[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
new ways of horse handling."
"Sounds good," Preston replied. "Meanwhile, I'd better cover the berries before the crows get
them and Granna gives me what for." He started for the door, then stopped midway and said to Tyler,
"Incidentally, I'm glad you're not a squaw man."
Tyler laughed. "Yeah, so am I." He gave Rose's hand a squeeze and winked.
Preston had just exited the back door when the front door swept open, and Edison Starbright
stepped inside. Seeing Tyler sitting with Rose on the couch, while holding her hand, he said to Tyler,
"I understand you want to talk to me." There was no humor in his tone.
Tyler sucked in a breath to calm his nerves, and said, "Yes sir."
"Then come this way."
Tyler was surprised at his abruptness, and when he looked at Rose, he could tell she was greatly
disturbed. Still, he followed Edison into a room off the living room that appeared to be a combination
family room, computer room, and exercise room, with a treadmill off in one corner, and closed the
door. He sat on the couch, and Edison sat in a recliner adjacent to it.
However, before Tyler could start in with his practiced introduction about why he was the
perfect husband for Rose, Edison said, "Did you learn anything about Chief Joseph?"
The question threw Tyler completely off guard, and for a moment his mind went blank, but after
retrieving some images in his head, he said, "Yes sir."
"I don't need the sir," Edison said.
"Yes sir& umm. Okay." Tyler took a few moments to pull his thoughts together, then started in.
"About Chief Joseph& I've read quite a bit and he was an amazing man. After their homeland was
taken from them, which would force them to live on a reservation, Joseph was one of the chiefs to
lead 250 warriors, 500 women, children, old people and cripples, and over a thousand horses, on a
trek across 1,500 miles of rugged terrain in an attempt to reach Canada."
Tyler went on to describe how they'd crossed rivers at flood stage on rafts made of tightly-rolled
skins lashed together, and trekked over mountains in cold torrential rain and on muddy trails so
narrow one step would send them plunging over the edge, and came within forty miles of the
Canadian border when an unexpected military force intercepted them&
"& then in October 1877, after four days of fighting," Tyler continued, "Chief Joseph raised the
surrender flag and rode in on a black horse, and surrendered with the words, 'I am tired of fighting.
Too-hul-hul-sit is dead. Looking Glass is dead. He-who-led-the-young-men-in-battle is dead. The
chiefs are all dead. It is the young men now who say 'yes' or 'no.' My little daughter has run away
upon the prairie. I do not know where to find her perhaps I shall find her too among the dead. It
is cold and we have no fire; no blankets. Our little children are crying for food but we have none
to give. Hear me, my chiefs. From where the sun now stands, Joseph will fight no more forever.'"
Tyler waited for Edison's response.
For a few moments, Edison stared at him in silence, and Tyler knew he hadn't expected the long
spiel, but the images kept coming, and the words in his mind kept flowing.
"Did you learn about his horse, Ebenezer?" Edison asked.
Tyler could tell that the test wasn't over yet, so he replied, "Yes, he was a red roan with large
blood-red spots on his white rump, and he could run like the wind. Everyone with a fast horse,
whether he was a frontiersman or an Indian, dreamed of the day his horse would beat Ebenezer, but,
Ebenezer won all his races by large margins against the best horses in the region."
This time Edison smiled, and said, "I'm impressed. You did your homework. And now you're
here to talk about taking my daughter away."
"No, I'm here to ask you to give me her hand in marriage."
"And if I said, no?"
"Then I'll work as long as it takes to convince you to say yes."
"You're both of legal age," Edison said. "Why wouldn't you just go ahead and get married?"
Tyler was beginning to get a handle on this man. "Because I respect you as my elder and as
Rose's father, and I want your blessing," he replied.
"You're both very young," Edison said.
"We're old enough to know our own minds," Tyler replied.
"And you think you can provide for Rose and my grandchildren?" Edison asked.
"That would be my primary goal from the moment we exchange vows," Tyler replied. "I can
promise you with certainty that I'll do everything in my power to make Rose happy because that's the
only way I could be happy."
Edison fixed him with hawk like eyes, and Tyler was sure he was about to lay out the long range
terms for gaining his approval, which would include waiting two years. But then his eyes softened
some, and he said, "I think you're a man who's true to his word. However, I also think you should wait
until you're both older, but because I don't believe in unwed couples living together, if you and Rose
have decided you can't live alone at this point then you have my blessing." He leaned forward and
offered his hand.
For a moment, Tyler looked at the outstretched hand in stunned surprise, then he clasped it
solidly, and said, "I won't let you down, but more importantly, I won't let Rose down."
In the truck on the way back to the ranch, Rose snuggled against him, and said, "I can't believe
you talked my father into letting us get married so soon. What changed his mind?"
Tyler kissed her quickly on the forehead, and replied, "Chief Joseph."
"I don't understand."
"It seems the spirits are finally working for me," Tyler said. "I downloaded volumes of
information on the Nez Perce because your father suggested I learn about my roots, then I set it aside
to read later and never got back to it. Then a couple of days ago, when I was watching some cloud
formations while trying to figure out how to approach your father about asking him if I could marry [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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new ways of horse handling."
