Chapter 9

Reela seemed a little distressed when we moved out, but she didn't let us get away or anything. She was talking and waving her hands around at Mary for a little while and then she finally settled down.

"She thinks she should pull your sled so you can protect us," Mary said.

"Hell, you're doing the best protecting so far today. Are you ok with what you had to do?"

"Well, I have been wondering about something. Do you think I should carve four notches on the stock?" she asked, and kept a good straight face until she couldn't help laughing at the look I gave her.

"I guess it isn't bothering you then."

"I'm sure it will later, and I don't think I could have done it if he had been intending to throw that pig sticker at me. I was sure you were the target though and I didn't even think, I just reacted."

"Well I'm glad you did. I don't think I could have pulled my head out of my ass fast enough to keep from getting hurt."

"Hurt hell, take a look at the spears Reela gathered up next time we stop. The heads were knapped flint and more than a foot long. The edges are sharper than razors too. I cut a finger just touching one on the edge. For a few minutes there I was so mad I wanted to shoot them all again."

"I still wish I knew what it was all about."

"The best Chris and I can figure from what Reela says is she was one of his mates and he was going to trade her to one of the others. I don't think she really cared for him but apparently she had a real dislike for the one he was going to swap her to," Mary said.

"It just shows he was too stupid to live anyway," I said.

We were at least five miles from our last spot within two hours, so we stopped and put the tent back up. Mary and Reela gathered squaw wood while Chris and I did the deed on the tent, and by the time we were done Mary and Reela were cooking.

I'd noticed Reela had made the coffee and I thought it was odd that she'd caught onto the task since she didn't even like it. I got a big surprise when they poured me a cup. It wasn't coffee - apparently it was some type of tea. Mary said Reela picked the leaves off a bush she found while they were gathering wood. Whatever. It wasn't coffee but it did taste good. At least now I knew we'd have something for a hot drink after the coffee ran out.

Supper was ready soon and after eating and cleaning up we headed inside for bed. We were all too tired to get anything started, or at least we new arrivals were. Reela seemed to be game but she didn't squawk about the lack of slap and tickle. I noticed the girls were in different places tonight but I didn't think much of it and I was asleep in minutes.

Reela was up before me the next morning and she didn't wake me when she slipped out of bed. She came and shook my shoulder after she'd dressed though. I smiled when I saw her looking at me and she beamed, then she motioned toward the peep panel in the tent's canvas door. I hopped out of bed quickly to see what was up.

Not seventy-five yards from the door a deer was browsing along. Just then it was nibbling on a small bush's leaves. I figured it wouldn't be possible to get the door open without spooking it but I grabbed a Marlin and gave it the old schoolboy try. Luck was with me and I knocked it down with the first shot.

I was stuck about what to do now though. I was still bare assed and I'd have to dress before going out to fetch it. Reela scampered out the door heading toward it before I could even grab my pants. I didn't want to leave her out there unprotected so I stood inside the tent and watched through the plastic peep panel while she gutted it and dragged it back to camp.

I called her inside when she got back to the tent and made motions until she understood I wanted her to watch it from inside while I dressed. She seemed to understand and I got my clothes on as fast as I could.

Mary and Chris were up by now too, but Reela and I left them dressing and went out to take care of the kill. I'd only thought I was going to help. Reela had its skin off like it had a zipper. At least she let me use a hatchet to cut it into sections.

Mary and Chris came out just then and I knew they assumed they'd be helping too. They gave it their best shot but couldn't hope to keep up. Since I was standing around with my thumb up my ass, figuratively at least, I had nothing to do but watch.

At first glance it seemed Reela was hell bent on going as fast as she could, but watching more closely I could tell most of her speed in the process came from experience. She knew exactly what to do and exactly how to do it. I finally realized she'd been doing it for years. She had to. It was the only way they were able to eat regular.

At first I also wondered why she was still using the piece of flint after we'd given her a good knife, but the reason was obvious after watching a few cuts. The flint was much sharper than the knife and its shape was better suited for this work. I'd assumed she'd just found a piece of flint that happened to work ok, but if that was the case she'd made a hell of a lucky find because this one seemed to work perfectly and fit her hand exactly.

Reela was through with the balance of the carcass before Mary or Chris finished the small parts they'd started. She came over to me and made a chopping motion and I figured she had something else I needed to use the hatchet on. I grabbed it again and she showed me what she wanted.

Reela needed the antlers removed from the head and she showed me exactly how she wanted it done, but I put her off and went to a sled, urging her to come with me. After fishing out one of the Wyoming saws, I showed her how to assemble it and then took it over and used it to remove the antlers.

She obviously hadn't understood what I was going to do with it while I showed her how to put it together, but she was a lot more interested now. I picked up a piece of firewood and had her give the saw a try on it.

She was excited by the process and soon she was sawing up branches all over the place. Finally she came back and made me understand she wanted another lesson on assembly and disassembly. Once she had this part under control I had her put it back in its case and then waved my hands around until she understood I was giving it to her. She was thrilled.

Chris and Mary were done by now and they got our delayed breakfast on the way. The recently departed deer ended up being a large part of it. Reela made her contribution as well by adding some sort of ingredient she'd picked yesterday. I didn't have a clue what it was, but it made the venison better and as soon as the meal was over she put one of the big stew pots on the fire and began filling it with snow.

Mary and Chris huddled with her for a few minutes and were soon helping. As they kept adding snow, Reela took off into the woods. I'm sure it was irrational on my part but I worried about her going off alone. At least she had better clothes now since Mary and Chris had outfitted her with some of theirs. I was especially glad Chris' boots fit Reela's feet, and even gladder Carl had wanted us to try several different styles and types on this trip.

For the hour and a half she was out of sight, I worried and fretted, and knew I was doing it. I couldn't help it though. I was protective of my young harem and it wasn't just thoughts of sex causing it. Reela was fascinating to me. I don't think I was actually in love with her, like I loved Chris and Mary, but I was attached to her and I wanted to love her, or at least get the chance.

My fears melted when she returned with her hands full of things she'd found. They were mostly vegetable type things, several even looked a little like potatoes and there were more than a few onionish looking bulbs. Still, I'd have been happier with plainer food and less wandering.

As soon as the stew seemed to only need slow cooking to finish, Reela took her new saw and cut four fairly short saplings. She cut the skin from the deer's legs into thongs and then tied the saplings into a box shaped outline. I wondered what she was up to until she stretched the rest of the skin on it and then used the knife we'd given her to scrape the inner side of the hide.

Chris, Mary, and I started paying closer attention after we understood what was going on. We wouldn't be able to just leave the skins of animals we killed where they fell any longer. We had plenty of clothes for now, but they wouldn't last forever. They'd only give us the luxury of having plenty of time to learn to make our own clothes.

Reela finished dealing with the skin for now just before the stew was ready. She made some more tea and then we settled down to eat. After Mary dug out some of our camping dishes and showed Reela the bowls she was thrilled again. I'm sure they had some things to eat out of where she'd come from but of course she didn't have any of them with her. I hoped we would run into some people that were half-assed friendly sooner or later, since I'd be interested to see what they actually used for eating.