"This is my country, This is where I was born." "The first 9 years of life I spent in this Indian village with many of my mother's people, but most important with my father." "This man is my father." "This is like I knew him best." "My Dad wasn't just one man named Flint Mitchell he was a breed of men, mountain man who lived and died in America." "He use to tell me about these men he knew" "Men who walked the Indian trails and blaze new one's for no men been ever before." "Man who found lakes, rivers and meadows," "Man who found paths to the west and the western seas," "Who roamed Prairies and mountains and plateaus that are now states ," "Man who search for beaver and found glory" "Man who died un named and found immortality." "My father always began story by telling me about meeting place of the mountaineers," "This is where they met every July after year of caraping in the Rockies." "Here they cashed in their furries caught up on their drinking," "In the fighting, in the gambling in the fun." "And the girls." "They lived hard and they played hard" "Winner is the man who gets the most shoots on his mark in a minute." "Ready fire" "Shooting competetion was not for marksmanship" "The competetion was for speed." "speed of reloading, which was not easy thing in those days" "Powder and ball cap and, ramp rod." "A man's life of a mountain man's life didn't always dependes on his hitting the target, depended on how fast he could get ready for the next shot." "If by accident he miss the first time," "He have to be sure he had a second chance." "Mr. Chennault, this gathering is a unique in my experience." "Where they all come from?" "Captain Lyon,they come from beyond the maps." "One of the strangers took my My father's friends was Captain Lyon," "He was a Scottish man, a veteran of Waterloo." "He came to the Rockies with a double barrel gun a whole suit of armor, and a man who would paint pictures of all that he saw" "So that the captain would ever had a record of his adventures." "Yes, with pleasure." "But put him on now." ""Outside?" "Too bad." " Mr. Chennault." " No, no you does not drink." " Please Mr. Chennault." " No." "You owe me money." "Do you have money to pay me?" " He knows I have nothing." " Of course." "Sorry." "Forget it." "I am trader, I do charity." "What a unkind." "Among French ..." "All I ask is a cup, What it costs?" "I'll pay you next week." "I need ..." "When the 7 stars arealigned with the mountain peak she will be in the willows." " Gowie, Gowie.- yes sir!" "7 stars willows remind me" " Are you sure its done here?" " don't be silly, ladies choice." " I think they speak red Indians?" " Yes, all:" "Pie Black, Nez Perce ..." " Do you work for the company?" " oh no mr.i am free ." "On his own. he owes me $ 600. of me." "yeah i'll pay you back someday maybe." "Do not forget, Mr. Chennault," "That once i was a rich and influential man ." "You might use him, Captain." "I could show you some good shooting." " Thank you, sir." " What's your name?" "Pierre Alphonse Marie Joseph Victorof Promusenne, the Framboise.but you may call me Pierre" " Have a drink, Pierre." " Oh, Captain." "This perticular summer my father was buying horses and recruiting" "The best men to go with him to the Blackfoot territory" "A new and rich country my father have to explore." "it was a lot of Beavers to be hang" "And lots of beavers meant lots of money." "Have you see any better horses place captain" "I find these very happy" "This lady's name was Kamiah," "She was a full blooded Black foot Indian." "She was proud, strong and beautiful." "She's not a snake girl." "These Nez Perce bring her up mighty strict." "Oh well, its only a small investment." "Hi Hi" "Compliments of the season" "Oh no,no,no this some mistake" "Seven stars, willow ..." "I told you captain." "I am So, sorry,i beg your pardon I had no idea." "She wants to know, are you buying horses to trade for a wife." "No," "Do you have a wife already" "No" "She says it is foolish for a man who can buy so many horses not to have a wife." "Tell her about a pony of her's" "She says pony goes where she goes." "Go now." "Look,Recain" "We missed you" "Recain was a Scotch man who was the old trading partner of my father." "But Recain was now living with the Blackfoot indians." "He was tired of the hunting and killing and he liked the Indians the way they lived." "Recain was a man with the strong heart and strong convictions." "Captain, this's an old friend of mine:" "the Recain." " Recain?" "How Argyll?" " No, of McGregor." "I've some whiskey i think you'll like." ""Mr. Chennault?" "Want to join us?" " You too, Pierre." " Me?" "Yes, thank you." " You don't like do that." " No, I never did." " Gowie, do you think i can learn to blow this thing?" " No, that's not learning, its the gift." "There's nothing like the pipes for war.i remember Waterloo." "I been looking for another moment like it ever since." " Maybe in this Blackfoot country." " Maybe." "I've a notion this adventure of yours will take all the money you have got." " I hate to see you lose everthing you saved i've saved for this." "I wish you take the money and live the life where you born too in Kentucky." "Oh,i am not rich that yet." "I am going to the Nez Perce." "Have a good whiskey, Captain." "What does he wants from Nez Perce?" "He's making a trade with looking glass for girl's on