by Lou Bradshaw
“Well, Sam, you can take my version over his because as a US Marshal, I’m sworn to uphold the law and always tell the truth.” He pointed his thumb in my direction, “Have you ever known an Irishman that didn’t sort of tinker with the truth a little bit?”
“Well that’s so.” Sam said with a smile.
I just held up my hand and said, “You got me, Marshal. If you let me off, I’ll try to mend my ways…… And, Sam, we don’t need to mention this conversation to Patty Anne, do we?” He shook his head emphatically.
I told Jasper about the four would be badmen who came on us the night before. He listened to my account of what happened and to their descriptions. Then he said, “There was a large gang operating south of the boarder until the Federales made things too hot for them. There must have been fifty in that gang at one time or another. Most of them were wiped out, and some of the survivors have moved north looking for easier pickin’s.”
“That bunch sounds like Ignacio, from the description. He was a gang lieutenant. Had his own bunch within the gang. I’ve had reports about him coming up the territory. How’d it go?”
“We buried the leader, one wounded, two wettin’ their pants, and all disarmed. They don’t even have a knife to cut their bacon with.”
“Good, I’ll write it up in the morning…. You see what I’ve been talking about, Sam? Things just kinda happen whenever he’s around. That’s why I wouldn’t ever take that badge back.”
“That’s one reason I wanted to talk to you before you left Santa Fe, Ben. It seems that between Tucumcari and Amarillo, there are several hit and run renegade gangs. We think they’re trading with Comanche, but no matter what they’re doing, they’re bad news. So be careful. They’re working the main trails, so it might be best to stick to the lesser used trails or fall in with a large party.”
“I thought the Comanche had pretty much been pacified a few years back when Mackenzie’s Fourth Cavalry took Quanah Parker’s stronghold and killed off their horse herd at Palo Dura.
“Yeah,” he said, the army shot over a thousand head of horses, but there are always some who take to the hills. Those renegades along with a scattering of some bronco Kiowa are causing a lot of trouble to the south. They’re playing hell with isolated ranches and sheep herds.”
“Well, we’ll for sure be on the lookout.” I told him.
“Good,” he said, “that’s why I’d like for you to hang onto that badge a little longer. We don’t know if these raiders are part of a larger bunch or if strings are being pulled by someone…. Oh by the way, you’re likely to run into a friend in Amarillo. Ethan Claybrook has been assigned there…. Look him up and remind him that he still has your shotgun.”
“I’ll be double dog bit.” Purposely not swearing where Jasper could hear it… he thinks I need to use stronger language… my way of driving him crazy. “I figured he was fed up with us and went back to Baltimore a couple of years ago.”
“Sam, can’t you teach this choir boy some more powerful language?” Jasper asked. Sam nearly choked again… he’d been on roundup with me on more than one occasion.
Chapter 4
As it turned out, the Don’s invitation was purely social. I think Sam was in a state of shock at the grandeur of the hacienda, and I know he was overwhelmed by the charm and hospitality of Dona Elena. She has that effect on people. I gave her all the current news of her son, Father Paul. We spent an enjoyable hour talking about New Mexico, Hereford cattle and Father Paul. Don Carlos had been reading about whitefaced cattle and was anxious to learn more. I figured he’d be monitoring my progress or lack of.
As we were ready to get back into the coach for the three mile ride back into Santa Fe, there was a rattle of hooves and the gate was thrown open to allow entrance of a group of five riders. The man in the lead was obviously the most important of the bunch. He was not only dressed better, but he was mounted better on a handsome white Arabian. The others were all well mounted and well dressed but there was no comparison.
I knew at once that this must be Don Escobar, the oldest son of the Don and Dona. He had the family resemblance along with the proud posture of his father. A handsome well set up man of in his early thirties; he looked as though he never had a doubt about anything in his life.
Don Carlos took me by the arm and led me out to where the newcomer was dismounting. “My son, welcome. You are just in time to meet a very dear friend of mine and Paulo’s.” he said in Spanish. The father and son shared a quick embrace, and then they turned to me.
“Don Escobar, I am pleased to introduce, Senor Benito Blu.”
Don Escobar turned to me and for a short second, he seemed to puzzle over the name. Then his eyes showed recognition and a wide smile crossed his face. “Ahh, Senor Blu, from the way my family regards you, I expected to see a man taller than a pine tree, whose feet never touched the ground…. But I see that you are nearly as tall as a pine tree. It is a distinct honor to meet you Senor; I have heard many wonderful things about you.”
I took his hand and received a firm grip. “Likewise, Don Escobar, I have heard good things about you from your family and your people. You are a well respected man in New Mexico.”
“My son, Benito was just leaving; he has a long ride ahead of him. He is in route to Texas in an effort to buy Hereford breeding stock. A subject we have both discussed a number of times.”
“Ahh, Senor, I will be most anxious to see how they fare. I would like very much to visit when you return home.”
I smiled and said, “It would be an honor and a pleasure.” And I meant it. I liked this man. Don Carlos introduced his son to Sam, and Don Escobar went inside to see his mother.
