Peter’s expression changed as he shook hands with Grizzly Killer. Peter stared into Grizzly Killer’s face then smiled and said, “You done a lot a growin’ up since I last saw ya at dat first of Ashley’s Ronyvoo’s.”
Zach looked puzzled for he couldn’t remember seeing this trapper before. Peter seeing the confused look on his face continued, “You don’t ‘member me do ya?”
Zach just shook his head. “I was one a dem dumb bastards which figured he could beat ya shootin’ fer dat Hawken Rifle, I see’s yer still packin’. I ‘membered yer name but not that bearded face. But I’s did hear tell da Injuns was a callin’ ya Grizzly Killer afore we left to go back ta Saint Louie after loosin’ all our truck tryin’ ta cross the Snake.”
Zach then introduced Running Wolf telling them he was a Ute Warrior and the best partner any man could have. And Peter introduced Sean Finnegan saying he was a might inexperienced but was a good man and he and his brother Abner were both learning mighty fast. While Zach was talking with Peter and Sean, Running Wolf left to go get his horse and Ol’ Red. Sean was staring at Grizzly Killers necklace and finally asked, “What is them giant claws from?”
Grizzly Killer lifted the necklace over his head and handed it to Sean and told him, “They’re Grizzly claw’s from the bear that killed my pa.” As Sean handled the five-inch-long claws Peter shook his head and said, “I ain’t never saw no Grizzly afore.”
Grizzly Killer answered, “And hope you never do.”
When Running Wolf got back riding his chestnut and leading Ol’ Red, Peter was cutting the best parts off the Buffalo and invited Grizzly Killer and Running Wolf back to their camp. So they tied on as much meat as they could to the three horses and Ol’ Red and walked the couple of miles back east to the camp.
Their camp was set up in some brush at the top of a small draw completely out of sight, with no water anywhere close. Grizzly Killer noticed all of this and asked Peter if they’d had trouble. For this was not a place one would normally pick to camp. Peter said, “Let’s get this here meat off these critters and we’s will drink us some coffee and I’s tell ya why we’s up on this here dry bench instead of down by da river.”
Abner and Jacob came into camp dragging some branches to lash together a drying rack to make jerky out of most of the kill. They said they would just let it dry in the sun so there would be no smoke from a fire. Abner was only using one arm and hand, and he was still protecting his ribs with the other. When he saw Grizzly Killer notice he was hurt he just said, “Me rib’s is busted, that damn Ben Beaumont kicked me whilst I was down and stove me ribs in.”
At the mention of the Beaumont name Zach and Running Wolf both stopped working on lashing the rack together and looked up at Abner. Zach, speaking in a very serious tone asked, “Did you say Beaumont?”
Abner answered, “That I did, and a meaner pair of brothers was never born. I’d bet they’s mother didn’t even like ’em. Ben there is big and mean, but that Cal is a killer and as big as an oak tree.” Peter watched Zach and Running Wolf look at each other and asked, “Does ya all know dem fellers?”
Zach said, while finishing up the lashing he was working on, “I figure we both got a story ta tell over that coffee as soon as we get this jerky dryin’.”
They all worked together and in no time it seemed had the meat cut into strips and hanging on the rack but the flies got so bad they had to risk a fire under the rack to save the meat. They found as dry as wood as they could to hold the smoke down but it was plain the smoke would be seen from a considerable distance. It was midafternoon when they sat down around a small cooking fire with a pot full of coffee and fresh hump ribs roasting. Peter started telling the story of their journey west.
He told them how they had met up with Cal and Ben Beaumont in St. Louie and how he figured it would be a good idea to have them along. The addition of two big powerful men to travel through the wilderness with, he figured would make the trek safer by far. He told them how crossing the plains just seemed to get the best of Cal and how he got more sullen and meaner each day. That’s when Cal had started picking on Sean. Abner stepped in and the fight was on.
He told them how Cal had knocked Abner down and then Ben had kicked him while he was down busting at least three of Ab’s ribs. Then Jacob and he had forced Cal and Ben to leave at gun point and they figured somewhere along the river they would try to ambush them to get even for making them leave. He then went on telling about the dead Cheyenne’s and what they had pieced together from the tracks, how the Beaumont’s had met up with some other men that were heading east but they had turned around and were all traveling west together along the Sweet Water.
