by Terry Grosz
All of a sudden, Tom looked up from his place at the table and noticed Sinopa standing on the steps of the Clerk’s house where they had been sleeping for the last two nights. She was beautifully dressed in all of her finery, including some of the vermillion and colored beads that Tom had given her days earlier when the men were gathering up their supplies for the coming trapping season. As she stood there in plain view with her long black hair shining in the sunlight, the happy noises of the men feasting in celebration of the arrival of Chief Mingan’s band of Blackfeet, upon seeing beautiful Sinopa standing quietly in view, began to quiet down until almost total silence reigned in the fort’s courtyard over her surprise appearance...
It was then that Tom saw Chief Mingan slowly rise from his seat at the head of the table and then after a long pause looking at the young Indian woman, gracefully stride across the courtyard over to where Sinopa stood on the lowest step of the porch’s stairs. For the longest time Sinopa and Chief Mingan just stared at each other. Then the chief with a shout of great joy, scooped up the tiny Sinopa in his arms and began whirling her around and around in obviously great joy!
Not knowing what the hell was happening Tom rose from his seat at the table as if to see if Sinopa needed his help. However, he was quickly stopped with the calming hand of Old Potts being gently laid on top of his. “Tom,” said Old Potts, “she is alright. I think they know each other. Maybe she was his wife before the trapper caught her berry picking and took her away. But don’t you make a move until we see what the hell is going on, or you could create a bloodbath right here in this courtyard if your actions are taken unkindly by all of Gray Wolf’s warriors.”
Slowly sitting back down, Tom kept his eyes on Sinopa to see if she was in any kind of danger in the arms of Chief Mingan, because if she was... It was then that Tom and his fellow Free Trappers, usually not surprised by about much of anything out on the great frontier, got the surprise of their lives!
All of a sudden, the chief put Sinopa down and holding her hand, eagerly led her over to where Tom and his fellow trappers were quietly sitting trying to figure out what the hell was happening. As they approached, Tom could see that Sinopa had been crying but was now wearing a huge smile and looking right at him with a big smile on her face. Walking up to Tom, Sinopa reached out, took one of his massive hands in hers and said in perfectly good English, “Tom, this is my brother! He has been looking for me for over a year with a broken heart after the evil trapper caught me berry picking and then stole me away. He figured I was with the “Cloud People” when he could not find me. Now he has found me and his heart is glad. He does not speak very good English but has asked me to take him to the man who saved and then has returned me safely to him and “The People”. I told him about how you saved me from John Pierre and he wants to thank you for making his heart whole once again.”
With that, Sinopa introduced Tom to her brother in the Blackfoot language, as everyone sat or stood there in amazement over the surprising turn of events unfolding in front of them! Then Chief Mingan spoke to Tom in the Blackfoot language as his steely dark eyes stared directly into Tom’s. For the longest time he spoke forcefully to Tom, then stopped and looked over to his sister to translate what he had just said, so Tom would understand what had just been said to him.
“Tom, my brother, the chief of the powerful Medicine Lake Band of the Blackfoot Nation, says he has been made very happy today because a white man trapper has found his sister and safely returned her to him and The People. He says his heart is very happy and wishes to let the white trapper named Tom, know that he is forever allowed to trap and hunt in Chief Mingan’s land without the fear of warring with any of the Blackfoot People. My brother also says he forgives “Iron Hand” for taking the lives of some of his unwise young braves who drank the “Fire Water”, then tried to kill the white trappers at their cave home over a year ago, so they could rob them and steal their horses to sell here at the fort for more whiskey. He says they were wrong to do so and found out that the man from Medicine Lake, who survived the raid against the trappers, saw you killing without effort and great strength, while only using your hands! He reported back to the tribe, that the giant of the ‘white man trapper’ who killed with just his hands should now be called “Iron Hand” among The People! My Brother also says the reason he did not come after you and your trapper friends after you took the lives of some of his young and unwise braves, was because The Great Spirit warned him and his People through his Medicine Man, that Iron Hand has many magical powers in the strength of his hands and also in his heart. The Great Spirit also told his Medicine Man that Iron Hand is destined to do great things someday for Chief Mingan when it comes to his family! That is why Chief Mingan did not come looking for you and your trappers after your kind killed some of his braves. So now it has come to pass as The Great Spirit has said, when Iron Hand returned my sister from her darkness back to her brother. It has also been said by The Great Spirit that Iron Hand is to be protected by the great Blackfeet Nation or bad things will come to The People! Chief Mingan now considers you his “New Brother” and wishes to seal that bond of life and friendship between the two of you warriors with the mixing of blood.”
