She looked into his eyes and told him, “I do not have the power, Lame Deer does, I was only able to help him use it.”
Badger walked up to them said, “She is the only one that can do that whether the power is in her or is in Lame Deer, without Raven Wing, Lame Deer would have been taken by Owl to the land of our ancestors. Her medicine is stronger than the medicine of Snake or Owl and we must honor her.”
Raven Wing felt honored but embarrassed as well. She had never considered herself to have powerful medicine. She had learned the healing plants at a very young age, but only because Blue Fox had taught her and she didn’t feel she deserved all of this praise.
Running Wolf came up to her and said, “Why do you think Blue Fox picked you to teach, my wife? It was because he could see in you what the rest of us can, but you don’t see in yourself, you are a powerful Medicine Woman.”
30 Revenge on the Dead
Ely and Grub were totally exhausted by the time they were a mile above the narrows. Benny was tired as well but not nearly like Ely and Grub were. Grub cursed as Benny took the lead for he struggled to keep up with his much younger partner.
They hadn’t seen any sign of Lame Deer or his men since the dust had filled the canyon but that was expected as they were moving in and out of timber between the rocky outcroppings on these steep hill sides.
The farther up they pushed, the hillside became much easier to negotiate and the timber much thicker. When they reached a ridge and topped it the timber stopped and they were looking out over the beautiful mountain valley that they had trapped two years before. It was green with tall grass in the meadows and the creek slowly wound its way between the beaver ponds. Ely’s sharp eyes spotted the column immediately moving along the south side of the stream. The sun was nearly down and the trees and brush along the creek were casting long shadows. They were tired but they still did not know for sure if the Blackfeet were still coming so they had to keep moving.
Benny spotted movement way off to the north and as they watched they could see two men moving at a fast walk down toward the creek trying to catch the column. As they watched Ely commented, “That’s Nate and Sam, Lame Deer’s men but he ain’t with ‘em.”
“Let’s get down there and see what’s goin’ on.” Grub replied and Benny, taking the lead, again headed out.
It was nearly dark when they caught up with them. They were just as exhausted and Grub and Ely were and they all stopped for a rest. Sam told them that Lame Deer wouldn’t come with them that he was going to keep an eye on the Blackfeet and find out just what they were going to do next. Grub asked them if they knew for sure if the canyon was blocked and was told it was blocked all right but they couldn’t tell just how bad.
Robert Campbell pushed the column until after dark, until the horses were totally done in. They had moved across the big basin and were just starting to climb the high ridge on the west when he called a stop for the day. As the heavy packs were removed from the horses he had them build up a breastwork out of them facing east and he hoped if the Blackfeet did attack them here they wouldn’t be able to get up the steep timbered ridge that was behind them.
Benny was still out in the lead when they finally caught up with the column. They shouted while still out quite a ways, they didn’t want anyone getting jumpy and firing at them. The men had built fires, but they had kept them small and had dug down into the rich mountain soil keeping the flames out of sight.
While Ely and Sam went to report to Campbell, Grub and Benny checked on their horses and thanked the men who had cared for them. They sat down, leaned up against their plews and when Ely got back to them Benny was chewing on a piece of the half raw jerky and Grub was sound asleep. Ely took out a piece of the half raw jerky looked at it a minute then put it back in his pocket, sat down next to Grub and was asleep immediately. Benny smiled as he watched over his mentors, picked up his rifle and stared out into the darkness hoping they would all get the much needed rest this night.
Lame Deer had stayed hidden in the rocks until the dust had settled or had been carried away on the breeze. After the roar of the rocks had finally stopped he could hear a horse screaming in agony and warriors shouting in Blackfoot. He understood a little of the Blackfoot tongue for he had fought them all of his adult life. He had snuck into a Blackfoot camp on more than one occasion to free Flathead women and children that had been captured in battle. He could tell there were men hurt below but he had no idea how many or how bad.
After the dust had settled he could see most of the enemy warriors were heading back down the canyon either unable or unwilling to continue. He could hear there were still men working moving rocks below him but he couldn’t see them and was afraid if he moved from his current position he might knock a rock or loose dirt down that would alert the ones below of his presence.
The horse finally stopped its pitiful sounds and he figured they had cut its throat to put it out of its misery. Not long after that he saw a dozen of the Blackfeet walking, leading horses that were carrying four of them draped over the horses backs. They were heading back out of the canyon and he hoped that would be the end of it, but he didn’t think it would be. He had fought these warriors his whole life and he was afraid this would just make them more determined for revenge.
He waited until he was quite sure they had left no others behind, then staying up on the hill way above the trail he headed toward the mouth of the canyon where he could see what they were going to do.
It was dark when he got down there but the fires could be seen long before he was close enough to tell what was going on. They had camped right at the mouth of the canyon and once he got into a position where he could see he smiled inside when he saw the four burial scaffolds they had built.
They wrapped their dead and placed them on the scaffolds then danced well into the night. Lame Deer had seen this ritual many times before, it was a war dance, they were building their courage with the dance. Others were mixing the paints for their faces and their horses to scare their enemies and the evil spirits that may come to claim their own spirits.
