Grizzly Killer: The Medicine Wheel

by Lane R Warenski

  Zach was making good time heading down stream. This was his home territory and he knew the lay of the land. Jimbo was staying a couple hundred yards out in front as usual and had set a ground eating pace. His senses were more tuned in than usual although he didn’t know why, but his senses told him this was a very important trip.

  By midmorning, Jimbo had found where the boys had turned away from Black’s Fork heading east. By midday Zach could see the thick trees that marked the waterway of Smith’s Fork. Jimbo had slowed a lot and Zach could see him clearly testing the air with his nose. There was a fairly stiff breeze blowing out of the west, blowing any scent that may be there away from them. Jimbo slowed even more as they approached the dense trees and brush that grew along the stream and Zach noticed the hair down Jimbo’s back was starting to stand up. With a soft whistle he told Jimbo to stop and they both very intently studied the tree line ahead.

  If Zach had learned anything from his years in the Rockies it was to trust his dog. He knew there was danger ahead but he had no idea what that danger might be. He knew he had to find Red Hawk and Buffalo Heart no matter what lie ahead. With a hand signal he sent Jimbo in a large circle to get to the other side of the trees ahead and hopefully flush out whatever was there, whether it be man or animal.

  He checked the prime in his Hawken and horse pistol, then removed the pistol from the saddle and slid it under his belt. His sky blue eyes moved back and forth along the tree line looking for anything that might seem out of place. He could plainly see the tracks of the boy’s horses on the ground before him. A shudder ran up his spine hoping they hadn’t run into a hunting party of the Arapaho right there in the trees before him.

  He waited for Jimbo. His pa had taught him patience from an early age. Whether watching a clearing for a deer in the woods of Kentucky or waiting for danger to expose itself in the Rockies, patience was one of the most important lessons in life. Zach had learned this lesson well, he could wait out a weary buck, an alert gobbler, or an enemy waiting in ambush. Just as he was starting to wonder just where Jimbo had gone, he heard a terrible scream come from the trees right in front of him.

  He sat straight up in the saddle with his Hawken ready just as he felt a hard blow to the side of his leg. Ol’ Red jumped forward causing Zach to hold on just as he seen an Indian stand up out of the brush and shoot another arrow. With Red jumping forward the second arrow barely missed behind him and Zach instinctively brought up the Hawken and fired. As he spun his big mule around he saw the Indians head explode into red mist and gore as the .54 caliber lead ball blew out the back of his head.

  Ol’ Red was in a dead run back the way they had come from when Zach noticed he couldn’t move his leg. As he glanced down he could see an arrow sticking through his leg and into the side of Ol’ Red. Even hurt the big mule never missed a stride and Zach could feel the powerful muscles strain as Ol’ Red put every ounce of strength into his run.

  He could hear the pursuit, as he glanced back he could see four Arapaho warriors giving chase. They were maybe four hundred yards behind and he knew very well the swift Indian ponies were faster than Ol’ Red. The big mule had more bottom than any horse Zach had ever seen and he knew if he could stay ahead long enough Ol’ Red would out run them.

  A mile went by and another quick look back confirmed they were rapidly gaining on him. One of them was way out in front of the others and nearly within an arrows range. Red had now hit a stride that Zach figured he could keep up for quite a while. He could feel Ol’ Red’s ribs swell as he breathed in large amounts of air and after another mile he had started to pull away from those giving chase. Ol’ Red never slowed as they headed northwest back toward Blacks Fork. Zach was heading down stream keeping the Arapaho warriors from having any thoughts of getting closer to the dugout and his loved ones.

  The next time he glanced back there were only two still in pursuit and his lead on those had lengthened. He knew now he would make it as long as Ol’ Red didn’t stumble or step in a badger hole or any other of the hundred different things that could mean their doom.

