Land of the Dogs (The Colter Saga Book 5)

by Joel Baker

  “Of course it would be there!” Molly said. “Stone Faces! That’s the mountain with the heads of famous men carved on it.”

  “Presidents,” James said a concerned look on his face. “I think they were the heads of Presidents.”

  “Whatever,” Molly said. “Why the glum face, James?”

  “For openers,” James said. “That location is smack dab in the center of Lakota territory. I figure we’ll have a life expectancy of days, not weeks. I don’t think we can move there. It would be suicide.”

  “Who or what are the Lakota?” Shannon asked.

  “A federation of plains tribes,” James said. “Mostly Sioux, but there are a few other tribes thrown in.”

  “Are they dangerous?” Molly asked.

  “Some general named Custer didn’t think so,” James said. “He and a bunch of troops were massacred by the Lakota a long time ago.”

  “I can’t believe Banner would lead us into that kind of danger,” Molly said.

  “He wouldn’t,” Shannon said. “Matthew, see if he’s around.”

  It took till mid-afternoon to locate Banner, and then only after they asked Max and Jessica to join them. There had been some intrusion into Colter Canyon by some of the men from the Walker place. It turned out to be nothing.

  James wondered about the Walker ranch. They must know this area of the country was becoming unlivable. They were probably curious about what the Colters were going to do. None of the Colters had a good read on Rachael’s new husband or trusted him.

  Matthew and Shannon met with Banner on the front porch. Shannon held little Jason in her lap where he sat staring intently at the giant dog. His thumb was in his mouth.

  Banner, Matthew started. We think we know where you want us to settle. It is a place we call Mount Rushmore. It has giant heads of men carved in the top of the mountain.

  That is the place, Banner said.

  We are concerned that this place is located in the heart of the Lakota territory, Matthew said. These men are against anyone living in their country.

  They are gone, Banner said. It is the land of the dogs.

  Where did they go? Shannon asked.

  Banner looked at Shannon, then Matthew, and back to Shannon before answering.

  We only talk to one person at a time, Banner said.

  Look, Shannon said. Don’t start with all your dog rules now, Banner. Where did the tribes go?

  Banner looked over at Matthew.

  Don’t look at me, Matthew said. I’d answer her.

  They left over a year ago. Banner said, looking back at Shannon. They were following the buffalo. We fought at first. But they decided not to come into the land of the dogs anymore.

  So they stopped trying to kill you? Matthew asked.

  No, Banner said. We stopped killing them.

  What if they come back and try to drive the Colters away? Matthew asked.

  Then we will kill them again, Banner said. The dog people and Colters are forever. Among all the people, we are only strong together. The dogs need the Colters. The Colters need the dogs. We will protect you to the death. That is all we can do.

  They all sat on the porch thinking about what Banner had said.

  Good doggie, someone said silently.

  Shannon and Matthew both turned and stared at Jason. The little boy sat smiling, pointing directly at Banner.

  “Well,” Matthew said, smiling. “It looks like we have another talker in the family.”

  ****

  Matthew and Shannon met with the rest of the Colters that evening. They explained the dangers involved in attempting to settle at Stone Faces. They also discussed the dog’s commitment to protecting them. James and Molly were pensive.

  Tate and his family were visibly alarmed. Their village had been burned and their families massacred by the Sioux. James knew what must be going through their minds at the thought of returning to the clutches of their people’s enemy. Fala seemed to resolve herself, and stood to speak.

  “Mama and Papa,” Fala said. “I know how much you hate the idea of going back to the Sioux lands. I was with you when we returned to our village. I saw what they did to our families. I saw what they did to our friends. But that was before we became Colters. We learned of the dogs and their relationship with the Colters. We trust the Colters. The Colters trust the dogs. We must trust the dogs as well.”

  “It is hard,” Tate said. “But we will think about what you have said. We have much to talk about.”

  “Papa, know that I will be with my husband Matthew,” Fala said. “Your only grandson Jason will be with the Colters. Both Jacy and Copa will probably choose to go with us.”

