Witan Jewell

by Russ L. Howard

  Jesse smiled.

  * * *

  After delivering the horses and spending the night with Aelfheah, Arundel arrived at Bear Jim’s cabin along the Coke Hill River with his stripling helpers, Brekka, Russell, Ev’Rhett, Redelfis, Bnimin, and Going Snake.

  The cabin sat on the banks in thick vegetation with a nearby wooden barn and pig pen. Chickens and geese sent up an alarm the moment they arrived. Six hounds strained at their leashes and the sound of one large dog inside the cabin was accentuated by the barking of several smaller dogs.

  Going Snake appeared fascinated by the bleached skulls of bears hanging on the barn, “What tribe is Bear Jim, Ary?”

  Brekka answered instead, “As far as we know, he is of no tribe. He’s chust a frontiersman, a man of the mountains. No one knows his history or his parentage. Just that he showed up one day with a donkey loaded with bear skins and a freshly killed boar. With Sur Spear’s permission he was granted a homestead here and he’s been living here ever since.”

  “I’ve never heard of a man without a tribe,” Going Snake said.

  “Oh, there’s quite a few scattered through these mountains,” Redelfis told his brother.

  Ary nodded, “Bear Jim used to hunt with Elf Beard, Khem, Xelph, Long Swan, and me. Our friendship goes back for years. Prepare yourself, he’s a bit of a wild fellow.”

  They dismounted, tied their horses and mules to the hitching post, climbed a plank stairway onto the wooden porch and Ary rang a dinner triangle attached to the rustic porch post. The Tamworth hogs took it to mean they were going to be fed and the hounds, once again, set up a ruckus followed by a deep voice from inside, cursing them loud and long.

  “Who the hell is making all that damned racket?”

  Ary exchanged looks with Redelfis, who grinned at the colorful words coming through the door. Unexpectedly, the door jerked inward and a bear of a man with beard and buckskin filled the opening. He boomed. “Os Frith! You impudent trespassing rascals.”

  Going Snake took a step backwards, nervously situating himself behind Redelfis.

  Ary grinned. “Os-Frith! Master Huntsman. What would it take to persuade you to lead some youngins for a lively bear hunt?”

  “Well, if it isn’t Ary, Surrey’s son, the boy who loves bees. Is hunting bears the business that brings you to my front porch on this fine day? I’ve been seeing all kinds of strange folks coming through Coke Hill in wagon trains and handcarts maybe you’ll be able to explain.”

  “I was commissioned by my fa fa to take a herd of mares to Powers and now that that task is complete, I promised my friends a good hunt and I couldn’t think of anything more exciting than a bear hunt with Bear Jim.”

  “Exciting it is. As I recall, you were about the size of these two youngins here when your father and I treed that monster bear that broke my wife’s leg and killed five of my best hounds before breaking my Plott hound nearly in two. You were shaking like a leaf, but I’ll never forget how well you stood your ground with nothing more than a kukri blade in hand while your father and I speared the fat bastard. Counted twenty some arrow heads from previous hunters in that mean son of bitch.”

  A look of curiosity crossed Brekka’s face.

  “As I remember, I was still shaking three days later when you treated the hide out front here.” Ary said.

  “That hide is tacked on my wall now. The Missus hits it occasionally with her broom just to get even with it for breakin her leg.”

  Ary laughed, “So could we persuade you to take us out with your hounds.”

  “I could be persuaded to go with a jug of that there Govannon’s Brew,” the curly headed Huntsman smiled, “That is if you were thoughtful enough to remember it,” the grizzly faced, woodsman shot him an expectant look. “But I’ll need to get my mount ready. You got me at a good time cause the missus is over in Coke Hill at her parents house for the week. The hounds and I treed a biggun just the other night out near the Elk Marshes. I promised him I’d be back to wear his hide right soon. He’s a real hog killer, that evil bastard is. Killed several guard dogs and even ravished a colt over at the Walt Stimpson Ranch.”

  “Fetch the brew from my saddle bag, Going Snake,” Ary ordered, “and while you’re there bring that jar of sour wood honey with you. I know your missus is partial to this kind of honey.”

  “That she is.”

  Going Snake ran down the steps, fetched the brew and the honey and returned in a flash.

  Bear Jim said, “Thank you kindly, little fellow,” before pulling out the cork and taking a chug.

