From the time they left Fort Childs, Sam had accompanied Cody and Walt Tucker when they went to hunt. Whenever they brought an animal down, Sam was there to perform the prescribed ritual for taking the life of the creature. Often during a hunt the men had seen Indians watching them from a distance, but never had they been approached or impeded from their task.
Once they had crossed the South Platte, however, according to Garrett and Gus, they were in the territory of the Arapaho, a more war-like tribe.
Sam and the Tuckers were hunting. They had just brought down two buffalo.
“I suppose we gotta go through the ‘thank you Tatanka for givin’ up your life for me,’ stuff again,” Cody said sarcastically. “Don’t see what good that does other than keep the Indians watching us happy.”
Sam ignor
