She took her hand away and put it back in her lap.
"Homer, I feel so different going along in the buggy today than I did when Juan was driving it to Rancho Romero," Leticia said. "I am realizing that I have not felt right since I married Juan Elias. He was not a pleasant man to be around, and I cannot say that I miss him at all."
"I can understand that, Missus Elias," Homer said. "I think María feels the same as you do."
"Oh yes, I know she does. We had a good talk yesterday. María has always been afraid of her own father. Now she is at peace, thank goodness. That little baby is a cute one. I wonder why they named him Peanuts."
"Billy told me that his father always wanted to raise peanuts, but they wouldn't grow on his farm. Billy is funny at times. But, I am not one to tell someone what to name their child."
"I will enjoy watching Peanuts grow up when I get back here."
"If you tell me when you plan to return, I will drive you back again," Homer said.
"You don't have to worry about that. You have your bounty hunting to do. I will have one of the Sopori cowboys drive me. That is if those brothers of Juan will allow one of their cowboys to take a few days off."
They reached San Fernando by late afternoon, and stopped at the Castillo House near the arroyo. The Castillos had been friends of Leticia's since she was a young girl, and she could trust them completely to keep the story of Juan Elias' death among themselves. Leticia had named her daughter after Rafael's wife, María. Homer enjoyed talking with Rafael Castillo about his small cattle operation that made him a meager living as long as it rained to make grass grow. In spite of her marriage to the wealthy rancher, partner in the vast Rancho Sopori, Leticia always kept close contact with the Castillos. When she told them that Juan had died from some unknown causes, the old friends had looks of relief on their faces. They had never liked Juan Elias' haughty ways and were happy that he rarely came to San Fernando.
The following morning, after a breakfast of chorizo con huevos with María's strong coffee from the beans roasted with sugar, Homer hitched up the buggy and they left for the last part of their trip to the Sopori. When they had turned off the road that led to Tucson and headed down the Arivaca Road, Homer turned toward Leticia.
"Missus Elias, you have heard us talk about freedom back at Rancho Romero. I never heard you say what you feel about freedom. Do you have a better idea now that you are a widow?"
"For heaven's sake, I am a widow. I didn't think about that until you mentioned it. Wonderful! I am a widow! To tell you the truth, I might as well have been a widow all the years I was married."
"Does being a widow make you feel any differently about freedom?"
"I suppose I haven't been a widow long enough to even think about freedom, but I suppose I do feel free without Juan Elias to order me around like I was some pet dog or something."
"I must say 'thank you' for keeping all that happened at the rancho to yourself. Billy and María are busy enough without having to put up with a lot of questions from people who would make other peoples' business their own. The three of us, Billy, Gus and me met far away after an awful battle in the terrible war between our own people. We have traveled far for the freedom that we have, even though there are parts of that freedom that can be shattered far too easily."
Their conversation drifted into lighter topics until Homer reined the buggy horse to the right and over the road into the Sopori headquarters.
After he stopped the buggy at the front entrance to the main house he helped Leticia down from the buggy.
"Do you want me to stay a while as you tell your brothers-in-law?"
"That might be a good idea. Once I get settled a bit I will send for them. Here comes Aberlardo now to take my valise."
"Welcome home, Señora," Aberlardo said.
"Thank you, Aberlardo. Do you remember Homer Crane?"
"Yes, I remember Mister Crane. Nice to see you again, Sir."
Homer followed Leticia into the house and sat in the living room.
"Homer, I have sent Aberlardo to get Juan's brothers. While they are getting here I will change into my black dress to be properly dressed in luto, mourning according to Spanish. I was going to throw that horrible black dress away after I wore it for a year when Juan's father died. Now I have to wear it again, for show is all, because I don't feel mournful at all. Of course I didn't feel mournful before either. I will be right back."
Leticia scurried to her bedroom and changed into her black dress so that Juan Elias' brothers might be fooled into thinking she was sorry about his death.
She returned shortly, went to the bar at one end of the living room and poured tequila into two small glasses. Handing one to Homer, she sighed.
"This tequila should go down easily after that long drive," she said.
"Here's to adventure," Homer said, and downed the shot in one gulp.
Leticia smiled. "How do I look in luto?" she asked.
"Just ravishing, Missus Elias," Homer said, and smiled back at her.
The other Elias men arrived and entered without knocking.
"Aberlardo told us you wanted to see us," the one called Jaime said. "Where is Juan and why are you wearing luto?"
"I have sad news for you. Juan is no longer with us. He took sick down there and the curandera could do nothing to save him. We buried him there because it is too far to transport him all the way here."
"How can we have a funeral?"
"We cannot have a funeral because he is already in the ground. You will have to remember him the way he looked the last time you saw him when we left to go south."
"And, who is this?"
"This is Homer Crane. He was good enough to drive me home."
Neither brother bothered to acknowledge Homer, but that did not bother Homer. He was glad that they were not causing any trouble for Leticia.
"We must get back and tell our wives about Juan," Jaime said.
The brothers turned and left the house. Leticia went to the couch and flopped down on it.
