Chapter 121

"It is allowable for a young hunter or two to go with you, John. You must make the kills, but it might be easier with some help. I have two young hunters who are good runners and you might be able to drive some game off the cliff," he said.

"I appreciate your offer and it is a good way to hunt sometimes. It often spoils some of the meat though. I will not have trouble getting two kills if I see bison on the plateau.

"If you hear sounds like thunder, three times very close together, it will mean I need help," I said, and he was curious again.

"But how do you know it will thunder if you need help?" he asked.

"It will not be thunder, but it will sound loud like thunder and it will be three sharp loud noises close together," I explained.

"I don't understand, but it will be as you say. I will have Brundolo wait at the bottom of the trail to be sure he hears it if you need help," he said, and called into the cave for Brundolo.

When the young man, probably twelve or thirteen I guessed, came out we left. It was only a little more than a quarter of a mile to the trail he'd talked of. It was well worn and though not nearly wide enough for one of my wagons it was easily wide enough for a horse with a travois. Of course I didn't have a horse and travois with me.

Grotondo left me at the bottom of the trail and headed back. I explained about the loud noises to Brundolo. He said he would come if he heard them and I headed up the trail.

When I got onto the plateau I froze and then lowered myself slowly to the ground. Apparently I was extremely lucky or Argent didn't want to waste a lot of time on this part. There was a small group of aurochs grazing not more than three hundred yards from me.

I extended the bipod on the M1, settled into a prone position and looked thru the scope. There was a big aurochs bull with six cows. Four of the cows had young ones nearby and there were three younger bulls close by also.

The young bulls weren't yearlings - they were all at least three or four years old and were large in their own right. It was clear the big bull was forcing them to keep at least a little distance from his harem, but otherwise everything was peaceful.

I decided to give Grotondo a little bonus if it was possible. I shot the young bulls as rapidly as I could. The second one hadn't even looked up after the first one fell. When I got to the third one he was looking up, as were all the others, but none of them had moved yet. I shot him before he took a step and decided that if I didn't fire again Brundolo would probably think the three shots were close enough together to count as the signal.

I stood, shouldered the M1 and walked to my kills. The remaining aurochs saw me at once and headed off. I had just reached the dead game when Brundolo topped the trail. I yelled to him and he came to me at once.

"How did you kill them so fast? You had barely gone from me when I heard the thunder. How did you kill them? You don't even have a spear," Brundolo asked.

"I only need kill them to pay for my mates Brundolo, it isn't necessary for me to tell how I did it," I said.

"You are right, but I do not understand how you did it," he admitted.

"You should probably go and get some of the others to help clean and carry. I'll stay with my kills to make sure predators don't come and steal any of them," I said, and he left then to get the others.

Brundolo must have told a good tale because when he came back it seemed as if the whole camp was with him. My new mates were in the group also and they came up near me when Grotondo came to me.

"I can't understand how you did this, John, but I can plainly see the two aurochs which satisfy your payment. These women are your mates now," he said, waving a hand toward them.

"There are three aurochs Grotondo. They were standing together and there was no reason to let one just walk off. They are all for your camp," I said.

"You are going to give us the other one too?" he asked.

"Yes, if you want it. I do not want to leave it for the predators and I surely don't want to have to carry it anywhere," I said.

"I am grateful to have it then," he said, and moved toward the others who had already begun cleaning the kills.

I turned toward my new mates and could tell already they weren't sorry for their fate.

"I am John," I said.

"I am Margeeta, and these are my daughters, Yareela and Yaroola. We are your mates now," she said, telling me the obvious.

"I hope you will not be sad to leave your camp and go to mine," I said.

Margeeta was caught off guard by it, as if she wondered why I would care about how they felt.

"You are our mate now. We must go where you go. I have been mated before, but my daughters never have been. I feared I would never have another mate after Grendolto was killed.

"I can hardly believe my daughters and I are now mated to the same man. I am happy about it though," she said.

She wasn't the only one who was happy about it. Dicky was swelling with pride over his new delicacies and I wondered if he were going to jump off and strut at the thought.

"Should we help the others with the game?" I asked.

"We will do what you tell us, but since everyone came I think we will have a hard time getting near it," Margeeta said, pointing to the crowd.

She was right. Everyone from the camp was here or almost everyone anyway and there were already people standing around who couldn't find a place to get in and help. They probably all had wanted to see if I had really killed the aurochs or bison so quickly. I almost got the feeling they wanted to get them cleaned and cut up in case it was a lie.

"You're right, we would only be in the way. I understand it isn't my duty to help since I have paid my debt already, and I don't think you three need to help because this isn't your camp any longer," I said.

"He is right mother. We won't be living here any more. I am so happy we're leaving," Yareela or Yaroola said, and the other one promptly agreed.