Friendship's Gallop

By Ross Davis

A homesteader's son and a Lakota Indian boy become steadfast friends through folk music, horsemanship, and simple adventure after crossing paths with each other out on the 19th century American frontier. However, their friendship and even their survival are ultimately tested as they are forced to choose sides amid the Cavalry's attempt to purge

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ross Davis
• Release date: Oct 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781087898100

Ross Davis

Ross Davis is a freelance writer, consultant, and adjunct college professor from Indianapolis, Indiana. While pursuing a doctorate in sociology at South Dakota State University, he gained an appreciation of the Indian Tribes in the region there, which helped to inspire Friendship's Gallop. Friendship's Gallop is Ross's first foray into publishing short story fiction. Ross has authored and co-authored published works of nonfiction, which largely deal with sociological issues such as the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), for instance: two chapters for the book Technosignatures for Detecting Intelligent Life in Our Universe: A Research Companion (Wiley-Scrivener, 2022), and the journal article "Concepts for Future Missions to Search for Technosignatures" (Acta Astronautica, 2021). Besides writing, Ross's other creative interest is music, including having written and published contemporary folk songs.

Book preview

1

The First Encounter

Going Hunting

It was the year of our Lord, 1875, among what the Lakota Indians call the Paha Sapa (or Black Hills) of South Dakota. It was daytime along a prairie trail. And a pair of figures on horseback approached from off in the distance. As they came closer into view, one of the figures became apparent as a Lakota Indian boy around 16 years of age; his name was Painting Horse. The other figure was also a Lakota Indian boy, who was a year younger than Painting Horse; his name was Red Owl. Both of them came from the Tusweca Tiyospaye, or dragonfly band of the Lakota.

Painting Horse and Red Owl steered their horses toward a nearby wooded area, to do some hunting for themselves and their tribal band. As they neared the wooded area, Painting Horse gestured to Red Owl that he spotted something up ahead. Painting Horse and Red Owl dismounted and secured their horses; they then prepared their bows and arrows and commenced with hunting.

Painting Horse, with Red Owl close behind, stopped near a thick group of trees. In the nearby distance was a rabbit sitting still. Red Owl started to get up and move a little closer toward the rabbit to close the distance. Then Painting Horse tugged at Red Owl, motioning for him to get back to where he was and stay low.

Painting Horse put the fingers of one of his hands up to his lips, and with a kissing action, mimicked the squeaky call of a rabbit in distress. Upon hearing this, the rabbit sitting on the ground nearby started to hop forward some in the direction of Painting Horse and Red Owl, yet without clearly seeing them because of the wooded cover. Painting Horse then drew up his bow and arrow, carefully aiming it at the rabbit. He released the arrow, which whispered through the air. In an instant the arrow struck the rabbit in the eye. Painting Horse looked over at Red Owl. Red Owl nodded as though he understood that it was a keen way to hunt rabbit.

The Settler Boy

Several miles away from where Painting Horse and Red Owl were hunting sat a wooden cabin. Stepping outside the cabin’s front door was a settler boy in his late teens; his name was David Summit. Coming out the door behind him was his father, Jesse. As they stood outside, they surveyed the rolling plains in front of them.

Dad? David said.

What? replied Jesse.

I’ll be back in a little while. I’m just going out for a brief ride on the horse.

Okay, but be careful son. We’re not in Kansas City anymore.

David picked up his rifle, walked over to his horse and climbed aboard the saddle, and gradually rode off.

Crossing Paths

After hunting for a little while, Painting Horse and Red Owl had racked up several rabbit kills. Not far from them, but just out of sight, was David riding along on his horse. David was not aware of Painting Horse and Red Owl’s presence, nor had he ever met them. David brought his horse to a stop and dismounted. He hitched the horse to a nearby tree and set about with his rifle to do some hunting.

Painting Horse and Red Owl abruptly stopped hunting and got back on their horses upon noticing David in the distance nearby. Painting Horse gestured to Red Owl for the both of them to sneak around toward where David was.

David kept walking along with his rifle while scoping the area for a rabbit or squirrel to hunt. Painting Horse and Red Owl approached near David’s position without David noticing. Painting Horse motioned to Red Owl to be prepared for the both of them to subdue David. Red Owl gestured back in acknowledgement. Suddenly, Painting Horse and Red Owl shouted a war whoop as they charged toward David on horseback. David, caught off guard, tried to escape by running toward his horse to hop on it and quickly ride away. Painting Horse rode up on his horse from behind and then leaned down, shoving David in the back. David lost his balance and stumbled forward to the ground. David tried to get back up and run away again.

Meanwhile, Red Owl quickly dismounted his horse, and ran over to David and tackled him to the ground. Red Owl started to beat David fiercely after pinning his back to the ground; David attempted to cover his head to shield it from the blows. As Red Owl was beating David, he loudly shouted out in Lakota, the English translation of which was: Brother Short Bull, I avenge your death! I avenge your death at the hands of whites too busy digging yellow metal in the Black Hills! This lasted for a few moments, with David occasionally groaning in agony.

Painting Horse dismounted his horse and watched on. Then, for some curious reason, Painting Horse looked off to the side. Close by, an elk appeared, seemingly looking back at Painting Horse. Painting Horse caught glimpse