Grizzly Killer: The Making of a Mountain Man

by Lane R Warenski

  I took my time this mornin’ and fixed up a good breakfast. The wind had stopped, and even though this creek I was on looked to be promisin’ for beaver, I wanted to look around this country some and get to know it better. ’Bout midmornin’, I packed up and went back down to the Bear. The sun was ridin’ higher in the sky this time of year, and I could feel its warmth. I spooked a couple of deer off the creek and watched them bound away along the willows. There were the ever-present marmots playin’ on an outcroppin’ of rocks out in the meadow. This was country rich in wildlife and as pretty as I’d ever seen. Out in the meadow, there was an abundance of short-tailed ground squirrels that reminded me of the prairie dogs we’d seen crossin’ the plains, only not nearly so big.

  With the warm sun meltin’ off the snow on the mountaintops, the Bear and creeks feedin’ it were runnin’ mighty full. Crossin’ the Bear was a fearful thing, and I had to make my way three or four miles upstream ’fore I found a place I could make it. Once I was on the east side again, the country opened up into a large sage-covered flat. As I made my way, the scent of the sage and pine of the hills made me think I could stay in this country forever. I continued followin’ the Bear until I came to a good-sized creek flowing into it from the southeast and decided to follow it a ways and see just where it came from.

  Just a few miles up, I came out of the trees into what had to be the most beautiful valley I’d ever seen. It was still early spring, but the grass was tall. It was still lyin’ over from the snows, but there was an abundance of new green comin’ up at the bottom of the clumps, and there were beavers. The bottom of this valley was an open meadow several miles long and maybe a half mile wide, and there were beaver ponds along its full length. The ridges on the east and west were high and steep, and I could see the peaks just to the south way up above the timberline. I decided right then I would stay and trap here for a while.

  I set up a simple little camp on the edge of the pines where I put together a lean-to and covered the top with pine boughs. I hobbled the horses but let Red go, and they went right to munchin’ on those new shoots of grass. Jimbo took off to scout the area and returned just as I was gettin’ some supper ready.

  Next mornin’, I took my ten traps and pack and set a trapline on the beaver slides up through the meadow. I hadn’t set traps for beaver since last fall, and I found my castor had dried up, so I had no scent to put above the traps. I just had to place them where I hoped one would step into a trap. The water in those ponds was mighty cold, bein’ just melted snow, and when I got the last trap set, I changed to a dry pair of moccasins. I shot a yearlin’ buck on my way back to camp, and while I was dressin’ it out, Jimbo went down and led Red back to me. That dog continued to amaze me even though I worked with him every day and knew how quick he learned. It was almost like he knew what I was thinkin’.

  Next day I rode Red up along the trapline and could see nothin’ was in the traps. I knew, without scent, this might take a while. Jimbo had done a lot of scoutin’ around and hadn’t shown any sign that trouble was near, but I spent this day goin’ back several miles along our back trail just to make sure no one was followin’ our tracks.

  It took a few days, but I finally trapped a beaver and got the castor from his glands and then over the next ten days caught a beaver each day.

  This country was really comin’ to life now. The days were gettin’ longer and warmer, the meadow was green, and the first of the wildflowers was showin’. I had ’bout all the plews and furs I figured I could carry to Rendezvous with those back in the cache, so I packed up and decided to see some more of this country.

  I went back down to the Bear and headed upstream. There was mile after mile of meadow with grass greenin’ up, and I just followed the river up. By now it was just the size of a creek. That night I found a nice spot for a fire and picketed the stock on some good grass just across the creek. And I bedded down just above the creek, under the branches of a big ol’ spruce. Well, this was the spruce I was sleepin’ under when I woke and found Runnin’ Wolf with his busted leg.

  7 The Fight

  I knew runnin’ wolf couldn’t set a horse with his leg the way it was, and I didn’t think we had a lot of time. I sent Jimbo back down our back trail and ask Runnin’ Wolf how many Snake warriors there were. He held up the fingers of one hand. I can’t say I liked the idea of four to one, but I just couldn’t leave Runnin’ Wolf there to be killed either. I checked the prime on all three rifles and Pa’s pistol. I helped Runnin’ Wolf sit up and handed him Pa’s ol’ rifle and showed him how to shoot it. I didn’t think he would hit anything, but these Snakes wouldn’t know that. I just stood in the middle of the trail with the Hawken in hand and the squirrel gun leanin’ against a tree in easy reach. I had the pistol, tomahawk, and knife tucked into my belt. Ol’ Red was standin’ just off the trail by me, and I had decorated his bridle with some of the claws off the second grizzly and had added a couple more to Jimbo’s collar.

