Grail Quest Read online

  Now that my foot was back out of my mouth, I told Moyock and Leahna how to pack the remainder of my trade goods. We took as much food as we dared carry without overloading our flimsy crafts. We couldn’t load them where they were hidden. While we worked Moyock said, “I think we must be careful with the Unilah. Because we need them to help us carry our things, they may think we weak. Maybe want much. Maybe want everything.”

  “Yes…we must be alert. Keep your ears open among them. If they think Leahna is a witch they may be hostile. We’ll travel with our weapons loaded.”

  At first light we carried our packs down to the river. Then we shoved the canoes out from their hiding place. Down at the shoreline we stowed our belongings in them. I decided Leahna should ride in the front of my canoe. I devised a small seat that allowed me to sit rather than kneel while rowing. She was used to sitting with her feet straight out in front of her. Not knowing what kind of reception she would receive among the Unilah, I wanted her to sit regally on top of the cargo. Because of her precarious balance in the tipsy canoe, I had to abandon that idea. Moyock in the second canoe carried a proportionate larger share of cargo. With my craft being the most unwieldy, Leahna and I got in. Moyock shoved us into the stream before getting in his own canoe. Because I expected to be delayed at the falls we couldn’t start too early.

  As we approached Otisco’s village, Moyock said, “Let me land first. I will jump out and rush over to hand out the Chief’s daughter.”

  The kid had a head on him. “Good idea.”

  Aware of our coming, Chief Otisco, the Sachem, and other dignitaries waited for us far up on the shore. I didn’t see any smiles. As Leahna stepped out of the canoe on Moyock’s hand, we heard angry muttering. I could see hostile arms shaking at the front of the crowd. Leahna played her part and calmly studied the crowd.

  I walked up to Otisco and performed my flintlock salute. He stared at me. “Squire, why you bring witch to my village?”

  I stared back at him. “Chief Otisco, I would not bring a witch to my friends the Unilah.” I had a story in mind. “Leahna is the daughter of Chief Onalaska. Now I take her to Chief Omaha far away.”

  With more muttering from the crowd, Otisco continued to stare at me. “We have seen red-haired girl on mound. Look crazy. Make crazy noises. Maybe witch noises. We see her before Squire come. We think she witch.”

  “Leahna’s party came down river from far. People sick at mound, all die. Leahna alone. Afraid of other people. Act crazy to scare.”

  Otisco’s face relaxed until the Sachem said, “You say Coyote witch at mound. Make canoes sick. Maybe make her people sick. Why not make red-haired girl sick?”

  “Coyote want her for mate. We stop him. We give Leahna White Mans charm.” I took my time to look back at her. “Token around her neck scare Coyote.” Now the crowd focused on her. “He can not come near her. He gone long time. Not come back. Leahna no witch!”

  “I think Chief Squire speak truth. If girl is witch you not safe with her. We have smoke.”

  While we smoked in front of his wikkiup, Moyock remained with Leahna and the canoes. Some of the women lost their fear of her, and out of curiosity, moved closer to inspect her. They were fascinated by her crucifix and colorful cloth. Leahna unwrapped one side of her robe to let the ladies fondle it.

  After more general conversation with Otisco I said, “If we are to find Chief Omaha, we needed to press on. We don’t know how far away he is.”

  Otisco said, “Canoes can not float down river here. Many bad rocks, swift water, long way. Canoes break up. You must carry canoes. I think maybe one day.”

  Bad news indeed. “Chief Otisco knows way around falls. Many strong Unilah men here. Maybe we give gifts to men who carry canoes, carry goods to smooth water.”

  “Maybe so,” he said. “Long way to carry. Many men. Take many gifts from rich man.”

  Oh oh. I could have guessed that, but without their help we couldn’t get downstream. I suggested we survey the canoes and contents to see how many men were needed. Besides the two canoes, we had eleven packs of various sizes. Moyock would carry one package. I hefted a couple of the larger ones and handed them to the men who accompanied us to the shore. Then Chief Otisco hefted a pack. He and two of his men then palavered with a lot of head shaking.