pony." " Recain?" "he's going to marry her?" " No, no." "He's going to take her back to her own people" " What you say!" "Black Is a Foot!" " What I tell you." " But listen ..." " No way." "Wait a minute, Wait a minute." "I beg you pardon,i was explaining to him She is not Black foot, she can not be, she is the old looking glass daughter." "No,no,no looking glass steal her from the as black foot when she was a little girl." " It's that simple." " you sure that?" "Her grandfather is Bear Ghost, black foot medicine cheif." "He all the time wants to get his granddaughter back he ask Recain to come down and buy her." "Ghost Bear "?" "and he's the big medicine man of the Blackfeet tribe." "And this Iron he's just a young war chief." "And Ghost Bear is the big man in that beaver country ." "Go and Tell Dick to get everything out we got to trade." "Flint you can't do that." "You can not just go and buy the girl." "Why can't i?" "There's one thing for Recain take her back to her own people." "But looking glass won't trade her to you No,he will expect you to marries her." "I would've except to my seft" "She can't do to me any harm." "and she might do me lot of goog." "Tell looking glass" "Looking glass's hut is on the ground." "He loves his black foot daughter he would be very sad without her." " How much more is that going to cost?" "you make him steepy bribe.," "She's a sun and moon to him." "Well tell him that my heart is on the ground" "Because i can not give him the sun and the moon to take the place of his black foot daughter." "But as much as Recain his offered I've offered more." "But trade is a trade." "His heart is bleeding." "Recain is his friend" "The mountain is his friend, he can not give his daughter to both." "Well make up his mind between this thing." "It is not like the chief of the Nez Perce that will have to sun go down on thinking what the matter is this." "Recain says that if looking glass will returns his daughter to our black foot grandfather, he Recain will try to make peace between the Blackfeet and Nez peirce good thing for both" "Well tell looking glass if Recain is a man of his word. he must do what he says ." "Looking glass think that peace is very good thing, but he's an old man and very poor and he have many greedy relatives." "Go get it." "Tell him King George's captain brought this warrior's medicine, all the way from the land of his fathers" "Its very old and very strong" "It is not affraid of arrows and it is good against relatives." "He will speak to his daughtr." "He can not give it to you unless she say yes." "If she says that she will marry to you, then they may ready." "When you enter, she will be a there as your wife." "He will send for his daughter and let her choose." "You're both to go and wait for word" "flies in the butter milk two by two, flies in the butter milk two by two, get them little, my darling." "Mr. Mitchell she say yes!" "Go tell Chennault that serve some barrels." "Let's put it upside down." "You know i came down to take her back to her own people." "I'll take her back my self. they want a make trade for her ,i'll trade." "She won't do you any good. you never get in that country again." "No, doesn't it anything matter to you?" "Yes.Trafic" "The four couples forward and back ..." "Say hello to the girls before you go." "Make it spin." "Ahead, across and back." "Repeat and return to the previous position." "Back to you, the prettiest." "Repeat the same step and a walk." "Make her turn with pace and swing, make her turn and returns to the circle." "Eight hands up and round." "Still round and round never let go." "Leave your old lady to make her a trade." "Take the new and tries to kiss her ... into the trap beavers look at you dancing." "The groom in the center." "Takes a glass of Mountain Dew," "Shake hands with this beauty." "Find your companion and come back to the ring." "Beg your pardon sir, is this a private fight?" " No, help your self." " Thank you, sir." " Entrez, to lattaque." " What did he say?" "Come, fear nothing." "Entrez, a l'attaque." "Entrez, a l'attaque." "Lord!" "Enough!" "What she said?" " She said?" " you're drunk." "And by God you're drunk." "Hey hell you're sclaping me." " Yes" " It's cold." " Yes" "What's that?" "Perfume." " You put that stuff on me?" " No, I drink it." "Mr. Flint, you know all about the mountain, but you know nothing about the women. not yet." "But you will learn ... maybe." "What's the matter?" "Trappers HAVE AN APPOINTMENT HERE THE 4TH JULY NEXT YEAR" "RUN FOR THE VOICE Chennault MOUNTAINS" "That was called the brigade this thin brow line of 30 people and 75 of animals." "They were spare horses and pack mules loaded with traps, food,clothing ammunition. regular cargo included courage." "These thin trees were the 1: boundry of the Blackfoot tcountry." "Explorers went forward to look and learn and die." "Let's get out of here." " What about Luke?" " 10 minute no good for luke." "This young Blackfoot Prince was named Iron Shirt." "They him trappers like my father were intruders and enemies to be hunted and killed." "Iron Shirt have the idea that this was his country, and he wanted it kept that way." "We will have a good big fight you know." "Clear. we This Iron Shirt he will jump us sure." "I know you long time" "This is first time you stop and think why do you fight Blackfeet." "Your women maybe