FORT SELDEN

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

C.J. PETIT
 Copyright © 2017 by C.J. Petit

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

without the express written permission of the publisher

except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America
First Printing, 2017
ISBN:
9781093595130
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
FORT SELDEN
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
EPILOGUE
 
 PROLOGUE
Annie Jones looked out across the giant space filled with other women
with their heads down and their machines whirring. It was the only sound in
the expansive, drab room. One hundred and twelve women without a single
human sound, not a word spoken.
The only masculine presence was the foreman, Maurice Petard, walking
between the rows of sewing women, hoping to catch one slacking off. He
didn’t carry a whip, but he may as well have.
As Annie quickly returned her eyes to the dark blue cloth she was
pushing under the moving needle, she wondered if she was doing the right
thing. She knew that what surrounded her could not be her future. Every
day the same with never the hope of any meaningful change until she died.
And she knew that not many of the women in the room lived to see forty.
She’d spent her entire life in Baltimore, from her first memories at the
orphanage where she was raised to this. For six years that seemed more like
sixty, she had dragged herself out of her rented room before dawn and
walked the six blocks to her place of employment if one could call it that. It
was more like slave labor, paying her barely enough to survive. But it was
the only place a woman like her could find a way to earn money legally.
It may have been the only way open to her, but she couldn’t live like this
any longer. She had no future at all, just existence. But now, maybe she had
her chance to put this pitiful life behind her.
She had been exchanging letters with a man in New Mexico territory,
almost two thousand miles from this place. And his last letter that she had
in her pocket was her ticket to a new life away from this hellish existence.
Annie had sent her picture to Mister Horace Beeler in New Mexico in
her last correspondence. He hadn’t sent her one, but he sounded like a well-
to-do man, but almost twenty years her senior. The age difference didn’t
bother her, nor did his failure to send a picture. Anything was better than
this.
She did feel somewhat guilty about not admitting to him that she was
different from other women…much different. He never asked, so she didn’t
volunteer that she was over six feet tall. It was what had made her an object
of ridicule since she was nine, always a head taller than the other girls,
always the giraffe.
Now he had mailed her tickets and a small amount of cash so she could
make the long, five-day journey across the continent. She was very nervous.
She had never taken this kind of risk before, but this was her only
opportunity to escape. She only had two choices:  one was to exist, die and
be buried in an unmarked pauper’s grave, and the second was to go to New
Mexico territory and marry a man she’d never met. It wasn’t really a choice
at all.
In two days, she would get on that train to a new and, hopefully better
life.
 CHAPTER 1
It was one of those magnificent Southwest sunsets that seemed so
common in New Mexico as Jonas sat on a rock at the edge of his canyon
and just let his mind drift. He thought of himself as a loner now. For years,
he had worked alone scouting for the army. He would spend weeks living a
solitary existence and preferred not to depend on anyone. He thoroughly
enjoyed sleeping out in the desert with blankets of stars watching over him.
It was a dangerous life, but one that he had adapted to well.
He hadn’t always felt this way. He’d been a very sociable type growing
up, always enjoying the company of friends and casual acquaintances, but
the War Between the States had changed all that. It wasn’t anything
specific. There wasn’t any magic moment when he suddenly yearned for
isolation. It was a gradual push that began with his first battle and continued
through his last skirmish.
Ironically, despite the change in his perceptions and behavior, here he
was still working for the army. He was doing the one job that allowed him
his isolation and to be well paid for it. He couldn’t even recall how he had
come to be a scout. He’d always been good at tracking and hunting, even
when he was a boy. But tracking and hunting deer was a lot different than
what he did now, or maybe more accurately, what he used to do. Because
now, he had the perfect loner’s life. He was truly on his own without even
the army to give him orders which he only followed when it suited him
anyway.
He had found the abandoned cabin buried in a small canyon in the San
Andres Mountains in southern New Mexico when he’d been hunting a
renegade band of Mezcaleros last winter. He’d chased them right up to the
mouth of the canyon. They turned south but he hadn’t. Once he saw the
canyon, its natural beauty was such that he’d been awed by the sight. He
just sat on his mule and stared and never did catch up with the Apaches, but
he didn’t mind one bit. The canyon itself may have stopped him, but it was
the cabin that he found inside its walls that made him want to stay.
 The old cabin needed repairs, but its setting was bordering on
spectacular. He guessed that some would-be miner had built the dwelling
while he sought riches in the rising walls of the canyon not fifty feet behind
the back wall but never realized his dreams of untold wealth. The man had
moved on but left the canyon for Jonas.
But to Jonas, the riches were still there but not under the earth. It was the
canyon itself. The cabin was sheltered on three sides by tall pines. Not fifty
feet behind the cabin, deep in a cleft of granite, there was a spring that
pushed water out of the bottom of the rift and gave birth to a meandering
stream that disappeared into the canyon among the pines. There was game
aplenty in the canyon: white-tailed deer, antelope, and even an occasional
black bear. He knew that mountain lions frequented the area, but had never
seen one, just the occasional print.
It was like God had ripped a piece of northern Michigan and plopped it
down on the floor of a canyon in New Mexico.
Before he returned to the fort after his failed sighting of the Apaches,
Jonas had swung by Las Cruces and gone to the land office. There he found
that the land had been claimed by a man named Clyde Fulsom, but he had
failed to pay the taxes for the property for eight years.
Jonas paid the back taxes and became the legal owner of a full section of
land, a square mile that encompassed most of the canyon. While he was
there, he purchased the adjoining section that included the mile before the
canyon. It wasn’t very expensive because it was mostly desert.
If Major Scott had still been commander of the fort, he would have just
used the cabin between scouting assignments and kept working as a scout.
But the new commander, Major Thomas, who had arrived the previous
summer was everything that Scott had not been.
He was pompous, arrogant, and the true definition of the word
martinet.
He was also short, no taller than five feet and three inches, and he
envisioned himself as another Phil Sheridan, which is why he had gone into
the cavalry. He wasn’t a graduate of West Point, which in itself Jonas didn’t
believe was critical to become a good officer. But because he hadn’t, he had
always sought out West Point graduates, and placed a greater value on their
abilities. He was closing in on fifty years old now and would probably
never see lieutenant colonel, but he did enjoy being the big fish in a small
pond.
Because of him, Jonas had resigned as a scout, much to the consternation
of the other officers who would have to dispatch to the field with Apache
scouts. But he had tendered his resignation and rode out of Fort Selden to
make his solitary home in the canyon.
Once he was free of the army, he’d ridden to Las Cruces, bought a
second mule to join his old-time friend, Dusty. He hitched them both to a
new wagon, then filled it with supplies and everything else he needed to
begin his restoration of his cabin.
The past six months had been spent in long days of almost non-stop
labor, repairing and improving the cabin. He had to rebuild the fireplace, re-
chink the log spacing, and almost replace the entire roof. He even added a
plank flooring. He built a good-sized corral with a large lean-to that the
mules could use for shelter in inclement weather, although they’d have to
share the small space with the wagon.
When he had rebuilt the fireplace, he left a hole on the inside right wall
of the fire box and had chipped a rock away to act as a cover. He had placed
most of his remaining cash of almost nine hundred dollars into a small
leather bag and then put the pouch into a stone jar he’d found in the cabin.
He had the account in Kansas City, but he would just let it sit there until he
used up the fireplace money on supplies and such. It should last him a
couple of years at least because he wouldn’t be buying much. He even
thought of planting a vegetable garden to supplement his diet of meat after
he built a smoke house.
After inserting the jar into the hole, he had tapped the rock into place,
stepped back and was pleased with the results. The spot looked no different
than the rest of the fireplace and his money was safe.
The small rock vault was the final step in turning the cabin into a full-
time residence. So now it was done. He had a place he could call his own,
was dependent on no one and was content in his independence.
 That contentment had lasted just two weeks. When he finally recognized
that it was no longer there, it came as a total surprise to him.
What was wrong with him? He should be happy now.
That was what was on his mind as he watched the sunset without really
seeing it.
Why wasn’t he happy?
The sun was almost down when he faced the horrible truth. He was
simply lonely.
He discovered that as much as he enjoyed working alone while he was a
scout, he could always return to the comradery of men. It was something
that he actually looked forward to when he entered the fort or camp. He’d
been in the canyon for more than six months and he missed it. And he
missed the men.
As much as he might not like the current commanding officer, Jonas
began to consider returning to his scouting duties.
He was well-respected for his scouting abilities in the camp and knew
that they’d welcome him back gladly.
Although the army used Apache scouts, they were never trusted. There
had been instances in the past, some of them in the recent past, where an
Apache scout led his trusting bluecoats into an ambush. Having a white
man as a scout, especially one with his skills and military background were
priceless.
When he had announced his decision to end his scouting duties, he was
offered substantial incentives to stay. But the most difficult part of leaving
had been the pleas from First Lieutenant Elias Preston, whom he respected
and liked. Jonas considered him and his wife Beth as true friends.
Elias wasn’t one of those spit-and-polish boys from that school on the
Hudson. He was that most unusual of commanders because he listened to
his subordinates. If Jonas recommended a course of action, he usually took
it and when he didn’t, it was for a valid reason. But Jonas had his dream and
the incentive to leave, so he left. But he was now regretting that decision.
The regret surprised him more than his original decision to leave.
 He watched the spectacular New Mexican sunset and as it faded, he
returned to his cabin. And as is the case with lonely people, while he waited
for sleep to arrive that night, he sank even deeper into reflection and finally
came to a decision. He’d rather put up with the diminutive major than with
the solitude. Tomorrow, he’d return to Fort Selden and his scouting duties.
_____
The next morning, Jonas packed his necessaries into his saddle bags and
most importantly, packed his three weapons. His pride was in his guns, a
fairly new Colt Peacemaker pistol firing .44 ammunition, a Winchester
1873 model that used the same cartridges, and his Sharps rifle that was
configured for the massive .50 caliber round. He was proficient with the
handgun, but devastating with the rifles, especially the Sharps. He had once
downed an Apache warrior at over eight hundred yards with the beast. The
idiot thought he was out of range and was dancing and whooping on a big
boulder taunting the soldiers and soon discovered that it wasn’t a wise thing
to do.
After he had packed Dusty with his personal arsenal, he returned to the
cabin. Satisfied that all was in place, he wrote a note and left it on the table.
The note read:
THIS CABIN BELONGS TO JONAS SMITH. YOU CAN STAY HERE
BUT LEAVE IT AS YOU FOUND IT.
He then released his second mule into the grass-rich corral knowing that
he could last for a month in the corral with its accessible stream. After that,
he’d need to throw in some hay or let the animal graze elsewhere, but
figured he’d be able to stop by before then.
He mounted Dusty and headed west, descending on the long slope to the
desert landscape beyond. The mule plodded along at a slow pace as Jonas
scanned the horizon. It was only about fifteen miles to Fort Selden, which
was just twelve miles north of Las Cruces. But if he cut diagonally, Las
Cruces was closer to his cabin than the fort, about eleven miles. It never
amazed him how his cabin could feel so remote when there were so many
people nearby.
 A mile down the trail he reached the end of his property. He stopped and
turned in the saddle, looked at his land and wondered if he would ever be
able to live there alone, or if he wanted to live alone again at all.
By mid-day, he could see the outlines of Fort Selden. It wasn’t as large
as some of the more famous Western forts, but he was familiar with it and,
more importantly, was even more familiar with the vast territory
surrounding it.
Because he was a scout, and not in the army, he didn’t feel limited by
borders. If he needed to follow a band of raiders into Mexico, where they
thought they were safe from the American soldiers, he would. Most of the
time, he would wait for them to reenter U.S. territory and then notify the
army of their return. Sometimes, he would catch them off-guard and make
their lives miserable, especially when he used the big Sharps. He had to
special order his ammunition through a gunsmith in Las Cruces, so he
didn’t use the weapon unless it was necessary. He had several boxes of the
enormous rounds of different lengths and powder charges, from the
impressive 2 ½ inch .50-110 to the terrifying 3 ¼ inch .50-140. They were
expensive compared to the seemingly tiny .44-40 rounds for the Winchester,
but when he needed them, they were well worth the price.
The fort was staffed with mostly soldiers of colored outfits, the buffalo
soldiers of the 38
th
Infantry Regiment and the 10
th
Calvary. They were
good, experienced men and he knew they were as displeased with their new
commander as he had been but didn’t have the luxury of leaving as he had.
But he was headed back, and it was possible that he wouldn’t even be
needed by now. He knew that the Apache war chief, Victorio, was leading
his band of warriors on raids in the area and his range was being shortened
by the Mexican army in the south and the American army in the north. His
routes of escape were being eliminated one by one and he wouldn’t be able
to remain in the field much longer.
As Jonas approached the fort, he could see that the expanse of encamped
Indians had increased noticeably and wondered if it made Major Thomas
nervous to have so many ‘peaceful’ Apaches surrounding his fort. He knew
that there were at least four of Victorio’s scouts in the encampment that kept
a watch on the comings and goings of the troops, but there was nothing he
could do about it because he didn’t know which of them were the spies.
He wound Dusty through the encampments, noticing the preponderance
of women and children. It was sad seeing the Apache nation being reduced
to this. Most of their warriors were dead, and their families grown
dependent on a niggardly government to leak out food and blankets.
The Indian agent, Horace Beeler, was notorious for skimming most of
the money allocated to feeding them to buy supplies for the sutler’s store
after taking his split, of course. The sutler was a particularly unscrupulous
man with the very feminine name of Francis Feely. Feely tried to convince
everyone that his name was Frank, but the soldiers insisted on calling him
Francis. It probably cost them a bit more for his watered-down whiskey, but
they felt it was worth it.
The flour he sold contained almost as much insect weight as flour and
his prices were excessive, but he dared anyone to complain. He also ran a
brothel in the back rooms of his store, but no one seemed to care as they
were all Apache women. The prices had increased noticeably since Major
Thomas had arrived, and Jonas was sure he was getting kickbacks.
Jonas dismounted when he was within fifty yards of the enclosure
entrance. He then led Dusty along the well-trodden ground and saw Private
Moses Green standing guard at the gate.  He knew that Moses had seen him
coming long before he had dismounted but didn’t wish to incur the wrath of
the good major for an undisciplined shouted greeting.
“Moses! How is the world treating you?” Jonas said loudly when he was
close.
Moses glanced around quickly, probably checking for officers, then
replied, “Well, just fine, Mister Smith. Comin’ back to join up; are you?”
“I might just want to see if you bunch of dark blue bellies needed some
guidance, that’s all,” he answered before reaching hand-shaking distance of
the private.
“It’s been pretty bad, Jonas,” Moses said quietly, “Victorio is making
quite a bunch of mischief. The major’s getting riled up and threatenin’ to
send all five troops out to run him to ground.”
“That sounds like a thing he’d do. Anything else going on?”
“Not much. You goin’ to see the major?”
“I suppose. I think I’ll stop in and see Lieutenant Preston first, though. Is
he in?”
“Yes, sir. He’s goin’ out on patrol tomorrow, though.”
“Good. I’ll see you later, Moses.”
He waved to Moses, knowing that he wouldn’t wave back while on
guard duty, then led Dusty to a row of connected houses, stopping at the
second entrance. He looped the mule’s reins across the hitch rail, stepped
onto the boardwalk facing across the row of houses then rapped on the door
and waited.
It took almost a minute for the door to open and when it did, he was
greeted with a wide smile framed by a pretty, oval face topped by straw-
colored blonde hair.
“Jonas! Where have you been? I heard you had gone permanently, but I
didn’t believe it for a second. Come in here!”
Jonas stepped inside the house and was immediately wrapped in a bear
hug.
He laughed and said, “Now, Beth, you don’t want to make that ugly
husband of yours jealous.”
“I wouldn’t be jealous, you old coot. I’d just plug you with some lead
reminders,” her husband said loudly from the other side of the quarters.
Jonas turned as Beth Preston released her grip and saw First Lieutenant
Elias Preston heading toward him with a giant grin on his face. Just as his
wife had, Preston clutched Jonas in a bear hug.
“How come you haven’t visited before? Your cabin is only a few hours’
ride away.”
 “To be honest, I was trying to enjoy my solitude. But after fixing up my
cabin, I didn’t have much else to keep me busy, so I thought I’d swing
down here and see if you needed someone to bail you out of trouble.”
The lieutenant’s face turned serious as he replied, “As a matter of fact,
your timing couldn’t have been better. Victorio’s band has been raising hell
for the past three months. He’s been burning out ranches and hitting our
supply wagons. I’m heading out on a patrol tomorrow to see if we can track
him down. We’ll probably be in the field for a few days, and I’d really like
to have you come along. We’re down to two Apache scouts. The other three
left to join Victorio.”
“It sounds like you boys are in a world of hurt. Do I have to go see the
major, or can I just tag along with you?”
“I hate to give you bad news, but if you want to keep me out of trouble,
you have to see him.”
Jonas sighed then said, “I suppose I may as well get it over with. He just
about threatened to have me hanged for desertion when I left, but I guess it
can’t get much worse. I’ll see you later, Elias.”
“You’d better join us for dinner, Jonas,” said Beth as he exited the house
and waved his acknowledgment.
He stepped off the boardwalk onto the dusty ground and began walking
toward the headquarters building. When he arrived, he paused at the
entrance, blew out his breath then entered.
The desk in the outer office was manned by Corporal Ethan Jones. Jones
was, in the parlance of the other troopers, ‘uppity’ and looked up from a
sheet he was reading when he saw the buckskin-clad scout step inside.
“Mister Smith, what can I do for you?” he asked, masking any emotion
he might have at Jonas’ return.
“Is the major in?”
“He is. Just a minute.”
 He rose from the desk, took the two steps necessary to reach the open
door and tapped on the doorjamb. Jonas knew that Major Thomas had heard
the exchange but would insist on protocol being followed.
“Major, suh, Mister Jonas Smith is here to see you.”
“Send him in,” the commanding offer replied in his most officious tone.
Corporal Jones stepped back and waved Jonas into Major Thomas’
office.
Jonas walked in and stood in front of the major’s desk while the
diminutive officer remained seated, reading a report and intentionally
making Jonas stand without acknowledgment. Jonas knew it was just one of
the major’s tactics to impress on whomever stood in front of him that he
was the commanding officer and the most important man on the post.
Jonas wasn’t angry at all, finding it actually quite amusing and wondered
how long he could keep it up. He doubted that the major was even reading
the sheet in front of him.
Jonas noted his new desk addition, a long three-inch high sign
proclaiming, ‘Major Garner B. Thomas, Commander’. Jonas had to fight to
hold back the snicker attack.
Garner? His first name was really Garner?
Finally, after a seemingly interminable ninety second delay, the major’s
head lifted. He sported a thin mustache and envisioned himself as
somewhat of a lady’s man, not that there were many ladies about. The last
time Jonas was in the fort, he knew of nine. The major’s wife, Bertha, had
remained at their home in Albany while he finished his tour of duty in this
remote place. He always envisioned Bertha as a large, husky woman with
one large eyebrow and a large wart on her nose.
“What do you want, Smith?” he asked at long last.
“Well, Major, I was getting information that Victorio was making noise,
so I thought I’d drop by to see if I could be of some assistance.”
“The last time I talked to you, Smith, you seemed determined to leave us
without any concern whatsoever about the status of Victorio or any other
savage.”
 “As it turns out, I was able to take care of the things that I needed to do
faster than I had expected. But if everything is okay here, then I guess I’ll
just leave you. Have a good day, Major,” Jonas said then turned to leave.
“Hold on a minute, Smith. I didn’t give you permission to leave.”
Jonas turned back to look at the obviously tortured face of the
commanding officer and said, “I don’t need your permission, Major. I’ll just
head back to my cabin.”
Jonas was beginning to enjoy this. He hadn’t realized until he had talked
to Elias just how desperate the situation had become, and the major’s
reluctance to let him leave just confirmed it.
“Hold on! Hold on!” said the major, who stood as his face turned
crimson.
“It so happens that we could use another scout. Lieutenant Preston is
leading a patrol tomorrow to chase after a band that raided a farm just a few
miles east of here. He could use you.”
“Well, I do like the lieutenant, so I’ll be happy to offer my services.”
“Fine. Fine. Go and see the paymaster and have him put you on the rolls
and then go to the quartermaster.”
“I’ll do that. Thank you, Major.”
Without any formality, Jonas turned and headed out the door, relishing
the exchange, knowing that it must have really put a burr under the good
major’s saddle.
After Jonas left, Major Thomas sat on his burr and stewed. He really
hated the thought of bringing back that insubordinate man, but with only
two suspect Apache scouts available, he had no choice. He finally let it pass
when he commended himself for his superior leadership qualities in acting
for the good of his command rather than giving in to personal dislike. He
wished that the commanding general could see what an exceptional officer
he was, then he’d get that promotion and leave this miserable station.
_____
 Jonas left the office and stepped back into the bright sunshine as the
day’s heat still hadn’t built to the furnace that would exist later in the day.
He sauntered to the administrative building where he found Sergeant
Wilkerson, the paymaster, who happily added him to the roles at his old rate
of pay, which was actually higher than a second lieutenant’s, although it
wasn’t well known among the officers and men. They probably wouldn’t
have cared anyway, but he wasn’t about to talk about it. He’d send most of
that pay to his Kansas City bank over the years and it was still just sitting
there. His next stop would be the quartermaster.
He crossed over to a large building, walked into the large dark
warehouse, then sought out Sergeant Maloney. He soon found him in his
usual habitat, in his makeshift office deep in the darkest corner of the room,
surrounded by cabinets of records.
The big sergeant noticed Jonas walking his way and broke into a grin as
he said, “Well, glory be. If it isn’t our wayward scout! Come back to join
us, laddie?”
“It seems that you blue bellies couldn’t get on without me. Our glorious
major put me back on the payroll and said I had to come and visit you. He
always was a mean bastard, forcing me to come here.”
“Aye, that’s so. That must’ve made him happy, too, but beggars can’t be
choosers; can they?”
As Sergeant Maloney talked, he was already scribbling on a form that he
had grabbed from his desk.
“You’re all set, me boy. I’ll have your blankets and bedding sent over to
the scout’s quarters. Now, what have you been up to since you left our
happy family?”
“I spent my time fixing up my cabin and even added a plank floor. It’s
ready for human occupation now and I just had to come down and do some
serious tracking for you boys before I retired.”
“How old are you now, Jonas? You hit forty yet?”
“Nope. Not for another three years. Are you going to retire soon?”
 “I’ve been thinkin’ on doin’ just that. I’ve been longing to see the ocean
again before I go up yonder.”
“Good God, Maloney! You sound like you’re at death’s door. You’re
probably going to stay until you put in forty years.”
“What? Another fourteen years?  It would be madness, Jonas, sheer
madness. Then again, everyone says all Irishmen are mad anyway.”
He chuckled at his own comment while Jonas said, “Well, I’ve got to go
take care of Dusty. He’s probably going to kick my ass for leaving him
unattended.”
“You bought an ass, too? I thought riding a mule was bad enough. You
ought to get a horse, Jonas. That mule’s gonna be your death yet.”
Sergeant Maloney continued to laugh at his own wit, and Jonas joined
him after his last reply.
“I’ll tell you what, my fine Irish friend. That beast will run for an hour
after every horse in the outfit has keeled over from exhaustion. I’ll stick
with Dusty.”
He then smiled and waved off any further Irish witticisms from the
sergeant as he turned to exit the building. He had always enjoyed talking
with the supply sergeant and knew that if anyone really needed something
done at the fort without going through proper channels, Sergeant Maloney
was your man.
He returned to Dusty, untied him from the post, led him to a trough to let
him drink for a few minutes and then brought him to the fort stables. After
he had unsaddled and brushed the mule, he took two trips to move his
weapons and gear to a small building near the barracks that served as the
quarters for the scouts.
The Apache scouts preferred living out with their people outside the
gates and most had women, although he didn’t know if the two that still
remained did. He needed to find out which two were still with the soldiers
and guessed it would be Jaime Gomez and Reynaldo. He got along with
both of them and would hate to think they were among the three that had
led some troopers to their deaths.
He opened the door and found it unoccupied. There were six bunks in
the room, five without any bedding. The sixth already had a pile of blankets
and other linen that were standard issue. Maloney was very good at his job
and just about anything else that needed doing.
He strode to the far end of the room and dropped his saddle on the floor
and leaned his big Sharps rifle against the wall. He removed his gunbelt
then hooked it around the post of the nearest bunk before leaving his
Winchester on the neighboring mattress. It was after lunch, but skipping
meals wasn’t unusual. He ate when he was hungry, not when he was
ordered to by some clock. Besides, he knew that Beth Preston would
probably stuff him to overflowing this evening.
With the afternoon heat creating almost a dry sauna out of the room,
Jonas walked over to the opposite side of the room and opened the three
wooden shutters. There wasn’t much of an effect, but it was the best he
could do.
He took off his sweat-stained buckskin shirt, hung it over a chair and
went through his saddlebags. He only owned three cloth shirts and one
spare pair of pants. All three of the shirts needed repair and so did the
britches. He was never good with a needle and thread, so he figured he’d
just run them over to the post laundry while he had the chance and could
pick them up when he returned from the patrol.
He put on his dry set of buckskins, scooped up the clothing, then left the
scout quarters and headed for the laundry at the far end of the fort.
When he entered the dark room, it took his eyes a few seconds to adjust
to the sudden change in lighting, and when they did, he realized he was
looking into a pair of dark brown eyes that were almost at his eye level.
“What can we do for you?” asked a firm, but still identifiably woman’s
voice.
Jonas was a bit startled seeing a woman nearly as tall as his six feet and
two-inch height and missed replying for five seconds.
 “Is your hearing bad?” she asked with a bit more acid in her tone.
Jonas finally replied, “Um, I have some shirts and britches that need
repairing,” then handed them to the woman who began examining the
damaged shirts.
“Are you a soldier?” she asked.
“No, ma’am. I’m a scout. I don’t recall you being here before.”
“Then you haven’t been here for the past five months. This shirt,” she
said, holding out his oldest, “is almost worn to threadbare. I wouldn’t
recommend fixing it. The other items will cost forty cents to repair and
wash. Is that okay?”
“Yes, ma’am. You can toss that old shirt. My name is Jonas Smith, by
the way.”
“Good for you,” she replied with more than just a hint of sarcasm.
Jonas was taken aback by her response. Usually, when offering your
name, the other person would reply, “My name is blah blah,” but obviously
the woman had no intention of following protocol.
Then he accidentally compounded the problem by saying, “I thought you
might need it to know who the clothes belong to.”
“I know you’re the only white scout on the post right now, so it won’t be
hard.”
“Sorry to offend you, ma’am,” Jonas replied trying to smooth over her
hostility.
She ended the conversation if one could call it that, by icily saying, “I
wasn’t offended. I just dislike useless conversation.”
Jonas was going to respond but thought wiser of it. He took the hint then
just waved and hurried from the room.
He thought, “That was worse than dealing with the major”, and seriously
considered not wanting to pick them back up when he returned from the
patrol. Maybe he’d get lucky and get shot out there.
 Having survived the laundry skirmish, he returned to his sauna, laid
down on the mattress and despite the heat, or maybe because of it, soon
drifted off to sleep.
He woke up startled and took a few seconds to realize where he was or
what time of day it was. Once he had figured out his location, he guessed it
was close to five o’clock, and he may as well head over to the Prestons and
chat for a while before dinner. He considered putting his old shirt back on
but thought better of it and removed his last clean buckskin shirt from his
saddlebags. He needed to buy some more buckskins when he had a chance,
too.
He reentered the sweltering sun and crossed the so-called parade grounds
to Lieutenant Preston’s residence, stepped up onto the boardwalk and
knocked on the door. This time, it was opened by the lieutenant himself.
“Almost on time for dinner, Jonas, so come on in.”
“I thought I’d like to spend some time with you getting the low-down on
the situation before dinner, if that’s okay.”
“Good idea,” replied Elias as he motioned Jonas toward the sitting area.
The army-provided housing, like all military housing, was far from
luxurious, but it suited the need and the Prestons had added some personal
items to make it seem more like a home.
After Jonas had parked himself in a chair, he asked, “So, what is going
on?”
“As I mentioned when you first stopped by, Victorio is very active. His
band varies between a hundred and a hundred and fifty warriors. He often
breaks them into smaller raiding parties to cause more confusion. What I’ve
been ordered to do beginning tomorrow, is to trail one of those parties back
to the main group and engage them if possible.”
“You have to be kidding. First, you only get close to Victorio if he lets
you, and if he lets you, you’re in trouble. And he wants you to engage
Victorio with one troop of cavalry?”
 “Actually, it’s two. In addition to my C troop, I’ll have Lieutenant
Henderson’s D troop as well. We’re seriously undermanned, as you know,
and since you left, it’s gotten worse. Each troop has a single officer, two
sergeants and only about fifty men. So, effectively, you’re about right. The
two troops will only be the size of a slightly overmanned single troop in one
of the big forts. But the offset is that all my troopers are highly experienced.
Because they are all Negro outfits, they don’t rotate individuals that often.
My men are much better than the mixed bags found in most troops in the
bigger forts. Too many greenhorns join up because they think being in the
cavalry is exotic. But you know all that.”
“It’s still plenty risky, Elias, if you do have to engage Victorio’s full
band.”
“That’s why I’m glad to have you along. I was pretty nervous going out
with one of those Apache scouts, to be honest. I feel a lot better now.”
“Well, I’ll try to keep you safe, Lieutenant,” Jonas said as he laughed.
“You’d better, Jonas Smith, if you ever want to set foot in my house
again,” shouted Beth from the kitchen.
“You have a spy in your house, Lieutenant,” said a smiling Jonas.
He faced toward the kitchen and said loudly, “I promise I’ll keep him
safe, Beth. You know that.”
“I know. I was just reminding you.”
Elias asked with a grin, “Are you still riding that mule, or have you
graduated to a real animal?”
“You’re just jealous, Elias.”
Beth interrupted their repartee to call them to dinner, so Jonas and Elias
ambled over to the table. Beth set the food on the table and joined them
before Elias said grace and they began to eat.
“So, Jonas, how did your meeting with the major go?” asked Elias with a
smirk as he sliced off a piece of roast beef.
 Jonas grinned then replied, “It was really kind of enjoyable. After he
started trying to chew my, um, tail off for my exit six months ago, I just
said, ‘never mind’ and started to leave. His attitude changed dramatically
after that.”
“Did he give you the old ‘
I don’t know you’re there’
treatment?”
“Naturally. But the longer he kept it up, the harder it was to keep from
laughing. He doesn’t understand that his little ploy has just the opposite
effect. It makes him appear as just a little man trying to be important,” he
replied, then added, “And I discovered his first name is Garner. That almost
made me lose it.”
“You didn’t know that little tidbit; did you? Not many did until he had
that name totem made for his desk. Within two minutes every man and half
of the horses on the post knew.”
“And what did you do for the remainder of your return?” asked Beth.
“I had myself added to the rolls, dropped off my things at the scout
quarters, and left some clothes to be repaired at the laundry. I had to get out
of there before some woman ripped my head off, too.”
“So, you’ve met Annie.”
“Is that her name? Not that I’d know, or would want to know, for that
matter. That is one mean woman.”
“Now, Jonas, you mustn’t be so judgmental. Annie has had a tough time
of it, and not only since she’s been here either.”
“She mentioned that she’s only been here five months. How’d that
happen? I thought white women that worked the laundry were usually
soldier’s widows, and we don’t have any white enlisted men.”
“True, but in Annie’s case it was worse than that.”
“Worse than having your husband killed?” Jonas asked with arched
eyebrows.
 “Well, maybe not. But it was still a horrible thing to happen. She was
living in Baltimore and saw an ad in the local newspaper for a man seeking
a wife. She answered the ad and correspondence ensued. She included a
picture of herself, as most do in that situation. Her prospective groom sent
her tickets to bring her out here.
“When she arrived, he took one look at her and threw her out, accusing
her of lying to him and that he wanted his money back for the tickets. She
had no place to go, and when a squaw told me about the incident, I hunted
her down. She was devastated. She thought she was going to get away from
her life of twelve-hour workdays at a clothing factory but wound up in a
worse situation. I found her the position at the laundry and she’s the only
white woman working there, so she supervises eight Apache women.”
