Part 2

Life in Colorado Springs took on a pattern. Elizabeth tended Katie when Dr. Mike was busy in the clinic and helped out there when she was needed. She had taken over much of the cooking at the house. It was not Michaela's favorite thing to do, and she let Elizabeth do more and more. Every now and then, she would feel guilty about it and go on a cooking frenzy, but then things would slowly slip back into the pattern again.

Cloud Dancing came to visit as often as he could get a pass. He said he was coming to visit Michaela and Sully, but then more and more, he realized he was coming to visit Elizabeth. They took long walks in the woods, and she slowly felt herself slipping back into the old Cheyenne way of life when she was with him. She sensed too that with her, he could feel his traditions live, and that this was very important to him.

As peaceful as these times were, they filled her with great despair. In order to get his passes more easily, Cloud Dancing was becoming more and more compliant on the reservation, and she knew this was destroying his soul piece by piece. The gulf between his life on the reservation and his time with her was becoming wider, and she wondered how long he could survive the split. Every day she prayed that somewhere, somehow an answer would be shown to her.

The answer came in an article on the front page of the Denver newspaper.

"Oh, Dorothy, are you finished with this paper? May I have it if you're done with it?"

"Of course. I don't need anything more out of it. What did you find?"

"Oh," she said flatly. "There was just something here I thought might interest Michaela. It's not that exciting."

Dorothy seemed to accept that explanation, and Elizabeth practically flew down the street to the clinic. Fortunately, Michaela was alone and getting ready to leave for the evening.

"Look at this!" Elizabeth cried as she shoved the paper into Michaela's hands. "There is an article about some of the northern Indians going to Canada because the government there is letting them live on the land ….... free, no reservations. Do you think we could get Cloud Dancing off the reservation and sneak him into Canada?"

"Elizabeth, do you have any idea how far away Canada is from here? It must be almost a thousand miles. We could never hide him that far. The soldiers would hunt him down and probably kill him just so they wouldn't have to deal with him any more. It would be wonderful, but it's a crazy idea."

Elizabeth was not going to be deterred. That night she showed the article to Sully. He was never one to call any plan crazy, but Elizabeth could tell, he did not really think it would work. He did agree that she should tell Cloud Dancing about the Indians in Canada and let him decide what he thought about it. He also said he would talk with Cloud Dancing when she showed him the article.

She could hardly wait until the next time he visited. She read him the article and looked up to see his reaction. It wasn't what she expected. All she could see was great sadness in his eyes.

"But you could go there and get away from that awful reservation. I don't know if there are any Cheyenne there, but it would have to be better than this."

"Elizabeth, even if it were possible to make it to Canada, I don't know if I could leave the land where I grew up. If I did leave, I could never come back." He said nothing more about it, but their usually happy evening seemed sad. As he left, he told her, "I will think about it and talk to the spirits. I will let you know what they tell me."

When he visited later that week, she could barely wait to hear what Cloud Dancing had to say about Canada. He didn't say anything for the first hour that they rode into the mountains or when they walked in the woods. Elizabeth thought she would burst with curiosity. Finally as they were sitting next to a little stream, Cloud Dancing said, "I talked to the spirits. They didn't tell me about Canada. They did tell me I should talk to you about our …... relationship." Elizabeth's heart hit rock bottom. Had she overstepped the bounds in interfering with his life? Was he going to say he would not visit any more? In a heartbeat, Elizabeth realized how much she looked forward to seeing him, and how much he meant to her. She looked down at the ground so he would not see the tears forming in her eyes.

He reached over and gently raised her chin so she had to look into his eyes. "When you first told me you were Trading Girl, I was stunned. I hardly remembered the little girl who was to marry my brother. In the time you have been here, I have felt the goodness in your heart when you rescued Little Raven, when you went to Washita with me to speak to your family and my brother, and in your efforts to help me keep my traditions alive, even during the times when I think I am too tired to care any more. But when you talked about my leaving to move to Canada, I realized that I could not leave you when I went. It is a custom that when a warrior dies, his brother marries his wife and provides for her. I know this is not a White custom, and you do a better job of providing for yourself than I could do for you on the reservation, but I want to marry you. I did not think it would be possible for you to live with me on the reservation or for me to live off the reservation, but in Canada it might be possible. The trip would be very difficult and our lives would be in danger every day, but it might be worth it. Would you marry me if we could get to Canada?"