Zach thought about what he had heard then told of the fight with Bull Beaumont at the rendezvous at Sweet Lake. He went on telling of Bull’s friends having left there to head back to their home in Missouri. He said, “Sounds like Bull’s two brothers met up with Bull’s friends and the whole group is now headed west again and will probably be lookin’ fer me.”
Jacob spoke up then saying, “They’s sure ‘nough travelin’ together but maybe not by choice. That there one grave we’s found when they met up might mean they had a right serious disagreement ‘bout somethin’.”
Zach was pondering on all that he had heard as Jacob continued, “An ‘nother thing we’s cain’t be forgettin’ is dem tracks of the Cheyenne that appeared to get away from dat fight. They’s could be a whole herd of dem ornery rascals lookin’ fer revenge as well and they’s might not be too particular who they’s takes dat revenge on.”
Peter added, “Dat’s right, dem Cheyenne’s is ‘nother reason we’s is away from da river, I knows any Injun could find us but if’n they follow along the tracks as we did they’s will know it t’weren’t us dat fought ‘em.”
After a few sips of coffee and finishing off another of the roasted ribs, Zach spoke, “We got us a winters worth of meat to make and the only people that know we’re up here on the Sweet Water is a band of Shoshone from the village of Charging Bull and you four. I figure them two brothers of Bull’s will be lookin’ for me but this is mighty big country and I figure to just get on with our buffalo hunt and head back home and if the Beaumont’s do find me we’ll deal with ‘em then. To be right honest, I’m more afraid of them Cheyenne ‘cause I agree with you, they might not be to particular who they take their revenge on.”
Sean spoke up, “Me thinks them Cheyenne is bad, from all I hear tell, but I know firsthand about Cal and Ben and sure wouldn’t be wantin’ the two of them after me.”
Running Wolf had been mostly silent up to now but he looked right at Sean and said, “My brother here is Grizzly Killer, that name might not mean much where you come from but if you’re out here for long you’ll learn just what Grizzly Killer means. He has killed the mighty bears single handed. He has fought off a war party of Snake warriors all alone. He has defeated a war party of Blackfeet all by himself. He has killed the great Ute War Chief, Black Hand in a hand to hand battle and just last month killed Thunder Cloud, the greatest of all the Blackfoot war chiefs in yet another hand to hand fight. He has defended me from Snake Warriors and my village from an attack from the Arapaho, he has rescued stolen Ute girls from the Arapaho and returned them to their families. And he killed Bull Beaumont in a hand to hand fight with Bull never laying a hand on him. If Cal and Ben Beaumont comes after Grizzly Killer, they will wish they never heard of him.”
Sean and Abner just stared at Grizzly Killer with wide eyes and Peter shook his head and said, “You done a powerful lot in just a couple of years out here.”
Grizzly Killer just looked up and said, “I got the good lord looking over me and good people around me. I’ll be a friend to everyone ‘til they prove they won’t be a friend to me.”
Peter told them that the four of them planned on spending the fall trapping season on the feeder streams along the Popo Agie and hopefully find a friendly Snake village to spend the winter with. He continued telling Grizzly Killer, �
��Cal and Ben were headed to Jackson’s Hole to meet their brother but if you figure the ones they met down on da Sweet Water were the ones at Ronyvoo then they know their brother is dead and I’d suspect them to be looking for anyone to tell them where to find Grizzly Killer.”
Running Wolf spoke again this time to Grizzly Killer. “My brother, the Beaumont’s is travelin’ right through the Snake Nation and most all the Snakes know about where we live and the Snake’s is mostly friendly to the trappers.”
Zach was in thought for a minute then replied, “If Cal and Ben is like their brother was, the Snake’s won’t be friendly to ‘em for long.”
“Maybe not, but if they mention your name they may be told Black’s Fork before the Snake’s learn what kind a men they are.”
Zach just smiled and told them all, “I can’t live wonderin’ what might happen. Right now, we got winter’s meat to make. We’ll be mighty careful like we always are and if you’re not, you don’t last long out here. There is a lot a ways for a man to go under if he ain’t mighty watchful.”
