by Jack L Knapp
“A point in his favor, Robert. Well, I’ll soon know.”
Matt got up and went off to find his new man.
He wandered through the camp, observing, greeting and being greeted by the few who weren’t working elsewhere. He stopped at the tribe’s communal kitchen.
“How are we doing on food, Colin?”
“I’m a little worried, Matt. I figure maybe three weeks on half-rations if we don’t get something. That stag-moose helped, and the horsemeat you and Lilia brought in is enough to add a little fresh meat to the jerky I’ve been depending on.
“But Lee’s hunting and I expect they’ll find something. I’ve also got people building a fish weir in the stream. They can bait it with grubs until we catch something. After that I’ll clean the fish and dump the guts in the weir for bait. I think we’ll be adding fish to our diet by tomorrow. Lilia and the Wise Woman are out looking for plants. I’ve seen a few things I know are edible; I may put Sal to tending the fire and go looking myself. Greens, maybe a few mushrooms too.”
“You can identify mushrooms? You know which ones are safe?”
“Oh, sure, nothing to it. I’ve been doing it all my life.”
“OK, if you’re sure. Maybe teach a few of your assistants too.”
“I can do that. Was there anything else?”
“Now that you mention it, Colin, I’ve picked up a man who’ll be camping with me. Name’s Piotr, he camped with Pavel before. What do you know about him?”
“He’s a willing worker. Quiet, never caused trouble. He helped me when I was learning how to set up a travel camp. I think he went back to working for Pavel after that.”
“OK, thanks. Know where he’s camped?”
“Sure, he’s back near the end of the clearing. But I think he’s down at the stream right now, helping Sal set up the fish weir.”
Matt nodded to Colin and decided to see what was happening at the stream.
Sal, a stocky olive-skinned man, was clearly in charge. Two younger men were cutting wrist-thick branches with axes and two others were working in the shallow water.
Sal and the two axemen had been in the water too; their buckskin trousers were wet to mid-thigh. It appeared that the work crew was taking turns in the cold water, work for a time, switch off with someone else.
“I remember meeting you before, Sal. How’s the job going?”
“We’re making progress, Matt. I’ve got the opening all finished and we should have the catch-basin part done in less than an hour. Glad you’re back.”
“Glad to be back, Sal. Which one’s Piotr?”
“He’s the one holding the sticks. Dominick’s doing the hammering. We’re driving the sticks into the stream bottom, then lacing them together with green willow stems.”
Matt nodded. “That should work fine. I see you’re leaving a gap of what, inch and a half?”
“About that, yes. The little fish can escape, and I don’t want them anyway; too much work, not enough meat. I could make fish soup with the bits of meat, but some of our people don’t like the taste. I don’t have the spices to do it right, anyway.”
“I’ve been hungry enough to eat it, Sal, but I can’t say I like it. Anyway, send Piotr to me when you finish with him, OK?”
“You can take him now. We’ll have this done in less than an hour and I’ve got a couple of boys hunting grubs and worms. I’ll toss a couple of those in and keep the kids busy tossing in more every few minutes. I expect a fish or two will follow the bait upstream. There’s a clay deposit and I’ve already got a basket of damp clay. I’ll gut the fish, then coat them with clay and put them in the coals to bake. Just cook the whole fish that way, if it’s not too big. We’ll have baked fish and fresh greens for supper!”
“OK, Sal, thanks.
“Piotr!”
At the call, a stocky, sandy-haired man looked up from where he was weaving willow branches through the uprights they’d hammered into the streambed.
“Come on out, Piotr. We can gather up your gear and take it to my camp. You’ll be staying with us now. We’ll go hunting tomorrow morning early, and if you’re camping with us, I won’t have to go hunting you when I get up.”
“You’re Matt. I’ll be camping with you? What about Pavel?”
“Pavel’s gone. I doubt we’ll see him again. I had something to discuss with him, but I guess it’s not important. Is that going to be a problem for you?”
