Skalkaho Chapter 3: Otaki Is Running Eagle
The ride to the Piegan camp was a nervous journey. It was about fifteen miles from the Blackleaf trapping camp. The thing Skalkaho found so unsettling is the occasional chatter from his Blackfoot escort followed by gestures, occasional smirks, and glaring stares. This wasn't going to be a pleasant trip to the village not knowing if he were soon to be tortured in front of Brown Wiesel Woman or just burned at the stake for ceremonial purposes. The country didn't change. To the west was a wall of mountains and to the east an endless sea of grass and blue sky. In front were rows of cut banks and benches formed from the Rocky Mountain Front snowpacks. Skalkaho had to make an impression on the village, his life depended on it. By evening he would know his fate in short order. Not feeling the prisoner role his courage solidified in his being, he still had a plan...
It would be folly trying to entertain or impress his "captors". The plan became more of destiny's intrigue. He had to wait and play the hand dealt him. No longer packing a gun or knife since his new friends did not trust him and any action was taken would speed him towards its bad outcome. Skalkaho was really captured and only his wit would release him from certain death. That was the only plan.
Near the cut bank, these rocks protect the approach.
Past the rocks, the ride into camp had an open view and a straight line of approach. It didn't matter to Skalkaho how they got there, just that it was before dark. He didn't want any surprises coming into Otaki's village and he wanted a good look at everything while planning an escape. The men of the camp positioned in a defensive stance hiding at various attack positions. He couldn't run now, the men's positions made sure of that. Drifting towards what seemed to be the center of the village Skalkaho noticed the women and children seeking a good view of the incoming procession. There was no game on board the horses only a scrappy looking white man among the hunters.
The usual greeting took place with the village elders and some warriors pressing towards Skalkaho. Some eligible talking took place with some laughter and cold stares in Skalkaho's direction. Not knowing the Blackfoot tongue fluently, but having a working group of words to use Skalkaho could make headway. Of course, he had some sign language every trapper would know as a trading tool.
The moment of his quest for Otaki was not to come until all the important people first had a go at Skalkaho and for what business he was in. A smattering of Blackfoot talking and a few signs gave way his ignorance for the moment. He uttered Brown Wiesel Woman in the "Bloods" own tongue which amused his captures. The "Bloods" was a French Canadian slang label for the Blackfoot tribe.
At that moment the word went out for Otaki. She pushed through the crowded group with utter resentment shown by her expression. The trapper in camp was now thinking his plan was a bad idea.
The sun was down by now and a roaring fire was in the midst of the village. The Piegan's were looking at Otaki for the next move. Skalkaho couldn't move. The fire had reflected her face and hair. She was stunningly beautiful. Her stern expression made her more appealing somehow. This was something Skalkaho did not expect from a Brown Wiesel Woman. The "Bloods" confused him so much his usual on the fly baloney had evaporated at the site of Otaki. His plan needed more work and only moments of concocting it before he was toasted.
The only thing coming to mind was throwing himself on the ground with his arms stretched out towards Otaki in total submission. What did it matter he was a dead man crawling at this point. The action seemed to do the trick as the villagers were muttering excessively after his action and no arrow was sticking out of his rib cage. He was alive for the moment.
Once the talking subsided, Skalkaho stood up in an act of saving his dignity. That didn't work, he was beaten down by a big stick in the back onto the ground. The strike came from a warrior standing behind him when he was facing Otaki. A warrior made it known who was in charge. Otaki stood looking at Skalkaho as if she were confused. She raised her hand up in a sign of wait! No warrior stepped closer from her reaction. Skalkaho was carted off by two warriors after Otaki mumbled to the group her plans, she was now in control of the situation. The only thing Skalkaho could do was allow them to tie him up to a big pine near the edge of the camp. He was near horses hobbled next to the big tree. His next step was to survive and wait for morning.