  “They think two man each canoe. Packs hard to carry, long way. Think maybe fifteen men. Take turns. What gifts you give many men?”

  “When we reach smooth water, I give each man tobacco for him, knife for wife.”

  Otisco relayed my offer. Ominous grunts and head shakes accompanied their replies. “They say Squire is not generous. They say hatchet for each man too.”

  “Chief Otisco. I do not have fifteen hatchets. I gave many away on our trip to here.” The three of us each had a hatchet but I didn’t want to part with them. “I have five left in the packs. I will give them to five of the men, but the men must say which five of them get hatchets.”

  “So. What you give other men?”

  Since there was quite a crowd around us, I removed Leahna’s colorful robe. I swung it around open for all to see. “For each man with no hatchet, I give robe like this.”

  I watched faces for a reaction. Some of the women smiled and one of them nudged her man. Moyock muttered, “Good idea. I hope you have enough cloth. Others will want it too.”

  I looked at Otisco. He turned away from me and spoke to some of the men. When he turned back he said, “Gifts good. You give them now.”

  While facing the Chief I became aware of agitated movement among the people. “Chief Otisco! Do your men think I am a fool? I say I give gifts at end of falls. That is my offer.”

  Out of the corner of my eye I detected movement in the crowd and heard loud muttering. Our troubles weren’t over yet. Something was wrong. Momentary fear shivered across my back. I was alert…on guard.

  “ HAH! White Squire is skunk! We take all your things! ”

  Some men ran at me. They screamed their war cries. Berserk Beaver led them. He brandished a wicked looking club. I didn’t have time to aim…swiveled my gun stock into him. Knocked him aside but not down. Enraged, Beaver swung his club. Easily dodged. I jammed the stock into him. He was down on his back. My swinging flintlock scythed away two warriors. Beaver sprang up with a knife. No more playing. I pulled the trigger. He was so close his stomach exploded. His companions turned and ran. Most of the spectators screamed and ran back into the village. To his credit, Chief Otisco backed a short way away from me, but did not turn and run. I reloaded my flintlock. Moyock didn’t draw the pistol. He kept his eyes on the wailing people at the edge of the village.

  “I have settled my trouble with Berserk Beaver.” I said to the Chief. “I did not want to use my thunder stick, my badge of office as a White Chief. I mean no harm to other people. We only wish to go in peace and friendship with the Unilah.”

  “You have big medicine, Squire. Berserk Beaver was foolish. I do not wish you any harm. I think we must help you now.”

  While he waved and shouted to his people I rejoined Leahna and Moyock. “I don’t think we’ll have too many problems with them now. Otisco has guts. He is smart enough to know he wants someone with powerful medicine to go away from him.”

  With assurances that my thunder stick would not speak against anyone who helped me, Chief Otisco calmed his people down. We managed to get everyone in line and moving. Leahna marched behind the biggest brave who carried the largest load and led the way. My canoe was next, then the remaining porters and lastly Moyock’s canoe with him at the back. I followed all, where I could keep an eye on everyone and everything. Because we followed a well used trail, the trip wasn’t as difficult as I expected. Even so, I studied the current for a safe place to enter the river. I mistook a calm place to do that. The lead man came back to make us understand that the calm was deceiving and more rapids followed.

  His was good advice. Within a half mile we would have crashed on the rocks. When he finally stopped, I reck
oned we had walked over two miles to safe water. Now it was my time to come across. I hated to give up the hatchets but I had promised. After distributing the gifts, we loaded the canoes and set out down river. It wasn’t dark yet and I wanted to get as far away from the Unilah as possible. While they were tractable when we left, who knows when greed will overcome fear? On the other hand, if they knew my trade goods were so depleted, would they bother?

  After we landed to make camp for the night, Moyock out of earshot of Leahna said, “I think raven follows us. I see single black bird fly up and back along river. Never far away, never far ahead of us.”

  “That’s all we need…that slimy witch…I can’t wait until I can lay a shot on him.”