“No, Matt. We were never close. He already had a group when I found them. They’d been together a month or two and Pavel was already their leader. I joined Robert’s tribe when they did, but I’d only been with Pavel’s group for a week when we met Robert. There were women who stayed with me after Pavel left. What’s going to happen to them?”
“Robert said they had friends in his camp. They’ll join their friends and camp with Robert.”
“All right. I’ll just get my bedding. I don’t have much.”
“You know where my group’s camped?”
“Sure, up near the front. I’ll meet you there.”
“Why don’t you drop your gear by my camp and go over to the kitchen area. Colin might have some of that tea still hot and you can warm up by the fire. You look like you could use it.”
“I wouldn’t mind getting warm. That was my second time working in the water.”
“Drop your gear by my area, warm up, and when you get back we can talk about what I’ve got in mind for tomorrow.”
Second time in the water, and Piotr hadn’t complained; he’d been matter-of-fact with his explanation as if it was normal to be working in water only a little above freezing. Matt had his own memories of just how cold the water was this time of year! It wouldn’t begin to warm for another month or two, although people might brave the water long enough for a quick bath; a very quick bath!
#
Lee and Philippe removed the heads and feet before gutting the three rabbits they’d killed. Lining their packs with a layer of fresh oak leaves, they put the rabbit carcasses in. At least they had supper, even if ambushing the bison didn’t work out.
Tonight they would have a fire, cook the rabbits, and sleep on the ground. Rabbit or bison, it would depend on whether they managed to kill a bison before noon.
Lee wanted to be back inside the sheltering forest before nightfall. They should have time to set an ambush, kill a bison or even two if the animals continued traveling in the same direction. Three experienced hunters could easily field-dress the carcasses. But dragging them inside the tree-line would take time.
If the herd was too far out for a shot…well, he’d either have to abandon the idea or see if Marc and Philippe could drive them closer. Lee could set up behind cover and wait until they were in bowshot.
But for now, it was time to run; he could decide what to do after they got ahead of the herd.
Two hours later, Lee stopped. Marc and Philippe, still behind him, were breathing heavily.
“We’re making good time. You two wait here, I’ll climb a tree and look for those bison. If they’re in sight, we’ll decide where to ambush them.”
He got nods from the two winded men, both clearly glad of the chance to rest. Lee trotted over to an elm tree near the edge of the plains and made quick work of climbing it.
Like all elms, this one had a short trunk that separated less than six feet above the ground. The two main branches in turn formed other limbs and these branched yet again, all pointing upward at a steep angle rather than spreading wide as did the maples and oaks. The numerous branches made climbing easy, and there was almost always a crotch in the elm that made a suitable place for sleeping.
Fifteen minutes later, Lee was back. Marc and Philippe were now breathing easier.
“They’re still coming. They’re a long way back, but I looked north too and I could see a wide bend in this stream we’ve been following. I wonder if it’s the same bend where the tribe’s camped? If it is, the camp is closer to us than the herd is. Either of you have an opinion? I
s it the camp, you think?”
Marc and Philippe shook their heads; they had no idea.
Lee continued, “The three of us can maybe take three or so of those bison, but we’d have problems protecting the meat. If a pride of lions finds us, we’ll likely have to run for it. But if Robert was to bring up more people, we could take more than three of the bison. Putting an arrow into the animals is easy, even making sure we kill the animal isn’t difficult. Butchering and skinning, protecting the meat after that, that’s what takes time and manpower.
“Everyone’s already got their camps set up. Robert could leave a couple of people to watch the camp and look out for the kids; he could bring everyone else to help with butchering and packing. It won’t be hard for us to take half a dozen animals if we’ve got the help, and that would solve our food problems for at least a month. We could also feed people well enough for them to recover from the trip, restock our supply of dried meat too. I think it’s worth a try.
“I’ll stay here and watch the herd. How about you two go for that river bend and bring back as many people as Robert will let you have?”
