Raven Wing had known this is what Blue Fox was going to say. She had the exact same thoughts. She looked at Blue Fox and then at Running Deer and said, “Running Deer, I know what Blue Fox has said is true, but I also know that you will live to be an old man. That you have the power to do with one arm what it takes others two arms to do. It was not my medicine that stopped Owl from taking you it was your own, I just helped you find that power. Now you must use your power for the rest of your long life.”
Two Feathers and Badger came forward and thanked Blue Fox for coming, but he shook his head and said, “It is my honor to the see the work of such powerful medicine and the strength and will of such a great young Ute warrior. In my lifetime, I have never before seen anyone survive a bite that bad from Snake.”
When Raven Wing got back over to where her family had the lodges set up she went right to Sun Flower and Gray Wolf. It felt good to hold her baby now she knew Running Deer was going to live.
Zach was anxious to see old friends and yet sad that Henry Clayson would not be here. He wondered if Henry’s men were here yet, for he still needed to talk to them. He needed to give them a first-hand account of just what had happened to Henry and the men that were with him.
As the sun went down there was just a slight breeze coming off the lake. It felt good in contrast to the warm summer sun of the day. The Sun had just dipped behind the mountains to the west and the high puffy clouds over those mountains were turning colors, from yellow, orange, red and pink along the edges, to deep purples and grays in the centers.
Zach was standing there watching all around with Jimbo right by his side as he saw a trapper approaching on foot. He held his hand up in greeting and then recognized Stinky Johnson as he approached.
Stinky held out his hand and said, “Grizzly Killer, I’m glad to see ya made it. We already heard Henry went under and most of his men, least the ones that made it are already here and they been wantin’ ta talk to ya.”
Zach just nodded and was almost glad he didn’t have to spread the word what had happened to Henry Clayson and his men. Stinky continued, “Has ya heard they ain’t no pack train of supplies comin’ this year? They brought ‘em out last fall fer the company men an’ there ain’t much left fer us free trappers.”
Zach just stared at Stinky and wondered just how much this news was going to affect him and his family for the next year.
28 The Narrows
Grub looked at Ely and Benny, shook his head and said, “We’s sure is havin’ a hard time shaken them Red Devils.”
“Ya, but least now we’s got a little fire power.” Ely replied.
The camp was packed up and ready to ride within minutes and Ely found Robert Campbell and asked him where he figured they could do the most good. Ely told him, “Me and Grub are pretty good scouts and we’s know this here country purty good. Benny’s young and jus’ learnin’ but he’s a mighty good shot.”
Campbell told him to take the point on the left and Grub to take the right, if the kid could handle their pack horses alright. He nodded at the leader and said, “Consider it done.”
Benny took all three pack horses and moved in place toward the end of the column. Campbell and his men had spent the last year trapping up on Clark’s Fork and they were fully loaded with plews as well. They all knew they would not be able to out run the Blackfeet unless they abandoned a whole year’s work which none of them were willing to do.
Most of the men with Campbell knew who Grub and Ely were but they did not know them well and when Campbell overheard one of his men question the wisdom of putting these new comers out front as scouts, Campbell confronted him saying, “Those two have survived these mountains since the very beginning of the fur trade and except for the first couple of years they have done it on their own. They have survived longer with just the two of them than most trappers have being members of a big brigade. You best believe they are the best of us to be out there.”
He then turned back and rode up to the front of the column. Benny never said a word but he grinned inside and was mighty glad Campbell was a strong and capable leader.
Grub and Ely stayed about a half mile in front of the column and about a half mile apart as they traveled through the morning hours. Lame Deer had left again, going back to keep track of the Blackfeet. Everyone knew with the pack horses all loaded as heavy as they were the Blackfeet were sure to catch them. Campbell pushed as hard as he could hoping they would reach Rendezvous before the Blackfeet made their move against them.