At that Zach stood and thanked Peter, Jacob, Sean, and Abner for the coffee and friendship and told them their wives would be getting worried about them if they didn’t get back soon. Then Sean with a surprised look asked, “You got wives out here too?” Zach smiled and told him, “I got two wives, one Shoshone and one Ute and Running Wolf’s wife is the sister to my first one and my second one is Running Wolf’s sister and they is the purtiest three gals in all of the Rocky Mountains.”
They all stood up and shook hands. As Peter shook the hand of Grizzly Killer he smiled saying, “You’s really has done a powerful lot in just a couple of years.”
Zach smiled back and said, “I figure I’m just ‘bout the luckiest man in all these Shining Mountains.”
He and Running Wolf mounted up headed out and just as they topped the low hill and rode out of sight Jacob commented, “There goes one hell of a mountain man.” The rest just nodded then put more wood on the smoking fire to keep the flies off the drying meat.
Gray Prairie Ghosts
As Zach and Running Wolf started back to their camp they could see a dozen wolves feeding on the gut pile of the buffalo Peter and Sean had killed. Running Wolf commented it was too bad they didn’t have their winter fur there are so many of them following this herd it would be easy to get enough for warm winter coats.
They came upon the main herd of buffalo about half way back to their camp. Although the herd had stampeded when Peter and Sean had fired their guns they hadn’t run all that far, so they rode way out around them so not to frighten them any more than they already were. They jumped several small herds of antelope and saw half a dozen badgers on the rolling plains before getting back to their camp.
Jimbo met them when they were but a quarter mile out and as they rode into camp they could see several drying racks the women had put up. The teepees were up not far from the creek but the three women were nowhere in sight. They weren’t concerned for they both knew Jimbo would not be with them and happy if anything had happened to their wives. Just as Grizzly Killer was stepping out of the saddle he heard the laugh of Sun Flower as all three women appeared just down the creek each with a big bundle of wood for the smoking fires.
After caring for Ol’ Red and the chestnut, Grizzly Killer and Running Wolf watered all the stock then hobbled them so they could graze on the prairie grass that was growing all around their camp. There were high wispy clouds across the entire sky and a steady breeze that seemed to always blow out on the prairie. The sun was only a couple of hours from setting when they sat down around the small, almost smokeless fire and enjoyed a meal of stew made with wild onions, sego lily root and Camas bulbs that Raven Wing had found growing in abundance in a dried up marshy area of the creek just below camp. Zach and Running Wolf told them of the men they had met that day and of the possibility there may be some Cheyenne in the area. They didn’t talk about the two Beaumont brothers though, not wanting to worry their wives any more. And Zach didn’t believe the Beaumont would have any reason to look out here on the buffalo grounds anyway.
As the sun set those high clouds took on a red glow and Grizzly Killer took Sun Flower and Shining Star by their hands and went for a walk along the creek. They jumped a couple of deer that were drinking and watched as the frightened animals headed for a small shallow ravine that was just a short distance from the creek. As the light and color started to fade from the sky, the hundreds of wolves that were following this buffalo herd all started to howl almost at the same time. He wrapped an arm around each of his women as they listened to the mournful chorus of more wolves than he had ever heard before. As they walked back they saw a family of foxes leave the protection and cover along the creek and head to the open prairie looking for prairie dogs or other rodents the mother fox could find to teach her young how to hunt on their own. As they quietly entered camp they could hear the gentle sounds of Running Wolf and Raven Wing making love in their teepee. Without saying a word, they entered their lodge for the night. The light was faint inside but the flap was rolled up a few inches to let in the cool night air and Zach just smiled as he watched these two beautiful women slip out of their soft doeskin dresses and then they helped him out of his buckskins and the three of them crawled into the bed of soft tanned furs.
Just a couple of hours before dawn he was awakened but he couldn’t hear a thing. Then he realized he could hear the soft low growl from way down deep in Jimbo’s chest. He was up at once feeling for his buckskins when he heard the shrill scream of one of the horses. He grabbed his Hawken and, naked as a new born, ducked out of the teepee and headed for the horses.
