Chapter 4

“We’ve been together since the day I found her. Nelly was 13, and I was 17.”

“I enjoyed your story, especially the subtext. When you say Nelly replied in English and you offered to rescue her, it heavily implies she was a captive of the Indians.”

“She was. I ain’t implying nothin’. I’m stating a fact!”

“Not doubting you, Earl. Have you seen any more Indians since that first day?”

“What are you trying to dig up, young feller? Are you suggesting I killed a bunch? For argument’s sake, supposing I did, what does it mean to you?”

“My mouth has tripped me up again, and I meant nothing at all, sir. I was just wondering if your backyard is still on the same date or nearly the same day you found Nelly. Did time stop?”

“Not sure what you mean by ‘clock stopped.’” Earl studied me intently. “I’ll admit this part only: a couple of days after rescuing Nelly, we went back outside. Nelly stayed close to the house. I walked over to where I’d seen teepees before, but there was no evidence they ever existed. No fire pits, bones, or horse apples. The Indians had a large remuda on a picket line next to the village. There should have been spoor, but there was none. In the distance, I noticed a dust cloud I suspected was a fast-moving herd of buffalo, but I didn’t investigate further. I only walked out there to the site of the former Indian village much later, twice more and many years apart, and I never saw more Indians or any buffalo again.”