Cry of the Hawk

A young man with the nose and eyes and mouth of Jonah Hook. Beside him, a beautiful Indian woman, held close beneath his arm, protectively: and standing before their parents, a pair of half-breed children. The little boy wore only breechclout and moccasins, the girl, a dress with fringe spilling down the little arms, nothing on her tiny bare feet.

Nate Deidecker had not been aware of this brass-framed chromo sitting so openly on the mantle for all to see, like a family portrait.

Then the hair on the back of his neck prickled as he lay back down on his straw tick, with both hands gently pressing the old, faded photograph to his breast there in the silver moonlight come down on him from the high places.

They were days now gone the way of the winds.

Nate remembered the words spoken by the old man earlier that day when reflecting on the man he once was, knowing he would never be again.

Days gone the way of the winds.

Terry C. Johnston

1947-2001

Terry C. Johnston was born on the first day of 1947 on the plains of Kansas and lived all his life in the American West. His first novel, Carry the Wind, won the Medicine Pipe Bearer’s Award from the Western Writers of America, and his subsequent books appeared on bestseller lists throughout the country. After writing more than thirty novels of the American frontier, he passed away in March 2001 in Billings, Montana. Terry’s work combined the grace and beauty of a natural storyteller with a complete dedication to historical accuracy and authenticity. He continues to bring history to life in the pages of his historical novels so that readers can live the grand adventure of the American West. While recognized as a master of the American historical novel, to family and friends Terry remained and will be remembered as a dear, loving father and husband as well as a kind, generous, and caring friend. He has gone on before us to a better place, where he will wait to welcome us in days to come.

If you would like to help carry on the legacy of Terry C. Johnston, you are invited to contribute to the

Terry C. Johnston Memorial Scholarship Fund

c/o Montana State University-Billings Foundation

1500 N. 30th Street

Billings, MT 59101-0298

1-888-430-6782

For more information on other Terry C. Johnston novels, visit his website at

   http://www.imt.net/~tjohnston

send e-mail to

   [e-mail]

or write to

   Terry C. Johnston’s West

   P.O. Box 50594

   Billings, MT 59105