Grail Quest (21 page)

“We want to take my mate, Princess Leahna to her own people. She has never seen them. She only heard tales that they lived on a great river. Is it far to your friends we call the Mandan?”

“By canoe, maybe four days. Walking I think maybe eight days. We are surprised you are walking.”

“We have come a long way, Chief Akaska, and traveled by many means. We were struck by a great whirling wind which destroyed our canoe. My nephew speaks clearer than I do. I will have him tell you of our trip.”

In English, Moyock said, “So now I’m your nephew, Squire. Does that make me a prince?”

Smarty. Genially, I said, “Shut up and tell them how we got here.”

Moyock’s story created awe and maybe some disbelief. I noticed some frowns and mumbling among the younger set sitting around us. Chief Akaska ignored them and invited us into his tent to eat. Afterwards, Moyock went off with some of the young men to see their village. I offered one of the Sioux pipes to the Chief.

“That very nice. I surprised you have Sioux pipe. Sioux want much for them.”

“They were in the canoe abandoned by the Sioux after they tried to kill us.”

“Sioux very touchy. Sometimes friends, sometimes enemies. Be very careful near them.”

“We have learned that lesson. We stay away from them when we can.”

“If they see you have many pipes, they want to know where you get. Maybe canoe better for you than pipes.”

Another horse trader. I’ve heard this song before. “What does Chief Akaska have in mind?”

“Many Sioux around here. Come and go all the time. I think you not want to see them. Maybe better for you, if you ride in canoe. They see you three, only walking. Think you weak.”

I banged the stock of my flintlock on the ground. “I do not fear the Sioux. I have great power in my staff.”
 

He wasn’t impressed and shrugged. “You have strange symbol. I not see any power in it.”

I wasn’t about to demonstrate. “My great power comes from the sky. We fought the Sioux before and won.”

“You had canoe then. Walk now. Not the same.”

“Chief Akaska speaks wisdom. So perhaps we could get canoe from our friends the Arikara?”

“I think maybe someone trade canoe for pipes. Maybe trade for big knife you carry.”

“I see. Big knife is my personal weapon. Not for trade. How many pipes you think for canoe.”

I could see the wheels turning behind Akaska’s silent stare. “Take many pipes. How many pipes you got?”

“You say Sioux get big trade for pipes. Then I think maybe one canoe, one pipe.”

Akaska laughed. “Hah. No, no, no.
 
I think maybe,” he held up eight fingers, “this many.”

My turn to laugh. “I think my friend, Chief Akaska jokes. I do not have eight pipes. Now only four left.”

“Hunh.
 
That not many. Maybe for small canoe. I talk with elders.”

Early evening by now, he offered us bed space in his teepee. When the three of us got back together I asked what they had learned.

“Young men think they test Moyock. While we walk, man who say I lie, keep bumping into me. Keep pushing. Others chuckle. When we near river, I trip and push him into water. He mad. Now others laugh at him. He walk away. I think he not brave man. Only bully. No problem with others.”

Leahna said, “Squaws hear my people live in huge village. Not have teepees. Have big houses from ground. Many things different about them. Canoes are round.”

Round canoes? That sounds like the Welsh coracles. Houses from the ground? That we’ll have to see. “What did you learn, Moyock?”

“Young men say Mandan village surrounded by high fence. Big ditch behind. Protection from enemies. Many, many people. Talk of torture ceremony for young men before they can have wife. Must prove courage. Say they glad they not Mandan.”

“Did you ask what their attitude toward strangers is?”

Leahna answered, “Squaws say Mandan very friendly people. Wealthy people. Have many crops. Have strong medicine. Have powerful Wakan Totem.”

“They become more and more interesting. I’ve talked to Chief Akaska about trading for a canoe. I said all I have left is four pipes. I hope you’ve kept yours hidden, Moyock.”

“I leave in my pack here. Not talk about them.”

