Wilderness 5: TOMAHAWK REVENGE

 

In 1828, few white men had set foot west of the Mississippi River, and of those who did, even fewer lived to describe the unknown territory. Only tough mountain men like Nathaniel King had the strength and knowledge to carve out a life in that savage region. But when a war party of Blackfoot Indians kidnapped his friend Shakespeare McNair, Nathaniel found his survival skills tested as never before. If King made one mistake, neither he nor Shakespeare would ever tell anyone their tale.

The story opens with Nate and Shakespeare hunting in the woods. A lone rifle shot disturbs Nate, who believes that it could be Indians, and he only calms down after Shakespeare tells him to think otherwise. The two men are out to set beaver traps; a skill that Shakespeare is going to bestow on his young friend before leaving to find his way back to his own cabin. After killing a black bear, the two are joined by Thaddeus Baxter, a lone trapper from Ohio. It appears that Thaddeus has just escaped with his life from a war party of Blackfeet, the gunfire from earlier attributed to his departure, and he joins with Nate and Shakespeare to trap. It's here that David Robbins goes into lengthy detail about the arduous chore of trapping beavers. It makes for very interesting reading and keeps the pages turning.

Following an attack from yet another grizzly bear, Nate is knocked unconscious when he kills the bruin and the mighty beast falls upon him. Dragged from beneath the carcass, Nate spends the next few days slowly recovering. When he's feeling better, Shakespeare and Baxter go to trap more beavers. Left up to his own devices back at the camp, Nate goes to investigate a sound in the surrounding woods. He discovers a lone Ute warrior stalking towards them, and takes the man prisoner. The Ute, named Two Owls, is surprised to hear that there is Blackfeet in the area. He asks Nate to allow him to leave and warn his tribe, but Nate refuses until Shakespeare can make his return. Realizing that he likes Nate, Two Owls sits and patiently waits.

It's during this passage that Shakespeare and Baxter are captured by the Blackfeet. Anxious to help his friends, Nate allows Two Owls to return to his tribe. Nate is too late to help the two men, though, and ends up having a fight to the death with a rogue Blackfoot warrior. From here, Nate vows to help them escape. For all his troubles, he's soon joined again by Two Owls. The Ute says he will give Nate two days to make his rescue before he starts killing the Blackfeet by himself. Reluctantly, Nate agrees; fearing that forty-eight hours will not be enough time. During this span, there is quite the banter between the two men. Two Owls asks questions about the white way of life, and it's very insightful. David Robbins also injects a bit of humor into the tale, and that's always welcome.

After rescuing Shakespeare and Baxter, Nate is captured and wounded by the Blackfeet. He meets their leader, a vile Indian by the name of White Bear, and a sympathetic Blackfoot by the name of Red Elk. They take Nate along with them before running into another war party of Blackfeet led by Chief Medicine Bottle. It's here that Nate's fate is decided. He's not to be tortured or killed, but instead has to run a "gauntlet". Starting his run as naked as the day he was born, Nate manages to survive his ordeal. But then he's chased by three Blackfeet into the surrounding woods. It's a test of survival for him as he squares off against his enemy in one final bloody battle. And as the fate of White Bear hangs in the balance, Nate proves what type of a man he has truly become.

Though not as good as the previous volume, Tomahawk Revenge is still a very good read. It's full of compassion as Nate develops his friendships with both Ute and Blackfoot warriors, and it does a heart good as he pines for Winona during the most arduous days he's yet to face. One wants him to return home to her, and soon, so that they can start their family. And it's nice when they are again reunited. David Robbins turns in an exciting tale, and it proves that a lesser Wilderness outing is still better than most of what is already out there.