by Lou Bradshaw
Chances were good that the old ones had traveled those trails and found water along the way. Their trails would lead to it. Oh, I was well aware that many of those old wells and tanks would have dried up over time, but some would still be there.
I pointed out the old trail to Tobe, and it took him a minute to find it, but he finally saw it. I told him,
“If we get separated or if I don’t make it out, you get down this slope the best way you can and find that trail. It won’t be easy, but it’s there, and it will look a lot different up close. It may be covered with dirt or sand, but it’s there. Take the boy with you, if there’s one down there, and ride for the railroad.
We were well into the pines, and I could still see the sun baked land below. It was littered with gray green brush and boulder so white they hurt the eyes. Then there were the rocks and boulders so darkened by desert varnish, they would take years to get clean.
The floor below was at least two or three miles northeast of where we were, and more than a mile below. I found another trail going down the side of the mountain toward the floor. I pointed it out to Tobe and told him to find a landmark because I’d bet a hundred dollars that trail would lead to the bottom.
Several hours of following the trail found us in the bright sunlight again, but it was shining on the back of our heads. We had turned the corner and were going south and down. We were soon back in the pines and steadily going down.
Chapter 9
On the far southern side of the mountain, I was able to get a look at the southwestern face, and there wasn’t one… At some time shortly after the third day, if I remember Genesis right, a volcano blew the whole section out. A big blast like that, could have thrown rocks all the way to Mexico City. Of course, Mexico City would have been a few days and about ten thousand or more years away from being built when that thing blew.
That whole quarter of the mountain looked like the inside of a walnut shell after the meat was dug out. From where we sat there wasn’t much to be seen of camp. We were still more than a mile higher than the village. I could make out at least twenty wickiups, those little domed structures they lived in. Smoke from as many cooking fires rose and disappeared. The whole area was ringed with trees and brush.
We needed to get closer, so we moved on. The trail swung to the south in a wide arc, and brought us back to the rim but much closer. Finding a suitable place, we set up camp. It was going to be a cold camp, but not a dry one. We’d crossed the runoff from a spring a short way back. I could see the next few days would be long and tedious. We had plenty of jerky and dried apples, but I sure would like a cup of coffee now and then.
Once we got squared away, I left Crocket in charge of the camp, and I worked my way down along the rim. I couldn’t take a chance on the camp dogs picking up Dogs smell… and I knew for a fact he had one. So I left him and Tobe and the horses.
I got myself to within a couple hundred feet above the camp. If I went any lower, I’d be behind a thick growth of cedars mixed with some leafed trees I wasn’t familiar with. So I lay myself down and watched the camp. One of the captured bandits was tied to a post in the center of the camp. I didn’t know if he was the first to use that stake or if the other man had already had his turn.
He must have been the first because if he’d seen what he’d have to look forward to, he wouldn’t be near so brazen. Each time one of the youngsters would come near to throw rocks at him, he’d try to lunge at them and curse them. He was showing a lot of brass for a man who was standing naked and tied to a pole.
Soon several women came to the post with long willow switches in their hands and gave him a few whacks. He really cut loose on them, leaning as far as his bonds would let him he cursed them in fine fashion. The women laughed and the kids threw more rocks. They were getting him warmed up for the men.
That’s when I first saw the boy. He had been with several other small lads out of my line of sight. He was an Injun boy from the forehead on down. Thin, lithe, and energetic he ran with the others to get in on the fun. He was brown as the others except for his hair, and it was almost white… a first class towhead just like me at his age. A dirty brown headband, moccasins, and a breach cloth was all he wore.
At first the older boys wouldn’t let the younger ones get in on the action, but they soon gave in and started feeding rocks to them. The smaller boys would chuck their rocks and miss by a mile or not even reach their target. So they moved closer and took better aim. The towhead scored a hit on the man’s chest and got a cussin’ as his reward.
More women came with more willow switches and chased the youngens back, while they went to work on him in earnest. The cussing increased, but it soon turned to grunts and yelps of stinging pain. Their fun was just beginning, as the willow switches were replaced by older squaws with long sharpened sticks. The aim wasn’t to impale him, but they wanted to tenderize him with hundreds of little holes.
That went on for a while, and then a tall muscular man walked through the throng, which spread out for him. He walked straight to the prisoner, whose feet were tied securely but did not touch the ground by several inches. Next, this tall brave squatted in front of prisoner and wiped the blood from his thigh. Finding the spot he wanted, he cut the skin and peeled it back a little.
Then he turned to the crowd, which consisted of the whole village by then. Finding the face he wanted, called a name and a frail old squaw stepped forward. She must have been a beloved woman, a shaman, or honored in some way, but she knew what to do. She stood in front of the bound man, and took the little flap of skin with both hands. She then looked up and spat on him. Her next move was to jerk down on that flap until it exposed about six inches raw meat. The prisoner screamed and cursed some more.
