Chapter 85: On the Road With a Caravan

The next morning went off without a hitch, which is to say, it was organized mayhem. The Pawnee traveled annually, so they were used to this, but even when things are going well it looks like a mess from a distance. Petalesharo and his family were joining us, along with a handful of warriors who would raid and scout on their way back to the lodge village. The Chief had decided we needed an escort and Pete was assigned the task.

The Chief even showed up to wish us luck, or maybe it was to say goodbye to his daughter. He explained to me, via Pete, that when Pete returned, he was to bring the Chief’s new dog with him. There was a bit of consternation when I shook my head “No,” and tried to explain that training took time. It turned out it was easier to show him and I simply put Brin through his paces. Brin was pretty advanced and knew almost fifty commands. He still struggled with a few of the trickier ones that required him to go out and do something and retain focus on the task. He was just a dog, after all, and what he lacked in intellect, he more than made up for with higher qualities like loyalty, bravery, and love.

The reality slowly dawned on the Chief and the value of Brin went up a lot in his eyes. A highly trained dog held considerable value and probably more so, back then.

We set off without affair. Pete led the way and the rest of us trailed along behind. I was setting my horse, but I could tell that by the end of the day I was going to be stiff, sore, and exhausted. I still had a way to go in the healing process, but the need to get home pressed upon me. Pete’s kids played on the trail as we travelled, until they tired, and then they would climb onto the fur travois and rest. The women mainly walked alongside, watching the children and chattering amongst themselves. I could clearly hear the unmistakable babble of Banshee in the group. The warriors took turns ranging out to scout or simply riding escort. It was a pretty sedate journey overall.

Setting up camp for the night was more well-organized mayhem and it was fun to watch. The tepees went up faster than you would expect and everyone seemed to know what to do. Everyone except me. I figured out that I should care for our horses first and foremost. We had seven in our string now, so it took a little time with my gimpy left side. I was quite sore from a day in the saddle and walking it out wasn’t exactly easy.

Supper was a mixture of freshly gathered flatbread, greens, rabbit, and fish from the nearby stream. This time of year, the bounty of the land was plentiful and really quite tasty. The evening was sedating with chatting around the fire and the men all pulling shifts on guard duty. I had to take a moment and give Mary her treatment. I was tempted to skip it, but keeping the message daily and consistent was actually showing some progress, even this early in. We had chatted a bit during the day; I focused on the Ten Commandments as the basis of good or evil. Her reliance on other scripture was far too high in her guilt assessment and I needed to address that.

Morning went even smoother than the previous day and we would camp this afternoon just outside of the fort and its fields. We’d visit the actual fort the next morning. Supper was mostly from our packs that night. The pickings had slimmed as we approached the fort and its camp follower village. Pete had us set up in a spot well clear of the mess that had emerged around the fort.

I knew that Fort Atkinson was the western Headquarters for the Army. It was also the largest of all troop stations in the country in 1822. The US didn’t have a standing army at that point, so the 1,250 troops at Fort Atkinson was a lot. To go along with the troops, there were a couple of thousand camp followers and the like. This was the fact anywhere: set up a garrison and a village will appear nearby overnight. That village wouldn’t necessarily be the most wholesome of places. In total, there were about five thousand people in and around Fort Atkinson in the early 1820’s. That would change quickly as Fort Leavenworth was established down south, but for now this was it.

The routine of the road had set in quickly and the evening passed according to routine. Including Mary’s treatment. We still had to bind her at night, which soothed her dreams for some reason, but we only loosely tied her hands with thin strips of brightly colored cloth. That was something to be dealt with later. For now, we just gave her what she needed.