The Gallows Pole

by M. Shaunessy

  “What is it?” Jacob inquired

  Bowing Eagle replied, “It is time to go.”

  Jacob reached over for his pocket watch, saw the time on it and informed his Indian friend, “It’s five-thirty in the morning. Why so early?”

  “It is a long way to Clayton,” Bowing Eagle replied.

  “How long will it take up to get there?” Jane asked.

  “About five hours,” he replied.

  He couple looked at each other for moment, and then Jacob looked at his watch and calculated. It will be about ten-thirty before they arrive in Clayton.

  From all what he had learned in college, he had think about all of that has happened since they arrived in Clayton and solve this out logically. First, the girl the judge hung earlier that day, just because she broke into Judge Marshal’s office. He wondered what she was looking for that was so important that they hung her. He then remembered what sheriff Barns said, ‘Few nights ago I caught her breaking into the courthouse. I guess I caught her off guard and shot at me. Luckily she was horrible shot.’ However, when they entered the judge’s office, Jacob looked around. Everything was in its place and undamaged, no bullet holes anywhere. Barns was lying. Why? What was he hiding? Jacob did not know, instead he focused on the girl. So, what was she trying to find, maybe something to incriminate Judge Marshall? Some evidence perhaps, maybe an answer why there were so many unnecessary hangings. He had to get in that office and snoop around.

  As for Gabe, they had until tomorrow afternoon before they hang him, or so they thought. He had figured the only way to free him was when they are about to hang him. Maybe get him when Barns escorts him to the gallows.

  Bowing Eagle led them to horses already prepared. A young woman was standing there with some sweet berries in a wooden hand carved bowl. Jacob took the bowl and thanked her. He gave the bowl to Jane as she started to eat. It was not like the breakfast she is custom to, but it was good.

  Once they had finished eating, they handed the bowl back to the woman, mounted the horse, and waited to Bowing Eagle to lead. Jane and Jacob shared a beautiful black mare as Bowing Eagle was on his brown stallion. They headed towards the sun and into the desert.

  Before he had told Jane of his plan, he had to simulate it in his head on how the collected information would work. Obviously, he had to make sure that the judge or Barns was not near the courthouse. Perhaps he can get Jane to distract them. They also needed a look out, but they were only two.

  “Jane?” Jacob started as they were riding alongside a dried up river bed, “I need to get in that court house and find out why judge Marshall is not following federal laws. Problem is, that of-fice could be occupied. You think you can distract the judge, or the sheriff, while I take look around?”

  “How?” She asked.

  “Well, just use your feminine charm,” Jacob replied.

  “My feminine charm?” Jane wondered with a hint of aggravation, “Look Jake, I don’t think I can-”

  “Jane,” Jacob interrupted, “Look, I know you can distract them. I just need at least an hour to search that office.”

  “And what good is that gonna do for Gabe?” She asked, “Judge Marshal won’t stop the hanging because you got evidence against him. Even if you show that to the governor it’ll be too late.”

  “That is why we have get to him before Barns hangs my brother,” said Jacob.

  “And how are we gonna accomplish that?” she asked, “I’m sure he’ll be in cuffs and with a very armed sheriff. The moment we try something, we’ll be up on the gallows with Gabe.”

  “What you need is someone to disarm the sheriff,” Bowing Eagle said. He was riding next to them listening to their conversation. “I would help, but-”

  “But you are forbidden to do so,” Jacob finished.

  The apache warrior nodded, “You will not be successful without a third.”

  “Are you suggesting that you’ll break your forbidden law to help us?” Jacob wondered.

  Bowing Eagle replied, “A man, whether be red, black or white is a living being. Just as if the buffalo is equal to the eagle, both are hunted by the unlawful. They have the right to live, not to suffer. My father would not be pleased if I do help, but he is not here.” A sly smile grew on his face.

  Jane and Jacob returned the expression. Just then, they heard a rumble of thunder in the distance. They looked about and to their right Jacob saw a huge dark cloud forming. He studied it for a moment and noticed that it moved towards them.

  Bowing Eagle frowned and said, “No, I must have angered the gods.”