On the way back to our hotel, Sam was curiously quiet even after we saddled our horses and loaded the pack saddle. In fact, Sam was almost a mute until we were quite a ways out of the city. He had something on his mind, and I figured when he was ready to talk about it, he would.
We found a little sheltered cove about fifty yards off the trail for our nooning. I put together a small fire for coffee and Sam sliced a little bacon into a frying pan. It was March and the weather, although, not real cold, there was a chill in that wind. We ate in silence except for what had to be said… like please and thanks.
As we sat finishing our coffee, Sam finally spoke, “Ben, I been doin’ a sight of thinkin’ ever since we left Don Carlos’s house… or hacienda. I feel like I fell out of my life and landed in another one… yours. I don’t seem to be able to get my feet under me. Two nights ago when those bandits came on us, you just took charge and did what you had to do without even thinking about it. You just sat there facing those four men like they was invited guests…. And then you sat there talkin’ like you had them out numbered and out gunned.”
“Sam, I didn’t have a choice. If I’d let up one little bit they’d have thrown down on me and shot me to rags… Besides, you were out there in the dark, and I knew you’d do your part and that you already had a bead on the worst of them…I was right.
“But,” he went on, “last night listening to Marshal Stewart tellin’ what you boys accomplished again’ grown men… killers.”
I told him, “When all that started, I was too young to know that I could die. Dyin’ was something that happened to other people… old people. Andy was driven to find those men and see justice was done. I promised him that I’d stick it out…. After a while, the killin’ got to me and I tried to take them in whenever I could. But for the most part, I was just too weak to tell Andy that I wouldn’t help. He was hell bent on doin’ it and I wasn’t about to let him do it alone.”
“And then, there you were talkin’ with one of the most powerful men in the territory just like you was old friends, and givin’ his wife a hug like that.”
“Sam,” I said, “we are old friends. I came to them as a fourteen or fifteen year old bounty hunter, with news of their son… The Dona Elena missed him so very badly that I think it was making her a wreck. He had written about me, an
d then I showed up. He’s the kind of friend that you never feel like you have to repay a kindness, but sooner or later you will.”
Sam looked up at me and asked, “You mean like pullin’ his boy out of that nest of varmints up on the mountain?”
“Exactly, but I’d a done that for anybody in that kind of fix…. Just so happened that two of those people were important to me… and Patty Anne….You about ready to ride?”
He said he still didn’t have it all worked out in his mind, but he could work on it in the saddle. With that, we cleaned up our frying pan, made sure the fire was dead, and moved on down the trail toward Tucumcari and points east.
As we came down out of the foot hills, the land opened up more and more. It was thin soiled land just a notch above scrub desert. We passed farmsteads and small ranches. I felt sorry for those farmers who were breaking up the soil to put down seed that would be lucky to reproduce itself.
Those who were using their claimed land to raise beef had a better chance, but there was no guaranty of making it a success or even a living. If they had enough water and graze, they’d survive…only if the weather cooperated, and the Comanche raiders stayed farther to the east. It’s a hard land, and it takes hard men and strong women to live with it. And that’s exactly what you do, you live with the land, and when you go… the land is still there.
You may have a document that says you own the land you’re living on, but the land don’t know that, nor does the wind, rain, sun, or snow know that you’ve got a piece of paper… If a flood comes roaring down from the hills, all set to tear away your house and barn, you could always go out there and wave that paper at it.
We found Tucumcari right where it was supposed to be, of course, it would have been hard to miss backed up to that big lump of a mountain. Tucumcari Mountain wasn’t touching the sky as some farther up in the Rockies did, but it was the biggest thing around, and it made a perfect land mark.
There wasn’t really a town called Tucumcari, just a trading post sitting in the early spring shadows of that big lump or rock. We tied up and went in. The place was a few steps down with a low ceiling, not unlike most of the trading posts I’ve been in. The shelves were few, but seemed to be well stocked. A plank bar supported by a barrel and a crate, which served as a bar and trading counter was the prominent feature in the room. Four grubby looking creatures were sitting at a table in the corner playing cards. They gave us notice and went back to their game.
Since, it was close to mid day, we decided to take our nooning here, and let someone else do the cooking. The stew was edible and filling if not altogether wholesome. I was afraid to ask what was in it because I really didn’t want to know, but I’m pretty sure I ate a lizard tail. If nothing else, I’d quit complaining about my own cooking. We washed it down with some less than poor quality warm beer, but I’d drunk worse.
While we were eating, one of those card players got up and went outside. I didn’t give it much thought, figuring he needed to use the necessary out back or go behind the shed, but then I heard Smoke kicking up ruckus.
I was outside before Sam could put his spoon down. There stood that boy with a hand full of reins and both hands full of trouble. He had it in mind to make off with my horse. I wasn’t too worried about that happening, since the only people who have ever ridden him were Delgado and me. But I wasn’t gonna let him get hurt neither.
“If you let go of those reins, he may not kill you.” I yelled into his ear from about three feet away. He was so intent on stealing my horse, that he never even heard me walking right up to him. He jerked back, spun half way around, and pulled his gun. He stood there for a few seconds with his eyes going back and forth between me and my horse. And of course, all the while, Smoke was about to jerk his arm off. That boy was some kind of lucky that there was a hitch rail between him and that big gray; otherwise Smoke would have killed him for sure.