“Good. I don’t think our things have been out of my sight. We may get a small canoe for four pipes, but if it’ll carry us, that’s all we need.”

In the morning soon after daylight I approached Chief Akaska about the canoe. We gathered up our belongings and followed him to the beach. He kept glancing at my saber. “Canoes very valuable. I think you not have enough to trade.”

Only six canoes rested in the sand. We walked over to the smallest. It was big enough. ‘That’s not much of a canoe for four pipes. I think bigger canoe for four pipes,” I said.

“No, no, no. Many people need big canoe. You only need small one. I think four pipes and big knife for small canoe.”

This fellow could be a back street trader in London. It was time to talk tough. “My friend, Chief Akaska’s price is too high. I can not part with big knife. My personal weapon. We walk.” To my companions, “Pick up your things, we’re heading out of here.”

Moyock took the lead, followed by Leahna. As I set out I heard a loud buzz of talk behind me. “Squire, Squire, we would not let our friends walk. Men say give friends canoe. We take four pipes. That better for everybody.”

To my pair, “Hold up folks. We seem to have a trade after all.” I’d heard enough to know that some of the other men, not to be out shown by the Chief, also wanted pipes. To Chief Akaska, “My heart is full that our friends, the Arikara, have chosen to be so generous to us.”

Just before stepping into the canoe, I went around shaking hands with the elders while Moyock explained that was a sign of trust and friendship among White Men. “When we reach the Mandan, we will say how friendly and generous our friends the Arikara were.” That brought smiles from the group seeing us off.

Well a little grease might help our relations with the people we met. I hoped this rickety craft would last long enough to get us to the Mandan.

Chief Akaska said four days by canoe to the Mandan. Anxious to get there we pushed hard, paddling into darkness. With any waves on the water, Leahna had to bail out the wash over our gunnels. I thought we had to get as far as we could while the canoe lasted. In the moonlight we found a place to halt on the shore. I doubted many canoe paddlers would come upon us during the night. We made cold camp anyway.

We brought some food with us from the Arikara. We used it up and our own supply of jerky by the end of the second day. The following morning we pulled the canoe out of sight and set out to hunt and pick. Leahna’s knowledge of edible plants and roots was a life saver. The three of us stayed within sight of one another. Didn’t want Coyote pulling another surprise attack. Leahna soon found some wild berries and Moyock surprised a hen duck on her nest. We lived high on the hog with duck and black berries.

“Are you going to eat those?” I pointed to unhatched ducklings that Moyock had cracked out of their shells.

“Yes, you can do too.”

“They very tender,”
 
Leahna said. “Can eat bones and all.”

“They might make you sick.”

Through chewing, Moyock said, “No, no. They not rotten. They fresh. Try one.”

But I couldn’t join my companions in fresh unhatched duckling. I wasn’t that hungry. They didn’t amount to much, and I just hoped those two didn’t get sick from eating them.

On the third day we saw small parties of Naturals off in the distance. They were too far away for us to take time to contact them. We didn’t know who they were and we were anxious to reach the Mandan. We pushed on until almost dark before we camped. Game was so plentiful Moyock soon brought down a large bird that I didn’t recognize. From the amount of fat on it I guessed it was some sort of goose.

On the fourth day the river turned from north to northwest. Mid-afternoon we came around a bend and couldn’t believe our eyes.
 
An astonishing number of naked Natural women swam, bathed, cavorted and played in the river. Upon seeing us the nearest ones shouted at some men standing guard way back on a terrace. The curious women covered their nudity with the river. We watched three men bearing long lances race down to the shore. We turned toward the men and shipped our paddles. “Together lets raise our hands in the peace sign.”

“I hope they friendly. Those wicked looking lances.” Moyock said.

Indeed they were. Thin, about six feet long, decorated with feathers and bearing a long sharp looking point. The men returned our peace sign and waved us in. All three wore black paint around their lower faces. I kept my gun handy in case they turned hostile.

