Bitter Creek Read Online Free

Amalie, her people are being killed, her father throws her over creek bank, she hide, night come, she go on, find a few Métis, they go to Canada. …”
    Du Pré turned on his stool. “Where you get that song? I never hear it,” he said.
    Père Godin grinned. “She sing it for me,” he said.
    â€œWhy do I know before you say it has something to do with your dick,” said Madelaine. “You, old goat.”
    â€œI hear it one time, thirty, forty years ago,” said Père Godin.
    â€œThree dozen children ago,” said Madelaine.
    â€œSo,” said Père Godin, “I am in love this woman … Suzette, I think, up in Canada, Manitoba, she take me to meet her grandmother Amalie. …”
    Du Pré looked hard at him.
    â€œAmalie she is not so old, she sing this song, ’bout the people running from the soldiers, think they are safe, stop rest, no fires, but the soldiers find them, the morning, start shooting, little Amalie she is thrown over the bank, hides, listens to her people being killed, gets away, eats berries, eats grubs she finds in a log, she smells smoke, finds people. …”
    Du Pré stood up. “Where is this Amalie?” he said.
    â€œManitoba,” said Père Godin. “She is still alive, I see Suzette maybe six months ago, ask how is our son. …”
    â€¦ Jesus Christ …
    â€œHow old is this woman now, this Amalie?” said Du Pré.
    â€œAmalie is maybe seventy, Suzette has my son,” said Père Godin.
    Madelaine looked at Du Pré.
    â€œ1910,” he said.

Chapter 4
    â€œNON,” SAID PÈRE GODIN. “ Non non non. After Suzette has my son she marries this fellow, somebody, they have kids, but this fellow say, he ever sees that Godin …”
    â€œHe cut your balls off,” said Madelaine.
    â€œYes,” said Père Godin, “I don’t meet him ever, still have my balls, but I am told he is very large, has very bad temper.”
    â€œPère Godin,” said Madelaine, “you got lots of husbands want to cut your balls off, dozens of them. Why are you so worried about one of them?”
    â€œI only got this one pair, balls,” said Père Godin, “not enough to go round, me and them, you see. …”
    â€œThis is important,” said Du Pré.
    â€œExcuse me,” said Susan Klein, “but I don’t understand why. …”
    Du Pré looked at her. “That Black Jack Pershing, him sent here 1910, round up the Métis are living in camps, don’t got cabins, little piece of land, he does, puts them in boxcars, it is January, sends them to North Dakota, many old people, children, they die. Métis then don’t got Canadian, American citizenship. No one knows about this. …” said Du Pré.
    â€œOh, God,” said Susan Klein, “I certainly never knew. …”
    â€œBut this Bitter Creek,” said Du Pré, “it means that some Métis got away, were hunted down and killed. …”
    â€œBut in 1910?” said Susan. “I knew about the slaughters in the nineteenth century. …”
    â€œBeen plenty since then,” said Du Pré. “See them on the evening news.”
    â€œGod,” said Susan.
    â€œSo we are finding this Amalie,” said Du Pré, looking at Père Godin.
    â€œIt is too dangerous, me,” said Père Godin.
    â€œI cut your goddamned balls off,” said Madelaine.
    â€œShit,” said Père Godin. “Why am I born?”
    â€œI need a toke,” said Bassman. He walked out and then they heard his van start.
    Père Godin ran to the front door. “Dirty bastard!” he screamed. “Piece of shit leaves me here to die!”
    Du Pré and Madelaine and Chappie and Susan laughed.
    Père Godin slumped. He walked wearily back to the bar. “How ’bout I tell you all I know of her, you leave me alone then,” he said.