I stood there watching him, until that horse got tired of the game and took a real hard tug. While that hombre was giving my gelding all his attention, I just reached over and lifted his gun right out of his hand. He looked back at me, and I bent the barrel over his skull. He collapsed in a heap draping himself over the hitch rail.
His three card playing pals came boiling out of that door only to be greeted by the horse thief’s gun in one hand and a sawed off shotgun in the other hand…. Both were cocked, which is something that fella never thought to do while he had his pointing at me.
“You boys just pull up there, and drop your hardware. I’ve got two of you ready for the burying right now and my partner has the other one.” They had forgotten all about Sam, who was still inside the trading post… They came to a stop right quick. Two of them shucked their guns and moved away from the door. The third man wasn’t sure he wanted to. He was a youngster and was contemplating whether he could get it out, cock it and shoot before I could pull one of my triggers.
“Are you sure you want to try it, Bub?” He wanted to, but he finally made his best decision of his life up to that point. He eased his Colt out and laid it on the hard packed ground. Then he moved off with the others.
“All right Mister Horse Stealer; let’s see just how tough you are… Let’s if you’ve got nerve.” I said to a man who couldn’t hear me, as I took a couple of turns around his wrists with a rawhide strip. Then I drug him out away from the building. Climbing into the saddle, I told one of those boys to throw a bucket of water on him.
When he was through chokin’ coughin’ and cussin’ I said, “Now, some folks tend to want to hang a horse thief, but I prefer to teach him a lesson so he won’t go doin’ that kinda behavior anymore…. You went jerkin’ around on this horse’s reins and caused him a great deal of discomfort.” All the while I was talking to him; I had that horse dancing and high stepping the way Delgado had showed me.
“This big feller is gonna decide your fate, if you lay absolutely still… no matter what, then he’ll figure you’ve changed your ways and can go among your fellow men with honor and dignity. If not, he’ll stomp the guts out of you, right where you are.”
“The first thing you’ll have to do is apologize… just say I’m sorry, horse.”
“I’ll be damned if I will.” He said.
“Likely so, but you’ll be damned and dead if you don’t.” With that I nudged Smoke and he lunged forward. I pulled him up just short of the man on the ground. His eyes looked like a pair of hen eggs had been stuck in their sockets. “Now, sir, do you have something you’d like to say to this fine animal?”
He muttered an apology. I asked Smoke if the thought the man was sincere, and he snorted and bobbed his head. Of course, the man lying there looking up couldn’t see me stroke the horse’s neck. All he could see was the underside of Smoke’s lower jaw. “Well then, Smoke,” I said, “are you satisfied?” and he shook his head violently side to side.
“Mister, he still ain’t happy with you, so now you’re gonna have to prove how brave you are… It’s an old Mustang tradition. You’re gonna lay there and not move a muscle while he gives you the test. You move an inch and he’ll probably step right in the middle of you…. Ready?” All he could do was groan.
I nudged Smoke and then he stepped over the man, circled him and did it again. There were a couple of leaps over him and several more stepovers.
“Well, old Son, it looks like you ain’t gonna die today. You passed your test… Smoke has forgiven you. Now my friend over there will testify that I’m one of the sweetest people in this part of the country… just imagine what would have happened if you’d a come upon somebody who was really mad or just plain mean.”
Sam was beside himself trying to keep a smile off his face. He’d seen Delgado working with Smoke and teaching him those little tricks.
Chapter 5
Leaving Tucumcari Mountain and four card players, one of which had never been so scared in his life, behind and wondering, why they didn’t stand up and show us a thing or two. That’s just the way we humans are, we ca
n think of our best arguments two hours after the argument is over.
Anyway, we couldn’t think of a single reason to stick around that trading post, but we could think of four reasons not to. Any one of them fellas was apt to grow a backbone at anytime. That and the fact that it just seemed like a good time to mosey on down the trail.
The next two days on the trail were monumentally uneventful. The landscape didn’t change much except where a stream or river had cut through and changed the far looking and far seeing plains to a broken jumbled web of streams, islands, slopes, and caprock ridges. It was never more than a few hundred feet from bottom to top, but that last ten to twenty feet were staight up and solid limestone. I don’t know if it could be called beautiful or even pretty, but it was interesting as all get out.
We were riding east with the stream on our right and to our left was a long slope leading up to the prairie level. I wasn’t sure if we were still in New Mexico territory or in Texas… not that it mattered much, since we were somewhere between here and there with no sign of civilization.
I guess, I must have been trying to envision how great those floods must have been to cut through this land the way it had because I sure wasn’t paying much attention to what was going on around me until it was almost too late.
My horse gave me a split second of warning, when his head came up and his ears lay back. I quickly looked around and saw them coming. Two riders on the far side of the stream and two on our side, and they were coming hard.
I gave a yell and used my spurs. Sam was right behind me going up the slope. The pack horse wasn’t on a lead, so he wouldn’t be slowing us down. He’d either come along or she wouldn’t.
