Grizzly Killer: The Making of a Mountain Man

by Lane R Warenski

  It was late afternoon when we headed back, and there were deer all along the creek. In an Injun village, meat is always needed, so when a nice buck stepped out of the trees, I shot it, and after guttin’ him and tyin’ him behind my saddle, we went on back to camp. It was just ’fore dusk when we rode in, and Shinin’ Star and Raven Wing had that buck skinned in just a few minutes. They cut out the loin, and in a matter of minutes, the deer was gone to others that needed the meat. They had the hide staked out before dark.

  Sun Flower thought she was stronger than she was. It had only been ’bout three weeks since that arrow had almost killed her, and she still needed more time. She didn’t feel like eatin’, but we all insisted she had a little. She was asleep as soon as she lay down.

  She was determined to build her strength, and we went ridin’ every day. Most of the time, Shinin’ Star would go with us, and we spent the time gettin’ to know one another better. Sun Flower and Shinin’ Star became as much like sisters as Sun Flower and Raven Wing, and we became a right close family.

  Over the past three weeks, Gray Horse had spent a lot of time with Jimbo, and the two had become fast friends. I could see a sadness in his face when we told everyone we would be leavin’ in just a few more days. We spent the last days in the Ute village, mendin’ our packs and makin’ sure all our belongin’s were in good order. I braided several rawhide ropes that we could use for lead ropes or to tie packs with. The women had tanned several elk and deer hides while we had been there and were spendin’ a lot of time on some deer skins that Raven Wing and Shinin’ Star said was to replace the dress Sun Flower ruined in the battle.

  We decided that with nineteen horses now to trail, we would drive most of them and only have the ones carryin’ our supplies on lead ropes. I did not want Sun Flower holdin’ a lead rope with her shoulder still weak from the arrow wound. Those last few days passed in a hurry, and I could see both excitement and sadness in Runnin’ Wolf on the mornin’ it was time to leave. Gray Horse and several of the young boys cut our horses from the herd, and the whole village was there to wish us well. Raven Wing spoke the Ute tongue now just as well as the Utes, and Sun Flower wasn’t far behind her. I could tell what was bein’ said, but they still laughed at me when I tried to speak it. We spoke to Two Feathers at length that mornin’, makin’ sure he knew where we would be spendin’ the winter. I figured the dugout on Black’s Fork was just ’bout straight north of Rock Creek on the north slope of these Uintah Mountains. Stands Tall and Dove came to us and told Runnin’ Wolf that his father would be proud of the warrior he had become. He told me that all the Ute people would know of me and I would be a welcome friend in all of the Utah lands.

  With Gray Horse and several of the Ute herd boys helpin’ to get the horses started, we headed up east, and it wasn’t long before we were on the canyon rim, lookin’ back down at the village far below. We headed east across miles of treeless benchland Runnin’ Wolf called Towanta Flat. Then we dropped down into another valley that looked to be miles wide and crossed what he called the Yellowstone River. We continued east, stayin’ in the foothills of the mountains. Most of this country was dry benchland with sage and scattered brush. Along the streams that ran south out of the mountains, there were thick cottonwoods and heavy brush. There were berries of every kind with some even startin’ to turn ripe. Within the next two or three weeks, we would be in berry-pickin’ season again.

  When we stopped just after midday, we were on the banks of another river Runnin’ Wolf called the Uintah. While the horses drank and grazed for a while, the women walked along the river and brought back a couple of armfuls of wild onion, camas, and other roots. I had been keepin’ a close eye on Sun Flower, but she seemed to be holdin’ up just fine. This country was pretty easy travelin’, and although we were movin’ steady, we weren’t pushin’ real hard. Draggin’ the lodge poles on a travois kept our speed down. But in this country, we would still cover fifty or sixty miles in a long day, and this time of the year, the days were long.

  By early evenin’, we came to a creek that Runnin’ Wolf said Ely, Grub, and the other Ashley men called Ashley Creek, and we camped there for the night. The last twenty or so miles before we dropped into Ashley Creek had been mighty dry desert, but Runnin’ Wolf said we would head northeast now over the mountain till we hit the Seeds-Kee-Dee then keep northeast till we were out on the buffalo range.