The towheaded boy turned away and covered his ears. The others in his bunch laughed and jostled him. Then the old crone took the piece of skin with a full grip in two hands and ripped it to his knee. The unfortunate man really screamed that time. I saw the blond lad run to the trees with his hands covering both ears.
A lot was racing through my mind all at once. What if this wasn’t the right kid, what if I don’t get another chance to catching him alone, does he remember anything, and will he raise a ruckus?
The decision was made before I finished with the questions. If I could find him alone, I could clamp my hand over his mouth and carry him if need be. I said a short prayer for the man at the stake and started down the slope.
The sun was in the western sky. If the featured attraction could hold on and keep them entertained until well into the evening, we might have a chance of getting out of here with our scalps still attached. It was no time to count on anyone or anything but myself. I had to take any chance I was given.
As I got closer to the trees, I saw the boy for a second, as he moved from the trees and into the thick brush. From where I was, I could track his movements by the movement of the brush. Looking ahead, I saw what looked to be a small cleared spot, and he was heading right at it.
I made another decision that I didn’t think over… I found myself heading for that same cleared spot from another direction. With any luck, I’d get there first. And once again, I knew I couldn’t depend on luck… I had to get there first. So I didn’t waste any more time pondering on it and started for the clear space.
The screams of that tortured soul rang in my ears as I poked my head through the outer limits of the cleared spot… He wasn’t there yet, so I withdrew myself from the circle and found a place of my own to wait. This was well watered ground thanks to a stream that ran from somewhere up on that big hole the blowout had left. The water just slid down the wall and pooled at the bottom before it ran off as a stream.
If this had been a Navajo village, this whole area would have been covered with corn, melons, and squash. But it wasn’t, so it was covered with trees and brush. The area near the blowout was their horse pasture. The grass was thick and lush. Each tribe has its own priorities, I suppose.
I could he
ar the boy coming through the brush, and while I waited, I looked over his private place. It wasn’t more than ten feet across in any direction. It had some little trinkets scattered on the ground, such as a favorite smooth rock. And there were some feathers from a hawk. I could see a broken arrow shaft with no head. It was the kind of stuff I would have collected at his age.
He came through the last of the brush, and threw himself down and cried almost silently. It wouldn’t do for an Apache lad to be caught crying for whatever reason. I let him lay there for a minute or two before I said,
“Alan?”
His head came up, and he was scared but not spooked. He looked around, but didn’t find me. He may not remember his own name… he may not remember any of his own language at all. So I tried the other name his mother called him and said,
“Sweet Ally.” His eyes got round and I was afraid he would start crying, so I pushed it with… “Sweet Ally, your mama sent me to take you home to her.”
He stared for a moment and then said, “Ma… ma?” A flicker of light had come on and was searching with it.
I stepped out of the brush and kneeled down facing him. I was giving him my best saloon girl smile, hoping I wouldn’t be too scary, but this boy had lived with the Apache for three years, so there wasn’t anything scary about me. He reached up and touched my hair, which was kind of a dusty yellar color from the sun. Then he touched his own.
From my pouch, I pulled an envelope his mother had given me and opened it. Then I showed him the picture of a smiling young woman. He took it and touched the smiling face and said, “Ma…ma?” Then he turned it over and looked surprised.
“Sweet Ally, My name is Cain, and your mama wants you to come home.” The flicker of light was a torch by then, and memories were coming back. “Are you ready?”
He looked in the direction of the village, and for a second I thought I’d lost him. Someone must have started the fire under the prisoner’s feet because he started screaming louder and more terrifying than ever. Bless that cut throat bandit, he came in right on cue.
“Sweet Ally go to mama.” He said.
I showed him where we had to go and he nodded, and we were running through the brush like a couple of jackrabbits. We hit the slope and went to climbing. I have to admit, it was a lot easier coming down than it was going up, but the kid would have made a good Apache. He wouldn’t quit. There were a few times I had to reach down and pull him up by his hands. At least once, I tossed him up ahead of me. We could hear the prisoner screaming for a good long way, but his curses were changed to prayers for mercy.
After a while, I put him on my back and scrambled up. I went the rest of the way with him on my back. The sun was shining on his back as we drew close to camp. The shadows were getting long and deep, and sunset wasn’t far away. Dog was the first to greet us as we drew within a hundred yards of camp.
Coming over the last ledge I saw Tobe coming to give me a hand. I turned around, and he lifted Alan off and set him on the ground. Alan stood behind me and looked up at young Crocket. He had been willing to take me at face value, but he wasn’t too sure about anyone else so I said,
“Tobe Crocket, I want you to meet Sweet Ally… he’s the whole reason we took this trip…. Now you two become good friends because you’re goin’ to be partners, while I try to keep the Paches off our backs.”