"That's a relief not to have any trouble and a lot of questions to answer," she said. "I think you can go on your way to Tucson, Homer. The brothers will probably accept Juan's death because a lot of people die around here because it is a pretty wild country, especially in Tucson."
"As long as you feel comfortable with me going is what matters, Missus Elias."
Leticia rose from the couch and put her arms around Homer.
"Thank you so much for everything, Homer. And, please stop calling me Missus Elias. That is no longer my name. I am just plain Leticia."
"All right, Leticia. I hope all will pass smoothly, and I hope to see you soon, either here or down in Tubutama."
Homer went out and untied his saddle horse and packhorse from the rear of the buggy, mounted his saddle horse and leading the pack horse, started for Tucson. He assumed that Aberlardo would take care of the buggy horse.
Homer spent the night with his friends at the Amado Ranch. They had been hospitable in the past and were no different than before. Homer enjoyed the good ranch food of beef and frijoles that they served at just about every meal. And, they always had a bed for strangers in their bunkhouse. The following morning he enjoyed the ride along the Santa Cruz River as it flowed lazily toward Tucson. He couldn't help but wonder how Leticia was getting along with the brothers of Juan Elias.
Homer's first stop in Tucson was at the sheriff's office where he sifted through a stack of dodgers and took a dozen with him back to his saddle horse. He headed toward the Horse and Mule Auction barn to see if he could find a place to keep his horses for the night. As he approached the building, there were no horses tied at the hitch rail because it was not a sale day, but in a small building to one side of the barn he spotted a doorway over which there was a sign that had the words "V. Becker, Horses and Mules" painted on it. There was a short hitch rail in the front of the building so he dismounted and tied up his two horses.
After knocking on the door he hear
d a voice telling him to come in. He opened the door and looked straight at Virgil Becker sitting in a chair behind a table that served as a desk.
"Well, Homer Crane, what brings you to Tucson?"
"Hello, Virgil. I am back to hunting bounties."
"Well, come on in and sit a spell," Virgil said. "How is everything with those mules down in Sonora?"
"The mules are growing and everybody is doing well. Billy has a new son he named Peanuts," Homer said. "His father could never grow peanuts on his farm so Billy named the kid so he would grow. Don't ask me what the logic of all that is."
"It's about supper time, let me take you to supper at a really good Mexican restaurant I found."
"After riding in from Amado's I can use a feed," Homer said.
The two friends left Virgil's office and walked a block away from the auction barn. The restaurant had a sign, "Pepe's"." They entered and sat down at a table.
"I eat most of my meals here," Virgil said. "I guess I got to like Mexican food in Santa Fe, but this Sonora food has a better taste for some reason. I think it must be that the chile isn't as hot here as it is in Santa Fe."
"I like the Mexican food here better than in Santa Fe, too. But, I like everything in Tubutama better than here. I find myself wishing I were with my friends down there."
"So, why do you have a handful of dodgers to decide who will be your next bounty find?"
"It is how I make a living these days, Mister Becker."
"Do you wish there was another way to do that?"
"I cannot get the story of the Arivaipa Massacre out of my mind, and that is why I need to find another way to make a living besides bounty hunting."
"I am afraid you must explain your reasoning, Homer. I don't quite get where the Arivaipa Massacre fits in to you not wanting to continue being a bounty hunter."
"It is quite simple," Homer said. "The so called 'pillars of Tucson' got a war party of Apache-hating Papago together and went to where the Arivaipa Apache lived peaceably in their Canyon. They attacked the village early in the morning and killed one hundred-twenty women and children. They also stole some children and made slaves of them. The men were all away in the canyon hunting when this happened. Tesuquilla, Gus' woman who you met at Rancho Romero, was there and witnessed her mother's murder at the hands of Juan Elias. Elias is dead now. But, Elias and the other prominent men of Tucson who were the ringleaders of the massacre were ordered to go to court to face trial for their parts in the attack. It took the jury just nineteen minutes to find those big shots not guilty. To my friends, and me, this was not justice by any means. In fact, the entire court incident was a complete mockery of justice."
"Please tell me what this has to do with your wanting to quit being a bounty hunter," Becker said.
"After thinking about all that injustice I no longer believe in the justice system. Therefore, I might bring in people accused of crimes that are innocent, like Billy Peabody. But, if they are not wealthy or prominent and are innocent, they could end up at the end of a hangman's rope. I do not want to be a party to injustice in any way."
"Do you have any other ideas that you might pursue?" Becker asked.
"I suppose I do, but I cannot seem to focus on anything. What are your thoughts, Mister Becker?"
The waitress, a nice looking Mexican girl with long, wavy black hair came to the table and took their orders of carne asada with frijoles.
"Have you ever worked at a trade?"
"If you call working with my carpenter father working at a trade I suppose I have," Homer said.
"Knowing you, Homer, I don't think you would be happy working for wages for anybody. You should probably find something in which you can work for yourself. Can you think of anything that would fit that?"
"I remember looking at those wagons we brought from Independence to Santa Fe. And, I wondered all the way what it might be like to make those wagons. Do you understand that kind of thinking?"
