Puma Son of Mountain Lion

by Dicksion, William Wayne

  Puma called out in the Arapaho language and said, “Stop! We are friendly.”

  The warrior stopped his throw and looked mystified. He didn’t expect to hear his language spoken by one of these white people. Puma said, “I am Puma Son of Mountain Lion. I am a warrior of the southern Arapaho tribe. Let us talk.” Puma stepped forward with his right hand held up with the palm facing forward. Puma knew most Indians would recognize that gesture as a sign of peace. His boldness impressed the Indian who was hiding in the brush.

  Sage and Pat heard Puma’s call. They recognized that Puma was speaking Arapaho and hurried back to see what was happening. Pat signaled for Sage to wait. They were close enough to go to Puma’s aid if he needed it. Pat wanted Puma to handle this situation. So far he was doing just fine. The Arapaho warrior stepped into the open and asked, “Why are you following us?”

  “You have killed one of my father’s cows. We want to know why.”

  “Our people are hungry. We take only food.”

  “I’m sure my father will not mind if you take food. Call your people, and I’ll call my father. We will talk.”

  The warrior nodded and dashed into the brush. Sage and Pat walked into the clearing near the opening in the rocks where Puma had hidden Juanita and Carmen.

  Juanita ran to Sage and asked, “What’s happening?”

  “The Indians have slaughtered a cow for food. I’ll give them another cow. I don’t expect trouble, but if trouble comes I want you and Carmen to remain in the shelter of those rocks under that ledge. Keep your rifle ready, but keep it hidden. I don’t want the Arapaho to feel threatened by your gun.”

  Juanita took Carmen back to their refuge and stood behind the rocks. Juanita was hoping she would not have to use her rifle, but she would use it if she had to.

  Sage, Pat, and Puma sat in a semicircle in front of the rock ledge and waited quietly. They didn’t have to wait long. Five Arapaho warriors came and sat in front of them. Puma couldn’t see the other two, but he was sure they were hiding nearby. Pat spoke first. He told the Indians who he was, and how he knew their language. One of the older Indians said he had heard of the mountain man who had lived among them, long ago. Then Pat told them who Sage was. And then Puma told them who he was, and that his village was destroyed by the Comanche.

  “Yes, I have heard of that, also,” one of the Indians said. “I will speak for all of us. We needed food; we took one cow.”

  Using Pat as an interpreter Sage said, “You are welcome to take the cow for food. I will give you another cow from the meadow near where you found the cow you killed.”

  “Why don’t you raise your own cows?” Puma asked.

  “We have no cows and no bull to start a herd,” the Indian answered.

  Sage said, “I will give you enough cows to start a herd and you may graze them in this valley.”

  “White people will say we have stolen them,” the Indian said with concern.

  “No,” Sage said, “I will give you a paper showing that I have given them to you. You can put your mark on the cows and I will record your mark in the office in Santa Fe. Then you can prove that you did not steal them.”

  “What mark can we use? We have no way to make a mark.”

  Puma said, “You can use the mark of a flying eagle. My father will help you to make a branding iron to mark your cows.” He drew a line in the sand and put two wings on it to make it look like a flying eagle. _/ “This can be your mark.”

  “I will have my men make a branding iron to make that mark and we will bring it to you in seven sunsets,” Sage said. “We will bring enough cows and a bull for you to have a starting herd, and then my men will help to put your mark on your cattle by showing you how to use the branding iron. You must agree to protect my cows that graze in this area, as well as your own, in exchange for the herd we are giving to you.”

  “We will do that. You are a good friend. Puma is truly the son of Mountain Lion. He is welcome to become a warrior in our tribe anytime he wants.” The Indian said to Puma, “We are sorry that your village is dead.” The Indians made the sign of peace and rode away.

  “Well, that’s a good trade,” Sage remarked. “We’re losing more cattle to rustlers than the Indians will need to start their herd. They’ll help by guarding our cattle as they guard their own.” Turning to Puma, Sage said, “Puma, I am proud of you. You have done well.” The others nodded in agreement. “Now, let’s continue our ride.”

  After three days, they had seen most of the land. They rode back to the hacienda, tired but pleased. Puma and Carmen understood their heritage. Puma was beginning to understand enough English to say what he needed to say. He had learned much from his father about animals and about how to deal with men, and also about the mountains from his friend, Pat Connors. After tending his horse and eating supper, he laid down on his bedroll and instantly went to sleep.

  Chapter 15

  Learning the White Man’s Ways

  As the years passed, the days and nights ran together. Puma learned to live in his new home with his new family and friends. He spent many days with the vaqueros learning what they knew about raising animals and learning to speak their language at the same time. His father taught him many things he would need to know should he ever be called upon to run the ranch. Puma’s father told him that one day the ranch would be divided between him and his sister. Sage said he hoped that when they inherited the land, they and their families would live on it and run it together.

  Puma spent his evenings learning to read, write, and speak both English and Spanish. His father taught him math, history, and geography. Carmen and some of the Mexican children joined him in the classes. Some evenings, Juanita taught them art and music.

