The Proclaimers by Lee Clinton

Author:Lee Clinton [Clinton, Lee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Robert Hale
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

It had happened not long after he had joined the marshal service in 1870, when he decided to assist a local sheriff as a way of showing appreciation for his previous support in apprehending a horse thief. He knew that he was just making up numbers in the search party, but so were most of the others. The Indian tracker was a Mandan Sioux, one of the few to survive the smallpox epidemic that had reduced their tribe to less than 150. He was an older man who kept to himself, but he was also happy to speak when engaged, one on one. Trouble was nobody seemed to want to speak to him, even though he was put out front to find the child’s trail.

The local sheriff who was in charge of the posse thought that the Indian was taking too long, as he had dismounted to lead his horse on foot, stopping from time to time to squat and examine the ground. So the sheriff made a snap decision and rode on with the posse in tow. Walt had dismounted and was adjusting his saddle when they departed in a haze of dust and beating hoofs through the low brush. The Indian was kneeling just off to one side, looking at a small tuft of prairie grass when they left without warning. He slowly stood to watch their departure. Although not intentionally, the sheriff’s actions had humiliated the old man, who up to that point had been leading the direction of the search. Walt thought it necessary to stay, but wasn’t sure what to say at that very moment.

The Indian waited until the departing crowd had disappeared, although they could still be heard thumping through the undergrowth, before he turned to Walt with a smile and said. ‘Now there are tracks that I can follow.’

Walt couldn’t stop himself from smiling at the old warrior’s humour. He had always seen wit, when used under difficulty and aimed at oneself, as a sign of an unbreakable spirit. He had first experienced it during the war as a young soldier when wiser and older heads could still force a grin during the gravest of circumstances, and he had found it an attractive and uplifting quality.

‘I guess they’re a little impatient,’ he said in the sheriff’s defence.

‘Well, they’re going to get even more impatient, because the child has not gone in that direction,’ said the tracker softly.

‘You can see the sign?’ asked Walt.

‘No, I’ve lost it at the moment,’ said the old man. ‘But the child is wandering in a wide circle to the right, not a straight line, so they won’t find her where they are going. I just need to keeping looking as I follow that circle and I will pick up some sign, sometime.’

Walt mounted, but sat and waited.

The Indian said. ‘You should go with the sheriff.’

Walt glanced at the dust in the distance, then said. ‘No, I think I’ll stay with you.’

The Indian showed no emotion at the declaration. He just said.

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