  “Jim here will have your hair standing up on the backs of your necks before this day is through. Leave the pack horse in his corral and fetch the saddle bag.”

  Going Snake ran down the steps to the provisions on the pack horse tied to the hitching post.

  “I see, the little fellow knows how to do what he’s told,” Bear Jim said as he took the jug from Going Snake, pulled out the cork and took a chug. “And that little redhead, I don’t spect she’s coming with us.”

  “She is! Already been to a bear killing at Glide Garth. She withstood a grizzly with just a spear in hand until fa killed it. Don’t go underestimating her.”

  “Awful monsters, them grizzlies. Ain’t smart to go up agin them though.” He eyed Brekka carefully, took a gulp of ale and let out an “Aaah! Powerfully good stuff. Ain’t nothin like it the length or breadth of Heaven, I tell you. And what about them two boys,” he gave a questioning look over at Ev and Russ. “Don’t take much to see they be full of bedevilment.”

  “They’re my little brothers. Nothing but piss and vinegar.”

  Jim hissed. “Pssst! We’ll whip their asses in shape soon enough.”

  Arundel and the striplings trailed after Bear Jim while he saddled his horse and grabbed a spear from the barn. Then his three siblings began bombarding Jim with question after question.

  “I see,” Bear Jim said, “I see you youngins brought your long bows. These kids better know how to handle a bow.” He gave Brekka another scan. “How bout ju little lady, can you hold your own with that bow?”

  Before she could reply, Ary declared. “She’s probably the best archer amongst us. She’s a dead on shot.”

  “The honey bee has a stinger, does she,” Bear Jim threw back his head and laughed.

  Brekka leaned over to Bear Jim and elbowed him with a look of embarrassment on her face.

  “Don’t you dare laugh at me, Bear Man. I’m more than a honey bee and I pack more than a stinger.”

  Bear Jim winked at Ary. “Is she serious?”

  “Try her.”

  “Aah! One of Surry’s lambs. No wonder, she’s so pugnacious.”

  Going Snake asked, “What’s that mean?”

  The wild man scratched his curly brown beard. “That means she’s as feisty as a fighting cock.” He turned to the twins, who were jumping up and down with excitement. “Let those hounds over there loose, would you lads?” As the twins ran to release the hounds, Bear Jim leaned into Ary, and pointed with his thumb, at Bnimin,“What’s with this quiet one with the pig tails?”

  Ary smiled, “He’s a Jywd, doesn’t have too much exposure to the hunt.”

  “A Jywd you say. Can’t say I ever heared of them.”

  Soon the hounds were circling and running loose, sniffing at the ground. Everyone mounted with Bear Jim in the lead, and headed west in the direction of Coke Hill. After riding for an hour they came upon bear tracks to the north of the settlement.

  “See there, there’s a claw missing on that track. That be our boy, the sheep-killing, hog killing. chicken eating, horse ripping troll. He’s a large blond bear. Mauled thirty two sheep on the Sutch Ranch and got himself one of my hogs when I was pasturing them here last fall. It eluded me just a couple of days ago, but I got it all figured out now just how he’s a doin it. He dumped me into a hollow up ahead, where if the blackberries don’t eat you alive the ferns are so slippery they’ll drop you into the pits of hell itself. I
t was one hell of a slick ravine.

  “I tell you that country is so punishing that a man could easily find himself in there with no way out. But I knowed a deer path, found it when I’s first come to this neck of the land. It leads up and around that hell hole, though it’s a bit dangerous itself. I figure we’d just ride up over Raw Top and meet Mr. Bear as he comes out on the other side with my terriers nipping at his haunches. Then I’ll be showing him what we do to marauding bears with the point of this here spear.”

  As they rode side-by-side across the grassy plains, Ary asked, “How’s business been?”

  “Oh, I ain’t ever wanted for business,” Bear Jim said, “If someone ain’t needing my arrows, then there is someone wants a hog. Else what’s needs me to stop a marauding bear or cougar. My pappy done taught me how to be an arrow-smith and the huntin’ just comes to me right naturally and all the folks here abouts be known you can’t beat Tamworth bacon smoked with alder. Besides there’s never no need to be rushin and scrambling around like them city folk do.”

  Brekka called from behind them, “Not many people can stand living this far out away from the settlements.”