“I’ll do it, Lee. You keep Philippe with you. I can travel faster alone and I’ll be back in four hours at the most, depending on how long it takes Robert to organize people.”
Lee nodded his assent and Marc glanced at the sun long enough to orient himself, then trotted away through the trees.
If this worked out for Marc, Lee decided he had found his traveling companion for the scouting trip.
#
Lee and Philippe perched in the same elm tree Lee had climbed before, each selecting a different branch to observe from. They watched for the herd and looked for other activity out on the plains, activity that might warn of predators. There was a slight rise ahead, capped with small trees, none of them as large as those along the stream’s flood plain but big enough to conceal waiting hunters…if the herd of bison kept coming. The small rise was typical of the plains here, gently rolling, grassy, with occasional clumps of brush, berry vines, or small trees. There would be plenty of concealment available.
Two hours later, Lee left Philippe watching the herd and looked for a different climbing tree to see if he could see activity in the direction Marc had gone. Far off toward the river bend, three people were coming toward him, cutting directly across the area between. They were still more than a mile away. Lee watched for a moment. Disappointing…Robert had only sent two men back with Marc? Strange; the tall man leading looked familiar. Lee searched his memory of the tribe members and couldn’t come up with a name. Still, he’d seen that gait before.
Chapter 8
“Matt! Pavel said you drowned!”
“Exaggerated, Lee. Lilia looked at the tracks. Someone whacked me over the head, then Pavel’s men threw me in the river. If I ever see Pavel again, I plan on reasoning with him. An arrow or a spear makes a pretty good argument, and if I’ve got nothing better I’ll strangle the bastard with my bare hands!”
“He’s not with the tribe now?”
“No. Looks like he took off after your mother and planned to ambush her after they failed to catch her. I think finding me with her was a surprise. Anyway, one of them won’t cause trouble. I killed Nikolai but missed Pavel. He took off running and two others were with him.
“Lots of changes since that happened. The two women who camped with Pavel have joined Robert’s group, and Piotr has joined us. I was planning to take him hunting tomorrow, find out what he’s like when we’re out on the trail. But I can do that here. What have you found?”
“There’s a small herd of bison, Matt, and they’re moving this way. Small compared to some we saw before, anyway. I estimate maybe fifty or so animals. They’re grazing their way toward us, just taking their time. The grass is pretty short, so lions may not have enough cover to hunt them in daylight.
“I intended to set up an ambush and take one or maybe two, but since they’re heading toward the camp, we might do better than that. The problem with only three of us is preparing the carcasses and protecting them from predators, and we can’t transport than many big animals. We haven’t seen any yet, but the lions and saber-toothed cats are out there somewhere. Wolves and bears too, probably. They’ll take our kills and maybe kill us if they get close before we see them.”
“Good thinking, Lee; they haven’t learned to keep away from humans yet. It’s easier to steal dinner from us than separate a bison from the herd.”
“Anyway, I think we’ve got at least two hours to get into position, Matt. There’s a rise a couple of miles out, small trees on the top. They’ll provide concealment and protection if we need to climb, but with more people we’ll be safer. I was a bit worried about heading out onto the plains with only three of us.”
“Robert’s sending more. It was taking time for him to get people rounded up. I brought Piotr and Laz with me and Marc is bringing Robert and a few more. They’ll be here in an hour or two. I think Robert wanted to bring travois along to transport the meat, so they’ll be slower.
“We’re five now, so why don’t we head out and get into position? Marc knows where I intended to wait for the herd. He’ll bring Robert and the crew up.”
Matt nodded and Lee gestured to Piotr and Philippe. The three headed out into the plains, Lee leading; Matt and Laz followed behind. The slight rise lay ahead, across a mile-wide strip of open grassland.
“I figure the herd is still at least a mile to the south, and they’re traveling slow. We can find spots in the brush and wait. If they begin to veer away, we’ll decide what to do when it happens. I thought about trying to drive them toward the copse of trees. What do you think?”
