Grizzly Killer: The Medicine Wheel

by Lane R Warenski

  It was a cold uncomfortable night as the three of them huddled under the pines waiting for it to get light enough to continue. Each of them tried to sleep but none succeeded. A couple of hours before first light they were up walking in place trying to stay warm.

  Zach could barely see the tree trunks as they started out again, he depended on Ol’ Reds ability to see in the dark to pick a trail through the timber. He led them in a circle a couple of miles across and finally headed back west towards Black’s Fork and home.

  They were high on the mountain as it got light, in the large basin that was the head waters of Henry’s Fork. They were now crossing large meadows dotted with small lakes and by midmorning they stopped to let the horses graze for an hour. Zach laid down in the warmth of the sun and rubbed his aching leg. His ribs were still mighty sore and he asked Running Wolf to tighten the strap he still had tied around his chest.

  He was tired, dead tired, and he felt much older than his twenty-three years would indicate. As the sun warmed him through he dozed off, Jimbo was right by his side. When he opened his eyes he could hear the soft snoring of Jimbo, and even the relaxed breathing of Running Wolf and Buffalo Heart. He didn’t move at all until he was sure all was safe. He could hear Ol’ Red and the horses munching on new tender shoots of grass that was just starting to come up in the meadow and he knew all was safe. He laid there for just a few more minutes then sat up. Movement caught his eye from the other side of the small lake they had stopped by and he watched as a dozen mountain sheep made their way higher up the basin.

  Looking at the sun he could tell they had been there longer than he had expected to be. So he gently nudged Running Wolf and Buffalo Heart then with the help of his crutch got back on his feet. Jimbo stretched and yawned, and that got Buffalo Heart laughing as he said he’d never seen anything open their mouth that wide. Zach just smiled and rubbed the big dog’s ears saying, “Ya just got a lot of mouth ta open, don’t cha boy?”

  The mood was much lighter now they’d had a little rest and the threat of the Arapaho was no longer imminent. They mounted up and continued and even though he really wanted to make it back today, they had just too far to go. Zach heard the cawing of crows and looked up just as they flew overhead and thought if he could fly like the crows he could be back home in an hour. He knew however that following these game trails through the timber and rough country it would take well over a day to get there.

  From the head waters of Henry’s Fork, they followed game trails through the thick forest westward. They traversed the ridge separating Henry’s Fork from Smith’s Fork and from the top they could see all the way across Smith’s Fork canyon. Starting down the ridge toward the stream they jumped several small herds of deer and Zach whistled to bring Jimbo in close. Then asked Running Wolf to take the lead. He hadn’t had a hot meal since he had left home. He knew it had only been four days but it felt like a month to him. His leg still throbbed and his ribs hurt. He was tired and needed rest and above all he was worried about Shining Star. He knew he could do nothing for her that Sun Flower, Raven Wing and White Feather couldn’t do but he was worried and wanted to be there. He also knew they weren’t going to make it today, it was just too far and the going was too slow. It really felt like a long ways home.

  Running Wolf moved out ahead, Zach waited there with Jimbo and Buffalo Heart for a full ten minutes before he headed out following Running Wolf’s trail. It was now late afternoon and they were heading to a spot where they had camped at before. He hadn’t seen Running Wolf in over an hour but his trail was plain and they just continued following. He was hoping to hear a shot from Running Wolf’s rifle taking a deer but the only sounds they could hear was the soft breeze blowing through the pines and blue jays squawking as they rode past.

  Besides the tracks Running Wolf’s Chestnut was leaving there were also deer and moose tracks in the trail. They come out of the timber into a large meadow with another small lake out in the middle of it. On the edge of the lake there were four or five pines growing together in a tight group. He followed the trail toward the pines then caught sight of movement just on the other side of the pines. He stopped and readied his rifle, Buffalo Heart came up alongside with an arrow in his bow. Then Jimbo took off toward the trees as Running Wolf’s Chestnut swung his tail again keeping the biting flies away.