Elizabeth's heart leapt with joy, but a nagging thought brought it down to earth again. "Cloud Dancing, do you feel you should marry me because I was to marry your brother, or do you want to marry me because you love me? I don't want you to feel you must provide for me. I would want to be an equal partner in how we live and what we do." She could hardly dare look at him, waiting for his answer.

Thoughtfully he stroked her hair and held her face in his hands. "I do not know if we would find peace or hardship in Canada, but I would always consider you my wife and my partner." He gently kissed her on the lips. She responded, kissing him back, and as he wrapped her in his arms, Elizabeth's heart felt free. She felt like she finally found her home, the place where she belonged in this world. She didn't know where that might be, but it was with Cloud Dancing.

"I would marry you even if we didn't go to Canada. I don't know how everything would work out, but I would marry you wherever we had to live." The words were out before she even realized what she was saying.

They stood there in each other's arms for a long time.

When they got back to the house, Elizabeth could hardly wait to tell Michaela and Sully the news. She wanted to shout it from the top of the trees. However, she realized this would have to be a secret from everyone else, especially if they were going to try to run to Canada.

Michaela was just getting ready to put dinner on the table.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize how late it was. I should have been helping you cook."

"It's no problem. You must have had a good ride. Your face is all flushed and you look positively radiant."

Elizabeth looked at Cloud Dancing and smiled.

"We'll tell you about it while we are eating," she said.

The talk at dinner was about ordinary things: how Brian's science project was coming along, the letter they had gotten from Colleen, telling of her plans to visit in a week, how much better the Reverend was getting around town despite his blindness, and Jake and Hank's new plans for their hotel. Finally Michaela sent Brian up to his room to finish his homework and go to bed. Elizabeth could hardly contain herself any longer when Cloud Dancing finally spoke to them.

"I promised Elizabeth I would talk to the spirits about travelling to Canada. Today I had to tell her that they had not spoken to me about that. They did speak to me about Elizabeth. They reminded me that when a warrior dies, it is the duty of his brother to marry his wife and provide for her. I told Elizabeth I would like to honor that custom. I cannot properly provide for her here, but I think I could in Canada. She has agreed to marry me, but I need to know I could provide for her before I will marry. Sully, do you think you could help us get to Canada?"

Michaela's mouth dropped wide open. Sully looked at Cloud Dancing. "Are you sure this is what you want to do? It would be very dangerous for both of you and you could never return here."

"We understand, but I believe that would be the only place where we could live in peace. It will be difficult for me to leave the land where I was born, but the spirits of my people will go with me in my heart. I believe they will understand my need to go."

Michaela looked at them with tears in her eyes. "I feel like I am missing you already. It will be like having part of my family move away. You will marry here with your friends, won't you?"

Elizabeth looked at Cloud Dancing. "I would like to marry as soon as possible, but we haven't really talked about that yet. There are no Cheyenne here to marry us, and I don't know if any White would be willing to do it. I don't know what we can do."

Michaela's face brightened. "Dorothy told me something a while back. She said that the Reverend told her that now that he is blind and cannot see people's appearance, he is seeing the inside of them more clearly. He spoke very highly of you, Cloud Dancing. He appreciated the fact that you cared enough about him and understood him well enough to encourage him to get out on his own. He has been much happier since he started doing that. He might be willing to marry you."

Elizabeth turned to Cloud Dancing. "Would you feel married if the ceremony was a White Christian ceremony led by a White man?"

Cloud Dancing paused before answering. "I think that perhaps there is just one Creator even though we call Him different names and honor Him in different ways. I think the Creator would consider us married no matter who performed the ceremony."

Elizabeth was so excited she could hardly speak. "Michaela, do you think you could ask the Reverend for us? If he didn't want to do it, he might be able to talk to you more freely than he could talk to us."

Michaela quickly agreed to talk to him the next day. When it was time for Cloud Dancing to return to the reservation, Elizabeth kissed him good-bye and then turned around and cried. When he was gone, she said to Michaela and Sully, "Today I forgot all about how things really are, and I lived in how I want them to be. Having to say good-bye and see him return to that awful place has made me face reality again. I will marry him, no matter what the cost, but do you think we can really make it to Canada, and will we be as free there as it sounds?"

