For the love of Qa-si

Night/Morning of 5th October 1877.

The roar of the cannon fire filled the air with a cacophony of thunderous dread as it expelled its deadly destruction.

Terror rained down on them from the night sky.

Swift Foot could still hear the sobbing of the children from the woods, having moved them there to safety earlier.

Would the White Chiefs be so cruel and heartless, that they would aim their mighty weaponry at innocents?

His heart pounded with righteous anger, he already knew the answer.


Winter snows begun here in Paw Bear Mountain early.

This had hampered their advancement to the new lands, allowing General Miles to reach them earlier in the day with this monstrous gun and fresh troops.

They were just a day and a night away from the free land in Canada. Swift Foot knew in his heart - they would not make it.

For three full moons the, Nez Pierce tribe had out smarted, out fought, and out-maneuvered the army of General Howard. Now, they were facing real danger.


Swift Foot heard the call of his chief to go to him. He crawled along the hard ground, using his knees and elbows. He made it to him, and was gladdened to see all of his tribesmen were still alive.

The fighting had begun when darkness fell. The sun would soon be upon them, already the sky in the far east showed itself ready to waken to a new dawn.

“Swift Foot, I want Otter, Running Elk and you to return to Blue Mountain. Then take the tribe to safety. For I fear we will not win this battle."

Chief Joseph has already talked of surrender. "I want you to go now while you still have the cover of darkness.”

“You need us here. We are but three hundred against three times that of the blue-coats,” Swift Foot whispered.

He worried about them, with only the old braves to defend the woman and children there, and Qa-si …. How he longed to set his war weary eyes upon her beauty. For her alone he would return, he would have to go back for them.

The cannon erupted again.

The warriors turned toward the front line of the enemy as it illuminated the night sky allowing them to fire into the enemy camp with precision.

Swift Foot aimed at a blue-coat officer when Running Bear grabbed the barrel of his gun.

" Swift Foot, please not that one. Do not kill him. I want him to live."

The rapid gun-fire being exchanged between them lasted about ten minutes.

Swift foot, bewildered at the action of his Chief, yet, kept his mind focused, used the light of the cannon fire to shoot two blue-coats.

Swift Foot moved along with the braves, odd bursts of gunfire would come from the enemy camp in the hope it would be returned to reveal their new positions.

Otter, the chief's son, childhood friend of Swift Foot, had come back up further down the front. He brought with him the sad news that Ollokot. Brother of Chief Joseph, had been killed.

The news hit them hard, for he was a respected elder. Chief Joseph pleaded for calm.


“Go, now and get the tribe to the new lands if you can, they will not be looking for a small tribe traveling.” ordered Running Bear.

He paused “ Otter, my son, I make you Chief of the Clearwater tribe until we are re-united.”

They readied themselves to leave.

Swift Foot turned back. "Why did you stop me earlier."

"Did you not recognize him? Why it is Captain Wesley? He and Qa-si, are to marry.
I prefer that my daughter to be treated an equal to the pale faces, in the coming times ahead. Qa-si heart belongs to him. I gave them my blessings."

Swift Foot staggered with shock. He had held her in his heart for so long, hoped that when the war was over, and he had proven himself a mighty warrior, good enough to marry the chief's daughter.

As they silently guided the horses out of the camp, he turned to Otter.

“Did you know of this?”

“Yes, Father told us when he joined us, it has been a secret love until now.

“Yet, he would kill any one of us, without a thought” Swift Foot said quietly.

Their departure from the camp had not gone unnoticed.

All along the trail they were being followed by blue-coats. They were on the other side of the river, and were ordered to capture and return the braves, by General Miles..

They dismounted at the crossing in the river, to walk the horses over. They were surprised by the blue coats.

Captain Wesley spoke.
"Otter, please return with me, I promise to do my best to return you to your people."

Swift Foot turned on him the venom pouring from his voice.

“Why should we believe you. The word of the white man means nothing.” He spat on the ground in front of the captain.

In an instant, Swift Foot dived toward Wesley, pulling him to the ground. Otter and Running Elk joined in attacking the soldiers.

However, this was a battle between the two men over the heart of a woman.

Joshua managed to roll over as Swift Foot brought his knife down on him. Catching the back of Swift Foots legs he brought him to the ground. They grappled ... Swift Foot’s knife had dropped as he fell. Swift Foot was just in reach of it, when Joshua kicked it further away, they rained hard punches on each other. Finally, Swift Foot grabbed his knife, pinning Joshua to the ground.

As he was about to kill him, Qa-si flashed in front of his mind. Her gentle smiling face pained him, he could not kill the man who had her heart.

At the same moment Swift Foot released him, Chief Joseph surrendered to General Howard. An honorable diplomatic peaceful tribe then became prisoners of the US government for the next twenty years.

***