her sisters? They were not at the fort. She resolved to pray hard that they were not harmed. All became quiet in the teepee and Clarinda fell asleep.
The women soon realized why the Indians were staying on the Little Sandy. They were catching wild horses that roamed free in the nearby mountains. Almost every day they added more to their pen.
Late in the afternoons it became the women’s practice to watch the braves break horses. They were good horsemen, and the activity provided a welcome diversion to the long days.
By using a rawhide hackamore with a braided headstall, the Indians could break the horses for riding in just a few training sessions.
One day Clarinda counted the round stones. There were thirty-two. “We’ve been here a month,” she told Susie Baker. All of the women were gathered outside the teepee.
Clarinda’s attention was drawn to a brave who was rearranging his pack. Shining Rifle was standing within a few feet of the seated Indian, smoothing arrowheads by rubbing them with a rough stone.
Watching the Indian, Clarinda caught a glimpse of something familiar. She was sure she had seen some of her family’s belongings. For a moment she hesitated, overcome with pain and anger. Then she saw a gleam of blue and gold as the brave proudly held up one of Martha’s treasured blue flowered dishes.
Without any thought for her own safety, Clarinda sprang on him like a cat, in a flying leap, screaming and kicking, biting and scratching.
The brave was caught off guard. He fell backward, trying to avoid Clarinda’s furious attack. All of the rage and humiliation she felt went into her assault. She was pounding him in the chest with her fists when the chief pulled her away from him.
Shining Rifle was laughing uproariously, as he held her back.
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