Shandunka - A Man Apart - The Bear Attack

By John J. Law

After escaping prison for killing three hunters, the Paiute pariah Shandunka returns to his native tribe, hoping to find some level of acceptance. He returns to a less-than warm welcome as most of the tribe still view him with contempt because of his half-white heritage. Kalutta the one tribe member who has tormented Shandunka for most of his life, continues to be just as aggravating for Shandunka. Chief Bending Oak decides that it is best that Shandunka accompany the boy Little Cub out in the woods to teach him to hunt. The old chief hopes that this will diffuse any brewing tensions with Shandunka and Kalutta.

During the hunting trip, Little Bear stumbles upon the hideout of Wedge Wilson and his gang of bank robbers. The outlaws chase down the little boy, and kill him to protect the location of their hideout. Shandunka tries to defend Little Cub but is eventually overpowered.

He returns to the tribe's camp and reports the tragic news. Compelled by his tribe's customs, the pariah Shandunka must track down the killers of Little Bear in a "Death Stalk." The practice demands that the killers of a tribe member must be put to death and scalped while 'counting coup'. Counting coup is the practice of touching an enemy's forehead, best done while he is dead, of course. Shandunka goes off to fulfill his grisly task, but he does not know that Kalutta followed him, and is determined to kill him whether he completes the Death Stalk, or not.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.C. Hulsey Books
• Release date: Mar 24, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224250363

Book preview

Chapter One: A Senseless Act

Kenny Bolton was the first gang member who caught a glimpse of the small figure outside the cave. He could barely make it out, but when he saw it moving, he was sure it was a person.

Wedge! There's someone outside the cave! He might have overheard us talking about the bank robbery!

Wedge Wilson heard Kenny Bolton's words, and tension rose up inside of him. They had chosen this secluded cave in the middle of the woods for secrecy. They had just held up the bank at the small town of Aldridge and retreated into the cave. The robbery itself had not gone as smoothly as the men had wanted it to. Some of the depositors had recognized Kenny Bolton when his bandana had slipped from his face. They recognized him as the brother of the sheriff of Aldridge, Richmond Bolton. Sheriff Rich had a reputation as one of the straightest arrows around, and just the right man who would keep the peace and uphold the law in the small town. The revelation that his younger brother was part of the gang that was robbing the bank was a revelation that they could not allow to leak out. Wedge and his men didn't want to do it, but they had to shoot every single person inside the bank to keep Kenny's identity a secret. They gunned the defenseless depositors down before retreating to the cave to regroup. It was there that they discovered that the money they got from the bank wasn't as much as they had hoped for. They had risked everything for a fraction of the sum they expected. Now, it seemed as if someone had heard them talking inside the cave about everything that had happened. Whoever it was, Wedge and the others couldn't let them leave, alive.

Well, what are you all doing sitting around here for? Get out there and shoot him down! We can't let anyone know about this place or what we've done! Wedge said.

There was more than a hint of urgency and desperation in the gang leader's voice. They all knew that they could not let anyone know where they were. It was just as Wedge Wilson had said. Whoever had passed by, could not be allowed to leave this place alive.

The men quickly armed themselves and scrambled to get out of the cave. They hastily mounted their horses and it wasn't long before they easily caught up with the passer-by.

It was the young boy, Little Cub of the Paiute tribe.

Little Cub had been tracking down a fox to try and practice his skills at hunting when he had the terrible misfortune of passing by Wedge Wilson and his gang's cave. He had wanted to catch the fox to impress Shandunka who had been teaching him how to hunt. Little Cub looked up to Shandunka a lot, even if he was viewed as something of an outcast in the tribe. Shandunka