Matt thought about it, then said, “I could take Laz and Piotr with me and try it. If the bison are beyond bowshot, we might be able to cause them to head your way. Let’s wait a while. Plenty of time to decide when the herd gets closer.”
Lee nodded.
“Lee, have you thought of putting someone up in one of the trees? They could see a lot more than we can. Maybe your man Philippe?”
“Good idea, Matt. Why not Piotr?”
“Not yet. I don’t know enough about him. If a predator or maybe several of them come our way, I want someone up there who’ll see them in time to warn us. Think Philippe can be relied on?”
“Maybe. He’s got some experience, but I’ve got more. I think I need to be the one who goes up the tree.”
“OK, go ahead. I’ll put Piotr and Philippe in position, Laz can go back and see if he can hurry Robert and get him here before the herd arrives. Time enough for me to take Piotr and head out if the herd starts to change direction. Wind’s still pretty good, not very strong and it’s coming from the southwest.”
Lee nodded and headed for a tree atop the knoll.
He returned after an hour.
“Matt, Laz is coming with Robert’s crew and the bison are drifting in their direction. I think the herd will pass us on the east side.
“I’ll send Philippe to warn Robert to hold his position. If they stop pretty soon, they’ll be able to push the critters toward us.”
“I’ll do it, Lee. You keep Piotr and Philippe with you. I’ll let Robert know what we intend. You OK with that?”
“Sure, Matt. That’s probably best. We can take several animals from this side, and if they head your way, you can probably get one or two.”
Matt nodded and set off, bent slightly forward. Half an hour of trotting found him approaching Robert’s group. He stood upright and waved his bow overhead in warning.”
“Matt, did you find Lee?”
“They’re on that little hill, Robert. Lee’s got Piotr and Philippe with him and the bison herd looks like they’ll pass between Lee’s party and us. We’ll need to be careful, but if they try to pass too far from Lee, we might be able to kill some here or push them toward Lee. The closer they are to us before we shoot, the shorter the distance we’ll have to carry the meat.”
Robert nodded. “Bring up t
he carts. We’ll put them out ahead, between the herd and us. If they decided to run our way, the carts might give us a little protection.”
“You’ve got carts, Robert?”
“Sure do. We’ve got three ready now and we’ll have twelve or fifteen before we move on. Maybe even more, or maybe we’ll need to build spare wheels and axles. We’re adapting the travois. Chop off the trailing ends, tie the travois poles to the axle and attach the wheels. It’s easy to do. Making the wheels has been a little slow, but the biggest holdup now is finding something we can use for grease. The wheels might last, but if we don’t have grease we’ll wear out axles fast.”
“OK, we can talk about it later. Let’s get them into position. Something else we can do, Robert. Get people gathering wood or dried brush, dried grass, anything. I’ll build a small fire behind the carts. If the bison look like they’re coming our way, toss brush or weeds on the fire. The animals won’t run over a fire.”
#
Matt pulled dried grass stems and crushed them into a near powder. The carts were now in position, lined up to form a barrier should the bison turn away when Lee began shooting. The first cart sat with the two poles resting on the ground. The other two had been pulled up in a line and the pole ends laid across the axle of the one in front. Matt nodded; clever way of doing it. He dumped the grass stems he’d crushed behind the cart and began making a fire. He soon had a wisp of smoke and a tiny flame, enough for now.
A stack of fuel had been brought up by the others. Robert appointed a fire-tender in Matt’s place, and the two leaders moved out in front to watch the herd.
The herd’s leader, what appeared to be an older cow, fed placidly along and the herd followed. She soon passed between the two groups of watchers.
“Robert, I think we need to push them toward Lee. We don’t have time to move the barricade and it’s not very strong anyway. I think we just move out and get as close as we can, then start shooting. The herd should move toward Lee and he can also get one or two. If they head for us, everyone retreats to the fire and builds it up fast. You explain it to the others, I’ll take a couple of people with me and head directly for the herd. You can bring up the rest when you’re ready.”