“Who was this jerk that threw her out?” Jonas asked after swallowing
some mashed potatoes.
“Horace Beeler.”
Jonas’ mouth dropped open and his eyebrows shot up before he
exclaimed, “You’re kidding me!
Horace Beeler?
Why would she want to
marry him?
He’s got to be almost sixty and looks like a badger. Didn’t he
send her a picture?”
“From what she told me, he described himself as a ‘pleasant looking
fellow’ of good means with high prospects. Obviously, he never mentioned
his age, nor did he send a picture.”
“But why did he reject her? She should have rejected him! She’s not a
bad-looking woman, and I couldn’t tell her shape under that huge man’s
shirt she was wearing, but she didn’t seem malformed or anything.”
“No, she’s perfectly well-formed. But didn’t you notice anything
different about her?”
“No, ma’am, not that I noticed.”
“That either speaks to your good manners or poor eyesight. Annie is
over six feet tall. Horace is the only man in the post who is shorter than our
major. She never mentioned her height because she didn’t think it would
matter and he never asked.”
“Well, that’s ridiculous. How tall a person is shouldn’t make any
difference.”
“Tell that to Annie. You’re a man. Tall men are looked up to and
admired. Tall women are gawked at and criticized as freaks. She has also
had bad experience with other men, but she never elaborated. She’s actually
afraid of men, I believe, so she acts gruff to keep them away.”
“I would never do anything to hurt her, you know that. But that still
doesn’t mean she should have bitten off my head just for giving her my
laundry and my name.”
“She’ll probably be nicer the next time you see her.”
“Not if I can help it. I’m staying away from that place, even if it means
doing my own laundry. I’m happy to be going on patrol with your husband.
Dealing with hostile Apaches would be more pleasant. At least I can shoot
them.”
Elias laughed and was rewarded by a death stare from Beth which
instantly killed his laughter.
The conversation shifted to Jonas’ cabin, and he told them about his
purchase of the section to the west of his cabin and of the improvements
he’d made to the place.
Then Beth asked the type of questions that women ask, and men don’t
like to answer.
“So, what is the real reason you came down from your cabin, Jonas?”
Jonas suspected that she already knew the real answer, but replied, “I
heard that your husband needed help, so here I am.”
“Nonsense. You heard no such thing. Did you just get lonely up there?”
Jonas looked at that angelic face and wondered if she could read his
thoughts.
 Jonas sighed then answered, “Most of the past twelve years, I’ve spent
alone, usually scouting ahead of the cavalry or going far afield to hunt
enemies. I thought I was alone, and I enjoyed it. So, when I found the cabin,
I thought this was my chance to be really alone. I spent six months fixing it
up and making it habitable. When I was done, I sat back and admired my
work thinking that I was going to be content.
“Yet once all of the work was done, I was okay for about two weeks. But
then I realized that when I was out there scouting, I really wasn’t alone at
all. When I got back, whether it was a few days or weeks, I would share my
stories with others and listen to theirs. Being truly alone can be a crushing
feeling, so honestly, Beth, I was simply lonely and never want to be that
way again.”
“Why don’t you find a good woman and get married? Then you’d never
be alone again.”
Jonas laughed and replied, “Please, Beth, let’s continue being honest
here. I’m almost forty now, and by no stretch of the imagination am I a
good-looking man. I have nothing to offer any woman. No, I think it’s best
if I just keep doing what I do.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Jonas. You’re a good man. You’re honest and
trustworthy. You may not be handsome, but you are far from homely, and
you certainly don’t have the face of a badger.”
Both men laughed at the obvious comparison with Horace Beeler even
though his name hadn’t been mentioned.
Jonas said, “You have me there. I’d rather look like me than Horace any
day. What’s the scoop on the officers, Elias? I spotted Lieutenant Victor and
saw a couple of new faces but didn’t see Lieutenant Avery anywhere. Is he
still commanding A troop?”
“He is,” answered Elias, “but four months ago, his wife Ann died giving
birth to their son. The boy died just a few minutes later. It devastated him,
and in a rare moment of humaneness, Major Thomas allowed him a thirty-
day leave. He left to visit his parents in Missouri and when he returned, he
seemed okay, but his sense of humor and vitality have vanished. He’s living
in the BOQ now with the two new lieutenants, Maxwell and Henderson.
Maxwell has E troop and Henderson has D. Maxwell came here directly
from West Point and still has the shine on him. He hasn’t had a patrol of his
own yet and this is Henderson’s second assignment. He’s led one
uneventful patrol and the jury is still out on him.”
“Only five troops? What happened to the others?”
“They’re on temporary assignment to Fort Grant. Rumor is that they’ll
be moving all of the 10
th
there and replacing them with a new unit.”
They continued less personal chatter as they drank coffee, and after a
couple of hours of pleasant conversation, Jonas stood and made his
farewells, telling Elias that he’d see him in the morning.
Beth gave him a peck on the cheek and Elias shook his hand as he said,
“I’m glad you’re back, Jonas. And not just because you’re the best scout
I’ve ever known.”
Jonas nodded then left the house to return to his quarters. As he walked
across the parade grounds, he was already thinking about tomorrow’s
patrol, and the planning settled him back into his scout role. By the time he
fell asleep, he’d be ready for whatever the Apaches threw at them after they
left Fort Selden in the morning.
 CHAPTER 2
The sun was still trying to declare itself as the fort became a beehive.
Soldiers were preparing their mounts, supply sergeants were filling wagons,
and cooks were preparing breakfast.
Jonas joined the horde in the stables, brushed down Dusty and threw his
saddle blanket over his back, He saddled the mule and led him out of the
stables toward his quarters. He hitched Dusty and went inside, retrieving all
three of his guns, his saddlebags, two canteens and his field glasses.
After attaching his gear to Dusty, he walked over to the mess and
enjoyed a filling breakfast with the cavalrymen. They seemed anxious to be
on the move to do the job that they were being paid to do and were in a
good mood, joking with their comrades. These were good men, and he
could sense the relief they all felt with his return.
Breakfast sitting comfortably in his stomach, Jonas walked out to the
parade grounds where the troops were beginning to form. The sun was now
up, so Jonas guessed the time to be after six.
Jonas waited for the sergeants to arrive to get the men settled into proper
formations and it didn’t take long. Soon the ranks were straight, and the
men awaited their officers.
When First Lieutenant Elias Preston and Second Lieutenant James
Maxwell stepped toward the troopers, the sergeant major called them to
attention. The officers’ horses were brought forward, and the two
lieutenants mounted. The sergeant major called, “Mount!” and the ninety-
six men climbed aboard their well-groomed horses.
The sergeant major stepped aside, as he was staying at the fort, then each
sergeant took over his company and barked the commands to get the troops
moving. Jonas already had Dusty moving long before the sergeants had
their charges going. Soon the impressive mass of men exited the fort,
guidons still in the breezeless morning. The few wives watched as their men
rode into danger and Jonas noticed Beth on the boardwalk.
_____
A few minutes later, they were away from the fort heading east toward
the farm that had recently been destroyed by one of Victorio’s raiding
parties and Jonas dropped back until he was near Lieutenant Preston.
When he was close enough, he said loudly, “I’ll ride ahead. I know the
farm.”
“Go ahead. We’re going to keep it at a walk,” Elias replied.
Jonas tossed a quick, unmilitary salute, then urged Dusty into a trot and
pulled away from the mass of cavalrymen.  The farm was a scant four miles
due east from the fort, and he imagined that the sodbusters probably thought
they would be safe with the army so close. Normally, that would be true,
but Victorio didn’t always do what was normal.
It took just another thirty minutes to reach the ruins of the farm. To keep
from ruining anything that could tell him about the raid, Jonas dismounted
from Dusty a good quarter mile from the charred farmhouse, then took his
mules reins and led him closer. As he slowly walked toward the remains, he
scanned the ground for any disturbance.  When he was within three hundred
feet of what used to be the residence, he saw the first evidence of the
attackers.
He stopped, dropped to his heels and saw the unshod hoofprints of
Indian ponies. Why everyone insisted on calling them ponies was beyond
him. They were just horses but didn’t have any horseshoes.
His initial estimate placed the number of raiders at about a dozen.  He
stood straight and carefully made his way to the center of the damage. As
he walked, he noted occasional moccasin prints, but what he didn’t see were
recent prints made by the white people on the farm, not a single one. That
was an oddity, he thought.
Jonas circled the house, continuing to see signs of the Apaches, but no
signs of the family.  When he had completed his circuit, he turned toward
the house, and finally saw his first evidence of the family. They had never
made it out of the house. They must have heard the Apaches coming, which
meant that the Apaches wanted them to hear them coming, and quickly set
up to defend the house. It was a wooden structure, rather than adobe, and
that allowed him to understand the Indians’ plans easily. Let them know
you’re coming so they would stay locked inside.
They probably had one or two warriors with torches ready as soon as the
family began firing at the Apaches outside. The Apaches would keep them
pinned down as their house burned down around them, suffocating them
before roasting them inside.
He made another, wider circle around the farm and found the direction of
the departing Apaches and had a better read on their numbers, and a newer
estimate of sixteen. He was heading back to Dusty when the vanguard of
the cavalry rode up and halted, then the two lieutenants dismounted and
strode toward him.
“What’s the story, Jonas?” asked Elias.
“Sixteen Apaches headed northeast after burning the farmhouse with the
family inside. They didn’t loot anything, which was unusual. It was just a
quick hit and run.”
“Okay. Let’s follow them and see where they’re headed.”
Jonas nodded then climbed on Dusty and rode to the spot where the trail
began. It was an easy trail to follow, which immediately bothered Jonas.
Apaches only left trails when they wanted to be followed.
The troop didn’t need him for his tracking ability now, they needed him
to find any possible ambushes. So, he dropped back and informed Preston
that the trail was easy to follow and that he would ride a few miles ahead
looking for any Apaches waiting in ambush.
Elias told him to go ahead, so Jonas wheeled Dusty around and took off
at a trot, staying to the right of the Indian tracks.
He followed them without difficulty for two hours, feeling more anxious
by the minute. What bothered him, aside from the obviously clean trail, was
the absence of Apaches.  They were always difficult to find, but a group
large enough to take on two cavalry troops wouldn’t be easy to disguise. He
dismounted and filled his hat with water for Dusty and gave him some oats.
Then he drank some water himself and chewed on some jerky as he
ruminated over the situation.
He waited for an hour until the cavalry arrived then told them of his
concerns and refilled his canteen from the supply wagon and grabbed some
bread and smoked ham while they rested their horses.
Five minutes later, he was back on the trail. After he had followed for
another five miles, Jonas became even more seriously worried, then
dismounted and re-examined the hoof prints. There were still sixteen riders,
and they were still leaving an obvious trail.
When the troops appeared, Jonas walked up to Lieutenant Preston and
gestured for him to step down, which he did.
They walked away from the column and Jonas said quietly, “This is all
wrong, Elias. They’re trying to lead us away from something. Those sixteen
warriors will lead us another hundred miles if we let them. I’ve been
thinking about what other possible targets would make it worthwhile for
Victorio to attack. He really needs supplies, especially ammunition, so the
target must be opposite from our line of march. There’s nothing to the north
in his range, so what is southwest of the fort that could answer his needs?
“I believe that the main body of Victorio’s band will attack the outpost at
Tellman’s. It’s too close to the fort for them to attack it normally, but with
two troops gone, that will leave only three, and they could take the risk that
Thomas would never leave the fort unguarded. Besides, a quick strike
taking what they need and heading back south again could be done before
any force could be dispatched even if Thomas thought about it.”
“So, you want us to take a chance and ride to Tellman’s?”
“Yes, sir, Lieutenant. That’s what I’d recommend.”
“If that’s your advice, then let’s go. We’re not tracking, so we’ll make
the best possible speed. First, we’ll water and feed the horses and get some
chow into the men, so we won’t have to stop. I think we can cover that
distance in less than four hours if we really push it.”
“That sounds good. Let’s get ready to move.”
The new orders infused excitement among the troopers before the men
took care of their horses while the cooks prepared a fast meal. It all took
thirty minutes before they were mounted and moving southwest at a rapid
pace.  Because they had been traveling northeast, the distance to Tellman’s
was about thirty miles when they started back. If it had been winter, they
would have run out of daylight long before reaching their goal, but it was
early summer, and they still had six hours of sunlight.
__________
Three hours later, Victorio had his eighty-eight warriors hidden in a
small canyon just east of the Rio Grande. His scouts told him that the
everyone at Tellman’s was unaware of their presence, and he knew that the
two troops that left this morning were far to the northeast by now. His
warriors would have to cross almost a mile of open ground. But on
galloping horses, it would give the white eyes less than two minutes to
prepare a defense. It wouldn’t be enough time to get out a warning, so it
was time to attack.
He gave the signal and the warriors launched themselves on their
mounts. They did not use their war cries as they needed every second of
surprise they could gain.
The mass of silent Apaches raced across the desert, causing clouds of
dust as their horses thundered toward the outpost. They struck the outer
adobe buildings of the settlement that was more like a small town than an
outpost before the first defensive shots were fired. Once that happened, the
warriors began whooping and singing their war cries. They shot anyone that
appeared while Victorio proudly watched his warriors carrying out his plan.
It was going well.
Suddenly, one of his scouts galloped to a halt in front of him and
reported a large dust cloud to the east. Victorio turned, saw the cloud and
realized it had to be the cavalry patrol he had lured away earlier that
morning and estimated the distance to be no more than three miles. They
could be here within fifteen minutes, and it was too close to continue the
attack, so he ordered the scout to have the warriors withdraw. They would
head northwest for a few miles and cross the Rio Grande at the ford before
heading back south.
He trotted his gelding toward Tellman’s and watched the scout notify his
lieutenants who took control of the retreat. Five minutes later, Victorio and
his band, minus two warriors killed in the attack, made their way northwest.
Lieutenant Preston and his command were running their horses hard.
They could make it to Tellman’s but if they had to chase Victorio, they
would risk killing their horses, which was totally impermissible. Apaches
would run their horses to death and either eat them or abandon them, but
soldiers treated their horses more like the Comanche, the Cheyenne or the
Sioux. They cared for their animals knowing that their lives depended on
them. Apaches could simply melt into the desert.
As they rode into Tellman’s at a slow trot, Preston could see immediately
that Jonas had been right. There were bodies on the ground, at least two of
them were Apaches. That was unusual as Apaches always collected their
dead. He could only guess that their arrival had pushed Victorio into a rapid
retreat.
Most of the inhabitants were pleased to see the soldiers, but a few
grumbled about their delayed response, which Preston found astonishing.
Even if troops had been sent from the fort five miles away, it would have
taken them another half an hour to get ready and another twenty minutes to
arrive. He had arrived just fifteen minutes after Victorio launched his attack
and had caused the Apache leader to abort the engagement.
Jonas rode up to Elias and said, “Dusty and I are going to trail Victorio
to see where he goes. I’m guessing he’ll cross the Rio Grande and head
south into Mexico, but I’d like to be sure.”
“Go ahead. We’re going to rest our horses and then I’ll go back and
make my report. How long will you be gone?”
“I should be back by tomorrow morning.”
“Thanks, Jonas. You saved a lot of folks today.”
 “You would have figured it out.”
Jonas waved and headed northwest, easily following Victorio’s trail.  As
he trailed, he looked left and saw a small, dispersed cloud on the other side
of the Rio Grande and knew it must be Victorio. The Apaches, even when
traveling in a large band, left a much smaller cloud than even a squad of
troopers. They would travel dispersed and just walking their unshod horses.
A few minutes later, he crossed the ford and came up on the western
shore of the Rio Grande. He headed south, following the Apaches, not
trying to gain, but always on the lookout for the rear guard that Victorio
would surely leave behind. He followed another fifteen miles until the sun
went down before he turned back. There was no sense in following them
further as he was almost in Mexico already, and those rear-guard Apaches
could sneak up on him a lot easier in the dark.
_____
Back at the fort, Major Thomas was displeased with First Lieutenant
Preston. Despite his saving the settlement, he had allowed Victorio to
escape and had not pursued the Apache chief as he had been ordered to do.
The major told him that he was to follow all future orders explicitly before
First Lieutenant Preston gave him an ill deserved, ‘yes, sir’, saluted and
performed a perfect about face then, seething at the major’s dressing down,
marched out of the office.
_____
Out in the dark desert, Jonas debated about whether to make camp or
press on but decided to make camp.  He unsaddled his stalwart mule and
gave him some water and oats, then laid his blanket down and put his head
on his saddle. He released the strap holding his Colt in his holster and tried
to rest, but not relax too much. He had laid his two rifles alongside him on
his right side for a specific reason.
As he stretched out, he studied Dusty who was hitched to a mesquite
bush on his right. Dusty was nodding his head, whether it was an indication
of pending sleep or trying to manage a late-night snack in the sparse grass,
Jonas wasn’t sure. Jonas was still wired about the attack and was running
through other possible clues he might have missed that could have gotten
the troops turned earlier. As he reviewed the day’s actions, he would
occasionally glance at Dusty.
An hour later, the mule’s ears suddenly picked up and his head stopped
moving as he looked to the southwest. Jonas stayed unmoving as he listened
and tried to spot any shadowed movement. Moving is the sure way to die,
and he wasn’t going to move until it became absolutely necessary.
There was one other weapon available to him that the Apaches would
never have expected…Dusty. The mule hated it when someone snuck up
behind him, a fault that Jonas had painfully discovered early in their
relationship. He figured if the stalker came in behind Dusty, stealthy
Apache or not, he was in for a world of pain, so Jonas concentrated on his
left side. With little moonlight, he knew it would be all or nothing.
Everything remained that way for another forty minutes and Jonas
wondered how the Apaches developed such patience. He was beginning to
get twitchy inside and knew he couldn’t keep this up much longer. As it
turned out, he didn’t have to.
The stillness exploded with a massive kick by Dusty and a scream by his
would-be assailant. Jonas quickly pulled his Colt and rolled off his blanket.
The Apache wasn’t in sight, but Jonas could hear his labored breathing
to his right and knew he had to be careful. That injured Apache was still
capable of killing him and he couldn’t fire because it would give away his
location. He needed to be sure if he pulled the trigger.
He silently put his Colt back in its holster, slipped the leather loop over
the hammer then silently slid his knife from its sheath. He wished he was
wearing his moccasins, but it was too late now. He stepped lightly forward,
away from Dusty’s kick, then crouched down and waited. He could still
hear the painful breaths of the Apache and knew he was close but couldn’t
quite get an accurate read on the direction.
Jonas knew he had to take the offensive because there might be more
than one Apache and he didn’t want to find out the hard way. He knew this
could be deadly, but he lifted his right foot and intentionally kicked a small
rock and simultaneously cursing, “Damn!” as he rolled to his left.
 The Apache must have been within five feet as he rushed out of the
darkness and plunged his knife where Jonas should have been.
Jonas immediately thrust his knife into the Apache’s side, missing a
killing stab, but cutting deeply into his abdomen.
The Apache never cried out in pain as he hit the ground and rolled away.
Jonas leaped at him, almost smashing into his wounded foe, but the
Apache stabbed at Jonas with his blade, catching Jonas on the left arm, just
below the elbow. Jonas, his hand still gripping the knife, slammed the knob
of his heavy knife at the Apache’s nose. It struck hard, knocking him
senseless. This was no noble savage to be honored. This was a killing
machine that had to be finished, so Jonas wasted no time. He took one big
lunge forward and buried his knife into the warrior’s throat under his chin.
The Apache fell flat on his back, Jonas’ knife still protruding from under
his face.
Jonas put his right foot on the Apache’s chest and grabbed his knife
handle, then gave it a yank, pulling it free from whatever human tissue had
held the blade. He stood over his victim for a few seconds, then cleaned his
knife by plunging it into the desert sand. He examined his dead opponent
without emotion. He neither admired nor hated the man. This was just the
way of it.
He then took the Apache’s weapon, pulled his sheath from his tunic and
tossed them onto his blanket. It was a good knife and he’d hang onto it. Not
too many men stayed alive long enough to collect an Apache knife.
Then he remembered that he had been cut, so he ripped open his shirt
and saw the gaping wound on his arm. He had been stabbed before and
knew that the best thing is to stop the blood flow and bind the wound as
tightly as possible.
He removed his already ruined buckskin shirt and cut off the damaged
sleeve, sliced it along its length and then cut a thinner strip from the sleeve.
He wrapped the bigger section several times around the wound tightly, then
used the thinner strip as a tie, holding the makeshift bandage in place.
Finally, Jonas poured some of his water onto the wound which would make
the rawhide tighten as it dried.
 He then spent another twenty minutes loading Dusty for a hasty return
trip to the fort. It took him a bit longer to find the ford in the darkness, but
just a few hours after leaving the site of the knife fight, he could see the
shadow of the fort in the predawn.
He rode to the closed gate and announced that he would need to see the
doctor. The gate was opened, and he rode Dusty inside. He had lost a
reasonable amount of blood, but not as much as he could have. He guided
his life-saving mule to the infirmary, dismounted, then hitched Dusty to the
rail and entered, not finding anyone there, which wasn’t any big surprise. It
was probably only five o’clock or so.
Jonas figured the sentry would let them know he was here, so he found a
chair and sat down, resting his head against the wall. Within minutes, he
was asleep.
_____
He was awakened by someone shaking him violently and shouting,
“Jonas! Jonas Smith! Wake up! We need to move you now.”
Jonas opened his eyes and saw the face of good old Doc Withers.
“Good morning, Doc. How are you?” he asked with a grin.
“Can you walk, Jonas?”
“I can’t see why I shouldn’t be able to. That Apache stabbed my arm, not
my leg.”
He almost laughed at his own gallows humor, but when Jonas tried to
stand, he felt wobbly. This was stupid, he thought then tried again. He
managed better the second time, but just barely. The doctor had someone
help him into a room with a table, then somehow found his way onto the
table, sat himself down, laid on his back and promptly fell asleep again or
passed out, he was never sure which.
He woke up after what he thought was just a few minutes later and tried
to sit up again but couldn’t do it. It took him a few seconds to realize that he
was strapped down, then had a horrible thought
. No! The doc didn’t cut off
his arm! Did he?
 All those horrible images of the hospitals during the war with those piles
of amputated limbs rotting in the sun smashed into his mind. He rolled his
head to the left, lifted his arm and a wave of relief came over him when he
could see his fingers waving back at himself. He noted that there was a
large white bandage covering his arm from his elbow to his wrist. It burned,
but it was a good burn because it came from a still attached arm.
“Hey, Doc!” he shouted.
Doctor Withers entered the room and said, “I surmise by that screech
that you are awake.”
“Yes, sir. Awake and ready to move, but unable to do so.”
“Ah! You’ve run afoul of my restraining belt.”
“Come on, Doc. Let me loose; will you?”
The gray-haired medical man chuckled and said, “I guess that I could let
you go.”
“Why did you have to strap me down?  I had a horrible thought you had
amputated my left arm. I’ve seen too many of them during the war.”
“And I performed too many,” replied Doctor Withers, “In your case, it
was to prevent any movement while I sutured the wound. You’ll have to
avoid lifting anything heavy with it for a couple of weeks until I remove the
sutures.”
As he was talking, he undid the restraining strap across Jonas’ chest and
Jonas started to sit up too quickly and felt woozy again.
The doctor caught him and said, “Slow down. You’ve lost a lot of blood.
It’ll take a good day and a lot of food to make it up.”
Jonas just nodded.
Doc Withers then asked, “Out of curiosity, when did you arrive at the
infirmary?”
“I’m not sure. I’d guess around five o’clock or so. It was before dawn. I
told the sentry I needed medical help, so I figured someone would go and
get you.”
“Well, no one said anything. I just showed up after breakfast and found
you sitting there, sound asleep. Luckily, you had done a good job with that
makeshift bandage you applied. It was so tight that it kept the wound
closed. I’ll check on it tomorrow for early signs of infection. You say an
Apache cut you with his knife?”
“Yup. I cut him a bit better, though.”
“That may be, but let’s hope it was a clean knife and he hadn’t just used
it to slice some rancid meat. If you start to feel feverish, let me know
immediately.”
“Not a problem. Do you have my shirt?”
“That thing? It was sliced into pieces and covered in your blood. We had
to throw it out.”
“Don’t worry, Doc. I have another. Thanks for your help, too.”
“You’re welcome. Don’t forget. Come back tomorrow.”
Jonas nodded then slid to the floor and headed for the door. He was still
a bit dizzy, but didn’t want to say anything to the doctor.
He walked out bare-chested into the bright sun, his head pounding from
the blast of harsh sunlight. He put his hand over his eyes to block the light
and began to make his way to the scout quarters when he remembered that
Dusty needed his attention. So, he reversed his course to head back to the
infirmary but recalled that he hadn’t seen his mule when he had exited the
place, so he changed direction again and headed for the stables.  When he
arrived, he saw Dusty in a stall, his gear all stacked next to him. He had
been brushed down and apparently well-fed, so Jonas owed somebody.
He reached down and pulled his gun rig from the pile, and instead of
trying to strap it around his waist, just threw it over his shoulder. The
Apache knife was still there in its sheath, which kind of surprised him as the
knives were valuable souvenirs. He stuck it into his waist, threw his
saddlebags across his right shoulder, then with his good hand, picked up the
Winchester. He transferred it to his bad arm and leaned it across his
shoulder. Finally, he snatched the big Sharps and walked back to the scout
quarters.
When he arrived, he nudged the door open with his foot then walked in
and laid down the heavy rifle and the lighter Winchester. He slid the gunbelt
over the bed post and left the two knives and saddlebag on the nearby bed.
Finally, devoid of encumbrances, he sat down on a vacant mattress and
wondered what he should do next. He needed a shirt, but his only remaining
shirts were in the laundry and that meant another face-to-face with the tall
lady. Maybe he should go over to the sutler’s store and buy a new one
instead. He thought about it, but really wanted one of his own back. Besides
he’d rather ride to Las Cruces than give that weasel Feely any profit.
Jonas thought about his dilemma. What he needed to do was try to get on
that lady’s good side, assuming that she had one. Then he remembered what
Beth had said to him about her being shamed by that worthless Indian agent
and being afraid of men. With a fort full of them, he figured,
why not?
He
reached over, picked up the Apache knife and sheath, slid it in his waist and
walked out the door in the direction of the laundry.
He had no sooner entered then those dark eyes were boring into him.
“Obviously, you need a shirt back,” she said in her not-so-melodious
tone.
“Yes, ma’am. My last one was sort of cut up and I need to pick up some
more, so if they’re not ready, I can come back later.”
“No, they’re ready,” she said before she stepped off to the side.
Jonas noticed she was wearing men’s britches in addition to the huge
men’s shirt and thought it was an odd wardrobe.
She returned momentarily with the repaired shirts and the clean shirt and
pants and set them on the counter.
“That’ll be forty cents,” she said.
“Oh. Just a second.”
 It was awkward because his money was kept in his left pocket, so after a
few seconds of embarrassed squirming, he found a dollar coin and handed it
to her.
She gave him his change and said. “I’ve been told that I owe you an
apology, and that you’re not the typical male miscreant.”
“You don’t owe me an apology, ma’am. I can be scary at times. In fact,
I’d like to give you something to show my appreciation for fixing my
shirts.”
“I don’t accept gifts from anyone,” she snapped back.
Jonas was wondering if this was such a good idea after all.
“This isn’t that kind of gift, ma’am. It’s really not a gift at all. It was sort
of given to me last night, and I just think that you might need it more than I
would.”
He didn’t wait for another nasty reply and quickly slipped the Apache
blade and sheath from his waist and handed it to her.
Her eyes grew wide as she said, “What did you mean that you were
sort
of
given this?”
“Well, the man who had it didn’t need it anymore, so I took it with me.”
All she said was, “Oh,” but she accepted the knife.
She slid the blade from its cover and examined the polished steel. The
original wooden handle had been replaced with a carved antelope horn and
its sheath was smooth buckskin with an intricate design of sacred symbols.
“This is a beautiful weapon” she said in awe, “but I can’t accept this.
You need it.”
“No, ma’am. I don’t. I have a nice blade that I’ve used for years. It’s how
I came into possession of that one. I’m comfortable with mine and that one
is redundant. I have no use for it, so I thought I’d let you have it. It’s good
for a woman to have a weapon like that.”
“If you’re sure,” she replied in a much less combative tone.
 “Yes, ma’am. You always keep it with you, too. You just never know
when it will come in handy. And one more thing.”
“And what’s that?” she asked suspiciously, her calm tone gone as she
anticipated what was sure to be his reply.
“When you use a knife, and I’m assuming you never have, never stab
over the top. It’s too easy to block. Always swing underhand, with the sharp
side facing up. It’s more dangerous, more difficult to stop, and won’t throw
you off balance.”
“Oh,” she said. His answer wasn’t what she expected at all.
“Well, thank you.”
“You’re welcome, ma’am.”
With his peace offering completed, Jonas grabbed his shirt and pants and
headed out the door. For a few nervous moments, he was concerned that she
was going to slice his hand off, but overall, he thought she liked the knife.
He returned to his scout home and relaxed, leaving his repaired shirt on
the bed with his only knife as there was no point in putting it on now.
_____
After he’d gone, Annie stood unmoving, examining the weapon the
scout had given her.
What does he really want from her?
Every man wants
something, and she knew what it was. But he was right about her need for
the knife. She needed to be able to protect herself.
She then went into her room in back, closed the door and lowered her
pants. She tightened the sheath’s strap around her upper thigh, then slid her
baggy britches back up, feeling safer already. Now armed, she left her room
and returned to her accustomed place at the front of the laundry.
_____
The next day, Jonas ambled from his already warm room to the
infirmary. The doctor was pleased that there was no signs of early infection
and the wound seemed to be healing well already. But he told Jonas that he
wasn’t out of danger from infection by a long stretch and directed him to
watch it closely and if he felt feverish to let him know. After another
warning about using the left arm again, he effectively kicked Jonas out the
door.
Jonas was still grinning at his medical mistreatment as he walked down
the boardwalk to the Preston house. He didn’t know if Elias was home or
not, but at least Beth could tell him where to find him.
He rapped on the door and only had to wait a few seconds before it
opened, and Beth stuck her blonde head outside.
“Jonas, how are you doing? The doctor told us that you had been stabbed
by an Apache.”
“Actually, it was a slice, but it wasn’t too bad. Is Elias in?”
“No, he’s over at the stables. Take a seat on one of the rockers. I’ll be out
in a second.”
Jonas was wondering what she wanted to talk to him about as he sat in
one of the pair of rockers that the Prestons had on their portion of the
boardwalk. He knew they didn’t have marital problems, so the only
reasonable reason must have something to do with their miniature
commanding officer.
Less than a minute later, Beth came back outside and sat in the other
rocking chair. Propriety had demanded that she sit with him on the
boardwalk outside the house. He knew she couldn’t let a man inside with
her husband absent. Even tough soldiers are terrible gossips.
She smiled at him as she said, “First off, let me tell you how proud Elias
was for you getting them to Tellman’s in time to stop the murder of a lot of
innocent people. His men were happy that they arrived on time to do some
good. It gets frustrating to always be chasing after the fact.”
Jonas replied, “Beth, if most of the other officers had been in command
of that patrol, things would have been much different. With rare exception,
they would have ignored me and kept going northeast. Elias is an
exceptional officer and man. You are a very lucky lady, and, I may add, he
is a very lucky man as well. That being said, I have a suspicion that the
reason you asked to talk to me was because his performance wasn’t
appreciated by his commander.”
Beth switched to a less amiable attitude as she said, “You’re right in your
assumption. That insignificant toad told him he had violated his orders and
should have pursued Victorio.”
“I’m not surprised that he’d make that argument because it would have
been incredibly stupid. His troop’s horses were exhausted after the long
ride, and Victorio would have made it to Mexico anyway. Our marvelous
major would probably have chewed him out worse if he lost some of his
horses on the pursuit. Elias made the right choice. I went straight after them
and still couldn’t catch them. I’m sure Elias just took his medicine because
he knew it was all he could do. That’s all any of the officers and men can
do. That little man may have the stature and ego of Napoleon but doesn’t
have a clue about how to command or fight. He’s a military moron.”
