All righty, here is part 2. I included the last of part 1 for "transition" purposes...
“Indians! Over that way!” Adah cried, pointing to the northwest. As if from a cue, several spotted ponies topped the rise from the north and galloped down towards them. Before they knew what was happening, the Aldridge family was caught up in the midst of the galloping horses and the oxen were being herded along. Benjamin fought with all his might to contain the oxen, but it was too much for his little strength. The reins slipped from his hands and whipped across the oxens’ backs, causing them even more fright, and the wagon lurched forward again.
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The next thing they knew, they were thrown recklessly into an old cobweb infested teepee, and the door was tied firmly shut.
Isaac was the first to brave a word.
“P-Papa, where are we? Why are we here?”
“We’re in a teepee, son. We’re now officially captives of the ruthless Indians.” Papa said in sarcasm.
“Pa-pa!” Inga said in an English version of “ma-ma”. “How can you see humor in this?”
“He does because he thinks when they see me they’ll release us. Nice thinking, Jakob, but it’s not as easy as that. When a young Indian catches his first captives, it matters not if they are Indian or White. Especially if they’re from a different tribe. You’d just better hope these are Cherokee Indians banished to the West from North Carolina.” Ma said.
“Why?” Sofia wondered.
“Have I never told you? I’m Cherokee.”
“I thought you were Chickasaw.” Said Caleb.
“Chickasaw? Excuse me?” Mama said.
“How can you all be so light hearted? This is the most terrifying moment of my life!” Inga wailed.
“Do not fear, Inga. The Lord is with us. He will help us with whatever is to come.”
“Even if we get scalped?” Inga scowled.
“Inga.” Papa sent a reproving look her way and she was silenced. Sofia and Isaac began to whimper.
“Will we really get scalped?” Sofia asked in a trembling voice.
“Inga! Now look what you started!” Adah glared at her older sister.
“Don’t blame me! How can I help but be scared? You’re just trying to put up a brave front, little miss smarty.” Inga said snidely.
“Children! Stop that arguing. It will get you nowhere, except for in a fight with each other. Am I understood?” Pa scolded.
“Yes, sir.”
Just then they heard footsteps approaching. Forgetting all reproach against her sister, Inga clung to Adah in fright. The door was untied and thrown open, shedding light into the dark teepee. An old wrinkled Indian face appeared as he kneeled in front of the teepee.
“Who are you and what are you whites doing trekking through land?” He said, scowling.
“You speak English!” Adah said. The Indian glared at Adah to silence her and looked to Pa for an answer to his question.
“We were traveling with a wagon train, headed for Oregon. I am Jakob Aldridge, and this is my family.” Pa said, not supplying the others’ names. The Indian grunted.
“Are you Cherokee from North Carolina?” Benjamin piped up. The Indian looked surprised, then said, “Yes, how you know?”
“I reckon I’m just smart. See, Inga, there’s nothing to fear.” Benjamin smiled at his oldest sister. Inga still clung tightly to Adah’s sleeve.
“I am Red Hawk, chief of this tribe. The men and I will decide what to do with you this evening.”
“Y-you are Red Hawk?” Ma stepped out from behind Pa.
“Yes, I said that. Who you?”
“I am Running Fawn.” Ma said with ceremony.
“Running Fawn?” Red Hawk’s mouth hung open for a moment before he rushed forward and enveloped Ma in a hug.
“Oh, Father, it is so good to see you again at last!” Ma cried.
“Ah, Running Fawn, where you been? And why you wear white man’s cloths?” Red Hawk asked disapprovingly.
“Papa, please meet your son-in-law, Jakob, and your grandchildren.” Ma said, going back to stand by Pa.
“Y-you are married to this man?” Red Hawk asked.
“Yes, Papa. I escaped from the trappers in North Carolina and made my way to Iowa, where I met Jakob and we were married.” Ma explained quickly.
“Why you never look for us?” Red Hawk asked.
