Chapter Four

Across the White Mountains

            Most of the band left with Truckee the following day, only Winnemucca and his second wife's family remained behind. Outshining the feeling of sadness of the travelers was the feeling of adventure in both the children and the adults who had never been across the White Mountains.

            Now that the group owned horses, they could travel mounted.  Thocmetony felt secure with her brother Namaga's arms around her as they made their way down from the mountains to the Sink in the distance.  She loved the smell of his horse and the soft warm fur on its neck.  She wrapped the long mane around and around her fingers and wove it into tiny braids.

              When they stopped to rest, she was surprised how numb her legs had become and almost lost her footing when Namaga dropped her off the side of the horse.  She drank a small amount of water from her jug and ate a little bit of dried fish, then drifted off for a nap to the sound of the women digging for roots under the trees.

            Three days passed in the warmth of her family and adventure.  Days filled with new sights from the back of the horse, and old love from her brothers and mother.  The hurt of leaving her father receded as the mountains faded from view.

            On the third afternoon a scout came back on a brown and black pony to match her brother's.  "The whites have a village ahead."

            Namaga sat up straighter, his arms tightening about Thocmetony. 

            "Don't take us there."  Tuboitonie and her sisters begged Truckee.  "The children are scared and would surely die if they had to go amongst them." 

            "Do you speak for the children or yourselves?" questioned Truckee.  "Every one can wait here until I go in with my `rag friend'."

            Thocmetony was glad for the reprieve but whispered to her brother.  "Will he come back?"  Namaga looked just as frightened to her as her mother.  These white people could be the same ones that killed her uncle.  Even Truckee had appeared shaken about having to go in amongst the unknown whites.

Truckee returned to the group waving his rag friend above his head.  A bag was slung behind him on the horse and he reined to a quick stop in front of Namaga and Thocmetony.  "I have something for you sweetheart."  He reached into the bag and drew out a large seed cake.  "This is the bread I've told you about."  When the Whites saw my rag friend they gave it to me and invited us to camp near them if we want.  If I didn't have this, we would be lost."

            Thocmetony bit into the brown crusted bread and was amazed at the soft light interior.  It was nutty and sweeter than the seed cakes she had tasted.  Passing it to her Brother she smiled at her Grandfather.  "It is good."

            "There is much that is good with our White Brothers, you'll see."  Truckee smiled back at her.  "Let's go."  He led the group down the trail.

            As they drew near the village, a small group of people came out to meet them.  They were on foot and Truckee brought his band up and dismounted and motioned for the others to do the same.

            Thocmetony may have liked the bread but had no desire to get any closer to the strange looking people than from the back of the horse.  She stayed.

            Slowly as Truckee spoke, Tuboitonie moved closer to her father.  A white woman in the group held out a hand to her and offered a white powder.  The white woman tasted a bit and then offered some more to Tuboitonie.  Growing brave, Thocmetony's mother took some of the powder and tasted it.

            "Pe-har-ve.  It's like pe-har-ve.  Come and taste it."  She motioned to her family. 

            The older children rushed in for the treat but Thocmetony stayed where she was.  She pulled the fur robe up over her head and peered out.  The white woman walked over close to the mount.  Thocmetony knew better than to kick her brother's horse into flight even though she wanted to.

            "Go ahead," said Namaga,  "It tastes good."

            One hand quickly darted out in front of her and a small amount of the sweet powder was placed in it.  Tasting, it was like the pe-har-ve but sweeter.

            The village woman spoke to Thocmetony in a voice as sweet as the treat, even though the words made no sense.  Thocmetony smiled.  With shyness, she covered her face with the robe.

Truckee boomed a laugh.  "My Sweetheart is as shy as the flower for which she is named.  She only shows her beauty for a brief moment."

            Thocmetony felt her brother climb on the horse behind her and start down the trail.  With his strong arms around her it was easier to be brave and she lowered the robe to look at the houses and wagons that they passed.

            Up close, the buildings had a feeling of permanence like the pinyon trees or a rock shelter.  They were nothing like the karnees that needed repair each time they returned to a camp.  The clop-clop of the horse’s hooves sounded different on the baked dirt of the village town. 

            Everything was so different.  She looked right and left.  The colorful clothes she saw were soft looking and Thocmetony smoothed her own grass skirt out and wished for one of the dresses that she saw girls wearing on the street. 

            As hard as she stared, the village people stared back.  Boys ran ahead and called people out of buildings while they passed, dogs barked at the horse’s legs, and the chatting people followed them down the street.

            Far beyond the houses Truckee stopped and set up camp.  It was a simple task to spread robes and start cooking fires.

            Horses were staked out to graze near the river that they had now reached.  Thocmetony stayed beside her brother's horse while the group busied itself.  She picked handfuls of rice grass feeding them to the animal and feeling it's soft black nose. 

            "If only I was as strong and big as you, I'd never be afraid."  She said to the mare.  "Uncle was strong though and he was killed with one of the guns that they use."

            Men approached from the village.  Tall, pale men with dark hair all over their faces.  Truckee moved out of the camp to meet them.  Watching from the security of the horses, Thocmetony saw bright red shirts being passed among the men and some of the pretty dresses given to the women and girls.  Her cousins even received gifts.

            "They don't even realize I'm not there."  She had stopped pulling grass for the horse and was now being gently nuzzled.  "I'll stay here with you.  You will keep me safe."

            She watched the council with the Numa and the White brothers from the far location of the horses.  Grandfather Truckee got up and spoke, the words just barely reaching her.

            "...White brothers… good things...our promise..."  He stood talking for a long time.

            Thocmetony sat and watched them.  She could see her sister in a pretty new dress.  Jealousy stung her heart.  It wasn't until the white got up to leave that her mother noticed her missing daughter.

            "Thocmetony."  She heard her mother cry.

            The voice was echoed over and over as her brothers and grandfather searched for her.  She sat still amongst the horses, her robe wrapped around her.

            "I'll go into the village."  Her grandfather called over his shoulder as he ran towards the mounts.  As he turned and looked before him, he saw the fur wrapped form of his granddaughter.

            "Thocmetony," he scolded,  "your mother thought the White brothers had taken you.  Why did you hide?"

            "Did I get a dress?"  Thocmetony's face took on a set expression.

            "No, our brothers like good children, not ones who scare their families."  Truckee gave her his meanest scowl.  "Now give me your hand."

            Thocmetony stood up and walked beside Truckee.  Each glance of her cousins in their pretty dresses made her heart hurt until she saw the look in her mother's eyes.

            "Thocmetony, don't leave me again.  You stay right with me and we will guard each other."