she make back for you." "Shut up,doubles the guard tonight." "I'll made up my mind What i am going to do, I'll tell you." "Ask Kamiah if she knows another path into the Blackfoot country." "Not the big north war road, but a quick way a small parties might use." "When the Nez Perce stolen her , from her people They bring her over mountain very fast." "Does she think,she can take us over." "If you want to go she will take you." "We want to go." "Let's go tell Du Nord." " I'm staying here." " No, come on." "Dad use to tell me that he was all for glad" "That he only have to make that trip over the mountains once." "They were forced day marches through trackers timber." "hot,dry days and bitter cold nights." "Montana had not been named yet." "no Idaho" "These men had only the faith that this wilderness would end," "But the next mountain would be the last one to be cross, and then the green pleasant valleys would appeared at last." "But always there seems to be another range to cross, and another." "And ever higher and colder." " What is that mule carried?" " Two sets of traps." "These stars. i could reach up and touch them with my hand." "It was a snow drift but the heart beat no one knew." "If the horses get through?" "No one knew." "They going forward seem doubtful, but going backward seemed impossible." "Her people call it "In light of the mountain."" "She say: "Here I was born, this is my country. "" "The sun that gave it to my people." "gave them the earth, sky and water." "I never saw anything like it." "The best beaver country in the world." "Some day i'll lot pull you good ." "Their arms were strong, and their axes were sharp and timber abundant ." "Soon they built a stockade strong, tall and white." "They lived trapped." "Here the skins were stretched, dried and packaged." " So you've made the picture going?" " Yes sir, but the meaning is unkown to me." " Blue Grass." " It's I was born there." "Who,which it to be a sort of family history, it begins with a coat of arms." "Your husband's bear:" "Blue Grass." "And yours, bear." "there." "The bear, the bear is her grandfather." "Ask her if she remember her grandfather?" "Ask Kamiah if she remembers her grandfather." "They call him Bear Ghost because old man grizzly gave him much power,made him very wise" "Ask if her if she knows where is he now." "In this time of era he go to hotsprings in Three hills ." "She wants to know does your grandfather go to hot springs this time of era in Blue Grass?" "My grandfather?" "No." "the indians killed him in Virginia." "Well,i must be getting my beauty sleep." "Come on Gowie." "Tell Kamiah that I'll to go up in the morning." "we're gone for two nights may be." "here is your elk's teeth." "You can Play with these while I'm gone." "No, you will stay right here and keep your shirt ont." "For next few days, my father hunted for beavers with Du Nord one of our best tracker" "Dad was busy, tracking beavers but at the same Time he kept looking around for any signs to see if the Indians were looking for him in a same way as he was looking for beavers." "What's scared you little fellows?" "Trees lie over they fall" "And men were buried where they died." "Du Nord, fathr's companion, was buried with arrows still in his back." ""Run?" "No, I can't run." "Saying run for your life had a meaning in those days." "If you get out ran Blackfeet than you did have your the life." "But that's all you had to face the mountains, and wolves." "Iron Shirt had every reason to believe that the forest or wolves had killed my father." "And so he decided to strike at the fort." "The first step was to steal as many of the horses that he could get away with." "Hadn't i fool didn't even got a shot." "It was Iron Shirt." " Yes" "Horses gone!" "Blackfoot." "Mother got mad, Indian mad." "She's gone to tell her grandfather to get the horses." "Now i've got to tell the boss." "My father was not only escaped the Indians, but he escaped the wolves." "When he came home he heard the news." "The loss of horses bothered him, but my mother running out really broke the axe." "I'm going in." " You'll need these, sir." " Come on." "What he say?" "What he say?" "He can see that you are her husband." "No doubt." "My father told me that for the first time he saw these Indians as he has never seen them before:" "as People with homes, traditions and ways of their own." "suddenly they were no longer savages." "They were people who laughed,loved and dreamed." "He said the last Star has killed a buffalo." "It invites us to a feast." "He says that Iron Shirt has bringing new horses in tomorrow morning ." "Tell Bear Ghost that I am obliged to him." "When Bear Ghost was young he thought only of war killing his enemies taking their horses." "Their sons were born they became strong young men." "They pleased his eyes." "But they all killed in war." "one bye one." "And longed to see his granddaughter before his eyes close,on earth and sky." "His people have a say" "Not found his happiness without women. "" "Iron Shirt have three good reasons for being mad." "1." "Flint Mitchel was still alive." "2, He was a guest of Bear Ghost , the chief." "3.And may be the most important:" "iron shirt was going to have to get back those horses." " What did he say?" " There is blood on the ground between you." "Tell him he talks like a crazy dog, soldier." "If he would