The morning arose slowly in a late summer sky. A breath of air whispering across the meadow aroused the "captured" tied to the big pine tree. It was a different morning than yesterday's hang-over moment at Blackleaf. This time birds chirped with a mellow livestock smell as a perfume for Skalkaho. Last night was a blur validating the trapper's weak ideas. He saw Otaki and it stunned his plan into a submission of foolishness, but something was about to change and it came from an unexpected turn of events.
Otaki spent some time talking with warriors in the council's lodge. Many opinions were offered before the chiefs of the village.
The big warrior who had clubbed Skalkaho onto the ground last evening talked first, " this white man is a trickster, he entertained the hunting party into our camp. Let us have our way with his discomfort and make him tell what the white trappers were planning." It is better said they were to torture Skalkaho for information.
A second warrior stepped up to the chiefs and remarked, "it is our good fortune he came to our camp. He claims he is in pursuit of a woman called Otaki".
Some muttering started at the mention of Otaki's name. She was sitting near the edge of the lodge and shifted nervously at the mention of her name. It was time for her to say something before the chiefs decided what was to be done to Skalkaho.
Otaki spoke up, " this man will be my undoing and I don't want anything to do with him!"
Everyone in the lodge began snickering at her outburst, for they did not approve of her, and found her unworthy to be a squaw in the tribe. But she was a gifted warrior with undaunted courage in any situation. That respect remained intact. The white man was the unworthy person and most in the council would rather trade for some information before his death.
The chiefs looking at each other knew it was time to speak and decide the white man's fate. The village chief started first with a long-winded reciting of tribal history. He began with the first encounter of white men in the region. Recounting how the Hudson Bay Company trading gave them knives, axes, and an old long rifle with powder and bullets. The Hudson Bay trappers even showed them how to fire the gun. It was the Piegan village's pride of a powerful weapon. Next, the village chief talked about Otaki. How she was fearless saving her father from certain death from an Assiniboine hunting party she was a respected warrior without comparison.
The "Bloods" war chief was next, as the village chief did not make a recommendation for Skalkaho at this time. The storytelling was limited to the trouble the tribes were having keeping "outsiders" from the Blackfoot lands and game sources. The Buffalo was being driven farther away east of the Rocky Mountain front. The time to stop this encroachment from all parties was now. The trappers were part of the problem as well as other tribes. The war chief requested a council for eliminating all threats and Skalkaho was a threat.
The spiritual chief was next and his pragmatic views were about the trouble with Otaki. She was not worthy of being anyone's wife because she was better than anyone of the warriors. They wouldn't have her since ferocity was too great for any "Blood" warrior. The worst we could do to this white man is give her to him and be done with him. There was common ground expressed for all the warriors and chiefs in the lodge except for Otaki. She was furious over what was just said. In fact, it brought her off the ground in an angry jump at the chief. Several warriors grabbed her before she could even spit.
"Otaki, you are Running Eagle save our people", uttered the chief.
Skalkaho's plan was coming together. He didn't know what the plan was but it was coming together. He was about to be paired with Otaki and sent on his way with the devil tied to his horses tail. The tribe found a solution for which everyone could agree. The village solved its Otaki warrior problem; The war chief found a way to send a trapper on his way out of the area, and the spiritual chief absorbs more respect from the tribe and its elders over his ideas. The two warriors holding Otaki in front of the last chief, tied her hands together as if she were a prisoner. Skalkaho was summoned by the council. An "honor" guard was sent to the big tree for untying and escorting him back to the council's lodge.
Upon entering the dimly lit tent his fear grew. There was Otaki in front of the chiefs having an angry grimace. The escorts didn't let go of Skalkaho. Otaki's companion didn't let go of her. It seemed something had happened, but he had no idea how to think on his feet because of the confused situation developing. His goal for obtaining a way into Blackfoot country appeared undone. There was no way he could figure out how to turn this in his favor.
The "escorts" now pushed his arms next to Otaki and a rope was wound around the two arms in a series of knots and crisscrossing patterns. It was meant that it would be difficult to separate from one another. The plan had come together and it was all just starting to implode.