  He then realized then that his father and the tribe would know as well, but he did not care. He needed to help his new friends. It was the right thing to do.

  He then chanted in his language to the sky as the couple looked to him. It was as if he was asking his god for plea and forgiveness. Another thundering sound blared. He frowned again, but not in sadness, but in frustration. Jane and Jacob knew that he was unsuccessful.

  The wind picked up and a flash lit up the dark clouds as Jacob counted, “One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand...” Thunder interrupted his counting, and then said, “Three miles away. We better find some shelter soon.”

  “I know a tribe that is nearby that could help us,” said Bowing Eagle. “They are about hour’s ride north east of here.”

  They understood and veer off from their original course and galloped their horses so they can beat the storm that was approaching. It was a race. Jacob wondered if horses could out run a thunderstorm. He would soon find out.

  A half an hour in to the ride, Jane felt droplets of rain on her shoulder. Then Jacob felt them too as they heard another rumble. This time it was louder than a TNT blast. They had to hurry.

  They rode like the wind as a steady rain formed. Jacob looked ahead and saw that they headed towards some large rocks that were as if god placed them there carefully. They were huge. He had to admit that. In addition, upon further investigating, he saw river lining emerge, and then they saw a small village made up of teepees. Jacob counted about thirty of them.

  When they approached the village, rain was pouring and Bowing Eagle told them that this was the Jicarilla tribe. Similar to his’, but they were farmers. Jacob knew this as he saw crops of corn and squash in their fields.

  Bowing Eagle dismounted his horse and told the couple to stay as he approached a teepee. This one however was larger than the others were. Jacob figured it was hone to someone important in the village, perhaps the chief. Bowing Eagle tapped on the cloth. A few seconds passed when a head of young beautiful woman peeked out. Bowing Eagle spoke to her, then she ducked her head back in. Moments later, another head poke out. This time it was a male’s head. They spoke to each other briefly, and then the male Jicarilla looked towards the couple, now drenched. He frowned and argued back to Bowing Eagle. Bowing Eagle pleaded to him. Jacob did not know what they were saying, but he reminded himself when this whole ordeal was over that he would learn their language.

  It seemed that their argument was about them, Jacob thought. That did not bode well. For a moment or two, the Apaches talked then the Jicarilla finally nodded. Bowing Eagle waved Jane and Jacob over. The couple smiled warmly, even though they were a bit cold. They dismounted and walked over as Bowing Eagle entered the teepee.

  As they entered, they saw a small fire in the middle of the teepee, clothes hanging above it, drying. The Jicarilla woman was on the other side. She wrapped herself in a soft white animal pelt. Jacob knew she was naked underneath and wondered if they interrupted anything intimate. Then they saw the Jicarilla man sitting next to her. He was big and muscular. This made Jacob though that he could be the master warrior for the tribe.

  “He is letting us stay here until the storm passes,” Bowing Eagle told them.

  “Thank you,” Jacob said.

  He spoke in a very heavy accent, “You are welcome.”

  “You speak English?” Jane inquired as he nodded.

&nb
sp; “I am called in your language ‘Lightning Bear’,” he said, “Bowing Eagle has taught me how to speak in your language.”

  Jacob said to him, “Nice to meet you, I am Jacob Jones, and this is my fiancée Jane Pager.”

  Lightning Bear just looked at them, as if he was studying the couple. Jacob knew he was starting to feel unwelcome. It was quiet inside the teepee and the only sound was the rain pelting on the cloth that sheltered them. That is when Lightning Bear’s lover spoke in their native language.

  Lightning Bear sighed then said, “This is my life mate, Rose of the Desert.”

  “Pleasure,” Jane said to her.

  “She does not speak your language,” said Lightning Bear irritably. He then looked to Bowing Eagle and said, “I knew when the storm came you would bring trouble.”

  “I did not bring trouble,” said Bowing Eagle.

  Lightning Bear told him, “You know it is forbidden to bring these people here.”

  “If we are causing trouble, we will leave,” Jacob intervened.