He was in the trees just above where they had placed the scaffolds, well-hidden and about three hours before dawn closed his eye for a couple of short hours of sleep. The Blackfeet were ready to ride before the sun was up and just as he knew they would they headed south. He didn’t know the country he was in now. This was farther south than he had ever been but he knew his enemy and he could tell they would try to get ahead of Campbell’s column and lay in wait for them on their way to Sweet Lake.
He stayed right where he was until the last of them were out of site. He then looked down upon the four burial scaffolds and become more disgusted at the thought of these Blackfoot dogs going to the land beyond like honored warriors. He made his way down to the scaffolds and one by one pushed them over. He then unwrapped each of the dead Blackfeet and cut their clothing off. He smiled when he seen two of them had holes through their chests where the newcomers had fired at them. He scalped them and cut their eyes out so they would not be able to see in the land beyond then he cut off their manhood so they would not be men any longer and placed it in their mouths as the ultimate humiliation.
When he was finally satisfied he could do no more to make these enemy dogs suffer in the next life he started out at a jog to catch up with the column satisfied that he had taken his revenge. Now he had to make sure Campbell and the others knew the Blackfeet were still coming for them.
When Ely opened his eyes, Benny was still watching out into the dark. Ely noticed right off that Grub was gone and there was just a slight graying along the eastern horizon. Benny didn’t move his gaze at all when he said, “Grub saddled up an’ left over an hour ago to check our back trail, said when ya wake up to have ya tell the Captain he’ll be along soon as he knows whether bugs boys is still back there.”
Ely rubbed his eyes and asked, “You been awake all night?”
“Somebody has got ta watch out for you two old farts.” Benny
said with a smile.
Ely groaned as he stood and replied, “Gonna have ta teach ya some respect fer yer elders boy.” Before Benny could respond he had walked away.
The camp was coming to life, Mr. Campbell was up and talking to a couple of the men that had taken the last shift of guard duty. As Ely approached it was apparent Grub had already talked to the guards and they all knew he was out there checking behind them.
Ely told them he figured they had given the Blackfeet a setback but he didn’t believe they would call off the chase. Campbell nodded and told them all he agreed and they better get all the lead they could before they found a way around that narrow canyon.
They were loaded and on the trail just shortly after daylight, the sun hadn’t shown above the horizon but it was only minutes away when Ely led the column up through the timber to the ridgeline that formed the western edge of the large basin they had been in.
The ridge was bare and he could follow it south by a little west for nearly as far as he could see, then it turned more westerly and he figured they could follow it down out of these mountains and come out in the valley of the Bear River then follow it on down to Sweet Lake. If he was right they would hit the Bear just south of its big bend and from there it was only twenty or thirty miles to the north end of Sweet Lake, then another twenty-five or so on down to Rendezvous. In his mind they had to stay out in front of the Blackfeet for another two and half or maybe three days and then there would be enough of them the Blackfeet wouldn’t dare attack.
Grub had followed their back trail through the dim light of early morning until he could see the top of the canyon where the trail came out. He waited there until it was light enough for him to see well, then he entered the canyon. He was watching all around as he slowly walked back down toward the narrows but he saw no sign at all of the Blackfeet.
He was still a few hundred yards above the narrows when he could see down into them far enough and smiled when he saw there was no way a horse could ever make it through. The rock slide that Lame Deer had started had completely made this canyon impassable.
He took another good look around at the canyon walls above the trail and marveled that they had been able to make their escape across those steep and rocky slopes. He turned his horse and started back up the trail. It was another warm summer day. Once turned away from the rock slide of the day before there was no sign of the violence and threat of yesterday. There were birds singing that was echoing off the rocky canyon walls, he heard the cry of a hawk and looked up as it passed over his head. He couldn’t see much of the sky for the high canyon walls but what he could see of it was blue there were no clouds at all.
It was only another hundred yards to where the trail come out into the basin above when a large golden eagle took flight from a ledge just above him and flew on ahead out into the open sky of the basin. When he brought his eyes back down to the trail from watching the eagle soar away, there was an Indian standing in the trail right before him.
Grub jumped in the saddle and had his rifle half way up when he recognized the face of Lame Deer. That was the first time Grub had seen a smile on the Flathead’s face. He lowered his rifle as Lame Deer said, “If me Blackfoot, you dead.”
Grub was embarrassed and just nodded, for he knew he had just made a fatal mistake and in this wilderness a man seldom got a second chance.
Lame Deer turned and started up the trail, but Grub told him, “The rest of ‘em is eight or ten miles ahead, jump up on the back a this here mare of mine. She can carry us both and we can catch ‘em a lot faster.” Lame Deer thought for just a moment then nodded and jumped up behind Grub.
Ely was only a quarter mile in front of the column and could see a bald knoll another half mile ahead. He looked back and saw Campbell was watching so he pointed to it and kicked his gelding into a lope. He was able to ride clear to the top and the view was breath taking. As he turned his head all around looking for any sign of pursuit he saw Robert Campbell riding up to meet him.