Sully spoke first. "The trip will be very dangerous. There may be few if any safe places the whole way. You may be giving up a long time of hiding your relationship but living in relative safety for a short time of freedom and happiness, and if we are caught, there's no telling what the consequences might be."

"We?" asked Elizabeth. "I know I asked you to take us there, but I hadn't really thought about how dangerous it would be. I can't ask you to go too."

Michaela broke in, "We will both go. It might be easier if I went too. People would suspect us less if there were two women."

"Now wait a minute, Michaela," Sully interrupted. "We have just talked about how dangerous this will be. I can't risk your life too."

"You're not risking it. I am. I need to do everything I possibly can to help them escape. In my mind, I know I am not responsible for Cloud Dancing's situation, but in my heart, I feel as guilty as if I had participated in Washita and then put him on that reservation."

Both Sully and Elizabeth were stunned. Elizabeth spoke first. "Michaela, that's crazy. You have made his life bearable. Without you, he might have given up hope."

Sully broke in. "Without me, he might still be living free. I was the one who convinced him to turn himself in to the Army and live on the reservation. I had no idea how bad it would be."

"I know. Cloud Dancing told me that. He also told me that there was a bounty on his head, and without you, he would likely be dead by now. Then we would never have met. He still feels he made the right decision to move to the reservation. But I think that also has influenced his decision to try to go to Canada. While the reservation may have been the right and safe answer for him, he won't accept it for me. That is why he has decided to try to escape. Looking back, the right answers always seem clear. Looking ahead, we have to make the best decision we can and then be willing to live with the consequences. We have done that, but now you two must also do that. We have only ourselves to consider. You have each other and also the children. Colleen and Matthew are old enough to fend for themselves, but you must consider Brian and Katie. Michaela, they still need you as much as you need Sully. Before either of you decide to go with us, you must think about all the consequences of your decisions. Think about it carefully before you let us know what you will do. But the first order of business is to talk to the Reverend and see if he will marry us."

The next day Elizabeth went into town to help Dr. Mike at the clinic and to be close at hand if the Reverend wanted to talk to her before giving his answer. The minutes dragged into hours. The clinic was busy and it was early afternoon before Michaela could get away to the church. Elizabeth was surprised at how nervous she was. It was not just that Michaela was asking him to marry the couple, but it was sharing their secret with one more person. She totally trusted Michaela and Sully, but so far they had not even trusted Brian with their secret. As far as he and everyone else in town knew, she was just a widow from Boston staying with the Sullys. Only Brian knew that she even knew Cloud Dancing.

At last Michaela came back smiling and said the Reverend wanted to talk to her at the church. She felt like everyone was staring at her as she started down the street. Of course, one look around convinced her it was all in her imagination, but she was sure the sound of her heart beating must be obvious to everyone.

The Reverend was sitting at the piano playing a hymn when she walked in. He turned to face her with his staring eyes.

"Michaela has told me your request, but I wanted to talk directly to you before making up my mind. Tell me everything that has led you to this decision to accept Cloud Dancing's proposal."

Again Elizabeth told the story of how she first came to Colorado with her family, of how she was raised in Black Kettle's band, of her betrothal to Little Bear, her kidnapping and her years in Boston. She told of how she met Cloud Dancing again, their trip to Washita, all the times they spent together, and now their falling in love. She did not know if Michaela had told him about the escape to Canada, so she said nothing of that. When she finished, she reached over and took his hand.

"Reverend, you have never seen me. On the outside I look White, but see me on the inside. I am Cheyenne. From the time I was two years old until I was seventeen, the Cheyenne were all I knew. Aside from the very little I can remember about my own family and the time I have spent with the Sullys, every kindness and happiness I have ever known has been from the Cheyenne, and very little has been from Whites. I don't truly belong in either world now. The Indians will see the White outside and the Whites will see the Cheyenne inside, and no one will accept me. It is somewhat the same with Cloud Dancing. The Whites see only the Cheyenne, and there are no Cheyenne left for him to associate with. He has no place to be true to himself except in his heart. We have each found a home for our souls with the other. Please say you will marry us."

