William Johnstone - Butchery of the Mountain Man

Then he recalled something Claire had once told him.

“To the Crow, the liver is the most important part of the body,” she had said. “Without it, they don’t believe they can make it to the afterlife.”

John carved open the stomach of one of the Indians, then he cut out his liver. He did the same with the other two. Then, he skewered the three livers on a stick, and put them over the fire to cook.

Once they were cooked, he took a small bite from each of the livers, then cut the rest of them up in small pieces and scattered them about to be consumed by animals and insects.

The Indians had been cooking a rabbit, and he ate what he could, then wrapped the rest of it up in a piece of cloth and took it with him.

Two days later he saw a couple of Crow Indians hunting, and he rode quickly to be able to put himself in position in front of them. He waited until they were almost on him, then he suddenly jumped out in front of them, shooting them both.

Again, he carved out their livers, and again, he roasted them over a fire, taking but one small bite from each of the livers before carving them to spread them around.

Fort Shaw

“He’s doing what?” Major Clinton asked, shocked at the report that had been delivered by two old mountain men.

“He’s killin’ Injuns ’n he’s eatin’ their livers,” Emerson said.

“Who is doing that?”

“Whoever it is that’s doin’ it,” Seth replied. Seth was one of the two mountain men who had come to the fort.

“You don’t know who it is that’s supposed to be doing this?”

“There ain’t no supposed to be doin’ it about this. Whoever it is, is actual doin’ it,” Seth said.

“You’re telling me that someone is killing Indians, and eating their livers,” Clinton said.

“Yep, but not all Injuns. From what we’re a-hearin’, it’s only the Crow that’s gettin’ their livers et,” Seth said.

“Is it supposed to be a white man who is doing this?”

“That’s what the Injuns is sayin’,” Emerson said.

“Well now, that just doesn’t make any sense at all,” Major Clinton said.

“Well, yeah, it does when you stop and think about it,” Emerson replied. “You see, most Injuns don’t pay that much attention to such things. Oh, they figure if they take a scalp, well you’ll be wanderin’ around in the Happy Hunting Grounds without your hair. But now the Crow, they figure you can’t even get there at all if you ain’t got your liver.”

“Where did you hear about this?”

“It’s all over the mountains,” Seth said. “All the other trappers, all the peaceful Injuns, is all a-talkin’ about it.”

“An’ here’s the thing, Major, this has got all the Injuns spooked. So far whoever it is, is only killin’ the Crow,” Emerson said. “But what if he is somebody who’s suddenly got hisself a big taste for Injun liver? ’Cause I reckon when you get right down to it, one Injun liver probably tastes pretty much like any other Injun liver. So if this here Liver-Eatin’ feller can’t get him a Crow, why, more ’n likely he’d settle for just any Injun.”

“Leastwise, that’s more ’n likely what all the other Injuns is thinkin’ right now, the good ones an’ the bad ones,” Seth said.

“But so far he has just been killing Crow, right?” Clinton asked.

“That’s right,” Emerson said.

“There must be a reason.”

“I figure it’s revenge,” Seth said. “Whoever it is that’s a-doin’ this was more ’n likely done wrong by the Crow. And he’s doin’ this to get back at ’em.”

“You men have your ear to the ground. Have you heard about anything that the Crow may have done to get someone angry enough to do this?”

“Hell, Major, the Crows is always a-doin’ somethin’,” Emerson said. “I ain’t got enough fingers and toes to cipher up how many men I know that’s got a bone to pick with the Crow. Includin’ me, but I ain’t the one that’s a-doin’ this.”

“I ain’t either,” Seth said. “But I don’t mind tellin’ you that whoever is doin’ it, I say, good for him.”

“We need to find out who this is,” Major Clinton said. “And when we find out, we need to put a stop to it.”

“What fer?” Emerson asked. “The Crow is some damn evil Injuns. And I figure whoever it is that’s a-doin’ this, is doin’ us all a favor.”

“No,” Major Clinton said. “Don’t you see? Whoever is doing this could set off a full-scale Indian war.”

“Yeah, I reckon he could at that.”

“You must do what you can to find out who this is, so we can find him and put a stop to it,” Clinton said.

In the village of Iron Bull

“It is a ghost,” Running Bear said. “It is a ghost and he can stay alive only as long as he can eat the livers of the ones he has killed.”

“We must kill him before he kills any more of us,” Iron Bull said.

“You cannot kill a ghost,” Running Bear insisted.

“And so, what would you have us do, Running Bear? Would you have us continue to give him the liver of Apsáalooke to eat?”

“We must do something,” Brave Horse said. “Our women and our children are frightened, and they cower and weep in the lodges.”

“There will be much honor to the one who kills Liver Eater,” Iron Bull said.

“There will be much honor to the one who kills Liver Eater.” The words of Iron Bull resonated in Two Leggings’s mind as he searched for Liver Eater.

“Hear me, people of the Apsáalooke!” Iron Bull would say at the council fire. “We are here to speak aloud the name of Two Leggings! Songs will be sung and his name will be spoken in all the lodges because of his bravery!”

Two Leggings composed Iron Bull’s speech as he waited on the trail for Liver Eater. He had seen Liver Eater earlier, coming toward the mountain. He would have to come along this trail on the only pass that would let him through. And when he did, Two Leggings would be waiting for him.

Two Leggings began to chant, quietly, the song of a warrior.

“As a warrior I must go bravely into those dark places within myself. I must learn the truth of my being. It takes much courage to do this, and I have the courage within.”

Two Leggings knew that in order to have the greatest honor in the campfire circle, he must kill Liver Eater with his own hands, and not shoot him from afar. He could hear Liver Eater approaching, and he climbed onto a rock and waited.

John saw several birds fly from the trees just ahead of him. Something had spooked them and though he knew it could have been a mountain lion, or a wolf, or even a coyote, it put him on guard. If it was a coyote he would run when John approached. And, more than likely, even a mountain lion or a wolf would give him room, if there was no food source to contend.

But John felt a tingling in his skin, an awareness that was beyond that of any animal. He had seen nothing more than the sudden flight of birds, but he had a distinct impression that someone was waiting for him in the path ahead. And, just as strongly, he believed that it was only one person.

John loosened the pistol in his holster. Unlike his friend Smoke, John had never mastered the art of the quick draw. But even as he thought about that, he chuckled, because he realized that no one was Smoke’s equal in the speed with which he could draw his pistol.

John was an excellent shot with pistol and rifle, and for his purposes, that was enough.

As John was deep in contemplation he rode by a large rock. Suddenly, and without warning, an Indian leaped down from the rock, grabbing John and knocking him off his horse. The horse whinnied and moved ahead quickly, its steel-shod shoes clacking loudly on the rocky pathway.