  As the trail passed the trees they seen Running Wolf dressing out a yearling buck that had come to the lake for water. There were two bloody arrows lying on the ground that he had pulled from the deer’s side. He looked up and smiled as Zach and Buffalo Heart approached. Buffalo Heart jumped down to help and in just a few minutes they had the small buck tied over the back of Buffalo Hearts pinto.

  It was only a couple of more miles to where they planned on spending the night. This late in the afternoon they were seeing much more game than they had most of the day. There were the mountain sheep coming out in the upper meadows and a moose with a new born calf. The calf could only have been a few hours old for it was still wobbly standing by its mother. Several more deer scattered as they entered the pines on the other side of the meadow. Zach sighed with relief as they approached the spot where they had camped before.

  He slowly got off Ol’ Red and winched as he used his wounded leg to keep his balance as he untied the make shift crutch from his big mule’s side. Running Wolf came right over and untied Zach’s bed roll and laid it out on the ground. Then he said, “Grizzly Killer, sit down and let me look at your leg.” Buffalo Heart quickly got a fire started close to where Zach was sitting, then went right to work caring for Ol’ Red and the two horses.

  Running Wolf slowly unwrapped the leather strap around Zach’s wounded leg then looked up saying, “You must stop making yourself such an easy target for Arapaho arrows. Last time it was your arm and now your leg. Next time it might be some place that won’t heal.” Zach knew Running Wolf was just making light of the situation but what he said was true. Zach didn’t know what he could have done to prevent this wound but he committed to himself he would be more careful in the future.

  The wound was getting red around the edges on both sides of his leg and they both knew it needed the medicines that Raven Wing had at home. Running Wolf set up a small ring of rocks and set the fresh deer hide over them and pushed the hide down in the center forming a small bowl. He filled the bowl full of water then with two forked sticks he took a fist sized rock from the fire ring and placed it in the water. The water spit and sizzled and just a couple of minutes later was almost too warm to touch. Running Wolf soaked the piece of leather they were using as a bandage in the hot water then wrung it out and cleaned the wounds then did the same thing again adding fresh water and another hot stone.

  While Running Wolf was caring for the wound in Zach’s leg Buffalo Heart put several strips of the deer meat on sticks around the fire.

  When Running Wolf was satisfied the wounds were as clean as he could get them he soaked the leather strip one more time until it was about to hot to handle and wrapped it tightly around the wounds. Zach closed his eyes against the pain then breathed a deep breath of relief as the warmth started to ease the deep ache he had been dealing with all day.

  It was almost dark when the meat was done and they all ate their fill. Jimbo was given a whole front shoulder and seemed just as happy as could be. As the last of the light faded the temperature fell and Buffalo Heart and Running Wolf brought in enough firewood to keep the fire burning throughout the night. They were all dead tired and as Zach listened to a wolf howling not far above them he wondered about the white wolf of Running Wolf’s dream and really wondered if it could have been Luna. However, his last thought before he drifted off the sleep was of Shining Star and Sun Flower and his unborn child.

  The stars were nearly faded away when Zach opened his eyes. He listened and smiled at the natural sounds of the forest around them. Jimbo was already gone on his morning hunt and he rolled onto his side and added several small sticks to the still glowing coals of the fir
e.

  He felt much better this morning, they had all needed a full night’s sleep. Buffalo Heart set up and yawned, looked at Zach, then said, “Seemed like I just barely laid down.”

  Then Running Wolf added, “We did, you too should to go back to sleep.”

  Zach was ready to get moving again. He knew they still had a long way to go through these rugged mountains. They ate more of the fresh deer strips, drank their fill of the cold mountain spring water and got under way again. He knew they would be home before dark but he figured it would take them about all day to get there.

