In the Shadow of the Mountain — W.R. Benton

In the Shadow of the Mountain, Jed and Mule are trading whiskey to the Indians for beaver pews when they are asked by the army to attempt to stop a possible war with the Sioux by returning two woman captives to them. Unknown to the two mountain men, the women are the wife and daughter of the Sioux chief, Bull Buffalo. Returning the captives creates some unusual problems for the two rough mountain men as they rescue a black man named George and end up trailing a group of buffalo-hide hunters bent on killing all the shaggy beasts they can find. George, who the Sioux consider a buffalo god because of his ebony color and kinky hair, discovers a side of himself that he was unaware existed. Mule, emotionally involved with two women, finally gets the one he wants, but has a surprise visit by Jed, who has threatened to kill him on sight.