  During the next several days the river seemed to run slower, and followed a zigzag path around close loops. Ever since leaving the village of the Cinsy, I knew we traveled in a southwesterly direction. From what Leahna told of her ancestor’s route, I thought we should head northwesterly. Several times we passed small villages of Naturals on either shore. By keeping to the middle of the stream we avoided direct contact with any of them. A few Naturals in canoes approached us, until they had a better look at this strange white person and girl with flaming red hair. Then they decided they had more important things to do elsewhere.

  Opposite a large island, Moyock smashed his canoe against a submerged object. The canoe overturned dumping Moyock and our supplies into the river. Behind him, I beached my canoe on the north shore and ran through shallow water to help. Moyock stood in waist deepwater and struggled to free the canoe from a now free floating log. I could see the canoe was damaged more than we could repair.

  “Can’t be fixed…let it go, Moyock. Let’s see if we can salvage some of the cargo.”

  As I came up from diving in the mucky water I heard Leahna shout: “Squire, Squire, over there!”

  Flicking water out of my eyes, on the opposite point of land, I saw a troop of Red-Indians mounted on ponies! Moyock came up with a small bundle. I said we’d better get back to the other canoe. I counted five riders, men who watched us as though amused. The leader wore a curious headdress resembling a helmet. His companions had feathers stuck in their hair. All appeared to be wearing trousers of some sort, instead of aprons, and were bare-chested. Their horses were nowhere as big as my steeds. All three of us raised our arms in peace signs. The strangers didn’t respond, just watched us. They talked among themselves.

  “What do you make of them, Moyock?”

  “Don’t know. Never see Naturals with horses before.”

  “So far, they don’t appear to be hostile, so let’s recover our cargo.”

  No longer of any use, the broken canoe floated downstream. “Squire, I think you stay here and watch strangers. I’ll fetch supplies from river.”

  While Moyock felt around in the water with his feet and then dived, I said to Leahna, “I’m surprised those horsemen just sit there watching us. They are well armed. Try sign language to talk with them.”

  While Moyock returned with a package, Leahna gestured to the horsemen. One of them signed back. She said, “They ask if we are Spanish.”

  “Tell them no. We’re not Spanish. I am English, you and Moyock are Naturals. We don’t know any Spanish.”

  “They say, how we know you not Spanish?”

  Obviously, from contact with them, they are hostile to the Spanish. So that’s why my white appearance didn’t scare them. “Tell them we are enemies of the Spanish. We fight against the Spanish.”

  We watched as they palavered among them. “Ask who they are, where are they from?”

  Moyock returned empty handed from his last dive and watched the horseman reply. Neither He nor Leahna understood them. Moyock shouted across the river using words he’d picked up from the Unilah. After several minutes of verbal and sign exchanges Moyock said: “They call themselves Tenesans. They are from way south. They run away from the Spanish.”

  From first seeing them, I looked at their horses as a way west. Now how to acquire them? The two packs Moyock retrieved from the river contained food. Any trade goods in the canoe were lost. What were left in my canoe were our personal things, weapons, some tobacco pots, strings of beads and wool cloth. I didn’t know if the river was some kind of barrier to these people. They hadn’t moved since first contact. “Ask if they want to trade for horses.”

  “They want to know what you have to trade.”

  Leahna’s robe was not packed so I flung it up to billow. “Say we will trade four of these for four of their horses.”

  “They say, what else you have to trade?”

  I retrieved a colored glass bead necklace and showed how it was worn by Leahna. “Say I will trade five of these for a fifth horse.”

  The Tenesans talked to one another and seemed to find something humorous. “Squire,” Leahna said, “I not like this. Maybe they think we weak.”

  After their conference the leader in the helmet shouted, “We not trade. We just take goods. We beat you. You carry goods back to my camp. Maybe kill you, you work hard, maybe not. Big girl be much fun. We use red-haired girl for sport.”

  In English I shook my fist and shouted back. “You scurvy blackguards come on over here! We’ll teat you to a quick trip to hell!”

  We watched as the horsemen rode upstream along their side of the river looking for shallow water. Finding a ford that suited them, and shouting their war cries, they rode into the river. I flipped the pistol to Moyock. “They must think we are helpless. Load up. Be ready to reload. Don’t shoot before I do. Leahna, stand by the canoe. Out of sight have your bow and arrows ready. Keep your hatchet concealed but be ready to throw it. We need to grab their horses.”