They stopped only long enough to give the horses a break every couple of hours and pushed well into the evening before they stopped for the night. When Ely and Grub rode back to the group Campbell and his men were talking about whether it was wise to light fires or not. Grub rode up to them and said, “Ya see that trail we’s leaving? Any Injun in these mountains that see’s that, knows how many we is and where we is, havin’ a fire ain’t gonna make no difference a tall.”
They stripped the packs off the horses and got fires started. Every one of them knew the horses needed rest and feed. Without their horses they couldn’t carry a year’s worth of work in the form of prime beaver skins to Rendezvous. That would mean the freezing cold, the loneliness, the danger along with all they had given up back home would be for nothing, they wouldn’t even have the supplies to get them through another year. Some men just seemed to be born to this life in the wilderness but for most of them it was just a way to make some money to get a start back home. Grub and Ely were such men and just like Grizzly Killer they wouldn’t leave the mountains to go back for any reason. They trapped because it was a means and a reason to stay, if they really needed a reason.
Ely was quiet as he ate the only partially dried mountain sheep from the day before. Grub asked him, “Pard, what ya thinkin’?”
Ely looked up and said, “Remember that narrow rocky canyon that we’s trapped two springs ago? The one that opened up after we got through the narrow rocky part.”
Grub thought for a minute and nodded. Ely continued, “I figure it’s only a half day or so south of us. If we lead this here column up that canyon.”
Grub interrupted, “That’s gonna slow us down even more, given ‘em Red Devils time to catch up even faster.”
“Not if we have half a dozen men waitin’ to ambush ‘em.” Ely replied.
Grub thought on that for a couple of minutes then started to nod his head and said, “Let’s go find Campbell.”
Lame Deer was back and talking to Campbell when Grub and Ely approached. Before they could say a word Campbell said, “Lame Deer figures them Blackfeet will catch us by tomorrow night and hit us at daylight the next day and he says he got a good look at ‘em today an’ figures there are between two the three hundred of ‘em.”
“Well, that’s what we’s come ta talk to ya ‘bout.” Grub replied.
Then Ely said, “Ya see, Mr. Campbell, there’s this narrow rocky canyon ‘bout half a day south of us that Grub and me trapped a couple of springs ago. That narrow rocky part is only fer the first mile or so then she opens up to a beautiful wide valley. Me and Grub figure if’n we had a half dozen good shots up on the rocks at the mouth of that canyon we could slow them blood thirsty bastards down some and give the rest of ya time to get up over the mountain into the valley of the Bear River, maybe even on to Rendezvous before they catched up.”
Robert Campbell thought for a minute then looked at Lame Deer. Lame Deer never said a word or changed his expression he just gave an almost imperceptible nod. Then Campbell looked back at Ely and said, “That’s gonna be almighty dangerous to just have six up against three hundred.”
“Yep, it ain’t gonna be fun fer sure, but I figure if we drop four or five of ‘em with one good round from all of us they ain’t gonna be in much of a hurry to continue followin’ ‘til they clean us outta there. That should give us ‘nough time to get away an’ catch up ta the rest of ya.”
“You volunteering?” Campbell asked.
�
�If’n you’ll see to ourn pack horses, I figure me, Ely and Benny are as good a shot as anybody and if you got another three that’ll volunteer I figure we can slow ‘em down ‘nough fer us to get down ta Sweet Lake. Theys gotta remember the thrashin’ we give ‘em last year when they attacked Chargin’ Bull’s village of Shoshone at Sweet Lake. I don’t figure they’ll want ta meet up with Grizzly Killer and them Ute’s again, let alone the rest of us.”
Campbell looked at the two for a minute then commented, “I heard about that, so you two were in on it, were ya?”
“Yep, we was right there with Grizzly Killer and the Ute’s hitting them from behind while the rest of ‘em was with the Shoshone.”
“Well it sounds like that might be our best chance, I’ll go ask for some volunteers.” Grub said to him as he was walking away, “Just make sure they can shoot, Captain.”
