CHAPTER FIVE
The scene starts out with two Union Pacific Railroad surveyors checking out the most feasible train routes down in to the northern parts of Utah. Most of this is possible due to the Pacific Railroad Survey that Congress passed in 1854 which were passed to study the most practical train routes through the southern and northern states.
Of course, many of the southerners like the most southern route, although there were still reports for the Union Pacific and a 41st parallel report by Edward Beckwith which was based on the advice by Jim Bridger. He had advised Howard Stansbury to scout Black’s Fork, Bitter Creek, and in to the lower southern part of Laramie Range. This area was also part of Lodgepole Creek and Crow Creek. And during this year Beckwith realized that Weber Canyon was a good path to go between the Great Salt Lake and Green River Basin.
The scene opens back up with two surveyors using surveying equipment to find which area has ground which is level. And carefully they try and stay within a certain area to make sure they don’t go too far to one side. Otherwise they will be getting too close to land which has been purchased by entrepreneurs who are ready to cash in on the rewards and wealth which will be coming to the area.
However there are hardly any people around but only wagons which have been abandoned on some properties here and there. To them it looks mostly barren as far as any inhabitants are concerned. And if there are any they would be at least five acres over in any other direction. The surveyors can look down through the canyons seeing a path which is lines with trees on both sides.
One of the surveyors looks to the other and says, “I can see the Union Pacific Railroad hooking up with the Central Pacific already in my mind!”
The other one answers back totaling, “Yes, I can too. I just hope we can be there when the Union Pacific rails do meet with the Central Pacific lines!”
After the slight conversation the surveyors go back to work by moving their surveying equipment over about ten of fifteen feet to find another angle to survey from. Then they set everything back in place to take another look down the line of sight once again.
Behind them are a bunch of trees where a few Ute Indian Warriors are watching from horseback. There are three of them scouting around to see where the surveyors are working. To them it’s obvious that they are intruding on their sacred grounds just the same as the Mound Fort Artillery Base was built on sacred Indian burial grounds. With a peeking curiosity they all ride along passing a few more trees before stopping once again.
The three Indian warriors continue watching as one of them signals a move forward towards them both. Next slowly one by one they all take off riding out there in a trotting speed. They aren’t noticed by the surveyors right off the bat, although they do pick up some sounds later on after a few moments time.
Another couple of seconds pass and one of the surveyors stops what he’s doing and looks as he nods to the other one who then takes sight to them all as well. The other one looks and turns back to his surveying friend asking, “What’s this all about?”
Soon the three Indian warriors make their way over riding around them in a circle. They circle a few times and then slow down to a complete stop. The two surveyors can’t do anything but stand there motionless as the Indian Ute Warriors look them up and down from head to toe. Once their eyes set in to do business, the Ute Indian Warrior named Mean Horse asks, “What are you two doing out here?”
One of the surveyors looks at him answering back cautiously, “Surveying the land for the Union Pacific Railroad!”
The other surveyor wonders why he is asking gibbering, “Why do you ask?”
The Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse explains, “This area is a sacred Indian burial ground and you are trespassing. You can quit surveying because you two have to leave!”
Angrily the Ute Indian Scout holds his knife out like they mean business while the Ute Indian Informant pulls his bridle turning his horse around to show his gun strapped to his belt off.
The first surveyor tells him, “We work for the railroad and this is railroad property under federal patent laws!”
The Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse shoots back with, “And this is my rifle and it is property under my law; bang you’re dead!”
The surveyors agree by staying calm while one of them recoils, “Alright, we’re going. We don’t want any trouble!
The main antagonist of the scene Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse pushes his horse up to one of them nearly brushing up hard against him as he pushes him with the butt of his rifle commanding, “And don’t let us see you here again!”
Together the surveyors comply by exasperating, “Okay, we will stay away from here!”
They both just stand there as Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse looks again arguing, “Start packing!”
Now the surveyors immediately swoop down to begin collecting their gear to flee the area. When Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse is sure they are leaving he signals the others who have remained silent to hide their voices and identity away. Still they have faces ordained with war paint for the occasion as well. Now Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse and the two other Indian warriors leave the scene as the other two stop to turn back to make sure that they are both carrying on with their progress. Soon they turn back and catch up after knowing that the railroad surveyors have caught the hint.
After catching back up to trotting speed, the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse turns his head slightly to the Ute Indian Informant saying, “When we get back I want you to head back to the fort camp and tell Little Mischief Shoshone Warrior to sneak back for a talk. And don’t let anybody hear or see you leave either!”
The scene cuts back to the Indian clan as they are returning back to their Indian villages. As they continue walking the wolf cubing remains as cool as possible while noticing their clothes. It seems there’s a liking to the wardrobe and the attire they are groomed in. The entire group has become pretty excellent at camouflaging themselves with wolf furs that sort of blend in with the natural surroundings.
And as all of them left they walked behind a tree line that is completely out of sight and out of reproach from anyone noticing. Nevertheless everyone keeps making their way towards the canyon while taking their mind off of the fort.
After a little while the baby cubing begins to become a bit heavy for Black Wolf Ute Indian. She looks to Grey Wolf Ute Indian implying, “He’s getting a little heavy; why don’t you try and carry him for a little while.”
The Grey Wolf Ute Indian takes him from her and mentions, “Here, I’ll carry him for a while!”
Now Two Feathers Ute Indian thinks back to what has happened wondering, “I can’t believe he traced his mother back there from where ever he came from.”
Moreover Single Feather Ute Indian has thought it all over herself insinuating, “Wherever he came from mustn’t be that far away!”
By now White Wolf Ute Indian has a few ideas of her own balking, “Well, we’ll have to find out where he came from!”
Sharp Arrow Ute Indian is fairly sure that he’s making something with that animal fur saying, “I wonder what he’s making out of his game?”
Of course, Two Feathers Ute Indian thinks that maybe they should go back and try and steal it from there saying, “Why don’t we go back tonight and try and steal it from him?”
It’s sounds kind of risky to Lone Wolf Ute Indian as they reach the Ogden River on the other side of the hot springs. Nevertheless Lone Wolf Ute Indian ponders the thought over before answering, “That’s not a bad idea considering we have her little one here with us all!”
That would be a good plan except for the fact that Grey Wolf Ute Indian figures that maybe they should be careful getting too close to the fort especially with more people there. And there’s the fact that Jim Bridger and the Ogden Mountain Man are there as well and new recruits may come at any time. She mentions this idea of hers and more by mentioning, “That sounds great except for them mountain men both being there with that Admiral!”
Regardless of what any of them say about going back to get the mother’s wolf skins, Den Wolf Mother Ute Indian tells them all, “I think we should at least give it a try later after dark and hope it still is hanging out there!”
At this moment as they all cross the Ogden River which is only a foot deep or so at the time, Single Feather Ute Indian explains, “Well, Two Feathers and I won’t be able to go out after dark tonight!”
Now Black Wolf Ute Indian feels that they should probably stay away from there for a day or so if they do get it particularizing, “And if we do get it we should all stay away from there during the daytime tomorrow and the day after that, huh?”
Then Single Feather Ute Indian adds, “That’s the only time we can go over there and spy on them!”
Next Black Wolf Ute Indian elaborates, “Let’s wait and see if we can get it from there! It’s only for a few days anyways!”
Right at this moment Two Feathers Ute Indian’s impression is how that is really unfair expounding, “That’s not fair; why is it we never get to go attack that place?”
What a funny gesture Den Wolf Mother Ute Indian thought it was retorting back, “You’re both to young; it’s an adult thing to push them out of there!”
As they all approach the hot springs across from the waterfall of the Ogden River, Single Feather Ute Indian makes a comment deliberating, “You’ve been attacking that place for a long time now and why can’t we have some fun?”
White Wolf Ute Indian looks back at her as they approach the hot springs trail saying, “We have our fun right here!”
Now they all make their way to the trail that leads over towards the Indian hot springs. This is where the Indians have made some saunas out of mud and clay which is built just below some natural hot springs which flow from the ground. They have built a few of them so that they can bathe in warmer water than the water of the Ogden River.
Once they approach the Indian trail, Autumn Leaf Ute Indian female calls to them from the hot springs yelling, “Hey, come down here. What’s that you got there?”
Immediately Grey Wolf Indian turns heading down towards the hot springs as Autumn Leaf Ute Indian stands inside looking out. Quickly Grey Wolf Ute Indian holds the black wolf cub up so that she can see her better saying, “We found ourselves a new friend down by the Civil War Quarters. It’s a baby wolf cub!”
Moments later Spring Leaf Ute Indian female turns and looks from within the Indian hot springs asking,” How did you find him?”
Right away, Black Wolf Indian blurts out a line telling them all, “He was just wondering away when we found him!”
Without hesitation, Two Feathers Ute Indian interrupts by adding, “I’m the one who found him first!”
At this time Spring Leaf Ute Indian is curious as to what the baby wolf cub was doing down there in the first place asking, “What was he doing down there anyhow?”
This is where Two Feathers Ute Indian cuts back in to charge of the conversation explaining, “The baby wolf cub was trying to get his mother’s wolf skin that was hanging down from the tree in the backyard!”
It seems that someone else within their group knows a little about that backyard as well. By now Mean Wolf Ute Indian male makes a remark about the tree in the backyard behind the Civil War Quarters saying, “You mean the blood trees?”
Without wondering any further White Wolf Ute Indian asks, “Why did you call it the blood trees?”
Mean Wolf Ute Indian leans back like he’s enjoying a little relaxation before toting, “That’s where they do most of their skinning at!”
Then Lone Wolf thinks about that idea for a brief second before going further adding, “It’s mainly the first tree closest to the back porch!”
At that moment Grey Wolf Ute Indian looks at the baby wolf cub saying, “Well, they picked the wrong one to mess with now, huh?”
Right off the bat, the black wolf cub howls a little as though it was a human like response, “Howl!”
By now, Den Wolf Mother Ute Indian is anxious to get back home to their Indian homes which are little ways further up the canyon. Some of them live up towards the Indian trail up along the mountain of the canyon about half ways or so. Momentarily she looks at the wolf cub and then back towards the back side of the canyon unveiling, “Shouldn’t we head back home before long?”
Hurriedly like, Black Wolf Ute Indian agrees that they should head back before late afternoon comes and the sun begins to set in saying, “Yes, we should get back before it gets too late!”
Everyone begins to turn around as Autumn Leaf Ute Indian makes a comment saying, “We will be there in a bit after we dry off a little!”
Then Spring Leaf Ute Indian starts to get up and grab her towel remarking, “And I was just starting to relax a bit!”
Right then, Mean Wolf Ute Indian gets up reaching for his towel saying, “We have had enough today anyways!”