"I had already told Michaela I would do it if I was convinced this was the right thing for both of you. Michaela has invited me to dinner tomorrow night to talk to Cloud Dancing, but you have convinced me that this is right for you. From what I know of Cloud Dancing, he would not have asked you to marry him unless he knew it was the right thing for both of you. Perhaps tomorrow night we can make the arrangements."

"Reverend, I have one more favor to ask of you. We haven't told anyone about our decision to marry except Michaela and Sully. Even Brian does not know. Please keep our secret. We may never be able to tell anyone about our marriage. Sighted people will still have their prejudices."

The Reverend smiled. "Being blind has taught me a lot. People assume that because I am blind, I am deaf also, and they say things in front of me they might otherwise not say. I fully understand your need for secrecy. I will not say anything to anyone."

The next evening Cloud Dancing and the Reverend talked while Michaela and Elizabeth made dinner. After a while Sully joined them. Michaela had conveniently allowed Brian to spend the evening with a friend, so they could speak freely. As the Reverend said grace, he asked for God's blessing on the upcoming marriage of Cloud Dancing and Elizabeth. Elizabeth's eyes flew open and met the calm, smiling eyes of Cloud Dancing opposite her. Love flooded her face as she smiled back at him.

As they ate, the Reverend said, "I guess all that's needed now is to decide when and where this happy occasion will take place."

"Well, it will take place here if you want it to," said Michaela.

"How about in the grove of trees up beside the house?" Elizabeth asked. "If the weather is bad, we can move it to the house."

"Yes, that would be good," said Cloud Dancing. "I will come back tomorrow to prepare the place. We can be married the day after if that is all right with you."

"It can't be soon enough for me," said Elizabeth with her eyes shining.

As they took a short walk in the dark before it was time for Cloud Dancing to go back to the reservation, Elizabeth stopped and took his arm.

"There is something about me I've never told you," she said. "I've never been with a man, slept with a man."

He looked at her with a puzzled look in his eyes.

"Yes, I was married for fifteen years." She smiled a sad little smile. "But I think my husband thought I was not a virgin when we married, and we never slept in the same bed, or even in the same bedroom. I never told him otherwise. The arrangement was fine with me. In my heart, I was married to Little Bear and never wanted anyone else .….. until now. I hope that doesn't disappoint you. I hope I can make you happy."

"You have already made me very happy," he said as he put his arms gently around her. "We will have to get to know each other's way of loving, just as we have had to get to know each other's way of living. It would not matter if you were not a virgin. You and I would be different than you and your husband were and we will be different than Snowbird and I were. We will be one, but a different one than either of us has ever been before." With relief, Elizabeth reached up and kissed him.

The next day Cloud Dancing told her (Elizabeth) that he had found the perfect spot for their marriage. He and the Reverend spent several hours discussing a ceremony that would be Christian but would incorporate as many of the Cheyenne traditions as possible. Cloud Dancing would wear the clothes Michaela had made for Sully's wedding present but had given to Cloud Dancing instead, as a token of appreciation for helping her through her grief after Washita. Elizabeth wanted to marry in a traditional Cheyenne dress, but did not know where she could find one. Michaela produced a beautiful dress from her trunk. Snowbird had made it for her several years before. It was not a wedding dress, but it meant a lot to Michaela, Cloud Dancing and Elizabeth, and she knew immediately that it was perfect.

Since neither Cloud Dancing or Elizabeth had family, they had to adapt the Cheyenne wedding ceremony. Elizabeth's family should have helped her dress in her finest clothes and mount their best horse. Then she would have been escorted by an elder of the tribe to Cloud Dancing's home. His relatives would have lifted her off the horse, set her on a ceremonial blanket and carried her across the threshold of their home. They would have dressed her in fine new clothes, fixed her hair and painted her face. The ceremony would have concluded with a feast. They decided instead that Elizabeth would dress in her best Boston finery in the barn, and Sully would lead her on a horse to the house. There Michaela would help her dress in the new Cheyenne dress, and would fix her hair. They decided to forego the painting of her face. Then the whole party would walk to the grove of trees near the house and the Reverend would perform the Christian ceremony.