“I agree with your appraisal, but it doesn’t matter. I just wanted you to
know what happened when Elias returned. So, tell me about the knife fight
with the Apache at night. I never heard of anyone surviving a one-on-one
fight with an Apache, especially in the dark. That must have been
terrifying.”
“The fighting wasn’t terrifying, but the long, silent delay for almost an
hour waiting for him to make the first move was nerve-wracking. What I
haven’t told anyone yet, and I’m sure Elias will appreciate this, is how I set
up. When I laid down on my blanket, I put my two rifles on my right side.
Then I positioned Dusty on the right just a couple of feet past the rifles with
his tail just above my head and waited.
“When the Apache finally made his attack, he chose the right side with
the rifles while I was concentrating on the left. Dusty hates anyone to be
behind him and protests violently when they do. So, when the Apache made
his attack, he took a pair of Dusty hooves in the chest which gave me the
edge I needed. He was tossed a good six feet away and then I had to find
him in the dark.
 “It really wasn’t a fair fight after Dusty got in the first blow. He probably
had some broken ribs. I could hear him struggling to breathe. Then I used a
stupid ploy to get him to make another lunge and we tussled on the ground
for a few seconds. I already had cut him when he sliced my arm, but I was
able to finish him off.”
“The doctor told Elias that you were just sitting in his office asleep with
blood dripping from your left arm when he entered his office.”
“The sleeping part is true, but I’m not sure about the dripping. I had it
pretty well sealed before I returned to the fort.”
“Well, true or not, that story is the rumor of the week around here.”
Jonas laughed and said, “Military posts are good for rumors, good and
bad.”
“The one other thing I wanted to ask you about was the knife. Annie told
me that you had given it to her.”
“Well, I didn’t need it, and after you told me of her worries about men in
general, I thought it might make her feel safer. A woman needs someone or
something to protect her, especially a good-looking woman like her. Plus, I
needed to make her not hate me so much when I have to use the laundry.
She can be plenty scary, you know.”
“I know,” Beth replied as she laughed, “But when she told me that you’d
given it to her, it was odd. She didn’t get upset about you giving her the
knife at all. But she did seem a bit confused. She said that no one had ever
given her a gift before. Never. Well, let me amend that. She said, and I
quote, ‘No man has ever tried to give me anything unless he wanted
something.’”
Jonas scratched his right cheek as he said, “Well, I sure don’t want
anything from her. But I did feel kind of bad the way she’s been treated. I
know if I’d been treated that way, I’d be a lot ornerier.”
Beth smiled as she said, “Well, I think she was pleased for the gift and
won’t try to bite your head off anymore.”
“That’s good, I’m kind of attached to this one.”
 She laughed and finished the conversation by saying, “You’re a good
man, Jonas. Elias is in the stables if you want to find him.”
“Hopefully the major doesn’t have him mucking out stalls for being a
good officer.”
“He hasn’t reached that level of stupidity…yet.”
Jonas stood, then waved to Beth before he headed to the stables.
When he reached the large horse home, he found Elias inspecting horses
and their tack.
He stepped closer and loudly asked, “Lieutenant, can I have a minute?”
Elias turned, saw Jonas and smiled as he replied, “I think I can spare
some time.”
Jonas strolled forward and after scanning the big barn for attentive ears,
asked, “Is anyone else in here?”
“Not within hearing distance. The morning stable call is about a half an
hour away, then it’ll be wall-to-wall blue. What can I do for you?”
“I just talked to Beth. I asked if your commanding officer had given you
grief for not chasing Victorio and she said he had. Elias, how much longer
will you put up with this? You’ve been in the army, what, twelve years or
so? You’re still a lieutenant, although, to be honest, you should be at least a
captain by now.”
“I’ve only been in ten years, Jonas. But it’s not like when you served in
uniform. I’ll stay in because I like the army. Thomas can’t stay here much
longer, or I may be transferred. I should make captain within a couple of
years. Back when you were in the army, rank was fast in coming; wasn’t
it?”
“Folks were dying so often, there were a lot of vacancies.”
“You know, I’ve known you for almost three years, and I know you were
in the army during the War Between the States, but I never did ask about
where you served in the war. I know you left the army as a captain, but little
else.”
“There’s not much to tell. I enlisted when I was seventeen with the 5
th
Regiment Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. Our first major battle was a humdinger –
Shiloh. Over the war, we saw a lot of engagements: Corinth, Vicksburg,
Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Atlanta. Then we rode with General Sherman
across Georgia and up the coast across the Carolinas. In fact, most of my
experience was with Uncle Billy. I was promoted to sergeant in February
1863, two days after my nineteenth birthday. A year or so later, I was given
a commission and left the Army as a captain. As you said, rank was a lot
faster in those days.”
“What was a major engagement like? Was Shiloh as bad as they say?
Understand, I’ve been in the army for a decade, but aside from one
assignment in the East, all have been in Indian territories, the last three here
at Selden. I’ve only fired my weapon four times.”
“Shiloh was not something I would wish on any man. It’s difficult to
imagine battles with tens of thousands of men on both sides. But when
you’re in a big fight, all that you really see is what’s around you. And that’s
bad enough. I watched as rows of men marched line abreast into withering
fire. Canister and solid shot would take out rows at a time, but they would
keep going.
“The cavalry would scout and were supposed be used as a shock weapon
to try to break through a weak point for the infantry to follow up. At least
that’s what we were told. It just never seemed to work that way. We’d carry
our wounded to the hospitals and watch as the doctors worked on rows of
soldiers. Mostly, they were amputating arms and legs.
“The agonizing screams of the wounded was overwhelming, but it
wasn’t as bad as the smell. I’ll never forget that smell. But we still did our
job. That’s all war is to the soldier, a job. You know that. And there was
always the confusion. Our colonel would get a short order from Grant or
Sherman telling him to go here and do that, but we would never know why
or how it fit into the battle. We just fought. I stayed with the unit until it was
mustered out in October of ‘65.
 “Do you know the most unusual aspect of my war? I never even got a
scratch in battle and never even picked up any of those diseases that ran like
wildfire through the camps. I was in the middle of some vicious
engagements with bullets and shells going every which way and sabers and
bayonets slashing and stabbing, and not once did I get blooded. I even had a
horse shot from underneath me but didn’t even sprain an ankle. War became
routine by the end and that’s not something that should happen to any man.
No one should grow immune to the terror of war.”
There was a short silence after Jonas finished.
It ended when Elias asked, “So, did you meet Grant or Sherman?”
“Grant I only met once. On the other hand, I met General Sherman quite
a few times.”
“What was he like? I hear he has a temper.”
“If you screwed up, he does. But other than that, he was an extraordinary
man. They had him pegged as crazy for a while, but Grant wanted him.
Like Grant, he could see war for what it really was. It was no gentlemanly
game with rules. It’s a no-holds-barred fight to the death. Oh, Sherman had
rules for his own men. He didn’t tolerate rape or senseless plunder. We were
to simply destroy the enemy’s ability to wage war. Did you know he
actually liked Southerners?”
“He did? Tell that to the people in Georgia.”
“No, he really did. He even helped to start a college in Louisiana. But
when he was given any job, he went at it like a bulldog. I liked him a lot,
but the reason I stopped by was that I needed to know if you were going out
on any patrols soon.”
“I’m not, but there will be another patrol in two days. Why?”
“I’m kind of laid up. I’m not going on another patrol until you go out,
that’s all. The major can ask, but he can’t order me to go, not with this arm.
So, I’ll probably run over to Las Cruces and pick up a few more shirts and
maybe some of those denim pants that the miners like. I hear they are really
hard to rip.”
 “That might be a good idea to do that, because I think he’s going to ask
you to accompany the patrol.”
“That figures. I can’t shoot a rifle, but he wants me to run around among
the Apaches. Well, I’ll be off to Las Cruces. I’ll see you when I get back.”
“Let me help you get Dusty saddled. I don’t want you ripping that arm
open.”
“Your assistance is appreciated, sir.”
Elias smiled as he got Dusty ready for the road.
_____
Ten minutes later, Jonas led Dusty into the sunshine and across the yard
to his quarters. He entered, strapped on his Colt and grabbed his
Winchester. He threw his saddlebags over his shoulder, took one canteen,
but left the Sharps.
After loading Dusty, he mounted and rode out the gate. He waved at the
sentry as he passed then headed to Las Cruces. It was a quiet ride, and
except for the oppressive heat, quite pleasant. He arrived in the city by mid-
morning and headed for the clothing store. It had only been a few years ago
when all the town had to offer was a general mercantile, but it had grown.
He tethered Dusty in front of the store and went inside.
Jonas was a tall man, but not bulky, so he had a wide selection available.
He found some heavy cotton shirts in a nice, neutral gray shade and bought
three. He asked if they had any of those denim pants and was shown their
stock of the blue britches. He selected two then picked up a few pairs of
socks and a new belt. He paid for his selection, left the store and tied the
package behind the saddle where he normally kept his bedroll. He mounted
then rode down the street to a favorite café. Before he ate, he watered Dusty
and filled his feed bag with oats. After eating, he mounted Dusty and made
the hot journey back to the fort.
Before he entered the fort’s gates, he stopped at the dwelling of a old
Apache woman he had visited in the past and saw her outside of her
dwelling which also served as her business. He pulled up, dismounted and
stepped closer.
 He smiled and said, “Good afternoon, Maria.”
“Hello, Mister Smith. You need more buckskins?”
“Yes, please. Do you have any already made that might fit me?”
“I think so. Come inside.”
He followed her into her home where he saw two stacks of buckskin
clothes in the corner. She glanced at him before she grunted and went to the
stacks. She pulled out two buckskin shirts and one pair of buckskin pants
and handed them to him. He knew that the quality was the best he’d find, so
he didn’t bother to examine them.
“Three dollars, Mister Smith.”
“Ah, Maria. You undercharge me. Your work is worth more than that,”
he said as he handed her a five-dollar gold coin.
She grinned widely and said, “You are best customer, Mister Smith.”
Jonas thanked her and returned to Dusty. He was close enough to the fort
that he just took his reins and led him through the gate. He crossed the busy
parade grounds and soon stopped outside his quarters. He added his store-
bought clothes to the buckskins and carried his purchases though the open
door.
Once inside, he stacked his new clothes on his bed and pulled out the
footlocker from underneath the bed using his good right arm After opening
the lid, he placed the clothes into the footlocker and slid it back under the
bed.
He then returned to move his weapons from Dusty to his room. When
Dusty was disarmed, he led his mule to the stables and carefully stripped
him.
Satisfied that his mule was content, he returned to his quarters and
stretched out on his bed. It had been a good day. He assumed that if the
major had been looking for him this morning, he wouldn’t return to the
scouts’ quarters again.
He relaxed for the rest of the afternoon, but finally left to head for the
mess at meal call, keeping an eye out for the short commanding officer as
he crossed the parade grounds.
He hadn’t been spotted by the major by the time he returned to his
quarters to clean his weapons. As he sat in the room, he wished he had
bought a book while he was in Las Cruces, but it was too late now. So, after
the sun was down, he just peeled off his sweaty clothing and crawled into
bed. He needed a bath, but he could handle that tomorrow.
 CHAPTER 3
The next morning, Jonas was wondering whether to try the new denims
or stick with his buckskins. But as he was making his decision, the door
opened, and Major Thomas walked in while Jonas was only wearing his cut
down union suit. It only covered his nakedness from his waist to his mid-
thigh.
It was a modification he had created when he first began scouting in the
southwest. It gave him some manner of privacy, but still allowed him to
avoid the heat-stifling coverage of the full woolen union suit. It also gave
him an extra shirt if he needed it. The only drawback was that he had to
fashion a rope belt around the waist to keep them from dropping to his
ankles.
“What can I do for you, Major?” he asked.
The officer stared at him as he exclaimed, “Good God, man!
Have you
no decency?
”
Jonas made a show of examining his almost naked self except for the
section of the union suit that covered his private parts.
“There are many things that make a man indecent, but this isn’t one of
them,” he replied, letting the major contemplate the reference.
He obviously didn’t catch Jonas’ subtlety before he said, “That aside, I
need you to escort a patrol tomorrow. They’ll be on an extended march to
sweep the area clean of any of Victorio’s splinter bands.”
“How many men in the patrol?” he asked.
“I’m sending a full troop.”
“You’ll never get anywhere near any Apaches with that size force.”
“A smaller force would be wiped out, you idiot!”
 “I may be an idiot, but I’m a wounded idiot and I can’t go out again this
soon. Ask the doc.”
“I’ve asked him. And he said if you didn’t have to use your rifle or lift
anything with that arm, you could be sent out.”
“Oh, by the way, my arm is healing nicely. Thank you for asking. Is the
patrol going to be longer than three days?”
Major Thomas fumed over the smarmy comment about his arm but
answered, “Yes. It will be a long patrol.”
“So, who is going to lead the patrol?”
“I’m sending E troop.”
“Will Lieutenant Avery or Victor be commanding?”
“Avery is the commander of A troop and Victor has B troop. Lieutenant
Maxwell will be commanding.”
“Isn’t this his first patrol? Don’t you customarily have an experienced
officer along in that situation?”
“I’m in command of this post, Mister Smith. I give the orders, and one of
them is that you’re going.”
As soon as he finished giving his order, he turned and stormed out of the
room.
After he had departed, Jonas dressed then walked across the grounds and
entered the infirmary. He saw Doctor Withers in the back of the infirmary,
so he stepped closer and when he stopped near the doctor, he asked, “Hey,
doc, did the major ask you about my injury?”
“Yes, he did. I told him you needed to avoid using the arm for at least
another ten days until the sutures came out.”
“He told me that you had said if I didn’t shoot a rifle or do any lifting, I
could go out on an extended patrol and have my stitches removed when I
got back.”
 Doctor Withers scrunched his face and snapped, “That is definitely not
what I said! He asked what your limitations were. As far as the sutures are
concerned, there is a little flexibility on the timing, but I surely wouldn’t
leave them in longer than two weeks.”
“That’s what I figured. Well, I’m thinking of going anyway. The way
he’s planning it, there won’t be any action anyway. The Apaches will see us
clear from Arizona and it may do me some good to get away from here. If it
looks like we’re going to be out more than two weeks, I’ll tell the
commanding officer that you directed me to return for suture removal.
How’s that?”
“I don’t like having to use subterfuge, but I can live with it.”
“Thanks, doc.”
Jonas left the infirmary and headed toward the Preston house, but spotted
Elias as he was crossing perpendicular to his own path and waved him over.
When he was within private speaking distance, Jonas said, “The major
just barged into the scout quarters and told me that the doc said it would be
okay if I went on patrol, then ordered me to go.”
Elias was aghast as he said, “He can’t do that! Even he has to follow the
doctor’s recommendations.”
“I know. But after talking to the doc, I think I’ll go. It’s going to be a
wasted patrol, anyway. He’s sending a troop on a wide sweep to try to
capture any of Victorio’s smaller raiding groups. I suggested that they
wouldn’t see any Apaches at all, and he called me an idiot. So, I’ll go along
just to prove him right. It’ll keep me busy and away from him.”
The lieutenant rolled his eyes and shook his head before replying,
“Okay, if you’re comfortable with it.”
“I’m not comfortable with what he’s doing, but I don’t have any say in it.
He’s sending E troop with Maxwell commanding. Then I asked why he
wasn’t following standard procedure and sending an experienced officer
like Avery or Victor along as this was Maxwell’s first patrol.”
“I imagine that went over well.”
 “It went as you might have expected. What’s Maxwell like?”
“Second Lieutenant Maxwell arrived four months back from West Point.
He’s just a kid, as green as green could be. Maybe this is just what he needs,
a nice safe patrol. At least you’ll be there to take care of him.”
“If he listens.”
“I’ve told him to pay attention to what more experienced men tell him,
and you have more experience than anyone here. But he tends to be
impressed with himself. There’s just not a lot of humility in the kid. You
may have to make your suggestions seem a little more like real suggestions
than you do normally. You know, your ‘if you don’t do this, you’re a
blithering idiot’ kind of suggestions.”
“We’ll see,” Jonas said as he smiled.
He knew that Elias was right. He tended to emphasize what he believed
is the correct path for junior officers to follow, and maybe that was why so
many of them tended to ignore him.
Jonas slapped Elias on the back and headed back to his quarters, crossing
in front of the stables. Luckily, he was past it just as the morning stable call
sounded and was able to avoid being stampeded by cavalrymen.
He returned to his quarters and unpacked his new denim pants, then
decided they were too blue and too stiff, so he grabbed them and walked out
of the fort. He kept walking and soon reached the banks of the Rio Grande.
He took his new pants and began pounding them into the clay soil with a
hand-size rock he found nearby. He then soaked them in the river, removed
them and repeated the process four more times until he was as wet as the
pants, as much from sweat as from river water.
When he thought that they were sufficiently less blue, he laid them on
some nearby mesquite bushes. After splashing some water on a flat stretch
of rock to cool it off, he stretched out on the hard surface. He knew he’d
have to get his bandage replaced after the exercise but noticed that the arm
didn’t hurt as much as it did just yesterday, so maybe he could fire his rifle
after all.
 He placed his good arm over his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the sun,
hoping no slithering friends decided to visit as he napped.
He snoozed for a little over an hour, missing the noon meal, then after
his eyes slowly opened, rose and stretched feeling pretty good. Jonas
checked on his pants and found them as stiff as ever, which didn’t surprise
him, so he laid them on the rock he had been just using as a mattress and
pounded them each with the stone. When he picked them up, they were
much more flexible. Satisfied with his new britches, he threw them over his
shoulder and made the long walk back to his quarters.
_____
In the office of the Indian Agency, Horace Beeler was thinking. He had
an envelope in his right hand and was tapping it on the desk. It wasn’t a
giant problem, but one that needed addressing soon. He stopped tapping and
opened the envelope, removed the picture inside and smiled.
This one was much better than that abomination working over at the
laundry. He had momentarily forgotten her name, having burned all of her
correspondence and especially that lying picture. She purposefully had that
picture taken to hide her hideous height. Thinking about that whole episode
made him seethe.
But this one, he smiled as he looked at the picture, this one was fine. She
was very fine, indeed and held no surprises. She was from New York City
and her parents had too many girls in the family. They needed to shuck
themselves of a few and had assured him she wasn’t abnormal in any way.
He had to send some extra money this time, but it was worth it. She was
young, thirty-five years younger than his fifty-four, and quite handsome.
The problem was that she would be in Las Cruces in three days, and the
stigma of his first disastrous attempt at a mail order bride was still on the
post, constantly reminding him of that humiliation. He had originally
thought of giving her money to leave, but that would be throwing good
money after bad. Then he thought she would just leave of her own accord,
having no means of support, but that interfering Mrs. Preston had gotten her
a job running the laundry. Now every day, people on the post saw her and
laughed at him.
 He had to clean up that mess and would go see Francis Feely tomorrow.
Feely owed him, and it was time to collect.
 CHAPTER 4
The morning was one of those spectacular dawns found nowhere else
apart from the American southwest, but no one noticed. Breakfast had been
served and eaten, and the men of E troop had prepared their horses for the
long ride.
Jonas had performed his typical predeparture routine. He had double-
checked his weapons, ensured an adequate supply of spare ammunition,
packed his necessaries, and fed and watered Dusty. Finally, he loaded the
mule with his gear and momentarily considered leaving the Sharps behind.
It was an extra ten pounds that he might not need, but in the end, he decided
the extra firepower might be needed.
The long-range stopping power of the gun couldn’t be replaced. It could
outrange the troopers’ Springfield Model 1873 carbines and had greater
stopping power. If it had been just a short patrol, he probably would leave it
behind, but this was supposed to be a lengthy expedition.
He led Dusty out onto the parade grounds and waited until he saw a
fresh-faced second lieutenant garbed for riding, walking along the
boardwalk with Elias Preston. He walked Dusty over and waved at Preston,
who said something to Lieutenant Maxwell before they both turned to face
him as he approached.
“Good morning, gentlemen,” he said.
“Morning, Jonas,” replied Elias.
Maxwell simply said, “Mister Smith.”
Jonas gave him a quick once-over and thought Maxwell looked as if he
had never shaved.
Maybe I’m just getting older
, he thought. For a passing
moment, he was going to ask if he had shaved that morning, but figured it
would be bad manners, if nothing else. So, he held his tongue, which was
nothing short of a miracle in itself.
 Instead, he asked Lieutenant Maxwell, “Well, Lieutenant, the major told
me I’ll be doing some scouting for you on this mission. Which direction are
you planning on going?”
“I’ll let you know when you have the need to know,” he said as he
looked past Jonas at the forming troops.
“Well, as your scout, I’ll need to go ahead of the column, Lieutenant. If
you want to hold onto that information, that’s fine. I can just let you march
out and I’ll watch from behind. Is that okay with you?”
Lieutenant Maxwell quickly shifted his eyes back to Jonas and snapped,
“There is no reason to be impertinent, Mister Smith. If you must know,
we’ll be heading northeast for a while.”
Jonas was surprised by his response because northeast made no sense at
all. Except for that misdirection attempt, Victorio had been hitting sites to
the south and west. But it wasn’t his call.
Elias had been listening to the exchange and knew immediately that this
patrol had the earmarks of a disaster. When the officer in command of the
troop won’t even tell his scout which way they were headed, he surely
wouldn’t listen if the scout told him to fall back or turn in one direction or
the other.
Jonas seemed to have been unaffected by the lieutenant’s responses, and
seemed unperturbed, which surprised Elias.
“North by east it is. I’ll see you on the trail,” Jonas replied then waved as
he turned back to Dusty.
Lieutenant Maxwell watched him step away with a look of distaste.
Major Thomas had told him all about the scout, and the young lieutenant
had the impression that the scout thought he knew more than the officers
did. Well, he’d just have to take Mister Smith down a peg or two.
The sun was higher in the sky when Jonas mounted Dusty ahead of the
troop and rode from the fort.  After clearing the Indian encampments, he
turned northeast and waited for the column to catch up.
 It was going to be a pleasant ride until the sun grew seriously angry.
Jonas rode about a mile ahead of the troopers scanning for the presence of
Apaches but doubted if he’d see any. He knew the Apaches had seen them
as soon as they left the fort when he’d noticed the smoke in the San Andres
mountains an hour earlier. The question that lingered was whether Victorio
would consider attacking a troop of about sixty armed and trained men with
his full band of over a hundred warriors but didn’t think he would.
Victorio knew that he was severely outnumbered and undersupplied and
would have to have a significant advantage for such an action. If he
attacked, Victorio would lose too many men, even if he succeeded in
wiping out the column. The Apache war chief was living on the edge, and
he knew it. One major defeat or significant loss of warriors would mean
that many of his remaining warriors would defect to a different war chief
operating elsewhere. He wondered if Victorio knew that his days were
already numbered. Jonas would be surprised if he could hold out for another
year.
After they had traveled about fifteen miles, Jonas returned to the troop
and waited until Lieutenant Maxwell rode up.
“Find anything, Mister Smith?” he asked.
“Nope. I didn’t expect to. The Apaches have just been watching us,
probably wondering where we were headed. I figured you might want to
rest and feed the horses and men.”
Maxwell was irritated by the scout’s failure to address him as ‘sir’ but
simply replied, “I think we’ll go on another five miles or so.”
Jonas tilted his head and replied, “Whatever you think is right,
Lieutenant,” then wheeled Dusty around heading northeast.
Jonas sighed after the short conversation. He had noticed the young
officer’s chagrin and stored it in his memory file. It would take a real
wakeup call to get this young shavetail to see the light. He just hoped the
lieutenant would be alive to recognize it.
He rode for another hour and stopped but didn’t turn around. Instead, he
scanned the surroundings, looking for any indications of Apache presence
and seeing none whatsoever. It was hardly a surprise.
He dismounted, stretched then removed one of his two canteens. After
taking a few swallows, he removed his hat and turned it upside down. He
dumped in the rest of the canteen’s water into his hat and offered it to his
grateful mule. After Dusty had emptied his hat, he hung the canteen on his
saddle and pulled his cooling hat onto his head. A few minutes later, the
troop approached, and Jonas noticed that the lieutenant had them circling to
make a full stop for chow. He waited for them to get situated and then
headed over to the mess wagon.
__________
Back at Fort Selden, Beth was carrying some of Elias’ uniforms to the
laundry. She washed most of their clothes, but felt the base laundry was
better equipped for his uniforms. When she entered the laundry a couple of
minutes later, she found Annie in her usual place behind the counter and
smiled.
“Hello, Annie. I have some of Elias’ uniforms that are in dire need of
cleaning,” she said as she unloaded the uniforms on the counter.
Annie slid them from the counter, placed them in a bag, then marked the
bag and carried it to the back.
When she returned, Annie asked, “Mrs. Preston, could I talk to you for a
minute, please?”
“Annie, I’ve asked you to call me Beth.”
“I’m sorry, Beth. It’s just that you’re an officer’s wife and I’m, well, I’m
not.”
“I’ve told you that it doesn’t matter to me, Annie. Now, what can I help
you with?”
Annie beckoned her to the back of the laundry. There were only four
squaws working in the laundry at the time, so Annie led Beth to her room
and closed the door after Beth entered.
Annie then sat down and motioned to another chair.
 Beth took the seat, noticed the Spartan conditions and thought she should
try to remedy that, but knew Annie wouldn’t accept charity. She was a very
stubborn young woman.
“Something is bothering me. Remember I told you about that knife that
the scout gave me?”
“His name is Jonas Smith, Annie.”
“Yes, of course. The knife that Mister Smith gave me. I told you that no
one had ever given me a gift before without expecting something in return,
and it’s always the same thing. It’s why I never accepted a gift before. I
could see it in their eyes.
“Well, Mister Smith gave me the knife and I didn’t want to take it, but I
did. He even gave me the one reason that would let me accept it, but he
didn’t know that. I felt like I needed to be able to protect myself. I’m alone
on the post and you’re the only person who talks to me. That’s why I had to
ask you. What does he want from me? He gave me the knife three days ago
but hasn’t tried to bother me since.”
Beth wasn’t surprised by Annie’s question, so she replied, “I talked to
him about the knife. I told him that you never accept gifts and I asked him
why he had given it to you. What he said was, and I quote, ‘every woman
needs something or someone to protect her, especially a good-looking
woman like her’.”
“He said that? Does he have eye trouble or something? I was thrown out
of Beeler’s as soon as he got a look at me.”
“Annie, don’t sell yourself short. You’re just tall. To a man as tall as
Jonas, it wouldn’t matter. In Jonas’ case, I don’t think it would have
mattered it he was six inches shorter, either. You towered over Beeler,
making him feel like the little man that he is. And I mean little on the inside
as well. When I told Jonas how Beeler had treated you, he was genuinely
mystified. Then he got angry, which truly surprised me. I’d never seen him
angry before. He’s always so calm. I swear if Beeler had been in the room,
Jonas would have thrown him out my window.”
“So, he
is
expecting something from me.”
 “No, he’s not, Annie. After he told me the reason for giving you the
knife, I told him that you had said men always expected something from
you, and do you know what he said?”
Annie shook her head.
“He said, in his words, ‘I just want to be able to drop off my shirts
without having my head ripped off.’”
Annie laughed. She really and truly laughed. Beth had never heard her
laugh before and doubted if anyone else had heard it before either. It was a
good, honest laugh. She doubted if Annie was capable of giggling, though.
“I was kind of rude. Is the knife valuable?”
“Oh, yes. Most of the men would give two months’ wages to have a
genuine Apache knife. The only way to get them is to take them from a
dead Apache warrior. And because they take their dead so quickly, the only
ones who can get them are those who kill them in hand-to-hand combat,
and that makes them very, very rare.”
“He did that? He told me a young man had given it to him, not that he
had fought an Apache in hand-to-hand combat. And he still doesn’t want
anything from me?”
“To make it more impressive, the fight he had with the Apache was in
the dead of night. I’ve never heard of anyone surviving an Apache attack at
night. But let me explain something about Jonas Smith. I’ve known him for
three years. He and Elias are good friends because they are so alike. Both
are strong men with a deep sense of honor and justice. They will defend the
defenseless and punish those that try to harm them. They’re both like the
knights out of fairy tales. Jonas is older than Elias and served over four
years in the War Between the States.
“I don’t know what battles he was in, but I know he was scarred deeply
by what he saw. He served as a scout since the war, almost all of it here.
He’s so highly regarded that even our despicable commander won’t dare to
abuse him. Yet he doesn’t think too highly of himself at all.
 “A month before you arrived, he found a cabin in a remote canyon about
ten miles from here. He repaired it and thought he’d enjoy living peacefully
by himself. But he told me that he had always thought of himself as a loner,
because he enjoyed scouting and staying out by himself in the desert. But
when he was in his cabin, he discovered that he missed the company of
other people. He said he hated being lonely.”
“I understand that.”
“So, to answer your question, Jonas doesn’t expect any form of payment
for the gift. He just saw a person that needed his help, and he gave you the
knife for your protection. The fact that you are a woman was irrelevant to
him. Jonas and Elias are so much alike except that Elias is better looking.”
“Why would you say something like that?” she asked in surprise.
“Actually, I didn’t. Jonas did. I asked him why he had never settled
down, and he said that he was so homely and that he had nothing to give a
woman, so it never occurred to him.”
“He believes that?”
“Yes, he does. He has no false humility. Jonas Smith is a remarkable man
but doesn’t know it. He sees himself as just some tall, out-of-place soul that
doesn’t fit in anywhere.”
Annie was stunned by what she’d heard and wondered if Beth had used
it because it described the perception that she had of herself, one she’d had
for as long as she could remember.
“Thank you, Beth. Then I won’t feel bad about keeping the knife. One
thing that had me bothered was that I never saw that look in his eyes when
he offered me the knife. You know, that look that men give you when they
want to have their way with you. That’s why I took it in the first place. I
kept wondering, though.”
“I know the look, by the way. I’m glad I could help. By the way, I notice
that you always wear that large man’s shirt and baggy britches. Why? Don’t
you have any more clothes?”
 “I have some, but I have to hide myself from those men. I have a rather
large bosom that I must hide so they don’t bother me. So, I wrap some cloth
around my chest and then put on the shirt. It helps, but I also needed to be
mean to convince everyone to stay away. Sometimes I don’t like having to
be so rude, but it works. Don’t you ever feel afraid?”
“Not really. Everyone on this post knows that Elias is there to protect
me, but I do understand, Annie. If you’d like, you can come over to the
house when Elias is on patrol. We can spend time talking and you can
genuinely relax.”
“I’d like to, but I don’t think it’s proper. The other wives would talk
badly about you, and that’s not right. I’ll be fine.”
“Well, if you ever want to talk, just stop by. Okay?”
Annie nodded, but Beth knew she would never set foot in her quarters.
Beth rose and patted Annie on the shoulder before she turned, opened
the door, left the room and then the laundry.
“That is one hurt woman
.” thought Beth as she walked along the
boardwalk.
Annie remained sitting in her room for a few minutes, thinking about all
that Beth had told her. She desperately wanted to be able to spend time with
her in her house because she was so lonely but knew that it wasn’t possible.
She was less than nothing and Mrs. Preston was admired by everyone in the
fort.
_____
As Beth was trying to help Annie, Annie had been on Beeler’s mind
when Francis Feely entered his office and Beeler told him to close the door.
“So, what do you want this time?” Feely asked.
“I need a favor,” said Beeler.
“You’re always needing favors. You ain’t giving me as much profit as
you were before, so you don’t get any favors unless there’s something in it
for me.”
“Well, in this case, there is,” he answered as he leaned back in his chair
with a smile on his face.
“If that’s the situation, let’s hear it.”
“Remember that bitch I brought here six months ago? The one that’s
working at the laundry?” Beeler asked.
“The tall one?”
“Yeah, that one. Well, having her around is annoying me, and it will get
worse because I have a pretty young thing coming here soon to be my bride.
This one won’t be any damned Amazon, either.”
“So, what’s that got to do with me?” Feely asked, already having an idea
of what it would be.
“Well, you know that sorry excuse for a whore house you’re running?
How about adding that tall woman to your Apache girls?”
“You’ve got to be kidding? That woman? She’s a freak! She’s six inches
taller than me and flat as a board to boot,” Feely said viciously.
“No, she isn’t” Beeler replied, “she’s got really nice, large breasts. They
were the reason I almost didn’t throw her out, but it wasn’t enough.”
