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The Mountain Man [with nightsorceress]

Neena sipped her coffee as he instructed, it seem to sit better in her stomach then it did last night. She then began to eat the food, slowly, very slowly and she did not push herself to eat all of it as it might have upset her stomach. She then set her plate down and walked over to pinto he seemed friendly enough and would be a good fit for her. She then looked at Gar and bit her lip. She walked over to him and touched his shoulder gently to get his attention. "what happens now" she asked softly. "You have been so kind to me, but I am sure you don't want, what do your people call us? oh um red skins, following you around"
 
Gar looked up as he felt her hand touch his shoulder, "I'm a trapper Neena, means I'm not always welcome amongst the so called civilized of my people. I'm on my way rendevous outside Fort Bridger, trade these pelts and get some supplies, then head back up country. I have a cabin up on the Powder River, and I hunt and trap up there." He smiled as he saw she liked the pinto, then gathered up the dishes to wash them. "You tag along with me long as you want, till you decide you want to go your way, I'd like to have you around, gets lonely in these parts." After he washed the dishes, he packed up the rest of the supplies, and mounted his horse, "Let's ride," as he led his animals out of the clearing and back along the trail that headed down the mountain.
 
NeeNa smiled as she heard him explained that he wouldn't mind her tagging a long with him, that he did get lonely. She was a little sad for him though that he was just like an her, and outsider with his own kind. perhaps he was meant to find her. She climbed up on the pinto who was ok with being ridden. she followed Gar down the trail, and came up beside him. "thank you for letting me travel with you."
 
Gar glanced over at NeeNa as he watched her ride up beside him, "Woman like you has to know how to do something, cook, sew, whatever, you can help out with things like that." He smiled as he admired her beauty and figure, now that she had cleaned up NeeNa had a whole different appearance about her. Her buckskin outfit was torn at places from her ordeal, he loved the sight of her right thigh nearly fully visible from a tear. In his mind, one of the things she was going to get was a new set of clothes. He smiled as a doe and her fawn came out from the woods and crossed the path ahead of them, he reined up his horse and watched them. They were nearly down off the mountain, by now and Gar pointed to the flat land through the thinning tree line.
 
She smiled a little as she rode next to him. "I can do those things and more, including hunting" Stopping as the doe and her fawn crossed the path, she smiled at them "beautiful" she whispered under her breath. She then looked at Gar who seemed to be looking at her. "do you have a wife waiting for you back at your cabin?" she asked wanting to get to know him a bit more.
 
Gar's eyebrow rose at her mention of hunting, "Bow or rifle," he asked as he kicked the sides of his horse softly to continue down the trail, "that's good to know NeeNa. I only shoot my gun for two reasons, meat and survival, an only as much meat as is necessary. Not the way of others though." He reined up at the edge of the treeline, to give the animals a rest. He took a sip of water from his canteen and handed it to NeeNa, "Out there is Moccasin Flat, and about 2-3 days later is Fort Bridger." He smiled softly at the question of a wife, "No...no wife, not that I haven't wanted one, just haven't found a woman who growed on on me yet." He slung the canteen over his saddle horn by the strap, and started out into the open country.
 
"Bow" she answered him "I have no need for a gun" she then sipped the water he offered before they began to ride again. She smiled a little to herself when he said he had no wife, she did not know why she did it though, she knew there would be nothing between the two of them, they came from different worlds after all. "well perhaps some day you will meet a woman who grows on you." She followed him through the open country just enjoying her freedom. The horse tossed it mane a few times and Neena seemed to follow, tossing her long hair about in the sunlight
 
Gar nodded, "Have to get you outfitted with a bow and knife," he figured that she had used a bow as did most Indians at that time, the only ones who had rifles were those to traded for them or killed a white man and took theirs. He smiled at her remark about meeting a woman, "maybe I have, just have to find out," he more than got those words out that he reined up his horse. He glanced around as he saw birds circling overhead. His hair started to rise up on his neck, it always did when there was trouble or danger. He pulled his rifle out of the saddle boot, rested the butt on his right leg and then continued slowly toward the circling birds over head.
 