  It was just a couple of minutes, and Jimbo came up the trail, and I moved him off into the trees and told him to stay. It wasn’t long before four Snake warriors rode into sight. They were spread out some, and when the leader saw me in the trail, he stopped, and the others rode up alongside him. They were all painted up and were a mighty fearsome sight. I raised my hand in the peace sign, and the leader just pointed at Runnin’ Wolf and signed he belonged to them. I shook my head and signed back my friend. One of the other braves noticed Red and said something to the leader, and they all looked a might nervous as they looked around. The one in front then signed grizzly killer and pointed at me. I smiled and shook the claw necklace. Then he asked where the big dog was, and I pointed behind them. Two of them turned around, and I could tell now they were gettin’ mighty jumpy. The leader signed again, pointin’ at Runnin’ Wolf, that they wanted him, and I simply shook my head no. I could tell they were mighty nervous, but they were painted warriors and were ready for a fight. I whistled once, and Jimbo jumped out on the trail behind them with a loud, mean growl, and their horses started to buck and run. One of those braves was thrown off, and his horse came runnin’ toward me, gettin’ away from Jimbo, then turned off the trail and went out to the center of the meadow. The others got their horses under control, and I signed for them all to leave. I signed for them to go get their horse and go.

  There leader was angry, real angry, and I figured we would have a fight yet. But after a minute or two, he told the other two to go get the horse. While they were out roundin’ up the horse, I called Jimbo to come up by my side. He sat down right beside me, and his head was above my waist, the grizzly claws in plain view. As the others came back, I again made the sign for peace, but the leader raised his bow in the air and yelled something, then they turned and headed back down the trail. I watched for a few minutes and then turned and looked at Runnin’ Wolf, and he said, “They will be back.” Then he got a big ol’ grin on his face and pointed to Jimbo and said, “Big Medicine Dog.”

  I went right to work cuttin’ some pine poles and lashed together a travois. I packed the horses and tied the travois onto the chestnut and then helped Runnin’ Wolf onto it. I could tell that leg was hurtin’ him something awful. I knew, when those Snake warriors came back, we could never outrun them, so I looked for a place we could fort up.

  Just a few miles up, the creek made a bend toward the ridge where there was a rock face with an overhang, and I figured this was as good of a spot as we would find. Here we had the cliff to our backs and an open view to a meadow. There was a break in the willows right in front of the cliff, and I figured they would have a hard time sneakin’ in on us.

  I helped Runnin’ Wolf off the travois and unloaded the stock, hobbled the horses in the open where we could see them, and then finished settin’ up camp. I figured on stayin’ here for a few days while Runnin’ Wolf’s leg started to heal. So I got Red, and we dragged a bunch of deadfall up for firewood and to make a sort of a breastwork for protection.

  In the short
time me and Runnin’ Wolf had been together, I felt I could trust him. I know I don’t have much knowin’ of people, but I know when I feel safe and when I don’t, and I felt safe around him. I’d seen him watchin’ me with, a wonderin’ look on his face, I’m sure tryin’ to figure out why I was helpin’ him. I didn’t know why myself, except that was the way Ma and Pa had always been, tryin’ their best to help someone in need. It didn’t matter whether they was friend or stranger. If someone needed help, it was always our way to pitch in and help. Or maybe I was lonely and wanted someone to talk to that could talk back. Although up to now, Runnin’ Wolf hadn’t said much. Jimbo and Red were pretty good listeners and had helped me through the long, hard winter, bein’ right good company. But I found myself wantin’ Runnin’ Wolf to talk. It had been a long time since I’d heard a voice besides my own.