They were on their way before dawn the next morning. Lame Deer had left a couple of hours before going back to keep track of the Blackfeet. As dawn came there were nearly two dozen men each leading one or more pack horses loaded heavy with plews to trade at Rendezvous.
They were traveling south down the west side of the Salt River valley. It was lush and green, they could smell the pine from the hill side above them and there wasn’t a cloud in the brilliant blue sky. Grub heard the cry of a hawk and looked up but he couldn’t see it, the hawk was so high it faded into the blue and remained unseen. They had jumped several deer and a small herd of elk that all headed up into the pines on the hill as the column of trappers approached. At one point right after the sun came up, Ely rode up on moose calf and made a wide detour around it, not wanting a showdown with its mother this morning.
At midmorning, Grub left his point and rode back to the column. He asked Robert Campbell if they needed to stop or if the horses were able to continue on for another two or three hours, that is what he figured it would take them to reach the canyon where they planned on turning west and setting up the ambush.
Just then Lame Deer rode in, his horse white with lather from the hard run. He ignored everyone as he rode right up the Campbell and said, “Blackfoot come fast, catch before setting sun touches mountains.”
As Campbell looked at Grub, he could see a weariness in the leader’s eyes and Grub said, “Don’t worry Captain, we’ll make it.”
Campbell nodded as he stood up in the stirrups and shouted back at the column, “Move ‘em out men, push ‘em to their limit.”
As Grub kicked his horse into a gallop to get back to his position at point, Robert Campbell watched him and felt fortunate to have these two older experienced mountain men with him. Grub, Ely and now Benny with them, were free trappers not beholding to Rocky Mountain Fur Company for their livelihood, while Robert Campbell and his brigade were all employees of Rocky Mountain Fur. In reality even though Grub and Ely, like Grizzly Killer and many others were free trappers and could sell their furs to anyone, they had never sold their plews to anyone but Rocky Mountain Fur. They had heard rumors last winter that John Astor’s American Fur Company and maybe even others would be at Rendezvous this year bringing more competition and they hoped that might bring the prices up some.
Lame Deer left the column again, but this time he didn’t go all the way back to watch the Blackfeet. He stayed only a couple of miles behind the column. He was just making sure some of their lead scouts couldn’t get that close to them. He had never seen Grub and Ely before but in the very short time since he and Gray Feather had found them he had grown to like them and every day his respect for them grew. He thought of Gray Feather and he hoped he had made it through and found their Flathead village to warn them of the large Blackfoot war party. He didn’t want to think the same thing could happen to his village that had happened to the village of his cousins and friends that these two older trappers had told them about.
Ely saw the rocky defile that was the mouth of the canyon while they were still several miles away. He knew the heavily laden horses had not had a break all day and he could tell the pace was slowing. He rode back and told them all they had to keep up the pace for maybe another hour to make it to the canyon and that everyone would have to push them hard. If the Blackfeet caught them out here in the open, they would just surround them and none would survive.
There was fear on the faces of some but most just had the look of determination. Ely gave a slight smile to Benny as he was handling all three of their pack horses while he and Grub were out riding point. As young as Benny was, there was no fear showing in his face, only determination. Not only did he believe Ely and Grub would get them through, more than anything in this world he did not want to let them down. Ely was proud of him and had never been sorry he and Grub had taken him in.
He rode alongside Benny for a little ways telling him another hour and they would be there and asked him, “You sure you wanna stay behind with us? We sure won’t think less of ya if’n you just take care of all these plews instead.”
Benny looked at him like he was disappointed and asked the older trapper if he didn’t think he could do it.
Ely regretted saying anything when he looked into the youngster’s face, and said, “Boy, they ain’t a man here I’d rather have by my side than you. You’re as good with that long rifle as either me or Grub and you have proved that time and time again, only this ain’t gonna be just a hunt we’s plannin’. These Blackfeet is out ta kill us. You ‘member what they did to that Flathead village, your life is just startin’ out an’ I’d hate ta see it end so soon.”