shake my hand it is out to him." "If not ..." " He will go back now." " Tell Bear ghost he has made my heart warm, but my tp will not be warm untill he is come to visit us ." "When Recain returns from his hunt,Bear Ghost will ride with Recain to visit his granddaughter and her husband." "He says may you go safe while travelling far." "May you both live long and love each other,we will all meet and happy again." "What is mika kah?" " Where were you born?" " In kentucky ..." "I was born In kentucky" "In the Blue Grass." "In the country where the grass is blue." " Blue Grass?" " Blue Grass." " Blue Grass." " That's it.well i've to go now." "Come here You want the teeth" "Pidgeons there are not enough riffels and traps to get you all the trinkets you want." "Oh good morning madam" "Would you mind testing my stew?" "Oh.." "I see." "You cook, I paint." "Blue grass,Blue grass" "My words ?" "you speak English?" "They helping hunt for Elk Dad took with him Roy Du Nord," "Who was brother of Baptiste who had been killed few days before." "Roy wanted to see where his brother have been buried." "Having seen the grave he made his own private promise of revenge." "You made a best shot to pay on that Elk i ever saw" "Do you mind if i keep the teeth." "For the women?" "Winner is comming." " Snow soon." "plenty of snow." "We will have to move winter quarters pretty quick." "Your grandfather have told me of a good place." "May be we could talk him and spending winter with us." ""North?" "No.no they aren't going north they're going south." "Oh, when they go north again?" "What?" "A boy, a son?" "Hear hear,put that down, let's somebody else do that." "Well,that's the way you feell, its your work, its your work." " Mr. flynt Bear Ghost sending us signals." " What does he say?" "He will meet you when the sun is highest in the sky." " Fine,Tell him we have great news." " Yes, sir." "get out my red coat Dick,yes sir we won't do any more trapping today to north." "We will put on a parade." "let me have all the men spare from camp." "I'll give this Bear Ghost to myself ." "Tell Bear Ghost my heart is warm because he is come to visit his grandaugher and her husband." "I meet him with a gift" "Take him back to the fort." "Just a few months before, my father was worried only about" "What this might have meant and terms of Beavers skins." "But now there was something more" "He was looking at the man who was died." "And this man had been his friend." "There's anything i can do?" " Not now." "You know Iron Shirt is Chief now." "i know" "We will spend the winter here." "Iron Shirt is their cheif now. that means trouble." "Snow is comming pretty soon," "That will keep him quiet but don't count on it." "Don't go out alone, we'll have the parties.." "We're going to get that spring Beaver." "And when Iron Shirt shows up we will be ready for it." " Richardson. you take over place of Du nard. "Yes, sir." "My father often told me that that December 25." "was the first time it ever been aware of Christmas ,and what it really meant." " Merry Christmas." " Merry Christmas." "Hurray for the summer session." "And the rum!" "Pack him up" "Let the birgade fight order today." "Sign a big war party, across the fort at center." "Let's pack, guys." "You're full of magic.the one woman in the world for me." "I love you pigeon" "May be I did not know when I found you, but I know it know." "You can't understand what I'm trying to tell you." "And I don't understand very much you say." "Someday, may be." "And now the brigade was on the way back.back to assembly point." "And now pack mules with heavy with furs." "It was my first trip to roundtabo but i was hardly old enough to aware of it." "Indians." "Indians." "Its all right little chip." "all right." "Kamiah 1830 WIFE OF MITCHELL FLINT" "You push on with us now." "The old looking glass will have a woman to look after the young." "She wanted to be with her own people." "Here, sir. some sugar for a little boy. very good food." "I go with you." "No, not this time, Pierre." "And so we went away from that place where my mother left,just my father and i" "He belonged to the indian country now with heart and soul." "Now he helped open the west for new trappers," "For the men who loved the country as he did," "New outposts and civilization new understanding." "He wanted me to with him, but as grew up he began to bother his consiousness" "I was not getting into schooling." "he wanted me to have" "He didn't realize,as i do now, that no schooling of body and charactor could eaqual those early years with him in wilderness." "He taught me things that you don't learned in school." "And yet he felt that I should be going back to east" "To prepare my self for some sort of what he called a respectable life." "A sound of that door closing." "was like a door closing on my life." "My pony was fast and I knew how to ride it." "Dad looked at me and smiled." "He agreed that my learning and doing could wait untill next year." "Each year before year i was able to talk him out of it." "And those years were the happiest of my life because i was old enough to then to know my father, to understand it." "and have him tell me what I have told you." "His story is more than story ," "It is the story of the mountain man, of the giants who walked the west and became part of out history." "Subtitle by Arif chandio" "The End"