  I had ’bout enough salt pork for one more meal and not all that much jerky left, so I knew I needed to make meat. But I didn’t want to leave Runnin’ Wolf until I knew what those Snake warriors were doin’. I sent Jimbo down our back trail while I finished settin’ up camp. I banked a fire pit so the heat would shine off the cliff for added warmth. I had my bedroll and the grizzly skin, but Runnin’ Wolf had lost everything to those Snakes. So I rolled out that ol’ grizzly’s hide and told Runnin’ Wolf that he could use it. I figured my bedroll was enough, for the days and nights were gettin’ warmer.

  Since we still had a couple of hours of daylight, I wanted to get Runnin’ Wolf able to use a gun, since his bow was broke when his horse went down. I knew a few shots weren’t gonna make him good, but I was sure it would help, since I didn’t think he had shot one before. I figured the shots would tell them Snakes right where we were, but I knew they were gonna find us anyhow, and I figured him knowin’ how to shoot was more important. So I got the squirrel gun and set up a bit of a stump on its end ’bout twenty yards out and had him set up. Then showin’ him how to do it, I fired and knocked the stump over. Then very slowly showin’ him every step, I reloaded and handed him the gun, and I set up the stump again. Tryin’ to tell him how to line up the sights was mighty hard, but he seemed to catch on. I nodded, and he put the rifle up and was doin’ what looked like a good job of sightin’ in on that stump and then closed his eyes and jerked the trigger so hard he missed the stump by two feet. I went through the motions of showin’ him how to squeeze the trigger and not close his eyes. He seemed eager to learn, but I sure wished he had his bow. I showed him again very slowly how to reload and then let him try again. This time he seemed more comfortable with it, and when he fired, he only missed by a few inches. We kept that up for another half dozen shots before he finally hit the stump. I had him reload himself the last couple and felt by now he knew what to expect when he had to shoot, but I knew he wouldn’t be accurate without a bunch more practice.

  I made up a pan of biscuits, and we had that and some jerky for supper. Runnin’ Wolf could speak passable English, but there were lots of words I was usin’ that he just didn’t seem to understand, so I sat down by the fire and started to teach him some more English. I started by pointin’ at something and sayin’ it in English so he would know what I was meanin’. I would say it a few times then ask him to say it. I knew it would take a long while, but I didn’t know any other way. Again he was eager to learn.

  As the sun dropped behind the ridge to the west, I went out and brought Ol’ Red and the horses up right close to camp and picketed them good and solid. Jimbo had gone lookin’ for his supper, and I decided we better keep a watch all night. I explained that to Runnin’ Wolf. He nodded and said “First,” pointin’ at hisself. I rechecked the load in the squirrel gun and gave it to him and climbed into my bedroll. Jimbo hadn’t come back yet.

  I had learned by now to sleep when I could and went right out. A couple of hours later, I felt Jimbo’s wet tongue on my cheek and opened my eyes. Runnin’ Wolf was wide awake and starin’ out over the breastwork, and Jimbo made a very low, quiet growl. I rolled out from my bedroll and made a sign to Runnin’ Wolf I was goin’ out. He nodded, and Jimbo led the way. We walked under the pines off the trail. By stayin’ under all those pines, we were walkin’ on a bed of pine needles and could move without makin’ hardly a sound. We walked what I figured was ’bout a mile, when Jimbo stopped and got down on his belly and made that soft growl again. We were maybe a hundred yards above the trail. I slipped behind a tree and waited. There was a half-moon, out but in the trees, it was mighty dark. There were patches of moonlight here and there, and pretty soon I saw the shadows of them Snakes makin’ their way up the trail through a patch of light. I headed up away from the trail and started back to camp. I was movin’ a lot faster than those Injuns ’cause I knew where I was goin’.

  I made a low whistle to let Runnin’ Wolf know I was comin’ in. When there, I told him the Snakes were comin’, and we needed to move. I bunched some wood under my bedroll and the bear skin, and takin’ all three rifles and the pistol, I moved out of camp just a little ways, then went back, and mostly carryin’ Runnin’ Wolf, helped him get behind a big ol’ downed pine. He had a pretty good view of camp from there, with the moonlight and stars, but it was almighty dark where he was. I handed him the squirrel gun and my extra powder horn and a handful of balls. Then I went out into the meadow and lay down in the grass with both rifles and pistol right beside me. I hadn’t seen Jimbo since I left him in the forest a mile from camp.

