Spirit of the Buffalo

When I started writing my fi rst western I began without a story, a title but with two unwashed characters that hated each other at fi rst in the dark, fi lthy, cluttered log cabin so remotely imbedded in the Canadian snow covered woods that escape on foot was impossible. After two murders occurred our heroine Marie is alone, raised without affection or a smile with only a fur trapper father escaped from prison. She fi nds herself alone until Peter Mark with a broken leg is fi shed out of the river with his horse and wagon. After months of fi ghting and distrust in the fi lthy hovel, they fi nd love and Peter begins the trek to his home in Nevada in a wagon with Marie. They come to a Nez Perce village where Peter trades with Chief Joseph for three white women and continues south through Flathead land and into Shoshoni Territory where Chief Running Deer learns the buffalo follow Peter and thinks he controls them and calls him the Spirit of The Buffalo. With two scouts from the Nez Perce, two from the Flathead and two from Chief Running Deer they continue south and the scouts leave them at Fort Bryant. Peter thinks he’ll take Marie to his house but Running Deer decides to burn the fort and sends word to the Spirit of The Buffalo. “Take everyone out of the fort and all that ride with you are safe”. Col. Williams decides to stay and defend but Peter takes the women and children to Fort Halleck as Running Deer attacks Fort Bryant. Peter and Marie adopt Linda, the youngest of the three captive females they traded for with Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce. That’s not half of the story but you’ll dry your eyes before turning the last page of the Spirit of The Buffalo and when the sequel, ‘War Chief ’ comes out, you’ll cry again and better understand our Native American brothers.