  “Tate,” Matthew said, standing by Fala. “I know it is hard, but we have a hundred years of partnership with the dogs. We love them as family. You know how special these dogs are. But you haven’t seen the dogs when they are angry. For that, be grateful. When the dogs say they will protect you, know that it is to the death.”

  ****

  Midmorning the next day, Matthew, Dalton, and James stood by the edge of a deep hole watching Jacy shovel dirt. He threw it well over his head. The pit would be the cache storage place for what they had to leave behind. Mostly tools, there were also dishes, pans, all sorts of household objects. Everything would be wrapped carefully to protect it from rust or breakage. It was hoped they could retrieve these items and bring them north soon.

  Nate joined the three men staring into the hole. He watched as dirt was being thrown over the edge.

  “Jacy is a hard worker,” Nate finally said. “That is a deep hole.”

  “The boy can dig,” James said. “No doubt about it.”

  “He’s almost as tall as me,” Dalton said. “He’s going to be a big one.”

  “I only see one problem,” Nate said.

  “What’s that?” James asked.

  “How’s he going to get out of the hole?” Nate asked.

  “That could be a problem,” James said, laughing. “We have a ladder we can pass down to him.”

  They watched until it was time to lower the ladder into the hole for Jacy. He came over the edge sweaty, covered in gritty dirt, and smiling. Jacy, now nineteen, was tall and showed signs of what he would become as a man.

  “Is it deep enough?” Jacy asked, not even out of breath.

  “It is perfect,” James said. “We’ll start lowering things into it this afternoon.”

  “James, can we talk?” Nate asked.

  “Of course,” James said.

  “Nina and I have decided we will be going north with you,” Nate said. “We know what we may face, but if it comes to that, well, we would choose no other place or time.”

  “I know Fala will be very happy you’re going with us,” Matthew said. “She didn’t get much sleep last night,”

  “We already told her,” Nate said. “She was very happy.”

  “That is good news,” James said, smiling. “I was afraid we’d have to tie you both up and drag you north on a travois.”

  “I’m glad that won’t be necessary,” Nate said.

  “Have Jacy bring anything you have to leave behind,” James said. “We’ll cover everything in cheese cloth and tarps. Then we’ll put in a layer of planks and cover it all with four feet of dirt.”

  “Won’t it be easy to spot by anyone coming through here?” Matthew asked.

  “We can plant dead bushes on top and move in some large rocks,” Nate said.

  “Good,” James said. “We’ll meet here this afternoon.”

  ****

  It was overcast the day they left Colter Canyon. It took just over two days to reach Pueblo. The preparations to leave had gone smoothly. Because of the prolonged drought, no one was sorry to be leaving. Jessica rode her pony and seemed excited by the prospect of going on a long journey. Max stayed by her side, maintaining a steady gait.

  James expected the trip to Pueblo to go well. They’d made this trip a number of times, and the road was in reasonabl
y good condition. They had the added advantage of Banner and two of his brothers scouting out in front of them. The dogs made sure there was no one waiting to ambush them. It enabled the Colters to make good time.

  Given the pleasant trip to Pueblo, the trip through the town was depressing. The river had always been the hub of activity in Pueblo. Now it was little more than a sluggish stinking stream of waste and garbage. There appeared to be a small shanty town downstream. A forlorn collection of drunks and homeless families waited there for something, anything to happen.

  The dogs disappeared as they came into Pueblo. The Colters rode slowly by a group of hard cases hanging out in front of one of the few saloons still operating. Matthew became concerned that the situation could grow treacherous in a heartbeat.

  Banner, Matthew said. It’s getting a little tense here. Where are you?

  I can see you, Banner answered.

  Can you see those men on the porch watching us? Matthew asked.

  We see them, Banner said. If they move, should we kill them?

  No, Matthew said. We should have it covered.

  Nate rode up by beside Matthew. They reached the end of the street and turned north out of town. When they were a couple of miles out of Pueblo, Nate signaled to Matthew he wanted to talk.