  I sent Jimbo out on a wide circle just to make sure we were alone, and he came back with a jackrabbit in his mouth, so I knew all was clear. We had seen many prairie dogs and a few antelope across this desert area, and as the sun set, there were coyotes yippin’ all around us. Sun Flower had held up well today, but this long day of travel had worn her out. She fell asleep sittin’ by the fire, and I carried her to the bedroll, and she just smiled at me as I covered her up.

  We started out the next mornin’ and had traveled maybe two hours when I spotted some riders off to the east, and they were headed right for us. There was a rock outcroppin’ ’bout a half mile ahead, and we headed there. Runnin’ Wolf got on the rocks to watch while me and the women got a line on all the horses and tied them right tight. When I got up to Runnin’ Wolf, he was standin’ up and wavin’ his hands at the riders, then he said, “They’re Utes.”

  I was standin’ next to Runnin’ Wolf as they approached. There were six of them, and all but one stopped out ’bout a hundred yards. The one that kept comin’ was comin’ slow and careful. When he was ’bout fifty yards out, he shouted, and Runnin’ Wolf answered back, tellin’ him his name. Then he and the others came on in. He seemed leery of me and asked Runnin’ Wolf, “Who is the white man?” He was lookin’ right at my grizzly claw necklace, and when Runnin’ Wolf said I was the one called Grizzly Killer, they all looked surprised. He said his name was Rabbit and they had been told Grizzly Killer was an enemy to the people.

  I spoke then, and I really hoped I didn’t make a mistake with the words. I told him I was a brother to Runnin’ Wolf and a friend to all the people, that only those that tried to hurt me or my family and friends were my enemies. Rabbit then said they had heard I traveled with a killer dog that was bigger than a wolf. I whistled, and they all jumped when Jimbo came out of the brush behind them and came and stood ’tween me and Runnin’ Wolf. I told him to sit, and he sat down on his haunches, and they all could see the grizzly claws on his collar.

  Rabbit told us the Arapaho had hit their village and took four young women and killed many, that they were lookin’ for a huntin’ party of theirs that was in this area and were goin’ after the Arapaho to get the girls back. He told us the Arapaho had turned north again, followin’ the Seeds-Kee-Dee. He said they needed the huntin’ party’s six warriors. Runnin’ Wolf told them of the Arapaho’s attackin’ his village, of the twelve we had killed, and of them killin’ Spotted Horse and woundin’ Weasel and Sun Flower. He told them we were travelin’ with our women, or we would go and help them. Rabbit said he saw more riders with us, and at that, Runnin’ Wolf called the women out. Raven Wing walked right up to Runnin’ Wolf, and Shinin’ Star and Sun Flower walked up, one on each side of me, and all six men just stared. Runnin’ Wolf told them that Sun Flower was still healin’ from her wound of battle and that she had killed the Arapaho that had shot her with an arrow, that we too were headed north to the buffalo grounds.

  Rabbit told us it was an honor to meet us and wished us well. He warned us to be on the watch for the Arapahos, that there were still more than twenty of them. He said when they left their trail, they were on the east side of the river, goin’ north, not east, to their lands. Runnin’ Wolf told them of the five we had killed a month ago, saving the Snake boys, that he figured they were goin’ back to see what had happened to them. Rabbit said they had lost over twenty warriors then for four girls and a few horses. “We will teach them to stay out of Utah lands.”

  They rode on, goin’ northeast, while we got the horses ready for the trail. Runnin’ Wolf said, “If they are east of the river
, we will stay on the west until we get on the plains north of the mountains. It will take longer but will be safer.”

  We headed north and started the climb over the mountains, and our travel slowed with the steepness of the mountains. The land was covered with sage and just small patches of brush and quakies till we got up on top of these steep breaks. It was well into the afternoon, and the stock needed to rest. We found a small spring with good water and grass all along the edges and decided to make camp. It was early, but it had been a hard pull to get up here.

  Runnin’ Wolf and Raven Wing took their bows and left camp and, within an hour, were back to get a horse to carry in a deer they had shot. The women made a stew with the onions and roots they had picked along Ashley Creek, and fresh deer, then a pan full of biscuits, and we spent a right pleasant afternoon and evenin’.

