Chapter 70

I found Racaato after a while. He was helping finish up with the very last of the bison hunt's cleanup. I took him away and down to the horse pens.

"I need to teach you to ride a horse Racaato."

"Good, I was hoping I could learn. It seems to me having a horse to ride would allow for even better hunting," he said.

"It does, it is also helpful in carrying back what you kill. If you ride one horse and lead another you can bring back even more if you do well hunting. I am not teaching you just for your own use though. I want you to understand I have some hunting I want you to do for me."

"I will be happy to. I would rather hunt than anything else," he said, admitting it.

"It is good then since I have some hunting chores I have taken on and I now have many duties here to keep me from getting to them easily. Many others are depending on what I have promised them and if you can hunt for me it will be very helpful."

"What hunting do you need me to do? We are so new here and I do not know what you have promised," he said.

"The biggest job is the payment for Danlo's mates and for two of my mates, Shelalliea and Dalia," I said.

Thankfully I didn't have to explain to him about the payment for Shelalliea and Dalia since he didn't ask. He was shocked though when he learned I was already in debt to other camps for one hundred bison in all.

"It is not all either Racaato, I will soon need to pay a mating price for a new mate for Georgo. He thinks he can bargain for a payment of six to eight bison," I said.

"With one hundred to be paid elsewhere six or eight more will seem like nothing. I will do my best, but even if I learn to use the bow well enough it will still take many summers to kill one hundred bison," he said.

"It is why I need to teach you how to ride the horse, how to lead another to help carry the game, how to drive and load the wagons, and how to hunt with a rifle. Do you think you can learn it?"

"I will make myself learn. I will work as hard as I can to do it. I must tell you I am very excited to think I will learn to use the rifle," he said.

"First, you will learn to ride a horse then we will go to the cave and you can start on the rifle."

It only took a couple of hours to show Racaato how to saddle and ride Bonehead. He wasn't a good rider afterwards by any means, but he caught on quickly enough so I was sure he could learn the rest by doing. Then I showed him how to rig the travois again - he'd already had some experience with them from the move his camp made here.

We adjourned to the practice cave then and Racaato was surprised to find he had an M1 exactly like mine in his locker now. I gave him time to look it over and then showed him its main features.

We didn't start firing right away. I took him to one of the benches with a cartridge and explained exactly how everything worked. I even took the bullet out of the cartridge and showed him the powder and explained how it all went together to put the bullet downrange.

Next in line was a demo of how fast the powder burned. It went by so fast I had to disassemble another cartridge and show him again.

Next I pointed out the primer in the back of the cartridge case and explained it was what started the powder burning. I showed him a spent cartridge and he could easily see the dent the firing pin made in the primer.

I even put one of the cartridges I had disassembled into the M1 and let him fire it so he could see and hear even the tiny primer would make noise and spit out a small flame without any bullet or powder.

He caught on quickly to this part. He had more difficulty understanding the bullet would fall over distance after it was fired. He had no concept of gravity, but did understand things which weren't supported fell. I held up the bullet and let it drop to the ground and then told him the bullet would fall toward the ground at the same rate even after being fired from the rifle.

Finally I saw he had an inkling the bullet would proceed in a straight line when fired, but would fall toward the ground. Another thirty minutes of explaining and he had a hold on the concept of aiming the rifle and of sighting it in so the bullet would hit where the sight was pointed.

We took a break afterwards and went to my cave where we found women with food.

As we finished eating, Georgo came in to tell me indeed the whole of Yotalieta's camp had just arrived and Colonto, the leader, and Gondro, his second, wanted to meet with me.

I wanted to put it off because I hadn't gotten Racaato to the point where he could begin firing by himself. I decided not to though and asked Racaato if he thought he could catch, saddle, and practice riding Bonehead for an hour or so. He said he would be happy to go give it a try and then he left.

Georgo went to fetch the two men then and I got a mug of coffee and sat back down. My mates had all left when they heard the visitors were arriving.

When Georgo brought the two men in I stood and we exchanged greeting. Colonto was taller and in fact bigger than most men I'd met in this time. He was probably six feet and must have weighed two-twenty, even bigger than Bigglieo. Gondro was about five ten and one seventy.

I asked them if they would like to try some coffee and after Georgo told them it was good, but required getting used to, they agreed. I got them and Georgo a mug and then asked them to sit down.

"We have heard much about you John. We have been told you will have much food this winter and you might be willing to take in other camps," Colonto said, without wasting any time.

"We have plenty of food here and we want more people to join us. There is plenty in this area and plenty of room in the caves for more people. Were you thinking of joining us?"

"Yes, our camp has become too small to stay alone. I have done my best, but we don't seem to be able to do well enough with our hunting. If we do not join a larger camp I fear we will be hungry this winter," he told me plainly.

"I will be happy if you will join us then. I am a fair man and I have few rules. I do expect everyone to abide by them though."

I told them what I considered my rules then, basically, no woman beating and no slackers who don't want to help. I explained we did not need for every man to hunt and I didn't demand everyone stay if they wanted to leave later.