  “I was afraid the dogs had disappeared back in Pueblo,” Nate said.

  “They were there,” Matthew said. “They’re always there. Besides Nate, we had enough fire power to take care of any trouble that came up.”

  “I’m sorry if I sound frightened all the time,” Nate said. “It’s just I’ve never been with people who defended themselves like the Colters. Our tribe was a peaceful tribe. We never confronted anyone and would do anything we could to avoid a fight.”

  “I understand that, Nate,” Matthew said. “But the Colters are different. Do you see Dalton riding slightly off to the right and a little behind the rest of us?”

  “Yes,” Nate said.

  “Do you see his rifle lying across his saddle?” Matthew asked.

  “Yes,” Nate said, studying Dalton from a distance.

  “You probably can’t tell from here,” Matthew said. “But I’ll bet he has a forty five strapped to his leg, a backup pistol in his belt, and a knife in his boot.”

  “Okay,” Nate said, smiling. “Just tell me when to duck my head.”

  “If we open up,” Matthew said. “Nobody will have to tell you.”

  Chapter 6

  It was another week until the Colters saw green grass. It didn’t start all at once. Molly was the first to notice a few green shoots of grass in among those dried, brown grasses. The wind freshened with the first touch of humidity in the warm breezes.

  The next morning there was a light covering of dew on the grass when they awoke. The air had a chill to it. It was the first week of June. They were just sixty miles north of Cheyenne, Wyoming.

  James thought they were half way to the land of the dogs. He and Dalton studied the map. Their route from here would be anything but direct. It took a serpentine route between areas designated on the map as The Badlands and The Black Hills. With horses dragging travois, they couldn’t afford to tackle rough terrain. At best, they figured it would take another two weeks.

  They stopped late in the afternoon for the night. Each person went to the tasks they had assumed during the trip. James and Dalton stretched and staked the massive canvas tarps they used for an awning. Campfires were lit. The horses fed and watered.

  The dogs disappeared for several hours in the evening. They returned after dark with a food for Max. Matthew had managed to shoot a brace of prairie chickens. Fala and Shannon added them to the pot of stew that had been feeding them since they left Colter Canyon. They simply added whatever they had to the pot.

  Little Jason followed Jessica and Max around, listening to the conversations between the two. Both watched over the boy like a little brother. Copa, now sixteen, stayed close to her sister Fala and Shannon. It was she that noticed a difference in Fala as they cooked over the hot fire.

  “Fala, shouldn’t you take it easy?” Copa asked.

  Both women turned and stared at the smiling Copa.

  “Why do you ask?” Fala asked her younger sister, giving her a suspicious look.

  “You’ve been eating like there’s no tomorrow,” Copa said, still smiling. “I noticed you stopped tucking your shirt in. I assumed it was because you were starting to show.”

  “Don’t tell anybody, Copa,” Shannon said. “Once we get to South Dakota, Fala will tell everybody. Until then, we don’t need to add to anyone worries.”

  “What about the dogs?” Copa asked. “Don’t they know about this kind of thing before we do?”

  “That’s how I found out,” Fala said. “Banner came over and told me. He seemed pleased somehow. He thought the baby might be a talker like Jessica.”

  “Is that important to Banner?” Copa asked.

  “Yes,” Shannon said. “The dogs believe they’re connected to us. They depend on the Colters to talk with them. They believe that without the Colter talkers, the dogs will begin to lose their special abilities. They think they will regress back to just being like other dogs.”

  “Is that why Banner and the others are so anxious for us to go north with them?” Copa asked.

  “Banner seems to have a sense of urgency about the whole thing,” Shannon said.

  “I thought Max sent the dogs away when the drought set in,” Fala said.

  “He did,” Shannon said. “Max never thought the Colters were necessary. He initially tried to break the dogs away from the family. Then Jessica happened.”

  “Shush!” Copa said. “I hear horses.”