  Sage also taught him to enjoy reading. Puma read many of the books in the ranch library. Pat took him into the mountains, and Puma enjoyed the times with his friend. They visited the Arapaho village to see how the Indians were doing with the herd of cattle his father had given them.

  Puma and Pat showed them how to milk the cows and how to make butter and cheese from the milk. They also taught the Indians to raise chickens for meat and eggs. The ones who were willing to learn were taught to grow food. That knowledge freed them from having to depend upon the success of the hunt. Puma hoped they would pass on what they learned to their children.

  Puma dreaded the coming of spring, because when spring came, Pat would leave with the wagon train for California.

  * * *

  Years passed, and Puma became proficient in both English and Spanish. He and his father spent long hours practicing with their weapons. Puma and Kile learned the art of boxing and wrestling from Sage. Puma also learned the use of guns from Kile’s father, and both he and Kile became highly skilled with the six-shooter and the rifle. Puma’s ability with his knife and ax equaled that of his father.

  News from St. Louis indicated that war with Mexico would occur soon. There was talk that the U.S. Government would not recognize as valid the land grants which had been bestowed upon the nobility of Spain by the king of Spain. After the war between Mexico and Spain, the government of Mexico had recognized the validity of the land grants, but it was unlikely that the U.S. Government would follow suit. Precedence had been set in some of the islands in the Caribbean, and the U.S. Government had issued titles to portions of the land. The descendants of the Spanish nobility were going to lose large portions of their land because they held ownership to so much land. The old families of New Mexico had owned the land for three hundred years. They had fought Indians, bandits, rustlers, and nature itself to hold the land, but now they faced a force so great that there was no way to fight it and win. New settlers were moving in and they were demanding that the land be broken up into smaller tracts, thereby allowing them the right to settle on it.

  Sage and Juanita knew they must act quickly or they were going to lose most of the land they had personally fought so hard to hold. They could fight against the taking of their land if it was villains o
r robbers taking it, but they were not losing it to villains or robbers—they were losing it to their own government.

  It was unlikely that Mexico could win a war with the United States. Sage and his children were citizens of the United States by birth; Juanita was a citizen by marriage. They registered the land in all of their names and encouraged Joe and Bonnie to do the same with the horse ranch that Sage and Juanita had given them. After registering title to all the land they felt they would be allowed to hold, and also sharing the land with their employees, the McBain family still had enough land to have successful farms and ranches. It left thousands of acres open to new settlers.

  Sage and Juanita called their employees to a meeting and told them that they would release the full amount of land that the government of the United States would recognize as an acceptable for them to own.

  Sage and Juanita helped their employees obtain title to their land, explaining that they would have to become U.S. citizens before the war began, if they were to be allowed to hold title. Some of the employees were elated, but some had families in Mexico, and they were reluctant to give up their citizenship to Mexico. Sage said that he understood their dilemma and made it clear that it was their decision to make. He told them they would always be welcome at the hacienda.

  The people interested in gaining title to the land went to Santa Fe with Sage and Juanita, where they made the necessary preparations and signed all pertinent papers. Nothing seemed to have changed at the hacienda, because the land on which the hacienda was located was still retained by the McBain family.

  After this was all settled, Puma’s parents decided to take him and Carmen to Virginia to be educated. They planned to leave early in the spring, so they could avoid traveling in the raging heat of summer. Now, would be a good time to take the children to see their great-grandparents in Georgia and Virginia. Then Juanita would take Carmen to Spain to visit her family. She had not seen her mother’s people since she was Carmelita’s age. She wanted to see her people once more and introduce them to her daughter. After the visit to Spain, Juanita and Carmen planned to return to America, where Carmen and Puma would be enrolled in good schools.

  Sage had to establish his right of ownership to the shipbuilding business. He was looking forward to visiting his father’s parents in Virginia and his mother’s parents in Georgia. His grandparents had received word of the death of their children, but they had not received information about the circumstances of their deaths. The news had been carried by travelers returning to the East Coast, who had gotten the news from traders who traveled regularly between Santa Fe and St. Louis. Sage wanted to tell his grandparents what had happened to their children, and how it happened. They were getting on in years, and he wanted to see them again.

  The family planned to journey down the Rio Grande to the Gulf of Mexico, and then continue on to their final destination of Virginia by ship. Before they left, they had dinner with Joe and his family. Puma and Kile had become close friends. Kile could not hide his interest in Carmelita, and Puma was going to miss seeing Cathleen.

  No one knew for certain when they would see each other again. Everyone felt a sense of parting. Sage and Joe spent most of their evenings talking about the ranches. The threat of war between Mexico and the United States hung like a shadow over the group. Sage counseled Joe to take care of his family first and worry about the land second.

  Chapter 16

  The Apaches

  Puma’s family prepared for the journey, and Sage prepared to take all the records of the land transactions that had been made in New Mexico, and record them with his other business records in Virginia. He knew that, in times of great turmoil, it was good to cover all bases, and he felt that he should do everything possible to protect the rights of his children.