As they approach the Indian trail that leads to the back of the canyon, “White Wolf Ute Indian asks everyone out loud, “What are we going to name him?”
After thinking about it for a moment, Two Feathers Ute Indian is able to blurt out a name off of the top of her tongue suggesting, “We’ll name him Dark Demon because he has red bloodshot eyes!”
It seems that Single Feather Ute Indian has picked up a vibe from his sorrowful eyes saying, “Let’s train him to be our guard dog!”
By this time Grey Wolf Ute Indian is finding him a little heavy even though he’s very little around a few months old at the most. At this time she sets him down on the trail while contesting, “We’ll just call him demon then for short!”
As Grey Wolf Ute Indian sets the black wolf cubing down wincing, “Let’s see if he tries to take off or if he walks along with us!”
Miraculously with his keen instinct their new best friend Demon stops confused as they all continue walking while looking back at him as he stares back. Right at that moment, Lone Wolf Ute Indian whistles slightly and then says, “Come on!”
Immediately with a sense of belonging, Demon follows along while giving his first howl which seems a little sad from his loss of his wolf mother. Then he stops and turns looking back out from the canyon for a glimpse. Still there is a sense of how far away he is now and the fact that there is no turning back now. Momentarily, Demon turns back again. Finally, he realizes that he has a new turn of luck and a different twist of fate. Now he follows along with the Ute Indian group as they return back to their dwellings up the canyon.
While walking along the Indian trail the sounds of singing and chanting can be heard. In fact, it sounds like there is almost a celebration going on and happening that is more than usually expected. There is another sound that is being noticed out of the music. To them all it sounds like there almost a war dance like tone to the music the closer they come along the trail.
Through the trees Demon can see Ute Indian Warriors dancing and stomping with their bows and arrows. And even some of them are dancing with rifles that they have acquired. All of a sudden there is a feeling that overcomes the wolf cub as he feels so much excitement while being a part of a strange new group. However, in his mind everything has happened so fast and he has no time to even ponder the slightest instinct over.
As they approach Demon stares at the entire group of Ute Indian Warriors who are dancing around in circles about a fire as the sun begins to set behind the mountain walls of the canyon. Slowly the group descends their way over to the Indian village which is spread down below throughout the lower floodplains of the canyon. There are Indian homes spread throughout the lower floodplains of the canyon. Some of them are just little shacks while other Indians still live in teepee like dwellings.
There is lots of grass around making a nice area to camp and roam around in. Demon notices right away that the river seems to have enough water flowing through it which he finds kind of cool. Another great fact is that it is so green like an oasis just below the forest and down below is the Civil War Fort and the beginnings of a desert.
All around in between some teepees and small house like shacks is a stage which is merely only an arena of worn in paths through some grass. And within are many of the warriors who live here and within the surrounding area. Within this large group are not only Ute Indians but there are many Shoshones and even a few Navajo from southern Utah. Of course the Navajo reservations also stretch in to Arizona and two other states making the four corners.
Many of the warriors are dancing while holding their bows with their arrows loaded behind their backs. Then there are others who are war dancing while holding their rifles held straight out in to the air above their heads. The Indian warriors are all dancing around in circles while chanting out their war songs against the white man. Most of them are angry because of the white settlers who are constantly migrating in to this area in between the Wasatch Mountain Range and the salt flats of the Great Salt Lake.
Once the Ute Indian group makes their way closer towards the outside of the stage of dancing warriors, Demon slows down and watches. Moments later, Den Wolf Mother Ute Indian commands, “Come on Demon!”
Demon watches for another second or before he turns away and follows. Yet, he keeps turning his head as he passes and catches up to them all once again. They pass by a group of onlookers who are watching the war dances until they reach the teepee of Eagle Feather Ute Indian who happens to be sitting out watching as well.
He’s an Indian trader who barters and deals with supplying the tribe with as much as he can when he has a good surplus of in stock. However there are times when supplies are low and the Utes and their comrades such as the Shoshones and Navajos have to do whatever they can in order to get what want and need so desperately.
And when they approach, Eagle Feather Ute Indian notices the wolf cub trailing on from behind them all. Quickly he looks away from the war dances and over at the new wolf cub friend. Only a second later Eagle Feather Ute Indian says, “Who’s your new friend?”
Everyone gathers around looking at between Demon and the war dance ceremony that is going on as Two Feathers Ute Indian blurts out, “His name is Demon and I’m the one who found him!”
Eagle Feather Ute Indian looks back at her while calling him over answering back, “You’re the one who found him and where did you find him at?”
She turns to Eagle Feather Ute Indian while looking at Demon as she answers back saying, “I found him at the Civil War Quarters.”
Eagle Feather Ute Indian thinks about that for a split second and asks while he pets him on the back of the head, “And what was he doing there?”
Right away, Black Wolf Ute Indian butts in to the conversation telling Eagle Feather Ute Indian, “He was looking at a skinning that we think belongs to his mother!”
Immediately Eagle Feather Ute Indian picks up the wolf cub and places him on his lap and then he questions this accusation by asking, “And how do you know that?”
Next Grey Wolf Ute Indian tries to explain things further by telling Eagle Feather Ute Indian, “Two Feathers seen the baby wolf cub try to reach up as high as he could to try and take it or something!”
By now Eagle Feather Ute Indian is very curious as to what really went on. And he feels that he should hear the story from Two Feathers herself asking, “Tell me exactly what went on Two Feathers!”
Without any hesitation, Single Feather Ute Indian yelps out, “She just found him and picked him up!”
Following the interruption, Two Feathers Ute Indian begins to convey her story saying, “Single Feather and I were watching the place when he came up and tried to reach the wolf fur that was hanging by the tree closest to the house. Then one of the horses started making noise scaring him off towards us. Once he came underneath the tree I grabbed him! He had tears in his eyes, but he remained calm like he was terrified or something!”
After Two Feathers Ute Indian’s story of what had happened, Eagle Feather Ute Indian is even more curious then before wondering, “Go back further and tell me what else you all saw!”
Two Feathers thinks back further in to the past informing him, “We watched a bearded man return with some trappings or with whatever he had hunted. There were some other guys there with stripes on their sleeves hanging out with the Admiral. They have been there for about two days now. The bearded man stayed outside whiles the Admiral and the two others army men went inside. The bearded man started to skin his hunt behind the salt cellar and then that other mountain man showed up!”
Eagle Feather Ute Indian becomes a little bothered asking out loud, “What other mountain man?”
Hurriedly like Den Wolf Mother Ute Indian answers for her saying, “We saw the Ogden Mountain Man approach the Civil War Quarters. He stayed outside talking to other man who had a beard while he skinned his trappings. Then they went inside and the baby wolf cub used the chance to get close until the horse acted up. Then they came out to inspect their horses and then they all headed up to the Artillery Base.”
Eagle Feather Ute Indian asks her, “You saw this as well?”
At this time Lone Wolf Ute Indian blurts in to the scheme of things elucidating, “We were back a few tree patches away watching from a farther distance than Two Feathers and Single Feather!”
Momentarily Eagle Feather Ute Indian ponders the fact over for a slight second or so before saying lightly to them all, “It sounds like they have themselves a visitor to help guard the post!”
After thinking back about it for a moment, Two Feathers Ute Indian mentions, “They talked for a while like they were friends or knew each other maybe!”
Eagle Feather Ute Indian thinks about it once again mentioning, “I wonder who that could be. You sure it wasn’t the Ogden Mountain man?”
Right away, Sharp Arrow Ute Indian thinks back to when they were talking and he was watching from a distance telling Eagle Feather Ute Indian, “No, it wasn’t him. We know what he looks like!”
At that moment, Two Feathers Ute Indian brings another fact out saying, “Whoever he was he had a beard and some stripes on his sleeve!”
Quickly Eagle Feather Ute Indian has a clue as to who it could be saying, “Huh, I wonder if it could be his old friend from Fort Bridger?”
At that time, Lone Wolf Ute Indian is so curious he can’t wait to ask, “And who might that be?”
So far everything is clear as day to Eagle Feather Ute Indian as he correlates, “I was wondering if it was his old partner Jim Bridger who owned Fort Bridger until Brigham Young seized it from them to have control over it for the Civil War!”
There’s no doubt in Sharp Arrow Ute Indian’s mind that it may as well be Jim Bridger. And it’s not like he really was able to get in for a closer look at any name badge above his left shirt pocket. Nonetheless Sharp Arrow Ute Indian comes back with an unsure line blurting, “We’re not sure who he really is over there at the fort. It could be anybody!”
Finally, Lone Wolf Ute Indian describes their plan for later in more detail, “We were planning to go back after dark to retrieve the Demon’s mom’s belongings. After we do retrieve it some of us can stay to try and determine whether it’s Jim Bridger or whether it is someone else!”
Next Den Wolf Mother Ute Indian takes Demon the little wolf cub from off of Eagle Feather Ute Indian’s lap as he goes further saying, “Yes, that sounds like a good plan. I will ask the Indian warriors to hold off tonight until we are sure who is there visiting the Civil War Quarters! I will tell them once the war dances are finished!”
At that time, Sharp Arrow Ute Indian adds more to his plan, “We better go back home to prepare ourselves for an early journey back before dark sets in!”
Lastly Eagle Feather Ute Indian feels that they should bring some others contending, “Take Mean Wolf and Fox Den with you. And be careful not to be seen by anyone so that you can be able to report back here at once!”
Fast like they all leave making their way behind Eagle Feather Ute Indian’s trader teepee so they can return to theirs to prepare for another journey.
CHAPTER SIX
Meanwhile back at the Mound Fort Civil War Fort on top of the hill, Jim Bridger and the Ogden Mountain Man have taken their horses in to the courtyard of the Artillery Base. At the moment they are both talking to some settlers who have decided to stay there behind the forted walls of the Mormon fortress. Many of them have been curious to tell their stories about living on top of an Indian burial ground which has been made in to an Artillery Base. And just as well, the mountain men Jim Bridger and the Ogden Mountain Man have some stories of their own.
Jim Bridger is currently talking about his experiences with his army unit while delivering the overland mail. The scene enters as Jim Bridger states, “In all of my years I have never encountered any stories like yours when it comes to so many Indian attacks! It sounds like they feel they have to close this place down. They must feel that this is their sacred ground because most of their ancestors were buried here.”
One of the settlers and his wife are talking to him at the time along with a few many others. The husband Mormon pioneer settler answers back diligently, “Well, something has to be done. None of us are sure of how much longer the Major and we can hold out here!”