  His lead was now back to nearly four hundred yards and was increasing with every power stride of the big mule. The adrenaline rush he had felt at first was fading and he was beginning to feel a powerful throbbing in his leg. His thoughts went to Jimbo and he worried about the fate of his faithful companion. Then he thought of Red Hawk and Buffalo Heart and wondered if he would find their bodies in the trees where he had sent Jimbo, but for right now he had to survive, himself. Ol’ Red had not faltered or slowed and his next glance back showed no one still in pursuit.

  He pulled his big mule back to just an easy lope but didn’t stop ‘til he reached the bank of Blacks Fork. He had not seen any sign of the Arapaho warriors now for several miles but he still didn’t know if he was safe. He turned Red around where he could watch his back trail and then started to access the damage the arrow had caused.

  With the movement of the many miles of running the stone arrowhead had worked loose from Ol’ Red’s side but had made a good sized hole in his hide in the process. Zach’s leg was no longer pinned to the mule’s side. The arrowhead was sticking out of the inside of his leg by only about an inch so he knew it had not done any real damage to Ol’ Red. He moved his foot around slowly and could feel the muscles pulling around the wood shaft of the arrow but he could tell it had missed the bone. He didn’t dare dismount just yet, if the Arapaho showed up he would need to be ready to ride again mighty quick.

  Red’s breathing was back to normal by now and he rode down into the stream and staying in the water moved downstream ‘til he was well hidden by thick willows growing on both sides. His foot was wet, his moccasin soaked with blood, he come to a spot with enough room to get out of the water but was still hidden by the willows and stopped. He brought his wounded leg carefully up over Red’s back and slowly slid to the ground. He put his weight on his good leg and as he slowly straightened the wounded leg a pain shot through it from the arrow down to his foot and up all the way to his hip.

  He had reloaded his Hawken rifle while Ol’ Red was on a full out run, so the first thing he did was check and make sure it really was ready to shoot. Then he checked the prime in the horse pistol. Once he was satisfied both weapons were ready he got his knife out and slowly sat down. When he touched the arrow shaft that was sticking through the meatiest part of his left calf the pain shot in both directions again. He gasped silently and readied himself for the pain and cut a deep groove in the arrow just an inch or so from his skin and snapped the wooden shaft off at that point.

  Then he got a firm grip on the chipped flint arrowhead and pulled to extract the wooden shaft through his leg and out. The sinew that the arrowhead was tied on with had softened being soaked in blood for so long and the flint point came off and the shaft didn’t move. A blinding pain shot through his leg and he gasp again, this time making a loader sound than he expected or thought was safe. He sat motionless trying to control his breathing along with the pain.

  After his breathing was back to normal he started wondering just how he was going to get that arrow shaft out of his leg. He remembered back when Stands Tall had the arrow in his arm when the Arapaho had attacked Running Wolf’s village on Rock Creek. Grandmother had used a rock the drive the shaft through his arm and out the other side. He slid the couple of feet to the water and pried a rock loose a little larger than his fist. Then got into a position that he could hit the broken end of the shaft and pull on the other end at the same time with his other hand.

  He took several good deep breaths then readied himself for the pain. Just as he was ready to strike the shaft he heard movement just on the outside edge of the willows and he froze.

  11 Tending the Wounds

  He could tell by the sound that someone was trying to push their way through the thick willows. He silently set the rock down and pulled out his horse pistol, he was in too tight of an area for the rifle to be of much use. The willows were too thick and he listened
as they withdrew. Then nothing but silence, he stayed there motionless hoping Ol’ Red would not move or make a sound and waited. He had waited only a minute when he heard a soft splashing just upstream and as he turned bringing up the pistol he seen Jimbo in belly deep water heading right for him. A wave of relief swept over him and he smiled as the big dog walked up out of the water and licked his face.

  He rubbed his ears and whispered, “Good ta see ya feller, hope the boys fared as well as you.” He then picked the rock back up and steadied himself for what had to be done. He got in his possibles bag and retrieved his sinew that he had rolled around a small stick and very tightly wrapped a small ball of it around the arrow shaft just behind where the head had been. That would give him a hand hold with which to pull from. Once he had a tight grip on the shaft and sinew he took a deep breath then at the exact same time he hit the end of the shaft with the rock and pulled just as hard as he could.