  Dalton and Matthew raced into camp, pulling their horses to a rearing halt in front of the girls.

  “Good news!” Dalton said. “We found a small stream less than a mile from here.”

  “Is it deep enough for a bath,” Shannon asked.

  “I don’t think so,” Matthew said. “But you can wash your hair and get clean.”

  “Hey,” Fala said. “Count me in.”

  “We came back to get our water bags to fill,” Dalton said. “We’re going to make sure we fill them before everyone starts soaping up.”

  ****

  The creek was six to eight feet across. It ran in an easterly direction. It was no more than a foot deep. The water was clear and fast flowing. The bottom of the stream was sandy with the occasional large rock on the bottom. Both Jason and Jessica threw a fit when their mothers pulled them from the water to get them ready for bed.

  The women were exhausted and turned in shortly after everyone had eaten. Both children had fallen to sleep quickly. Max lay in front of the tent were Jessica slept. The men sat around the camp fire watching the sky as it changed from golden sunset to the purple of night.

  “I think we’re over half way,” Dalton said, breaking the silence.

  “Banner told me this stream joins with another to the east,” Matthew said. “He said it gets deeper and wider.”

  “So, you think we should follow it?” James asked.

  “I think we should for a day or two,” Matthew said. “There’s a chance it will turn north. If it does, it just might tie into the Cheyenne or White rivers. Both should lie to our north and run close to where we’re headed.”

  “What do you think Dalton?” James asked.

  “Hopefully we won’t have problems dragging the travois across rough terrain,” Dalton said. “Other than that, I think it’s worth a shot.”

  “Matthew, has Banner said anything more about the Lakota?” James asked. “It sounded like the dogs fought with the Lakota. Did he say how it happened?”

  “He told me some of the story,” Matthew said. “He said there was no problems until the dogs took over a large area surrounding Stone Faces.”

  “Mount Rushmore,” James said.

  “Okay, Mount Rushmore,” Matthew said. “Banner said the whole thing started with some Lakota
boys. Apparently, some of the young boys from the tribe spotted one of Colter dogs off in the distance. So they must have thought it would be a good idea to capture one of these new dogs, to see if they could train them.”

  “They were going to try and capture a Colter dog?” Dalton asked.

  “Yes,” Matthew said. “The boys tried for a few weeks before the dogs got tired of it and killed one of their horses. The boys went back with wild stories of mountain lions and devil dogs.”

  What did the Lakota do?” James asked.

  “Nothing at first,” Matthew said.

  “They did nothing?” James asked.

  “Banner told me the Lakota sent a group to where the horse had been killed,” Matthew said. “The dogs sat on a ridge in a long line, watching.”

  “Did the tribe try to attack the dogs?” Dalton asked.

  “Not in force,” Matthew said. “Several of the warriors rode out looking for the dogs. Once in a while the dogs would kill their horses. Banner told me they were easy to avoid.”

  “After a while the Lakota no longer came into their territory,” Matthew said. “When they did, the Colter dogs would show themselves and the Lakota would quickly withdraw. Finally they established a line between the Lakota and the dogs. ”

  “What do you think the Lakota will do when we show up?” Dalton asked.

  “I wonder what the dogs will do,” James said.

  ****

  They rested the next day and staked their horses in the stream to cool off their hooves. No one thought it worth the effort to visit any towns on the way north. As close as they could tell from their old map, they were about three hundred miles north of Pueblo and still two hundred miles from their destination to the north.

  The map showed the name of the stream they followed as Lodge Pole Creek. They had to leave the stream and turn north when the stream widened and turned to the southeast. Everyone began conserving water as much as they could. Three days later, Banner told Matthew there was a river to the north and they should reach it the next day. From the map, it looked like the river was the North Platte.

  “How do we cross this thing?” James asked.

  The entire Colter party, including the dogs, sat on the south bank of the river staring at the white rapids of water tumbling over jagged rocks. It appeared to be no more than a few feet deep, although there were deep pools where whirlpools dragged anything that floated to the bottom.