Thanksgiving weekend was over soon and Bright Star, Bright Sun, and John were going to school on horseback. That way they could ride back for lunch. John was in before the others but Bright Star and Bright Sun lingered. A bell rang and Bright Star and Bright Sun dismounted and went in. They were still in their buckskins with feathers tied into their hair for Annie had told them to make a good impression.

“We’ve survived alot,” Bright Star told the nervous Bright Sun in Sahaptian, “could this be any harder?”

The teacher turned and saw them enter at the back with John. She smiled. It was a woman in her 20s or 30s and she had good, pure skin without a freckle, blue eyes that could pass for lakes, and soft hands. She looked kind and even smiled at Bright Star and Bright Sun. The two girls spotted Erica who was staring at them with a death stare.

“Hello, children,” the teacher smiled. “I am Miss Wilson. Would you please come up here?”

They walked up and Miss Wilson took out a registration book.

“Name, last name, and age, please,” she told Bright Sun as she took out a book and a pen.

“Bright Sun…Paulson…11,” Bright Sun replied.

“Thank you,” Miss Wilson nodded. “What do you think your grade level might be?”

Erica and her friend, Nancy Watson, snickered. But, just as Bright Star knew, Bright Sun didn’t mind.

“Well, I know the alphabet but I can’t read yet,” she admitted. “I’m not too good at arithmetic yet either although I am up to my times tables.”

Erica and Nancy snickered again.

“But she can speak 3 languages,” John added quickly.

“Is that so?” Miss Wilson asked and Erica and Nancy were immediately silenced. None of the kids in the room could claim what they just had.

“Well, all of us can,” Bright Sun said sheepishly.

Miss Wilson nodded, smiling. “Maybe you 3 will be teaching me sometime! You may sit in the first row by Trisha.”

Miss Wilson repeated the process until she got to Bright Star’s grade level. Bright Star admitted that she would have to be tested.

Miss Wilson nodded, seeming to understand. “Very well, you may sit by Erica.”

Bright Star walked over to Erica and sat down. She looked straight ahead at Miss Wilson. Miss Wilson wrote a problem on the board.

“Who can tell me the answer?” she asked.

Bright Star raised her hand.

“Yes, Bright Star,” Miss Wilson nodded.

“Fifty-two,” Bright Star replied.

“That’s very good,” Miss Wilson nodded.

Months later, Annie came into the house in a temper.

“Paul!” Annie shouted angrily.

Reverend Paulson looked up from his Bible. “What is it, Annie?” Then he saw the newspaper in her hand. “I thought we didn’t subscribe to that.”

“Matilda shoved it into my hands. Read this,” Annie shoved their town’s newspaper in his face.

The article was about Bright Star and Bright Sun being dangerous and it was very persuasive. But the amount of lying was too excessive for any honest person’s taste.

“The woman always could get passionate,” Reverend Paulson sighed, tossing the paper over.

“There’s talk of grabbing Bright Sun and Bright Star and hauling them off to a reservation,” Annie explained urgently.

Reverend Paulson looked up sharply again, then thought a moment. “That’s bad. I’ll speak about it tomorrow in church.”

“We should tell the girls,” Annie suggested. “It’s their lives.”

“So it is,” Reverend Paulson nodded. “I can’t. You go tell them.”

Annie walked slowly up the stairs and opened the door.

“What is it, Ma?” Bright Sun asked, putting her hairbrush down.

“Girls, Mrs. Ward went ballistic in the newspaper,” Annie explained after a hesitation. “Some men are already talking about grabbing you two and removing you from this town.”

“But they can’t, can they?” Bright Star asked.

“Pa’s going to try to stop it but you’re vulnerable even more so then Bright Sun, Bright Star, because…”

“Of my older life,” Bright Star finished the sentence, nodding.

“We’ll stay here while Pa and John are at church tomorrow,” Annie said.

“Ma, is it that bad?” Bright Sun asked.

Bright Star just gaped. She hadn’t missed a church service once!

Annie nodded weakly. “I know.”

The next morning, Reverend Paulson and John left for church and Bright Sun and Annie sat on the bed, crocheting, but Bright Star kept constant watch out the window which overlooked the road.

“What will we do, Ma, if they come with guns?” Bright Star asked.

“We’ll go to the cellar and lock the door,” Annie explained, “then go to the farthest corner and hide ourselves in crates or sacks, whatever we can get at. Whatever the case, I won’t let them get you.”

“Ma, I’m scared. Really, really scared. I haven’t been this scared since Father’s death,” Bright Sun shivered, sidling closer to Annie.

“It’s OK, Bright Sun,” Annie rubbed the girl. “God will protect us. Bright Star…”

But Bright Star was gone. She had climbed out the window to inspect a noise. Her keen eyesight revealed 7 men and horses coming through the forest. They spotted her and she jumped back inside.

“They’re coming,” she said, breathless. “Let’s get to that cellar!”

The cellar was outside and they reached it just as the men did. But they were already in and Annie bolted it shut.

“Get to the back,” Annie hissed. “The back!”

Bright Star and Bright Sun backed up and hid in whatever. Annie stood at the door.

“Mrs. Paulson!” a man shouted. “Come out of there at once!”

“Ma,” Bright Star hissed, “hide.”

Annie shook her head. A few minutes later, she jumped out of the way of a bullet that came through the door.