Laughs Inside: A Dakota story

                   
                                     Laughs Inside: A Dakota Tale
                                                           


                                               Prologue

         The sun was set at midday and beat down across the dry landscape of the Wyoming grasslands. A small figure stirred among the quiet plains followed by a wolf that trailed along behind. The figure, dressed in leather buckskin, stopped and sat their Sharps rifle down. Taking off their black felt hat, that had several hawk feathers tucked into the band, a large braid of raven black hair fell down the middle of their back. This revealed a young Dakota woman that stood wiping the sweat from her brow. The wolf, panting in the heat, stopped beside her and began to sniff the changing breeze. She opened a water skin and choked down the now warm water. The petite figure stood 5 foot and 5 inches tall and knelt to one knee to give her companion a drink as well. She poured the water into a cupped hand and he lapped it up quickly. His grayish fur swayed in the breeze and he suddenly sniffed the air; the hair on his back rose. The woman dropped completely to the ground and her companion quickly rushed into the taller grass. Lying still, the woman’s heart raced. The sound of the rider got closer and then slowly faded after a few moments. She slowly rose to see a white man riding a horse. She recognized him to be a post rider, which meant there might be a town nearby.

         The west was opening up so fast that cow towns became boomtowns in little time and also became ghost towns in as quick a time due to location or lack of a nearby water source. Once the rider was out of sight the woman stood and looked around to make sure no one else was coming. The quiet plains answered that question as her companion came out from the grass.

         “I’m not laughing inside now.” She said suddenly as the wolf looked at her questioningly.

         The joke in reference to her Indian name seemed wasted on her friend. She thought about when she enjoyed her name Laughs Inside. When she was little, Laughs Inside never laughed loudly or openly. She always kept the laughter inside so she would never be without laughter or happiness. She lost that laughter when a white settler’s cow got loose and entered their camp. The frightened cow kicked over pots, knocked over tepees and caused several horses to flee from the chaos. Her father, Spotted Owl, helped catch the animal and said it should be taken back to the settler. Another brave walked the cow out of the camp and called to the settler, who ran back to the wagon train scared, leaving the cow.

                The elders discussed what to do because they feared that this sickly cow would be trouble. They decided to go to the soldiers fort the next morning and explain what happened and correct the matter before it got worse. The next morning a company of soldiers placed cannons on a hill overlooking the village and the captain proceeded, with a scout translator, toward the camp. The chief told the scout what happened and that they tried to give the cow back. The scout, who was drunk, translated incorrectly and the captain demanded the thief be given to him. The chief offered five horses to replace the sickly cow but the scout said that the chief would not give up the thief.

              Outraged, the captain returned to the hill and ordered the cannons to open fire. Roaring to life with thunderous booms, the cannons pounded the village with a brutal volley. Tepees were ripped and dirt was thrown into the air. Among the screams of horrors, Spotted Owl called for nearby warriors to attack. Laughs Inside looked franticly for her mother only to find a bloody image. She looked up with tear filled eyes watching the warriors kill every soldier they could find. She watched as her father leaped onto a soldier, smashing his tomahawk into the soldier but did not see the soldier behind him. She could not hear the shot but watched her father fall while a nearby brave shot the soldier with an arrow, killing him.

            After the battle, the elders knew that more soldiers would come seeking retribution for these deaths, so the tribe gathered all they could and headed North. Laughs Inside, with no family left, retreated southward in sorrow and she had not laughed since; that was 9 years ago.