“You’re lying, Beeler. I’ve seen her walkin’ around. There ain’t nothin’
there.”
“She’s just hiding them somehow. I don’t know why, but she is. Trust
me, they’re there. When she first showed up, she was wearing a dress and it
was plumb full up, too.”
Feely licked his lips. This could work.
“So, how can I convince her to come work for me?”
“Tell her that I’ve sent you to collect the money she owes me for the
railroad ticket. If she argues, use whatever other means you may have of
persuasion, but when she does come to work for you, I get half of her take.”
 “So, I take all of the risk and you want half the money?”
“Alright, a third. Does that work?”
Feely thought about it. It really didn’t matter if it was a third or a half
anyway, he’d just give Beeler a few dollars a week anyway. Dickering
would let Beeler think he was going to cut him in for a serious cut of the
revenue that the woman would bring in. Having a white woman would be a
real plus.
“Okay, but I’m going to get the first try at her.”
“I wouldn’t expect any less from you, Francis.”
“The name is Frank. But I still don’t see how this will help with your
problem with your new woman. She’ll still be here.”
“True, but she’ll just be a common whore that no one cares about, not
even that meddling Mrs. Preston. My new bride will never know about her
either.”
Feely smiled and said, “Okay. I’ll do it. It’ll take me a week or so,
though. I need to make some changes to, shall we say, prepare for her
arrival.”
They shared a good laugh knowing that it would work out well for both
of them.
__________
Twenty miles northeast of the fort, the men of E troop had finished their
noon meal and were mounting their watered and fed horses.
Jonas had taken care of Dusty before he had eaten, and began riding
again, this time, per direction of the young officer, to the northwest. He rode
a mile in front of the column, scanning the horizons and what little cover
there was. Not that the Apaches needed a lot, but he knew they weren’t
there. He had seen the smoke periodically, sending messages to Victorio
about their passage.
What scheme was Victorio up to?
The recent ruse to
draw two troops out of the fort to allow him to make his attack on the
Tellman’s was fresh in his mind.
 They rode through the afternoon, still heading northwest and had
stopped twice to water and rest the animals. Finally, as the sun set, they
struck camp.
The lieutenant had them build a fire to cook a warm meal and Jonas
could tell by the looks on their dark faces that the experienced troopers
weren’t too pleased with the young officer’s decision. They’d prefer to
forego the hot food rather than send a beacon to the surrounding Apaches.
They all knew that the myth about Indians not attacking at night was just
that.
They were sitting around, cleaning their weapons and glancing into the
surrounding darkness, waiting for a sudden rush of Apaches and Jonas
knew they were nervous. He needed to do something to calm them down.
After he had eaten, he waited two hours until the night had settled in and
approached the lieutenant.
“Lieutenant, I’m going out there and look around outside the perimeter
for a while. I want to check for visitors and figure out their intentions.”
“That’s your job, isn’t it, Smith? To scout for Indians?” he asked,
shocking the nearby men.
No one talked to Jonas Smith that way and they half-expected him to
shoot their young troop commander.
“My job, Lieutenant, is to keep you and those troopers and their horses
safe. How I do it is my decision, and mine alone, so I’m going out there.”
Before the lieutenant could reply, he turned to the sergeant and said,
“Sergeant, I’d appreciate you letting the sentries know I’m out there,
although I doubt that they’ll have any doubts about it shortly.”
“Yes, suh. I’ll do that,” he said before he walked to pass along the
instructions with a slight smile on his face, wondering what Jonas meant
about not having any doubts to his location. He knew that Jonas could
operate as silently as the Apaches he sought.
Jonas left his rifles with his saddle and exchanged his boots for his
moccasins as the soldiers watched, amazed at the guts he had on display by
going out among the hostiles that they all knew were there. Jonas knew they
were there as well but was counting on them being told by Victorio to act as
scouts, not assassins. He was betting his life on it.
He stood after he had his moccasins tied around his new denim pants,
which were working out better than he had hoped. He headed away from
the blazing fire and soon disappeared into the night. He had worked his way
about a hundred feet from the perimeter when he launched loudly into song.
In a great voice, but not a bad one either, he sang, “Come to me darlin’
with thine eyes….”
The Apache scouts that had watched him exit the camp were startled
with his sudden boisterous singing.
What was this white eyes doing?
It was
like he was inviting them to kill him. Maybe he was singing his death song.
They had been positioned about seventy-five feet from the perimeter on
opposite sides of the camp. Both warriors continued to watch Jonas in a
combination of curiosity and disbelief with just a hint of humor.
Jonas continued to move counterclockwise around the camp, still singing
his song with its double meaning. The Apaches couldn’t understand the
words, so they didn’t get the joke and were still confused as he walked and
sang.
Then, suddenly, between verses, he stopped singing and said loudly in
Apache, “I am singing, Apache brothers, to calm down the bluecoats’
spirits which had been upset by the young leader who foolishly built this
great fire. He should be far away sucking on his mother’s teats and not
leading these brave warriors.”
The two Apaches snickered to themselves as Jonas began his second
tune.
Finally, he completed his circle and returned to the camp, still singing
loudly. He walked to the fire amidst dozens of wide eyes still staring at him
with almost as much confusion as the Apache scouts because they couldn’t
speak Apache.
After Jonas sat down, making sure to stare away from the fire to preserve
his night vision, the lieutenant asked, “What was that all about, Mister
Smith? I heard you speaking Apache. What did you tell them?”
Jonas replied loudly so the troopers could hear, “If you must know, I was
telling the two Apache warriors who are located about eighty feet from each
end of your encampment that I apologize for offending their sense of
warrior mentality by building a large fire. The singing was for another
reason.”
The lieutenant seethed as he replied, “I don’t care what the reason was, it
was unnecessary and dangerous. If you knew there were two Apaches there,
why didn’t you kill them?”
“Because I needed to know whether they were scouts or assassins. I
came back alive, so they were only scouts. If they had been sent to kill, both
of your sentries would have been dead, and you would have probably lost
the horses and wagon, but that’s not their job. I went out to see if they
would try to kill me or just watch. Once I had gone a hundred feet without
them attacking me, I knew they were under orders by Victorio to watch and
not attack. It would be dishonorable for them to disobey an order.”
“They’re savages. They have no honor.”
“Their entire lifestyle is built on honor. It must be. They have little, build
nothing, and live near the edge of starvation. Stealing is unheard of because
it would result in someone losing something very precious. That’s why
honor is so important to them. It’s all they have.
“When a war chief gives an order, it must be obeyed explicitly. The
closest to the Apache warrior in history were the Spartans of ancient
Greece. The warrior class deprived themselves of any material possessions.
They inflicted harsh rules of discipline on themselves and just as with the
Apache, honor was paramount. The difference was that with the Spartans it
was a choice. With the Apaches, it’s a necessity.”
“Next, you’ll be telling me that Victorio is like Hannibal, if you know
who he was.”
“Hannibal Barca was a brilliant tacticians, but so is Victorio. Hannibal
had much more weapons and men at his disposal and won many tactical
victories. He also had the advantage that the Roman legions were led by
politicians and not career military men.
“But he made several strategic blunders. He tried to cross the Alps with
his elephants and lost almost all of them. But the worst decision was that he
had left his home turf to attack Rome in Italy. Then he stayed there with
Rome poised right at his back like a Roman gladius. When Scipio Africanus
invaded Carthaginian territory, Hannibal had to rush back and was crushed.
“If he had the strategic abilities of Victorio, he would have stayed in
Carthage and began pushing out more slowly, establishing control over an
area as he went. Victorio doesn’t have that luxury. He’s heavily
outnumbered and he knows it. All he can do is to pick and choose his
battles. He keeps his losses to a minimum while inflicting the most damage
possible.
“We’ve been chasing his hundred warriors with over a thousand men, if
you include the Mexican army, and we haven’t caught him yet. My biggest
concern is what he’s planning on doing about this column. He’s been
tracking us since we left. That’s why I was so curious about our two friends
out there. They’re scouts to tell Victorio where we are and what we are
doing. He’s just watching, and I just don’t know what he’s planning yet.”
The West Point graduate was stunned by what he considered to be an
ignorant scout’s response.
“Nonetheless,” he finally replied, “I need to follow my orders.”
“You never did explain the purpose of the patrol.”
“No, I didn’t,” he said before he left the campfire.
_____
The next day, the lieutenant changed their course of march to due west.
Jonas figured they were a good forty miles north of Fort Selden when they
started the day’s march, and by noon, they would be about thirty miles from
the fort. Not too distant, but not good enough to really do any good, either.
But he wasn’t giving any orders.
 After they had halted for their noon meal, which was closer to one
o’clock rather than noon, the column swerved to the southwest and Jonas
wondered where the lieutenant would take them next and why. He noted the
signal smoke, passing along the column’s change of direction to Victorio,
and grew even more concerned about the purpose of the expedition. This
whole mission was clawing at him and Victorio’s obvious interest in it
made it much worse.
When they camped for the night, Jonas noted the lack of a campfire, so
maybe the arrogant little snot was learning something after all. The
watchers were still there, but Jonas saw no need to go and chat with them.
_____
Early the next morning, they continued southwest, and Jonas estimated
their position to be about forty miles northwest of the fort. He continued his
routine search for hostiles with the routine negative result and knew the few
Apache scouts were still out there, but there was nothing he could do about
it. The lieutenant remained aloof, keeping his mission goals to himself.
After their noon meal, he ordered that their direction be changed once
more. This time to the south. It appeared as if they were making a large
loop around the northern expanse above the fort.
At this distance from his normal arena of action, Victorio wouldn’t have
bothered them at all. His area of operation was to the south where he could
reach the relative safety of Mexico. The north had little to offer in the way
of supplies for him to raid and he wasn’t going to go near Las Cruces. So, it
was obvious to Jonas that the cavalry wasn’t really searching for Victorio or
any of his raiding parties. That left only one other possibility. They were
acting as bait to try and lure Victorio out to fight.
That would be a fine strategy if the army was dealing with a similarly
armed, equally sized fighting force that was aggressive, but they weren’t.
They could march around till doomsday and not get the Apache war chief to
commit his limited forces.
They had been marching for almost two hours when Jonas, a mile or so
ahead of the column as usual, picked up a dust cloud on the southern
horizon. It was a good-sized cloud and Jonas assumed that it was another
troop sent out to either reinforce Maxwell or to have him join with them for
some action, so he turned and rode back to the troop and found the
lieutenant.
“Lieutenant, there’s a large dust cloud to the south. Are you expecting
another troop to join you?”
“No, you just don’t understand! Major Thomas’ strategy worked! That’s
Victorio coming to attack us. The major knew we could draw him out of
hiding. D troop was dispatched yesterday and is heading north right now,
coming up behind him. We have them in a classic pincer movement. Your
strategic genius isn’t so smart now, is he?”
“That big dust cloud isn’t being made by Victorio. They never leave
clouds of dust like that. It’s either D troop or Victorio has some of his
warriors dragging mesquite bushes behind their horses to stir up the dust.”
“Why can’t you see the obvious? You are such an arrogant bastard that
you refuse to believe that you can be wrong. But you are and we have him
now.”
As soon as he finished putting the smug scout in his place, the lieutenant
called up his sergeant and told him to prepare to move the men at a hard
ride to intercept the oncoming Apaches. The sergeant acknowledged the
order and returned to the troop to pass them along then returned just a
minute later.
Jonas waited for the sergeant to return before he said, “Lieutenant, if you
head south, you’d better plan on continuing past that cloud to come to the
assistance of D troop.”
“What the hell are you talking about? D troop is going to come up
behind Victorio and we’ll crush him.”
“Unless I miss my guess, D troop has been following that cloud for most
of the day at a fast pace. Their horses are probably exhausted and that will
be the advantage Victorio needs. That and knowing that only three
companies of troops remaining in the fort. The Apaches don’t care if they
ride their horses to death. If they can wear out D troop’s horses, it’ll be
worth it. If I were you, I’d have the horses watered quickly and have them
move at a trot toward the dust cloud. When you get there, you’ll probably
see some Apaches. Ignore them. Let them go. Keep heading south and in a
little while, you’ll probably see another dust cloud, that’ll be D troop, and
they’ll probably be engaged with Victorio’s main body.”
Lieutenant Maxwell snapped, “I’ll water the horses, but you just watch
what happens when we hit the Apaches,” then spun on his heels and
marched away.
Jonas sighed. This had all the markings of a disaster. Once he spotted the
dust cloud and the lieutenant had told him that D troop had been dispatched,
everything became instantly clear.
Victorio’s scouts had been tracking Maxwell’s troop for days and knew
their patrol made no sense. When Victorio was told of the second troop
dispatching from the fort, it would be simple to guess their strategy. He sent
out a few warriors to create a cloud of dust that would be easily seen by
Henderson’s D troop. They’d think they had their quarry and pursue,
knowing that E troop was to their north. They probably rode right past
Victorio, who was probably waiting with his full complement of warriors
along the banks of the Rio Grande. He’d wait until D troop’s horses were
exhausted and had to rest and then he would strike. And now this young,
puffed up jaybird would fall into Victorio’s trap. It was far from being a
‘classic pincer movement’
.
The sergeant had been following the conversation, and when the
lieutenant turned to pass along orders to water the mounts, the sergeant
gave Jonas a short nod and a weak smile. He knew.
After all the animals, including Dusty, had been watered, the column
moved at a fast pace heading south.  Ten minutes later, the cloud creators
were identified as a group Apaches. There were only eight of them, and
when they saw the bluecoats, they whooped, dropped the ropes that were
attached to a collection of shrubs and began racing to the east, toward the
San Andres mountains.
Ignoring Jonas’ advice, Lieutenant Maxwell ordered his column form up
for a charge, and the men spread out across a line in good order.
 Jonas just kept Dusty standing and watched as the bugler blew the
charge and the entire column raced off, sabers flashing in the afternoon sun.
This was insanity.
As soon as the troop had charged, Jonas set Dusty on a fast trot to the
south to find D troop and Victorio.
_____
The all-out charge lasted more than twenty minutes, finishing more than
eight miles to the east. They ran down the scattering Apaches, killing three.
The others vanished into the desert, their ponies lying dead or dying in the
harsh sand.
Jonas knew as soon as they had begun the long chase, that E troop’s
horses would be spent and would take them at least an hour to recover, and
even then, they could only come south at a walk. He knew they couldn’t
possibly arrive to assist D troop in less than two hours. He hoped that he
was wrong and didn’t know what he could do to help, but all he could do
was to press south.
After fifteen minutes of keeping Dusty at a fast trot, Jonas noted another
large dust cloud, but this one wasn’t moving. It was the sign of an
engagement. It was about four miles away, so he set Dusty to an even faster
pace, afraid of what he might find.
After about ten minutes of hard riding, Jonas began to pick out
individual movements. He saw large clouds of gunsmoke as rifles fired
from both sides. He was still a mile away, but Dusty kept closing the
distance to the fight.
When he was within eight hundred yards of the skirmish, Jonas took out
his field glasses and examined the site. Overall, the soldiers were making a
good showing. The Apaches had cut the troop into two groups and the large
group was closer to him and seemed well situated.
The second group, however, was in a bad position. They were taking a
beating and it was that southern group that was the focus of the Apaches as
it had the ammunition-filled supply wagon.
 While the larger group of Apaches kept the northern group of soldiers
busy, the smaller group of about twenty soldiers were encircled by slowly
advancing Apaches.
Jonas noted that the smaller group had already lost their horses and the
supply wagon’s contents to the Apaches, supplies that Victorio desperately
needed. He could see the mule team being led south, carrying large boxes.
Victorio had his ammunition and about a dozen spare rifles. The remaining
warriors would give the captured mules and their supplies time to get away,
and probably try to destroy the smaller southern group before they
abandoned the attack. They needed help.
But he knew that E troop was too far away to provide that help. He’d
have to use a bluff and hope that the Apaches would believe that E troop
was behind him.
He moved in closer; about four hundred yards from the northern group.
If he could free them from their attackers, they could ride to the assistance
of the smaller, horseless group.
He dismounted and turned Dusty sideways, pulled out his Sharps and
opened the saddlebag with the extra ammunition. He removed and dropped
a few of the giant cartridges into his pocket. With his bad arm, he couldn’t
trust trying to support the big gun and still maintain any degree of accuracy.
He loaded the chamber and hoped that the explosively loud report wouldn’t
spook Dusty too much. He had fired the gun from his back before, but not
with the rifle barrel across the saddle. Time would tell how his trusty mule
would react.
He raised the ladder sight and took aim at a warrior astride his pony
firing his rifle. He was about six hundred yards out but wasn’t looking in
his direction. He held his breath and slowly squeezed the trigger. The
Sharps leapt from the saddle with a roar and more than a second later, the
Apache spun from his horse. When the report reached the Apaches’ ear
drums around the same time that the bullet smashed into their comrade,
they almost universally swiveled to see where the shot had come from.
Dusty hadn’t twitched.
 Not waiting for the Apaches to react, Jonas had loaded a second round,
found another target and squeezed off a second shot. He wasn’t sure if he
hit the Apache or his horse, but they both went down. He reloaded and fired
again. By now, he figured he’d gotten all the use possible out of the Sharps.
He returned it to its scabbard, pulled out his Winchester, mounted Dusty,
then turned him toward the Apaches. The northern group of soldiers saw
him immediately after hearing his Sharp’s report, then renewed their fire at
the Apaches as they saw him riding his mule in their direction expecting
that E troop was near.
Victorio thought the same thing, suspected that the bluecoats hadn’t
fallen for his deception and the other troop of cavalry was headed his way.
They weren’t leaving a large dust cloud, but he couldn’t take the chance
after having recognized Jonas as their scout. They had their achieved their
primary mission, so the secondary one of destroying the small group wasn’t
necessary. They had gained twenty horses and, more importantly, boxes of
precious ammunition and rifles from the supply wagon, so he gave orders to
break off the attack.
The Apaches quickly formed up and headed south as Jonas arrived at the
northern group and found Lieutenant Henderson. He had taken a bullet in
the left thigh and was being lifted by two of his men to a sitting position
against a boulder.
He approached the officer and said, “Lieutenant, E troop is a few miles
behind me, so they should be here soon. I’d recommend that you have your
sergeant do a quick head count then help the southern group. They’re still
exposed out there.”
Henderson nodded and told the sergeant to take care of it. The sergeant
saluted, then ran off to execute the order.
The almost empty supply wagon was sitting south of the southern group.
Its team had been stolen along with the group’s horses. The sergeant had
four mounts brought back from the northern cluster to harness to the wagon.
They weren’t draft horses, but the soldiers who rode the horses wouldn’t
need them any longer. The casualty count was six dead, and seventeen
wounded. It could have been worse – much worse.
 Jonas was inwardly fuming at the waste of life because of two, make that
three, officers’ stupidity. Henderson wasn’t immune from the blame, either.
He had fallen into Victorio’s trap, following a fake dust cloud thinking he
was chasing Victorio. Maxwell could have saved some of them if he had
put aside his own self-importance and arrogance, but the biggest blame was
on the head of Major Thomas. He had planned this ill-fated expedition and
had used inexperienced, if not incompetent officers. He knew that Elias or
Avery would never have fallen into such a trap.
E troop finally arrived at the shambles of D troop’s makeshift camp and
Jonas noted the shocked look on Maxwell’s face. Maybe it would take his
arrogance down a peg or two, but he doubted it. In a mind like his, it would
probably be someone else’s fault, maybe even Jonas’.
The wounded were loaded into E troop’s supply wagon and the six
bodies were placed in D troop’s empty wagon.  It was late, but they started
back anyway, moving at a slow pace.  After two hours, they stopped and set
up a quiet, somber camp. Despite knowing that the disaster wasn’t their
fault, the soldiers were despondent. Jonas wished he could do something to
help them, but he couldn’t restore their lost friends.
_____
Early the next day, the shattered group began its return trip in earnest.
They had another twenty miles to go but could only make walking speed
because the wagon carrying the dead was being pulled by horses
unaccustomed to the work.
By three in the afternoon, the fort was in sight and two riders came from
the fort seeking information. Jonas was in front of the column, as he should
be, so he gave them a quick rundown of the engagement, telling them
they’d get the full report from the two officers. He then gave them a list of
the wounds suffered by the men before they both wheeled their mounts and
galloped back to the post to let the doctor know that wounded were coming
in.
Twenty minutes later, Jonas crossed the threshold to the fort and walked
Dusty across the parade ground to the stables. He dismounted and led him
inside, letting him drink before bringing him to a stall. After he had
unsaddled the mule and brushed him down, he filled his bucket with oats,
then picked up his rifles and saddlebags and headed outside, never paying
any attention to his recent wound.
He stood and watched the soldiers filtering in, leading their mounts. He
waited until the first of the wagons rolled into the fort, then shook his head
and walked to the scout quarters. He paid no attention to the lines of people
watching the sad display.
Annie had stepped out of the laundry and saw the sight of dispirited
soldiers walking into the fort. She couldn’t understand why they looked so
sad and noticed Jonas walking toward his quarters. She had seen him look
at the soldiers and shake his head and wondered why.
Jonas entered his quarters, laid down his weapons then began cleaning
the Sharps. It was the only weapon he had fired and needed to get the
corrosive residue out of the barrel. As he was cleaning the gun, he heard
footsteps on the floor, looked up and saw Elias standing in the doorway.
“What happened, Jonas?” he asked as he slowly walked into the room.
Jonas sighed and lowered his head, looking at the floor.
“It was so stupid, Elias. All of it. The major’s so-called strategy and the
execution by two inexperienced officers. The unit is in shambles. It cost
them, Elias. It cost them more than just the dead and wounded, although
that was a high enough price to pay. If we must fight a war, give the men a
fair chance. Give them a good plan and good leadership. We gave these
men neither.
“Elias, I warned Maxwell. I told him exactly what was happening, and
he is so arrogant that he called me an idiot and told me how they had
Victorio in a ‘classic pincer movement’. I told him to ignore those Apaches
dragging the mesquite. So, what did that little moron do? He saw eight
Apaches. Eight! He launched a full-blown cavalry charge at eight Indians!
“I understand he killed three of them, so it was a great victory for
Lieutenant Maxwell. Maybe he’ll get a medal. D troop lost six dead and
seventeen wounded. The men are demoralized because of what happened
and even though they know it’s not their fault, it doesn’t make it any better.
I don’t think they see any changes in the future, Elias, and they’re probably
right. There’s nothing we can do about it. I have an urge to go into that
commander’s office and put a bullet through his brain, if he has one.”
Lieutenant Preston stood looking at his friend then softly said, “Jonas,
why don’t you come to the house and have dinner with me and Beth.”
“No, Elias. I don’t think so. I’ve got to settle myself down.”
“Okay. If you need anything, let me know.”
Jonas nodded, then Elias turned and left the room.
Jonas continued cleaning the Sharps. When it was done, he set it aside
and wondered what he could do to help rectify the situation. The answer
was painfully simple – nothing.
_____
Elias walked into his quarters where Beth was setting the table.
“Is he coming for dinner?” she asked.
“No. He’s not. He’s really upset, and I can’t say that I blame him.”
“Why? What did he tell you?”
He spent a few minutes repeating what Jonas had told him and Beth was
stunned.
When he finished, she asked, “What can be done about this?”
“Jonas has it right. Nothing. All we can do is try our best to make sure
that it doesn’t happen again.”
Beth sighed and returned to the kitchen.
_____
After almost an hour just sitting on his bed, Jonas finally stood and
slowly stepped to the open door and looked at the parade grounds. Outside,
the soldiers were going about their duties without energy. Each man looked
as if part of his soul had been ripped away.
 He blew out his breath, then walked across the parade grounds and out
the front gate, heading west. It was only a few hundred yards to the Rio
Grande, and Jonas walked toward a small grove of junipers that grew along
the river’s bank.
Jonas walked among the trees and found a spot overlooking the river. It
looked as if others had used the spot before because there were two rocks
that had obviously been dragged to the spot. He thought that it would be a
nice location to watch the sunset, at least on better days than this one.
He sat on the taller of the two rocks and looked west. It was a
spectacular view with the desert to the south and the Black Range
mountains to the north. He settled onto his seat and let his mind wander. He
had returned to be with people, but since he had come back, nothing had
gone right. Except for Elias and Beth, his presence didn’t seem to make any
difference and he wondered if he had made the right decision after all.
The sun began to set, and Jonas waited to watch the spectacle. It was
glorious. No wonder someone had taken the time to drag the two rocks to
the grove. As the show ended, he stood and returned to his quarters, closed
the door, took off his clothes and just went to sleep.
 CHAPTER 5
The word was passed the next morning that there would be a memorial
service held for the six soldiers who had died in the fight. It was to be held
on the parade ground at two o’clock that afternoon.
Jonas, having skipped the two previous meals, had breakfast in the mess
then went to the stables to take care of Dusty.
No one had asked him about yesterday’s events except Elias, which was
both good and bad. Good because he didn’t want to talk about it and bad
because the major didn’t want to hear his official report. But the word had
gotten around to all the troopers about the whole mission. It included the
fire, Jonas’ singing, and the charge after eight hostiles despite the warning
from Jonas not to waste the effort. It may not have been official, but it was
accurate.
After the noon meal, Jonas returned to his quarters, dressed in a clean
pair of denims and one of his new gray shirts. He figured he could wash his
own denims in the river and maybe he should just wash his shirts, too. It
would keep him out of going to the laundry. The lady was armed now and it
was his fault.
Assembly was bugled shortly before two o’clock, and Jonas, having no
official duties in the memorial service, simply stood at his quarters’ door.
He could easily hear anything that was said but knew it wouldn’t be much,
or so he thought.
The sergeant major called the men to attention. The officers, wearing
their dress uniforms, were all spit and polish as they stood before their
troops while Jonas continued to lean on the doorjamb.
Major Thomas strutted out of his office with two sheets of paper in his
hand and stepped onto a box that had been placed on the boardwalk. Jonas
had forgotten how short he was. Jonas estimated that he was shorter than
General Sheridan, and that was pretty short.
 He scanned the faces all staring at him and began his oration.
“We are here today to memorialize the loss of six proud warriors of D
company, 10
th
United States Cavalry. They died heroically, but not in vain.
Their sacrifice was given in achieving a great victory against the savages
who had ignobly attacked their unit.”
Jonas was stunned when the words that echoed across the parade field.
Did he just hear the word ‘victory’ come out of that weasel’s mouth?
The major continued, saying, “Those who died would be proud of the
crushing defeat inflicted upon the Apache warmongers by their comrades.
While being attacked viciously by vastly superior numbers, the brave men
of D company bravely held their ground while their fellow cavalrymen
from E company heroically rushed to their rescue.
“Even though E company had to disperse and destroy a large group of
hostiles sent to stop them from rendering assistance to their brothers, a
noble charge in the proudest tradition of the cavalry was conducted
flawlessly under the leadership of Second Lieutenant Edward Maxwell.
“After crushing the force meant to hold him in position, Lieutenant
Maxwell risked all by proceeding south in haste to rescue his besieged
brethren. At the sight of the oncoming wave of brave men in blue, the
cowardly Indians ran like children before a lion. The extraordinary heroism
of Lieutenants Maxwell and Henderson will be remembered forever on the
citations that will bear their names. To those six who were lost, we express
our sorrow and condolences. May they rest in peace, knowing that they died
for the glory of their regiment and the United States Army. You may
dismiss the troops.”
Major Thomas stepped down from his box, executed a left face and
strode back into his office.
The sergeant major faced the assembled men and shouted, “Dismissed!”
Even though they had received the command to disperse, the men just
stood frozen in place, dumbfounded by what the major had said. They
hadn’t even heard the names of their friends. They knew to a man that
nothing that the major had said remotely resembled what had actually
happened.
After another minute or so, they slowly they began to meander back to
their duties, even more despondent than before.
Jonas was past being dumbfounded and was ready to explode. He
quickly turned back into his quarters and sat on his bed. The longer he sat,
the angrier he got.
How dare he!
Those men had died because of him. They
should have been eating breakfast with their friends instead of lying under
six feet of cold dirt.
Finally reaching depths of anger he hadn’t felt in years he stood, stepped
to his weapons and angrily snatched the Sharps. Then he reached into his
saddlebags and took six of the long .50-140 cartridges and marched from
the room.
Many saw him exit his quarters, rifle in hand and could see the anger in
his eyes. Each of them knew what had created his wrath. The true events of
the skirmish had been talked about extensively before the major’s attempt
to portray the ignominious defeat as a glorious victory. To a man, they were
universally afraid of what Jonas was going to do.
He strode defiantly toward the command building, his eyes focused on
his destination. The watchers were horrified and elated at the same time.
Was he really going to use that cannon to blast a hole in the major?
Just as he reached the building, he suddenly turned sharply to his right
and began climbing the parapet. His change of direction confused the
watchers but granted them some measure of relief and disappointment at the
same time.
Once he reached the top, he set the six rounds he had in his left hand on
a shelf under the parapet’s full-length opening. Many eyes were peering up
at him, but he noticed none of them as they wondered what he would do.
He took the first round and chambered it. Damaged arm or not, he
grabbed the rifle in his left hand and quickly raised it toward the west,
where he had viewed that glorious display last evening. He didn’t aim, but
just squeezed the trigger. The huge boom of the gun startled those who
hadn’t been watching.
Jonas then cocked the lever which flipped open the breech. He replaced
the spent cartridge with another giant round, snapped the breech closed,
aimed to the west again and fired a second time. He continued, one shot
after another, each separated by almost exactly six seconds.
Now everyone knew what his purpose was. When the echoes of the sixth
and final shot reverberated through the fort, Jonas scooped up his empty
brass and climbed from the parapet back to the ground. He crossed onto the
parade grounds saying nothing to anyone before he just disappeared into his
quarters and shut the door.
He didn’t come out for the evening meal, and no one entered the scouts’
quarters. Inside, Jonas was cleaning his Sharps with a vengeance. He really
had thought about shooting that little bastard at first, but realized it
wouldn’t bring back the lost soldiers, nor would it really lift their spirits. He
and they needed those men to be honored.
_____
The next day, he had breakfast in the mess, and none approached him as
he ate his meal. After servicing Dusty, he went to the infirmary to have his
sutures removed. It was a day early, but it looked good, and he wanted to
get back to full functionality. As he entered, Doctor Withers saw him and
waved him over.
Jonas could see the number of wounded soldiers laid out in beds in the
ward and his anger resurfaced, if it had ever really diminished.
“What can I do for you today, Jonas?”
“Can you take these stitches out today, Doc? I know it’s a day early, but
it looks good.”
“Let’s take a look.”
The doctor examined the wound and ageed that removing the sutures
would be acceptable, then guided him into an examining room and had the
stitches out in just a few minutes.
 As he was removing the sutures, the doctor asked, “Anything you want
to talk about, Jonas?”
“Not really, Doc. The problems that are bothering me are out of my
control anyway, so I’ll just have to live with them for a while.”
“If you need to talk, pay me a visit.”
“I will, Doc. Thanks for taking care of my arm. It feels as good as new.”
“Liar. It’ll be sore until that muscle knits. At least you don’t have to
worry about ripping it open anymore.”
Jonas nodded and said, “Thanks again, Doc. You’re a good man.”
He hopped off the examining table and put his shirt back on, then left the
infirmary and walked to the stables where he saddled Dusty. He led him out
into the bright sunshine, then to his quarters and picked up his Winchester
and a canteen.
He returned to Dusty, rammed the Winchester into its scabbard and
hooked the canteen from the saddle horn, swung his leg around the saddle
and walked the mule out the gate. As he passed the sentry, he nodded his
head. The sentry came quickly to attention and snapped a perfect salute as
Jonas watched in confusion.
“What was that all about?” he asked himself.
He didn’t think about it very long. He had decided to do something he
swore he’d never do. The problem at Fort Selden needed correction and he
knew the only person who could make it happen.
He turned Dusty and rode toward Las Cruces arriving just after noon. He
stopped at the cantina and had himself a nice lunch of Mexican fare before
he rode to the Western Union office and sent a telegram.