They studied the country to the east for they knew that is where the Blackfeet were. They could see where these mountains they were on faded into the distance and although it was hazy they could see the blue of Sweet Lake way off to the south. As they turned and started back toward the column, Ely caught a movement maybe a mile behind the column and as he pointed it out to Mr. Campbell, a smile formed and he said, “If I ain’t mistaken Mr. Campbell that’s gonna be Grub, I cain’t tell fer sure but I believe that’s his mare.
They rode on back to the column and got there just a little before Grub and Lame Deer. Lame Deer jumped off just as they got there and Ely said with a big smile, “Glad ta see ya make it back, Pard.”
“Picked up this here gabby Injun back on this end a the narrows but he ain’t said a word since he got on ma harse.”
Lame Deer looked up at Mr. Campbell and said, “Blackfeet go south, get in front of us, I think.” At that he just walked away to go get his own horse.
Grub shook his head and said, “See, just like I told ya, that is one gabby Injun.”
Robert Campbell looked back south and asked, “Do you two think they can get ahead of us?”
Ely looked at Grub and then back to Mr. Campbell and said, “Yes sir, I figure they can get ta Sweet Lake ahead of us if’n that’s what they have on their minds.”
Grub just nodded his agreement.
31 Bear River
Zach was standing by the fire impatiently waiting for the large elk roast to finish cooking when Sun Flower told him, “It will be done when it is done, you watching it will not make it cook faster.” Then she brought him over a piece of the fresh jerky and told him, “Chew on that ‘til the others get back.”
He took the jerky from her but grabbed her and hugged her tight for a minute, picking her up off the ground and swinging her around. She loved his playfulness and just as they were ready to kiss one another Zach saw a group of men approaching.
Jacob Rutherford was smiling as he stepped forward and said, “Hope we ain’t come at a bad time.” Sun Flower just smiled and Zach told them, “No, no, come on in and set by our fire.” Zach had seen these men before; he knew they had been part of Henry Clayson’s brigade. So he continued, “I suppose you’re Jacob.”
“That’s right Mr. Connors, Jacob Rutherford, I guess I got ‘lected ta lead these men after Henry went under.”
Zach looked at him and got serious in his tone, “First of all I ain’t Mr. Connors, I’m Zach or Grizzly Killer but Mr. Connors was my Pa and I buried him a few years ago. Second, Henry didn’t just go under, he was killed in cold blood by a bunch of the lowest scum ta ever walk the earth.”
“Yes sir, Mr. Grizzly Killer, that’s what we came ta talk ta ya ‘bout. We all wanted to thank ya fer killing ever one of those polecats and then bringin’ all the furs and horses in ta Chargin’ Bull’s village. We is in your debt fer that sir.”
They all sat around the fire and talked about Henry and life as a trapper, about the Rocky Mountains and how much different it is living our here. One of Jacob’s men didn’t look to be more than sixteen or seventeen and Zach smiled as he watched him coax Jimbo over to him. Jimbo laid his huge head on the young man’s leg and Zach asked, “What’s yer name?”
The youngster looked up at Grizzly Killer and said, “Samuel sir, Samuel Wheeler.”
“Well, that dog don’t just take to anyone like that. He can sense when a man is good and when he ain’t. I can tell you right now that you have a friend for life- that dog has accepted you and he never forgets.” Jacob turned around and smiled at the young man, nodded his head then turned back to Grizzly Killer and said, “Your dog does have good judgement. Sam here is Henry’s nephew and is as good of man as you will find.”
Sun Flower stepped forward and all eyes were on this beautiful woman and they were all surprised when she spoke in nearly flawless English, apologizing for not having coffee to offer them. They all nearly fell over themselves telling her there was no need for an apology for
everyone was out of coffee.
Zach asked them of their plans for the upcoming season and Jacob told him nearly half of the men were going back to St. Louis when Rendezvous was over, that they would tag along with the men taking the plews back. The rest, however, would be following Jacob back up into the Wind Rivers for at least the next year. Zach smiled and asked, “What about you, Samuel, you stayin’ in these shinin’ mountains or going back to a more civilized world.
Samael thought on that question for a minute before he answered then said, “Well sir, I don’t figure that world back there is more civilized. Them men you killed, the ones that killed Uncle Henry, they was from back there. And look what they did ta that pretty blond women you rescued from them. I only been out here a year but I’ve met more good people both Injun and white than I ever met back home. I figure there are good and bad no matter where you are. You just have to find the good ones and make them your friends. I like these mountains and all this wide open land I figure I’m stayin’. What about you?”
Zach looked at him with a big ol’ smile and said, “I couldn’t have said that better myself. I figure I am the luckiest man in the Rocky Mountains, I have friends both Injun and white, I have the two prettiest women in the whole word by my side every day. I am family with both the Utes and Shoshone and I love my life. I figure I will raise my children and hopefully die an old man right here in these shinin’ mountains and I’ll die a happy man if I never see St. Louis again.”
Samuel was smiling from ear to ear and Jacob nodded with a smile as well. One of the other men commented softly, “If’n I had a beauty like her fer meself I wouldn’t want ta leave either.” Zach’s attuned hearing picked it up but he just smiled to himself knowing he was right.
Grizzly Killer: The Medicine Wheel Page 25