I kissed goodbye to my wife then hesitated before joining the hunters, this could be the last time I saw my wife, so many warriors had been killed on the hunt, the bison were known for being strong, heavy and having powerful horns. If you got on the wrong side of a bison the results were often fatal.
With that thought in my mind, I mounted my stead; my only hope of surviving the surround lay in the hands of my horse. Hours of my time had gone in to training that horse and now was its ultimate test, pass and we would both go on to see the light of another day, fail and we would die.
At that moment a shrill cry was given by our chief, I knew now that there was no turning back. My time had come to join the hunt. I thrashed my horse into a pounding gallop and joined the end of a column. The two columns gradually closed in on the herd and we were upon them in an instant. From here on it was every man for himself. Shrieks of charging and yells of pain drowned my ears. Clouds of dust bellowed into the air making it impossible to see and I sat perplexed on my horse in the mitts of all the uproar and confusion. And then I saw it, a confused and terrified buffalo that had strayed from the herd. I thrust my lance into the air and charged headlong for the stray. Adrenaline rushed through my body and a buzz of excitement shot through my veins .The bison soon found its self trapped and in its confusion began attacking another bison, (all Indians knew that bison had poor sight). I reached for my bow and launched an arrow into its side. It was a perfect shot and hit the bison right in its heart. I t fell to the ground with a resounding thud and it was at that moment that I realised I was victorious! I knew now that my reward waited, I immediately devoured the bison’s intestine and enjoyed every minute of it. The ritual I had once dreamt of was now a reality.
When the last of the bison lay dead on the battlefield my wife hurried to assist me in dressing the bison. She knew which was mine from the markings on my arrows. The hides and meat were piled upon the packhorses and all the warriors soon began to leave the ground. I took a final look at the plain, now scattered with the hearts of many before leaving to reap the glories of my first triumph back in my tepee.
Little did I know that this day would mark the beginning of a fabulous career, and little did I know that this would mark the beginning of a fabulous new love life!