  It was two or three hours ’fore light when Jimbo started his low growl and the horses were gettin’ mighty restless. I rolled out from under the robes and told the women to get their weapons and crawl into the trees away from camp. I signaled Jimbo to make a wide loop, and Me and Runnin’ Wolf moved out into the night in opposite directions.

  26 The Rescue

  The moon had set, and the night was mighty dark. I could still hear the horses stompin’ the ground and carryin’ on. I had moved a couple of hundred yards out and was just waitin’ low on the ground, listenin’, when I heard movement right behind me. I spun and rolled, bringin’ the muzzle of the Hawken up just as Jimbo jumped and tore into a large black bear. They were less than ten feet from me, but it was so dark I couldn’t see to shoot without a chance of hittin’ Jimbo. Jimbo was a two-hundred-pound mighty strong dog, but he was no match for a three- or four-hundred-pound bear. Jimbo backed off, and the bear must have forgotten ’bout me. He was more concerned with Jimbo, and Jimbo seemed to be leadin’ him away from me.

  Runnin’ Wolf ran up by my side. We could hear Jimbo growlin’ and tauntin’ the bear, but we couldn’t see a thing in the shadows and brush. Once the women could hear the fight and knew it was a bear stalkin’ us and not an enemy, they built up the fire. We could hear Jimbo and that bear gettin’ farther away, and after maybe ten minutes, we heard the bear runnin’, with Jimbo barkin’ right behind him. The bear must have figured this wasn’t goin’ to be the easy meal he was expectin’.

  In just a bit, Jimbo came back. He was limpin’ a little on his left front leg, and we walked back to camp and the light of the fire. It looked like that bear had swatted him a good one, and he had a couple of deep claw scratches on his upper leg. We stopped the bleedin’ and wrapped his leg good and tight. None of us felt like sleepin’ now, so we made a big pot of coffee and waited for it to get light.

  We were packed and ready for the trail by the time it was light enough to see, and I had to wonder where that ol’ bear had gone and if we would see him again. We headed north, and by midmornin’, we came out on a point where we could see down into the canyon of the Seeds-Kee-Dee. It was a sight to behold. We must have been a mile above the river, lookin’ almost straight down. The canyon sides were covered with cedar and pinion down low, turnin’ to ponderosa pine up where we were. There were red rock outcroppin’s all along both sides of the canyon, and the ground was a dark red in color. Even at this distance, you could see the white water of the river as it cascaded its way down this deep gorge.

  We made good time travelin’ most of the day. We stopped at midday to rest the horses and eat, and by midafternoon, we had crossed the mountaintop and were lookin’ down off a rim into a valley with a creek runnin’ from the west and into the river. The trail off this rim was steep and narrow, and the goin’ was slow. Jimbo was not out in front anymore, and I could see he was favorin’ that leg. It took a couple more hours to get down to the creek, and we decided this was a good place to camp.

  Raven Wing made a poultice from moss and some other plants, and the women put it on Jimbo’s cuts and rebandaged his leg. Runnin’ Wolf went up the creek a ways and shot another young doe while I was carin’ for the horses, and we gave Jimbo a whole front leg and shoulder to chew on all evenin’.

  The next day we crossed Henry’s Fork and was in country I knew again. We were only ’bout twenty or thirty miles from where that first rendezvous was held. We moved farther west off the river, three or four miles, and were movin’ slow to keep the dust down. We crossed Smith’s Fork and then followed it for many miles, stayin’ west of the Seeds-Kee-Dee. We camped that night in a thick stand of cottonwoods just a little south of where Ham’s Fork ran into Smith’s Fork. We made sure the fire was down to just coals by nightfall so its light couldn’t be seen in the dark.

  The next day we continued north, stayin’ well west of the Seeds-Kee-Dee. Jimbo was movin’ a lot better today, and I took him, leavin’ Runnin’ Wolf with the women, and we headed northeast till we hit the river. Stayin’ down in the draws and coulees, makin’ myself as hard to see as I could, I looked the river bottom over real close as I moved along.