  Brush on our side of the river prevented the horsemen from gaining the shore. Instead, single file they galloped towards us in the shallow water. While still thirty or so yards away the leader gestured and shouted. He must have seen a break in the shrubbery because the rear three turned uphill out of sight. Now facing a two pronged attack I told Moyock and Leahna to take cover in the woods up the bank.

  Seeing us disappear from the shore the leader reined back to a cautious approach. Great. That gave me the chance for a long shot. I nailed him in the chest. He fell into the river. His follower screamed in fright. In panic turned his horse into deeper water. Big mistake. I reloaded…shot him in the back.

  We heard the other three calling for their leader. I reloaded, and told Moyock to follow me, but stay to the side. Figuring on surprise, I headed in the direction of their voices. I only saw two of them. When they saw me they charged with their spears. Bad move. I dodged among the trees. The first thought he had me trapped. I side stepped…swung my saber into his midriff. The second man was surprised to death when Moyock rose up and shot him in the face. Where was the third warrior?

  Leahna screamed. I ran out of the trees. I saw the last man come off the river behind a fallen Leahna. She sprang to her feet. I hollered and ran to her. Because she was between him and me I was afraid to shoot on the run. Leahna twisted and threw her hatchet at him. He brushed it aside. He thrust his spear. A black bolt shot down from the sky…and drove it’s claws into his face! The rider was thrown off balance into the water. The raven flew off. I leaped on the man. He struggled to rise. I parted his hair with my hatchet.

  Rising, I saw that Leahna was shaken but unhurt. I ran and wrapped her in my arms. She trembled. Holding her close I smooched her forehead. When she calmed down she turned her face up to be kissed on the lips. Much as I preferred to carry on further with her, one was all I allowed. We had a higher priority, “let’s catch those horses!” I shouted.

  All of them remained on our side of the river. We found them busy eating the lush grass in a clearing behind the shore. Moyock showed us the way. He got behind the nearest one and slipped slowly up by its side. Then he threw himself over the horse’s head and grabbed its reins. On closer inspection I could see why he could get so close. The scrawny ponies were hungry, starving. We rou
nded up the other four and I hobbled them close to our camp.

  Where up the Ohio I hated to trade horses for canoes, now I thought it expedient to abandon the remaining canoe for ponies and head inland. Our mounts lacked saddles. They were controlled by the cruel Spanish bits to which their reins were fastened. If they ate too much grass on an empty stomach I feared bloating. I let them feed for only long enough to satisfy their immediate hunger.

  The body of the first man I shot was out of sight, the second floating in mid stream. Moyock and I gathered the remaining corpses and threw them into the river. The leader’s headdress protruded from the mud in shallow water. I picked it up. Sure enough it was a Spanish helmet. With the idea that it could add to our bizarre appearance, I asked Moyock to try it on and wear it.

  “It’s too big and too heavy. Just slow me down.” He pitched the helmet into the river.

  I retrieved it. Being metal and probably something no one else had seen this far north, maybe I could use it. True it was heavy but I would only wear it on particular occasions.

  “We’ll load as much of our gear and supplies as we can on these five ponies, and set out walking them to the west. I suspect the five horsemen were a scouting party. We don’t know how many other Tenesans are about. I want to get as far away from here as we can manage before dark.”

  From what we had seen on the way down from the Unilah, the land along the river contained more open areas between the woods than we saw upriver. The forests were not as thick. Some open areas contained growing crops of corn, beans, squash or melons. Banks of sunflowers often bordered these plots. We had wandered about quite a bit on the river’s meander. Even so I reckoned we’d put over a hundred miles between us and the falls of the Ohio.

  Considering we skirted planted plots, after we traveled about seven miles by my reckoning, I called a halt in woods near a small stream. Leahna and I unloaded the ponies and set up a minimal camp. Moyock scouted all around to ensure we didn’t have unwelcome neighbors. After we ate cold jerky and relaxed from a harrowing day, Leahna trembled and sniffled. I felt of her head. She didn’t feel feverish. “What is wrong, Honey?”