Jimbo was way out in front and before he could see the problem Jimbo was into a vicious fight. Just a few steps further and he could see Jimbo fighting off two wolves and as a third was approaching the fight, he fired hitting it in the front shoulder. Then he could see two more turn toward him and not having any other weapon, he prepared to use his rifle as a club. Then, from just behind him he heard the roar of Running Wolf’s Rifle and the wolf closest to him collapsed. Just a second later another gun shot rang out in the night as Sun Flower fired her squirrel gun and the last wolf hit the ground. Jimbo had ripped the throat out of one of the two he was fighting and the other just ran off. Jimbo gave chase but Grizzly Killer whistled for him to come back.
Zach turned around to thank the others and the sight he seen just started him laughing for they were all out there in the night with their weapons and nothing else. Raven Wing had her bow, Sun Flower her rifle, Shining Star her bow, and Running Wolf his rifle and they as well as himself were completely naked. His laughing started the others to laughing and Jimbo just tilted his head back and forth trying to figure out what was going on. Grizzly Killer couldn’t see any of the horses down and had no idea which one was hurt but as he turned to head back to get dressed he stepped in a fresh pile of horse droppings, cussed and that started the others laughing all over again. He headed for the creek to wash his feet and as he was cleaning them off, Shining Star, after slipping into her dress, brought his buckskins to him.
He dressed in just a minute and pulled his moccasins on then checked on Jimbo while Running Wolf went out to check on the horses. The whole side of Jimbo’s head was covered with blood and he called the big dog over by the fire that Sun Flower and Raven Wing were getting built up again. There was a deep gash between his left eye and ear that was still bleeding some and he laid his hand across it with enough pressure to stop the bleeding. Then Shining Star got a needle and sinew from her kit and while Zach pulled the open wound together Shining Star stitched it up. Jimbo sat there being good for the first couple of stitches but the needle must have hit a nerve on the third stitch for he yelped and pulled away.
It was several minutes before they could coax him back to the fire to finish stitching it back together. Zach didn’t feel animosity toward the gray prairie ghosts for he knew they were only doing what it takes to survive in these wild and h
arsh lands, just like he did.
Just as they finished stitching Jumbo’s cut, Running Wolf came back from the horses. He said the wolves had tried to ham string the black pack horse but all he could find in the dark were teeth marks. He added he would take a closer look after daylight. By now there was just a slight paleness starting along the eastern horizon, so Sun Flower got the big coffee pot on the fire for they all knew there would no more sleep this night.
At daylight they saw the back of the black’s left leg was swollen and a closer look revealed deep puncher wounds where the wolf’s fang’s had penetrated. Raven Wing mixed a poultice and put over the bite as Running Wolf wrapped the leg. While Sun Flower made biscuits Shining Star took Jimbo to the creek and gently washed all the blood off him. Besides the gash in his head he had several puncture wounds from the wolves’ fangs. After they ate they went out and skinned the four dead wolves. Their pelts were a long ways from prime but they all figured it was worth the effort.
They figured on waiting another couple of days to let the buffalo settle down before they started the hunt. So Zach took this time to really scout the area. He left Running Wolf with the women, saddled Ol’ Red, called Jimbo and headed toward the Sweet Water. It took him an hour and a half at a good steady lope to reach the river and from up on the breaks he studied the river bottom for as far as he could see in both directions. After seeing nothing but a few antelope he headed down and found the trail. He followed it downstream heading east for quite a spell seeing the tracks he figured were the Beaumont brothers and two companions. He found where Peter Cosgrove and his party had come down to the river and watered their horses and laughed at the attempt they had made to cover their tracks. He passed where the creek they were camped on ran into the Sweet Water and continued on.
He kept heading east along the river with Jimbo out a quarter mile ahead until he figured it would be dark by the time he got back. He then turned and headed straight south. Up on the river breaks once again he studied the river bottom for as far as he could see. This land out here on the prairie seems to go on forever. He knew there were mountains just east of here, the Big Horns. He had seen them way off to the north when he first followed the Platte west with General Ashley.
Grizzly Killer: Under The Blood Moon Page 17
