Chapter 36

Bent Nose found his way to Yanube city and begged work off Patrick Pauley at the livery stable. Pauley had no use for Indians, but Bent Nose was so good with horses, the livery owner gave him the name of Ezekiel and let him sleep in the stable. The bigot didn’t even seem to mind when everyone conferred “Pauley” on the old Indian to complete his civilized name.

I waited until after dark to go looking for Bent Nose. After talking to me through a wooden door at the stable, he finally opened it enough for me to slip through.

“I need some information,” I said.

“You was that Red Win-tay’sman, wasn’t you?”

I grimaced. While the Lakota had a long history of respect for Two-Faces, the Dakota were more apt to look upon them with disdain. “That’s right. He was best friends with the major in charge of the soldiers at the fort. Now I work the farm for that same army man.” Figuring that established a pecking order, I repeated my statement. “I need some information.”