  Bowing Eagle said to them, “No, you are my guests. You can stay.”

  “I don’t understand?” said Jacob.

  “The Jicarilla are not friendly to outsiders like you,” said Bowing Eagle.

  “Any reason why?” Jacob asked.

  Lightning Bear replied, “You know reason why, outsider.”

  Jacob began to remember what Bowing Eagle said to them.

  “Well, on behalf of us, we are truly sorry,” said Jacob.

  “You do not sound like others,” Lightning Bear observed, “Where you from?”

  “St. Louis, Missouri,” he replied.

  “Why are you here?” Lightning Bear asked.

  “Right now we are on our way to save my brother from being hung in Clayton,” Jacob answered.

  He groaned and replied, “Clayton, is evil place.”

  “That is why we are going there, to make it good again,” Jacob proclaimed.

  Lightning Bear smiled and laughed as if Jacob said a good joke.

  “You are truly strangers to this land,” Lightning Bear said, “No one can purify that place. Not even you.”

  Bowing Eagle then said, “Do not judge these people Lightning Bear. I have known them longer than you have. They are smarter than you think, but they need help.”

  “Is that the true reason you have come? And what makes you think I will help them?” said Lightning Bear, “They have ravaged our lands, taken our buffalo, and left us with nothing.”

  “You are wrong. These people are not like that,” said Bowing Eagle. “They are kind and gentle, and they are going to do what you failed to do when they hung your cousin.”

  He stood and said angrily, “You do not speak of that. She and her father are no longer of this tribe.”

  Jacob then realized who the hung girl was the day when they arrived. It was Lightning Bear’s cousin. Then that will make the house cleaner, Gabe presumably killed, her cousin as well.

  Bowing Eagle stood too and said, “Is that why you refused to help her? Because of her father?”

  “Her father left this tribe to live with the white man. She and her sister followed him,” said Lightning Bear, “They were banished never to return. And we refuse to help outsiders.”

  “He was your uncle, your family,” said Bowing Eagle.

  “I have no uncle,” Lightning Bear told him. He looked to Jacob and said, “Nor cousins.”

  It was quiet for moment, when Jacob noticed that the rain started to let up. The drops had a lighter sound than before. Lightning Bear and the others noticed too.

  Lightning Bear looked back to Bowing Eagle and said, “And if I were you, friend, I guide them to Clayton and return to your tribe before you are banished. Now, leave my village.”

  Just then, they heard a small voice coming from outside of the teepee. Lightning Bear went over to the entrance and opened it. It was a little boy, no more than ten year old. He was calling for Lightning Bear. He spoke to him as if there was something wrong. Lightning Bear replied to him. The little boy nodded. Jacob figured the boy had to wait until the storm was finished to tell Lightning Bear the news.

  He then turned to his guests and said, “It is that Mexican, El Cato. He had stolen our corn form our ollas again.” He frowned angrily and continued, “We spent many moons to grow and harvest them. He will pay!”

  “El Cato?” Jacob said. “I don’t believe it.”

  “You know him?” the Jicarilla asked.

  Jacob sighed knowing now that he had to tell them the whole story.

  “Yeah, we um, how the hell do I say this? We sort of helped him rob a train.”

  Bowing Eagle looked to them surprised and distraught. He then said, “You helped him rob the train? The one you told me you fell off of?”

  Jacob nodded sadly.

  “Why did you lie and distrust my tribe, my family?” Bowing Eagle said.

  Jane then said, “We had too, to help Gabe.”

  “Yeah, then he ditched us holding the bag,” said Jacob, “Making us responsible while he and his goons took off.”

  Bowing Eagle frowned learning this.

  “Hey, it wasn’t like I had a choice,” Jacob said.

  Bowing Eagle said to him, “We always have paths, you took the wrong one.”

  “That’s not true!” Jacob said, “He kidnapped Jane while we were helping the sheriff. I had to go after him and try to stop him. Unfortunately, he had other plans. He deceived us, telling what he was doing was right. He…Suckered us in to his little plan for robbing the train.” He frowned, “God I feel like a fool right now.”

