Mountain Man - John Colter - Run For Your Life

By John J. Law

"They've got us surrounded, John!" Potts said.
Colter nodded grimly. "I know. They're signaling us to paddle to shore. I don't think we have much of a choice." he said.
Potts did not answer his friend. He was already hastily loading and priming his musket. He would be able to get a single shot off, at best. At worst, the Indians would probably scalp him before he even managed to fire. Both men silently acknowledged that their deaths were imminent.
Colter paddled the canoe up to the shore. The sight of so many Blackfeet was intimidating and he didn't know what to do.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.C. Hulsey Books
• Release date: Dec 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215828199

Book preview

Chapter One: Trapping in Blackfeet Country

The dim light of the early dawn saw two mountain men paddling their canoe up a creek near the three forks river. The year was 1809.

The two men were experienced scouts and trappers who knew the area very well. John Potts and John Colter had both been members of the Lewis and Clark’s expedition and they had seen their fair share of adventures together. Both men were seasoned and capable trappers, especially Colter who had proven himself to be a valuable member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Colter was known for his robust and vigorous health, which would soon be tested before the day was over.

The two men retrieved their beaver traps in the creek. This was a routine that the two men had gotten used to, for quite some time now.

Looks like we got some good beaver today, John! Potts said.

Colter nodded and smiled as the two men retrieved their traps. There were indeed several stout beavers that were caught in them. It was a pretty good haul for the two mountain men, a lot better than previous nights.

Definitely, John. Looks like our time here is finally paying off.

Colter smiled to himself as he hauled out another one of the beaver traps along with a beaver carcass. It was quite humorous that the two men referred to each other by the same name. It was a light moment that they sorely needed. After all, the life of an explorer and trapper was not an easy one. They had spent several weeks in this area, staking it out and trapping the beavers in this way. They would their traps along the creek the night before and come the early light of dawn they would retrieve them and any beavers unlucky enough to be caught. This was a routine that the two men were very careful not to break. This was because they were trapping in territory that was known to be swarming with Blackfoot Indians. These were the Indians that were the most hostile towards white trappers. John Colter knew this all too well. He had been there during the incident that sparked the Blackfoot’s intense hatred for the white man.

Colter’s mind was flooded with memories from a few years back when he was still part of the Lewis and Clark expedition. He could still remember when he was with a party of three men led by Captain Lewis. The party had explored the Marias River country and were on their way to rendezvous with Captain’s Clark group who had explored the area around the Yellowstone River.

Looking back now, Colter realized that perhaps Captain Lewis had made a grave error in splitting the crew up like that. He had already heard about the savage Blackfeet nation, known for their hostility towards the white settlers. This was their territory, that they were exploring and they were sorely outnumbered. If they would ever encounter any Blackfoot war party, they