  There was a wind comin’ up from the south, and the clouds were buildin’ over the Uintah Mountains earlier than usual this day. I came to a deep wash and followed it right down to the river and followed the river, stayin’ right on the bank for maybe a half mile when I saw a well-used campsite under the cottonwoods on the far side. The river was wide and shallow here, and with the campsite lookin’ deserted, I crossed to get a better look. There was still a small trail of smoke comin’ off the coals of a fire, and as I carefully moved around the camp, there were four sets of smaller moccasin tracks, one with toes stickin’ out and blood spots from the toes. The trail they left looked to be seven horses with three of ’em draggin’ travois. I could see whoever had been makin’ the small moccasin tracks were still on foot when they left. I figured this might well be the stolen Ute girls bein’ taken along, with the wounded Arapahos movin’ a lot slower than the main raidin’ party. I followed their trail for a ways, and as slow as they were movin’, I figured we could catch them in no time at all.

  I turned around and set a good lope back to the river and on to get Runnin’ Wolf. I wasn’t much more than an hour catchin’ up to them, and when I told them what I had found, there was no question we were goin’ to see if we could get the Ute girls back. We hobbled all but four of the horses between two hills where they couldn’t be seen very far off and followed my back trail to the river. Sun Flower’s arm and shoulder weren’t strong enough to hold and shoot the squirrel gun yet, and Shinin’ Star didn’t know how. I was upset with myself for not showin’ her and made my mind up she would know how to shoot ’fore we got back to the dugout. The wind was steady and hard, with the clouds buildin’ even heavier over the mountains.

  When we got to where they had camped, Runnin’ Wolf went over the tracks just as I had earlier, and he figured just like I had. We set a good fast lope, and by early afternoon, we found their horses droppin’s were still warm. From then on, we would stop before we crested every hill and would crawl to the top and look through the brush. The fourth time we did that, we saw them just startin’ up the next of these rollin’ hills. We stayed two or three miles behind them the rest of the day, and they set up their camp by a water hole. We had been seein’ antelope and lots of prairie chickens all day long. Runnin’ Wolf pointed out some little black dots on a hill maybe three or four miles off, which he said were buffalo. We slowly moved a mile or so to the north of the trail in case they checked behind them when they stopped for the day and made a dry, cold camp. Ol’ Red and the horses needed water, but they would have to wait. We picketed them to the ground solid so they couldn’t wander, and at dusk, we moved out, leavin’ Sun Flower to watch the stock. We went on foot so their horses wouldn’t catch wind of ours. The wind was still blowin’, and the clouds had moved over, so the night was mighty dark.

  Shinin’ Star had her knife, and I showed her many times without firin’ it how to shoot the horse pistol, but I planned to keep her out of the way. But I wanted her along ’cause she might
be needed for the girls. It was mighty dark when we approached their camp, but they had a good fire goin’. There was fresh antelope roastin’ on the fire, and the three wounded men were still on the travois’ placed around the fire. We were ’bout a hundred yards out and down in the brush, and I sent Jimbo way out around to the other side. I could see three of the girls and two of the warriors. Runnin’ Wolf whispered the girls were Utes. I knew we could let none of these warriors escape, or they would bring the main group back to track and kill us all. We spread out and very slowly started to move into good bow range. I was only ’bout thirty yards from their fire when I heard a scream come from the bushes to my right and could hear the sounds of the fourth girl bein’ raped. The two by the fire laughed, and then I heard Jimbo. His attack on the two in the bushes with that girl was vicious and swift. As the two by the fire jumped up, I fired, and one fell into the fire and didn’t move. Runnin’ Wolf’s shot came a split second later, and the other one’s left leg just flew out from under him. Jimbo was fightin’ those in the bushes, and I jumped up and ran to the noise.

  The light was mighty poor. The first warrior that I had shot fell in the fire and had smothered more than half of the flames. I had been lookin’ right at the light of the fire. But as my eyes adjusted to the darkness out in the brush, I could see the girl on the ground froze with fear. One of the Arapahos was missin’ half of his neck, and his upper body was covered with blood. Jimbo had the other’s arm in his mouth, and it was broke bent at a right angle. I could see white bone stickin’ out of Jimbo’s mouth, and he was shakin’ his head, growlin’, movin’ backward, and tryin’ to rip the arm off. When I said “Stop,” he let go, and the Injun moaned but never moved. I told Jimbo to stay and walked back to the fire. The smell of burnin’ hair and flesh was strong, and Runnin’ Wolf was draggin’ the one in the fire out. I grabbed his other leg and told Shinin’ Star and Raven Wing the girl in the brush needed them.