Caddie Woodlawn

As darkness falls, Caddie approaches the Native Americans’ camp. She sees figures moving around, and her heart pounds as she tries to determine whether they look ready for war. As the Native Americans take note of her and start to approach, Caddie sees that there is “no war paint! No feathers!” (133), and their movements toward her are not threatening but curious. Caddie asks for Indian John and is happy that she and her father were right to trust these Native Americans.

When John comes to speak with Caddie, he wonders if she is lost. Caddie tries to explain why she is there, but John cannot understand her. He notices she is cold and moves her toward the fire. Again Caddie tries to explain, but John asks if she is hungry, setting her up with a seat and warm food. After Caddie tells John the white men’s plan, John speaks briefly to his people then insists that he accompany Caddie home, assuring her that his people will move the next day.

As Caddie and Indian John approach the river, Caddie urges him to head back, fearful that if one of the white men “saw him riding toward the farm tonight, he would probably shoot without a moment’s warning” (139). John ignores her and continues to a clearing by her home. All around the grounds, people are moving with lanterns and calling out to one another. Caddie pleads for John to go, but as he turns to leave, Caddie’s father grabs the reins of the horse, demanding he stop. After Caddie calls out that she is there, her father pulls her into a tight embrace, and Indian John dismounts from his horse. Caddie cries out that her father must not let the white men kill the Native Americans. Caddie’s father is upset that Caddie went on such a dangerous journey alone, but he confirms with John that the Native Americans mean the white men no harm. Indian John and Mr. Woodlawn shake hands, sealing their friendship and the promise of peace.

After Indian John leaves, Caddie’s father reprimands her but admits that her undertaking was worth the worry. Mr. Woodlawn assures Caddie that the men planning the attack are cowardly and were easily dispatched once he got wind of their plan. Mr. Woodlawn takes Caddie home, warning her that he has no idea how her mother will react.

When Caddie gets to the house, Katie calls her name and passes out. In tending to Katie, Mrs. Woodlawn only tells Caddie she should be punished and points her toward hot soup. As Caddie eats, the other children gather around her in awe, asking questions about the Native Americans.

Everything goes back to normal, and people return to their homes. Though the massacre rumor was a false alarm, many of the white settlers are frightened and leave the area. For some of those who stay, there is “a deeper fear and hatred of the Indians than they had ever felt before” (145). The Native Americans sense this feeling, and they plan to move westward.

As Caddie comes home from school one day, she sees a Native American pony outside her house. Clara runs out to meet her, telling her that Indian John is inside and won’t speak to anyone but her. Mr. Woodlawn is not there, and Mrs. Woodlawn and Mrs. Conroy are terrified of him, his dog, and his scalp belt.

When Caddie enters, Indian John is at the table with apple pie in each hand, his scalp belt on the table, and his dog on the floor. Meanwhile, her mother and Mrs. Conroy are peering at him from the other room. John points out that his dog has been hurt and cannot walk long distances; he suggests that Caddie keep him while John goes on a journey. At her mother’s nodded approval, Caddie agrees, and John also asks Caddie to keep his scalp belt. He explains that it belonged to his father, and because John has many friends and doesn’t want to scalp anyone, he won’t need it on his journey. He promises Caddie that when he returns, he will retrieve it from her. Caddie agrees, and John leaves. Mrs. Woodlawn comments on Caddie having “a way with savages” (148).

Caddie takes the scalp belt and puts it somewhere safe and dry in the barn. For the dog, she makes a bed, washes his foot, and gives him some food and drink. The boys burst into the barn and demand to see the scalp belt. Tom suggests that they create a peep show (they’ll have the scalp belt behind a curtain and only allow kids to look) and charge other kids to see it. They decide to call the show “Big Chief Bloody Tomahawk’s favorite scalp belt” (153). They encourage Hetty to spread the word far and wide, and Hetty excitedly complies.

The following day, the schoolchildren gather around the Woodlawn children, asking them all kinds of questions about the scalp belt. The only two questions that they will answer are when the show will be and how much it will cost (an object they are willing to trade).