Present is another Mormon who is younger around ten to eleven years old. He is one of six children and his name is Jefferson Hunt, although he was born after the town of Ogden decided to build a fort to protect themselves from the Indians in the area. As soon as he gets the chance Jefferson Hunt describes some more facts in detail telling them, “You know, this fort was being built after my parents moved here from Kentucky and before I was born here in Ogden after they came here. I wasn’t born in this fort though I have spent most of my childhood in this area pioneering with my family which is a hard life. The Indians were always a threat once we came here and the fort didn’t get its name to after we came here. It’s about time that something gets done about them Indians around here!”
After hearing these lines which sound more like a bunch of pleas for help, Jim Bridger carries on with his plan rallying, “The Admiral and I have come up with a plan!”
Just then, the Mormon pioneer settler’s wife asks, “Most of us would like to think of him as a Major until we win ourselves out of these Indian confrontations and then maybe we will call him Admiral. So what’s this plan?”
Here is where Jim Bridger mentions the plan saying, “The plan is to try and make an Indian trade with the Ute fur trader Eagle Feather. Hopefully, there can be some peaceful trade relations afterwards somehow!”
Another Mormon pioneer settler who is part of the grounds maintenance makes a statement, “And what kind of trade might that be that you’ll be making with them Utes?”
Now the Ogden Mountain Man interrupts the conversation telling them all, “He will be using some furs that I have acquired through my trappings. Most of them I have been saving for a very special occasion!”
Right away another Mormon pioneer settler who is the grounds maintenance partner makes a comment insinuating, “I hope it will work and you’re right. Still I find it hard to believe that the Utes and their Shoshoni friends will give up their ancestral rights over some animal skins! They act and look creepy anyways”
At present time, Jim Bridger protects their position within this intense situation going on, “So far that’s the only choice we have to protect this Artillery Base other than trying to drive them out!”
Another Mormon pioneer settler breaks in with a line recoiling, “Well, so far Major David Moore hasn’t come up with any other plan.”
By sounding a bit humble some, the Ogden Mountain Man eases the situation by supporting, “Don’t worry; this plan ought to work. We still allow them to camp out near the fort in certain areas and we still feed many of them! However there may still be a few outbreaks or Indian bands that feel differently here and there!”
The Mormon pioneer’s wife becomes slightly agitated by answering back, “And sometimes that frightens us because there are times when they all sneak off and then all of a sudden there’s an attack later that evening!”
His comeback will hopefully end her worries as his frats, “I’ll take that in to consideration once a peaceful relation is made.”
Quickly the Ogden Mountain Man breaks the conversation by claiming, “Well, shouldn’t we get back to the Admiral; I mean the Major’s quarters down below?”
Right away, Jim Bridger agrees by balking, “Yes, it’s about that time!”
The Ogden Mountain Man turns to leave making their way past the high mud walls around the fort as Jim Bridger turns away behind him. Then momentarily a moment later Jim Bridger looks back and says, “Since I have only had time to talk to a few of you; let’s keep this conversation anonymous because the idea was the fort commander's! And my men and I have to leave within another day or so to head back to protecting the overland mail!”
Thereafter a few of them reply together, “We won’t say anything!”
Jim Bridger quickly nods his head like he’s accepting their honesty and then turns and heads out of the Artillery Base along with the Ogden Mountain Man. Once they both leave the fortress, the Ogden Mountain Man is eager to help prepare for his endeavors with the plan.
When they start down the hill towards the Civil War Quarters the Ogden Mountain Man says, “When we get back to the Civil War Quarters you should take your trappings in so that no scavengers come and steal it from there!”
In reply, Jim Bridger rejoinders, “That’s a good idea because that’s all that’s left to pack before the journey up the Ogden River canyon! So what’s the best way up there without stirring anyone at the canyon’s entrance by the hot springs?”
The Ogden Mountain Man thinks about that saying, “The best way is to head to the south side of the Ogden River and head directly to the south side of the entrance to about a quarter mile or so. Then head up a good couple hundred feet or so up the hill and you’ll run right in to the Indian trail. Next head north until it curves around in to the canyon right above the Indians hanging out down there. Still there may be a few stragglers or so here and there!”
About three quarters of the way to the Civil War Quarters, Jim Bridger poses another question asking, “And then about how far will I have to go until the trail runs in to the Indian villages?”
At that time the Ogden Mountain Man contemplates the thought for only a split second before schilling out, “There are Indian villages scattered all throughout here and there. Some are only shacks while most of them live towards the end of the canyon. You’ll come to another trail that leads down towards some of their ground. When you get there turn back in to the canyon. If you come to some Indians with wolf cages you’ve gone too far! Any further and you’ll be getting close to the Huntsville Fort which is further away in the upper valley of the Ogden River.”
As Jim Bridger and the Ogden Mountain Man walk around the backside of the forted house, Jim Bridger comments as he takes the wolf skins down from the tree, “I take it they like wolfs a lot?”
Jim Bridger approaches the door and knocks while the Ogden Mountain Man says, “You’ll see tomorrow!”
The fort commander Major David Moore yells out, “Who is it?”
Right away, Jim Bridger informs him who is outside bellowing, “It is Jim Bridger and the Ogden Mountain Man returning!”
A second or so later the window drapes are pulled back as the fort commander looks down at them below the steps at the back door. Then the fort commander unlocks the dead bolt and unlatches the chains holding the door within a solid shut position before opening it up. Of course, he usually doesn’t lock the fort up that solid that often. Or maybe, it’s just a ploy to speed the mountain men up with their raveling.
Once the door swings open Jim Bridger hesitates for a moment before stepping up the stairs yacking reckoning, “You have it locked up like Fort Knox!”
The fort commander turns back towards the inside shelling, “We saw some Indians on horseback riding near!”
Just at that point in the conversation, the Ogden Mountain Man tells him, “You’ll have fewer worries after tomorrow!”
Now Jim Bridger is glad he brought the wolf skins inside mentioning, “That’s why we felt it was time to pack up the offerings for tomorrow!”
The fort commander has a few items that he had saved for a special occasion as well. In fact, he has them on a work table that he has in the living room of the house. Quickly he approaches the table picking them up saying, “Here are some skins that you can bring along with you too!”
While making his way to his bags that he has inside the house, Jim Bridger says, “Great! With what Miles has offered that should be plenty!”
Here the scene flows back to the Union Pacific Railroad where news has gone back as far as the lines have come about the threat to their surveyors. Much of the progress of the Union Pacific lines had sped up along with such mail service stations like the Weber Stage Station in 1853 which happened to be a busy stop between Fort Bridger, Wyoming, and Salt Lake City.
And eventually the Union Pacific had further plans to set up some business within Echo and Weber canyon by building more railroad depots. They even had plans of building depots in to Denver and the Rio Grande which would later be known as the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. And they even had plans of stretching their way in to Ogden, Utah by opening up their own railroad terminal.
The Pacific Railroad Bill passed by Congress allowed them to charter both the Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad at the same time. The Union Pacific was chartered to build west of the Missouri River and they had plans of speeding up their progress in to Utah through Weber Canyon. This was part of the area that the Union Pacific was choosing for their tracks. And so far a meeting place for the transcontinental railroad hadn’t been chosen yet, although Ogden, Utah was predicted to be considered a major depot for transportation.
There was also an idea of how Ogden, Utah would be the place closest to where the crossroads of these future rails would eventually exist. So far they had to protect their interests by keeping other railroads out of getting further with their progresses so that they could ensure a way of travel northeast from Ogden in to the state of Wyoming which they felt was one of the easiest ways through the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
The next scene starts with a meeting between one of the railroad construction crew managers and a railroad interviewer responsible for interviewing and screening them before being hired. They are both at a table sitting as some new recruits are there who are looking to be hired. There is a railroad brake man and surveyor sitting of to the side of the table as some individuals looking for jobs approach in line. The railroad’s construction manager is handed a piece of paper from a railroad messenger.
As the railroad construction manager Gus reads it to himself, the railroad brake man, surveyor and interviewer looks to the line of unemployed people looking for railroading jobs. Quickly the railroad looks to the next one in line saying, “Next!”
Next the applicant approaches the table throwing a spike down that is painted gold. The brake man looks at it as the surveyor laughs. Then the interviewer asks, “What is this?”
Then the applicant immediately answers back, “That is a golden spike! I want to be a brake man!”
The railroad interviewer looks at the golden spike for a brief second before implying, “Aren’t you a little early for that?”
Right then, the applicant or interviewee begins to become really desperate to get a job to work with the Union Pacific Railroad as a brake man convincing him, “Please; I would do anything to work on the Union Pacific Railroad with a move out west!”
For a slight instance, the interviewer informs the interviewee, “This job requires lots of hours and it’s really tough work while working on them rails. And as a brake man you have other job responsibilities as well. And some of them are heavily demanding!”
Now the railroad construction manager Gus looks away from the letter saying, “Well, I have some good news and some bad news!”
The brake man looks puzzled wondering what’s worse the good news or the bad news asking, “So what should you story tell to us first, the good news or the bad news?”
By this time the railroad construction manager explains his letter from the corporate office expressing to them all, “The good news is that I have been promoted to Depot manager over the western regional area. The bad news is that our land grant is being held back until we insure our ground with future depots. And some of the blame is on several Indian attacks on some of our surveyors who have been working hard on securing our western route to find a transcontinental junction!”
For some unknown reason the railroad surveyor who has been working locally with present day railway works wonders by grimacing, “So what does that mean?”
The railroad construction manager Gus who has moved up like all of the others are in the Union Pacific Railway Company carries on further, “This means that they want me to head out to secure our future depots in places such as Denver and the Rio Grande in Colorado. But first they want a secure position on a depot in Ogden, Utah where the crossroads will be negotiated to meet together!”
The interviewee wonders if he came at a bad time questioning, “Did I come at a bad time?”
Consequently the railroad construction manager Gus looks back the interviewee answering back, “No, you’re hired! It looks like we may end up shorthanded around here otherwise! Go ahead and head over to the rail yard where they are creosoting railroad ties! ”
The Surveyor looks at the line of people waiting and then to the railroad construction manager Gus querying, “And when do you have to leave?”
The railroad construction manage Gus tells them all, “In a few days!”
The railroad interviewer makes a quickened comment before the scene comes to a near close enthralling, “What a promotion that happens to be for you?”
The railroad construction manager Gus gets ready to leave as the scene closes saying, “Well, I’m going to go start packing some bags!”
Meanwhile the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse, the Ute Indian Scout, and the Ute Indian Informant make their way to the back side of the Ogden River canyon. Of course they avoided coming close by any near proximity to the Huntsville Fort which is close to another small group of cabins that will become Eden in the future. As they approach they notice that there are some Ute Indians still war dancing a little. Furthermore as they approach closer and closer they all seem to stop as the Ute Indian Tribe all prepare themselves for another Mound Fort Civil War Quarters raid this evening. Of course, some of them will stay behind to protect their heritage and small home along the Ogden River canyon.
The Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse looks ahead at the Indian crowd begin to disperse along down the canyon while some of them utilize the Indian trail that leads back above the canyon in good size numbers. When approaching even closer the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse looks to his friends saying, “It looks like they celebrated again without us!”
Then the Ute Indian Informant is sure he knows what they’re all up to scrambling up, “It looks like they are preparing for another raid!”
By now the Ute Indian Scout wants to join in on the fun becoming overly anxious by cuing, “Maybe, we ought to join in with them!”
Just then, the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse looks to Eagle Feather’s teepee trading post as he turns in that direction. It seems as though Eagle Feather has stayed behind with his new little friend while the Indian band head out to seek his mama’s remains or at least some of them. Here and there a few Ute Indian warriors scatter off here and there regrouping with the march. It seems to the returning warriors that everyone is anxious more than usual like there was something at stake.
After continuing on towards Eagle Feather’s trading post teepee, the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse can see that Eagle Feather Ute Indian seems preoccupied for the moment. He also notices that there is someone else there with him and it appears to be a new dog. In fact there is a couple of other wild dogs around which have been particularly domesticated by them over the years. Nonetheless the wild like Indian dogs seem to acknowledge the fact that Eagle Feather Ute Indian is taking lots of pride with his new friend.
And furthermore so do the Indian warriors as they all three rides in closer and closer to his trader’s teepee. Just as the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse pulls on his horse’s bridle to make a complete stop, he shills out, “So who’s your new friend?”
For the meantime Eagle Feather Ute Indian looks back at them while making the black wolf cub feels at home. In a soft tone of voice to create a peaceful feeling around, Eagle Feather Ute Indian discloses, “He’s our new baby wolf cub that Two Feathers found down at the Indian fort!”
The Ute Indian Scout wonders what the wolf cub was doing there asking, “Why was the wolf cub over there for?”
Eagle Feather Ute Indian looks up to them while he holds the wolf cub on his lap clarifying to them, “It appears that he went there in search of his mother!”
Right away, the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse is catching on a little asking, “So you took him from his wolf mother?”
To clear up any misunderstandings, Eagle Feather Ute Indian carries on with, “Two Feathers saw him trying to reach his mother’s skins hanging from the tree in the back yard!”
It’s no doubt that the Ute Indian Scout will conjure up, “So they skinned her?”
The Ute Indian Informant looks to most of the Indian bands leave along the Indian trail and down the canyon along the Ogden River before starting, “Are they getting ready to raid?”
Then Eagle Feather Ute Indian explains what the plan is by going on reassembling, “They are going to retrieve the wolf cub’s property and nothing else but a good scare for right now!”
Confused as to Eagle Feather Ute Indian’s actions, the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse asks, “What if they can’t retrieve it?”
Fast like Eagle Feather Ute Indian changes the plan for them all by commanding them, “I would like you to follow behind and if they can’t get the mother’s wolf skins then hit them with some arrows from a distance and then retreat until another day!”
Immediately the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse wonders what’s up with that questioning him, “What’s the deal with that?”
By this time Eagle Feather Ute Indian explains what’s on his mind collecting, “We might have a special guest in that Indian forted up quarters down there. There’s a chance that the Ogden Mountain Man and his friend Jim Bridger might be there. I heard that he has been protecting the overland mail. And that makes me think he may try and come over here to talk to us. So let’s give him a chance. But don’t let them see you too clearly. I told all of them to stay in the dark shadows within the tree line. Only go close enough to get the mother’s property!”
Straightaway the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse pulls his bridle towards the Indian trail leading above the canyon yelling, “Yah, let’s go!”
They all three leave heading out towards the south side of the canyon making their way to the Indian trails above. As they ride ahead the Ute Indian Informant speaks loudly so that his voice carries over the horses riding while jotting, “He seems to think some mountain men are going to come up here for a peace talk or something like that!”
The Ute Indian Informant feels like he has a hunch as to what’s a brewing as well saying, “Sounds like they are gathering up a trade of some kind with our tribe perhaps?”
By now the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse realizes that any trade will most likely be sought after by Eagle Feather Ute Indian anyways. He relates this fact to his Indian comrades as he quills aloud, “And of course, Eagle Feather will have to be the one to handle such a trade if it comes to that!”
At that time, the Ute Indian Scout changes their expectations by commenting, “That’s if they’re both there and they come give us a visit!”
Then the Ute Indian Informant tries to pick up the pace a little faster as they pass up some of the Indians making their way along the Indian trails above. Next he makes a gesture to them both saying, “We’re going to have to hurry if I’m going to catch up with Little Mischief before everyone else gets there!”
Soon they pass up a few others while riding along the side of the trail as some of the Indians stand out of the way looking back while turning their eye when they ride by. Now the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse figures that he’s probably at camp with some others telling them both aloud, “Hopefully he’s at camp! If Chief Little Indian Soldier is there tell them to stay there so things don’t seem too obvious after we dart up the place a bit!”
While passing up another group of Ute and Shoshoni Indians marching and walking down the Indian trail, the Ute Indian Informant answers back telling him, “I’ll just keep him there and wait a little while to tell him!”
The Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse commands the Ute Indian Informant to ride ahead of them so that he arrives at the Indian camp before they all make their way to the defenseless civil war quarters saying, “Why don’t you ride ahead of us and get to him before we get to the fort commander’s home?”
Quickly the Ute Indian Informant signals his horse to ride even faster along the trail passing other Indians up faster shilling out, “On my way!”
As he rides ahead of them at a much faster pace, the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse explains to the Ute Indian Scout his feelings about this quick raise of a ruckus, “We don’t want to be seen by any of them mountain men or fort commander’s soldiers anyhow while trying to redeem his trading! Once we find Two Feathers and Black Wolf we’ll slowdown and ride along with them.”
Moments later as they reach the outer end of the Indian Trail, which leads directly over the hot springs from overhead, the Ute Indian Warrior Mean horse notices Two Feathers Ute Indian walking behind her friendly band of Indians who seem like they are more or less in a hurry to reach the fort commander’s quarters. In fact he sees that even Single Feather Ute Indian is with her as well with the others when she usually isn’t allowed to go out beyond the Ogden River canyon after dark. Seconds later they both catch up to them as they all turn around while hearing the horses merge upon them.
Once they catch up Black Wolf Ute Indian is curious as to why they are trying to beat them to the punch asking, “What is this, a race?”
As he slows down right next to them, the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse answers back saying, “No, but don’t you want to get there before dark to get the wolf mama’s skins from the tree?”
Quickly Den Wolf Mother makes a comment asking the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse, “So he told you where we are heading and what for, huh?”
The Ute Indian Scout fells that it was pretty hard for Eagle Feather Ute Indian to hide anything when he is outside playing with the baby wolf cub remarking, “It was kind of easy to notice. We could see him playing with a new friend once we all rode up. So why didn’t you bring him along?”
While thinking how life has been very hard on the little fellow, White Wolf Ute Indian feels that they made a tough choice by leaving him home saying, “We felt that it would be too much to bring the little wolf along with us. Maybe it would be better if we only return with it if we can get it from there!”
Finally, they all reach the curve of the trail where there is a drop leading down fifty feet or so to the bottom of the mountain crest which leads in to the fields leading in that direction. Then the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse expresses himself clearly to them all explaining what Eagle Feather Ute Indian had told them to do about staying far away enough to remain unseen. He starts off by gibbering, “We need to stay a ways back when we get there so they don’t hear or notice us, especially with our horses! When we get there just one of you makes your way up to the tree and sees if the skins are still there!”
Hurriedly like, Sharp Arrow Ute Indian decides that he should be the one by volunteering to be the one to try without making any obvious giveaways to the quarters. About then he says, “I will go up there to get it!”
Then right away, Black Wolf Ute Indian decides that she should be the one to go up there since she carried him part of the way interrupting, “No, I should be the one who retrieves it for him because I helped carry him back!”
The Ute Indian Scout makes a fine gesture embarking, “If you don’t make up your mind; I’ll be the one to go up there and take it from them!”
Wanting to stay unseen at this time is a mandatory procedure with the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse who is just as curious as Eagle Feather Ute Indian about who is there at the Indian fort quarters down below the hill. Trying to bring this fact to mind, the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse makes a statement saying, “Well, no matter what; we don’t want to be seen by anyone until we find out who’s there in the house!”
After hearing that once again, Lone Wolf Ute Indian is curious as how they are going to be able to find out who’s in the house without making a ruckus asking, “And how are we going to drive them out to see who’s there when they never come out in the first place many of the times? It seems that most of the time they just remain quiet like they don’t notice us or something unless we break a window and they stick their guns out at us?”
Then the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse thinks about what he has said for a few seconds before rallying out, “We’ll just see if the female wolf skins are there and if not we’ll just shoot a few arrows there and stop. If no one comes out then we’ll wait and see if Eagle Feather was right and someone comes and makes a trade.”
The Ute Indian Scout has an idea of his own saying, “We should have a few Indians stay and watch after the sunrise to see if they can make a distinction!”
Next the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse makes a connotation to the idea balking, “No matter what, they will have to stay out of sight so they can make the distinction and report back straightaway!”
Without more ado, Lone Wolf Ute Indian decides to be the one to stay and scout out the quarters the next day offering, “Let me! No one will ever know I’m there.”
Just at that instant, the Ute Indian Scout reaches in to his satchel bags and pulls out a telescope that he has tucked away for use. As he hands it to Lone Wolf Ute Indian he tells him, “Here, take this telescope along with you. Once we disperse you can stand night watch!”
It’s no wonder the Sharp Arrow Ute Indian wants to be a good sport and accompany him so that he isn’t alone overnight. Moreover he mentions this to them all by prompting, “I’ll stay along with Lone Wolf for the night!”
In the intervening time, Ute Indian female and Shoshoni Indian female make their way approaching while running up the trail. Seconds later they catch up to them all as Ute Indian female says while trying to catch her breath, “Eagle Feather told us what happened and said we could come!”
Directly thereafter, Grey Wolf Ute Indian finally opens her mouth for a line asking, “So where have you two been for the last few days or so?”
Right away, Shoshoni Indian female answers back quickly, “We’ve been up the canyon trying to do some hunting and such and hanging out at the wolf cages!”
Then and there while oncoming their way closer and closer to the quarters, Den Wolf Mother Ute Indian quills, “Please, make sure you don’t try anything except pop a few arrows before we head back. We are only to retrieve the wolf cub’s property and that is all!”