"Sounds good," Preston replied. "Meanwhile, I'd better cover the berries before the crows get
them and Granna gives me what for." He started for the door, then stopped midway and said to Tyler,
"Incidentally, I'm glad you're not a squaw man."
Tyler laughed. "Yeah, so am I." He gave Rose's hand a squeeze and winked.
Preston had just exited the back door when the front door swept open, and Edison Starbright
stepped inside. Seeing Tyler sitting with Rose on the couch, while holding her hand, he said to Tyler,
"I understand you want to talk to me." There was no humor in his tone.
Tyler sucked in a breath to calm his nerves, and said, "Yes sir."
"Then come this way."
Tyler was surprised at his abruptness, and when he looked at Rose, he could tell she was greatly
disturbed. Still, he followed Edison into a room off the living room that appeared to be a combination
family room, computer room, and exercise room, with a treadmill off in one corner, and closed the
door. He sat on the couch, and Edison sat in a recliner adjacent to it.
However, before Tyler could start in with his practiced introduction about why he was the
perfect husband for Rose, Edison said, "Did you learn anything about Chief Joseph?"
The question threw Tyler completely off guard, and for a moment his mind went blank, but after
retrieving some images in his head, he said, "Yes sir."
"I don't need the sir," Edison said.
"Yes sir& umm. Okay." Tyler took a few moments to pull his thoughts together, then started in.
"About Chief Joseph& I've read quite a bit and he was an amazing man. After their homeland was
taken from them, which would force them to live on a reservation, Joseph was one of the chiefs to
lead 250 warriors, 500 women, children, old people and cripples, and over a thousand horses, on a
trek across 1,500 miles of rugged terrain in an attempt to reach Canada."
Tyler went on to describe how they'd crossed rivers at flood stage on rafts made of tightly-rolled
skins lashed together, and trekked over mountains in cold torrential rain and on muddy trails so
narrow one step would send them plunging over the edge, and came within forty miles of the
Canadian border when an unexpected military force intercepted them&
"& then in October 1877, after four days of fighting," Tyler continued, "Chief Joseph raised the
surrender flag and rode in on a black horse, and surrendered with the words, 'I am tired of fighting.
Too-hul-hul-sit is dead. Looking Glass is dead. He-who-led-the-young-men-in-battle is dead. The
chiefs are all dead. It is the young men now who say 'yes' or 'no.' My little daughter has run away
upon the prairie. I do not know where to find her perhaps I shall find her too among the dead. It
is cold and we have no fire; no blankets. Our little children are crying for food but we have none
to give. Hear me, my chiefs. From where the sun now stands, Joseph will fight no more forever.'"
Tyler waited for Edison's response.
For a few moments, Edison stared at him in silence, and Tyler knew he hadn't expected the long
spiel, but the images kept coming, and the words in his mind kept flowing.
"Did you learn about his horse, Ebenezer?" Edison asked.
Tyler could tell that the test wasn't over yet, so he replied, "Yes, he was a red roan with large
blood-red spots on his white rump, and he could run like the wind. Everyone with a fast horse,
whether he was a frontiersman or an Indian, dreamed of the day his horse would beat Ebenezer, but,
Ebenezer won all his races by large margins against the best horses in the region."
This time Edison smiled, and said, "I'm impressed. You did your homework. And now you're
here to talk about taking my daughter away."
"No, I'm here to ask you to give me her hand in marriage."
"And if I said, no?"
"Then I'll work as long as it takes to convince you to say yes."
"You're both of legal age," Edison said. "Why wouldn't you just go ahead and get married?"
Tyler was beginning to get a handle on this man. "Because I respect you as my elder and as
Rose's father, and I want your blessing," he replied.
"You're both very young," Edison said.
"We're old enough to know our own minds," Tyler replied.
"And you think you can provide for Rose and my grandchildren?" Edison asked.
"That would be my primary goal from the moment we exchange vows," Tyler replied. "I can
promise you with certainty that I'll do everything in my power to make Rose happy because that's the
only way I could be happy."
Edison fixed him with hawk like eyes, and Tyler was sure he was about to lay out the long range
terms for gaining his approval, which would include waiting two years. But then his eyes softened
some, and he said, "I think you're a man who's true to his word. However, I also think you should wait
until you're both older, but because I don't believe in unwed couples living together, if you and Rose
have decided you can't live alone at this point then you have my blessing." He leaned forward and
offered his hand.
For a moment, Tyler looked at the outstretched hand in stunned surprise, then he clasped it
solidly, and said, "I won't let you down, but more importantly, I won't let Rose down."
In the truck on the way back to the ranch, Rose snuggled against him, and said, "I can't believe
you talked my father into letting us get married so soon. What changed his mind?"
Tyler kissed her quickly on the forehead, and replied, "Chief Joseph."
"I don't understand."
"It seems the spirits are finally working for me," Tyler said. "I downloaded volumes of
information on the Nez Perce because your father suggested I learn about my roots, then I set it aside
to read later and never got back to it. Then a couple of days ago, when I was watching some cloud
formations while trying to figure out how to approach your father about asking him if I could marry [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]