Hunter was sitting under a brush arbor, tossing dice with several men, when...

Hunter was sitting under a brush arbor, tossing dice with several men, when Blackbird came tearing up the path between the lodges, screaming, "The yellow-hair! She's back, Uncle! She's back!"
Accustomed as he was to Blackbird's mischief, Hunter ignored her while he finished a throw. Then he swept the child onto his lap and growled like a bear, playfully biting her belly. He knew something was amiss when Blackbird didn't let loose with her usual cackles of glee.
"The yellow-hair! She's come back!" Blackbird caught his face between her tiny hands so he had no choice but to look at her. "She isn't moving. I think she's waiting for you."
Hunter's heart tripped. "If you're teasing me, you little weasel, I'll toss you into a prickly pear."
Blackbird's eyes danced. "She's here! Grandmother sent me to tell you. , look!"
Hunter set the child aside and left the arbor. He shaded his brow against the sun. Up on the plateau, he could see the distinct silhouette of a white woman on a horse. As he walked up the path between the lodges, the breeze caught her hair and lifted it. Gold glinted in the sunshine.