Now that they have a chance to return there for another fun exciting evening, Shoshoni Indian female and Ute Indian female agree to behave telling her, “Don’t worry; we will be out of sight before they know what hit them again!”
CHAPTER SEVEN
At about that time the Ute Indian Informant reaches over to the camp. There are many Indians sitting around talking and chatting while the surrounding area is fairly quiet. At that juncture the Ute Indian Informant makes his way in to camp while walking his horse in to camp so that no one really notices. It seems at the time that everyone has calmed down for the night and everyone is at east with the time being. Instances later, the Ute Indian Informant reaches inside of the forted camp where there are only some Indians gathered around conversing.
Without much hesitation he notices a few familiar faces although some of them look like they may be drunk with their eyes nearly drooping. As he approaches closer and closer it seems that many of them are falling asleep or maybe they are passed out as well. But nonetheless there are a few open eyes that can carry a conversation in a low monotonous tone of voice.
Of course, the Ute Indian Informant notices Chief Little Indian Soldier who is sitting at camp near a few others. He is sitting there leaning against the backside of the forted wall outside of the fort with his back to it. Just as the Ute Indian Informant notices him out from the crowd of other Indians in the dark, he says, “There you are?”
Chief Little Indian Soldier looks to him as he comes closer walking his horse asking, “Why did you bring your horse?”
Then right away, the Ute Indian Informant answers briskly like telling him, “I didn’t feel like leaving him anywhere at this time of night!”
With no more further to do, Chief Little Indian Soldier wonders if something is going on. So far his approach seems to be odd in a strange manner all of a sudden as he asks the Ute Indian Informant, “Where have you been lately? Sounds like something is going on that I don’t know about?”
While trying to act like he just visiting for the occasion, the Ute Indian Informant gives him a nonchalant line shrugging, “I have just been busy up the canyon is all and have decided to come down for a visit!”
Next Chief Little Indian Soldier wonders where the rest of his band is considering many of times they come along to gather up some food and grub here and there. Momentarily he asks about them all by querying, “Where are your friends at? Where are they hiding out at?”
Thinking up something to say, the Ute Indian Informant just kind of brushes him off by responding, “There around checking some things out before heading back up to the canyon!”
Now Chief Little Indian Soldier just kind of brushes off his conversation by saying, “Well, there isn’t much to check out down here anymore especially after tomorrow!”
With a curious notion, the Ute Indian Informant questions what he just said by asking, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Moments later Chief Little Indian Soldier talks about some rumors floating around the Mound Fort area which is kept secret in other words chatting, “I’m not sure; but I heard there are some surprises tomorrow about the fort commander and some plan he has to make a peaceful union with the Ute Indians somehow!”
Then the Ute Indian Informant holds his horses bridle and sits down next to him as his horse stays many feet away from them and some of the others lounging around. Next the Ute Indian Informant asks him more about the rumors interrogating, “Is there anything else you have heard?”
Chief Little Indian Soldier leans upwards while thinking about it for a second before contending, “No, there are no more details I have heard other than that.”
By now, the Ute Indian Informant decides to ask, “Have you heard any rumors of any visitors from outside of the area?”
Thinking back to what he had seen, Chief Little Indian Soldier describes a detail which is nothing to him telling the Ute Indian Informant, “No, just the Ogden Mountain Man I thought I saw from a distance but he’s nothing new!”
The Ute Indian Informant thinks to himself for a brief second or so before coming up with another questions asking, “Was there anyone else with him that you saw?”
Immediately Chief Little Indian Soldier remembers seeing someone with him but he didn’t seem to worry about it that much because he didn’t recognize whoever it was anyhow. He relates this fact back to the Ute Indian Informant scrambling up, “There was another person with him who had a beard but I think he works for the overland mail maybe. They all left and headed down the hill towards the fort commander's quarters earlier today. Many of us have just been relaxing enjoying the quietness around the camp.”
The Ute Indian Informant tries to brush off the discussion a bit by jousting, “Huh, that makes me wonder!”
Then right away Chief Little Indian Soldier asks, “Wonder what, who’s over there. Why what’s going on?”
Now doesn’t seem like the time to say anything about what’s really going on considering that they are right there at the fort just outside in one of the little Indian camps. The Ute Indian Informant decides to tell him anyhow considering he doesn’t seem to know too much and on the other hand he has given him some information as well.
After pondering it over for a brief moment, the Ute Indian Informant tries to make it look like only some of the Indian girls are curious as to the rumors they have heard of who may be around. With this thought in mind, the Ute Indian Informant makes another few lines telling him, “Well, some of the Indian girls found a wolf cub hanging by there. They think he was trying at his mother who someone had shot. And they have been hanging around there trying to see what’s up with the wolf mother as they watch over its cub! So my friends went over there to find them all and check out the area!”
By now, as the night gets longer and darker, Chief Little Indian Soldier wonders if he should be with them asking, “Shouldn’t you be with them looking for them all?”
At that second, the Ute Indian Informant figures that he can join back with them at any time answering, “Yes, I’ll try and find them in a few minutes and join back up with them I suppose!”
Back with the others as they have made their way to the Civil War Quarters, the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse notices that nothing seems to be hanging there from the tree. It appears as though they must have taken the female wolf furs inside the house. He looks to Lone Wolf Ute Indian who has the Ute Indian Scout’s telescope from their earlier conversations. Quickly he says, “It doesn’t look like there’s anything hanging there. They must have taken it down from there and have brought it in. Look over there with that telescope and see what’s there!”
Next the Ute Indian Scout figures that they may have come too late and that maybe they should send one of them up there closer to see if it’s laying around by the salt cellar shack out back. Hurriedly like the Ute Indian Scout mentions this idea to them all as he connotes, “Maybe someone ought to sneak up there and look around. Their horses aren’t around at night. They probably took them back earlier before sunset!”
Without any further hesitation, Sharp Arrow Ute Indian chooses to be the one initiating himself to go ahead and scope out the closers proximities to the fort commander’s house. He feels that he can get close enough without being seen or heard by any noise making. He can walk and move softer than an arrow flying through the wind unnoticed. With this courage on his mind, Sharp Arrow Ute Indian brags by saying, “I can go! Let me get close and take a look about the place!”
Yet Lone Wolf Ute Indian realizes that earlier he mentioned the inkling of how he said he wanted to sneak in to the house through the back wall access panel to the access panel from the crawl space to the house on of these nights. Trying to keep Sharp Arrow Ute Indian’s mind on the right part of the plan, Lone Wolf Ute Indian tells him, “Just look around without going too close. They could be watching; it’s hard to tell with just a candlelight glare in the windows!”
Fast like Sharp Arrow Ute Indian looks at them and turns back towards the fort commander’s house as he takes off with his body leaning in a low position. It’s almost like he was carrying his bow for protection with his hand on it so tightly. And of course he has some ammunition such as arrows to do some damage, although he doesn’t have his bow too readily at hand. Moments later he makes his way to the “Blood Tree” which is the closest tree to the yard where the game is hung and dried out from.
Once he passes the last tree line before reaching the yard of the fort commander’s house, Sharp Arrow turns towards the second tree in line within the back yard. Next he stops and looks as there are no sounds coming from the house as he listens. Then he makes his way to the next tree which happens to be the blood tree. As he approached he sort of noticed that the tree looked bare. Quickly he turns and looks around realizing that the remains must have been taken down from there.
By now he feels like he should take a chance at looking over by the salt cellar shed that is to the left side of him. Hurriedly he moves that way as he hears a few voices coming from the back room of the house. Furthermore they are muffled as he can barely distinguish what they are saying to each other. Yet he can make the distinction of the fort commander’s voice as he seems to be carrying his voice over and over.
At the time he turns the around the corner of the salt cellar shed he hears a sound come from the access panel to the floorboard in the back yard. He stops and waits for a moment as an animal which is unknown slips out and scurries away. While standing with a curious notion he waits for another second and begins to make the similarity to some form of an animal. Maybe it’s a wild cat or dog or some pet from the Mound Fort. However he understands that it’s not anything in relativity to what he is searching for in the back yard.
Just then after the sounds dissipate away he resumes his deeds and sees only an outside table with the smears of blood all around. There are even some other remains that bring out the truth of what has happened there today. Nevertheless he remembers his objectives as he decides to take a peek in to the salt cellar just in case there is anything else that he might need to be aware of for the time being.
Obviously it is so dark inside that he can’t really see anything at first, though his eyes begin to adjust quickly. It looks like there is something in a bag lying on the floor or maybe it is a blanket. When he wants to take a look and tries to move closer to, there is a sound from the back of the house that might be someone coming outside in to the yard.
Right away, Sharp Arrow Ute Indian splits as fast as he possibly can without waiting even another second to find out if anyone is entering the back yard. Still he departs in another direction towards another line of trees on the opposite side of the salt cellar. Yet, they block the view of the Mound Fort Artillery Base up on the hill.
Once Sharp Arrow Ute Indian makes his way away from the house he follows around the south side over towards the east side while realizing that nothing was there. Maybe the sounds came from the back room because the foundations on the house were weak or maybe there are some noisy floor boards in the house which bend and creek. It isn’t long before he swings around up towards the east end by heading north for about a couple hundred feet before reaching back with the others.
Moments later he meets the others as they all look with disappointment because he seems to have returned with nothing. The Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse is the first to speak asking, “Find anything?”
Seconds along, Sharp Arrow Ute Indian mentions how he found nothing saying, “I found nothing. But there were some blood stains on a table behind that shed or food storage room back there!”
Lone Wolf Ute Indian figures that that would be the case anyhow even though they have come all of this way to retrieve it. They really should have taken it right there on the spot, although they probably didn’t ever think of it. Nevertheless, Lone Wolf Ute Indian brings this idea about by speaking out, “That figures that we came too late; maybe we should have taken it earlier!”
Den Wolf Mother Ute Indian feels that they never thought of that because they didn’t really know what was going on at that time and they just wanted to get out of there. She brings out this fact by declaring, “Yes, we should have taken it before, but we didn’t even think of it until after we had left and the horses were there too and they would have brought attention to us!”
Then Grey Wolf Ute Indian thinks along the same lines jargoning, “And it was still light outside because the sun hadn’t gone down yet. There’s a chance they would have caught us anyhow!”
Right then, the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse shells out a line telling them all, “Well, we weren’t here when it happened so I don’t know. What do you want to do?”
The Ute Indian Scout figures that they should maybe start to head back up the canyon and report back to Eagle Feather Ute Indian by explaining, “Maybe we should just head back and inform Eagle Feather that the wolf mother’s remains weren’t there and see what he has to say about that?”
