
"I know most of you think that my love for boys is un-natural Luke, but I can't help what I am. My family tried to get me interested in women from a young age, but I always knew it was my own sex that interested me. I don't know whether it is an illness or the way we are made, but I wouldn't want to change now. If your son is like me, and this young Indian Brave is his lover, you could do a lot worse than to accept it. Luke's action over this Indian Reserve is gaining a lot of popular support from senators looking to ease the problems with the Indians. He's a rising star here in Washington and that gives you huge kudos as well."
Naked ambition had a lot to do with Luke Snr's. decision. He sent for his son the next day.
"Luke, I think you and Running Bear should return to the reservation tomorrow. I can't pretend I like what is going on between you two, but Sam Carter believes I should accept it and let you carry on with your experiment."
Luke was amazed that it had been this easy. The relief showed in a way that surprised his father. He broke down completely throwing himself into his father's arms and sobbing his thanks.
"Thank you Dad, I don't know what my life would be like without Running Bear, I love him so much. I'll make you proud of me, I promise."
When you only have one son it is difficult to be angry with him for too long. Luke Snr. stroked the hair of his boy and whispered to him.
"I know you will, now get along with you, and be careful."
Luke took back to the reservation salutations from his father to Lone Arrow. Life returned to normal and a good system developed as settlers moved in. They all came to the fort first giving Luke and his team a chance to talk to them. Luke or Tom would be on hand with a couple of the reservation police to explain about the Indian lands.
"This tribe will be no problem or trouble to you provided you respect their land. These reservation police are for your protection and guidance. They all speak English and know the limits of their tribal territories. If they tell you you are trespassing and you leave immediately there will be no trouble. If you think they are wrong come back to the fort and let the cavalry commander sort it, don't try to do it yourself.
Farms sprung up all round the reservation and the Indians and settlers started trading. Agricultural supplies from the Indians for iron implements and tools from the settlers.
In the middle were Running Bear and Luke, revelling in their uncomplicated love.
The first piece of trouble was a group of drunken settlers deciding the Indians shouldn't have sole rights to the lands that housed so much good hunting so they went on a hunting party, slaughtering most of a large herd of buffalo before the reservation police caught up with them. Several were killed before the others were captured and taken to the fort. Mike Hudson had been the cavalryman with this patrol and spoke for the Indians in front of the colonel.
"They have slaughtered over a hundred buffalo Sir, this will cause problems for the tribe this winter. The police, even with this provocation tried to take them prisoner without bloodshed. There were only four of us Sir, and twelve of them. We had no choice when they started firing. Thankfully we are smaller targets than buffalo and they were still drunk so we have suffered no injuries.
The colonel fined the surviving trouble makers heavily, confiscated their horses and firearms and sent them back to the township. They, of course, now stirred up trouble and Luke, with Tom and his two corporals decided they had to take the initiative to defuse this situation. Tom was now a full lieutenant and becoming a very imposing figure. Luke had remained small but had such presence that his size didn't appear to matter.
A meeting of the town's people and settlers brought in from their farms started off very rowdily, the drunken trouble makers were still drunk and still out to cause trouble. Luke started off the meeting. Instead of trying to explain and justify the Indians actions he started asking questions, mainly of the settlers who had more contact with the Indian patrols.
The resulting answers were what Luke expected and the trouble makers cringed at. The settlers were full of praise for the help the Indian Police gave them, particularly the ones closest to the borders with Indian Territory.
"Your young braves and their Chief never give us any trouble Mr. Atherton. Our cattle stray onto Indian lands frequently, and we ride out to bring them back periodically, or we find them rounded up and driven back for us by your patrols. If we are caught on their land while we do it, they just help us. We never have any trouble with them and trading with the village saves us a lot of time and money."
Luke beamed.
"So you don't condemn my Indians for taking action against men that slaughtered over 100 buffalo that will cause the tribe problems this winter?"
Looking round at his fellow settlers this particular farmer/rancher spoke again.
"Perhaps we can help there. If we don't slaughter beef for our own consumption until closer to the winter we could barter the live meat for buffalo meat now. I know they taste different but many of us would be happy to help in this way I'm sure."
Before Luke knew what was happening, tribal members were coming off the reserve to learn how to look after White men's cattle, usually bringing buffalo meat with them and both sides keeping book. Come that winter Luke and Tom were almost overcome with emotion when they saw a mixed bunch of Indians and Whites herding cattle into pens hastily erected near the village.
"That's it Mr. Atherton. We have agreed totals with Lone Arrow and this is the delivery of winter meat for the tribe. We'll try to keep those trouble makers under control. We have a sheriff in town now, recommended by your colonel so I hope liaison will make sure we have no more trouble."
Luke wanted to cry with happiness, he couldn't believe how successful this arrangement was becoming.
"Thank you Mr. Burton, I'll drop in to see the sheriff before I return to Washington to report to the Senate. I'd consider it an honour now Sir, if you'd drop the formality towards me and call me Luke."
"I'd like that Luke, I voted for your father last time he stood for the Senate and I'd do the same for you if it ever came to pass."
Luke was surprised that this man had lived in the East before. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Happiness for Luke and Running Bear continues.