  As they came down off the ridge separating Smith’s Fork from Black’s Fork, Zach noticed the hair start to rise down the middle of Jimbo’s back. He readied his Hawken and silently nodded to Running Wolf and Buffalo Heart to do the same. He slowed way down then stopped just before they came to the edge of the trees. If his leg wasn’t wounded, he would have got off Ol’ Red and went forward on foot but he knew he couldn’t move well enough with his wounded leg. He nudged Ol’ Red slowly forward where he could see out from the trees and across the open area to the stream but from where he was he couldn’t see a thing.

  Jimbo was standing right there with him the hair still up on his back and every muscle tense. He held up his hand signaling Running Wolf and Buffalo Heart to stop. Then he stepped out into the open. Only forty yards in front of him a large sow grizzly stood up out of the brush on her hind legs starring right at him and then he seen the two small cub’s right by her side. Jimbo’s lips were cured, his hair was standing on end, and every muscle tense but he never moved or made a sound.

  Zach knew they couldn’t out run her in the timber if she charged. He wasn’t even sure they could out run her out in the open. He very slowly moved Ol’ Red away from her following the tree line but staying in the open where he could run full out if she charged. Jimbo stayed right where he was between Zach and the grizzly. She stood there watching him, he made ten yards, then twenty. She never took her eyes off him as he slowly moved away. Then Jimbo started slowly following his master as well. Running Wolf had seen the movement of her standing up and at that he and Buffalo Heart were slowly moving back up the trail away from her.

  Zach never took his eyes off the bear either, he trusted Ol’ Red to pick the best route away. There was now more than one hundred yards separating them and she was still standing there watching him ride away. He glanced forward for just a second and when he looked back again she was moving upstream with her two young cub’s right at her heels. He kept moving at a slow walk knowing Running Wolf and Buffalo Heart would catch up to him when they knew it was safe. Jimbo stayed back behind Ol’ Red still keeping himself between Zach and the bear.

  He kept moving at the slow walk for another mile then stopped to wait for the other two. When Running Wolf rode up he smiled then looked at Buffalo Heart saying, “Maybe we should travel by ourselves, Grizzly Killer not only attracts arrows but grizzlies too. A man could get killed staying too close to him.”

  Buffalo Heart looked at Grizzly Killer, not able to contain the smile and said, “That is true, maybe we should, but tell me how it is he always comes out ahead.”

  Zach just shook his head at the two of them and started Ol’ Red down Black’s Fork heading home.

  It was Bear Heart that noticed Luna this morning was watching the trail coming from the south, upstream, just the opposite direction from where she had last seen Running Wolf when he had left several days ago. Red Hawk had been out since early this morning riding a very large circle around their camp. When he rode back in he simply nodded at Bear Heart letting him know all was safe. Bear Heart pointed at Luna then and told them all, “I believe Grizzly Killer, Running Wolf, and Buffalo Heart, will be home today and they will ride in from the south. The little white wolf has known where Running Wolf has been ever since he left. She is truly Running Wolf’s spirit helper and she has powerful medicine as well.”

  That announcement brought a smile to all of their faces. Shining Star turned looking south, she had her hands on her very extended belly feeling the baby move and kick inside her. She was hopeful Bear Heart was right. Sun Flower walked up beside her took hold of her hand told her, “Our husband will be here today, my heart is happy this morning, the worry is gone.”

  Shining Star gripped her hand hard and as Sun Flower looked up at her she saw she was biting her bottom lip as a contraction racked her abdomen. Sun Flower helped support her until it was over then Shining Star weakly said, “Grizzly Killer better hurry or I may not be able to keep my promise.”

  Sun Flower could feel the tenseness in Shining Star and told her, “He will make it, I know he will.”

  At seeing her youngest daughter helping support Shining Star, White Feather came right over and told them, “It is time to get you ready for your little one to come and see the world.”

  Shining Star stood her ground and told them again she had promised Grizzly Killer she would wait until he returned. White Feather firmly pulled her toward her lodge saying, “Promise or no promise, when your little one is ready you can wait no longer.”