Moments later, after thinking about things for a brief moment, the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse shells out a line about leaving, “Perhaps, you’re right! We should start moving out and leave Lone Wolf and Sharp Arrow behind to watch the place over night!”
Then the Ute Indian Scout wonders about them shooting the place up with a few arrows before they all head out schilling, “What about making a little noise before we head out?”
Before any of them do leave, the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse figures that they should begin leaving and let a few others stay back while they depart a few hundred more feet before trying their chance at it. He mentions this to them all by adding, “We’ll leave a few of the females behind while we all leave that way they don’t notice anything! I doubt they will come out anyhow and if they do maybe we can find out who’s all there in the house with the fort commander!”
Just then most of the band begins to fade back leaving while Ute Indian female and Shoshone Indian female decide to stay back as originally planned. At that time, Ute Indian female takes out her bow from behind her back saying, “Let us take care of that!”
Thereafter Shoshone Indian female agrees with her friend while doing the same, “We’ll join back up with you all momentarily.”
Before they can depart from the scene, the Ute Indian Informant returns from the Indian camp next to the Mound Fort Artillery Base up the hill. As he approaches the Indian band turns back welcoming him as the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse asks why he had come back so early, “I thought I told you to stay; we were just heading out of here?”
The Ute Indian Informant figures that he should bring him the information he had received telling them, “I talked to Chief Little Indian Soldier and he said that the Ogden Mountain Man is there with someone else!”
Now the Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse is curious as to any other information querying, “Is that all he said?”
Next the Ute Indian Informant brings about some other news he had heard totaling, “No, he also mentioned that he heard about some plans the fort commander had of trying to make a trade with us for peaceful relations!”
The Ute Indian Warrior Mean Horse contemplates the idea for a second or so before voicing, “Is that so; then Eagle Feather was right and we should wait until tomorrow and see what happens! Wait until we are out of sight and then why don’t all four of you shoot a few at the house so that they are more eager to make that trade relation soon!”
Quickly the Indian band begins to leave the area heading back towards the Ogden River canyon. Thereafter Lone Wolf Ute Indian and Sharp Arrow Ute Indian ready themselves for a tag and run back another few tree lines away from there. The girls Ute Indian female and Shoshone Indian female do the same considering that they have become well prepared to drive the soldiers right to them. In fact this will put them in a good position as they can barter more trade from them in the future, although right now they must concentrate on the goal at hand.
Minutes later they are all alone as the Ute Indian female decides to take the initiative at a darting shot with one of her arrows. Quickly she prepares her bow as though she’s waiting for the get go and then before the others get a chance to aim, Ute Indian female lets one rip right in to the back door. Next the others follow behind trying to make a fast deal about driving the pioneer soldiers in the house out in to the open. One by one another three shots are pushed forth with the bow and then there is a little pause in between another reload of their bows.
A few moments go by and there is no response as if they were being ignored. Now the scene moves to the inside of the house as the fort commander remains silent like he notices the pause in action. Thus he decides to not react while speaking forth his mind, “Don’t move or do anything; they’re just trying to get us to come out again. It’s better to just ignore it until the sounds of their rifles are fired!”
Everyone in the place waits and remains silent until the Sergeant makes a remark saying, “We shouldn’t do anything to interfere with trying to make peaceful trade relations tomorrow.”
Peter stands in the birch wooded hallway of the front room looking in to the middle room while staying away from the window to his left while exasperating, “We should have been prepared sooner perhaps?”
The sounds of another strike are heard hitting near the window of the middle room. One of the arrows sounds like a thud as it wobbles in while vibrating a little still making a slight sound. Another is heard bouncing off of the brick walls as the sounds of a stick breaking loudly is heard. Then there are a few others that sound like they have hit closer to the roof of the house. All of a sudden the sounds of quietness are heard as the inside of the Civil War Quarters remains dark from the lantern lights being at their dimmest settings.
For a few minutes they all listen while Jim Bridger wonders about the two skirmishes he had happened to encounter over the last few days. Now he asks them all with a curious notion with a soft voice, “Do they attack when the lantern lights are all of the way out and it is dark through the windows from the outside?”
The fort commander answers his question quickly without speaking too softly like this was an everyday happening replying, “That don’t make no difference they attack after dark. They came early tonight it seems. It’s not even close to midnight yet!”
The Ogden Mountain Man has a different idea on his mind. One of how maybe they most have some insight of who’s there maybe by hinting at, “They must have found out from the other Indians at the camp at the Mound Fort Artillery Base that I’m here!”
The fort commander understands the fact that he knows how rumors can spread around her like wild fire, although Jim Bridger told some of the pioneers at the Mound Fort Artillery Base to keep things hush and quiet so that the credit to the plan would go to the Major who many consider an Admiral in a slight way and then on the other hand some do not consider him one. With this in mind the sounds of the arrows have obviously stopped for the time being. Or maybe they have stopped for the rest of the night, the fort commander states, “Don’t be silly! The Indians know that you are a native to this area and I don’t think that is anything to arouse them. This behavior is normal!”
Next the Ogden Mountain Man carries on further by discussing the fact that some of the Indians at the Indian camp at the Mound Fort Artillery Base must have seen him with someone else. And maybe they had made the distinction even though they didn’t really interact with too many others as everyone seemed too busy along with their own chores and such. He brings the notion forth by disclosing, “There’s a chance that some of the Indians at the camp may have seen Jim Bridger and me talking to some of the pioneers of the fort perhaps. And maybe they have been trying to guess at whom it was they saw?”
The fort commander argues the fact right away with the desires of ending these conflicts with the Indians of the Ogden River canyon and the Wasatch Mountain Range by arguing, “You’re just jumping to conclusions. Most of those Indians don’t care about nothing but having something to eat while they are there and most of the time they are too drunk to do anything!”
By now the Ogden Mountain Man brings the argument further by discussing, “You may be right! But they can still talk and can still see what’s going on around them!”
Of course, at this time, Jim Bridger feels like soothing the argument by reminding them of how this will all be over with like all of the clouds that pass us by and never come around again saying, “By tomorrow evening this too will be over with and we will know the outcome once I take a trip there to meet with them!”
By then, the fort commander feels that the little skirmish is over with and that they should call it a night. He ends the conversations by carrying out his nightly orders ordering, “Let’s just simply call it a night and act like nothing had happened!”
Nick can only think of the chores and duties he has to carry out the next day summing, “Sounds good because I have many things I have to do tomorrow like ride to the Salt Lake Temple to pick up supplies with the wagon!”
Finally they all head back to where they were sleeping as Jim Bridger says, “Why not? There’s a long day ahead of us!”
Now they all turn in while the Indian band outside decides to hang around a bit. Immediately Ute Indian female and Shoshone Indian female realized that nobody ever came outside as usual. Just then Ute Indian female starts off by babbling, “It looks like they didn’t budge an inch after all of that!”
Momentarily afterwards Shoshone Indian female figures that they should head out and leave the two Indian males behind as she gabbles, “It’s time for us to head back and leave them behind to see who there’s in the house!”
Lone Wolf Ute Indian relieves them both by saying, “It will be alright! We’re just going to wait until they come out in the morning and use the telescope to see who’s there!”
Following what he has said, Sharp Arrow Ute Indian adds, “Afterwards we’re going to sneak back and inform Eagle Feather what we see!”
As they both start to leave and head away from the tree line a few feet, Shoshone Indian female leaves a token of her self-esteem for the two of them quarrying, “Don’t take too long especially if they head up our way up towards the canyon!”
Once they get a few more yards away, Lone Wolf Ute Indian utters, “Don’t worry about us?”
The rest of the night remains quiet as the both of them watch and wait for something to happen as they hide beneath the trees off in the distance. Hours and hours go by as they merely just watch the Mound Fort Civil War Quarters with their eyes affixed mainly on the trees in the back yard and the back porch.
They seem to chat with each other for hours over and over wondering who’s there in the house with them all. So far they have their own conclusions which end up being many different ones. Some of them appear to be absurd, although they realize that many men that have come and stayed at the Mound Fort Artillery Base have been sent back east to join with the North and their fight in the Civil War.
Finally, the morning comes and the two watchers Lone Wolf Ute Indian and Sharp Arrow Ute Indian continue watching the house waiting for something to happen. At first they notice that Nicolaus and Peter are exiting the Civil War Quarters and then make their way up towards the Mound Fort Artillery Base. They both leave with a back pack each which makes the two Indians realize that maybe they are leaving for Salt Lake in the wagon for supplies. Then there is a pause in action as another hour goes by and nothing happens as they continue to watch.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Suddenly the back door opens again and a bearded man exits the rear of the house carrying some bags along with the Ogden Mountain Man. Then Nicolaus and Peter return with two horses back to the Civil War Quarters. One of the horses the two Indians Lone Wolf Ute Indian and Sharp Arrow Ute Indian recognize but the other one looks unfamiliar.
Lone Wolf Ute Indian uses the telescope trying to see if he can make the distinction of who the other individual is with him. But then it seems like there may be a name badge on the Army Coat the individual is wearing though it’s hard to zoom in on it with all of the moving around. And then there’s the fact that their backs are turned mostly to them.
Once Nicolaus and Peter return with their horses, the fort commander comes outside with the Overland Mail Sergeant and Lieutenant. As the two Indians watch there are some conversations before Jim Bridger loads up his horse and prepares to leave with the Ogden Mountain Man. Jim Bridger moves to hop onto his horse at the same time that the Ogden Mountain Man does and then he pulls his horse’s bridle and rides off slowly. The Ogden Mountain Man follows behind momentarily.
When they leave the Two Indians hear some more exchanges of words that are faint before they hear, “We’ll be waiting for your return!”
It isn’t long before they are thirty or forty yards away and the Ogden Mountain Man looks off towards the Wasatch Mountain tops south of the Ogden River asking, “So do you remember my directions that I explained to you?”
Jim Bridger thinks about it for a breeze or so before answering back, “Yes, I can see where you’re talking about from here between those trees! I can see what appears to be a small clearing about midway of that hill!”
The Ogden Mountain Man figures he’ll hang around and ride him up about half way so that it doesn’t seem like they are conjuring up anything behind the Indian’s back. He offers his gratitude by telling Jim Bridger, “I’ll ride up half way to the hill nonchalant like and then I’m going to go south and take care of some other things so that it doesn’t look like were up to anything!”
By now Jim Bridger looks all around him as if he thinks maybe some of the Ute Indians and maybe some of the Shoshoni Indians are watching. Quickly Jim Bridger turns to the Ogden Mountain Man questioning, “Why are we being watched?”