When Sinopa had finished with the translation, she stopped and looked back up at her still stern-looking brother, letting him know with her eyes that she had finished with the translation. With that, Chief Mingan drew his sheath knife to the gasps of surprise of most everyone in the crowd of diners who saw his move fearing death was close at hand, then surprisingly drew it across the palm of his hand and then stood there looking at Tom as Gray Wolf’s hand dripped blood onto the dirt of the courtyard at his feet.
“Tom, you have got to do the same thing,” said Old Potts, who spoke and understood what had been said and now needed to be done. Without a word, Tom then slowly drew his knife from its sheath, drew the blade across his open palm and as his blood oozed, he and the powerful chief clasped their bloody hands together in friendship!
Then Chief Mingan looking down at his little sister spoke once again in the Blackfoot tongue. When he finished, Sinopa turned once again to Tom saying, “My Brother wants you to know that as long as he shall live, the two of you are brothers and he shall never lift the hand of death against you or your family of trappers. However, he says those who did to me what they did, shall die many deaths before their bodies return to Mother Earth and become food for the little people, the ants. He also says that as long as the aspen leaves move in the summer winds and fall to the ground when the cold and snow comes, you shall be forever known among The People as “Iron Hand”!” When Sinopa finished translating, she once again looked back up at her brother, Chief Mingan, with a look indicating that his powerful words had been heard by Iron Hand. Chief Mingan then reached out and placed both hands upon Tom’s shoulders and drew him into a hug between the two giants of men as a lasting sign of friendship.
With that move, the rest of the Indians sitting or standing around the supper table broke out into a chorus of approval, as did the other trappers sitting there as well. The whole time, McKenzie looked upon the event with concern at first and then relief, when he realized what was historically and culturally occurring. It was then that the supper and party really got going as the whiskey flowed and great amounts of food were consumed by the Indians and fur trappers alike, as the celebration honoring the arrival of the powerful Chief Mingan and his people uproariously continued long into the evening hours.
Come nightfall when the whiskey was gone and the food had been consumed, the group broke up and noisily went their ways. However, Chief Mingan had some final words for Tom and asked his sister to translate for him once again. After he had his say in the language of the Blackfoot, Sinopa once again translated into English saying, “My Brother has requested that Iron Hand and his friends return to the Medicine Lake area together so he can protect his new brother and his fellow trappers from other bad Indians in their travels. He also says that he will send out tribal r
unners far and wide, bringing The Great Spirit’s words and Chief Mingan’s promise that Iron Hand and his people are friends and are to be respected, welcomed and watched over in whatever they chose to do in the land of the Blackfoot.”
Looking over at Old Potts and getting an affirmative nod, Iron Hand told Sinopa that he and his fellow trappers would be honored to travel with Chief Mingan back to their trapping grounds in the Medicine Lake area. When Sinopa translated Tom’s ‘words’ back to Chief Mingan, he got a big smile on his face and once again hugged his ‘new brother’.
Then Sinopa also hugged Tom and told him that she must now go with her brother back to her people and would also do so when the decision was made to leave Fort Union and return to their ancestral wintering grounds. Tom smiled and then reached down and gave little Sinopa a big ole grizzly bear hug as only Tom could give, much to the enjoyment of both Chief Mingan and Sinopa, and the rest of the remaining Indians and trappers who had gathered for the celebration. Then the chief and his sister disappeared into the darkness, as they headed for the Indians’ camp along the Missouri River bottoms...
