Eagle People (11 page)
“We lost Victor,” he said when the others neared, “but we'll not look for his body. The bulk of the herd rode over him, so there is no use. However, if all of you will bow your heads, I will say a prayer for our brave young hunter.”
As heads bowed, he said, “Lord, I ask you to accept Victor into heaven with you this day. He was but a young man with no known vices and a follower of your word. He died trying to get meat for his people, so that during the coming sickness others will be able to eat. It shows he was a lover of his People, Lord, and cared about their welfare. This I ask, in the name of Jesus, amen.”
“Amen,” others echoed.
“Now, lets get the travois' rigged up, butcher these cows and get back. Be sure to save the livers and hearts for those who will be ill and need it most.” Amon ordered as he pulled his skinning knife.
Three hours before dark, as they rode toward the village, Zedock rode to Amon and said, “Look behind us.”
When he looked behind them, he noticed a wide trail of blood being left in the grasses, and off in the distance he spotted wolves. Glancing at the nearest travois, he spotted blood dripping onto the grass. The wolves were following them, obviously intending at some point to make an attempt at the meat.
“Tonight we may have to make a ring of fires around us, to keep the wolves from the meat.” Amon said.
“We can just keep riding.”
“No, once dark, if we keep riding, they will dart in and out stealing meat as they can. An hour before darkness we'll place the meat all in one location, circle it with small fires and we will all remain on guard all night. It will be a rough night, but we must save this meat. That means we need every dry cow pie we can find, because it will be a long night.”
Cow pies were gathered and stacked near the spot where the fires would be, and Amon had them positioned in a circle about fifty feet from the meat. The men then ate a little roasted meat and moved to stand near their fire. The weather was cool, but not cold, and the wind was light. Once the sun was gone, the light of the fires didn't seem to reach far into the darkness, or at least not as far as Amon had hoped it would. He already spotted dark shadows moving just outside the light.
“Do not shoot at anything not threatening you or the meat. I suspect the pack leader will send a couple to check us later tonight, but right now the blood scent is exciting them. The other wolves must be feeding on the remains of the cows we killed, while these were run off. Keep your eyes open and be ready at all times. That means from this point until full daylight.”
All went well until after midnight, when a full day of hunting and riding started to wear the men out, and staying awake became a real chore. Fatigue was falling over the whole group like an invisible veil. Heads nodded, men cursed and walked in circles to stay awake.
In the darkness, in front of Amon, he saw a shape moving toward him, so he made an arrow ready, and waited.
Suddenly the shape was airborne and struck him hard in the chest, and down he went. He turned, saw the wolf moving for the meat and screamed, “The meat!”
An arrow flew through the air, took the wolf in the side and a loud whine was heard as the animal nipped at the bloody arrow shaft. When one hunter moved toward the downed animal with his spear, Amon said, “Stay in your position.”
He then walked to the injured beast and as it snapped and growled at him, he sent an arrow into its heart. Once it quit moving, he pulled both arrows and took them with him back to his fire. He then added another cow pie to his fire.
The wolves stayed just out of firelight until about an hour before dawn, when suddenly the whole pack rushed for the meat. Men fought with bows until they ran out of arrows and then picked up their spears and backed toward the meat slowly, determined to protect what was theirs. The wolves advanced slowly and then one by one the men entered into battle with the animals. Screams were heard, yips, yells, and howls, but the battle continued.
One man fell beside Amon, with three wolves ripping at his body. Turning, the lead hunter speared two of the wolves and ran the last off, just as the others turned tail and ran. A false dawn was coming and the wolves could be seen licking their wounds off in the distance, yet determined to get at the meat. One man was down and his throat torn from his body, but the ground was littered with dead and injured animals. Livid at the attack and death of a hunter, Amon walked among the wolves within the fire circle and speared each one.
As he pulled his bloody spear point from the last wolf, a bright ray of light struck his eyes and he knew they'd made it. The sun was rising and surviving wolves were now trotting off in different directions.
“Mount, place the dead man on a travois, and let's move. We must reach the village before dark, so we have a long day of riding ahead of us. If you pray, pray we don't have to spend another night out here. I'm sure the wolves will follow us all day.”
“Are you okay?”
“No, I've lost two men on this hunt, most of us are injured, and I'm deep bone tired. Not to mention my ass is sleepy and I'm hungry. No, I am not okay, but by God, I'll get this meat to the village even if it kills every last one of us. Our people depend on us.” He walked to his horse and mounted.
“When will we eat breakfast?” Zedock asked as he mounted near his lifelong friend.
“At dusk, Zed. We'll eat breakfast at dusk.” Amon replied, and moved his horse forward.
When Amon and his men entered the village near dusk, Mongoose breathed a long sigh of relief and knew part of her peoples problems were solved. She'd also had the women out digging tubers and roots that could be added to the broth for the sick. Now, she ordered everyone with a knife to start slicing the beef thin, so come morning they could jerk the meat in the sun. She also had drying racks placed inside small teepees and smudge fires started inside of each. The sun could dry the meat, but only if the weather was fair, so the smudge fires would burn twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week until all the meat was processed.