Colleen was home from school for a visit, and had helped Elizabeth make the flower arrangements which she and Michaela would carry for the Christian ceremony. She was also in on the plans for the wedding dinner which were kept a secret from Elizabeth. Brian had been let in on the secret and was almost beside himself with excitement. He was old enough, they decided, to understand the need for complete secrecy. He had been aware of the rude comments that had been made about Cloud Dancing and Dorothy, and the episode with Little Raven brought home again the danger that Cloud Dancing lived in every day. He understood how difficult it was for Cloud Dancing to live as a prisoner on the reservation after being free his whole life. Brian did not want anything to happen to Cloud Dancing or Elizabeth that would spoil the happiness they had found.

The weather for the ceremony was perfectly beautiful. There was a cloudless, bright blue sky and just a hint of a breeze to ward off the heat of the day. Michaela, Sully, Colleen, Matthew and Brian witnessed the ceremony. It turned out to be a wonderful blend of the Cheyenne and Christian traditions. They all marvelled afterwards at how seamlessly they merged. Surely the one Creator had blessed this ceremony and them.

When they got back to the house, Cloud Dancing and Elizabeth walked slowly to the barn. Michaela had been horrified when Cloud Dancing asked if they could use the loft for their wedding bedroom. However, he had convinced her that they wanted a place that could be theirs without their disturbing others and others disturbing them. Both of them said they would be more comfortable on a blanket in the hay than they would be on the best bed in the house. Until they left for Canada, the only time they would have together would be in the barn on the days Cloud Dancing could get a pass off the reservation. He had been lucky up until this point in being able to get them most times he asked for them, but the whim of the sergeant could change that at any time.

It was quite hot in the loft, but Elizabeth felt a chill as Cloud Dancing unlaced her dress. She suddenly felt every one of her thirty-five years, and realized that her body did not look like the slim, lithe one she had when she had last been in Colorado. Somehow Cloud Dancing did not seem to notice. He laid her gently down on the blanket, lay down next to her and softly kissed her forehead, her eyes, her mouth.

When it grew dark, they left the loft and returned to the house for dinner. Michaela and Colleen had cooked a wonderful meal, and there was wedding cake for dessert. When it was time for Cloud Dancing to leave to go back to the reservation, Elizabeth almost lost her resolve to bear the separation with dry eyes and dignity. If Cloud Dancing could bear the reservation, she would not be any less brave about their situation. As she slept alone in the loft that night, she started making her plans for escaping to Canada.

After much reflection, Michaela decided it would be foolhardy for her to attempt the trip with them. It terrified her to think of what could happen to them on the trail and the thought of losing Sully was unbearable. However, she realized that to risk both their lives when they still had small children was unacceptable.

The answer to their dilemma came from a most unexpected source.

"Michaela," Dorothy began as they sat alone in the clinic. "I'm not really here for a medical reason, but I wanted to talk to you in private. I have not been to see Cloud Dancing in a very long while and I wanted to know how he is doing." Michaela stared at her, wondering if she had given away any clue concerning the marriage of Cloud Dancing and Elizabeth.

"He's doing well. It's very difficult for him to live under the yoke of the Army, as I'm sure you know. However, since we went down to Washita, he seems more at peace within himself."

Dorothy interrupted. "I can't stop thinking about him. The more I write on my book, the more determined I am that he should not have to live the way he does. It breaks my heart to see him so lonely and almost a prisoner on his own land. Michaela, please do not breathe a word of this to anyone, but the Denver paper has been having some articles lately about the Indians in Canada. The government there is letting the Indians live free. Some people back East want to move some of our Indians there instead of trying to move them all onto reservations, or even kill them all, which seems to be the policy of the Army. Our government doesn't seem ready to move any Indians yet, but do you think maybe we could get Cloud Dancing off the reservation and up to Canada where he could live free? Do you think he would even want to move away from the land his people lived on for so long? I really want to see him again and talk to him about leaving. I would miss having him nearby, but it would be worth it to know he was free again."

Michaela didn't know what to say. "I'll talk to him," was all she simply said.

The next time Cloud Dancing came to the house, Michaela took him aside and told him about the conversation with Dorothy.

"I would like to say good-bye to her, but I am not sure of the wisdom of telling her our plans. I don't think there is any way she could help. However, it might be worthwhile to hear what she has to say about going."

Michaela looked at him. "You know she was in love with you. She decided not to see you any more because she knew the impossibility of a relationship with you and felt that being together with you would be too hard to bear. I don't know how wise it would be to let her know about you and Elizabeth. If she hasn't resolved all her feelings for you, she might be jealous, and much as I love Dorothy, I don't know what she would do or say if she became jealous."