Benny looked up at Ely and said, “I know I ain’t seen near as much out here as you, and I don’t know as much neither. I’ve barely been here a year now, but one thing I do know, I ain’t gonna die today and neither are you or Grub. I’m gonna be right by your side when them Blackfeet show up and we is gonna show ‘em what these long rifles is made fer.”
Ely smiled at him gave a slight nod and urged his horse into a fast lope right for Grub. Grub stopped for a minute and waited for his long-time partner to catch up. When Ely rode up Grub asked him to stay about half way between him and the column that he was going to ride ahead and check out the canyon to make sure it was still passable. A worried look crossed Ely’s face and he said, “I never even considered we might not could make it through.”
Grub replied, “Me neither ‘til jus’ a little while ago.” Ely nodded and told his partner to ride hard that time was short.
Grub was waiting for them at the mouth of the canyon when Ely rode up. Less than half a mile behind him came the rest of the column. Ely asked Grub how it looked and he smiled and said, “It’s passable, but it ain’t gonna be easy or fast. Wish we had time ta rest these poor animals ‘fore they have ta make that climb.”
Ely replied, “They’s jus’ gonna have to get tough like the rest of us cause I’s feared we’s out a time.”
Just then Lame Deer and Robert Campbell rode up. As Grub was explaining to Campbell what he could expect as he followed the canyon up, Lame Deer wondered off a little ways studying the hill sides on both sides of the rocky canyon. When he came back, he listened to Grub closely as he was explaining to the captain that about three fourths of mile up the trail gets real steep and narrow, so narrow he figured some of the bigger packs would be scraping the sides.
Lame Deer interrupted asking, “What above the trail?”
Grub looked at him and said, “I didn’t pay close attention, but I figure just rocks.”
Lame Deer smiled and asked, “We can make rock fall on trail?”
Ely and Grub both smiled knowing now what Lame Deer was thinking. Grub said to Campbell, “Captain, you gotta get all these men up above those narrows ‘fore them Blackfeet devils catch us. This here wily ol’ scout you got jus’ might a saved us all.”
Ely asked Grub how long he figured it would take to climb up above the narrows and pry enough rocks loose to close off the trail. Grub just shook his head and said, “All the time we’s got Pard, all the time we’s got.”
They pushed the tired horses up through the rocky defile barely giving them time for a drink out of the cool clear creek that they would be in and out of for the next couple of miles as they made their way west out of the valley of the Salt River. Lame Deer took two volunteers and started climbing up the north side while Ely, Grub and Benny started up the south side of the defile. Their riding horses were tied in line with their pack horses and were pulled along with the rest of the column as they made their way up the narrow rocky trail.
When Robert Campbell made it through the narrows he was amazed at the beautiful valley that opened up in front of him. He could see beaver ponds lined with willows, meadows with grass nearly as high as a horse’s belly. The mountains on both sides were covered with pine and aspen forests. As he looked around he was thankful once again that their path had crossed with Grub, Ely and Benny. He honestly believed Grub and Ely knowing about this canyon had probably saved them.
It was hard climbing as they made it from one foot hold to the next, from one hand hold to the next. Ely looked across the rocky canyon and seen Lame Deer and his men were making a little better time than he, Grub and Benny were.
By the time he had reached the spot he was headed for, he could see Lame Deer was already working on a large rock that was hanging precariously out from the hillside. They were now high enough on the hill they could see back down into the valley of the Salt and could see the Blackfeet were just entering the rocky canyon. A chill ran down his back as he seen the number of them and remembered how the Flathead warriors had been tortured to death. Knowing well the same or even worse awaited them if they failed to out run or out fight these determined Blackfeet that was out to rid this land of all white men.
As the Blackfeet made their way toward the narrows their leader started to slow and at one point stopped altogether. They studied the hill sides above them as if they knew just what Lame Deer had been thinking. When they came to the place in the trail that they had started their climb the Blackfoot leader stopped, got off his horse and studied the trail closely.
Grizzly Killer: The Medicine Wheel Page 23
