Page 85 of Red Hawk's Woman

Effie let down the wooden tail flap of her wagon and placed an unfolded map of the archaeological site upon it. The map, which was in essence a drawing of the entire area surrounding them—including every rock and tree and shrub—would serve as a guide to each place they chose to exhume.

“Come close,” she said to the rest of her crew. It was mid-morning on their first day of digging, but the noon hour fast approached. Using her hands to press down on the map, she pointed to a spot on it. “Carl, did you place a marker here so that anyone interested in digging in this area again can more easily find the place?”

“I did.”

“Good. Madeline,” continued Effie, “did you mark out the site where we will begin our preliminary digging?”

“Yes. I’ll point to it on the map.”

Effie at once placed a red mark to indicate the location. “That’s where we will begin our digging, first to get a reliable look at the strata of the land, so that we can observe what the terra firma was like before man entered the scene. Now, do you all have a shovel and a trowel, as well as journals and papers in which to keep your records?”

All those present nodded, and looking up, Effie silently assessed each piece of equipment.

“This all looks to be in good order.” Turning, she smiled at each one of them. “And now, at last, let’s begin digging.”

There were murmurs of agreement, even a few cheers. Most of the crew headed toward the spot where the preliminary digging would occur.

“Mr. Owens,” said Effie, “might I speak with you for a moment?”

“Of course.”

Effie and the others had set up the site of their work in an area that Red Hawk called Mahkwiyi Istikiop or Where the Wolf Fell Down. Known to the white man as Wolf Creek, their site was situated in the shadow of a cliff, which in ancient times had been used as a buffalo jump, or what Red Hawk called a piskan. Here legend had it that a wolf that had been following on the trail of a buffalo herd, which was being lured by the Indians, fell over the cliff along with the buffalo.

It was a fine legend, and an aptly named spot. In truth, it induced a feeling within her of being close to the ancients.

“Mr. Owens,” she said. “Need I tell you that I am so glad you are here?”

“As am I, Miss Effie.”

“I am flattered to have such an experienced person for my field supervisor. I’m sure you realize what an important position this is, for you will be directing the type of excavation to be done. I’m very excited to have you here, and I’m assuming your friendship with my father must have been the determining factor that led you to be a part of this dig.”

Effie noted that Owens’s gaze was directed somewhere between her nose and her chin. Instead of looking her directly in the eye, he avoided her. It was a little disconcerting.

“Your father was, indeed, a deciding factor, Miss Effie. Our friendship, as you of course must realize, knows no bounds.”

“Yes, I am aware of this, and I am most thankful for it. I know you are more experienced than I in the standard procedure of an archaeological dig, and I am hoping you will not object too much to questions I might need to ask from time to time.”

“Not at all, Miss Effie. Not at all.” Owens nodded.

Effie continued, “How have you arranged the personnel for the dig? I’m assuming that⁠—”

“Don’t worry your pretty little red head about such details, Miss Effie,” Owens interrupted. “I’m sure you have much more to attend to than worrying about these details that need not concern you.”

Need not concern her?

“Know that my experience has teamed the best people together. Because I was here with your father several years ago, he thought it best I come along and ensure the dig went smoothly. I am the expert, after all. I think he feared that, though he loves you dearly, you might turn out to be incompetent.” He smiled at her, although Effie felt like he had stabbed her in the heart.

Her smile remained in place, as though frozen. Suddenly and irreconcilably, she felt as though she had been dropped from midair.

Still, calming herself, she said, “That will be fine, Mr. Owens, but⁠—”

He turned his back on her and walked away.

Her mouth open, Effie watched him for some moments, wondering vaguely if he had meant to appear so patronizing. How could he? He was her friend, her father’s friend.

Or was she reading too much into this?

Tilting her head as she surveyed his disappearing figure, some rather condemning facts came readily to mind. Wasn’t it true that her father could have picked Owens as the director of the project? Was there some reason why he hadn’t?