  “I don’t mind it at all,” Bear Jim said, “It’s right peaceful. The Missus likes the quiet too and she takes to hunting with me from time to time. We have plenty of food in our larders and enough to feed the dogs and the hogs, the chickens and geese and an occasional wild turkey, that’s all we need. And we don’t want for a thing. Besides, unlike your daddy, I don’t have but one wife and she’s an easy keeper.”

  Going Snake piped up, “What kind of dogs are those little ones?”

  “Aw Gee, we call them jagd terriers. They’ll pull the hair off any bear and too fast and little for the bear to catch them.”

  Going Snake said, “What would you take for one of these dogs? I like the red one.”

  “Oh, I got some pups back in the kennel I might give you if you help me cut up this bear.”

  “That would be easy,” Going Snake said as he rode up next to Jim, “Can I have the red one?”

  “Me too,” Russell and Ev’Rhett said in unison.

  “You bet and I’ll make you all an even better deal. I’ll even give you one if we don’t catch that big old blond bear today.”

  “It’s a deal,” Going Snake said as they struck hands from their horses.

  Redelfis asked, “Where’d ja get the shepherd?”

  “Old Grokk Elf Beard, got ’em for me. They call him a Dutch shepherd, but he’s just a right handsome brindle dog to me. A real good friend to have in a tight pinch. Had a trapper once. Thought he’d steal one of my pigs while I’s gone. The missus just put Ol’ Dutch on him. Said Ol’ Dutch hit him in mid air with mouth wide open. I ain’t heard of him ever return’ to these parts. Name was Mik Kurtz if ju ever heard o’ em. Slimy type, if you know what I mean. Real slimy. Believe he’d sell his mother if given the chance.”

  Just then Bear Jim’s hounds began to strike on the bear’s scent. “Oh yes, the big blond fellow thinks he can get another mouth full of sheep and it ain’t even dark yet. You see there, those are fresh bear track and it’s headin’ straight for the sheep farm.”

  As they pursued, the dogs were bawling in a full cry. They ran through some marshes and ran through some patches all the time heading for the Tangle Wood Canyon. Soon the hounds were upon the bear, nipping at its haunches and running it like crazy due north just as Bear Jim predicted it would run. The hounds ran ahead of them. Bear Jim raised his hand and called a halt. The bear disappeared into the ferns and brush with the hounds in a smoking pursuit.

  “What’s the matter?” Brekka asked. “The dogs almost have him. Shouldn’t we close in for the kill?”

  “No, we’ll just wait here till we hear them hounds chopping. Otherwise, I be figuring he’s going to dump them in the canyon and we are goin’ to go up this hill here through a winding path up to old Raw Top and then drop down in Woodbine to meet Mr. Bear with the rest of our terriers. Ain’t no way we be goin’ into that Tangle Wood. No way in hell. We wouldn’t come out with a speck of flesh left on us if’n we did.”

  Russell and Ev’Rhett said, “Why can’t we go in? Why can’t we see the bear?”

  “Settle down,” Ary said, “You’re here to learn from the master huntsman. Do as he says.”

  Bear Jim’s shepherd dog, Dutch began to bark. Jim signaled for everyone to listen.

  “What’s the matter?’ Redelfis asked. “Does this mean the dogs have the bear treed? Do you think they’re pulling the hair off the beast?”

  “Ol’ Dutch don’t ever bark unless somethin’ is very wrong, like robbers or somethin’.”

  Then looking to the west, Arundel spotted a host of men coming their way, silhouetted against the horizon. “Who on earth could it be?”

  Redelfis narrowed his gaze, “Damn, that looks like an army.”

  “It don’t take much to see, look at their banners, they’re sahle crosses.” Brekka added.

  “Pitters,” silent Bnimin said.

  Arundel recoiled, “We’re totally outnumbered. We’ll be in deep shit if we don’t get out of here right now.” He paused, looked around, then said, “But we can’t let them come this far into Herewardi Lands. We’ve got to get word out.”

  Bnimin says, “What can we do? There’s thousands of them and only seven of us.”

  “Don’t forget Ol Dutch.” Bear Jim said.

  Ary glanced towards the brush where the dogs had disappeared into. “I’ve got an idea. What do you say we take them down Tangle Wood Canyon, Jim?”

  Bear Jim’s craggy face broke into a huge grin. “I like it,” he said, “I just hope to hell these youngins are all good riders.”