The morning arose slowly in a late summer sky. A breath of air whispering across the meadow aroused the "captured" tied to the big pine tree. It was a different morning than yesterday's hang-over moment at Blackleaf. This time birds chirped with a mellow livestock smell as a perfume for Skalkaho. Last night was a blur validating the trapper's weak ideas. He saw Otaki and it stunned his plan into a submission of foolishness, but something was about to change and it came from an unexpected turn of events.
Otaki spent some time talking with warriors in the council's lodge. Many opinions were offered before the chiefs of the village.
The big warrior who had clubbed Skalkaho onto the ground last evening talked first, " this white man is a trickster, he entertained the hunting party into our camp. Let us have our way with his discomfort and make him tell what the white trappers were planning." It is better said they were to torture Skalkaho for information.
A second warrior stepped up to the chiefs and remarked, "it is our good fortune he came to our camp. He claims he is in pursuit of a woman called Otaki".
Some muttering started at the mention of Otaki's name. She was sitting near the edge of the lodge and shifted nervously at the mention of her name. It was time for her to say something before the chiefs decided what was to be done to Skalkaho.
Otaki spoke up, " this man will be my undoing and I don't want anything to do with him!"
Everyone in the lodge began snickering at her outburst, for they did not approve of her, and found her unworthy to be a squaw in the tribe. But she was a gifted warrior with undaunted courage in any situation. That respect remained intact. The white man was the unworthy person and most in the council would rather trade for some information before his death.
The chiefs looking at each other knew it was time to speak and decide the white man's fate. The village chief started first with a long-winded reciting of tribal history. He began with the first encounter of white men in the region. Recounting how the Hudson Bay Company trading gave them knives, axes, and an old long rifle with powder and bullets. The Hudson Bay trappers even showed them how to fire the gun. It was the Piegan village's pride of a powerful weapon. Next, the village chief talked about Otaki. How she was fearless saving her father from certain death from an Assiniboine hunting party she was a respected warrior without comparison.
The "Bloods" war chief was next, as the village chief did not make a recommendation for Skalkaho at this time. The storytelling was limited to the trouble the tribes were having keeping "outsiders" from the Blackfoot lands and game sources. The Buffalo was being driven farther away east of the Rocky Mountain front. The time to stop this encroachment from all parties was now. The trappers were part of the problem as well as other tribes. The war chief requested a council for eliminating all threats and Skalkaho was a threat.
The spiritual chief was next and his pragmatic views were about the trouble with Otaki. She was not worthy of being anyone's wife because she was better than anyone of the warriors. They wouldn't have her since ferocity was too great for any "Blood" warrior. The worst we could do to this white man is give her to him and be done with him. There was common ground expressed for all the warriors and chiefs in the lodge except for Otaki. She was furious over what was just said. In fact, it brought her off the ground in an angry jump at the chief. Several warriors grabbed her before she could even spit.
"Otaki, you are Running Eagle save our people", uttered the chief.
Skalkaho's plan was coming together. He didn't know what the plan was but it was coming together. He was about to be paired with Otaki and sent on his way with the devil tied to his horses tail. The tribe found a solution for which everyone could agree. The village solved its Otaki warrior problem; The war chief found a way to send a trapper on his way out of the area, and the spiritual chief absorbs more respect from the tribe and its elders over his ideas. The two warriors holding Otaki in front of the last chief, tied her hands together as if she were a prisoner. Skalkaho was summoned by the council. An "honor" guard was sent to the big tree for untying and escorting him back to the council's lodge.
Upon entering the dimly lit tent his fear grew. There was Otaki in front of the chiefs having an angry grimace. The escorts didn't let go of Skalkaho. Otaki's companion didn't let go of her. It seemed something had happened, but he had no idea how to think on his feet because of the confused situation developing. His goal for obtaining a way into Blackfoot country appeared undone. There was no way he could figure out how to turn this in his favor.
The "escorts" now pushed his arms next to Otaki and a rope was wound around the two arms in a series of knots and crisscrossing patterns. It was meant that it would be difficult to separate from one another. The plan had come together and it was all just starting to implode.
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