“I knew not where to start, Papa! You and Mama were captives of the whites, and how was I to know where they had taken you? How did you get away?” Ma asked.
“Indians always get out of scrapes. Have you forgotten your heritage, Papoose?” Red Hawk asked.
“No, Papa, I have not. How is Mama? And my brothers?” Ma asked.
“Doing well. Your brothers both married and you have multiple nieces and nephews.” Red Hawk said.
“That I have never met. Are they living here?” Ma asked.
“Yes. You sound educated. Like white man.” Red Hawk commented.
“Yes. I have learned their language well, as well as German. Jakob is German.” Ma explained.
“German. Hum. The papooses, names?” Red Hawk inquired.
“Inga, Adah, Benjamin, Caleb, Sofia, and Isaac.” Ma replied.
“White names. You not pass your heritage on to papooses?”
“No.”
“You are ashamed of it?”
“No, Papa.”
“Hm. Well, you come, meet rest of family.” Red Hawk exited the teepee, motioning for the Aldridge family to follow him. They did so. They reached the center of the little teepee village, where several women were cleaning deer.
“White Feather, Long Moose.” Red Hawk said. Two of the women stood and came to them.
“Yes, Red Hawk.”
“This is your husbands‘ sister, Running Fawn.”
“Running Fawn! Your brothers have said much about you! We feel as though we all ready know you!” The one called Long Moose said, enfolding Ma in a warm embrace.
“Long Moose, White Feather, it is good to meet you both.”
“And it is good to meet you, Running Fawn.” White Feather said. “This is my oldest, Rain Water.” White Feather motioned to a tall young girl helping the women. “We have five others as well, all boys.”
“And Red Deer and I have four children, Elishua, Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet. Elishua and Elishama are twins.” Long Moose added.
“It will be good to meet them all.” Ma said.
“Yes, well......” White Feather hesitated.
“What is it?” Ma asked.
“I’m afraid my boys won’t like the idea of having white folks in camp. I doubt they’ll be around much with you here. Their father has taught them to reject any that are not Cherokee.” White Feather said.
“I see. Yes, I do remember Hunting Buck being like that.”
“Do not worry though, Rain Water and I do not think that way, and neither do Red Deer and Long Moose and their children.”
“Ah, that is good.”
“Oh, you must be hungry. Come, I’ll take you to our teepee.”
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A few days passed, and it was on a bright sunny morning that Red Hawk came to Red Deer and Long Moose’s teepee, where the Aldridge family was staying and announced that there was a teepee ready for them. Everything moved along swiftly, and soon the Aldridge’s things were all in the new teepee.
“Pa, are we really going to be staying here? I thought we were going west!” Inga said that night as the family sat around the fire.
“We are west!” Pa said, chuckling a little.
“Yes, but Kansas is not as far west as Oregon, where we were supposed to be going.” Inga mused.
“No, it’s not. I’m not sure what we’ll do, but it seems the logical thing to do to stay here, at least for now, since this is where your mother’s family is.” Pa replied.
“But, we can’t stay here!” Inga said. “Not in an Indian village!” She fumed.
“Inga..... Have you ever thought about how your mother might feel about this? Think about someone other than yourself.” Pa scolded.
“I can just imagine what all my friends back home would say if they heard I was living in an Indian village, of all things.” Inga pouted.
“I think they would be jealous of us! It’s been so much fun here!” Adah said.
“Maybe for you.” Inga muttered.
“Inga, why don’t you just try to enjoy it for a few more days?” Ma finally spoke up.
“Yes, Inga. Just think about how hard it was for your mother to adjust to living among white folks, and now see how well she has done? If it wasn’t for her dark hair and skin, no one would even know she was an Indian.” Pa said.
“Well, I certainly don’t want to be just like an Indian a few years down the road!” Inga exclaimed.
Pa sighed and looked at Ma as if to say “At least we tried”.
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