Later that morning, Sam Hankinson’s Native American wife enters and approaches her children. She speaks to them in her language and holds each of them close, trying to “fix [their] image in her mind forever” (157). As she moves to leave, the boys cry and yell for her not to go. Crying, she turns to Miss Parker, tells her that she is returning to her people, and leaves. The room is silent but for the sobs of the three Hankinson boys. Miss Parker tells the children to continue their reading lesson, but “it [is] as if a dark shadow or icy wind had gone through the schoolhouse and changed everything” (158). Caddie sheds a few tears into her book.

That evening Caddie asks her mother why the Hankinson mother left her boys. Mrs. Woodlawn explains that with more white settlers coming into the area, Mr. Hankinson was increasingly ashamed of his Native American wife. Mrs. Woodlawn tells Caddie that since the massacre rumors, many white settlers are more hateful toward Native Americans (though she doesn’t understand why), and Mr. Hankinson’s weak character makes him feel ashamed about his relationship with his wife. Mrs. Woodlawn assures Caddie that a good man, such as her own father, would never have sent that woman away because she is Native American. When Caddie goes to bed that night, she puts her dollar in her school apron.

The next morning the Hankinson children look as though they’ve been crying all night. Caddie struggles with her schoolwork because she feels so bad for them sitting there “so quiet and so full of hurt bewilderment” (159).

After school Caddie invites the Hankinson children to the Dunnville store, where she orders candy and some tops for them. When Caddie still has 70 cents to spend, she realizes that she should “be a little wise” (163). She buys the children combs to keep their hair neat and handkerchiefs to keep their faces clean. The Hankinson children are thrilled and even laugh aloud, “as Caddie had never heard them do before” (164).

After the Hankinson children leave, Mr. Adams remarks that Caddie has spent an entire dollar and got nothing for herself. Caddie can’t find the words to explain that she did get something. Later, Tom also expresses disbelief that Caddie spent the entire dollar on the Hankinsons. Caddie explains that she had to spend it all “to drive that awful lonesome look out of their eyes” (164).

On the day of the show Tom and Caddie collect admissions, and children gather in the barn, looking eagerly at the sheet hiding the scalp belt. When all are settled and growing anxious, Warren and Hetty pull back the curtain while Caddie lights a candle to illuminate the belt. Tom does his best to narrate the event, exclaiming that the “ferocious chief, Bloody Tomahawk” (167), killed Native Americans as well as buffalo and burned down white men’s homes. Robert Ireton walks in and chastises the children for lighting a candle in a barn full of hay. Caddie puts out the candle and asks Robert to sing for them. Forgetting his disapproval, Robert obliges.

After the show, the children divide up the admission offerings. Tom points out that Katie Hyman didn’t come to the show, and Hetty comments that she “hasn’t been to school since the massacre scare” (173). Caddie realizes that with everything going on, she neglected to notice Katie’s absence. She thinks about how frightened Katie looked when she promised not to tell about Caddie’s ride to the Native American camp and how she fainted upon Caddie’s return. Caddie realizes that her actions might have made Katie sick, so she suggests that they go see her. After gaining their mother’s permission, Tom suggests that they take the scalp belt with them. Caddie doesn’t think that Katie will want to see it, but Tom insists, saying that he certainly wouldn’t want to be the only person who hadn’t.

When they enter Katie’s room, Caddie and Tom see the valentine hanging on the wall behind her, causing Tom to lose “his voice” (174). Katie reveals that she’s had nightmares that Caddie is “away being scalped by the Indians” (175), and she can’t tell anyone because she promised not to tell where Caddie was. Caddie apologizes for putting her in that position and assures Katie that the Native Americans are their friends. Then Tom and Caddie tell Katie all about Indian John’s visit to their home, what happened with the Hankinson children, how Caddie spent her silver dollar, and the scalp belt show. Katie enjoys their stories, and when Tom offers to show her the scalp belt, Caddie worries that Katie’s happiness will fade. Katie wants to see the belt, and though visibly afraid, she touches the hair and looks “quite proud and pleased” (177). As Tom and Caddie go to leave, Katie sees Tom look at the valentine. Katie says she knows he sent it, and Tom remarks on how smart she is to have figured it out. He whistles and sings the whole way home.