Great White Hunter meets Beast

The Great White Hunter meets the Great White Beast

March 4, 1984 I found my self in Nepal (I was only there on a lead hunting my worst enemy "The China Man" but that is another story). It was there I journeyed to a mountaintop in search of an ancient all knowing guru. It was said he lived atop the tallest mountain in a great gold temple. After two weeks of arduous trekking I reached his mountain top hideaway. After going through a series of purification rituals, I was informed that the guru was ready to speak with me. I was given a robe and told to keep silent.

An old monk with a long beard led me to the central chamber, as he lead me down the long corridor he listed countless rules to be obeyed, and mannerisms to display. This ever growing list quickly fled my mind as excitement and curiosity mounted. Finally we arrived at a set of great golden doors that slowly opened revealing a huge room within. On the far wall was a huge golden thrown where the guru spent his days surrounded by servants. I was surprised such a scrawny old man, who demanded so much of his followers and guests, could garnish so much respect from them. My guide then bowed and whispered, "You may now enter."

As soon as I entered his great chamber he rose from his seat and put his hand to his head. My guide leaned towards me and whispered "he is receiving a divine vision." Ahhh!!! What terrible breath he had, it was worse than that of the oxen I rode here on. Wonder what these monks ate? I hoped not to find out. The guru then spoke "You are the one the gods have chosen to free us from the curse that keeps us confined to these desolate mountains." Here it comes there about to ask for some big favor. A servant came forth carrying a pillow on it was a mummified hand, but this was no human hand. I had herd of such relics but had doubted their existence, but now the truth lie only inched from my very eyes. The hand was huge covered in course hair, each finger tipped with a large claw. It was the hand of a yeti.

I'll spare the details, because I forgot them. The story I was told was that the monks ancestors angered some god who cursed them with the yeti, or something like that. Of course I agreed to kill the yeti. I could care less about the monks I had a new trophy in mind. Once I agreed they said they would honor me with a great feast, I declined. I told them I should get going as soon as possible before bad weather set in. They said the weather was fine, and I should not worry. I insisted.

I headed off into the mountains with only a luger pistol and a pair if buoy knives. I had mistakenly packed light, but I reveled in the challenge. With me traveled a young Sherpa boy of about fifteen named Pasang. During our conversing he told me his name literary meant born on Friday. Unfortunately for him, his parents had died on the following Tuesday leaving him an orphan. But to his great luck he had been discovered by one of the monks who raised him up until now. As we traveled I saw in him a zeal that only a true survivor has in his blood, and I saw in his eyes the determination if a wild beast. In this respect he reminded me of my younger self so many years ago. We trekked on for three days and ran out of food, so we ate the oxen and used their skins as cloaks to keep us warm. The weather was growing colder, damn as I suspected a storm was rolling in. There was no turning back we were with in side of the den where the monster slumbered.

I gave Pasang one of my knives and told him to wait for me by a large boulder. I then crept off up the steep slope to quarrel with my prey. As I climbed my footing grew lose, I put my knife in my mouth and cast my heavy snow laden ox skin cloak into the wind. I struggled on, "I'm getting too old for this." I said to my self as I climbed higher. What a fine last hunt for me to endeavor, I humored my self. The thin cold air was not enough for my tired lungs. I paused stabbing my knife into the ground, sucking in air desperately. The ice crystals in the air burnt my lungs but I could not stop myself from inhaling them. I started to regain my composure when I was struck from behind with a mighty blow.

I wavered for a moment then grabbed the knife as I did I flipped over on my back and pulled out my luger. My vision straightened out enough to see a massive yeti standing over me, with a stone club where its left hand should be. I pulled the trigger thinking this is too easy, click..... The safety was on, the lack of oxygen had really gotten the better of me, to make such an amateur mistake was far below me. Before I could react the yeti knocked the gun from mw hand, and sent it flying off in to the dense snow. It then kicked me and sent me rolling down the step rocky mountain side. Rocks stabbed me every where and bloodied me up real good. I came to an abrupt stop I was totally disoriented. I stood up, the pain was great but I forced myself to stay on my wobbly feet. It was at this time I realized I had left my knife in the mountainside; this was quite the predicament indeed.

I called for Pasang, he did not answer. I looked about franticly, then I remembered rule number one NEVER PANIC! I breathed deeply to help regain my composure, again the air was too thin. I looked about to find the yeti that had so quickly changed from prey to hunter. I saw it bearing down on me from the mountain side, slipping on the lose stones. Then it hit me, the plan that would ensure my survival even though I might lose my finest trophy. I would start a rock slide by tossing stone at the lumbering beast. I picked up a stone and threw with all my might. It landed just below the monster and caused him to trip and slide down the mountain side on his face. He slid down causing more rocks to tumble until the lower face of the mountain came down to my surprise. It was too late I was over taken by the rock slide and buried up to my chest in heavy stones. Only my head and right arm were free. The yeti had come to a stop only feet in front of me, "some plan this was." I murmured as the beast regained its footing and loomed over me like a titan.

It stared at me for a moment as if to say I won this round, and raised its left arm high in the air. Then it grunted and started to fall, it looked as if I were going to be crushed for a moment. The massive body fell slightly to my right its arm fell just above my head and wrapped around me. It was then that I saw Pasang standing there with the buoy knife I had given him. He quickly dug me out of the rocks and asked if I was hurt I laughed and said, "lets get the hell out of here." Pasang then used his Sherpa skills to make a stretcher out of the bones and skin of the yeti. He then carried me down the mountain on our way we had more than our fill of the yeti meat, some of the least appetizing meat I have ever feasted on. Once down the mountain we were greeted by Pou'butso who had patiently waited for my return by our helicopter. Looking worried he ran up to greet me, then catching a glimpse of Pasang asked "Who is the boy." I looked at tired little Pasang, smiled and said my new apprentice.