This is the conclusion of a true story about Jean’s (Oui-Sa) Creek Maiden great grandmother, Red Leaf and her brave grey stallion, Grey Warrior.
The next morning was filled with doing chores. Cows were milked and the buckets were brought into the cabin. The butter churn was brought out to churn the butter. "Red Leaf, go to the barn and take care of the stock like you did last night. We must lock up all the stock for their safety. Mary will help you when she is done with puttin’ the butter in the butter keeper." Red Leaf headed toward the barn. She took Grey Warrior from his corral and put him in the stall next to the cow and older mare. Red Leaf put down bundles of hay that she took from the hay bin and fed all the hoofed animals. Mary entered a short time later with grain and scraps for the pig and chickens. Mary suggested that they get back to the cabin and stay close to each other, like Pa told them to do. Red Leaf nodded at Mary to let her know she would soon follow. Red Leaf wanted to smooth Grey Warrior’s mane one more time before returning to the cabin. Mary watched from the cabin as Red Leaf took the bundle of sweet grass that she had kept in her leather bag at her secret place and, sprinkling it on the ground in front of the barn, she said a prayer to Grand Father. Asking that he help them be brave and fight the great bear that was coming for them. Then she ran to the cabin door and joined Mary. "Red Leaf,” Mary excitedly asked, “What’s wrong?” as she slammed the cabin door behind them. Martha could see by her daughter’s expression that something was wrong. Red Leaf walked to the front cabin window and pulled back the curtain. "In wind I feel something again watching. I know great bear spirit is not far. He know we here. We must put wood over door and window keep great bear out." When Red Leaf stopped talking, Martha turned pale and reached for a chair to sit down in. "There no time to sit," Red Leaf said. “You work fast. Great bear here soon. We be ready." Red Leaf turned her attention back to the window. She knew she must stand watch.
"Mary, board up the windows in the back of the cabin and I will board up the windows here in the front part of the cabin. Use the wooden bars to secure them," ordered Martha. Red Leaf knew that the bear could easily enter the cabin if he really wanted to. He was a spirit bear with great power. After the windows were secured and the front door was barred with the heavy log braces, Martha took out her bible and began to read aloud. The two young women moved closer to Martha and held onto each other. As Martha read from passages that she hoped would give strength to the three, it wasn’t long when they heard the animals in the barn crying out. Red Leaf walked over to the front window again. Peaking out a small opening where the boards covered the windows, Red Leaf looked toward the barn. The grizzly was out there. The animals in the barn began to cry out louder as the bear drew closer to them. Red Leaf could hear Grey Warrior and the mare’s frightened whinnies as they smelled the bear closing in. As they listened to the distressed cries of the frightened animals in the barn, a crashing sound of wood broke through their cries. A thunderous growl echoed above the commotion and was clearly heard by the three petrified women inside the cabin. "I must go to the barn. I help Grey Warrior and animals." Pushing up the huge log brace on the cabin door, Red Leaf ordered Mary, "close door after me."
Red Leaf ran as quickly as she could to the barn. Arriving in front of what was left of the barn doors, she swallowed hard and entered the barn. Taking her knife out, she carefully walked into the dark place. The animals had become silent. Nothing was moving where the animals once were. Adjusting her eyes in the darkness, she focused her attention to where the stallion had been stalled. Her heart stopped beating when she realized that the wall of the barn where the stall had been was broken through and exposed. Grey Warrior was gone. Red Leaf saw a few dead chickens lying on the barn floor by the huge gapping opening of the barn wall. Lying by the hay bin she also saw the pig mortally bleeding. With a heavy heart, she made her way through the stall and through the huge opening. As she stepped out into the pasture she was relieved to hear Grey Warrior’s whinny. In the open pasture Red Leaf saw Grey Warrior defending the older mare as he had defended her. The grizzly was standing on its hind legs moving back and forth in front of the kicking horse. As the horse and bear were standing off one another, the bear's jaws opened wide, exposing its massive teeth and then he let out a bombastic growl from his throat. As if Grey Warrior knew what was coming next, he was standing up above the grizzly kicking out toward the bear with all his force. The bear stood up to meet the horse head on. Swiping at the stallion with his clawed paws, the grizzly walked sideways lunging at Grey Warrior during his attack. Red Leaf tried to distract the great bear by shouting to the bear, "Yo Ya Ta Ne, Yo Ya Ta Ne, go back to the forest.” Bending down to the ground, she picked up a good size tree limb. With all her strength, she swung a single blow to the back of the bear’s hindquarters. The grizzly was surprised by Red Leaf’s attack. Lowering itself down on all fours, the bear swiftly swung around to face Red Leaf head on. Grey Warrior screamed out a piercing whinny and ran between the grizzly and Red Leaf keeping the angry bear at bay. Grey Warrior began wildly kicking at the huge bear with his back hooves. The bear, beside itself with anger, began to stand once more swinging out his huge claws at any effort of the heroic grey stallion.
Without any warning, several shots rang out behind them. Red Leaf turned toward the direction of where the shots and voices were coming from. There running ahead of the pack of men was Yellow Knife and Jessie. Another volley of shots rung out and the bear dropped on all fours and began to retreat across the open pasture.
Later that night Yellow Knife and Jessie returned home. The grizzly had been killed, but not before hurting several men that were part of the hunting party. Red Leaf felt sad in her heart that many had died crossing paths with the great bear, but she understood that the spirit of the great bear was strong and he fought well to the end. The family sat down at the table grateful that they were all alive. Red Leaf asked Yellow Knife if she could say a prayer to Grand Father in Creek. Yellow Knife agreed and Red Leaf began to pray. "I thank Grand Father for all our lives. I will sing song of battle Grey Warrior gave to great spirit bear. I will sing song to my children. They will sing this song to their children." Everyone felt as Red Leaf had felt. That night the family also agreed that Grey Warrior was no ordinary horse. Many more stories were passed down about Grey Warrior and Red Leaf and told throughout the Ohio Valley in the early 1800's. Red Leaf and Grey Warrior lived together for many, many years. They both knew of the spirit bond they held with each other.
Copyright © 2008 The NW Horse Source, LLC
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