Chapter 16

Hell, I might as well start Corda and Dallop out with riding lessons, so I saddled Red, Bonehead, and Shelia and had them pay careful attention while I did. Next I had them unsaddle Bonehead and Shelia and then saddle them back up. They were well on their way now. The riding lesson for them was only the basics, but an hour and a half later we were headed for the canyon they'd told me about.

They had a bird nest on the ground from what I could see. The location was a large blind canyon with a narrow mouth. It was easily three thousand acres of tall grass and along with maybe a hundred and fifty or so horses there had to be a thousand or more bison grazing.

I spotted an excellent place to build a catch pen nearly from the first, but the area was so open and contained so many animals there was going to be trouble penning horses. One other little detail would cause a hold up too. Apparently a pride of cave lions considered this their territory.

Corda and Dallop knew about the cave lions of course, but they were equally clueless about ways to get rid of them safely. I knew Catla, Shayta, Nanita, and I could take care of all eight of them, but I wasn't going to go picking a fight with the monsters just to get more of their skins. I could smell another deal on the way and Catla was the girl to make it.

There were other real benefits for me in the mix too. The herd stallion was solid black, not a white hair on him anywhere, and he was just as much horse as Red, if not even better. The lead mare was something else too, and I even spotted a band of donkeys with the biggest damned Jack leading them I'd ever seen. The place was better than a fucking Friday night horse auction.

We left after a good look-see and headed back to the camp. As I made my way back to my mates I barely recognized our spot. There were at least ten people working at different things and I had no doubt Catla had a hand in it somewhere. Four women were also off to one side cutting long leather thongs at high speed.

My first surprise was seeing two women braiding like hell. I'd showed Catla how a lariat was made and she'd learned the way to braid on some scraps. I hadn't needed any myself since I brought plenty for a while and I knew Catla had never done a whole one. Never the less she was directing two women as they worked busily at the job.

Bonga, the leather worker, was also hard at work cutting out copies from our disassembled saddle so he could make a couple. Hell, I didn't even know our pattern had made the trip. There was also a wood carver trying to copy pieces for saddletrees. He was having a hell of a time with his flint only tools though.

Meanwhile we had a hut in place now, albeit not a very ornate one. I learned Keeta, Layta, and Leita were inside being dress dummies while Nanita and Shayta were cutting out buckskin britches for them. I said my goodbyes to Corda and Dallop and told them I'd need to speak to Cartallow about the cave lions.

Since Catla seemed to have all her pupils busy I signaled for her to come over. She explained Cartallow had made the hut appear and told me what was going on inside it. She could see I was nearly drooling for a chance to get inside and have a look and she led me in right away.

As advertised Layta, Leita, and Keeta were bare assed and bare everything else too when we got inside, but they didn't seem to mind my ogling. They didn't even flinch when I helped Nanita with the fits for their halter-tops and were good sports when I petted their asses since I was close already.

"There is a little problem we need to take care of in their horse canyon," I said, sort of announcing it while most of my attention was on the titties I was fondling as I pretended to help with the fit.

"What kind of problem?" Catla asked.

"A pride of cave lions are in there and they seem to think they own at least a few of the bison and horses. No doubt we'll be much safer if we deal with them first," I said, and my new young mates were worried from the time they heard it.

"Cave lions are so vicious. Surely you will not provoke them on purpose," Layta said.

"Cave lions should be worried about provoking Jack. He kills them for sport and for their skins. He also makes jewelry from their teeth," Catla said, shaking her bracelets at them.

"But how can he do it?" Keeta asked.

"Jack has magic weapons, or they work like magic anyway. He says they are not magic. I told you all we have a mate like no other man. You won't believe it the first time you see him. He is afraid of nothing."

I guess Catla felt she had the newbies suitably impressed by now since she cut off the hero worship. She wasn't through though.

"They should give us something for clearing the cave lions from the valley, especially if it is as good as you say. The trouble is there's nothing they can give us since we have far too much to carry home already," Catla said, and I could tell she was sad about it.

"Oh, they have something, but they don't really realize how valuable it is. You should see the herd stallion and the lead mare of the band of horses. I believe I will ask for one horse for each cat I kill for them. I might even tell them I need one of the donkeys too."

"What is a donkey?" Keeta asked, and none of them knew so they turned to me.

"I know you must have seen them. They are sort of like horses, but not as tall or heavy and their ears are really long."

They finally decided they understood what I was talking about, but Nanita asked how we'd get the horses to come with us.

"We will have to catch them ourselves, but they will be building the pen and preparing the snubbing trees. We are going to stay long enough to teach them to train a few anyway, so we can just train some for ourselves while we are at it. With the big cats dead they will have a perfect place to keep their horses."

Cartallow must have come up to talk because he called me from outside the hut. I patted the naked asses available again before going out to see him.

"Corda and Dallop told me of the problem the lions will cause. It might take us some time to get rid of them and it will be dangerous," he said.

"I will do it for you if I can have one horse for every large cat I kill. I will finish the cubs for only their skins which would be mine anyway for killing them and for one of the donkeys," I said.

"You may catch the horses you want anyway, but if you can kill the big cats I will be very grateful. Would you like more young women to take as mates too?" he asked.

"I believe I have plenty for now, but thank you all the same. Leita and Layta are splendid women and they are already very friendly with my other mates."

"We were happy you wanted them. They were determined to go to the same man and while they are good women, no established man here wanted to take responsibility for both at one time and no young man could possibly provide for them while he was just starting mated life."

"We are helping each other then and it is how things should be. We will all gain. I will need some men to help build a pen to catch the horses in after I have dealt with the cats. I will do it tomorrow."

"When I tell the others what you plan there will be plenty there to watch. After the cats are dead I'll have the men help you with the pen you say you need. You will have to show them what you want," he said.

"I will show them and it isn't complicated, but it will take work. I have a few tools to make it easier, but it will still be hard work."

He said he would take care of bringing the help and left. He had another surprise coming for us though and part of it was of particular interest. Several women brought our supper over. They brought three skin bags hung from small tripods, built small fires to keep the contents warm, and then made their exit. One of the bags was full of pinto beans and I'll swear they were as good as my mother used to make.

Alas, all the models were dressed again when I made it back inside the hut. Nanita and Shayta were giving the newbies sewing lessons with some of the needles I'd brought by now and I could see progress being made on the buckskin pants. Apparently the halter-tops had been put on hold for a while because my newbies were wearing their own clothes again. Catla had gone back out to check on the people she had working.

My mates were surprised when I raved about the beans during supper. Catla, Shayta, and Nanita were especially so since they claimed I'd never mentioned those particular beans.

"How could I when I didn't know your name for them?"

Well, I'd stumped them there all right, but then again I hadn't won a thing. Shit, I didn't want to argue over the beans, I wanted to eat all I could and make sure we got hold of plenty to take home. For tonight I concentrated on eating and after supper I did my best to smooth things over.

I still wasn't plowing any new ground during our trip, but even with the newbies watching I went over the more familiar territory tonight and though I didn't fuck my new mates I played with them plenty. Their titties got thorough inspections and I felt them up all over shamelessly plus teaching them how to kiss my way. Catla, Shayta, and Nanita showed them how a blowjob was preformed too and I went to sleep a happy man.