This story, is in no way intended to offend any American Indian Culture. The characters, and the story, are strictly fiction. All rights are reserved. My hopes are that you enjoy reading this, as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please vote.
I'm Jonathon, twenty years old, six feet tall, a hundred, and eighty pounds, and my hair, and beard are prematurely grey. I told my parents, that I was going up river to trap. The following is my story.
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About three days travel from town, I stopped at a trading post for supplies. I had two horses, and three pack mules.
The trading post owner came out to help me load everything on the mules, and noticed I had all my traps on one of the horses.
"You going up river to trap beaver?"
"Yes, that and fox." I answered.
"When you get a load, bring em here, and I'll give you top dollar for em."
"I'll do it." I answered.
I left the trading post, riding one of the horses, and leading the rest, I had traveled several days, when I reached an Indian village. The tribe was friendly, and as I rode into their camp, an Indian chief came out of his T-pee to greet me.
"I am Spotted Owl." He said, "How are you called?"
I told him that I was called Jonathon.
The old chief just shook his head, and said "I will call you Greybeard."
I told him I had come to trap beaver, and fox, and asked him if there was a place near by that I could make my camp.
"Yes, there is a place a short way up river, where the ground slopes gently to the river, and there is good grazing for your animals. If you are going to trap beaver there is a place about a days ride up river. A small stream enters the river there. Follow that stream, and you will find a large beaver dam."
I thanked him, and then asked if he had another T-pee.
"Yes, there is a T-pee."
I got off my horse, and pulled one of two rifles from it's scabbard, and handed it to the chief, in trade for the T-pee.
"Spotted Owl not know how to use fire stick."
"Chief, I'll make you a deal. I'll teach you how to use the "fire stick", if you'll teach me to use a bow and arrow."
"Deal" the old chief said.
I left the Indian village, and headed up stream, where I found the place the old chief had told me about. I set up the T-pee, and pulled the supplies, and traps from the animals. There were two trees near the river, and I stretched a rope between them, and tied the animals to it with long enough ropes, for them to graze, and get to the water.
Returning to the T-pee, I placed all the supplies, and traps inside, to protect them from the weather. I then built a small fire, and getting some food from the supplies, I fixed myself a meal. When I finished, I decided to turn in. It had definitely been a long day.
The next morning, as it was getting light, I built up the fire, to make some coffee. I planned to check out the beaver dam, the old chief had told me about. Saddling one of the horses, I rode up river, until I came to the small creek, that emptied into the main river. I turned up the creek, and shortly, I came upon the largest beaver dam, I had ever seen. The pond behind it was huge, and I couldn't see the end of it.
Dotted all over this pond were beaver homes, made of sticks, and mud. I noticed a lot of small trees had been cut, by the beaver, to make the dam, and their homes. I scouted further around the pond, and found the droppings of many fox. I thought to myself, "Jonathon, you've found the place you've heard about."
On the way back to camp, I killed two fat deer, one of which I was going to give to the chief. I got back to my camp, hung one of the deer, and headed to the Indian village, with the other deer.
When I rode up to Spotted Owl's T-pee, he was standing outside, talking to two, very upset, girls. Both girls had their heads down, and were crying.
"Spotted Owl, what's going on?" I asked.
"Greybeard, my heart is heavy." the old chief said. "These two girls, along with another, were picking berries, up river, a day before you came to our camp. They were captured, by two men, and taken to their camp, about three days up river. The girls were all raped by those two men. These two girls got away, and returned to our village. Since they were raped, no brave will have them for wives. The council has decided, they are to be banished from the tribe.
A frown crossed my face, and I asked "What happens then, Spotted Owl?"
"They will wander the forest, until they either starve to death, or are eaten by wolves. I do not agree with this, but have only one vote, in the council."
I thought for a minute, then said,"Spotted Owl, may Greybeard take these girls to be his wives, and warm his T-pee?"
"You would do that Greybeard?"
"Yes. In the white mans culture, a girl, that has been raped, is looked upon with sorrow, for what has happened, and is not banished from the white man's tribe.
Spotted Owl turned to the girls, and said, "Would you go with Greybeard, and be his wives?"
Both girls were looking at me with interest by then, and both told the chief, "Yes."
I got off my horse, and gave the deer to Spotted Owl. Leading my horse, I told the girls to follow me to my camp. As we were walking, I asked the girls, "What are you called, and how old are you?"
One of the girls spoke up and said she was called "Yellowbird, and I have seen nineteen summers." The other girl said she was called "Running Deer, and had also seen nineteen summers."
"I am called Greybeard, and I have seen twenty summers. Are you girls satisfied to be Greybeard's wives?"
Both girls said, "Yes," they would be quite happy to be a wife to Greybeard.
We got to my camp. and I began to dress the deer, I had hung in a tree, but the girls ran me off.
"That is a wives duty Greybeard. Running Deer, and I will fix the deer." remarked Yellowbird.