Winter's Child
Man Who Fell from Sky
Night of the White Buffalo
Killing Custer
Buffalo Bill's Dead Now
The Perfect Suspect
The Spider's Web
Silent Spirit
Blood Memory
Girl w/ Braided Hair
Drowning Man
Eye of the Wolf
Wife of Moon
Killing Raven
Shadow Dancer
Thunder Keeper
Spirit Woman
Lost Bird
Story Teller
Dream Stalker
Ghost Walker
Eagle Catcher
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The Spirit Woman: Excerpt
Suddenly he realized Walks-On hadn't returned. He walked a little way along the path before turning into the clump of cottonwoods where he'd
sailed the Frisbee. He heard the sounds of his own breathing over the crunch of his boots on the scrubbrush, the hush of the wind in the trees. "Here,
boy," he shouted. There was no sign of the dog. And then he heard ita faint scratching noise. He stood still a moment, listening, then started toward
the noise.
The dried bushes and undergrowth snapped under his boots as he ducked past a low-hanging branch, peering through the trees for the dog. Finally
he spotted him, nose to the ground, front paws digging out a narrow trench in the earth. The frisbee lay at his side.
At first he thought the dog had found a buried bone, a cow bone, perhaps. "Come here, boy," he called.
Walks-On kept pawing, shoulders hunched to the task. As Father John moved closer, he saw something long and yellowish-brown partially
submerged in the trench. He grabbed the dog's collar and pulled him back a few feet. The dog gave a little yelp of protest. "Stay," he ordered.
As he stepped back, he realized the chips scattered about like broken pieces of pottery were bone chips. Wild animals had been here before
Walks-On, judging by the ridges of soil pushed here and there. He stooped down and brushed away some of the loose soil in the trench Walks-On
had been working. Gradually what looked like a femur emerged. He brushed away more soil. Another bone appeared, small and gnarled, like a joint.
Reaching across the trench, he began scraping at a pile of soil until his fingers found something hard and round. He pulled at it with both hands until
he realized that he was holding a human skull...
© Margaret Coel
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