She also had the hides placed in her lodge, so come morning she'd assign woman to flesh the hides and then start the long process of tanning the skins. This night, beef tongue and ribs would make the last feast for her people until after the disease ran its course. She'd prayed, as had the shaman, for her people, so all she could do now was wait for the first person to turn ill.
Amon dismounted and said, “I lost two men on the hunt. One was caught in the center of a stampede and there wasn't enough left to bring back for burial. The last man, Gideon, was killed when wolves attacked us last night for our meat. His body has been returned. My hunters have not slept since we were last in the village and have eaten poorly.”
Mongoose turned and said, “Nora, you will prepare a meal for our hunters. They are in need of nourishment and have hunger. Once they have eaten, they need rest.”
“It shall be done.” Nora said.
“Has salt and honey been brought in?” Amon asked.
“Honey was found and it is stored, but I am not sure it is enough. I have others out now looking for more. The people I sent for salt have not returned and I'm concerned about them. They should have been back long before now.”
“Have the Dog Soldiers checked them to see if they are safe?”
“Eldon has men searching for them now.”
“I must eat and then rest. The wolves were determined to get our meat, and last night was a long one, because every man was awake to guard the beef.”
“Rest, my husband, you have earned it.”
Later that night, when Mongoose went to the lodge of Amon, he never knew his wife spent the night with him, leaving just before first light. She'd cuddled him, drawing strength by being near and touching him, and awoke recharged with new energy.
She was in her lodge eating a light breakfast when Eldon knocked on her door. When she met his eyes, she knew he had bad news, so she said, “Come sit by the fire and we will talk.”
After long minutes of silence, the chief of the Dog Soldiers said, “We found the group near the salt lick, but all were dead, and mutilated in the style of the Plains People.”
She nodded in understanding.
“My men circled the area for many miles, but found no one. They did find where the Plains warriors waited in ambush and then the tracks leading north to their people.”
“This creates two problems, as you know. Now another group, protected by your men, must return for salt. Then, since the people killed were carriers of small pox, the Plains People have been exposed to the illness as well. When they mutilated and took the scalps of our people, they in turn, will take the disease home with them. However, we can do nothing about that. As soon as our talk is finished, gather a mixed group of women and warriors and return for salt. Send enough Dog Soldiers to keep the group safe.”
“I will do so, but I will have few men left. Some are scouting, others guarding the village, and even more are —”
“It cannot be helped. It is essential we have salt; if needed, pull other warriors to help guard this village.”
Standing, Eldon nodded and said, “I'll have the group gone within the hour.”
Mongoose walked from her lodge with Eldon, smiling when she saw every available man, woman, and child hanging meat up to dry. A few women were adding wood to the smudge fires, so the teepees would continue to dry meat as well.
She walked to a table, where the meat was stacked and picking up a few long strips, she moved to a drying rack, enjoying the sun's warmth on her back. She placed the meat on the rack and was turning to get more, when Julian neared and said, “It has started.”
Knowing what he meant, she asked, “What has started?”
“The illness. Come, we must speak away from the others.”
BYRON SAT BY THE SMALL FIRE
cursing. He'd lost two more men to traps and in an ambush so he was now down to half his original fighting force, and he still had no idea where the women were.
Hell,
he thought,
I'm no better off now than the first day I started out after those bitches. If anything, I'm in worst condition, because I've lost men. Asa will shit if I return empty handed. Five men dead and I've yet to see my enemy.
Ora and Lum walked to the flickering flames and sat in the dirt. After a few minutes, Byron looked at Ora and asked, “What in the hell are you smiling about? I send you two out scouting and you return smiling like the village idiot.”
“I have discovered that we'll not get those two women back; well, not on this trip anyway. I also know where the biggest village of the Eagle People is located that I've ever seen in my life. There are well over 500 people in just this one village.”
Byron's mood shifted and he asked, “How far from here?”
“Less than seven miles, and I think we can take the place. We got close enough to see they were drying meat, which has me confused, because it's too early in the year to be doing that now.”
“Maybe, with all the people living there, drying meat is a full time job.”
“Did you get an idea of how many warriors were there?”
“I'd estimate at least two hundred, but with them coming and going, scouting, and guarding the horses, I may be way off. Plus, they use women as warriors too, so I really don't know.”
“This will please Asa, more so, I think, than capturing the women. He has long desired to attack and kill this Eagle People village. Were you seen?”
Ora laughed and when he grew sober again he replied, “I think not, because we are still alive. The Dog Soldiers of the Eagle People kill all strangers, but there are many more of them out now than anytime I can remember in the past. It will be hard for a large group of warriors to moved close to them without being seen.”
“That, Ora, is not my problem. Prepare the men; we will return home.”
“Return now? It is night and the men, as well as their horses, need rest.”
“Now. We will move toward home for a few hours. It would not pay for us to be seen now, not after we've gathered valuable intelligence for Asa.”
Less than an hour later, the men were moving toward home, but Ora could not shake a feeling he was being watched or followed. There was a full moon, which added to his nervousness, and he dropped back to speak with Byron.