Chapter 47

"Yes. When men say they will kill me I kill them first, if I can."

"But why are you coming Jalieta? I think you should, but what made you do it?" Ladeliea asked.

"John told them all he would kill any man who said they wanted to kill him. Then he said if Darbo or Jarendo had friends who wanted to kill him they should step forward so that he could send them to join Darbo and Jarendo, when he said it Harto fainted like a woman.

"Then John asked the whole camp if they wanted to come and join his camp and he told them no man would beat a woman there. I knew at once I would be going with him no matter what the others did," Jalieta said.

"It will be better there. Georgo told me they all have caves to live in and there is much food," Ladeliea told her.

"It will be better there if we go and have to starve. After today I doubt that will come to pass. I know many will leave here and take the invitation even if Barago does not come along.

Everyone who saw John's actions knows he is a good leader. Barago was not a bad leader, but he is too timid to make undesireable men behave. You should have seen how fast Sahto and Talvo ran trying to get out of John's sight," Jalieta said, nearly laughing.

We drove to the unmated women's hut then. Jalieta let me know there were three others who lived there with her. The hut was more than large enough for four though and could probably accommodate eight or even ten if it had to.

She took Ladeliea and I inside and she showed me her things. She had her sleeping furs of course and some food she had gathered. Some had been dried and some more had been preserved in other ways that I couldn't visualize. She also had a lot of baskets she had woven, mostly from grasses and such. She had a little dried meat but not much.

"You see I do not have many things," she said.

Her hut mates came in then. Two of them seemed about her age and the other looked about a year younger. She introduced me to Cailayia, Kateata, and Balalia. Here I was in a hut with four pretty young unmated women and Georgo's pretty new mate. Dicky wanted to fuck something and I'll admit I was having some thoughts along those same lines.

Jalieta's hutties were all excited she was leaving and then they turned to me almost all in the same instant and asked if they could come too.

"I said that anyone in this camp was welcome to come to mine if they would live by my rules and you are among them. I do not know the custom's for unmated women leaving a camp without a mate, but we will make it right somehow if you want to join us."

I nearly said I would pay the bride price for them, but caught myself before I had acquired four more mates. Dicky berated me for my quick thinking since he had gotten mostly ready for action when the three others had arrived. He was also admiring Ladeliea with longing.

"My former mother and her mate have already told me they want to come too and Kateata's also told her. Cailayia's former mother and her mate are leaning heavily toward moving too. There can be no talk if we leave with them.

Jalieta's former mother died shortly after her mate was killed hunting. They may grumble if she leaves with you, but they do not own any of us," Balalia said.

"If we do not go with you now we may be trampled later when the others rush to your camp. Barago was a fairly good leader, but he did not have the confidence to keep Darbo in line and it has been draining his authority for a long while. Jarendo had been ignoring what Barago told him for months and even spineless Harto had started to do it lately. Sahto and Talvo were beginning to cause trouble too, and they weren't even men yet."

"I will take you all to my camp tomorrow or maybe even tonight then. If someone grumbles and if Georgo thinks they have a just reason to I will see that things are made right. You may all find a mate that you want at my camp and if you do they can pay your mating price," I said.

This got their attention at once.

"Are there many unmated men at your camp?" Cailayia asked, her face shining in excitement.

"No. There are barely any, and none from my original camp. There are many good men that need another mate though," I said.

"Are there so many good hunters that can feed two mates in your camp?" Balalia asked, seemingly even more excited.

"Any man in my camp that will work can feed two or more mates," I said.

"But how, how can all of your hunters be that good and we have not heard of it?" Jalieta asked.

"I have many things that must be done which do not require hunting, and I must have men to do them. I also will help any man in my camp earn the price for his mate," I said.

"You are John! How could I have not guessed it? You are John that paid twenty-five bison each for three mates. You killed the bison so fast their camp had to ask you to stop so they could process the meat before it spoiled," Kateata said, almost in awe.

The tale had grown just a little in the telling, but I decided not to waste time setting them straight right now.

"You are John and have come for us in the wagon, the one that carries many dead bison at one time. I should have known when you took me on it. I was confused when you called it buckboard," Jalieta said.

"That is not my wagon. That is Georgo's new buckboard. The spirits have just given it to him and they asked him to come here today. The wagon is much bigger and I will send it if many people want to come to my camp. I will send it to carry their things back," I explained.

I noticed my status had changed at once. Even Ladeliea was eyeing me differently now. Georgo saved me from more scrutiny as he returned.

"What is the word Georgo?"

"Barago was upset as you guessed John, but he was not upset with you. He was mortified you had to kill a man in his camp before he could even introduce himself to you. He was stunned. He said you are welcome in this camp as long as it was here, but if you will have him he wants to join your camp no matter what the others want.

"The troublesome ones here have made him sick of his leadership. Britta is so happy that she has already begun packing their things," Georgo said.

"I guess there will be no grumbling if these unmated women come with us then?" I asked.

"I have already spoken to every mated person in this camp and they are all packing. If you hear any grumbling it will be from unmated men and I think you should kill any of them who say a cross word as soon as you hear it.

"I have let it be known that those are my feelings too. All the young boys and girls are being packed up by their parents too of course. I told them Bigglieo would come with the big wagon to carry their things, but some of them are anxious to walk to the camp tomorrow."

"I don't think they can walk the distance in a day and carry things with them too. We will try to make them wait on Bigglieo and the horses to come and get them. I may be able to get another team started and we can use your buckboard and the wagon along with the travois horses to carry everything," I said.