Chapter 10

Next morning they took Nakuma to her first day of school. Like Rancho did with Running Toad, he waited, he watched Nakuma walk inside, he waited  just in case they sent her out because she was an Indian, but they didn't, she went and sat down, and she waved through the window at Rancho, Martha and Running Toad.

When they dropped her off they went to the store and looked around. Then all of a sudden Brandon and Michael walked in. Rancho watched Michael go to the back of the store where Running Toad was looking at some books. Brandon stood and watched Rancho and Martha with an evil look on his face.

"Hey there red man?" asked Michael.                   

Running Toad turned around and looked over towards Martha and Rancho and then back at Michael.

"Move out of my way Brandon!  Rancho yelled.

"Your boy is fine, he is a big boy now, he can take care of himself," said Brandon smiling.

"What are you looking at red man, you probably don't remember me, but my friend and I use to try to take you back to where you belong and to help our town and people inside the town, but they wouldn't listen, I told them this day would come," said Michael.

"Help them with what?" asked Running Toad.

"You really don't know do you, to save them and the town from you," said Michael.

"From me, why?" asked Running Toad.

"Look kid, you’re an Indian right? Right, Indians will do anything in their power to kill or protect their land we live on, they killed our families, grandmothers, grandchildren, children, women and men, young and old," said Michael.

"That's not how I was raised, I'm better than that, I know where I came from and what happened, but I am not that way," said Running Toad.

The storekeeper slowly walked sideways towards the window and spotted the Sheriff. The storekeeper had a small mirror in his pocket, he took it out and let the sun hit it just right and shined it at the Sheriffs face. The Sheriff looked at the storekeeper through the window across the street, the storekeeper pointed and the Sheriff quickly walked towards the store and walked inside.

"Brandon, where's Michael?" asked the Sheriff.

"I don't know," said Brandon sarcastically.

The Sheriff walked to the back.

"Alright Michael leave him alone and his family, come on," said the Sheriff.

"I'm telling you Sheriff, he will kill them and wipe us all out," said Michael walking away.

"Some people can't stay away from the past," said the Sheriff walking away.

  Rancho, Martha and Running Toad left the store and rode up to the school house. She ran out of the school with a smile on her face. Running Toad got off and helped Nakuma get on the wagon, and they went home.

    As they arrived home, Running Toad had some chores he had to do or finish up.

"I'll go feed the horses, and put them in the stables," said Running Toad jumping off the wagon.

Running Toad took the horses back to the stables and fed them and started to walk back to the house.

    "Nakuma, come on, mommy needs to give you a bath," said Martha.

    "No," pouted Nakuma crossing her arms.

Running Toad slowly walked up to Nakuma and picked her up from behind.

    "Listen to mom, you have to take a bath," said Running Toad carrying her to the house.

Martha gave Nakuma a bath, and they all went to bed.  

When everybody was sleeping, a crash noise came through the window, and then a fire rose up. Rancho quickly got out of bed with Martha and Running Toad got up and ran to Nakumas room who was up crying, Rancho quickly grabbed her and ran towards the kitchen door, when small pieces of wood started to fall off the roof, Nakuma was screaming and is scared, then they took a step and a fire rose up in front of them, Rancho quickly grabbed a blanket and wrapped Nakuma in it, and he ran through the fire, and laid Nakuma far away on the ground and ran back inside. Running Toad looked at Rancho and Martha, he ran through the fire and outside to Nakuma, picking her up.

Rancho and Martha held hands, as they were about to run through, then the roof caved in, making a bigger flame, Rancho and Martha looked across the fire, and saw Running Toad yelling.

"COME ONE!!!

Rancho shook his head and bent down with Martha on their knees, and wrapped their arms around each other and closed their eyes. Their house went up in flames and came crashing down.

Nakuma was crying and scared, Running Toad went to the barn with her, and grabbed two horses, one horse they rode together and the other followed, they rode to town to tell the Sheriff.

"Do you know who did it?" asked the Sheriff.

"Yes, Brandon and Michael," said Running Toad in anger.

"I'll have my deputy round up a posse, and go after them, I will see them hanged," said the Sheriff.

"Good, if you don't catch them, I will, and I'll do my own hanging," said Running Toad.

"Where will you go?" asked the Sheriff.

"I don't know somewhere up in the mountains," said Running Toad.

So they rode away to the back part of Montana, away from the town away from civilization. Running Toad killed a lot of animals for food and shelter. As she grew, he taught her how to hunt and pick the right berries, like how to hunt for a bird or a rabbit.

One night they were sleeping, Running Toad was having a dream about the fire and his parents and it woke him up.

"You were having another dream about mom and dad again," said Nakuma.

"Yes, I miss them to, go back to sleep," said Running Toad.

They both went back to sleep.

One day Running Toad will get his revenge, but for right now he'll protect and teach his sister the old ways, before they are completely gone. He is letting the Sheriff do his job, but if he fails, Running Toad will take it into his own hands.