They finally decided to tell Elizabeth about the conversation with Dorothy. They would invite her to dinner that night when Cloud Dancing was there to talk about the idea of going to Canada, but he and Elizabeth would carefully avoid any hint of their marriage. Brian was spending the night with Matthew so they could get up extra early the next morning and go fishing.

Cloud Dancing hugged Dorothy when they met at the house.

"You do look good," Dorothy exclaimed. "Michaela said you were doing fairly well. It is so good to see you."

"I have felt well. Michaela told me you have been reading about Indians living in Canada."

"Yes. The Indians there live free and are left alone by the government. Some Indians from near the border have crossed over, and are safe and are allowed to stay and live free. Cloud Dancing, I know you would have to leave your land and the people who are buried here and your friends, but there you would have the freedom to live the way you want to, to find new friends, maybe even to find a woman to spend the rest of your life with. You shouldn't have to live so lonely." Dorothy's eyes glistened with tears. "At one time I wished I could be that woman, but I realize I can't. I would miss you when you were gone, but if I knew you were happy and free, it would be worth it."

"A trip like that would be very dangerous," Cloud Dancing began.

"I know. I've thought of that. We would have to think up a story that would fool the Whites along the way. I don't think the Army would be looking for a man and his wife travelling with an old Indian guide."

"A man and his wife and an old Indian guide?" Cloud Dancing asked.

"I hoped I could talk Sully into going and posing as my husband. We could make you look older with old clothes and you could walk with a stoop. He and I could wear Eastern clothes and say we were travelling north to visit relatives or something. I don't know. I guess we'd need a wagon to use that story and that would just slow us down. We'd have to figure something out. Would you want to leave and try to go to Canada?"

"Dorothy, what would you say if I told you I had already been thinking about such a move?"

Elizabeth drew in a sharp breath and stared at him.

"Oh! That's wonderful! Can I help you?"

"That's not all. What if I told you I had found a woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and I am considering taking her to Canada with me?"

Dorothy's voice softened. "Oh, Cloud Dancing. I am so happy for you. Does she want to go to Canada with you? Just think, you can be free to have a new life and a family there. Please let me help you."

"I will have to think about it. You realize this will be very dangerous for anyone who goes and maybe for anyone who even knows abut it. No one but the five of us know about my thoughts. The Army will try to stop us if they find out, and some of the northern tribes are old enemies to the Cheyenne also. If you could find any information about the situation to the north, it might be helpful in our planning. Please do not say anything to anyone about what you have heard tonight."

"Of course not." Dorothy looked a little hurt, but quickly brightened. "And I will try to think of a plan that will work. I am so happy for you, Cloud Dancing," she said with sincerity in her voice and her eyes. "I hope I will be able to meet this woman you love sometime before too long."

"I will think about it," Cloud Dancing said.

Sully, Michaela, Dorothy, Cloud Dancing and Elizabeth sat around the table after dinner. Cloud Dancing spoke first. "If we stay to the east and go through the Black Hills and then north, I think we can avoid most of our Cheyenne enemies. I am more worried about the Army."

Dorothy interrupted. "I've been reading the Denver papers, and the Army hasn't been fighting with the Sioux for a long time. Most of their fighting is farther south. Do you think the Sioux would let us pass through their country?"

"We have been allies in war," said Cloud Dancing. "I think we would be allowed to pass."

"I still haven't been able to think of a good story to explain our party," said Dorothy. "I could pose as Sully's wife, but would it work to say you are guiding us and brought your wife along? Do people do that? Doesn't the woman you're going to marry want to come and help make the plans too? Maybe she would have some ideas of what to do."

Elizabeth took a deep breath and looked at Cloud Dancing and then at Sully and Michaela. All gently nodded their heads.

"Have I missed something here? What are you all nodding about?"

Elizabeth spoke. "Dorothy, I am the woman who is going to Canada with Cloud Dancing."

Dorothy's mouth dropped wide open.

Elizabeth smiled. "It's a long story. I'll try to explain quickly." She briefly told of her early life with the Cheyenne and her betrothal to Cloud Dancing's younger brother, touched on the years in Boston, and then told of her joy at finding someone of her band still alive.