The Ogden Mountain Man continues to look ahead towards the hills beyond the tree lines in the background at the foremost part of the Wasatch Mountain Ranges along the south side of the Ogden River. While looking ahead trying to look like his mind is on the duties of the day, the Ogden Mountain Man proclaims, “There’s always Indians watching!”
For a moment the Ogden Mountain Man pauses before adding, “Just make sure you head south a little ways so that none of the Indians think you’re trying to elude them. It’ll look like you’re trying to find the easiest spot to ride up.”
It seems kind of strange to Jim Bridger considering that there are even Ute and Shoshoni Indians camped out at the Mound Fort Artillery Base. Next he queries a few words along the lines of the subject mentioning, “Why would they be watching us if they have their own camping grounds at the Artillery Base?”
The Ogden Mountain Man has been around the area a lot longer than Jim Bridger who has been away for a while since the good old days of ranching and cattle rustling avowing, “Let’s just say! There are good Indians and bad Indians and some of the good Indians are really on the bad side of things!”
At that time in the conversation Jim Bridger realizes that they really seem to mean business contemplating, “So they must really want the place closed down!”
The Ogden Mountain Man carries on further by talking about the Indian burial grounds on the top of the hill that they have desecrated y deliberating, “Yes, they take their ancestral rights seriously!”
Then Jim Bridger wonders where the Indians would be watching from querying, “Where do you think we’re being watched from?”
While approaching his turning point in the trip, the Ogden Mountain Man slows down to give more details before his departure saying, “There are Indians nearby hiding out in the trees watching! Just continue to look straight ahead as you head in to Indian Territory!”
Just at about that moment the Ogden Mountain Man starts to turn south with his last words telling him, I’ll check up on you later and see how everything has turned out!”
The Ogden Mountain Man leaves and Jim Bridger gives him a salute like he was one of their army men in a way. The further that the Ogden Mountain Man heads south he notices that there are some movements to his left. It appears that maybe there are some eyes on the prowl and maybe some of the Indians are watching after all.
Nevertheless Jim Bridger continues to make his way closer to the hill which uplifts its way to an Indian trail that the Ogden Mountain Man had told him about. Moments later Jim Bridger looks back at his old friend as he heads off and then he looks back to the foot crest of the hill. Quickly he pulls his horse’s bridle as hard as he can so that his horse can make the dash up the hill. Many hard sinks in the soft dirt make his horse catch up a few times here and there. Still he pushes hard and makes his way over the top.
Once at the top of the hill he looks back and notices his tracks were fairly sunken in the side of the hill. Then he turns frontwards with his horse noticing the Indian trail right underneath his horse and ahead of him and behind him. He looks around towards the valley seeing his friend disappear in between the trees before turning back to head along the Indian trail.
After about twenty yards or so, there are some noises coming from up above leading towards the upper mountain ranges. He looks with nothing in sight except the sounds of some more rustling coming from nearby. It seems to him that there are too many trees to see his way through, although he figures that the chances of him not only being watched are but maybe being jumped are great.
Nonetheless he continues riding his horse down the Indian trail heading north until he comes to a rock that is coming out of the ground making the trail go around at a slight dip. When he approaches the area of where the rock protrudes from out of the ground he hears some more crinkly noises come from up above his position. Yet this time he doesn’t look as he rides around the bulging boulder slowly. Once he reaches the other side he can see enough without turning his head, although he as he was before with nothing coming to view.
Now he realizes that the venture may become a little tricky as he starts to feel like he’s really being watched. The further he goes along the trail the more strong the feelings begin to transform in to a slight paranoia. A half minute later the Indian trail begins to sawing around as he approaches the mouth of the canyon on the south side. The winding path is fairly long as the trees begin to change as the seasons change throughout the year. And it’s no surprise that even the trees change as he notices more and more pine trees along the trail and even more up the Indian trail ahead.
The area almost looks like a forest in a way as he reaches the bend of the mountain just above the canyon on the south side. When he makes his way around the curve he looks down hearing voices that sounds like Indians laughing in a group or something. Of course, he understands that those voices are from the Indians down towards the mouth of the river at the edge of the Ogden River canyon.
The voices aren’t very loud but only faint, although they are loud enough for him to hear them when they laugh with such screeching giggles that are amplified. Nevertheless he continues down the Indian trail past the edge of the canyon to where it swerves back around in to a sort of little valley with some steepness to the mountain ranges developing. As he comes around the corner, he hears more sounds of something rummaging a up above the trail like something were trying to catch up so to speak.
Moreover he continues to ride down the trail as he finally comes upon a fellow Ute Indian walking with his friend. As he approaches the Fellow Ute Indian asks, “Where are you going?”
Right away, Jim Bridger says, “I would like to speak to Eagle Feather to see if he would like to make a trade!”
Next the friend Ute Indian replies after a moment pause, “Eagle Feather is at the end of the canyon in his teepee trading post!”
The two Ute Indians start walking away by him likes their allowing him to pass go or go ahead with his travels and own business. Consequently he picks the pace back up as he can only look ahead down along the Indian trail. Yet, he still hears some sounds up above him as they sound like they are getting much closer and closer.
Then all of a sudden the sounds seem like they are really close so that he can’t help but turn and notice two other Indian Ute males coming out from behind the trees watching. Finally, they both head over to the two Ute Indians that had stopped him along the Indian trail. He looks for a moment and then turns his head back frontwards minding his own business once again.
The Indian trail turns and meanders as it goes along the canyon and high above the Ogden River valley. In many places it turns back for many stretches of yards as it makes its way around some of the toughest spots where there are big drop offs going straight down some steep grades. Some of those areas are covered with lots of pine trees that have fallen over the years and lay on top of one another.
He continues to look as he rides along the Indian trail wondering about how the Ute Indians have chosen most of these paths throughout the years. Nevertheless he continues to ride along about his way as a few more straggler Indians come upon him on the Indian trail walking like they were only passing by. But in his mind maybe they are there just simply checking him out and looking him over. For news travels fast between these Indians as it may be apparent that they may have some extrasensory perception with one another or maybe it is something else like that along those lines.
Anyhow as Jim Bridger approaches the small Indian band, they all seem to stand on the south side of the Indian trail. They end up standing away from any of the potential drop offs that are fairly close in proximity to where they are passing each other. As they actually pass each other, one of the Ute Indian females looks at him and giggles like she may have been mocking something about him before when they first noticed him along the trail.
Then once he passes them completely more giggles come from the Ute Indian males that are there accompanying the group of Indians walking along the Indian trail. Nonetheless Jim Bridger doesn’t look back like he was ignoring it all or something. Maybe it’s almost like he figured that it would be hard to project or foresee how their reactions would be when he made the initiative.
Still he continues riding along the Indian trail while keeping his eyes ahead on where he’s going. He feels that there will probably be even more Ute or Shoshoni Indians walking their way down to edge of the Ogden River canyon where they have their hot springs for relaxation. So far he hasn’t seen any Indian militia forming or anything out of the ordinary indicating that they were recently planning something for over at the Mound Fort Artillery Base Civil War Quarters.
He even had a little bit of a look around as he was leaving, although the Ogden Mountain Man informed him that there are always Ute and Shoshoni Indians lurking and hiding around the area at night and sometimes throughout the early mornings. Or perhaps they are sneaky because they aren’t really too far from there. There only about three or so miles away from the fort commander’s house down the hill from his fort.
Anyways Jim Bridger keeps up a pace as he begins to realize just how big and long the Ogden River canyon really is once you take it to the test. Every awhile he has the chance to look down the mountain side down in to the canyon where it appears as though the Indians are everywhere in a sense. And he felt that the Ogden Mountain Man and his choice of the best way to travel there may have proven worthy as he suddenly thinks he can see the edge of the canyon.
As he looks out beyond the pine trees that stretch their ways high above even from the ravines below, he can see an area where the canyon seems to careen out in to a valley. Now he hopes that he has made his way near the end of the Indian trail as he sees the valley below emerge as the Indian trail sinks down towards the end of the canyon.
While he approaches the bottom of the Indian trail, he takes sight of many Ute and perhaps Shoshoni Indians watching and staring at him. Slowly he enters while riding in over on the way to some of the structures that are closest. Right away, he sees some Indian warriors standing near one of the teepees that are in front of many others while their horses are tied to a nearby tree.
Then he turns the other way noticing an old man sitting out in front of his teepee. All of a sudden a few stray dogs come up and start barking at him as he turns riding in to the old man sitting out front all alone. The stray dogs persist with making noise as the old man yells back, Quiet!” in English like he must speak the language rather fluently.
The dogs quit barking except for the little dark wolf cub that comes out from Eagle Feather’s teepee and starts growling. Eagle Feather Ute Indian looks at him as he seems to take Jim Bridger’s scent rather most seriously.
Momentarily, Jim Bridger doesn’t think nothing of it as he decides to take this action as a cue to apologetically ask this man of where the person he wants to talk to is at the time being. When he rides up he stops and asks, “Do you know where I can find Eagle Feather?”
Eagle Feather Ute Indian sits up in his chair out front of his teepee replying, “You’re looking at him! I’m Eagle Feather and this is my traders post!”
While sitting on his horse waiting for more of an invite, Jim Bridger associates, “I was wondering if we could have a talk to one another.”
Eagle Feather Ute Indian looks at his bags which seem to be many that are currently packed on his horse. Now he decides to maintain his standing with the community as a trader by summoning, “Are you here to make a trade?”
Still the little dark wolf cub continues on with his intensified growling like he knows through his own keen senses that he is the perpetrator who had killed his wolf mother. Of course, Jim Bridger remains on his horse as he answers Eagle Feather Ute Indian’s question, “Yes, I’m here to make a trade or a peaceful relations with Mound Fort and the Civil War Quarters!”
Next Eagle Feather Ute Indian figures that he might as well invite him inside. This is only to see what he brought with him and contends to do knowing that he must have brought the remains of Demon’s wolf mother along. However he feels that he should at least try and make a deal with him as long as they get what they want out of it though.
Quickly Eagle Feather Ute Indian gives him the invitation even though Jim Bridger is still getting the growls by saying, “Well, come in and let us see what you have with you?”
Now Jim Bridger gets off of his horse and then unties to bags strapped to the rear of his saddle. Quickly he carries them inside following Eagle Feather Ute Indian after he enters. The little wolf cub Demon keeps his eyes on him as he tends to stay outside in the front yard of the place away from his path of walking. But Demon tends to remain close to the doorway of his teepee which always seems to be open for trade regardless of his privacy when it comes to his people. Then there are a few of the Ute Indian Warriors start to gather around outside, although they remain at a distance. They start chattering to one another wondering what’s going on. However, they act like they are unaware of what’s going on even though they really do have a clue at what really is happening with the visitation.