CUMP SHERMAN DEPT OF THE ARMY WASHINGTON CITY
 
SERIOUS ISSUES AT FORT SELDEN
UNNECESSARY LOSS OF MEN DUE TO POOR LEADERSHIP
NEED SOMEONE WITH AUTHORITY TO CORRECT
SEE LT PRESTON IF I AM NOT AVAILABLE
 
JONAS SMITH FORT SELDEN NEW MEX
 
The telegrapher looked at his written message and asked, “Are you sure
you want this addressed in this manner?”
“Yes. It’s what I was told to use by the general when I saw him last.”
The telegrapher seemed impressed with his answer and nodded before
saying, “That will be forty-five cents, sir.”
Jonas paid for the telegram as the operator tapped it out, sending it on its
way to the nation’s capital, hoping it would do some good. He hadn’t seen
the general in almost two decades, but the last time he had, he had given
Jonas the method of contacting him should he ever need assistance. For the
first time in twenty years, he needed that assistance.
His last stop was to the general store where he bought six tins of beans,
two of beef and two of peaches, a pound of coffee and a slab of bacon then
completed his order with two boxes of matches.
He let Dusty to the trough and fed him a bag of oats that he had packed
earlier. When his mule emptied his feedbag, Jonas mounted Dusty and
headed east toward the San Andres mountains and his cabin.
Three hours later, as the sky was growing red, he reached his cabin,
opened the door and found that nothing had changed in the past two weeks.
No one had used the place, and he was happy about that. He went back
outside and cleared off Dusty’s back, bringing his supplies and tack into the
cabin. He led Dusty to his recently constructed corral and set him loose
with his fellow mule and was surprised to see that there was still a decent
amount of grass.
After he returned to his cabin, he closed the door and made himself a
decent dinner of bacon and beans washed down with a few cups of nice,
strong coffee. The sun had already set when he opened the door again and
looked at the night sky. It was beautiful here. There wasn’t another human
being within ten miles, but he knew he’d go back to the fort soon because it
was his job. All he needed was one night away, and this was a perfect place
for a getaway.
_____
The next morning, after fixing himself a breakfast that was remarkably
like last night’s dinner, he saddled Dusty and began his return to Fort
Selden. He had left his canned beans in the cabin for future visits but kept
the remainder of the bacon with him in his saddlebags, along with the cans
of peaches. Why he kept the peaches, he hadn’t a clue. Maybe he’d have
them as a snack when he missed a meal.
Just around noon, he reached the fort and entered the gates, nodded at
the sentry, who repeated the other sentry’s salute. It was somewhat
embarrassing to Jonas, but he acknowledged the salute with a nod and
continued onto his quarters.
He had just entered the door when he heard bootsteps running behind
him, turned and saw Elias pop through the doorway.
“Jonas, welcome back! We thought you might have left for good. I’m
heading out on a mission tomorrow and want you to come along. Will
you?”
“Of course, I will. It’s what they pay me for. But for you, I’d even do it
for free,” he replied as he smiled at Elias.
Elias was happy to see Jonas smile. He and Beth had been worried when
he had been spotted leaving the fort and not been seen at breakfast.
“Where did you go, anyway?”
“Just to my cabin for a night.  I needed to get away.”
“We all needed to get away but didn’t have your flexibility.”
“So, where are you headed?”
“South. We’re going to the Mexican border. Our major wants me to
make a punitive expedition against Victorio.”
 “That’s different. We might even find hostiles. Can you come in and talk
for a few minutes? I have a suggestion.”
“Absolutely!” Elias replied enthusiastically.
Jonas turned, set his Winchester down in the corner, then sat on his bed
as Elias took a seat on the unused bed against the opposite wall.
“So, what do you need?” asked Elias.
“I’ve been waiting for a thrust to the south to try something. I think I
have an idea where Victorio’s camp is. How much flexibility do you have in
the mission?”
“What do you mean?”
“II need to know if you have to leave at a specific time.”
“It’s not in my orders, so I don’t see why I can’t have the men leave
when I decide. Why?”
“I’d like to get your troop out of here quietly after midnight, no noise
and no commands. I’m reasonably sure that Victorio has spies monitoring
the gate. But no one ever leaves at night, so they might miss your departure.
They may not, but it’ll still be difficult for them to figure out where you’re
going if they need to track you rather than watch. If you can do that, I’ll
have more suggestions once we are under way.”
Elias sat back and thought about it, but not for long before he said, “Let’s
do it. The major won’t get wind of it until we’re already gone.”
“You’ll need to have the troopers drift out just after midnight in groups
of less than four. Have them pack food for a week in their saddle bags along
with fifty rounds of ammunition each. And don’t have a supply wagon,
either.”
“I’ll pass the word along. Where will you be?”
“I’ll be waiting for you outside the gate. I’ll find you, don’t worry.”
Elias was getting excited. Maybe they’d finally mount a mission with a
chance of success.
 He reached over and shook Jonas’ hand before exclaiming, “Glad you’re
back!”
Then he rose and bounded out the door while Jonas sat and hoped that
this worked out. If it didn’t, then he’d probably just cost Elias any hope of a
promotion. But even if it did turn out to be successful, knowing Major
Thomas, a poor rating was still a possibility as Elias wouldn’t be following
standard procedures.
_____
Elias’ first stop after leaving was to notify his sergeant of the plan,
giving credit to Jonas for the idea. The sergeant was as immensely pleased
as his troop commander had been, seeing the validity of the planning. This
might work.
Before he’d found Jonas, Elias had told Beth about the upcoming
mission, and the first thing she had asked was who would scout for him
with Jonas missing. She didn’t know that Jonas had returned and was
seriously worried.
When he returned to his house, he bounced through the door, grinned at
Beth and told her that Jonas had not only returned but had already set plans
in motion that could have a significant impact on the mission. She listened
as he explained what they would do, and even she saw the difference. She
was even happier that Jonas was back.
At the evening mess call, Jonas noticed a complete change in the men’s
behavior. They were themselves again, maybe even more so. They were
laughing and engaging in horseplay, and he figured that word had gotten
around about the next mission. It was one of those ‘what the officers don’t
know’ kind of secrets.
After the meal, he returned to his quarters and found his supplies stacked
inside. He had requisitioned six cans of beans, two pounds of coffee, some
salt and jerky. It seemed that the quartermaster had already had them
delivered and set aside the stores for the night’s mission and was ready to
issue them quickly.
 He loaded them into his saddlebags along with his spare ammunition,
cleaned his weapons again and checked his other supplies. He had donned
his buckskins and put his field glasses and moccasins in his already bulging
saddlebags. Once he was satisfied that all was ready, he laid down to catch a
couple of hours of sleep. It was going to be an interesting day tomorrow,
and it would begin in the middle of the night when the new day began.
 CHAPTER 6
It seemed like just seconds had passed when his eyes popped open in the
darkened quarters. He rose, stretched, then stepped out the door and
examined the sky. He guessed that it was about an hour before midnight. It
was time to be moving.
He walked quietly to the stables, entered and had to tap Dusty on the
head to wake him up. He wasn’t pleased but stood silently as Jonas saddled
him. Once his mule was prepared, Jonas led him out to the parade ground.
The clopping of his hooves seemed loud, but it was as quiet as he could
make them without adding cloth mufflers.
He guided the mule to his quarters and began transferring his gear to
Dusty. Once complete, he recrossed the parade grounds and headed for the
gate, hoping that the sentry had been notified. When he spotted one of the
two big doors was half-open, he knew that word had been passed. He
waved at the sentry as he walked through and received another salute, albeit
with a big smile on his face...very unmilitary. Slowly he led Dusty through
the Apache encampment until he was about a half mile south of the fort.
Once he was satisfied with his location, he sat on the ground and waited.
It was almost forty minutes before the first soldiers began filtering out.
Once the first group was close enough, Jonas stood and snapped his fingers
in the almost total darkness. The only light was being provided by the
bright band of the Milky Way as the moon had already set.
The soldiers saw him and drifted his way, and after the first sixteen were
out, the commanding lieutenant, one each Elias Preston arrived. He wore a
grin on his face like a boy who had just gotten away with playing hooky,
which was just about what it was.
It took another thirty minutes to get the whole troop out of the fort, and
once they had a good head count, Jonas mounted Dusty and without a
spoken command, the others mounted.
 Jonas walked Dusty south at a quiet pace and there was just enough
starlight to follow the entrance roadway for almost a mile. The road turned
southeast, so Jonas kept heading south, if not more to the southwest, toward
the Rio Grande. He wanted to put as much distance as possible between the
men and the Apache spies outside the fort before daylight.
When sunrise did arrive, the troop was well south of the fort, so Jonas
held up and waited for the men to catch up. When they arrived, he slid from
Dusty and walked to the lieutenant.
“Lieutenant, can we take a break over yonder, so I can make my other
suggestions?”
“Sounds like a good idea, Mister Smith. We’ll do that.”
Elias smiled at the formalities, knowing they were necessary, and
directed the men to the spot Jonas had indicated.
Everyone dismounted and had some breakfast and cared for their mounts
while Jonas conferred with their officer.
“What I’m recommending, and this is only a suggestion, mind you, is
that instead of marching in column formation, we split up into groups of ten
and walk the horses in random fashion heading in the same direction. That
way, we won’t raise a big dust cloud. In fact, it’ll barely be noticeable at all.
It will take us longer to get where we are going, but we’ll arrive without a
lot of fanfare.”
“I do believe I’ll implement your suggestion, Mister Smith. I’ll notify
the sergeant to break up the troop and issue instructions on how to
proceed.”
“Your wisdom and leadership are commendable, sir. I’m going to take
care of Dusty, throw some vittles into my stomach and head south.”
Elias grinned and gave him a wave before leaving to pass along his new
orders.
The mission had truly started.
__________
 Back at Fort Selden, Major Thomas had entered his office to begin the
day, realizing that something was different but couldn’t put a finger on it.
So, he sat at his desk and began reviewing daily reports.
Suddenly, a little after eight o’clock, he realized what it was. He had
directed Lieutenant Preston to undertake a patrol to the south today, and
nothing had happened. He was furious about his disobedience. That upstart
would get his comeuppance, starting right now.
“Corporal! Get in here!” he shouted.
“Yes, suh!” exclaimed the toady as he jumped to his feet and raced into
the office.
“Get down to Lieutenant Preston’s quarters and tell him to report to me
on the double!”
“Yes, suh!” he repeated, and after a quick salute, turned on his heels
jogged out of the office then the building before he ran down the
boardwalk, almost knocking over two troopers in the process.
When he arrived at the lieutenant’s quarters, he knocked violently on the
Prestons’ door. Thirty seconds later, the door opened, and Beth looked out
at her anticipated visitor.
“May I help you, Corporal?” she asked as she smiled sweetly.
“Yes, ma’am. The major, he’s rightly hoppin’ mad and says for your
husband, the lieutenant, to come to his office on the double, ma’am.”
“I’m sorry, Corporal, but I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
“But ma’am! The major, he sure was mad! Please tell the lieutenant to
get down there on the double.”
“But I can’t tell him that, Corporal.”
“Why not, ma’am?”
“Because he left on patrol this morning with C troop as directed by the
major.”
 “He did? Well, ma’am, if you’re sure, then I guess that’s okay. I’ll tell
the major.”
Totally confused, the corporal saluted Beth and ran back down the
boardwalk as Beth giggled and closed the door.
The corporal crashed into the command building’s doorjamb and then
bounced into the office before slowing down slightly and stepping into the
major’s office.
He popped to attention and said, “Suh, the lieutenant ain’t in his house.
His missus said that he went on patrol like you said.”
“Nonsense. I heard no assembly, no commands issued, and no horses or
wagon moving either. She’s lying. She’s hiding him somewhere. I’ll take
care of this!”
He rose from his desk and was preparing to go to the Prestons’ quarters
to face the woman when he realized the easiest way to prove her lie would
be to talk to the troops who should have gone this morning. So, he rapidly
changed direction and set off for the C troop barracks.  He arrived at the
door and swung it open, expecting to hear the usual hubbub of activity but
found it totally silent. The big room was empty and C troop was gone.
He turned, leaving the door wide open and jogged to the stables where
he discovered that C troop’s mounts were missing, so they must have gone
on patrol.
Had he just slept through a normal departure?
He used a more dignified approach as he strolled to the quartermaster’s
building, finding the quartermaster at his desk. He never did like the big
Irishman. He wasn’t nearly respectful as he should be.
Sergeant Maloney was expecting the major to arrive and stood when he
saw him enter. He managed to hold back his almost desperate need to at
least snicker.
“Sergeant, has C troop been issued their rations and ammunition for a
patrol.”
“Yes, sir. Issued them myself. They seemed happy to be going on patrol,
they were.”
 “Which wagon did they use?”
“They didn’t take a wagon with ‘em, sir. They just packed the supplies in
their saddlebags, they did.”
“No wagon? What is going on here?”
“I don’t know, sir. I just know I issued the supplies for a patrol like
always, and they took ‘em.”
“What is going on?” he asked rhetorically as Sergeant Maloney stared
past the major’s head, which wasn’t hard to do even with his hat on.
Major Thomas was furious more than curious but couldn’t chew
anybody out. A patrol that he ordered to dispatch had done so, and supplies
had been issued appropriately. The absence of the wagon was odd, though.
He pivoted on his heels as he mumbled to himself then left the
quartermaster building and headed back to his office. He had barely cleared
the doorway while Sergeant Maloney sat down and had to cover his mouth
to muffle his laughter.
_____
Outside the fort, among the Apaches in the encampment, Enciente
watched the activity inside the fort, just as he had for the past month. He
had been told that there was to be a patrol today, but none of the hated
bluecoats had left the fort. He hated his job as scout. Warriors should be
killing the bluecoats, not watching them. Victorio had turned into an old
woman, just like the women that inhabited the camp surrounding the fort.
His only pleasure in this assignment was to see the yellow-haired woman
when she left the fort. It was easy to watch her. She would be with her
husband most of the time, but sometimes she was alone when she walked to
the trees by the river. He wanted her. He would kill her white-eye husband
if he was with her and take her for his woman. He would not return to
Victorio with the woman but take her to another band in the north. They
would accept him as a true warrior with a sun-haired wife. He would be
honored and maybe they would make him a war chief. He smiled at the
thought. It would be good to be a chief. He would be patient. He would
wait, but he would have the yellow-haired woman.
__________
Thirty miles south, the men of C troop had established their groups and
were on the move. A mile ahead of the slowly moving group, Jonas scanned
the landscape. There was nothing visible, and although there was always the
possibility that an Apache scout was there, he just didn’t feel it. He
suspected that Victorio’s scouts were miles behind them. He occasionally
turned in his saddle to see the troop following him. They were spread out
and left no indication of their movement, which impressed him.
_____
Directly in the path of C troop, Victorio sat astride his war horse. He was
concerned. He had word that a patrol was heading south from the fort, but
none had passed through the encampment yet. Maybe there had been a
delay. The attack on the bluecoats last week may have made them
reconsider sending another patrol so quickly. What was bothering him was
that his intelligence had never failed him before. If a patrol was scheduled
to leave, it went out. He swung his horse back to his lieutenants.
“I am concerned. I don’t like this missing patrol. Send out more scouts
when the sun goes down but send them straight north to the fort.”
They acknowledged his command and passed the word.
_____
Jonas wasn’t aware that Victorio was just ten miles to his south, but he
wasn’t about to be surprised. It was getting close to sundown, so Jonas
slipped back to see Elias. When he found him, he dismounted and walked
closer to the officer.
Elias saw him approach and stepped down from his saddle as well.
“Find anything, Jonas?” he asked.
“No, and that can be either a good thing or a bad thing. There were no
smoke signals when we left, so it’s possible that we actually made it past
the Indian encampment without alerting the spies who Victorio has in
there.”
“He has scouts in the camp?”
“Sure. I figure at least two, probably three or four. They get the
information from the fort, most likely from one of the two Apache scouts,
and pass it on to other scouts on the hills across the Rio Grande with
mirrors or simple flags. Those scouts send up smoke. Now, I didn’t see any,
so there’s a chance we didn’t get spotted. I don’t know how. I guess even
Apache scouts can get complacent if we keep to a routine.
“I also haven’t seen any smoke from the south, which is really
interesting. If Victorio is camped nearby, and I believe he is, he must have
scouts within a mile or so of his camp and depends on the distant scouts to
warn him of any army movement. He really doesn’t have a lot of manpower
to keep that many scouts out.
“Unless I’m wrong, and it has been known to happen, I’d think that
Victorio might be a touch nervous by now. He must have gotten word of a
patrol scheduled to depart, but when nothing happened, it didn’t make any
sense. For two years, he’d get word of a pending patrol, and then one would
appear. His scouts would track it and he’d know where every bluecoat
within fifty miles was. Suddenly, one patrol doesn’t go out and he wouldn’t
like that. So, if I were Victorio, I’d send out more scouts. They could be a
mile away right now. The question is, what are we going to do about it?”
“Good question. We can’t hide the entire troop. The men, maybe, but not
the horses. The best solution would be to kill them.”
“I agree. But killing Apache scouts isn’t simple. I have an idea that
might work, but it might not, too.”
“Another one of your famous suggestions, Mister Smith?” Elias asked as
he grinned.
“Hopefully, not the last one. But here it is. I’m going to leave Dusty with
you. I need you to have the men tie down their horses, then I’m going to go
on foot about a mile ahead and hunker down. Have the men form a skirmish
line, leaving their horses behind. Advance about eight hundred yards from
the horses and have them either sit or kneel. Make sure there’s nothing
shiny showing. Have them take off those hats, too. Rounded shapes don’t
stick out as much as squared off ones.
“I’m betting that the scouts won’t see me on their way north. If they get
past me, I’ll trot behind them for a couple of hundred yards or so and then
open up with my Winchester. I should be able to take out one or two if I’m
lucky. Either they’ll turn on me, or they’ll head your way. As soon as I start
shooting, have your men advance quickly. If they get a chance, give the
scouts a volley fire.”
“Won’t Victorio hear the rifle fire?”
“Probably. It depends on how far away his camp is. The scouts he has
near his camp will definitely hear it. If we’re successful in getting the
moving scouts, we need to mount and start walking south right away. We
may be able to surprise him. Now, if I’m wrong and no scouts appear, then
we camp and head south again in the morning.”
“It sounds like a good suggestion to me, Mister Smith. Let’s make it
happen.”
Jonas nodded, returned to Dusty and gave him some water and oats. He
then led him over to the column and left him with the sergeant, opened his
saddlebag and pulled out a fresh box of .44 ammunition. After opening the
box, he dropped a dozen cartridges into his pockets and pulled the
Winchester from its scabbard. Finally, he pulled a canteen from Dusty’s
saddle horn.
He waved to Elias and trotted south to hunt for a good place to set up his
ambush. After he had gone what he judged to be a mile, he began looking
for concealment. The best he could do was a good-sized mesquite bush. It
wasn’t much but would have to do.
There was still enough light, so he decided to improve his hiding spot.
He took out his knife and broke the hardened surface, then found a dry,
gnarled branch from an unknown species and began to dig. It wouldn’t have
to be deep, but it still took almost twenty minutes of hard work to finish the
pit. When he was done, he was satisfied that it would serve his purpose.
 He opened his canteen and took a long swallow then popped the cork
back into the neck of the canteen and laid down in his makeshift dugout. He
had his Winchester across his chest and almost drifted to sleep after the long
ride, then his eyes snapped open when he suddenly realized that the hole
was almost a grave. He laughed at himself and hoped he wouldn’t need to
use it as one.
_____
As the sky turned a deep red, the four Apache scouts rode out of their
camp’s canyon, waving at their fellow scouts on the canyon walls as they
passed. It wasn’t a true canyon, but more like an extended gully created
long ago by another river flowing into the Rio Grande, cutting deeply into
its banks before emptying into the longer river. The gully/canyon had good
water, grass and an easy escape to Mexico if necessary.
They were in no rush as it was never good to make haste, but they
moved faster than usual. They were expected to ride almost thirty miles in
the next few hours and set up positions between the camp and the bluecoat
fort.
_____
The sun was down, and Jonas was shifting in his shallow grave hole. He
thought the scouts, if there were any, should have passed by now, and it
appeared that he may have been wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time. But
when dealing with the Apaches, patience was not only a virtue, it was a
critical necessity, so he stayed put. At least the freshly turned earth wasn’t
uncomfortable as long as a slithering visitor didn’t arrive when it
discovered his body heat.
His patience was rewarded when almost forty minutes later, he plainly
heard the hoofbeats of multiple horses, but wasn’t quite sure how many. It
was more than two, so that meant probably four.
He slowly raised his head above the plane of the desert floor, then waited
as he stared to the west. Five minutes later, he saw them as they passed
within twenty feet. Four Apache warriors, moving faster than he expected.
Knowing they couldn’t hear him over the sounds of their horses’ hooves, he
sat up then popped out of his hole and began to run after them. He had
almost fallen flat on his face when he first stepped out but regained his
balance and stretched out his long legs.
But he hadn’t counted on their faster speed, so he was almost a hundred
yards behind them when he realized his error and knew that he wasn’t going
to get any closer. That meant he had to risk a long shot, a long shot in the
dark at a moving target. Wonderful.
He quickly stopped and assumed a kneeling position. His breath was far
too rapid, but he had no choice. He cocked the hammer and aimed quickly
then fired, knowing he’d missed. He would have been surprised if he had
hit anything.
But as he levered a second shot, the Apaches stopped abruptly, shocked
at the sudden sound of gunfire from behind them. At first, they thought
another renegade band of Apaches had stolen up on them. It had happened
before. But they didn’t care who had fired at them, they would attack. So,
they wheeled their ponies, almost in a synchronized display.
But no sooner had they stopped and changed direction when the night
exploded as dozens of rounds of carbine fire blasted from the north. All of
them went down in that one onslaught of lead. Jonas heard two rounds whiz
past his head. It was an uncomfortable feeling. He recovered quickly, rose
and jogged to the fallen Apaches. Their horses were down as well, two still
alive but with labored breathing. Normally, Jonas would have shot the
horses, but not tonight. He walked up to them and cut their throats, ending
their pain.
The Apaches were sprawled across the desert floor. There was no
question of any life present in any of them. It had been a massive barrage.
Nine miles south of the action, the scouts near the canyon mouth had
identified the sound of gunfire. One went to notify Victorio.
Jonas walked up to Elias and said, “Tell your men that their shooting was
better than mine. They did an outstanding job. Now, it’s your show.”
“Let’s get our horses and head south. Quietly,” said Elias.
 “Yes, sir,” replied Jonas before saluting and then walking quickly to
Dusty.
The men were all grins as they hurried back to retrieve their mounts.
This was shaping up to be an eventful mission.
The troop was no longer concerned about a dust cloud in the darkness, so
they could travel in a column. Jonas had suggested that they ride about five
miles, but no more, as they would be approaching the Rio Grande and
probably Victorio’s camp. They walked their horses as silently as sixty-two
horses mounted by heavily armed men could travel.
Jonas was about a half mile in front of the troop when he reached a point
where he began to feel uncomfortable. So, he stopped and stepped down.
He pulled the saddle from Dusty and brushed him down while he waited for
C troop.
When the column found him, he talked to Lieutenant Preston for a
minute or so, and Elias had them dismount. Less than a minute later, they
were unsaddling and grooming their horses.
Once their horses were given water and oats, the soldiers sat in a tight
circle drinking water and eating cold beans.
When Elias told them to get a few hours’ sleep, each man knew that
tomorrow’s action was going to be decisive.
Elias then joined Jonas to share their own light, cold supper. As they ate,
Jonas asked, “So, how do you want to handle tomorrow?”
Elias replied, “It depends. Any idea where they might be?”
“I have a good guess. They need a place that’s hidden from view that’s
easily defensible. It would have to have good water and a second way out,
probably into Mexico. There are three large gullies a few miles south of
here. Two are narrow, but the one closest to us meets all of the criteria
Victorio needs. I’m pretty sure that’s where he’s holed up.”
“It’ll be tough, getting into a deep gully. They could pick us off from the
walls if we charged in there.”
 “I know. That’s why I have a different plan. I came up with this one
while I was lying on the ground waiting for those scouts to pass. I dug a
shallow hole to lie down in to hide my silhouette, and as I was laying there,
I realized that it was like a shallow grave. I suddenly grew tired of it. Tired
of all the killing for what seems to be no real purpose.
“So, what I plan on doing tomorrow, is having us form a skirmish line
before dawn with the men in full regalia, hats, sabers, and even capes if you
have them. I want you in the center and I’ll be a mile ahead. Keep an eye on
me with field glasses. When you see me give the halt sign, which,
interestingly enough, is also recognized as the sign of peace among almost
all of the Indian tribes, stop where you are. Don’t do anything. I’m going to
ride into Victorio’s camp and talk to him.”
Elias was astonished and snapped, “That’s insane, Jonas! You won’t last
a minute in there!”
“I think I’ll be fine. If they take a shot at me, I’ll hightail it outta there,
but I don’t think they will. Victorio knows things are coming to a crisis
point for him, so I think that he’ll listen to what I have to say.”
“I don’t want you taking that chance, Jonas. I can order you not to go
in.”
Jonas snickered before he replied, “No, you can’t, and you know it. I’m
just a scout, and an old scout at that. If this works, maybe I’ll talk myself
out of a job and just go back to my cabin.”
“Let me send some men with you.”
“You know you can’t do that. This is a one-man job, and I’m the only
man qualified to do it,” Jonas said with finality.
Elias finally gave in. He knew that his single troop of cavalry would
never be able to root Victorio out of his camp. There would be a lot of lives
lost in the engagement, including his own. His thoughts of Beth tipped the
balance in Jonas’ favor, and he felt incredibly selfish for admitting it to
himself.
 The troopers had already bedded down, so Jonas stretched out near
Dusty and tried to catch some sleep. He wasn’t worried about tomorrow. He
had already come to accept his own death because he saw nothing in his
future that projected a change in his life. But if he could do this tomorrow,
he could keep other men safe. He would fulfill his promise to Beth to
protect her husband, and that was more important to him than his own life.
_____
In Victorio’s camp, the gunfire had already been heard and discussed
before the scout’s report. It was too late to make their escape into Mexico,
so Victorio instructed his warriors to set up defensive positions on the walls
above the canyon and across the canyon’s mouth, but still directed that they
get some sleep. Bluecoats never attacked at night.
_____
Jonas did find a few hours of sleep, awakening to the predawn sky. It
was cold, as it often gets in the desert at this altitude, even in the summer.
He stood and shook out the stiffness before answering nature’s call.
Someone had already prepared coffee on a smokeless fire, so he walked
over and gratefully took a cup. It was hot and black and just what he
needed. It was going to be a momentous day one way or the other. They’d
either end this war with Victorio, or he’d find his own end.
_____
The troopers were sequentially shaken and woken. Ten minutes later,
everyone was active and in good spirits. Only Elias and Jonas knew the
complete plan.  Everyone ate a quick breakfast of jerky, hardtack and coffee
as Lieutenant Preston passed along the part of the plan that the troopers
needed to know. They all were to dress fully, including capes that they had
stored in their bedrolls.
After another fifteen minutes, the resplendent soldiers mounted their
fresh horses and were starting to form up.
Jonas had already climbed aboard Dusty and was walking him south as
the troopers aligned themselves into a straight line, each horse and rider ten
feet from his neighbor. As Jonas disappeared into the morning light, Elias
took his position in the center and drew his saber, motioning the men
forward. Most of them believed that they were putting on the show to
impress the Apaches before they charged. None of them realized that if
Jonas was successful, there was a good chance that they may not have to
fire a single shot.
Jonas kept scanning the brightening horizon as he and Dusty moved
southward, knowing that he had to be within three miles of Victorio’s camp
and well within sight of the scouts, if not Victorio himself. He stole a glance
back at the single line of proud soldiers. It was an impressive sight, as it
was meant to be.
_____
In Victorio’s camp, the warriors had all eaten, the women were feeding
the children and the old ones before eating themselves. At the northern edge
of the camp, a scout appeared, riding quickly. Victorio had seen him as he
rounded the gully’s corner, then stood and waited with his lieutenants
standing behind him. He already knew the report the scout would soon give
to him. The bluecoats were preparing to attack.
The scout brought his pony to a stop in a cloud of dust and leapt down
twelve feet before the war chief.
“There is a line of bluecoats approaching from the north. Not far. Their
scout is halfway between them and the camp. The strangeness of the
bluecoats surprises me.”
“How is that, Gomez?” asked Victorio.
“They are riding in a line, side by side. They have capes with bright gold
inside making them very visible. Yet, they walk their horses. They do not
approach quickly.”
“This is strange. I will come.”
Victorio strode to his war horse and easily jumped onto his back. He
rode toward the northern entrance to the gully as his lieutenants followed.
When he reached the entrance, he could easily see the scout of the
bluecoats and the soldiers beyond. As he watched, the scout raised his hand
in a sign of peace. The bluecoats, a good distance back, stopped.
Victorio’s curiosity was aroused, so he motioned for his scouts not to
shoot, then rode toward the bluecoat scout. Unlike the white scout, he had
his warrior lieutenants with him.
The scout continued toward Victorio, who saw that the man was well-
armed. He had two rifles, one large one and one repeater. He also had a
pistol at his waist. Obviously, the man wanted to talk as he made no motion
to reach for any of the weapons.
Victorio stopped and his warrior escort spread out into a shallow
semicircle behind him. There were seven Apache warriors waiting for the
lone scout.
Jonas has been watching the Apache war chief since he first appeared.
He had seen Victorio give a sign to the scouts, assuming it was to hold fire,
at least for now. He rode to within eight feet of Victorio and pulled Dusty to
a stop.
In Apache, he asked, “You are the war chief of the Mezcalero Apaches
known as Victorio?”
“I am. You are the scout of the bluecoats that sings to my scouts and has
caused me trouble.”
Jonas smiled as he replied, “I am. My name is Jonas Smith.”
“What do you want, Jonas Smith?”
“As you can see, I have convinced a bluecoat officer to try a different
way of fighting the Apaches. One that is not as silly as those that have been
used before. The poor leader who is commanding the fort will soon be
replaced by another who is willing to listen to the wisdom of what I and
others say. We came here to show you that we know of your camp. And
there are those who will wish us to bring many bluecoats to destroy the
camp and your people.”
“We can easily kill you and your bluecoats.”
 “Maybe you can kill all of us, but not easily. These men, those you call
‘buffalo soldiers’, have had a hard life among the white man. They do not
fear death as most white men do. That is one of the things that makes them
great warriors. They have chosen to wear their parade uniforms today as
death markings. They have no fear. So, try to kill us all, and you will lose
many warriors, perhaps too many.”
“What about you, white man. Are you afraid to die?”
“I least of all, Victorio. I am past my usefulness to others. I have few
friends, except for the leader of the buffalo soldiers behind me. For him
alone, I value life, but not for myself.”
“Then what do you propose, Jonas Smith?”
“I do not ask for much. You may stay here in your camp. I will not lead
any soldiers to your canyon. All I ask is that you stop your raids into the
United States. If you want to go to Mexico to raid, that is their problem.”
“Why would you ask such a thing?”
“I fought in the great war between the bluecoats and those in gray. For
four years, I fought. I saw battles that the Apache cannot imagine with
armies that would cover the entire desert behind me. I watched as thousands
of men charged bravely into battle without stealth, without protection. Great
guns would kill hundreds in a single volley. I saw large hospitals where
healers would cut off arms and legs and throw them into piles as high as
small mountains. The smell of death still haunts me. For those years, I
witnessed more deaths than all the Apaches and other great Indian nations
now have living. I became not only sick of death but numb to it. It is one of
the reasons that I do not fear death.”
“I know of this war, and it is as you say. But why make such war?”
“Why do most men make war? Some men want what other men have or
try to tell other men what to do. The Apache know this well. But the reason
I ask you this is as much for the Apaches as it is for my friend. You are
wise, Victorio, and you know that this is a fight you cannot win. More
bluecoats will come. They have a new gun, a fast gun that can destroy your
entire band faster than you can ride across your camp.”
 “I have seen these big guns. They are loud but can be avoided.”
“Those are cannons. The gun of which I speak is called a Gatling. My
Winchester is a fast gun. I can fire one shot each time you clap your hands
together. But the Gatling, in that same time, can fire ten times. It will do this
as long as they have bullets, and they have a lot of bullets. The Mexicans
have no such gun.”