For the longest time, Iron Hand and his fellow trappers stood there quietly in wonder over the day’s events. Finally, they retired to their sleeping quarters and drank many cups of rum in a quiet celebration of their own. A quiet celebration in honor of the ‘naming’ of one of their own by the Indians and the comforting knowledge that they would now be safely trapping and hunting in the Medicine Lake area under the protection of Chief Mingan and the rest of the Blackfoot Nation...
CHAPTER SEVEN: UNEXPECTED SURPRISES AND THE TRUCE HOLDS
For the next two weeks, peace reigned at the fort with Iron Hand and his partners. McKenzie, true to his word, met with John Pierre and the rest of his American Fur Company Trapper cohorts. When he did, he laid down the law on the settlement issue involving Sinopa, warning that if any trouble developed over his decision, their entire group would be unwelcome around the fort as long as he was the Factor. Those warnings and the Sinopa decision, as McKenzie had suspected, did not sit well with John Pierre, and the man made his unhappiness known regarding the issue over his ‘lost and stolen woman’. When he did and the word got back to McKenzie, the Factor had enough of the trapper’s acrimony and boiled over! John Pierre and his men were ordered to re-provision and return immediately to their trapping grounds before any further trouble developed between Iron Hand, Chief Mingan, McKenzie, and John Pierre’s large group of fellow trappers and dedicated followers. Two days later, John Pierre and his group of trappers disappeared back into the vastness of the frontier as they had been ordered by their ‘boss’ and American Fur Company Factor at Fort Union, Kenneth McKenzie...
After that still-upset and warring group had left, Old Potts’s crew got down to making their final departure preparations as well. They sold most of the Hudson Bay Company string of horses and mules to other Free Trappers arriving daily at the fort in need of livestock replacements. Those not sold to Free Trappers in need were then sold to McKenzie for use by his Company Trappers who had lost, had stolen by the Indians or had crippled up their horses or mules during the last trapping season. However, when they sold off their excess stock animals, they kept the best animals back for themselves and a few for a surprise present to be made at a later date. Then they had all their remaining livestock re-shod by the fort’s blacksmiths in preparation for the many long and hard months lying ahead of the trappers and their animals. Additionally, with some of the money from the sale of their horses and mules to other trappers in need, the men purchased extra horseshoes and nails in case any of their stock threw their shoes while in the outback and needed replacing in the field. Time was also spent by all of the men casting up a ‘small mountain’ of bullets for their ‘lead-eating’ Hawken .50 caliber rifles, and additional bullet-making mold blocks were purchased to replace those lost or misplaced for those weapons as well. Then two of the newest models of pistols were purchased for each member of their party, along with the appropriate bullet molds, ignition caps, pigs of lead and new powder horns. Additionally, another 20 of the newest beaver traps, along with 10, larger in size, toothed wolf traps were purchased to go with those older traps left back in their cave in the Medicine Lake country when the men had originally left for Fort Union to trade in their first season’s furs. Finally, extra leather strapping, buckles and new pack saddles to replace those that were worn out were purchased from the fort’s vast stores for the group’s new pack string. Lastly, another trip was made to the fort’s warehouse to stock up on extra kegs of first class rum and gather up the last of the needed supplies, especially spices, to top off their long list of needed provisions.
Come the announced day of departure, Chief Mingan’s people were ready to leave and the trappers were up early and had eaten a huge final breakfast with their friend McKenzie. That they did in typical trapper style, because they were not sure of the quality or quantity of their next meal on the road. After that, they made their farewells until they met again with their friends and finally streamed out from the walls of the fort with their pack strings and hooked up with Chief Mingan’s ‘streams of horseflesh and humanity’. Once all groups were together, they planned on heading northwesterly along the Missouri on their trek back to the Indians’ historical camping and buffalo hunting grounds.