  The silver mines were producing plenty of silver, but the gold mines were not producing well. Sage and Juanita had more miners than they needed, so Sage asked the gold miners if any of them would like to return to their families in old Mexico. Those who wanted to go would accompany Sage and his family down the Rio Grande to Matamoros, and then travel across the land of Mexico to their destination.

  Twelve men volunteered. Sage provided them with horses and guns. With Joe’s help, he trained them to use their guns. The miners would help provide protection from the Indians and the outlaws.

  Sage and his party planned to take extra horses, to make certain that they would have enough, should they lose some en route. The horses would be sold when they got to the Gulf of Mexico.

  They prepared two wagons to carry supplies. One of the wagons was built to provide a barricade, from which they could defend themselves, and the barricaded wagon would also be a place of refuge. The fortress wagon was equipped with a false bottom for concealing valuable cargo. This special wagon provided sleeping and dressing quarters for Juanita and Carmen. They were both excellent riders, and they would enjoy riding with the men most of the time, but in time of peril they would have a place of retreat.

  News from the East confirmed that war with Mexico was coming. They wanted to complete their journey before the border between Mexico and the United States became embroiled in that war.

  Joe and Bonnie, with Bonnie’s parents, would run their horse ranch, and assist Carlos Viejo and his sons, who would be in charge of Sage and Juanita’s ranch and mines. Sage cautioned the Mexicans to remain as neutral as possible in the coming war. Sage reminded them that they were registered citizens, and that they would be called upon to remain loyal to the United States. Joe and Sage discussed the probability that the U.S. Cavalry would want to buy their horses. It would be an opportunity to sell perhaps every horse they had, but they must keep their prime breeding stock to produce good horses.

  * * *

  When all foreseeable problems had been discussed and attended to, their friends, employees, and business associates gathered for a celebration. Puma and Cathleen walked together in the evening. Cathleen was developing into a beautiful young woman. Puma told her he would look forward to walking with her again when he returned.

  After saying farewell to all their friends, everyone went to bed. This was the last night Puma and his family would sleep in comfortable beds for a long time.

  Tomorrow, they would begin their travels through hostile territory. There would be Apaches on both sides of the Rio Grande until they reached El Paso, and then they would have to deal with bandits.,

  Comanchero and Comanche would be threats on both sides of the Rio Grande until they reached the Gulf of Mexico. It was going to be a difficult and dangerous journey.

  * * *

  The fourteen men and two women moved out early in the morning. The first rays of sunlight were cascading over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, flooding the valley with the brilliant light. The frost on the grass made crunching sounds under the horses’ hooves as they followed the river southbound, remaining on the American side of the Rio Grande after they passed El Paso, taking no chance of being taken as political prisoners.

  The land was infested with Gila monsters, rattlesnakes, wolves and bears. Mountain lions would prey upon their animals.

  Each morning, they had to shake out their clothes before putting them on to be sure they contained no harmful insects.

  Puma rode scout and watched the light reflecting off the river. It looked like a silver ribbon fringed with green as it wound its way down the valley through the barren desert. He had received good training as a scout from Pat. With his father’s approval, he and one of the Mexicans rode ahead looking for the best route. He was riding his favorite horse, Lightning. He knew that, should they be attacked by Apaches, there were no Indian ponies that could overtake her. Each day took them deeper into the desert. They adjusted to the routine.

  As they proceeded southbound, the days got hotter.

  One day, when it was time for the midday meal, Puma found a sheltered spot by the river in the shade of a grove of cottonwood trees. Sentries were posted, and the party sat down to enjoy
their food and rest.

  While they were eating, Puma saw movement in the brush on a hillside a short distance from the river. He said to his father, “We are being watched.”

  Sage replied, “Yes, I saw it, too. It’s probably an Apache scout. If he gets back to his tribe and tells them we are here, they’ll lay in ambush for us, and we’ll be attacked. They want what we have, and they will not hesitate in killing us to get it. They’ll try to take your mother and sister captive. They sell women to the Comanchero who will, in turn, sell them into slavery as prostitutes in Mexico. We’ve got to stop him. You and your scout go after him, but don’t take any chances. Make sure he can see you coming. While he’s watching you, I’ll get around behind him and take him prisoner.”

  Puma sprang into the saddle, and the Mexican scout was right behind him. They rode straight for the Apache, who was surprised to see them coming directly at him. He had never seen travelers act in that manner; he had expected them to try to escape. The rest of his band was only a short ride away, and they would be pleased to hear that he had found such a rich prize. This was a small band of travelers, and they had women and many horses. The Apache scout didn’t feel threatened by the two men coming toward him.

  He thought, They’re just a Mexican and a boy. All I have to do is remain hidden until they get in range and then pick them off with my arrows. After I have taken care of them, I’ll ride to my band and tell them what I have found.

  Puma knew how far the Apache could shoot an arrow. He and his companion stayed just out of range with their rifles ready. If the Apache tried to run, it would be the last run he would ever make. Puma was an expert rifleman.