  Learning this, Bowing Eagle thought he was too harsh on him. “No Jacob,” Bowing Eagle said putting his hand in his shoulder, “You are not the fool. A fool has lack of judgment and plays tricks. You are very smart and do not the ways of this land. I believe your story.”

  “As do I,” said Lightning Bear, “El Cato is an evil coyote, sly and deceiving. So it seems we have a common enemy then?”

  Then the boy spoke once more. Lightning Bear replied quizzically. The boy sounded confident, and then Lightning Bear translated.

  “It seems that your judge will hang El Cato’s brother tonight as well as a white man.”

  Jane gasped knowing that was Gabe.

  Jacob frowned and cursed under his breath, “That son of a bitch judge told me I had four days.” He sighed angrily.

  “I guess when we robbed the train, we became felons,” said Jane uneasily. “He then must have heard of it and canceled the agreement. What are we gonna do?”

  Bowing Eagle then said, “I will still help you, but we must hurry.”

  Jacob had to come up with a new plan and time was at its essence. He knew now that they were wanted criminals and sheriff Barns will arrest them on the spot. However, there is also a slim chance that Barns would think they were lost and died out in the desert. Then there was the fact that El Cato would do something desperate to rescue his brother and probably destroy the town in the processes. Perhaps that was a good thing. They need some kind of distraction.

  He then remembered a book he read a couple of years ago by Howard Pyle. In the book, The Sheriff of Nottingham was going to hang three of Robin Hood’s men. Robin Hood then had a plan to rescue them. He disguised Little John as an old priest. Little John then secretly untied the men and surprised the sheriff as they made their getaway.

  That would not be a bad idea, except they needed a proper priest. He then looked at Jane and wondered. Would a nun work? It was a long shot, but it could work.

  “What?” Jane asked.

  Jacob asked her, “How do you look in a Coif?”

  She looked at him a bit confused as she wondered what he was up too. Perhaps a plan to rescue Gabe, but what did nun’s headwear had to do with it?

  Chapter 12

  Getting in the Habit

  Jacob asked Lightning Bear if he would lend them a hand. The Jicarilla warrior was skeptical about helping them, but this
was probably the only time he can get his hands on El Cato. Jane asked how they became enemies in the first place. He explained to her that it started when his hunting party found their little village in the mountains a few years back. They needed supplies, so they asked El Cato if they trade, but El Cato refused. Instead, he threatened them by killing them off and steeling their woman and crops. This angered Lightning Bear and his party. They then decided to infiltrate the village at night and take their supplies while banditos slept. Their rivalries began shortly after.

  Lightning Bear then agreed to join them on their way to town. He said he would not fight for them, only for his tribe.

  “That’s great,” said Jacob, “Look we need a Habit.”

  “A what?” Wondered Lightning Bear.

  Jacob answered, “Nun’s cloths. You know what a nun looks like right?” The Jicarilla warrior looked at him puzzlingly. “I’ll draw it. We just need someone to sew it.”

  “You ask more than you have,” said Lightning Bear.

  “We’ll pay. Whatever you want, it’s yours,” he said.

  Lightning Bear pondered for a moment until he spoke, “We do need better weaponry.”

  “Jane, your gun,” Jacob said, reminding her.

  She then remembered she had placed it in her handbag when she dropped it on the ridge. She opened it, took out the Smith and Wesson revolver and showed it to them.

  Lightning Bear’s eyes lit up like an oil lamp when he saw the weapon. He had seen a lot of white men weaponry in the past, but he disallowed to own one as it was forbade in their law. Even though it was impossible to fight El Cato with bows, arrows and hatchets, he had to reconfigure the Jicarilla law if they want to survive.

  His eyes returned to Jacob and said, “It is acceptable. Draw what you need and my clothes maker will sew for you.”

  The couple smiled like hope has returned to their faces. Lightning Bear looked to his wife and spoke to her. Rose of the Desert nodded. She grabbed her clothing, dressed, stood, and walk out of the teepee.

  “She will get what you need,” said Lightning Bear.

  “Thank you,” Jacob said as he and Bowing Eagle followed her.