Moyock beached us and then helped Leahna from the canoe. The men seemed astonished by her appearance. They exchanged troubled-sounding words and backed up a short distance. They didn’t point their lances at us but kept them ready.

They didn’t address words to us until Moyock introduced me as the great White Chief Squire. Cradling my weapon in my left arm I walked up the leader and held out my hand in friendship. Moyock explained hand shaking was a White Chief’s sign of peace with another warrior. The man hesitated but then took my hand.
 

In talking and signing with the men Moyock said, “I think many of their words are like
 
Sioux words I’ve learned.”

The guards indicated we should leave our canoe and come with them. On a promontory farther up the river we could see their village. It looked like nothing I’d seen before in the New World or in Europe. The Natural houses we’d seen along the way were either wikkiups, of one style or another, or conical tepees. The Mandan houses appeared to be huge dark domes. They were surrounded by a palisade of tall poles, which was open to the river side..

While we walked beside the river, Moyock couldn’t keep his eyes off of the women still in the water. Seeing his attention, some of the women giggled. All modestly ducked until only their heads showed. Other now dressed women, ran ahead of us shouting our arrival to the village. “This may be the strangest place I’ve ever seen.” I said.

“Not like woods houses,” Moyock said. “What they made of?”

“I don’t know, but I’m sure we’ll find out.”

Leahna was quiet. She looked puzzled.

As we came near to the settlement we could see an inner palisade which also opened toward the river.
 
Both palisades were further protected by a dry moat in front of them. I estimated the outer moat to be twenty feet wide and maybe nine feet deep. Since I doubted the Mandan had any iron tools, digging such a ditch must have taken an enormous amount of human labor over a long period of time.

A group of dignitaries met us. One of our guards ran ahead to speak to the oldest man in the center of the group. The other two held us back while the elders discussed the situation. As soon as the headman looked back at us, I said to my friends in English, “All together, make peace signs now.”

Our action halted conversation. Then the Chief, followed by the other dignitaries, returned our signs. I at once saluted by raising my weapon and then lowering it across my arm.

Stepping forward Moyock bowed
 
and grandly announced “My master…the great White Chief Squire!”

Then I stepped forward to offer my hand to the Chief. As soon as the guard explained what I was doing, the Chief strode foreword to meet me. Then I shook hands with the rest of his council. Naturally our arrival caused a great buzz of excitement from the crowd.
 

The old Chief was called Wolf. “Strangers, You come in peace. I welcome you to the People of the Pheasant.”

Moyock interpreted for me, “We have traveled far to come here. We are happy for your welcome greeting.”

“I think you have many tales to tell us of your travels. We will smoke first.” True to form, our curious hosts would not question us until we’d shared a pipe.

He started to lead us between the closely packed domes. Just as I stepped forward there was a buzz behind me. I wheeled around. Leahna was bared from following me. One of the black-mouthed men planted his lance in the ground before her. I stepped up to the guard and right in his face said, “Who dares stop the mate of a White Chief?”

The guard acted too perplexed to reply. I could hear angry muttering all around me. He held his ground while I stared at him. Leahna stood still. Coolly she looked around like the lance had nothing to do with her. Moyock intervened by forcing his way between me and black mouth. “Squire, I think maybe fall back. Women not allowed in men’s counsel, not even Chief’s wife.”

“Moyock right, Squire.” Leahna said. “Best I go with squaws.”

“Moyock tell them. My customs are different from theirs. Since we are guests we will honor their ways.”

His explanation brought some smiles and happier chatter from the viewers. As Leahna left with an older woman I turned to follow Wolf again. He led us between the two palisades to a large plaza surrounded by the domed buildings.
 
In the center was a circular structure about eight feet high made of poles tied together. I estimated it was probably about four feet in diameter. We sat in front of the largest dome but did not enter it. The entrance appeared to be closed with a pole door. The open doors of the surrounding structures all faced the plaza. While we smoked and talked, watching and listening to us, many citizens sat on the rims of the domes.