It the year 1865, and The Cheyenne renegades attacked the our camp early in the morning, surprising us while we slept. The warrior cries and screams of the surveyor team being butchered is what woke us.

“The Maps.” I mutter as you and Lily peak through our tent at the chaos. I quickly begin to roll up the maps together and put them in the leather map tube for safe keeping. I smile at you appreciatively, as you begin to help me gather the important information. “We have to save their work.”

Handing you a small canvas bag, I go to give you the leather tube I had placed the maps in just to have Lily snatch them and run off with it. I was completely beside my self at her actions but, when I see you go to yell for her, I quickly put my hand over your mouth. We didn’t need to bring attention to our selves.

“Run to the trees.” I tell you as I look into your eyes letting you know that it was important for you to follow my every instruction. The trees would provide us cover and perhaps a place to hide. “Don’t look back.”

Grabbing your hand, we fled to the woods and hid between a group of trees and bunkered down. Do to the exertion, my lungs strained to breath do to my illness, and I began to cough uncontrollably. I appreciated you rubbing my back trying to soothe me, and shushing me like an infant.

When I caught my breath, we begin to move slowly and cautiously away from our position but, I was clubbed in the back of the head, and I was suddenly on the ground stunned. I could hear you begging for your life before you began to scream in agony.

When I came to, I saw that you had been shot through your hand with an arrow, attaching it to your shoulder. Getting up to my feet, I look to the large Cheyenne man as he gets his bow ready to shoot you again.

Gathering all my courage, I jump on the Cheyenne’s back, and begin to throttle him. I use all my might to subdue the much larger man, causing him to fall back onto me but, I don’t let go of the hold until I could no longer feel the man struggling under my grasp.