“How do I know you are not lying?”
“Lying is dishonorable. I value honor, which is why I am talking to you
today.”
“How do I know you will keep your word not to bring bluecoats back?”
“Because I do not lie. I will tell them that you have gone to Mexico and
when the raids stop, they will understand that I speak the truth.”
Victorio mulled what he had been told. The scout was right on many
things. He knew that he could not win, but the new gun bothered him more
than he had let on. He had heard rumors, so this was just confirmation. Such
a weapon could destroy his entire camp in just minutes.
“I will discuss what you have said with my warriors and return within an
hour. You may go to the bluecoats and talk with them.”
Jonas nodded, then turned Dusty back toward the troopers.  In less than
five minutes, he was riding up to an anxiously curious Lieutenant Elias
Preston.
“Well, Jonas? What did he say? What did you offer him?  Did you tell
him to go to the reservation?”
“Well, I sure as hell didn’t tell him to go to the reservation. That would
have killed the talks right away. What I asked is for him to stop his raids in
the United States. For that, we would stop hunting him.”
“If he stopped raiding in the U.S., that leaves him with Mexico.”
“Well, I can’t negotiate for Mexico, that’ll be their problem. Besides, the
Mexican army is already hunting him. Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if
their only goal was to keep him on this side of the border.”
“Well, the major sure won’t like it.”
“I don’t care. Tell him that we scared Victorio across the border and we
don’t think he’ll be coming back because he saw that we could sneak up on
him. Besides, it’s not that far from the truth. I told him about the Gatling
gun. He didn’t have any reaction when I told him, but his warriors behind
him sure did. They were not too keen on facing one of those beasts.”
“We don’t have one.”
“Not yet. Oh, just as an aside, I also mentioned that we were getting a
new and smarter commanding officer soon.”
“
Where did you hear that?
” Elias asked with wide, hopeful eyes.
“I just made that part up. I know that Victorio had a low opinion of the
major, as do we all. Telling him we were going to get a competent
commander that listens to suggestions from veterans of the Indian wars
bothered him more than the Gatling gun.”
“So, when will he give you his answer?”
“He said in about an hour, so I’ll be heading back shortly.”
Elias turned and had the sergeant put the men at ease, then watched as
Jonas returned to talk to Victorio.
As Jonas approached the same location he had stopped earlier, he could
see Victorio riding towards him already, long before the hour was up. And
he was riding alone this time. He walked his horse until he was facing Jonas
from just a few feet.
Victorio said, “We have decided to accept your offer. We will abandon
raids on the north side of your border. We will stay in our camp until we
decide to move to a location across the river.”
“I wish it didn’t have to come to this, Victorio. People like me are just
puppets on strings controlled by powerful men who don’t understand right
and wrong. They only understand their greed.”
 Victorio nodded and replied, “It is the same with most men. But it is
better to be an honorable puppet than a dishonorable one making him
dance.”
Jonas walked Dusty forward and offered his hand. Victorio shook his
hand, then turned his pony back to his camp. After watching the Apache
chief ride away, Jonas turned Dusty and rode down into the desert floor
where his friend and the obviously relieved troopers waited.
Elias rode close and asked, “So, it appears that the agreement worked?”
“Yes. It’s still sad, though. Forcing him off his own land just because
someone else wants it. But throughout history, it’s the way it has always
been. Maybe someday it will change, but not soon. Oh, and you might want
to have the troopers remove their capes. It’s getting a bit toasty.”
Elias laughed and called the sergeant over then gave him instructions to
have the troop dismount and remove their capes and water their horses.
The exultant troopers of C troop let out a cheer, stepped down, removed
the cumbersome capes, then after caring for their animals, started a fire and
had a good, hot lunch. As they ate, there were smiles all around as they
excitedly chatted about the end of hostilities, at least with Victorio.
By early afternoon, they began their journey back to the fort. The sun
would be down before they made it to the fort, but the men all wanted to
press on as much as they could to tell their fellow bluecoats of the
extraordinary patrol.
 CHAPTER 7
At the fort later that afternoon just before dinner call at the fort, Annie
was mending some uniforms in the laundry. None of Apache women had
shown up for work today, which was an odd thing as she rarely had fewer
than three.
Suddenly, the front door closed, and she heard footsteps. She put down
her needle and thread and stepped out of her work area located outside her
room. She hadn’t taken three steps when she felt a hand on her arm. She
whirled and started to slap the face of the owner of the hand. But her hand
stopped at the peak of its motion when she saw a blade suddenly appear in
front of her face.
“Don’t try to get tough on me, you bitch! I’ve only come to make you a
job offer.”
She instantly recognized the slimy voice of the sutler, Francis Feely.
She stared at him as she said, “Get out of here this instant, Feely. You
have no right to be here or to threaten me with a knife. There is no job you
can offer me that I would even consider. Now, get out!”
Feely pressed the knife against her throat and snarled, “Now, don’t say
no so quickly, woman. Get over to your room and have a seat while I
present my offer.”
Annie backed slowly to her room, the blade never more than an inch
from her neck.
She began to sit in the chair by her dresser when Feely said, “No, on the
bed. That’s where you’ll be making your living soon, so you may as well
get used to it.”
Annie knew what was going to happen and desperately began thinking
of an escape but stood near the bed with Feely standing slightly off to her
right side. He was preventing her from being able to kick him while still
blocking the only exit.
“You see, Annie. Do you mind if I call you Annie? After all, I’ll be your
boss, so you want to know me better. Anyway, it appears, Annie, that you
owe a friend of mine a good sum of money that he had invested by having
you come to our quaint location. He told me that either you gave him his
money, or you’d have to work it off in my fun hotel. I told him I was
worried about your lack of desirable female features, but he assured me that
they were there, but just hidden away. So, let’s see who’s lying.”
With a surprisingly fast move, Feely grabbed the front of Annie’s large
shirt and yanked it apart. The buttons flew everywhere, then he looked at
the heavy cloth wrap around her chest.
He grinned as he said, “It seems to me that Beeler was telling the truth
after all. You’ve been hiding your titties. Well, it’s time for them to come
out of hiding. So, either take that cloth off or I’ll slice it off and maybe take
a little bit of those titties with it.”
Annie was still urgently trying to come up with a plan, but now she just
had to delay. She slowly took off her shirt, and Feely was practically
drooling as he watched her.
Annie knew she had to get to her knife as she dropped the shirt onto the
bed. As she began to unwrap the cloth, she knew her only chance lay in
providing enough distraction to get to the knife that the scout had given her.
It was in its sheath strapped around her right thigh. But just by Feely’s
comments, she knew what she could use as the distraction.
As she finished unwrapping her protective sheet, her large breasts swung
free and Feely’s eyes grew large.
“Now ain’t they a sight! Now, as long as I’m here, I may as well be your
first customer.”
Annie saw his eyes focused on her breasts as she said in a sultry,
welcoming voice, “Just be gentle.”
 She knew that her suggestive tone would arouse him more, if possible
and make him think she would be compliant, but she would be anything but
that. But she needed him to pay attention to what was above her waist and
not below.
She turned slightly clockwise, hiding her right leg as she unbuttoned the
front of her men’s pants and slowly began to work them past her hips.
Feely’s eyes still focused on her breasts as she moved and would have
grabbed her if he didn’t have the knife in his hand.
Annie watched his eyes as she worked the pants past the crotch and as
her hand touched the knife’s hilt, she suddenly looked past Feely’s head and
shouted, “What are you doing here?”
Feely suddenly emerged from his trance and whirled to see who had
interrupted his bliss. Annie remembered the scout’s advice as she instantly
dropped her trousers down to her knees and grabbed the handle of her knife.
She knew the sharp blade was to the front as her hand wrapped around the
antelope handle, then pulled it free as Feely swung his head back.
“You’re lyin…” he began to yell when he saw the knife in her hand. But
he was too late to stop her.
Annie swung her right arm in an arc, catching Feely’s lower abdomen
with the knife. It penetrated easily and the momentum of Annie’s swing
caused the knife to continue its motion, slicing tissue as it traveled upward.
Feely’s eyes lost their lust and showed nothing short of horror as he
looked down and saw his life’s blood rushing from the wound.
“You’ve killed me, you bitch!” he screamed.
“I hope so,” Annie growled in reply as she shoved Feely back out of her
room.
Let him bleed to death out there.
She didn’t have to worry about where he would die as Feely had barely
finished his shouted curse at Annie, when his dying statement came true,
and he collapsed onto his back and stopped breathing.
There wasn’t as much blood as she had expected as she wiped her knife
blade on Feely’s pants and put it back into its sheath. She pulled her pants
up and rapidly wrapped her breasts behind their protective shield. Then she
donned the shirt, sans buttons, walked into the room and dragged Feely by
his ankles toward the center of the laundry. She then walked slowly back to
her room and collapsed onto her bed.
Not again! Never again!
She kept
thinking over and over. This time she had killed a man.
What could she do?
Like many people in crisis situations, Annie resorted to the mundane.
She went around her room finding the scattered buttons, then after taking
her shirt off, she walked to her work room and began reattaching them.
When the repair work was done, she donned the shirt again and buttoned
it. She stayed sitting at her worktable thinking of the horrible consequences
that awaited her.
What could she do?
Who could she turn to?
Strangely enough, her first thought was that she could ask the scout what
to do. He seemed to be able to control harrowing situations. But she
discarded that idea. Like most men, he’d probably think she was to blame.
There was only one person she could tell, so she decided to go to see Beth.
She stepped over to the small mirror and examined her appearance.
There was some blood on her face, but not as much as she expected. She
stepped to the wash area and quickly washed her hands and face then dried
herself with one of the towels stacked nearby.
She then walked across the room, stepping over Feely’s inert form to
leave the building. Luckily, it was after normal operating hours for the
laundry, so she went out the door, closing it behind her. She tried to appear
calm as she walked across the boardwalk toward the Preston quarters and
had to keep telling herself not to panic. When she reached the door, she
knocked several times, but not too urgently.
Beth came to the door, saw Annie’s face and began to smile in welcome
until she saw the distress in her eyes.
“Come in, Annie. What has you so upset?”
Annie entered the house, and as soon as Beth closed the door, Annie,
who had thought she could maintain a steady disposition, failed and broke
down in tears. It was the first time she had wept in years.
 “I killed Feely,” she sobbed as she shook.
Beth was shocked by the simple, incriminating statement, but recovered
quickly and said in her most comforting voice, “Come over here, sit down,
and tell me what happened, Annie.”
Annie walked as if in trance as Beth rested her hand on her shoulder and
guided her to the chair.
After she’d taken a seat, Beth pulled a straight-backed chair in front of
Annie, sat down and said, “Annie, tell me what happened.”
Annie kept her eyes on the floor as tears continued to drip onto the
varnished wood and replied, “He came into the laundry and closed the door
behind him. I was alone, working on some shirt repairs. He pulled a knife
and said Beeler wanted his money back for bringing me here but if I
couldn’t pay, I’d have to work it off in his whore house.”
She then quickly looked at Beth with big eyes and exclaimed, “They
were going to make me a whore! Then he made me get undressed and had
me take off my cloth wrap. He watched me and I knew what he was going
to do, but when I got my pants down, I made him turn around by pretending
someone was behind him. Then I grabbed the knife the scout gave me and I
stabbed him in the stomach and he fell down and died. I pulled him into the
middle of the floor and that’s where I left him. He’s dead, Mrs. Preston, and
I killed him.”
“Annie, you only protected yourself against a bad man. You aren’t to
blame. You did nothing wrong. Now, we just need to figure out how to fix
this.”
“Can your husband help?”
“No, he’s on patrol. Besides, he’s an officer and must do what the major
says. The person I really would like to be here is Jonas Smith.”
“The scout? What could he do?”
“You’d be surprised. He’s not beholden to anyone. He’d probably just
get rid of the body and then go threaten Beeler to within an inch of his life.”
 “But he’s a man. He’d probably blame me.”
“Annie, that’s silly. I’ve told you before that Jonas and my husband
protect the innocent. That’s the way they are. Now, you are innocent, are
you not?”
“Yes, but I’m a woman. I’ve seen women get blamed for being raped.”
“I know. But Jonas honors women as innocents and always takes their
sides until proven otherwise. But right now, we need to find someone to
help, and I have an idea. Can you stay here?”
“Yes.”
“Now don’t worry,” she said as she patted Annie’s shoulder, rose then
hurried to the door.
She exited and stepped down to the dusty parade ground and scurried
across it at a speed unfitting for an officer’s wife but of no concern to Beth.
She entered the quartermaster’s office and hoped that Sergeant Maloney
would still be there.
She found him in the back of the room sitting behind his desk with his
feet on its surface, sipping a glass that she surmised wasn’t tea as he quietly
sang an Irish ballad.
“Sergeant Maloney!” she called, announcing her presence and startling
the sergeant.
He jerked his legs from the desk and spilled some of his precious liquid
as he put the glass down.
“Why, Mrs. Preston, what brings you here this beautiful evening?”
“You needn’t worry about my being here, Sergeant Maloney. I’m sure
you’re entitled to spend some private time having a wee spot of tea.”
Maloney smiled. He always liked the Prestons. They treated him like
folk.
“So, what can I be doing for you then?” he asked.
 “I have a big favor to ask of you. If you say no, then I’ll understand.”
Maloney was intrigued.
What could be so important that Mrs. Preston
would have to ask for his assistance?
“I won’t be denying you any help I can give you, ma’am.”
“Here’s the story. Do you know Annie Jones, the tall woman who works
in the laundry?”
“Aye. I’ve met her a few times.”
“Well, it seems that Mister Feely, the sutler, entered the laundry an hour
ago and closed the door, trapping her inside. He pulled a knife on her and
had her undress and was going to rape her.”
Maloney’s eyes grew wide as his mouth grew grim.
“That little bastard! Oh, pardon my language, ma’am.”
“That’s understandable. As she was undressing, she took out the knife
that Jonas Smith had given her for protection after she had told him she felt
unsafe and stabbed him. He’s dead and his body is lying in the laundry.”
Maloney looked aghast as he replied, “Dead, you say? His body is still in
the laundry?”
“Yes. Here’s the problem. You know our good major. We all know he’s
in cahoots with Feely and Beeler. If he finds out that she killed him, even
though she was the victim, he’d have her arrested.”
“That man has no shame. He would probably do just that.”
“Do you know of any way we can dispose of his body without anyone
knowing.”
Maloney thought about it then said, “Aye. It can be done. You know the
men are rightly pleased with Jonas. They know he saved ‘em a few days
ago, and when he fired those six shots over the fort, there were many a tear
shed. They’d do anything for the man. So, if it’s alright with you, Mrs.
Preston, I’ll recruit a few of them and I’ll tell them that Feely tried to rape
Jonas Smith’s girlfriend. And then I’ll let them know that she killed him
with the Apache knife that he had given her to protect herself from the likes
of Feely. We’ll have it out of there as soon as it gets dark. You tell her not to
worry herself one minute about it.”
“Thank you very much, Sergeant Maloney. You’re a good man,” she
replied, then she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek causing the
big Irishman to blush.
Beth turned and left the quartermaster building knowing that Sergeant
Maloney and the men he picked would make the body disappear. What
happened after that would depend on her husband and Jonas.
She walked back across the square and entered her quarters finding
Annie still sitting in the chair where Beth had left her.
“Well, Annie, the body of the loathsome Mister Feely is no longer a
problem.”
Annie was surprised and relieved as she asked, “How did you manage
that, Mrs. Preston?”
“It’s Beth, Annie. And it wasn’t difficult at all to do. I simply went to the
quartermaster’s and asked Sergeant Maloney to take care of it.”
“And he said he would?” she asked with a look of astonishment on her
face.
“Yes. What he’s going to do is go to the barracks and ask a few of the
soldiers to come to his office. He’ll tell them what needs to be done and
they’ll take Feely’s body out of there in a few hours when it’s dark.”
“Why would they risk their careers for me?”
“It’s not for you. It’s for Jonas Smith.”
“Him? What has he got to do with it?”
“I told Sergeant Maloney you had stabbed Feely with the knife given to
you by Jonas. He said he’d tell the men that you were his girlfriend and that
he had given the knife to you so you could protect yourself against the likes
of Mister Feely. And when he came to rape you while Jonas was gone, you
followed his advice and stabbed him.”
“Why would they risk so much for him?”
“Remember the fight with the Apaches last week? The one that the
major eulogized as a great victory and how he had never even mentioned
the names of the dead soldiers, but praised the heroic actions of the two
lieutenants?”
“Yes, I heard the speech. They sounded very brave.”
“Well, it was all a bunch of horse manure. Elias told me what really
happened. The major sent a troop led by Lieutenant Maxwell in a sweep to
the north to try to draw out Victorio. Then, when Victorio tried to attack
Maxwell’s troop, a second troop commanded by Lieutenant Henderson
would sweep up from behind and they would crush Victorio between
them.”
“Isn’t that what happened? The major said…”
“I know you don’t talk to anyone, Annie, but you should have realized
on your own that there wasn’t an honest word in that entire speech. When
Jonas went with Maxwell, he kept trying to tell him, as he had told the
major before they left, that Victorio would never attack a column unless he
had a significant advantage. Both officers called him an idiot. As Maxwell’s
troop made their march, Elias told me that they stopped and made camp and
set a big fire for cooking. The troops and Jonas were horrified.”
“Why?”
“It’s like setting a beacon for every Apache within fifty miles. The funny
part of that story was that Jonas knew the troopers were getting nervous, so
he walked out of the camp past the Apache scout that was watching him
and began singing ‘Come to me darling with thine eyes….’. The men were
laughing, and I’ll bet the Apache scouts were confused beyond belief.
“Then he stopped, still out in the dark, and said in a loud voice, speaking
Apache, thaat he was just singing to settle down his brave companions
because they were being led by a commander who should be home suckling
on his mother’s teats.”
Annie smiled with her recent trauma momentarily forgotten.
“You must realize the risk that Jonas took. He stepped out into the dark,
knowing that the Apaches were there. He needed to find out if they were
there to watch or to kill. He would only know the answer if he came back
alive.”
Annie was mesmerized by the story as Beth then picked up the narrative
and gave Annie the truth of the ill-fated mission, and how Jonas had been
the true hero of the day.
“Is that why he was mad that day then? Because he didn’t get credit and
the lieutenants did?”
“Annie, when will you understand Jonas Smith? He couldn’t care less
about getting credit. He was angry that the lost soldiers, those who had
died, didn’t even have their names mentioned. It was supposed to be a
memorial service for them, not a huge lie to glorify failure.
“Elias saw him immediately after he returned from the engagement
because I had asked him to bring Jonas over for dinner. Elias said he was
sitting on his bed, just cleaning his rifle and talking about the useless waste
of good men’s lives. Then after the memorial service, what he did with his
Sharps rifle is what endeared him to those men even more than saving their
lives the day before.”
“Was that the shooting I heard? I was wondering what it was all about.
At first, I thought it was a cannon being fired.”
“It was much more than shooting. There were many of us in the square
after the memorial. The men were just milling about, and you could see the
disappointment in their eyes because the major didn’t even acknowledge
their comrades. Then we all saw Jonas coming out of his quarters with that
giant Sharps rifle of his in his right hand. There was anger in his eyes, an
anger mixed with sorrow and pain. We all thought he was going to go to the
headquarters building and blow a hole in the major.
 “It was like slow motion. We were all in a trance, watching Jonas walk.
But before he reached the command building, he turned and climbed the
parapet. We all stared as he climbed the stairs and when he reached the top,
we still didn’t know his purpose. Then that long barrel extended from the
parapet and faced west. It fired with its giant blast, then he followed it with
shot after shot, each exactly the same interval from the last, until he had
fired six shots. One for each lost soldier.
“He then climbed back down and quietly walked into his quarters. He
had honored the memory of the men that had been lost. We didn’t see him
at all the next day and Elias found that he had gone to his cabin and spent
the night. That’s why they would do anything for him. They saw him honor
their dead friends the way no one else dared. He basically told them that
they were important, not that blowhard in the command office.”
Annie said quietly, “I didn’t know.”
“And that, Annie, is why those troopers would do anything for Jonas
Smith. Or, in this case, his girlfriend, as they will be told by Sergeant
Maloney.”
“But I’m not his girlfriend. I’ve barely even talked to him.”
“Maybe you should consider it. But even if it’s not true, what it does
give you is about three hundred bodyguards. They won’t let anyone so
much as give you a dirty look now.”
“Well, despite his massive fib, tell Sergeant Maloney that I appreciate
what he did.”
“I will. Now, you can’t sleep in your room tonight, so why don’t you just
stay here? Elias won’t be back from his patrol for a while. It’ll be nice to
have a woman to talk to.”
“Alright.”
Beth stepped over to the window and looked outside as the sun was
beginning to set.
“Annie, would you like to see something that would bring peace to your
heart?”
 “I wouldn’t mind.”
“Come with me.”
Annie stood and followed Beth out the door, closing it behind her. She
caught up to Beth and walked beside her.
“Annie, the sunsets here are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. I have a
special place to watch them that I go sometimes, usually with Elias. It’s
only a couple of hundred yards away. See those junipers ahead?”
Annie could see the trees and nodded.
They sped their walk to the trees, hoping to catch as much of the natural
display of beauty as possible.
As they passed through the Indian encampment, Enciente watched with
eager eyes. He didn’t know who the tall man was with the blonde woman
but didn’t care. Why the sun-haired woman was walking to the trees with
another man didn’t matter. He did wonder why the other man wore long
hair like an Apache.  He stepped over to the corral and took his pony and
walked it toward the trees.
Annie and Beth had reached the rocks that Elias had dragged up from the
riverbank for her, and they each took a seat, Annie for obvious reasons,
taking the tall rock. The sun was approaching the horizon and the colors
were already magnificent.
“Now you know why we come here,” said Beth, “Elias dragged these
rocks here from the riverbank.”
“You love your husband, don’t you?” asked Annie.
“Very much. We’ve been married for six years, but we still don’t have
any children, though. Of course, it’s not for a lack of trying,” she said as she
giggled.
“Do you enjoy trying?” Annie asked quietly.
“Of course, I do. Sometimes I want to try more than he does.”
“Really? I don’t understand. Do you want children that badly?”
 “I want children, but it’s more because I enjoy the trying itself, and I
enjoy it a lot.”
Annie didn’t reply, so Beth looked at her and asked, “That’s difficult for
you to understand; isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe someday, you’ll understand.”
“Maybe.”
Twenty yards away, Enciente had loosely tied his pony’s reins to a
branch. The sun was almost down now, and it was getting dark in the woods
as he slid his knife from its sheath.
Annie and Beth had lapsed into silence as they simply watched the
fading sunset.
Just as they were planning to return to the fort, Enciente stepped behind
them then quickly struck Annie with the butt of the knife knocking her
senseless.
As Annie fell to the ground, moaning, Beth had watched the sudden
swing and heard the thunk as the butt struck her head, then turned toward
the assailant. He couldn’t speak a word of English but didn’t have to. He
pointed at her with the blade and tipped his head toward the standing horse.
She was going to scream to bring help from the fort but then met with the
same fate as Annie when the Apache slammed the knife’s butt into her
head, and she slumped to the earth.
Enciente slipped his knife back in his sheath and slid Beth across the
horse’s back. Then he lashed her hands and feet together, leapt onto the
horse behind her and trotted off to the northwest.
Annie had already been struggling to a sitting position before he rode
away. The force of the blow had been minimized by her thick black hair and
the fact she had been turning her head to leave. When she stood, she
immediately scanned the horizons for Beth and saw the shape of Enciente’s
horse loping off into the darkness with Beth across his back.
 She quickly turned and raced back toward the fort to get help. She had to
help Beth and quickly made it to the fort’s gate then yelled to the sentry,
“An Apache just kidnapped Mrs. Preston. Go get help. He went that way!”
She pointed to the northwest as the sentry just looked at her with a blank
look on his face, confused by her appearance and her female voice.
Annie, thinking her message had gotten through, wasted no time, or even
much thought about what she was going to do. She simply turned on her
heels and ran back to where she had seen the departing Indian. She could
always run, ever since she was a young girl and her ability to race away
from danger had saved her more than a few times. Her long legs gave her a
decided advantage, as did her large lung capacity.
But now she ran with a purpose. She had to stay close so she could point
the troopers in the right direction and felt fortunate in her choice of
wardrobe. She couldn’t do this in a dress, not that she’d worn one since
being assigned to the laundry.
The moon was already high in the sky, and was just past full, so the
desert was bright. Even after going to the fort and losing a few minutes, she
could still make out the horse and rider almost a mile away and tried to
keep pace.
Back at the encampment, Jorge Nieves had watched the whole scene
with distaste. Enciente had told him of his plans a week earlier, and Jorge
tried to discourage him. He had watched him take the golden-haired woman
then ride away and had decided to just let him go. The crazy man had no
reason being a scout. Then he saw the tall man running after them.
Who was
this white-eyes?
 
Why didn’t he at least get a horse?
This would complicate
things, so he’d send a message to Victorio in the morning.
_____
Fifteen miles from Victorio’s camp, the men of C troop were enjoying
the ride home. Even their scout seemed to be enjoying himself. They could
not have asked for a more pleasant victory and would ride through the night
and camp five miles from the fort. Then, just before sunrise, they would
mount, capes and all, and march proudly into Fort Selden. It would be the
closest they could manage to a Roman triumphal march.
 _____
Annie had begun to tire. She estimated she had run almost nine miles.
Finally, she slowed to a walk and tried to catch her breath.
Where was the
cavalry?
It was a question she had asked herself often as she had jogged
across the desert. They didn’t have to send an entire troop, just a squad
should be plenty. She kept glancing behind her as she ran, wondering where
they were.
_____
A mile ahead of her, Beth had regained consciousness but pretended not
to, recognizing the danger of her situation. She didn’t know how many
Apaches were involved in her kidnapping or their purpose but knew her
hands and feet were bound.
The horse slowed then stopped, and she felt the rider dismount. She
heard and felt the rawhide rope holding her bound feet and wrists together
suddenly loosen then rough hands grabbed her and unceremoniously
dropped her to the ground. She heard a male voice speak in Apache,
obviously trying to see if she was faking her unconscious state.
Then he kicked her in the ribs, and Beth coughed as the pain coursed
through her side. She opened her eyes and saw the grinning face of an
Apache, one she vaguely remembered having seen before. He spoke again,
but she just stared at him.
Finally, he pulled her by her hair into a sitting position as she
remembered that the Apaches, like many other Indians had an almost
reverential fear of madness, as if the insanity was powerful magic. What
she didn’t know was that as a blonde, she was already considered to have
big medicine, but it didn’t matter as she suddenly began to laugh wildly.
Enciente was stunned by this behavior.
What was wrong with this sun-
haired woman? Did she not know that he had taken her?
Beth looked at him and crossed her eyes, stuck out her tongue at him,
then broke into convulsive laughter again.
 Enciente stepped backward.
The woman was crazy!
  He pulled out his
knife and stuck it in her face to frighten the demons from her, but Beth was
determined not to show fear or any other emotion other than those that
would mark her as insane.
She looked at the knife, and said loudly, “Ooooooo! Look at the pretty
knife,” and began laughing again.
Enciente was perplexed. He reached over and rapped her on the head
again, Beth hit the ground, but only pretended loss of consciousness.
_____
Annie had heard Beth’s distant laughter and was totally confused.
What
was she doing?
Maybe she was trying to confuse the Indian. If so, it must
be working, because she was confused, too. But it also meant she was close.
_____
Enciente looked at the woman at his feet. He finally shrugged, picked
her up again and threw her across the horse then tied her again to keep her
in place. He remounted and started riding a faster pace.
Annie had gotten within a few hundred yards but soon spotted the
Apache and Beth ride off again. So, she stopped where she was and sat
down. This was hopeless.
_____
Enciente rode for another hour before he stopped then pulled the
senseless woman from the horse. This time, he didn’t try to awaken her, but
just carried her to a large bush, lashed her to the thick stem then stretched
out to get some sleep.
_____
Annie had given up. She was alone in the desert. The cavalry wasn’t
coming, she was on her own, and it was getting chilly. She was hungry,
thirsty and cold, too. She curled up and tried to sleep, but even as she laid
down, she knew that if the soldiers didn’t come, she had no idea if chasing
after Beth would make any difference. All she had was the knife that Jonas
Smith had given to her. But even knowing that she was at a complete
disadvantage, she knew she couldn’t give up. Beth had saved her from the
gallows and now she had to save Beth from an even worse fate.
 CHAPTER 8
It was dawn and the troopers of C troop, 10
th
United States Cavalry had
enjoyed an early breakfast. They had donned their capes and made sure
their uniforms were as clean as possible before they mounted their horses to
begin their walking return to Fort Selden. The slow pace was partly to keep
dust from accumulating on their newly brushed uniforms but mostly for
show.
_____
Nieves saw the sun coming up and began to signal the nearest scout
using flags. It only took two minutes before his job was complete, then he
mounted his pony and pointed it northwest. He would follow the trail of
Enciente, his captive, and the odd man trailing them on foot. Enciente may
be crazy, but he was still Apache. Nieves would remove the danger of the
white-eyes trailing behind Enciente before finding his fellow warrior and
trying to talk him into returning to Victorio’s camp.
_____
It was half an hour past reveille when C troop made their grand entrance.
The rest of the men were milling around the parade grounds, heading to
various duties or chow when the guard shouted to let everyone know that
they were returning.
It was a splendid show, drawing the attention of everyone in the fort.
They strutted their horses onto the grounds and wheeled to face First
Lieutenant Preston. The sergeant saluted him smartly and Elias returned his
salute. Preston’s command was given the order to dismount, which they did
with precision. They were dismissed and many of the off-duty troopers
rushed to ask why the pomp for a routine patrol.
Major Thomas strutted quickly from the headquarters building and
caught up with Elias Preston. He’d tell him about his wife after he
disciplined him for his unorthodox departure. Then he would tell him of his
recent order restricting everyone to the fort.
But he wasn’t the first one to talk to Elias. Lieutenant Avery had jogged
to him to let him know about Beth’s abduction before the major could reach
him.
Jonas had just ridden by to put Dusty in the stables. Today had been a
short, leisurely ride, but Dusty had earned some extra oats, which he
provided. He had removed the saddle and was preparing to pick up his
Sharps when Elias came running into the stables.
He saw Jonas and raced over to him, shouting, “He kidnapped Beth,
Jonas! He took her!”
Jonas looked at him in disbelief and exclaimed,
“Who did?”
“Some Apache from the encampment. He grabbed her at the grove and
headed northwest.”
Jonas didn’t waste any time and quickly began replacing the saddle on
Dusty’s back.
“Let’s get going, Elias. Just the two of us. Any more would be dangerous
to Beth.”
“Right,” Elias replied before he quickly raced back outside to get his
horse.
Jonas led Dusty from the stables five minutes later and began to cross
the parade grounds towards the Preston quarters, but soon spotted Elias
standing out front, screaming at Major Thomas, who was yelling right back.
This was not good.
“What’s the problem here?” he shouted as he drew near.
The major turned to him and barked, “This is a military matter, Mister
Smith. It has nothing to do with you.”
Elias turned to Jonas and growled, “All personnel are to remain in the
fort until further notice per the major’s orders.”
 “That’s plain nuts. Does he know your wife has been taken?” Jonas
asked loudly as if the major wasn’t standing in front of him.
“Yes, that’s one of the reasons for the order. The other is that he wants
answers as to why we didn’t attack Victorio. He’s going to court martial me
for cowardice in the face of the enemy.”
Jonas waved over the infuriated lieutenant trying to keep him from
attacking Major Thomas, which would have probably gotten him hanged.
When the steaming officer reached him, Jonas put his arm over his
shoulder and said in a quiet voice, “I’ll go get her, Elias. It’s better this way.
I can move quicker and get her back faster. I’m good at this. Don’t let this
bastard get to you. Don’t let him ruin your career. It’ll work out. Trust me
on this.”
Elias exhaled sharply, looked at the confidence in Jonas’ eyes and said,
“Bring her back to me, Jonas.”
“Count on it,” he replied then said, “Now all I need is some food and a
couple of more canteens.”