  We waited for what seemed like forever, and it was gettin’ mighty cold lyin’ there in the damp grass. The sky was startin’ to turn gray above the ridge to the east and the moon was gettin’ mighty low in the west, when I saw a movement along the willows just fifty or so yards from me. It was still too dark to see my sights well. Then I heard a terrible scream and the vicious growl of Jimbo, and then all was quiet again. Then the squirrel gun went off, and I saw the shadow again along the willows, and I fired. A minute later, Jimbo was by my side and lyin’ in the grass right by me. I couldn’t hear or see anything, so we stayed there in the grass and waited as the light started to replace the darkness across the meadow. I knew this could be a waitin’ game and didn’t move at all.

  As the sun was risin’ behind the eastern ridge, it was shinin’ on the tops of the pines to the west, and that sunshine was movin’ down the western ridge. I couldn’t hear or see a thing over where Runnin’ Wolf was hidin’, and I was really hopin’ he was all right. The sun finally hit the meadow and slowly moved across it until it was shinin’ on me and Jimbo. Red and the horses was standin’ quiet on their picket line, and I could hear birds along the creek, and a deer came out into the meadow over on the far side. I figured those Snakes had left but knew they could be waitin’ just like we were. I waited until the sun was well above the eastern ridge then sent Jimbo out through the trees to come up the trail below camp.

  When he moved out, I jumped up and ran to the willows over by Runnin’ Wolf. I moved through the willows toward him and ’bout stumbled over a warrior with a hole right in his chest. He was lyin’ only ten feet from where Runnin’ Wolf still set with that squirrel gun over the log. He nodded, and I went out through the willows to where I had shot. I found a few drops of blood, but that was all. I slowly moved in and out through the willows until I came out on the trail well below camp. Then I saw another of the warriors lyin’ half in the creek with the side of his throat ripped out. His buckskins were covered with blood. I pulled him up out of the water and laid him in the grass by the side of the trail. Jimbo came up the trail, waggin’ his tail, lettin’ me know all was clear. It had been a long night, and Runnin’ Wolf had not slept at all.

  After I had Runnin’ Wolf back in camp, I went back to the Injun Runnin’ Wolf had shot and found the Snake’s bow just a few feet from his body. Then I dragged that Injun’s body down and laid him out by the one Jimbo had killed then went back and picked up that Snake’s bow and took it back to camp. Runnin’ Wolf didn’t much like the ideal of usin’ another warrior’s weapon, but he said it wa
s good until he could make his own. I fried up the last of the salt pork and made coffee. We had a couple of biscuits left from dinner, so we made do with them. I had Runnin’ Wolf get some sleep, and I hobbled the horses out in the meadow to graze and threw Jimbo a couple of pieces of jerky. He went over and curled up by Runnin’ Wolf. I motioned for Jimbo to stay, and I went out down the trail, followin’ the tracks to see if I could tell what was happenin’ with those other Snakes.

  It was plain one was hurt and was bein’ helped by the other one who seemed to be movin’ just fine. I figured they wouldn’t come back for us unless there was another raidin’ party somewhere near. But I wanted to move out just in case there was. I also figured they would want to take care of their dead.

  I let Runnin’ Wolf sleep for a couple of hours then brought in Red and the horses. I got the horses packed and brought up the travois. Runnin’ Wolf made it real clear he did not want to ride on the travois again; he wanted to ride a horse. I reckoned it wouldn’t do a lot of good to argue with the determined look he had, so I just checked and made sure the splint was still solid. I had to retighten the rawhide strips, and I added a couple more and then led the chestnut up and boosted him up by his good leg. He swung the broke leg up over the saddle real careful like, and when he got set in the saddle, he had a big grin on his face.

  I figured those two Snake warriors were still below us, but there was way too much snow up over the passes to head up, so with Jimbo out in the lead, we headed downstream. Me and Runnin’ Wolf was mighty grim when we passed those two dead Snake warriors. We didn’t say a thing, but I was sure thinkin’ how easy that could have been us lyin’ there instead.

  It had only been a bit over a year since me and Pa had left home and Pa was dead and I had been in three fights with Injuns, one while out huntin’ on the plains and two here in the mountains. Men had been killed in all of them. This really was a wild and harsh land. I was comin’ to understand what Pa was meanin’ when he said “You fight to win, ’cause if you don’t win, you don’t survive.”