As the trappers’ small group met up with Chief Mingan’s people, Iron Hand spotted Sinopa riding in front of the horde of happy to be going home, Medicine Lake Band of Blackfeet. Seeing that, he then spurred his horse and leading a string of four horses captured from the Hudson Bay Company Trappers, rode up to the head of the line of Indians and bid his ‘new brother’, Chief Mingan, “Good Morning”. Then without another word and a smile on his face, he spurred his horse over to little Sinopa riding by her brother, who was now wearing a happy smile over seeing her favorite trapper riding her way leading four spirited riding horses. Riding alongside Sinopa, Iron Hand bid her “Good Morning” and then in a surprise move, handed Sinopa the lead rope to the string of four horses that he had been leading!
“These are for you, Sinopa. They are a gift from us four trappers so you can have a start to your very own horse herd.” Sinopa, in utter surprise over receiving such a valuable gift, just smiled at her ‘savior from a life of hell’ and with that and a tip of his slouch hat, Iron Hand rode back to his group of trappers and took back one of the lead ropes from Big Foot who had been leading two strings of pack animals. Big Foot just grinned a big ole dumb grin at his giant friend, who was equally embarrassed over his public gesture of respect, and maybe something more...for little Sinopa. Without a word being spoken between Iron Hand and Big Foot since none were necessary over what had just occurred, they just rode on together in silence...
However, the unique gesture by a giant of a white man trapper, now respectfully named Iron Hand by Chief Mingan’s band of Medicine Lake Blackfoot Indians, was not lost on the great chief... Looking over at his very happy little sister, Chief Mingan smiled a knowing smile as well. He now had his much-loved sister back with his people and it was obvious to anyone who looked at her, she was now once again very happy, especially in the presence of her favorite white man trapper...
Once the group of travelers reached the confluence of the Big Muddy River several days later, they turned north. Several more days of travel and two buffalo hunts later to supply food for the large numbers of travelers, the group was at the confluence of the outlet river from Medicine Lake. There the group of Indians and fur trappers split their routes of travel, with the band of Indians heading to their ancestral camping site to the southwest of Medicine Lake. As for the trappers, they continued heading due east towards Medicine Lake and their lakeside grove of aspens and a moraine of rocks sporting a cave called ‘home’ for the duration of the coming trapping season.
But before the two groups separated, Sinopa and Chief Mingan paused to bid the four men from another culture, “Good Bye”. Once again, Chief Mingan bid his ‘new brother
’ Iron Hand a warm “Good Bye”, as he did the other three trappers. However, Sinopa rode her horse over to the one Iron Hand was sitting upon, reached across and gave the gentle giant a warm and surprising public hug. She then once again thanked Iron Hand for rescuing her from a fate worse than death. Then almost as if an afterthought, Sinopa stretched over from her saddle one more time and gave Iron Hand another very warm and long hug. None of the other three trappers got any such personal hugs however...
Quietly sitting there resting their horses, the trappers watched their new friends moving off to the southwest in a ‘noisy’ cloud of dust, barking dogs and happy people. “Best we keep moving, Boys,” said Old Potts, ever the ‘mother hen’ and anxious to be on his way as ‘Man of the Mountain’. “We have a fer piece to travel and if we want to get there afore dark, we best keep moving,” he continued. With those words of wisdom, the four trappers and their string of heavily loaded horses turned and headed for their familiar aspen grove and home for as long as they wished to remain in that part of the beaver country as Free Trappers.
Right at dusk, the four trappers approached their familiar grove of aspens leading up to their cave-home. As they did, their horses in concert began acting all crazy-like and became somewhat unmanageable. However, a set of spurs to their flanks and good bridle control soon regained some semblance of control over the entire pack string. However, the horses were still acting up all nervous-like and not happy with the approach to their old home site and the corral located nearby.
As the men finally entered the lower portion of their aspen grove, they were met with a very strong and rancid smell hanging heavy in the warm summer air. “Damn,” said Iron Hand, “did an old bull buffalo wander into our grove of trees and up and die? Because if an old buffalo did, he sure is stinking up the place.”