He turned to the soldiers who were still with their mounts, then told them
of the major’s orders and his decision to rescue Beth Preston and his need
for water and supplies. There was a quick rush as every trooper quickly
volunteered extra cans of beans, some coffee and bacon. He added two full
canteens to the two he already had and added enough food to his saddlebags
for two before thanking the men and mounting Dusty as the major shifted
his glare between Jonas and Elias.
As he started walking Dusty toward the gate, he heard the shrill scream
of Major Thomas as he yelled, “All personnel are banned from leaving this
fort! That includes you, Mister Smith!”
Without turning, Jonas simply shouted, “Shove those orders up your lily-
white ass, Major!” before he exited the gates, which were being closed by
the sentry, but at a snail’s pace.
The snickering sentry nodded to him as he passed, and Jonas gave a
small wave.
 Inside the fort, Major Thomas was going to extract every bit of payback
he could from Lieutenant Preston for that scout’s insolence. He’d deal with
the scout if and when he tried to return. He was uncertain as to the
punishment he’d dole out to the enlisted men who had challenged his
authority, but it would be substantial.
Once outside the gate, Jonas picked up the pace and turned toward the
west, aiming to a point just north of the grove of junipers. When he reached
the trees, it was easy to pick up the trail, then turned to the northwest and
began following the heavily burdened unshod hoofprints.
After a few hundred yards, he noticed something odd about the trail.  He
stopped and dismounted to examine the prints more closely, which didn’t
help. It even made things stranger. One set of prints was a heavily laden
unshod horse, which belonged to the kidnapper and Beth. but among the
horse prints were the boot prints of a tall man. The strides were long, and
the man was running.
Why would someone run after a rider on a horse, at
night?
He had trouble remembering which troopers were close to his height,
but there weren’t many.
He returned to the saddle and got Dusty moving again. The trail was so
easy to follow and was heading in the same direction without veering, so it
was like following a well-traveled roadway.
After he had gone another few hundred yards, a new twist was added
when another unshod pony had entered the mix, trailing the heavy pony and
the running man. Without dwelling on it, Jonas put Dusty into a trot, his
sense of urgency picking up a notch after finding a second Apache involved
in Beth’s abduction.
_____
Eleven miles ahead, Annie had awakened and tried to stand, but found it
difficult. She was stiff all over, so she remained sitting as she looked to the
southeast and saw nothing.
Where were the troopers?
  She was still cold
and hungry, but she decided to press on. She knew she wouldn’t be pointing
out Beth’s location to any cavalrymen, but Beth had befriended her when no
one else would. Annie would do all she could to help, but with no plan and
no resources other than herself. Annie couldn’t leave her only friend to
what probably awaited her. She struggled to rise and then spent a few
minutes stretching her aching muscles and stiff back.
Once she felt she could, she began walking, and after a few minutes,
after her muscles had loosened up, she broke into a jog.
_____
Her targets, Enciente and Beth, were having a difficult time three miles
ahead. Beth was continuing her faux madness and Enciente was just getting
irritated and was thinking about abandoning her there, but instead decided
to make her behave.
He removed his knife from it sheath, and when she started to laugh at it
again, he took the point and placed it on her left foot, then smiled at her.
Beth realized this was no bluff, and with wide eyes watched as he
suddenly pushed it into her foot, not far, but far enough to cause a sudden
shock of pain. She cried out and yanked her foot away as far as the straps
would allow. He said something to her in Apache, which she was sure was a
threat that if she didn’t behave better, he would cut her again, so she
stopped laughing.
He reached over and cut the bonds holding her feet together, then
motioned for her to get on the horse, which she did. There was blood
dripping from her left foot, but not as much as she had expected.
Satisfied that he had her under control at last, Enciente mounted behind
her and started the pony forward at a fast walk.
_____
Four miles behind Annie, Nieves kept his pony at a slow walk. He was
in no hurry. He could see no dust clouds behind him, so he knew that the
bluecoats had remained in the fort.
_____
Jonas continued to move Dusty along at a faster pace than he might have
wanted. He knew that the mule was well rested and could keep up the pace
for hours, but he wanted him to have some reserve.
 As he came over a gentle rise, he finally spotted one of the track-makers.
It was a lone Apache on his horse, about two miles ahead. He must have left
only this morning and Jonas hoped the Apache didn’t turn and see him.
There was nothing he could do about it, but he hoped he wouldn’t ride into
an ambush. He continued the same pace and kept the Apache in sight as he
closed the gap between them.
Luckily, the Apache had just cleared his own rise and was descending,
quickly fading from view, so Jonas increased his speed while he was in the
shallow valley and noticed that the tracks paralleled the northern bank of
the Rio Grande, just a few hundred yards to his left. For just a few seconds,
he contemplated going down to the riverbed where he couldn’t be seen but
discarded the idea because the mud would make going tough and there was
always the chance of quicksand, so he and Dusty pressed on.
The four participants in the unusual race continued for another hour.
Enciente and Beth increased their lead over Annie to nine miles as she tired,
and Annie’s lead over Nieves dropped to a less than a mile, but Jonas had
closed the gap to Nieves to around a thousand yards.
Nieves had spotted Annie and wasn’t sure if he’d been spotted yet and
had no idea of the weapons that the tall man had with him, so he was
cautious.
_____
Annie was the first one to stop as exhaustion finally overtook her. She
slowed to a walk and then finally almost collapsed to a sitting position on
the ground. Her legs began to cramp causing her a lot of pain, so she tried
stretching them to no avail. Now she was hungry, thirsty and her legs were
killing her. At least she wasn’t cold any longer.
Nieves saw the man sitting on the ground stretching his legs. The white-
eyes with the long black hair was about four hundred yards ahead, but he
kept the slow pace until he could be sure that the man had no rifle with him
then pulled his horse to a stop. He was concentrating so hard on the man in
front of him, he didn’t notice the man behind him. The man who most
assuredly had a rifle and intended to use it.
_____
 Jonas had seen him stop and stare ahead and knew what he had to do and
pulled out his Sharps. It was a long shot, about five hundred yards, but well
within his range and he had made them before, as recently as a few days
ago, in fact. He trusted the rifle. The air was still which made it even better
as he slid a big cartridge into the breach and adjusted the ladder site for the
correct range. He stepped down from Dusty and assumed a prone position
on the apex of the slight rise. It was a perfect set of conditions for the shot
as aimed the rifle, let the sights settle on his target, then held his breath and
slowly drew back the trigger.
The explosion from the big Sharps shattered the silence, and before the
sound reached Nieves, the massive lead slug already found him, punching
into the left side of his chest and exploding his aortic arch, releasing
massive amounts of blood inside his chest. He literally never knew what hit
him and was dead before he hit the ground.
Jonas watched him fall and quickly mounted Dusty then set him off at a
fast trot to find out who the man was that the Apache was trailing.
Less than a mile ahead, Annie jerked at the report and immediately
identified the sound when she had heard it fired six times at the fort. She
guessed that the cavalry had come after all, and Jonas Smith had led them to
where she was sitting.
She was looking back to the southeast and for the first time, she realized
that she had been tracked and shivered when she realized how close she
may have been to death. She saw the Apache lying on the ground, thrown
from his horse. His pony had been startled and was jogging off when she
heard hooves and saw Jonas on his mule coming toward her. She tried to
rise, but the cramps refused to let her.
Jonas recognized Annie shortly after mounting Dusty and had been
stunned. Why she had chased after Beth was surprising enough, but the fact
that she’d gone this far on her own so quickly was impressive. But recalling
their last few encounters, Jonas wasn’t particularly pleased as he anticipated
this one.
But as he drew closer, he could tell that she was in a great amount of
discomfort, which he could understand after the long run without food.
 Jonas finally pulled Dusty to a stop nearby then dismounted quickly and
after he stopped next to her, he said, “Ma’am, you look like you could use
some help.”
“Yes. I could,” Annie replied after deciding that being rude may not be
wise given the situation.
Jonas reached over to Dusty, grabbed a canteen, unstopped it and handed
it to her.
Annie had forgotten how thirsty she was, which was probably why she
had cramped up so badly, as she gratefully accepted the canteen and said,
“Thank you.”
As she drank, Jonas looked for the runaway pony and spotted him about
four hundred yards away.
He began to mount, and Annie was horrified, thinking he was leaving.
“Don’t leave me here!” she cried.
He looked back over his shoulder and replied, “I have no intention of
leaving you here, ma’am. I’m just going to get your ride.”
He turned Dusty toward the pony as Annie noticed the direction he was
headed, saw the dead Apache’s horse and relaxed. Now she wouldn’t have
to run anymore.
Jonas dismounted and walked slowly to the horse, talking quietly to him
in Apache. The horse shied away a little at first but calmed down enough
for Jonas to take his halter and lead him back to Dusty. He mounted his
mule and headed back to Annie, who was trying to stand.
When he reached her, he stepped down and tied the pony’s halter to
Dusty’s saddle horn.
Annie asked, “That Indian. Why was he trailing me?”
“I imagine it was because you were trailing his friend and Beth. He was
going to kill you soon, so I had to kill him first.”
 Annie looked at Jonas with a bit of uncertainty. First, he had given her
the knife that saved her from Feely, and now he had saved her life by
shooting the Apache. But he acted as if he hadn’t done anything important
at all.
“Ma’am, can you ride bareback?” Jonas asked.
“No, I never have, but I’ll try if you need me to.”
“No, I can ride the horse, if you don’t mind riding Dusty. He’s pretty
dependable.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, ma’am. Do you need some food? I notice you don’t have any and
you’ve been on the trail a while.”
“Oh, that would be wonderful, but don’t you think we need to be going?
Beth is still in the hands of that savage.”
“To be honest, ma’am, I’m planning on heading on alone. Having
something to eat doesn’t cost any time because the animals need rest
anyway. I can transfer my gear and my Sharps to the horse, and you can
ride Dusty back to the fort. It’s only a six-hour ride, so you should make it
before sunset.”
Annie’s eyes closed to slits as she said firmly, “I’m not going back. I’m
going to help Beth. She’s the only one who has ever shown me any
kindness. Besides, she’ll need me when we find her.”
Jonas looked at her, saw her determination, and knew that it was very
likely that he’d need a woman’s presence when he found Beth.
Jonas replied, “There’s something to be said for that argument, ma’am.
She’s my good friend, but at a time like this having a woman to help her
would probably be a good idea. Okay, you can come along. Just listen to
what I say, and it’ll be fine. Okay?”
“Alright. Now can I get something to eat?”
“Yes, ma’am,” answered Jonas as he walked over to Dusty’s saddlebags.
 _____
Six miles away, Enciente had heard the distant roar of the big gun.
Someone was behind them!
Or maybe someone had just shot someone that
was following them. A rifle sound at this distance wasn’t as distinguishable
as it would from a closer range. He waited for a second report and after a
couple of minutes, he knew there wouldn’t be one, so he started his pony
walking again.
Beth had heard the report as well, but unlike the Apache, she knew that
only one gun had that deep sound. It was Jonas’ Sharps, and she knew they
were coming for her. It gave her renewed hope in her rescue. Who he had
shot was the question.
_____
At Annie and Jonas’ impromptu camp, Jonas had handed some jerky to
Annie as he started a fire. It was smokeless, so there was no danger. He
took out his frypan and began cooking bacon and also placed his coffee pot
on the side of the fire until the water began to boil. He tossed in some
coffee and then added beans to the bacon and sprinkled some salt into the
mix and stirred it a few times.
“I didn’t bring any plates, ma’am,” he said, “I thought I’d be on my own,
so I hope you don’t mind eating out of the frypan. I do have a spoon for
you, though.”
The aroma of the frying bacon had made Annie’s stomach rumble.
Lord!
Was she hungry!
“I don’t mind. But will you still stop calling me ma’am?”
“Well, you have to understand why I do that. Women have always been a
weakness. I usually treat them all like princesses until I learn otherwise. It
keeps me from being rude, you see, because when you’re dealing with
princesses, you never call them by their names because it’s improper. That’s
why I call you ma’am rather than anything more familiar. I know your
name, but I just don’t think I have the right to be so familiar as to use it.”
 Annie looked at him in disbelief realizing that he really believed what he
had just said. Beth had told her about him, but she still found it hard to
believe.
“I’m hardly a princess. I’m just a laundry woman on an army post.”
“Now that’s not true. You’re missing my point. At some time in most
women’s lives, usually when they were two or three years old, their mama
or papa looked at them and said, ‘There’s our little princess.’, so I just
remember that. To someone, every woman was a princess. That’s how I
think they should be treated. I know that many of them grow up to be more
witch than princess, but for those I don’t know, I treat like princesses, and
that’s my weakness. Because I treat them like princesses, I sometimes get
burned. I’m surprised one hasn’t killed me yet.”
“This is just beyond belief,” Annie thought as she watched him.
Jonas took the frypan off the fire and set it on the ground in front of
Annie, handed her a spoon then reached over and filled a cup with hot
coffee before setting the cup next to the frypan.
She started to eat and found it to be a little too hot, but it was so tasty.
Jonas just watched her eat and had to keep a smile from his face. It was the
first time he’d seen her in the sunlight and had to admit that his previous
description of her as handsome was somewhat inadequate. Annie was a
pretty young woman, especially in those rare times when she’d smiled.
Annie savored every bit as she devoured the food, then when she
reached for the coffee, she realized that she had eaten every bit of the food
in the skillet.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t leave any for you.”
“I didn’t expect you to. That was for you. I’ll have some jerky once we
get underway. Now, there is one thing I want you to know before we start. I
don’t want to scare you if it happens. But I’m going to be riding pretty close
and you’ll have all of my long guns with you. If I suddenly see something
that needs shooting, I’ll just reach across and grab either the Winchester or
the Sharps depending on the range I need. I just don’t want you thinking
I’m trying to touch you. Okay?”
 “I understand. Thank you for the warning.”
Jonas packed his frypan, then took the cup, filled it and drank it as fast as
he could without burning his insides. After he emptied the cup, he dumped
the coffee onto the fire and scattered the ashes.
“Normally, I wouldn’t leave this much sign, but hopefully Elias can get
things worked out on the post and they’ll be able to follow us easier. And
without the threat of Victorio, things should be more peaceful.”
Annie was startled by what he’d just casually mentioned and said,
“You’ll have to explain both those statements as we ride along.”
“I can do that, ma’am.”
She didn’t comment on his use of ‘ma’am’ again as she walked to his
mule.
They mounted and began a fast walk along the trail. Annie had never
ridden a mule before but found it quite pleasant. Even if had a jarring ride,
it would have been much more pleasant than walking.
“So, what did you mean when you said those things?” she asked.
“Well, the part about Elias was really terrible. When we got off patrol
this morning, we rode into the fort and the men were feeling good because
they were returning from a mission with the best possible outcome. As I
was unsaddling Dusty, Elias came in and said that Beth had been kidnapped
by some Apache, so I told him to get ready and we’d head out.
“He ran outside to do that, but by the time I got over to his quarters, he
and Major Thomas were having at it. It seems the major, in his infinite
wisdom had ordered that no one leave the post, even though he was aware
that Mrs. Preston had been taken. To make it worse, he said he was going to
court martial Elias for cowardice before the enemy.”
Annie exclaimed, “
He was going to court martial her husband?
Is that
why there are no cavalry coming?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
 “Then how did you get to leave? Didn’t the orders apply to you?”
“The major said that they did as I started to leave and told me to halt or
be arrested.”
“Then how did you leave?”
“Do you want my exact answer, or the clean version?”
“Oh, I believe the exact answer is called for.”
“As I headed for the gate, I shouted over my shoulder, ‘Major, you can
shove that order up your lily-white ass.’, and then I rode through the gate.
The sentry was helpfully closing the gate very slowly. I think he liked me.”
Annie laughed before saying, “Beth told me that they would do anything
for you.”
“I find that hard to believe. I’m just a pain in the behind scout.”
“Well, Mister Pain-in-the-Ass scout, what did you mean when you said
Victorio was no threat?”
“It’s the reason that Elias is facing court-martial for cowardice before the
enemy.”
“I can’t believe that for a second.”
“And you’d be right. Elias is one of the bravest men I know. Not just the
type of man that doesn’t duck when bullets are flying. That’s not bravery
anyway, that’s stupidity. Bravery is doing what’s right even if it costs you.
In this case, I may have cost him his career because he listened to me.”
“Why?”
Jonas told her the story of the mission and concluded by saying, “We
returned to the camp expecting everyone to be as happy as the men were,
and all of them were, except for Major Thomas. He said Elias was a coward
for not charging into Victorio’s camp and was going to court martial him. I
didn’t want Elias to throw away his career by disobeying an order, so I told
him I’d get Beth back and here I am.”
 Annie was shocked by the story as she said, “There has to be a lot more
to the story than that. Why did you go to see Victorio instead of Lieutenant
Preston?”
“There are two reasons. First, I can speak Apache, so I don’t need an
interpreter. The second reason was that I wanted to keep Elias safe because
I promised Beth that I would do that. If Victorio decided to kill me, the
troop could have held off Victorio and probably made it safely back to the
fort.”
“Weren’t you afraid you’d die?”
“No. I guess I’m too stupid to be afraid.”
“I doubt that. What’s the real reason?”
Jonas sighed and replied, “The real reason is that I just don’t care if I
died. It doesn’t matter to anyone else, either. Elias matters to Beth, and I
love them both like family. If it comes to kill or being killed to save Beth
for Elias, I won’t hesitate when I needed to make sure that I saved Elias for
Beth. It’s not anything noble. It’s just the truth.”
Annie couldn’t reply after hearing what he’d told her. She had been
through many bad things in her life, but she never reached the point where
she didn’t care about living.
What had happened to this man?
Out of the blue, Annie said, “I killed Feely yesterday.”
She didn’t know why she said it, she just felt that she had to.
Jonas stopped the pony in its tracks and looked at Annie for a few
seconds.
Then he started the Apache horse forward again until he was beside
Annie and asked, “I’m sure he deserved it, but how did it happen?”
As difficult as it was for her to tell it again, she told him. But for some
reason, telling this man about it gave her relief that she hadn’t experienced
when she told Beth.
 “Annie,” he said as Annie noticed he used her name, and not ma’am,
“what he was planning to do to you was despicable. To me rape is a crime
much worse than murder. When someone is murdered, their life is over, and
they feel no more pain. But rape is such a hateful crime because it causes so
much pain that never seems to end.
“When I was a captain in the army during the war, we were marching
across Georgia with Sherman. We were just mounting up one morning and I
noticed that my sergeant missing, so I asked the corporal where he was, and
he pointed at a nearby farmhouse. I rode over to the house, dismounted and
entered the front door. In the first room, I saw the sergeant straddling a
young girl who couldn’t have been fourteen years old. He heard me enter,
looked up at me, laughed and asked, ‘Hey, cap’n, you want some of this
when I’m done?’
Jonas’ face clouded as he continued, saying, “Annie, he laughed! The
man was about to rape that girl and he laughed! I reached over and grabbed
him by the collar and yanked him off the girl. He was still smiling as if it
was a big joke, then I looked down at that poor girl who was trying to cover
herself while her tears were falling like a flood. All I could say to her was
‘I’m sorry, miss, but we’re going to hang this bastard.’, but I don’t think she
believed me.
“I dragged him out of the house and took my horse’s reins and led him,
still laughing, to his horse. I told him to mount up and I think he believed
that he was just going to ride off without any punishment. So, I pointed to
two troopers and told them to escort the sergeant and to follow me. He was
just as happy as could be, even when we turned into General Sherman’s
headquarters.
“I had him dismount and had the two troopers escort him behind me. We
walked into the headquarters and found General Sherman at a big map
table, studying terrain. He looked up at me and asked, ‘Captain Smith,
what’s the problem?’. I just said, ‘This sergeant just raped a young girl.’.
Because I was an officer, there was no need for any other witnesses or
evidence. The general returned to his maps and said simply, ‘Hang him’, so
we did.
 “It was only when the rope was going around his head that he realized
that it was going to happen, and I could see the surprise on his face. He was
suddenly horrified when he realized that he was going to pay the ultimate
price for what he had done. Sergeant Henson’s pain ended with the rope,
but that young girl’s pain may never go away. That’s one of the reasons I
hate rape and rapists so much.”
“You didn’t have a trial or anything?”
“No. Not during wartime. They weren’t going to waste a bunch of time
for something like this. I was an officer and I saw him do it. Nothing else
was needed. The offense was punishable by death and the sentence was
carried out.”
Annie quietly asked, “And what is the other reason you hate it so
much?”
Jonas sighed then looked at her and asked, “Can I tell you some other
time, Annie? It’s much more difficult.”
She answered, “Of course,” wondering just how bad it was if this man
couldn’t bear to tell it.
Jonas hadn’t quite finished the narrative when he said, “But there was
one other aspect to that story, Annie. Sergeant Henson and I had been
together for almost three years. When I received my commission, I was the
one who appointed him sergeant. A year later, he saved my life as a rebel
major was getting ready to impale me with his saber.
“I never even saw the rebel until Henson’s bullet had exploded his head
right next to me. If he hadn’t shot that man, I wouldn’t be alive to tell you
the story. That was one of the last things he said before he stretched the
rope. He yelled out, ‘I saved your life!’, but it didn’t matter. Saving my life
was his job, just as saving his life in combat was mine. His raping of that
young girl was just the worst crime that he could have committed in my
eyes.”
After Jonas exhaled sharply and turned his eyes to the front, Annie
looked at him with a much better understanding of his character and felt
closer to him than she even felt to Beth. Beth was right. Jonas Smith was a
remarkable man.
“When you want to tell me the other story, you can. But if you’d rather
not, I’d understand, too,” she said as softly as she could manage over the
sound of the hoofbeats.
“So,” he asked after a minute of silence, “how did they handle Feely’s
body?”
“Beth asked the quartermaster sergeant for help and when he heard the
story, he asked some soldiers to help get rid of his body and they did.”
“Beth is well-liked by everyone except the major. They’d do anything
for her.”
“She said they didn’t do it for her. They did it for you.”
“Why me?  I wasn’t even there.”
“She said the sergeant told the men that I had killed Feely using the knife
you had given me for protection because I was your girlfriend. He said
when he told them that, they all volunteered to help.”
“Well, Annie, I’m sorry that he had to do that just to help you. You
deserved the help, and they should have given it to you without question.”
“I didn’t mind.”
“Okay. Let’s get back to finding Beth. Judging by the tracks we’ve been
following, they’re only ahead of us by two hours or so. That’s very close.”
“How can you tell?”
“The horse droppings. They’re not even dry yet, and in the desert, they
dry quickly. Now we have a big advantage, too. He’s carrying Beth, so his
horse is doing double duty and can’t move very fast. Dusty can outlast any
horse. One that has two on board will be slow, so the only thing we need to
avoid is running into an ambush.
“I imagine he heard my shot back there, so he’ll know we’re here. He
doesn’t know how many are behind him, though. As far as he knows, there
could be six or seven trailing, so he’ll be nervous and make mistakes. Beth
is a smart and brave woman, and I’m sure that she knows that I’m back
here. When we get closer, we’ll figure out a plan to get her away from the
Apache without hurting her. Okay?”
Annie asked, “When you say, ‘we will figure out a plan’, you mean you;
don’t you?”
“Absolutely not. The worst thing anyone can do when you’re about to go
into action is to listen to what’s only in your own head. Two heads are
always better than one. You seem to be a smart woman and I’ll definitely
listen to you. If you think I’m doing something boneheaded, let me know. I
make mistakes all the time. When someone can stop me from making
another one, I’m happy about it. That’s Major Thomas’ biggest fault, of
many, I might add. He never listens to his subordinates. As far as he’s
concerned, he’s God.”
“That sounds fair,” she replied but doubted Jonas made many mistakes at
all after listening to Beth.
The only mistake he seemed to make was in underestimating himself and
as she glanced at him, she didn’t believe he was less handsome than Beth’s
husband, either. He was older, but she thought his rugged, very masculine
appearance was quite striking. She’d never felt that way about any man
before.
They rode quietly for a while, each turning to private thoughts. Some of
those thoughts were about what would happen when they found Beth, but
strangely enough, each thought very differently about the other person
riding alongside them than they had in those first meetings.
 CHAPTER 9
Enciente was nervous for exactly the reasons that Jonas had expected.
How many were behind him? What kind of weapons did they have? How far
away were they?
His nerves made him decide that it was time to hide his trail, so he
guided his tiring horse to the east, toward some nearby lava beds.  When he
reached the closest one, the animal stepped gingerly onto the hard, slippery
surface. With its unshod hooves, there was no protection, and Enciente
walked the pony slowly for a half a mile, changing his course every
hundred yards. Eventually, he straightened his course back to northwest and
let the pony step off the lava bed onto normal turf where he urged the horse
into a slow trot and glanced at his backtrail.
Beth watched as the horse stumbled and changed direction across the
slippery lava bed, hoping the horse would slip and fall and was
disappointed when it didn’t, but knew why the Indian was doing it. He was
trying to disguise his trail, but knew Jonas was following and could find the
trail more easily than the Apache suspected.
She knew that the Apaches had a low opinion of all white men’s ability
to track and wondered if they knew about Jonas. The attempted subterfuge
was put aside in her mind as she focused on her growing hunger. She had
water a couple of hours ago, but the Apache didn’t seem to care about food,
and she was getting sleepy too. Eventually, the sleepiness overtook the
hunger and she drifted off.
_____
It was late afternoon when Jonas noted the direction change, stopped and
told Annie to halt.
“What’s wrong, Jonas?” she asked.
Jonas definitely noticed Annie had called him by his first name before he
replied, “It looks like our Apache friend is going to finally try to lose us.
He’s suddenly altered direction to the east.”
“Maybe he has friends nearby,” Annie suggested.
“No. His band is south with Victorio. He turned to try to shake us off his
trail. The good news is that we may be able to make up time.”
“How?”
“It looks like he’s headed for the lava beds over there. Now I don’t think
there’s any point in going there at all. The only reason he’s doing it is
because he thinks we’ll follow onto the bed and waste time looking for his
trail. It’s a lot more difficult than following a trail across the sand. I can do
it, but it will take us a lot more time to find it than it did for him to make it.”
“But you’re not going to do it?”
“That’s what I was thinking, but here’s where I want your input. If what
I’m saying sounds wrong, I want you to speak up. Okay? Because there is a
risk to Beth if I’m wrong.”
“Okay. Go ahead.”
“If we assume his only purpose is to throw us off his trail. Then we can
assume he’ll want to continue his original route to the northwest. It’s highly
unlikely that he’ll turn back south. He might run into some bluecoats if he
does. He can’t go east, either because of the plateau just beyond the lava
beds. I recommend that we skip the lava beds entirely and head straight for
the end of the beds to the north, over there,” he said as he pointed.
“I agree with you totally, Jonas,” she replied.
“See? Didn’t I just tell you how smart you were?” he asked as he grinned
at her.
She laughed, and Jonas enjoyed hearing her surprisingly light, melodic
laugh.
Then he said, “Let’s go find Beth, Annie.”
“Yes, sir,” she answered as she smiled at him.
 She was surprised with both the laughter and the smile, but it felt good to
not have to be a bitch, especially not to Jonas.
They cut across in front of the lava bed, riding a path that would
intersect the northern edge. When they arrived, they slowed their pace as
Jonas examined the ground.
“Annie, when my head is down, searching for sign, I need you to scan
the high ground to make sure no one will surprise us. Okay?”
“Got it,” she replied then began searching the tops of hills and plateaus.
After five minutes of looking, she was interrupted by Jonas’ sudden
shout, “Got ‘em!”
Annie was both relieved and excited as she rode closer to Jonas and
looked where he was pointing and could see the clear mark of recent
hoofprints. She was happy to be included in the hunt to recover Beth which
gave her had a genuine purpose now that she didn’t have to worry about
what would happen when they caught up with Beth.
“We’ll track them for another half an hour, and we’ll have to make camp
because we’re losing our light.”
Annie hadn’t even noticed that the sun was going down, and asked, “Are
we any closer?”
“Yes, we sure are. I’d say within an hour’s ride. I don’t want to risk
losing them in the dark, though. We’ll track as long as we can and as soon
as I’m uncomfortable about losing the trail, we’ll pull up for the night. We
can get an early start tomorrow and should find Beth before noon. Is that
okay?”
“I agree that we can’t lose the trail. Not when we’re this close.”
“It is a common trick, by the way. Just before dark, you drastically
change direction. If your followers are close and persist after it’s dark, they
risk overshooting the redirection and miss the change.”
Annie nodded as they pressed on, and Jonas was able to squeeze another
forty minutes before he had to call a halt to their pursuit. He found a nice
niche in the lava beds that even had a large seep that was still half full of
water.
He slid from the pony and tied his reins to a nearby mesquite bush while
Annie dismounted from Dusty. He removed his rifles and saddlebags from
Dusty, opened his bedroll, laying it on a flat patch of sand. Finally, he
removed the saddle, blanket and bridle from Dusty. He filled the canteens
and the coffeepot from the seep and then led both animals to the water and
let them drink.
After leading the two animals back to some dry grass and tying them
down, Jonas walked back to Annie and asked, “Annie, I’m debating about
making a fire for a hot supper. What do you think?”
“Can you make a fire without anyone seeing it?”
“Not completely, but pretty close.”
“I would like some hot food, if that’s okay.”
“Of course, it is. You just relax and I’ll take care of it.”
Annie smiled at him as he began to gather mesquite wood and some
small bushes she couldn’t identify. She was getting very comfortable
around Jonas and enjoyed every minute. That soon created the horrible
thought when she wished the hunt wouldn’t end. She had simply never felt
like she mattered before, and Jonas was making her feel that way and
something much more exciting.
Jonas dug a hole deep in the crevice near the seep and began putting
some of the fuel inside then struck a match and dropped it onto the kindling.
Once it flamed to life, he set a grate over the fire and put the frypan on top.
Jonas set the coffeepot near the flames, then opened two cans of beans and
dumped them into the frypan.
“No bacon left?” Annie asked.
“We have bacon, but I’m concerned that the smell of frying bacon will
alert Beth’s captor that we’re near. We’re that close and bacon is one of
those things that you can smell from a long way. Coffee’s not far behind,
but it’s not quite as obvious as bacon and I’m willing to risk it.”
 “Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.”
“But I can add some flavor to the beans,” Jonas said before removed two
strips of beef jerky and cut them up into the beans and added a dash of salt.
“When the beans heat up, they’ll soften the beef jerky, so it adds a nice
flavor.”
“You should be a chef, Jonas.”
Jonas smiled at her and replied, “Not too many restaurants would survive
on beans and bacon or jerky. I’ve used up all of my culinary expertise, I’m
afraid.”
“My, my, Mister Smith, such an extensive vocabulary,” she said as she
laughed.
Jonas laughed with her and examined her face with growing
appreciation. And to think that just a week ago, he was terrified to even see
her. It made him wonder just what he’d think of her before they returned to
the fort. He had no doubt that they’d be successful in saving Beth now. And
aside from his now almost constant thoughts of Annie, he still had concerns
about what Major Thomas would do to Elias. He hoped that his telegram to
General Sherman would pay dividends quickly enough to matter.
The beans and coffee were ready, so Jonas removed them from the fire
and set the coffeepot and frypan on the sand, then handed the spoon to
Annie.
She said, “We are sharing this time, Jonas. Are we not?”
“Yes, Annie. We are sharing. You go ahead and I’ll pour some coffee.”
Annie began eating and after two bites, handed the spoon to Jonas. He
took a bite and handed it back to her.
“I saw that, Jonas. You need to take two for proper sharing,” she said but
still smiled.
“Well, Annie. I’m just a bit worried because I know you missed two or
three meals. You need to regain your strength for tomorrow. I’ll be okay.
I’m used to skipping meals. It’s the way I’ve lived for the past fifteen
years.”
“That’s no excuse. Just because I’m an Amazon doesn’t mean I have to
eat six times a day.”
Jonas’ smile evaporated, then he stood up suddenly and looked down at
her.
“Don’t you ever say anything like that in front of me again, Annie. You
are nothing but a very good-looking woman who happens to be tall. I won’t
hear you making fun of yourself again. Ever. Is that understood?”
Annie was stunned, pleased and embarrassed all at once but replied,
“Yes, but you don’t understand.”
Jonas exhaled, sat down, took his second bite and handed the spoon back
to Annie.
“So, tell me about it so I can,” he said quietly.