Chapter 10
We were packed and saddled in no time. I figured the Apaches had taken their time stripping the hide off that fella, and if that didn’t kill him, they’d build a small fire below his feet. When his feet were burned to the point of near killing him, they’d lift him and the pole out of its hole and reset it upside down. That would put the fire directly below his head. They’d spend the next few hours boiling that fella’s brains out.
I don’t know how much of it he still feels by that time, and I sure don’t want to find out. But according to folks who’ve seen it, sometimes it can last well into the second day. And they appreciate a man strong enough to stay alive even if his brain is gone and his senses are numb. They’ll stay at him as long as he’s breathing.
With all that going on, they may not miss the lad until sometime tomorrow morning. Indian kids are likely to bed down wherever they get sleepy, and they show the next morning. When the alarm is given, it wouldn’t take them long to find his little hideaway and my tracks. Then they’ll be on us like a buzzard on a carcass. But they’ll have to take the long way because they’d never get horses up to where our camp was… but they knew this part of the country and I didn’t.
Alan was in the saddle in front of me and he was soon asleep. We had a good moon and were able to travel all night except for a few hours before dawn. Tobe had gotten some sleep while I was down watching for the boy.
By noon the next day, we were at the trail I’d planned to use to get off the mountain and on the plain below. When we got to the cutoff on the back side of the mountain, I dismounted and told Tobe,
“You get up there on Bud with the boy, and head north. You’ll likely find water where you see green places… or let the horse find it for you. He’s probably smarter than either of us.”
“You’re not comin’ with us?”
“I hope to catch up…. But if I don’t…. Now listen and listen careful…. Take the Alan to the railroad telegraph… the first one you come to. Tell the man to send messages to Captain Cal Bailey and Mister Alan Bannister. Send the same message to both of them. Tell them ‘Got the boy…. just sign it Cain.”
“You know Cal, you rode with him and me from the Colorado River to Tucson. They’ll be sendin’ you messages back, so stay close… here, take this for your expenses.” I gave him two double eagles. “And take care of that boy, his mama wants him back.”
I took my rifle and handed him his and said, “Now git!”
“Well, old friend,” I said to Dog, “it’s just me and you again.” He didn’t say anything; he just looked up at me.
There wasn’t much to do but wait, so I took that mustang Crocket rode down the trail and tied him to a branch. Then I went back up and found myself a good place to fight from. I had plenty of ammunition and my spare pistol stuck in my belt. Then I found a shaded spot and took a rest.
Dog woke me with his cold nose on my neck. Within a few seconds, I was back in my little fortress and ready for them… well as ready as I was gonna ever get. I could hear them coming. Sounded like four but no more than five. They were coming from the west, as I’d expected. They used that little hidden trail… their main trail in.
They came into view. First two showed then two more and finally the fifth showed up. That was more than I wanted to deal with, but if I could hold them off till dark, I’d slip off down the trail. They came out in the open with a good deal of caution.
I had a notion to open up on them and have it out right then and there, but they were looking for signs, and there would be nothing new there. I was hoping they’d think whoever took the boy had come and gone from one of those mining towns to the south. They may have sent men out that way, but I’d have no way of knowing that.
They were just milling around in that broad open area. They hadn’t expanded their search out far enough to take in the trail head, and I kept hoping they’d give it up and go back. But they were content to keep looking for sign until they either found some, or it got too dark to look.
One young brave was looking off to the far left almost at the edge of the open space when he must have picked up something. I thought I had done a good job of hiding our crossing, but a good tracker can generally find something if he’s given the time to look… They were allowing themselves the time.
The leader and an older man came at his call, and the older fella got down on the ground. He looked across the spot with his head almost on the ground, and then he blew across it. Dust billowed up and settled. The old fella looked up at the leader and said something, while pointing in my general direction. I didn’t like having him pointing at me, so I got ready to give
them a reason to not come my way.
The man in charge motioned them all toward the trailhead, and four of the five kicked their ponies. The older fella was getting back on his. They must have figured we were long gone because they came right at me.
They weren’t so far away, that they couldn’t cover the distance in five good strides. I gave them three. The first shot put the leader on the ground, and the second put lead in the old man. I couldn’t tell how good the second shot was… but I wanted him out of it. The other three spun around and took to cover.
A couple of shots in their general directions were sent just to keep them interested. They peppered the trees and rocks above and behind me with some wasted lead. They would be working their way around to get me in between them and cut me off from the escape trail. But they were more than a few minutes late for that. I had already untied Crocket’s pony and was leading him down the north shoulder of that mountain.Those three back there, were young and eager to count coup, but the two I shot first were older and more experienced. That’s why they were my first targets. The old one looked to be a first rate tracker, but from here on in tracking would be easy because I’d be in a bit of a hurry. Losing their leader might send them back to regroup, but that didn’t always hold true. I’d just have to get off this mountain and do the best I could.
Dog and me trotted on down the trail, with me leading the horse. I wouldn’t have made any better time riding him. I didn’t want to take anything out of him by riding because when we hit the bottom, he’d need everything he had.