Neena wondered what he meant by the fact he had already met the woman he might marry he just had to find out. she wondered if they would cross paths with her on their journey and if they did would her journey with him be over. she did not know what to say to that. Her attention was switched though when he suddenly pulled his gun and held it. "whats the matter?"
 
Gar pointed at the birds circling overhead, "Trouble over that rise," with the barrel of his rifle. He stopped at the top of the rise and looked down. Two men lay staked out on the ground, one white, the other Indian, neither one appeared to be alive. The white's horse and belongings were gone, the Indian's scattered about on the ground. As Gar got closer, he saw his bow and quiver of arrows on the ground, and he also saw that the Indian had been scalped. He stopped his horse and recognized them, the white man was a trapper friend of his, Joseph Lee, and his Indian companion, Black Wolf, called such because of the dark pigment of his skin. Gar sighed, and dismounted, after returning his rifle to the saddle boot. He walked over to both of them, and checked for a pulse, both had been beaten up badly, before being staked out on the prairie.
 
NeeNa saw the two and her hand covered her mouth. She could not believe this was done to them. she watched as Gar walked over to them. She slowly slide from her horse and collected the reigns of Gar horse keeping him from running. She swallowed hard. "are they..." she couldn't bring herself to say it as she figured she already knew the answer.
 
Gar glanced up at NeeNa, "They're dead, looks like a couple of days by the buzzards circling," he walked over and picked up Black Wolf's bow and quiver, and examined it, "Looks like you got yourself a bow and arrows, he won't need them anymore," then walked over to the pack horse, and broke out a shovel. He dug two graves, and buried them after he checked them for anything their killers may have missed. He sighed and wiped the sweat of his brow, "Joseph Lee, and Black Wolf, no more rendevous for you, this is your final resting place." He then re-adjusted his hat, repacked the shovel on the animal, and then sipped some water from his canteen as he looked down at the ground to search for sign of who did this to them.
 
with a heavy heart NeeNa took the bow and arrows she knew Gar was right, and whoever did this to them was still out there so she would need to protection if they were to be attack. She watched as Gar buried them and once he was done she went over to the graves and kneeled in front them. She said a what sounded like a prayer in her native tongue before rising again and joining Gar back by the horse. she sighed softly and just shook her head.
 
Gar watched her kneel in front of the graves, and bowed his head as he listened to her prayer. He shook his head, "Joseph Lee trapped up on the Rosebud, one thing for certain he and Black Wolf did not go down without a fight." He pointed to the tracks of shodded horses, "These were whites who did this, probably scalp hunters, they make 25 dollars in gold for each scalp they bring in." He pointed to a heavier shodded track in the ground, "Probably Lee's pack horse, they may try and sell his furs in Bridger," as he studied the direction and looked off towards the direction of the fort. Gar mounted his horse and looked at NeeNa, "Hope you can shoot a man, because you may have to till this is over."
 
NeeNa looked at the tracks that Gar pointed to, they certainly did look as if a struggle took place here. She mounted her horse and looked at Gar, "only if I have to, I try not to take lives when i can help it" after her captivity she had a whole new respect for life, she did not want to be the cause of any suffering or death, but if she had to to protect herself or Gar she would. "Do think it best if we continue on? the scalp hunters could still be out there"
 
Gar nodded, "It's fair enough, long as I know I can depend on you, you can do the same with me, " he took one more look at the two graves, tipped his hat, and then moved out slowly in the direction of the fort. He looked at NeeNa, "They're out there...ahead of us, how fast they go depends on how drunk they get along the way, if I know Lee, he had a barrel of rye on that pack horse." He smiled and then kept moving, his eyes glanced in all directions and down on the ground for sign.
 
His words were not comforting that was for sure. She worried now that they were just sitting targets as they traveled to the fort. "how much longer to the fort" she had real fear in her voice, as she spoke. she hoped they would arrive there soon, and arrive there safely. She did not know what she would do if she was captured again, this time she might even take her own life if it came to that.
 