  15 Waited for You

  By midday, Zach, Running Wolf, and Buffalo Heart rode past where Grizzly Creek emptied into Black’s Fork. Zach paused for just a minute remembering his Pa and wishing he had the time to go up Grizzly Creek and visit his grave. However, that would have to wait ‘til after the baby was born and then he could introduce Capt. Jack to his first grandchild.

  It was still quite a piece back to camp and following the narrow trail along the stream made the going slow. Now they were in their home country and knew this trail well. Zach figured it would be another ten miles before the country opened up and they could make better time. He checked the position of the sun then urged Ol’ Red just a little faster. When they were, what he figured was three hours or so from camp, he stopped and called Jimbo back to him then without saying a word only moving his hands he told the big dog to go home and let them all know they were coming. Jimbo, with his large padded paws could move much faster over the rocks and rough terrain than any of the horses or faster than even the sure footed red mule. Within seconds he was out of site.

  Zach was leading the way, moving just as fast as was possible. Slowing only when they had to cross a particularly rough spot. This time of the year, with the snow melting in the high country the streams were all running mighty high and wild. At one point where a steep rocky ridge came down right to the edge of the stream, where they normally would just wade out through the water around it, the water was so high and moving so fast they had to backtrack a ways then climb up over the steep ridge higher up on the hill.

  Each of these delays made Zach feel more anxious so he tried to hurry all the more but these rugged mountains would only allow so much speed. He knew an extra hour was not worth risking an injury to any of them or their mounts, so he settled on a speed that was taxing but he figured safe.

  Luna was lying there still looking upstream just as she had been doing all day. Suddenly she stood and started to whine. Red Hawk stood up from by the fire and walked over to her when a minute later his eyes caught movement on the trail a quarter mile above camp. Before he could get to his weapons, Jimbo broke out into the open. Red Hawk jumped and yelled, a little louder than he had wanted to, “They’re back, I see the Great Medicine Dog.”

  Bear Heart rose to his feet and a minute later Sun Flower and White Feather helped Shining Star out of the lodge. Bear Heart had a disapproving look as he watched Shining Star struggle to stand straight and proud. White Feather looked at her husband and said, “Our adopted daughter has a strong will. Sometimes too strong I fear.”

  Jimbo came running into camp, excited to see them all. Red Hawk rubbed his ears and hugged the huge dog and even Luna was jumping up on his legs and letting him lick her face. They waited but the others didn’t come. After ten more minutes Shining Star was feeling distressed and asked, “Jimbo, where are they?” The big dog walked to her and Sun Flower sat down right in
front of them watching the trail to the north. Sun Flower reached out and patted his head saying, “Jimbo came ahead to let us know they are coming. They will be here soon.”

  Raven Wing had just finished nursing the baby as she walked up beside Sun Flower. She smiled at Shining Star saying, “Yes, my sister, you will not need to wait much longer, even the little white wolf knows they are not far away now.”

  It was nearly two hours after Jimbo had arrived in camp that he stood and barked at the trail facing south. Shining Star had refused to go back into their lodge, and to her relief she hadn’t had any further contractions. She could feel the baby was restless and had moved down putting extreme pressure on her wanting to come out but the raking pains and need for her to push had held off.

  Sun Flower and Raven Wing again helped her to her feet and only a moment later Jimbo took off up the trail to meet his returning master. It was only a couple of minutes more when they saw the long ears of Ol’ Red above the brush then the waving hand of Zach. They waited expecting Running Wolf and Buffalo Heart to be right behind him but they didn’t show. A feeling of dread shot through Raven Wing and she started to tremble. Red Hawk too had a very worried look, in fact they all were concerned, but the smile on the face of Grizzly Killer calmed most of their fears.

  As Zach rode up his eyes were locked on the beautiful smiling face of Shining Star. He could also see the distress in her dark eyes. Without thinking of his injured leg he jumped off Ol’ Red but when he put his weight on the leg it didn’t hold him and he fell right there in front of them all. Red Hawk and Bear Heart came to his aid, although Sun Flower wanted with all of her heart to run to her husband, she did not dare leave Shining Star’s side.