  “We’re the best, Aelfy taught us how to ride like the wind,” Russell boasted.

  Ev’Rhett said, “And never fall off.”

  “Well,” Bear Jim said, taking another chug of brew, “I reckon we are going to teach them hell-rats the lesson Mr. Bear taught me, cause I’m fixin on takin’ ’em to hell and back.”

  “My thoughts precisely,” Arundel said.

  Bnimin turned stark white. “Prince Arundel, this is suicide, not a battle.”

  Brekka said, “Only if we lose and I don’t intend to lose.”

  Redelfis replied, “The first battle is always the hardest. Just stay close to me and you little ones too. Stay close to me.”

  The Pitter legions slowly approached. Most were afoot, as Pitters had no good horse studs. It was known, most of their own horses were needed back east for the subduing of the Southern Rebels, and they couldn’t let them out on open range because the Herewardi and Sharaka would slay them, not suffering them to mix with their good horses.

  Bnimin declared, “I don’t think they’re going to bother with a group as small as us.”

  Ary said, “Then we’ll have to provoke an attack.”

  Jim glanced back. “Easy enough, you and I ought to be capable of dropping a few dozen with our long bows and we’ll see if that little honey bee sister of yours is as good a stinger as she claims. That’ll get their attention.”

  Riding til they were within bow length, Ary, Bear Jim, Brekka, and Redelfis began shooting arrows with their long bows into the well ordered legions tramping afoot. The legions turned like a machine and began advancing against them. Several Pitter bowmen attempted to ride out to return fire, but could not shoot as far with their short bows. Brekka dropped the lead rider with one well placed arrow between his eyes. Now, the pursuit was on.

  “Which one looks like their leader?” Redelfis cried.

  “Oh, that’s easy!” Brekka said. “It’s the one with the red plume on his hat.”

  Ary said, “I think you’d be right under normal circumstances, but I remember Sur Spear telling me the ones that are dressed in the black cowls are the real leaders.”

  “You mean what those bastards call a commissar?” Redelfis asked.

  “Yes, those are the ones they value the most. Can you cover me
while I make a charge?”

  “Ain’t much cover I can give you, man, but I’ll give it what ever I’ve got.”

  Ary patted his horse on the neck, “Don’t fail me, Valkyrie!” and he charged head on towards the dark figure in the cowl. Arrows whizzed by his head rustling his long mane of hair. He dropped down the far side of his horse and held himself by his foot which he had hooked around the saddle horn. When he felt he was close enough, he popped upright on his saddle and nocked an arrow, then shot straight into the chest of the black-cowled priest. The man dropped like a rock. Ary quickly wheeled his horse, and hung from the opposite side.

  He heard a shout come from the red plumed officer, “He’s shot Hamidraca! He’s shot Hamidraca! Company Halt!”

  Ary spurred Valkyrie on with great speed. The rushing wind blew his long hair as the blood of triumph coursed through his veins. The joy of having killed his target filled him with utter elation.

  As he approached his striplings, Bear Jim said, “I think you got their attention now. Look at ’em, no more perfect lines, but swarming around angrier than a hornet’s nest.”

  “No time to rest. Let’s drop some more.”

  “Alright, but I don’t want to see anymore of them suicide charges, you hear, boy.” Bear Jim said. He raised his bow and dropped another Pitter. “Uh oh! Here they come, we best be movin. Come on, we’re goina take ’em up this canyon.” Bear Jim gave a funny cackle laugh. “Let the briar demons feast on their flesh for a while. Ha, ha, ha!”

  “Lead on!” Arundel shouted.

  Arundel and company waited until they were well into the mouth of the canyon and were sure the Pitters were following. Twilight was rolling in fast and a bulge of sea clouds could be seen swelling over the western skyline.

  “Come on! Come on!” Bear Jim urged, “We got to get them in here before dark. Let’s stir these angry hornets just a little bit more.”

  Arundel, Redelfis, and Bear Jim shot into the Pitter host provoking them further so that they began pouring into the canyon en mass.

  “Now we have got to get in the wood as far as we can and as fast as we can,” Ary said. “I’ve got another idea. Can you get us to this high ground you talked about?” As they rode into the depth of the forest Ary said once more, “You know that bare promontory that stands just to the north that you described.”