"From where we are now, about a day's ride, we'll need to rest these horses," he looked over at NeeNa, and sensed she was worried, "Long as we keep moving we'll be fine, figure they came up on Lee when he was just breaking camp." Gar saw the fresh tracks veered off the main trail after a half day's ride, and headed towards a small range of hills in the distance. As much as he wanted to get satisfaction for Lee's death, he kept moving towards the fort. As the day progressed, he reined up his horse. He pointed in the distance, "That's the Big Muddy, we get across the river, and then its not far to Fort Bridger."
 
As they rode NeeNa could not help but keep looking around, her heart was beating her chest, her ears open and any strang new sound seemed to startle her. everything that has happen so far in her life has deeply scared her and now with the thought of scalp hunters out there she was a nervous jittery wreck. She looked out over the water. she could easily see why they called it the big muddy. "Hopefully we make it across quickly."
 
Before Gar could start out again, he reined up his horse, his ears picked up the sound of gunfire down at the river, "That's coming from Cameron's Crossing," he quickly handed the reins of the pack horse to NeeNa, then took off at a gallop. He pulled out his rifle from the saddle boot, as he rode quickly. Cameron's Crossing was named for John Cameron, who had a small tavern and rest stop at the river. He had married a Shoshone woman his last trip to Fort Bridger. As Gar approached he saw three men dismounted and firing at the tavern. Cameron was firing back at them from the tavern, as was his wife. He saw Lee's pack horse with the three men's horses, the animals had wandered back from the gunfire, as a fourth man held the reins.
 
NeeNa almost jumped out of her skin when she heard the sound of gunfire. She looked around and before she could say anything she was handed the reins of the pack horse and watched Gar took off down the towards the crossing. She thought a moment and knew she had to help. She moved down a little and then dismounted her horse tieing it to tree and then the pack horse. She then took the bow and arrows and headed down to the cross but she headed through the trees. she knew she would have to stay protected as guns fired a lot quicker than her arrows. But she made to to the tavern and hid out of sight. She notched her arrow and let it fly hitting one of the main holding the reins of the pack horse. her quickly dropped and she ducked back out of sight.
 
Gar came galloping into the tavern yard, the tavern building and a smokehouse, barn, and corral made up the main buildings. Two hitching posts were in front of the main building as well as a well out in the center of the grounds. "CAMERON, IT'S GAR DAVIS, DON'T SHOOT ME BY MISTAKE," he quickly dismounted and slapped his horse out of the line of fire. He ducked behind a water trough and then fired his rifle at one of the scalp hunters. He saw the man drop over the woodpile, his gun fell to the ground in front of the pile of logs. He smiled as he saw the fourth man holding the pack horse drop to the ground with an arrow in his chest. He knew that NeeNa was close by, and that meant the other two were in a crossfire between Gar, NeeNa, and Cameron from the house.
 
NeeNa watched as one was killed and fell over the wood pile, she no longer could see Gar and she hoped he was out of the line fire but she could not be certain. She drew her next arrow and fired carefully she let it fly and it hit one the remaining two men in the shoulder. She swore under breath knowing that it was not a kill shot but it would hurt like hell. She quickly took another arrow and this time hit the mans heart.
 
Gar was out of the line of fire. He had shifted position from behind the trough and now at the woodpile that the dead man draped over, as he left his rifle behind the trough, and now used the Colt revolver which he gripped firmly in his right hand. He saw NeeNa's marksmanship in action as the man stopped moving, sprawled out on his left side, two arrows in his body. The leader, decided to make a run for hit. He fired the last shots of his pistol at the tavern and then ran for the rise. Gar took the dead man's rifle, aimed carefully, and squeezed the trigger. The man dropped in his tracks to the ground, face down, his pistol away from his right hand on the ground. He smiled, "Little high and to the right," then dropped the gun to the ground, "ALL CLEAR CAMERON," as he walked towards the dead leader, rolled him over. "NO MORE SCALP HUNTIN FOR YOU JIM HOWIE," he then looked to the sky, "You can rest easy now Lee and Black Wolf, I got your killer."
 
NeeNa saw the last of the scalp hunters drop and she knew it was over. She took a deep breath before she came down from the tree line her bow and arrows in hand. She looked at the bodies on the ground as she walked over to Gar. She did not know what to say about all that had just taken place.
 
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