  The willows right in front of him started to spin and a wave of nausea passed through him as the pain radiated through his body. He could feel the piece of the arrow shaft was loose in his hand and he knew he had to shake off the pain and dizziness, for he had to stop the bleeding. With just the force of his will Zach clamped his powerful hands around the wound in his leg and squeezed knowing the pressure would stop the flow of blood.

  He had his knee pulled nearly up to his chest pushing in with both hands. One hand over the entrance wound and the other over the exit. He sat like that for the longest time ‘til he couldn’t feel his hands any longer. His hands had lost all blood circulation in them from the position they were in and the pressure he was applying. When he slowly moved his hands away he was pleased the flow of blood had stopped. Without moving his leg, if he did he figured the bleeding would start again, he cut the already ruined leggings off from the knee down and then cut it into strips. He took one of the strips and tied it securely around the wounds in his leg just a tight as he could stand.

  Once he was satisfied his leg wouldn’t start to bleed again he checked Jimbo over thoroughly. Although there was a lot blood on his neck and face Zach couldn’t find any wounds at all. Then he tried to stand but putting any of his weight on the wounded leg shot that awful pain through him again so he set his rifle butt on the ground to stabilize himself and hopped on his good leg the three or four feet over to Ol’ Red.

  The sore in Ol’ Red side was just barely through the hide but it looked like a painful and nasty wound. Zach scrapped some moss off several rocks that were partially out of the water and mixed the moss into a paste with his fingers then packed the open sore with it. As he worked the moss into the wound Ol’ Red threw his head around letting Zach know it was painful. Red trusted Zach just like Zach trusted him and the big red mule stood there letting Zach finish, then nuzzled his hand when it was over.

  Zach knew they were well protected right here in these willows and he considered staying right here ‘til sundown. He was more worried now than before about Red Hawk and Buffalo Heart and he knew he must do whatever he could to find them.

  He figured the four Arapaho warriors that that chased him were all that was left of their hunting party. He knew he had killed one and he figured Jimbo had either killed or at least badly wounded another and if they took their dead or wounded back to their main camp over on the Seeds-Kee-Dee there was just no telling how many warriors they might send out looking for him. The one thing he didn’t want was a bunch of revenge seeking warriors searching the area of Black’s Fork and Smith’s Fork. That would mean all of his loved ones, the people that mean most to him in the world, would be in danger. So he had to stop these four from reaching their main camp or he had to lead them away.

  Red Hawk and Buffalo Heart huddled around their small fire up in the willows all night long. It was a cold night and the thick willows provided their only protection from the elements. They figured it was maybe another hour ‘til dawn when they decided it was time to move out. There was a slight breeze coming off the high peaks just to the south of them and the only warmth they had was coming off the backs of their horses.

  They headed straight south ‘til the sun came up then stopped at the base of a large rock outcropping for a while and soaked up the warmth from the sun. They continued south ‘til nearly midday then made a slight easterly turn. They had been seeing game off and on and at one time crested a ridge and seen a large herd of elk. They knew the camp needed meat but they both felt it was more important to let Grizzly Killer and Running Wolf know of the Arapaho in the area. So they bypassed the elk and continued on their way to camp.

  They had only passed through this area once before and that was a couple of years ago on their way to Rendezvous with Grizzly Killer and Running Wolf. By midafternoon they stopped just before cresting a ridge and climbed to the top on foot. They knew how far a rider on a horse could be seen from the top a hill, so they stayed in the brush and on their knees when they got to the top. They both studied the lay of the land and found they were several miles farther west than they anticipated. So they mentally marked a course that would take them back over to Black’s Fork staying in as much cover as possible.

  The sun was just setting when they rode up on the ridge just west of the big meadow and could see the slight trail of smoke coming from the fire at Grizzly Killers camp. They looked at one another and remembering their lessons well, they stayed in the trees skirting the meadow ‘til they were close enough to see that all was well in camp.