The moment Jim Bridger enters he looks around and sees all of the items that Eagle Feather Ute Indian has to offer. He sees all kinds of various items for trade, although most of it seems to be Indian clothes such as Indian breeches and other items like shirts and coats. There is even a stacked pile of shoes that Eagle Feather Ute Indian has in one of the corners. Then Eagle Feather Ute Indian sits down in another chair that he has inside leaning against an opening between all of his belongings and things packed inside.
As Jim Bridger makes himself as comfortable as he can while standing there, Eagle Feather Ute Indian asks him, “So you want to make a trade for peaceful relations between us and the Mound Fort?”
Of course, Jim Bridger thinks about the little time he has had there and how they are attacking the fort commander’s house stating, “Since I’ve been here it seems that there have only been attacks on the Civil War Quarters down the hill below!”
By now, Eagle Feather Ute Indian has the idea already showing up in his head. Here he carries on by avowing, “Well, that’s the commander’s house down the hill there and he is in charge of that Mound Fort Artillery Base which is built on our sacred burial grounds!”
Then Jim Bridger thinks of the fact of how the commander of the fort lives there in the house and they are making it hard by jousting, “Yes, but he lives in the house down the hill and that’s his home!”
At that time Eagle Feather Ute Indian wonders what the Mound Fort Artillery Base is really there for anyhow questioning, “So, what is that place really?”
Jim Bridger thinks for a moment before answering back, “It’s an Indian fort that they built to protect themselves against the Indians of the area!”
Next Eagle Feather Ute Indian goes further by asking, “And you also called it a Civil War Quarters because it acts like one and there’s no civil war battles happening on this side of the country this far north or west!”
Here Jim Bridger thinks ahead about all of the recruits they have been sending back east to fight and join the civil war causes. He moves ahead in the conversation by speaking out to Eagle Feather Ute Indian, “No, there hasn’t been but nonetheless the fort commander still has to send recruits back east to fight on the Union lines!”
Now Eagle Feather tries to test his wits by asking, “So you’re Jim Bridger who is friends with Miles Goodyear who is trying to me by saying he’s the Ogden Mountain Man and why he isn’t with you?”
At that moment Jim Bridger explains how he felt like coming by himself deliberating while the little wolf cub Demon peeks inside growling a bit more, “I felt like coming alone and he had other things to do today, although he gave me directions which were the along the Indian trail above the Ogden River canyon!”
Eagle Feather Ute Indian thinks of Miles Goodyear and his posing as the Ogden Mountain Man a gentleman adding, “That was nice of him! He’s lucky I haven’t told any of the warriors that I recognize him, although he won’t admit it. So what’s the deal with the civil war anyhow and why are they still living on our ancestral burial grounds?”
Certainly Jim Bridger must convince Eagle Feather Ute Indian of how it will still act as a civil war quarters regardless until the civil war is over with indicating, “The premises will continue to act as a civil war fort until the civil war ends and it will always be my job to protect the overland mail of the west from Indians or the Confederate armies of the south. So far as distant as out here in the west is concerned General Carleton and his California Northern Advance won at Picacho Peak in Arizona but they are still marching south to try and keep General Sibley in the South so that he is unable to gain more ground past Tucson again. And then in the east the Union was having problems with the Confederates in Shiloh and a few other areas as they had been pushed back time and time again and many regimens had risked being caught. And according to rumors the men had been shipped back east to fight against the Confederates under General John C. Moore who has the same last name as the Mound Fort commander Major David Moore! However, now the war has taken a turn as the Union lines have been pushed passed Corinth which was the Confederate’s rail crossings. And many of the slaves who made it behind the Union lines were at first held as contraband by many of the Generals, although now that has changed after the first of this year with Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation allowing the slaves to flee north behind Union lines to be free!”
Just then Eagle Feather Ute Indian questions his authority with a peculiar question, “And that’s supposed to ease my mind that the Confederate Army is falling apart? And not to mention that it sounds like the fort commander has some opposing relatives somewhere in the south. So what’s the trade?”
Quickly Jim Bridger accepts the chance to show what he has brought to trade to try and keep a peaceful relation with the Indians and their feelings of the fort being built on ancestral burial grounds. He opens up one of his bags and pulls out the furs that the Ogden Mountain Man has given him to add along with in the trade. As he hands them to him he says, “Here are some beaver skins that have been saved for this chance.”
Just at that moment Demon begins to try and get closer like he senses something else present. Then he backs off as Eagle Feather Ute Indian handles them carefully like he was trying to get a mystic feeling from them for some reason.
At that point, Jim Bridger pulls out some deer skins that the occupants of the house had given him prior to his traveling here for this purpose. Just when Eagle Feather Ute Indian has looked over the beaver skins, he hands him the deer skins which are a few saying, “And here are some deer skins that you can look over!”
Right away, Eagle Feather Ute Indian takes them from him as they are stacked and placed together. The skins so far seem like they have been taken care of and whoever cleaned them must have known what they were doing, although Eagle Feather Ute Indian is looking for more than that from him. In repose, Eagle Feather Ute Indian carries on further trying to hit him and his bags with a little more coloration as he balks, “Do you have any skins that happen to be darker than these?”
There is no doubt in his mind that he does unless he has left it behind. But additionally Jim Bridger has brought a special one for him and it seems that maybe it may be in his liking anyhow. However Jim Bridger is clueless to some of the facts, but nonetheless he moves ahead by reaching in his other bag in the scheme of things by contemplating, “Yes, I do have an animal skin that is dark in color!”
Right then, Jim Bridger takes out the skins of the little wolf cub Demon’s mother. Immediately Demon sees them and jumps back to the outside turning around in circles a few times from all of the anger. Now Eagle Feather Ute Indian finally has his hands on his mother does wolf skins while Demon watches with stillness as he wants him to accept the offer so that he can make his revenge for a later time.
In that juncture of time, Eagle Feather Ute Indian has the premonition to ask Jim Bridger where he found this skin at probing, “Where did you find this treasure at?
Jim Bridger thinks for a moment and then he tells a short few lines answering, “I caught this one up north towards the mountains straight in front of the fort commander’s house!”
There are at the moment a few Ute Indian Warriors gathering around outside. Mainly it’s just a couple to make sure that everything stays peaceful inside Eagle Feather Ute Indian’s trader teepee post. From outside the Ute Indian Warriors can tell that Eagle Feather Ute Indian is sitting down looking at the goods that Jim Bridger has brought along the trip with him. Yet, he decides to remain standing while doing the trade like a soldier would especially with the little wolf cub Demon staring him down growling.
Eagle Feather looks over the mama’s dark wolf skins and then at him standing before concerning, “Wouldn’t you like to have a seat and sit down?”
Jim Bridger looks at the little wolf cub outside of the teepee just staring in like he would like to tear him to him a bit for spite of his revenge. Now Eagle Feather Ute Indian looks at Demon as he growls a little more while revealing, “Never mind him, he has taken a liking to this wolf skin here. There are many pets we have and none are like this little one here. He has taken a liking to you too!”
By now Jim Bridger notices that some of the other stray pet dogs they have are coming around growling at his horse a bit, though his horse is used to it and never budges. As they run around Jim Bridger glances outside and down to Demon for a moment and then he looks back to Eagle Feather Ute Indian commenting, “So what do you think?”
Right away, Eagle Feather Ute Indian wants to agree on the trade, although he feels that he will have to convince everyone in his tribe to agree as well and that might be a little tricky. However there will always be some of the Ute and Shoshoni Indians who may disagree and rebel here and there. On the other hand, he decides to accept while saying, “So you are offering this trade in exchange for us agreeing to keep from attacking the Mound Fort Artillery Base and the fort commander's quarters down the hill?”
Jim Bridger answers back with a preoccupied short sentence with one word replying, “Yes!”
After thinking about it for a few seconds, Eagle Feather Ute Indian carries on telling him, “I accept, but I will have to have a talk with my people about having peace with our ancestral burial grounds on the hill. I will talk to them about how it will still operate as a civil war fort until the civil war ends. I can’t guarantee that everyone will obey the trade even though it is for peaceful relations. However, I will sit down and have a talk with them all and come up with some solution and that’s about the best I can promise for right now. But it’s going to be hard because there are always more and more Indians moving in to the area and I can’t account for all of them. There are also lots of Mormon pioneers moving in to the area making the Indians nervous at times.”
Now Jim Bridger feels that he did all that he could and that hopefully it will make the difference. Still he wants more of a promise but he doesn’t feel that he should push the matter too far otherwise they will reject his proposal. Moments later he says something agreeing in to his promise by declaring, “I think that the people of your tribe will accept!”
Soon Eagle Feather Ute Indian reaches over to a peace pipe that he has and then puts a pinch of his peaceful tobacco inside offering, “Here let us take a puff from my peace pipe to seal are meeting!”
Eagle Feather Ute Indian strikes a wood match that he has in a box on top of a barrel and lights the peace pipe. After taking a slight toke from it he hands it to Jim Bridger who takes a drag without choking or coughing. Finally Eagle Feather Ute Indian takes the peace pipe back and sets it back down on his barrel and touches the mama’s wolf skin as he turns. Jim Bridger turns to head back outside and says while leaving, “Well, it was nice meeting with you!”
Lastly, Eagle Feather Ute Indian says his final words saying, “Yes, it was nice meeting with you and never mind any of one staring as you leave. Just wave and act friendly!”
Jim Bridger nods his head and heads over to his horse. As he approaches his horse, he turns and notices the little black wolf cub is only behind him by several yards with his teeth showing and some slight growls. And there for a brief second Demon nearly catches ahold of his pant legs just above his cowboy boots.
Jim Bridger begins to hop onto his horse by sticking his left foot in the left bridle. Once on top of his horse he pulls his bridle back towards the Indian trail the way he first came and starts to leave. While leaving he notices a small group of Ute and Shoshoni Indians talking about him and then looking over at the baby wolf cub Demon who seems to follow behind getting close to his boots there for a moment before stopping and growling. A few of them begin to chuckle like Jim Bridger has no idea what’s going on about that and whether he will keep up the promise with the agreement. Eventually Demon stops and barks a few times and turns back.
Soon Jim Bridger leaves and makes his way back on to the Indian trail from the backside of the Ogden River canyon. While riding along he can only think of what happened and how there was something peculiar to the small black wolf cub staring him down the whole entire time. Though consequently, he has no idea what to think considered that the Indians are rather tricky when they do things and it’s a fact that they don’t know everything about them.
Below is a link to "Mound Fort- Running with the Pack" subpage 3.