"I understand it very well, Homer. If you want to learn how to make those wagons, get one, take it apart and rebuild it. You will learn everything you need to know about that wagon."
"The next question is where in Tucson or even in southern Arizona would I ever find that wagon?"
"That is a good question, Homer, and a difficult one at that. But I happen to know where there's a wagon right here in Tucson."
"Is it for sale?" Homer asked.
"I suppose anything can be bought for the right price," Becker replied.
"I would like to see this wagon."
"When we finish supper, I will take you to see it. The last time I saw the wagon it was parked behind the Horse and Mule Auction Barn."
Finished with their meal, the two left the restaurant, walked back past Becker's office and to the rear of the auction barn. Parked along the corral fence was the wagon that Becker pointed to.
"That's not a wagon, Mister Becker, it's a buckboard," Homer said, with disappointment in his tone of voice.
"Let's say it is a small wagon," Becker said. "I think this is the size wagon you might consider making because, since the railroads came to be, there is no longer much demand for those heavy Springfields that I used on the Santa Fe Trail. Remember that I told you about selling out because I could see what would happen."
"Is this buckboard for sale?"
"I suppose it is."
"How much is it worth?" Homer asked.
"Probably no more than twenty bucks."
"That seems a lot for a buckboard this used," Homer said.
"You are probably right about that, Homer, so why don't I just give it to you as an investment in your future as a wagon-maker?"
"I am afraid I don't understand what you are getting at, Mister Becker."
"This buckboard belongs to me. I took it in on trade for a saddle horse, but I don't hanker to get behind any more mules or any other draft animal after all those years I spent smelling their gaseous output."
"I guess I don't have to think about this any longer. Do you think I can get this buckboard to Tubutama?"
"I think it would get there in good shape, but you might consider learning all about its construction here so that you will know what materials you will need in order to make new ones when you go back south."
"You are right, as always. There is no lumber available near Tubutama. I will have to buy what I need here in Tucson and haul it down there."
"That's true unless you decide to build buckboards in Tucson."
"I think I will stick with going south. That's where my friends are. And, that's where I feel I have a better chance at freedom than here where they let murderers off when they are guilty."
"I understand your point, Homer. And, I also respect that point of view. However, I would bet a good saddle horse that justice in Sonora is not much different than justice in Arizona. If I could make a living down there I would join you, but all I know are horses and mules. And, as a matter of fact, I have gotten a good reputation here for dealing in quality animals at fair prices. I hope you understand that economics can determine the level of your freedom."
"You are wise beyond your years, Mister Becker."
"I don't know about that. When you look at those who pursue riches, thinking that all the wealth they accumulate will make them free, it is even humorous because guarding their wealth robs them of any freedom they might have had to begin with."
"I remember back when the three of us were in Santa Fe with you, and we decided against the return trip to Independence and told you of our decision. You accepted that without defaming our dignity and gave us a lot of gold coins as severance. You were extremely generous with us, Mister Becker."
"I thought back then that you three had made a wise decision to keep going. I was already thinking that I should sell out before the railroad's arrival made my wagons worthless. I was happy to share that gold with you. That trip was probably more pleasant than the others because of you three being there."
"I can't thank you enough for the buck
board and your thoughts about my future. And, Mister Becker, all three of us cherish your friendship more than you will ever know."
"Homer, that is nice of you to say that, but I have to tell you that I think I know about that cherishing because it goes both ways."
For the following two weeks Homer worked on dismantling the buckboard and then putting all the parts together again. He looked back on his experiences with his father doing various carpentering projects and was thankful that he had retained his knowledge of tools and how they were used. During the reassembling, he replaced worn parts with new materials and reworked a few of the joints that had become worn and loose. He enjoyed occasional meals and conversations with Virgil Becker. One evening Becker inquired about Homer's progress and how he planned to get started building buckboards in Tubutama.
"I have a list of materials that I will need for the first buckboard. I will haul all that down on the old buckboard that I have restored so that it will stand up to heavy loads for a long time. Then I will set up shop at Rancho Romero."
"You will need a team of horses or mules to pull that buckboard south," Becker said. "I will lend you a team and when you finish your first new buckboard you can pull it up here and give my team back."
"That sounds like a great deal for me, Mister Becker. It shouldn't take me long to get the first one finished."
"When you are ready let me know. I think I have just the team for your trip. They are both stout mules and can pull anything you load onto that buckboard easily."
"I should be ready in two days."
"Good, I'll get that team out tomorrow and you can look at them."
"I am anxious to get back south to tell Billy and María what I have planned."
"I know you will feel freer there than here in Tucson. I listened to some of your conversations about freedom when I was visiting. Freedom seems to be a popular topic for all of you."
"I think you are right. All three of us escaped from some sort of bondage; Billy and I deserted our armies and Gus ran away from slavery. Freedom has become an important subject with us."
"I told you what I thought about economics determining the level of freedom that you can expect, but there is the culture factor that is important to consider as well."
Along the Trail to Freedom Page 17