"Cloud Dancing and I are both living in impossible worlds. I am White on the outside and Cheyenne on the inside. He is Cheyenne on the outside and they are trying to force him into being White on the inside. We just found each other. We were married a month ago."

"You didn't invite me!" cried Dorothy.

Michaela interrupted. "That's my fault. I knew you had feelings for Cloud Dancing, and I was afraid it would hurt you to know he was marrying. I see now I was wrong. I'm sorry. I really am."

Dorothy was quiet for a minute. "Oh well. I'm sure you were trying to keep it as quiet as possible. Actually, that will make our travelling story easier. You can be my sister. Of course, Sully will have to wear fancier clothes. Anyone looking at him now would know he doesn't need a guide to go anywhere. What will we tell people here about your leaving, Elizabeth? And Sully and I will need stories about why we are gone for so long."

It was decided that Sully would tell a few people he had been offered a job up north which would keep him away for a couple of months. He would leave on horseback leading two pack horses a week before the others left. He would go to Denver and gather the supplies necessary for the trip. Elizabeth withdrew all her money from the bank, gave some to Sully, and carefully sewed the remainder back into her undergarments. She did not have many friends besides those that were planning the escape, but if anyone asked, she would say that she was going back to her family in Boston. She would take the train to Denver. Dorothy was going to tell people she had a meeting with her book publisher in Denver, and would go on the same train as Elizabeth. Their whole plan hinged on Cloud Dancing getting a three day pass away from the reservation. Michaela would ask the sergeant to issue one so he could help with some maintenance at the homestead while Sully was away. When he didn't show up at the reservation at the end of the three days, she would simply say that he had left the evening of the third day to return and she didn't know why he had never arrived.

As the plan came together and the time for departure arrived, Elizabeth could hardly control her feelings. She would desperately miss Michaela and knew in all probability she would never see her again. On the other hand, the thought of being able to live openly with Cloud Dancing overpowered her with joy. Finally the day came. Sully had already left, and Cloud Dancing arrived at the homestead with his three day pass. He rode out to check some fencing for Michaela, and just kept riding north. Elizabeth and Dorothy said their good-byes and left on the train for Denver. Two days later a telegram arrived at the station for Michaela telling her that Elizabeth had invited Dorothy to go back East with her for a visit, and not to expect her back for several months. Michaela knew then that they were headed for Canada and she would hear nothing else until Sully and Dorothy arrived home.

The weeks inched by. Fortunately the clinic was busy, and Michaela didn't have time to think about the travellers during the day. When the soldiers came to the homestead looking for Cloud Dancing, she said she didn't know where he could be. He didn't seem troubled, so she doubted he would have tried to go back to Washita where his wife had died, she told them. He had never mentioned moving to the reservation in Oklahoma to be close to his people again, so she doubted he would have gone there. In her heart, she prayed that they would waste precious days searching for him to the south. Of course, the news of Cloud Dancing's disappearance was soon all over town, and she did hear that the Army had sent a detachment south to look for him. It did just a little to calm her fears. Her demons plagued her the most during the nights. Again and again she cried herself to sleep in fear that they might all be killed and she would never see Sully again. The hardest part was not knowing how long the trip would take. When should she expect him to return? When was he truly overdue? When should she give up hope?

By the time the two month mark had passed, she could hardly concentrate on her patients. She was sitting in the clinic supposedly researching the problem one of her young patients presented when Sully just walked in. She flew to her feet and threw herself into his arms.

"They are free," he whispered in her ear. "Dorothy will be back in a few days. She wanted to spend some time in Denver recovering before she showed up here. We really pushed to get home quickly after we left them. It was a hard trip, but we were never really threatened. We ran into one Army patrol unexpectedly, but they apparently bought our story and didn't give us any trouble. Your friends Elizabeth and Dorothy are quite the actresses. You should have seen them at work. Cloud Dancing and I just stayed quiet and followed their leads. It was like they had it all rehearsed and knew what the other would say. They were great. Because we were being so careful not to be seen, the trip north took us four and a half weeks. In Canada we did find some Cheyenne and Sioux living together. It was so good to see them living as they used to live around here. After telling their story to the elders, Cloud Dancing and Elizabeth were adopted into the band. Now they are truly free."

THE END