  They had been gone three full days and as they rode in they were greeted with smiles and excitement. Sun Flower had a very troubled look as she asked the two, “Where is Grizzly Killer?”

  Red Hawk and Buffalo Heart looked at each other with a puzzled look then back at Sun Flower. Buffalo Heart then asked, “Is he not here with you?”

  The excitement of their return instantly changed to worry about Grizzly Killer. Running Wolf asked the boys if they had not seen Grizzly Killer at all. Red Hawk, shaking his head, told them of the Arapaho and how they had headed north across the river then made a very large circle to the west making sure they didn’t lead the Arapaho back here.

  Buffalo Heart told them if they could get some food they would leave right now to find Grizzly Killer. That they knew where the Arapaho hunters where and their main camp. Running Wolf looked at Raven Wing and their new baby. She could tell by the look in his eye that he needed to go help find Grizzly Killer as well, she just smiled at him and nodded.

  Shining Star walked up and took him by the arm and said, “Bring my husband back to me, brother.”

  Bear Heart then said, “I too am worried about my son, but Red Hawk and Buffalo Heart need rest and Running Wolf does not know where their trail leads, he would not be able to follow it in the dark. Grizzly Killer is a great warrior and this is his land. A few hours more will make no difference. I do not think all should go we will need sharp eyes and ears to protect camp. Red Hawk, you will stay to protect the families of Grizzly Killer and Running Wolf and you, Buffalo Heart will guide Running Wolf to find Grizzly Killer. For now, you both must sleep.” Both boys knew the wisdom of Bear Heart and nodded their agreement.

  After caring for the horses and putting them out in the meadow with the others they ate fresh deer that had been in the pot cooking all afternoon that was from a small buck that Running Wolf had taken that morning. After they all had eaten Red Hawk and Buffalo Heart went right to their bed rolls. Running Wolf told Buffalo Heart he would wake him well before dawn.

  Shining Star hadn’t had any more pains since Grizzly Killer had left. She smiled inside as she thought how she had told Grizzly Killer when he left that their child would wait for his return. She helped Sun Flower put together a pouch with jerky, some leftover biscuits, and what little pemmican they had left.

  It was two or three hours before dawn when Running Wolf went out of their lodge. Luna had been curled up on the foot of Running Wolf’s and Raven Wing’s bed roll. Raven Wing had to hold her to keep her from following him out
of their lodge. Running Wolf brought in his chestnut and Buffalo Heart’s pinto and got them ready to go then went over and gently woke Buffalo Heart. Although Red Hawk wanted to go with them he knew it had been a great honor to be tasked with protecting the families. He proudly looked Running Wolf in the eyes and told him he would keep his family safe. Running Wolf gripped his arm nodded then mounted up. Buffalo Heart led the way down the dark trail heading down stream just like he had done a few days before.

  After Zach was satisfied Ol’ Red’s wound would be alright he turned his attention back to his own leg. He slowly released the pressure from his leggings strap he had wrapped around it making sure it wouldn’t start to bleed again, then thoroughly washed it in the clean cold water. He scrapped more moss from the rocks and again mixed it into a paste. After packing moss into the holes on both sides of his leg he retied the strap around the wounds just as tight as he could. He tried flexing his calf muscles only to have the severe pain shoot through his leg again. He tried putting his weight on it again and nearly fell as the pain shot all the way to his hip. He decided the only way he was going to move was riding Ol’ Red so he got the pistol looped over the horn and the Hawken in its scabbard. Then he looked at the stirrup and tried to figure out how he was going to step up in the saddle with only one usable leg. It was with a determined effort and just using his good leg, he jumped and using both arms pulled himself up on the saddle high enough he was able to swing his leg over. Once he was setting there he had to take several deep breaths ‘til the pain in his leg subsided.

  He rode out of the river the same way he rode in and once up on the shore he looked for the highest point of land that was near. About a half mile east was a knoll so he headed there. As he urged Ol’ Red ahead he started out in a trot and that jarring gait sent searing pains through his leg. He gritted his teeth and urged Red into a lope and that helped ease the pain somewhat.