Annie sighed and put the spoon down in the frypan, then dropped her
eyes to the ground.
“I grew up in an orphanage in Baltimore. For as long as I can remember,
I’ve always been tall. Tall and skinny. The other girls in the orphanage
treated me as an outsider and said I should be in a freak show. I had no
friends, none at all. Then when I became a teenager, these started showing
up,” she said as she pointed to her chest, “And I began getting attention
from the head of the orphanage. When I was sixteen, he raped me then
threatened that he’d throw me out in the street if I said anything. He kept
doing it, and I found out he was doing the same thing to other girls. They
showed me how to keep from becoming pregnant, although it wasn’t a sure
thing when some of them found themselves in that condition.
“This went on for two years. I wasn’t as pretty as some of the other girls
and I was too tall, of course, so I wasn’t raped that often, but it didn’t make
it any easier. Finally, another girl, after she had been raped, took a knife and
sliced off part of his manhood while he slept. The police were called in and
we all thought he’d be hanged for what he had done to us, but that didn’t
happen. Jonas, they arrested her! They let him go even after we all told
them what he’d done, but she was sent to prison.”
Annie had begun to sob, and Jonas wanted to hold her to help her
through it but didn’t want to risk making it worse.
Annie continued, saying, “When I finally left the orphanage, I began
wrapping my chest with a cloth, so no one would notice. So, all I did for six
years was work in a dress factory, sewing dresses for other women. They
paid us so little that we could barely survive. Our days were twelve hours
long and six days a week. If we got sick, no one cared. One day last year, I
found a newspaper ad for mail order brides. I was so desperate to get away
that I sent a letter, and it was returned. The man sounded nice, so I thought I
would give it a try. He paid for me to come out here and you know the rest.”
She let out a long sigh as she finished her story, then looked back up to
examine Jonas’ eyes for any sign of revulsion for what she had done. But
when she looked at him through her tears, she saw nothing but sympathy
and compassion. There was something else that she didn’t understand but
still made her feel warm inside.
Jonas was experiencing all of those emotions and much more as he said,
“Annie, come here and I’ll tell you the other reason I hate rape and rapists
so much.”
She slid close to Jonas and rested her head on his shoulder, feeling better
and more than that, she felt as if she belonged here.
Jonas put his hand around her waist and Annie felt even better. She’d
never been this close to another human being and wanted to be closer.
Jonas began his story, saying, “I grew up on a farm near a small town in
Ohio. My parents were happy and so was I. I thought well of my father but
worshipped my mother. She was everything a mother could be. She was
sweet, caring and had a wonderful sense of humor. She encouraged me in
everything I wanted to do. She taught me to love reading and history and
was so full of life and love. She was the rock in my life.”
Jonas took in a deep breath and continued, saying, “Then one day, when
I was thirteen, I returned to the house after spending the afternoon in the
field scything hay. My father was in town, attending a meeting in the church
as he was an important man in the congregation. I walked into the house
and saw my mother huddled in a ball on the floor. Her dress had been
ripped open and she was crying as she tried to cover her nakedness. I ran to
her, and she grabbed me and held on just sobbing as my heart was breaking
because I knew what had happened to her.
“There had been a rape in the town the year before, but no one had been
caught because the woman wouldn’t say who had done it. But my mother
had explained to me what had happened. It was a sad way to learn about the
facts of life, and now she had been raped and was in desperate need of love
and comfort. But believe it or not, that wasn’t even the worst of it.”
Again, Jonas took a deep breath and exhaled, and Annie could feel his
strong arm tighten around her.
“While she was crying in my arms, my mother, my sweet, gentle mother,
told me that it was the minister who had done it. I was shocked and
appalled before I helped her into her room. I laid her down in the bed and
covered her with the quilt. Then I asked if she wanted me to get the doctor.
She refused but asked me to stay with her until my father came home.
“I did as she asked and stayed with her. We both expected that when my
father came back from his meeting, he’d take the shotgun from the wall
then find and shoot the reverend. He returned about an hour later and found
me with my mother as she huddled under the quilt and began to tell him
what had happened.”
Jonas paused a third time, blew out his breath and rubbed his eyes.
Annie was already near tears herself, finding it hard to imagine how
stressful it was for Jonas to tell her the story, but he continued.
“After she told him what had happened and who had done it, what was
his reaction? Was he a compassionate, loving husband who would rail
against the man who had done this to the wife, the wonderful woman he had
claimed to have loved for fifteen years? No, he didn’t. He called her a liar
and that the minister was a man of God, and no man of God would do such
a thing. He actually accused her of lying! She was shocked when he
screamed at her that whatever had happened to her was because she was a
wanton harlot. My father, whom I had respected, called my precious mother
a harlot! I hated him from that moment forward. He was dead to me.
“My mother was lost as well, but not because I stopped loving her. I
cared for her so much that my heart never healed. After he accused her of
being responsible for being raped, she just died inside. She lost her joy. She
lost her beautiful soul and became an empty shell. She died inside and my
father had killed her. I wanted so much to go into town and shoot the
minister with one barrel of the shotgun and then come back and shoot my
father with the second barrel. But my mother, with the last words she ever
said to me, put her hand on mine and said, ‘No’.
“My father moved out of the house and went to live in town because he
was ashamed of my mother and wanted no part of her. My mother’s eyes,
the eyes that had always sparkled with life and laughter were empty. I
continued to work the farm and care for my mother, even though she never
said another word. She died when I was seventeen, and I will always
believe that my father had killed her. The minister went unpunished and
even though there were two more rapes in town, he was never even
accused. Once she was gone, I felt no need to stay. I just left the farm and
went to war.”
He turned his eyes to Annie and said, “Annie, I’m telling you this story
to let you know that I do understand how horribly you’ve been treated. I
have never told anyone of this before, and I will never tell anyone else,
never. But you need to understand, Annie, that you’re not alone, and I really
do understand.”
Annie had her eyes locked on his as she whispered, “Thank you for
telling me, Jonas. It means a lot.”
Jonas just nodded, removed his hand from her waist, rose, then walked a
few yards away, stopped and just stood looking into the moonlit landscape.
Annie felt she understood Jonas much better now, and the story about the
princesses, and his deference to women all made sense. For all her suffering
over the past eight years, and all the humiliation she had endured for her
entire life, she had never experienced the crushing loss of someone so dear
to her heart. She had never even had anyone that close and wished that
Jonas could be the one to be there now.
After ten minutes, Jonas finally regained some level of calm. He never
thought he’d ever tell another human being that story and knew he’d never
tell it again but was certain that Annie needed to know as her own life story
had touched him deeply.
Once he was ready, he returned to where Annie still sat and lowered
himself to the ground where he’d been sitting before but didn’t put his arm
around her.
Jonas felt a need to change the tenor of the conversation and said, “We
should finish our shared meal, Annie. We’ll need the energy for tomorrow
when we rescue Beth.”
Annie smiled and said, “Yes. Let’s do both,” then they returned to
sharing their warm beans and reasonably hot coffee.
After Jonas had put away the pan and coffeepot, he turned to Annie and
said, “Thank you for letting me share that story with you, Annie. Telling
you took a weight off my chest. It has weighed on me so long, but I know
that there is no one else I could have shared it with.”
“I’m happy I could be here for you, Jonas,” she said.
“For some reason, I feel drained. You go ahead and use the bedroll. I’m
used to sleeping in the open desert.”
Annie felt uncomfortable taking the only warm place to sleep, but she
acquiesced. She was exhausted and just as drained as he was. She slid into
the bedroll, surprised how comfortable the soft sand mattress was and said,
“Thank you for everything, Jonas.”
“For what little I could do to make you feel better, I’m glad. For what
you’ve done for me, I’ll be forever grateful. Now you get some sleep. You
look tired.”
She nodded, then smiled at him, closed her eyes and within minutes was
in a deep sleep.
 Jonas looked at her peaceful face and smiled. Now it was time to go
back to work. He knew that Beth had to be within a mile. If they woke early
and picked up the trail, it could be just a matter of minutes before they
reached her. The question was, what came next? He sat on a short shelf of
rock near the seep and formulated a plan.
When he was satisfied that it was the best way of ensuring Beth’s safety,
he stood and returned to the camp site, looked down at Annie and thought
she might already be feeling the desert chill, so he took Dusty’s saddle
blanket and laid it across her sleeping form tucked into the bed roll.
He then stepped over to his gear and laid down on the desert floor with
his head on the edge of the saddle. He thought about how much they had
shared after just a short time together and was already wondering what
would happen between them when they returned to the fort. Whatever it
was, Jonas knew for certain that Annie had already touched his heart.
Something that no other woman had done since his mother died on the day
his father refused to be her husband when she needed him the most.
He finally drifted off to sleep with his mind and spirit soothed.
_____
Beth was indeed within a mile of Jonas and Annie. In fact, she was less
than eight hundred yards away, but she was in a shallow cave with her
captor sleeping ten feet away near the mouth of the cave. He had given her
a sort of trail mix a few hours earlier, but it wasn’t much, and her stomach
still growled. But so far, he hadn’t molested her. He seemed more intent on
losing whoever was trailing them. She smiled because she knew it was
Jonas, and he was probably close. She assumed Elias was with him and
thinking of Elias made her heart calm. She wanted to feel his arms around
her soon, and even as she tried to sleep, the thoughts of being with him
again kept her awake.
_____
Back at the fort, First Lieutenant Elias Preston paced the floor in his
quarters, still fuming. He hadn’t eaten all day, and if it hadn’t been for
Jonas, he would have shot that little bastard. He knew that Jonas acting
alone probably had a better chance of rescuing Beth than if a whole troop
had gone, but that didn’t make it easier. And now, this house arrest and
pending court-martial stared him in the eye. Even being charged for
cowardice in the face of the enemy would kill his career, regardless of the
verdict of the court. But his career didn’t matter now. Only Beth mattered
and he wished he was with Jonas.
 CHAPTER 10
Jonas was awake. The sun hadn’t risen, but he did. After a quick trip
behind some boulders to empty his bladder, he walked over to the seep,
removed his shirt, splashed the cool water on his face, then plunged his
head into the water and shook his hair like a very tall basset hound. He
combed his black hair by running his hands through it once.
The water was invigorating, waking him even faster than coffee would.
He put his shirt back on, returned to the camp and put kindling and scraps
of dried wood in his fire hole then tossed in a lit match. He had the fire
going and the grate installed in minutes, then filled the coffee pot and
placed it on the grid. He was crouched on his heels near the fire when he
heard Annie stir.
Annie heard small noises, then opened her eyes and saw Jonas by the
fire. She smiled when she saw him and felt warm inside beyond her
retained body heat inside the bedroll.
“How ironic,” she thought, “here I am in the desert with wild creatures
all about, probably Apaches, yet I feel safe.”
She slid out of the bedroll and noticed the added blanket.
“Good morning, Jonas,” she said as she smiled at him.
“Good morning to you, Annie,” he replied as he returned her smile.
“Is there someplace a girl can get some privacy around here?” she asked.
“To use our handy latrine, just go behind those boulders and if you want
to wash up, you can use the seep. I promise I won’t look.”
She knew he wouldn’t, but she also had a passing thought that for the
first time in her life, she wouldn’t mind if a man did look. After a few
minutes, she returned to the seep. She removed her shirt and washed in the
brisk water, then as she reached for her shirt to put it back on, she hesitated
for a moment. She glanced back at Jonas who wasn’t watching then slowly
unrolled her cloth wrap from around her chest and tossed it aside before she
donned her shirt and returned to the small fire and sat down near Jonas.
“Would you like some coffee?” he asked, trying not to stare at the
obvious change in her wardrobe.
It was very difficult for him to not even look after noticing what he
valued as an impressive improvement.
Annie replied, “That would be nice. No breakfast?”
“I reached in my saddlebag for a can of beans for breakfast but took out
something that you may like better. I picked them up last week in Las
Cruces,” he replied as he handed her an open can of peaches with the spoon
handle jutting from the top.
Annie took the can of peaches and spooned a chunk of syrup-laden fruit
into her mouth, closed her eyes and smiled.
“Oh, Jonas! This is heaven. We are going to share, aren’t we?”
“No, Annie. You go ahead. I only want coffee this morning.”
“You aren’t just trying to be nice; are you?”
Jonas laughed lightly and replied, “No. I really want to keep my stomach
empty. I’ll tell you why later.”
“If you insist,” she said as she took another spoonful with a look of
serenity on her face.
Jonas just watched her enjoy her breakfast and smiled into the coffee to
keep his eyes off of her ample bosom. When she’d told him about the wrap
that she’d worn since she was sixteen, he had almost not paid attention, but
now, its absence had his full attention. But he believed it would hurt her
feelings if he said anything, failing to realize that there must have been a
reason for her decision not to wear it.
By the time she finished the peaches, Jonas had drained his coffee cup
then refilled it and handing it to Annie.
 She wrapped both hands around the hot cup and suddenly asked, “Well,
what do you think?”
“About what?” he asked innocently.
“About, you know, my change in appearance.”
Jonas looked at her, pretending to just give her a simple once-over. He
could have commented on the obvious, and now, she seemed to want him to
say something, but he wanted to make a point.
“Well, I’m glad that you removed that tie around your hair. It looks nicer
when it’s not bunched up. You have very nice hair and when it’s all loose
like that it makes you look even prettier.”
Annie was surprised despite the unexpected compliment and asked,
“You mean you didn’t notice?”
He looked at her again before saying, “I noticed that you’re a lot happier
than you were yesterday, and that’s the most important change.”
“Didn’t you notice these?” she asked as she pointed at her very
impressive bosom.
“Of course, I noticed them. It would be difficult not to, but it doesn’t
matter.”
“Why doesn’t it matter? It seems to matter to most men.”
“Annie, your height, the color of your eyes, your hair, and yes, even the
size of your breasts doesn’t change who you are. It’s what’s inside that
makes you special. Take Beth, for example. She’s a wonderful woman and
admired by everyone. Yes, she’s very pretty with her blonde hair and cute
nose, but that’s not what makes her popular. It’s her generosity, her good
nature and her sense of fairness. Those inside things are what makes Beth,
Beth. It’s why she and Elias get along so well. They both have that internal
goodness that makes you want to like them.
“Now, I believe that inside you are the same type of person, or you
wouldn’t be here chasing after Beth. So, if you continued to hide that
physical feature or not wouldn’t make any difference to me. You are still
you, Annie.”
Annie was at a loss for words for almost a full minute before she finally
asked, “So, you’re not impressed?”
“I didn’t say that. I am definitely impressed. I just wanted you to know
that it wasn’t what defines you. Annie, once I got past my initial impression
of you in the laundry, I found you to be every bit as special as Beth. And I’ll
tell you one more thing that I’m only telling you because it’s true.”
Annie was breathing quickly as she asked, “What is that, Jonas?”
“No other woman except you, and that includes Beth, has touched my
heart since my mother died.”
Annie stared at Jonas and said softly, “Thank you, Jonas. That means a
lot to me, and I’ve never wanted to be close to anyone else before until you
found me sitting on the desert floor.”
As much as he would prefer talking to Annie, he said, “Annie, as much
as I’d like to continue this conversation, we need to find Beth now. I need to
tell you how I plan on getting Beth away from the Apache without letting
her come to harm. The same rules apply about speaking up. Okay?”
Annie nodded as she sipped the coffee, trying to concentrate on the
reason they had both left Fort Selden in the first place.
“I was thinking about this last night as you slept. I don’t believe he has a
rifle, but you had a quick look at him as he rode off. Did you see a rifle?”
Annie tried to remember, but the light wasn’t good, and he was a long
way off.
“I’m not sure, but I didn’t see one.”
“The reason I’m pretty sure he didn’t have one was because he hasn’t
tried to ambush us. Even if he didn’t know how many were on his tail, he
could have slowed us up by throwing a few shots at us. So, if he’s unarmed
except for his knife, that means my plan may have a greater chance of
success. Have you ever fired a gun?”
 “No. I’ve never even touched one.”
Jonas slid his Colt from his holster, removed all the cartridges, then
stood and looked down at Annie.
He asked, “Are you afraid of guns?”
“No.”
“Good. Come over here.”
She rose and walked to his side, and he handed her the pistol.
“Now this may seem heavy, and it is. It’s a hunk of steel that weighs
almost three pounds. But you only point it when you’re going to use it, so
don’t worry about its weight. This is a Colt Model 1873. It’s what they call
a single-action revolver which means you need to cock the hammer before
you pull the trigger.
“Now, I want you to try firing the gun, but one thing will make it easier.
Don’t worry about aiming. I don’t. Just point the gun at the target like you
would if you were pointing your index finger. Okay?”
Annie nodded then lifted the gun and aimed it at the seep and cocked the
hammer back with her thumb. The cylinder turned, then she squeezed the
trigger and the hammer slammed back with a loud snap.
“How hard was that?” he asked, glad that she had big hands and didn’t
have to use her left to cock the hammer like most women or small men, like
the good major.
“Not too bad,” she replied with a smile.
“I don’t suppose you have the knife I gave you; do you?” he asked.
“Of course, I do. You said to always keep it with me.”
“Great. Can you give it to me?” Jonas asked believing she kept it in her
boot but would be pleasantly surprised when she revealed its true location.
Annie handed him his pistol and could have gone back to the seep to
retrieve the knife but didn’t. Instead, she simply unbuttoned her britches,
slid them past her hips, removed the knife and sheath from the strap on her
right thigh then handed it to Jonas and pulled her britches back up.
“Enjoyed that, did you?” she asked with an almost come-hither smile.
Jonas blinked, then honestly replied, “Um, to be honest, yes I did. You
have very nice legs.”
Annie felt liberated as she heard the compliment from Jonas with his
admission that he liked looking at her and said, “Good. Now, why did you
need the knife?”
Jonas had forgotten why he needed the knife for a few seconds and
answered, “Hold on. I’ll remember in a second. My mind seems to be a bit
distracted.”
Annie laughed and said, “My, my, Mister Smith. I believe you were
caught off guard.”
Jonas laughed, but then seriously said, “Okay. I’ve got it now. I want you
to put on my gunbelt, and I’ll remove my knife and sheath, and put yours on
the gunbelt. I’ll be wearing just my knife, and in a few minutes, I’ll return
the embarrassment favor. My plan is to taunt the Apache into a knife fight,
so I can get him away from Beth. She’s probably bound, so she can’t
escape.
“Now engaging an Apache in a knife fight is always an iffy proposition,
and I think I can beat him. But if he wins, you need to shoot him so he can’t
get back to Beth. That’s why I gave you the gun and a short lesson. I needed
your knife on your waist as part of the taunt I plan to use to bring him out.
“In a few minutes, we are going to mount up and ride toward Beth. I
think they are very close. When I think they’re within a hundred yards,
we’ll dismount. Then I’m going to start shouting in Apache and I want you
to just stand there looking defiant and don’t be alarmed if I touch you. You
have an important part to play in getting this Apache angry enough to make
a mistake.
“I also have an advantage in that they all think that white men only know
how to use guns, so he’ll underestimate me. Just remember if I lose, don’t
hesitate. He’ll want to either scalp me or stand over my body and celebrate.
Get angry and shoot the bastard. Don’t stop at one shot, either. Keep pulling
the trigger until it clicks on an empty chamber. Got all of that?”
Annie was appalled and exclaimed, “Jonas! You can’t do that! Why can’t
you just shoot him?”
“There are two good reasons. If he sees me with a gun, he’ll probably
kill Beth before we even see him. Secondly, there’s a danger of her getting
hit with a ricochet or a miss. I need to draw him out, Annie. I need you to
be that strong woman who scared the daylights out of me in the laundry.”
Annie calmed and asked, “Why were you afraid of me? You rode into
Victorio’s camp and weren’t even afraid of dying.”
“You’re a woman. I can’t do anything to hurt a woman, even if she’s
doing things that I would never let a man get away with doing. But facing a
man when I can control what happens is different.”
“So, you don’t care if you die?” she asked softly.
Jonas looked into those big brown eyes and replied, “Actually, today I
am concerned. But I wasn’t two days ago when I faced Victorio.”
Annie asked, “Why the change?”
“I’ve gotten to know you, Annie,” he replied.
It was the answer she was hoping to hear. When he said it, she closed her
eyes for a few seconds, then opened them again as he turned, then walked
back to the camp where he replaced the cartridges in the Colt’s cylinders,
then began getting the animals ready. She was still staring at him as he
stepped toward his mule.
When Dusty was saddled and all the gear was aboard, she watched in
fascination as Jonas began to strip. He took off his shirt, his boots and
socks, then his blue denims. All he had on was a trimmed union suit with
nothing above the waist and bare legs to mid-thigh. There was a leather
string belt around his waist holding them in place.
 But what really surprised her, was when she noticed that the skin on his
well-muscled body was a light brown rather than the pale white she had
expected. Jonas may have been flustered when she’d dropped her britches,
but Annie was worse when she saw an almost unclothed Jonas and couldn’t
help but gawk as she felt a hot, but pleasant flush rush through her.
He walked to the saddlebags, hunted around for a few seconds and
pulled out a pair of moccasins then returned to the firepit.
“I have to admit, I am definitely impressed,” she said with a smile as she
continued to examine him without shame or embarrassment.
Jonas smiled back and replied, “Well, I’m glad to hear it, but it’s
necessary that when I challenge the Apache to the fight. He needs to see
that I’m not hiding a gun. They don’t trust us white-eyes, and for good
reason, I might add.”
Annie asked, “Jonas, why are you brown all over?”
“A long time back, when I first began scouting, I noticed how the
Apaches could blend in with their surroundings. Part of the reason is that
their skin didn’t reflect the light. They also could run long distances without
tiring, even in bare feet. I decided to duplicate what they did.
“Whenever I could, I’d ride out to the deep desert and strip naked,
including my feet, and then I’d run. It hurt a lot the first few months, and I
burned my skin to a crisp. That was more painful than you’d imagine, by
the way. But I figured if the Apaches could do it, so could I. It took over a
year for me to reach my goal and I still do it to stay proficient. It keeps me
fit, as well.”
She said, “Yes, I can see that. I sort of noticed it that day you came into
the laundry without a shirt. It was dark in there, so I didn’t notice the color
of your skin, but I definitely noticed that you were fit.”
Then with a small smile, she quietly asked, “And do you still run naked
in the desert?”
“Yes, ma’am. Whenever I get the chance. It’s soul cleansing. You should
try it sometime,” he answered as he smiled back.
 “I think I’ll pass on that form of soul cleansing, if you don’t mind.”
“By the way, Annie, I want to tell you how impressed I was when I first
started tracking you. I saw the men’s boot tracks, so I assumed you were a
man. I saw the long strides, so it appeared that I was following a tall man
running after Beth and the Apache. After a few miles, I noticed that the
strides weren’t getting any shorter, and I kept waiting to find some guy
huffing and puffing on the ground.
“The further I rode, the more amazed I was. I didn’t believe there was
anyone in camp who could run like I could. Then the following morning,
when the running began again, I was flabbergasted. Imagine my shock
when I looked and saw you on the ground. You astonished me then, Annie,
and have continued to do so.”
“I only ran to try to help Beth. When the cramping hit my legs, I knew I
had failed. I didn’t know what else I could do. Then I heard that cannon of
yours and I knew we’d find Beth.”
“And we will. Let’s get going.”
He strapped the gunbelt around Annie’s waist and attached her scabbard
to the straps on the left side, then used a pigging strip to attach his scabbard
to his makeshift belt.
Everything was ready when they mounted and the sun had just barely
peeked over the horizon.
Jonas and Annie picked up the trail and started northwest again. They
were almost in a wide canyon, with rock walls to the left and lava flows to
their right. It wasn’t a true canyon, but it had the same effect. The rising sun
was already bringing the temperature higher as Annie rode beside Jonas,
scanning the rocks.
Knowing that they were close, Jonas kept them at a slow pace.
_____
Without a clue that his pursuers were less than three hundred yards away,
Enciente was awake and walking toward Beth. It was time to make this sun-
haired woman his woman.
 Beth was bound and helpless in the back of the shallow cave and was
furiously trying to come up with a plan, praying that it wouldn’t be
necessary, and that Jonas and Elias would soon arrive.
_____
As Jonas and Annie rounded a gently curve, they saw the pony tied to a
withered mesquite bush, halted and Jonas slid from the horse and waited for
Annie to dismount. He lashed the Apache’s horse’s halter to Dusty, not
worrying that his trusty mule would stray. He’d stay put regardless of what
was going to happen.
He waved Annie over closer and when she was within two feet, he
whispered, “Here we go. Be strong. Be the Annie that scared me to death. I
want you to stand to my right, with your left shoulder about a foot away. I’ll
be pulling your knife when I talk, but I’ll give it right back. Ready?”
She nodded and quietly replied, “I’m ready.”
Jonas gave her one last look, smiled, then they walked forward together
and after a few feet, Jonas stopped, and Annie positioned herself to his
right.
Jonas then shouted in Apache, “I know you are there, stealer of women!
No true Apache warrior would make war on women! But maybe you do
because you are afraid to fight a man. Even a white-eyed devil!”
He paused and waited for the Apache’s response as Annie stared at the
cave over their heads.
_____
Inside the cave, Enciente was reaching for his prize when the voice
echoed across the face of the rock, startling him. As much as the voice itself
surprised him, it was listening to the words that made him angry.
A white-
eyes speaking Apache and insulting him?
This was not tolerable, so
Enciente quickly turned and walked to the mouth of the cave to see this
bastard.
Behind him, Beth smiled, knowing that she may be hearing Apache but
knew the voice shouting it was not. It was Jonas, and she suddenly felt safe
and relieved. This would end soon.
Enciente reached the mouth of the cave and shouted, “Who is it that
comes here and insults the greatest warrior of the Mezcaleros?”
He could see a white man standing with only a small undergarment and
with a tall white woman by his side. He noticed that the white man wasn’t
pale and had black hair like an Apache. His woman also had black hair that
cascaded down her back.
Jonas shouted back, “Come out and show yourself, or are you afraid? I
will not shoot you with a gun. I offer you a chance to prove you are such a
great warrior. My woman…” then he reached over and struck Annie’s chest
at the notch of her breastbone with the palm of his right hand, “is a greater
warrior than you. Just two days ago, she killed a man who tried to attack
her. He had a knife in his hand, but she did not. But she was the one who
emerged victorious, and she did not whine as you do.”
Jonas pounded her chest again and then pulled her knife from its sheath
and held it high in the morning sun.
“She used this knife that once belonged to a braver warrior than you. I
gave it to her because I knew in her heart that she was a great warrior. I had
taken it from a scout of the great Victorio. The scout tried to kill me in the
dark, but I am still here. So is my woman. I promise not to let her scare you.
It will be between you and me. Do you wish to fight? Or would you rather
hide in your cave?”
Annie had no idea what the words meant, but she had a pretty good idea
of their meaning when he had firmly thumped her chest.
Enciente was enraged.
Was this white-eyes telling the truth?
He
recognized the knife easily, but to give the knife to his woman was a greater
insult than anything he had uttered. He stepped out of the cave and began to
make his way down the face of the mountain.
Beth had watched him leave after hearing the obvious insults. Now, it
was up to Jonas.
 Enciente reached the floor of the desert and glared at the white man and
pointed at Annie.
“Your tall woman is carrying a gun. Perhaps she is going to shoot me?”
“I have told her to not interfere with the fight. She will obey.”
He turned to Annie and said, “Remember what I told you. Now step
back about twenty feet.”
She nodded and stepped back.
Enciente smiled. Maybe after he killed the white-eyes, he would take his
woman, too. She was taller than he was but shaped well.
“What is your name, that I may pass it on to your tribe for burial rites?”
Jonas asked.
“My name is Enciente. The name of the warrior who will soon end your
life and take your woman. What is your name, white-eyes, that I may add it
to the list of your brothers that I have taken?”
“You don’t need to know my name, Enciente. Your days of adding
white-eyes names to your list are over.”
Enciente pulled his knife while Jonas removed his before they slowly
stepped towards each other.
Annie looked on in terror hoping it didn’t show on her face. For the first
time in many years, Annie prayed, but not for herself or even Beth. She
wanted Jonas to return with her more than anything she had ever wanted
before.
Enciente made the first move when he feinted a stab to the chest, but it
was so blatantly a feint that Jonas simply ignored it. The Apache quickly
followed the feint by going into a slight crouch and swinging his right leg in
a sweep, hoping to put Jonas off his feet. Jonas saw the sweep coming as
the Indian went into his crouch, then hopped back a step and dropped his
blade to the ground, catching Enciente’s ankle as it went by.
 Enciente was shocked as he felt the stab of pain. He knew it wasn’t a
serious wound as the ankle bone had prevented the knife from entering
deeply, but it was annoying and he began to think this white man was better
than he’d expected.
Jonas didn’t brag or insult the Apache as there was no point now. He
needed to pay all of his attention on his opponent. Jonas faked throwing his
knife in an underhand motion, and the Apache swiped away an imaginary
knife as Jonas stepped forward and thrust the point of his blade toward his
target, catching Enciente’s forearm as it raced by to deflect the non-existent
thrown knife. Again, it wasn’t a serious wound, but it meant that Enciente
had suffered two cuts and his opponent had not been injured.
Enciente stepped back and pretended to stumble and Jonas made his first
mistake when he rushed in to take advantage and Enciente stopped
suddenly and thrust at Jonas, catching him on his left side on the ribs. The
knife slid across a rib opening a gash, but not as deeply as the Apache had
hoped.
Jonas felt the slice and knew it wasn’t bad, but Annie was genuinely
frightened as her right hand fell to the big Colt. She must be ready.
Jonas quickly recovered from his error and resolved not to fall for
anything so stupid again. Then he decided to take an enormous gamble and
turned his back on his opponent, daring him to attack.
Enciente thought about it and assumed it was another ruse and missed an
opportunity to finish the fight and kill Jonas. But while Jonas’ back was
turned, Enciente quickly reached down and grabbed a fistful of the fine
desert dust and sand and smiled as the white-eyes hadn’t noticed. He hid his
dust-filled hand behind his back, pretending the bleeding wound was
causing him more pain than it was.
Jonas turned and glanced at the ground, noticed the fresh small pit near
Enciente and knew where the missing dirt was.
Annie had seen the Apache dig the small handful of sand and was about
to warn Jonas when he said in a normal tone of voice, “I know, Annie.
Don’t worry.”
 Jonas then moved toward his quarry, waiting for the sudden move of his
left arm to hurl the handful of dirt. When he caught the twitch in the
Apache’s shoulder, he began to drop. Then Enciente suddenly threw the
dust where Jonas’ eyes should have been and lunged.
Jonas continued his downward motion and dove toward the Apache’s
feet, which was the second half of his gamble. It was the ultimate high
stakes gamble, and it paid off.
Enciente lunged but all he found before him was a cloud of dust. By the
time he noticed Jonas near his feet, it was too late.
Jonas plunged his knife through Enciente’s private parts into his
underbelly then quickly continued his roll, taking out Enciente’s feet as he
did.
The Apache rolled to the ground screaming as blood was pouring from
his middle. Just seconds later, his eyes rolled into his head and his screams
and breathing stopped.
Beth heard the screaming and knew it was over and prayed that it would
be Jonas and Elias entering the cave and not the Apache.
Annie walked close to Jonas, put her hand on his shoulder and said, “Are
you okay, Jonas. You’re bleeding.”
“I’ll be okay, Annie. It’s not that deep. Let’s go get Beth.”
He surprised Annie when he took her hand, and they began to climb
using the same route used by Enciente when he descended. They reached
the cave quickly before Jonas helped Annie into its mouth.
Beth saw two silhouettes appear against the morning glare, expecting
them to be Jonas and Elias, but soon realized she was only partially right. It
was Jonas and...
Annie?
Jonas was almost naked, too.
An almost naked
Jonas and Annie?
There had to be an incredible story to explain their
arrival.
Jonas released Annie’s hand and walked to the back of the cave where he
found Beth.
 “Beth, are you all right?” he asked loudly.
“I am now. Your timing was amazing. I think he was getting ready to
make me his woman. He had that look in his eye, Annie.”
Jonas reached down and cut the bonds binding her ankles and as she
reached out, he cut those around her wrists.
She rubbed her wrists saying, “Oh, that feels so much better. Can we get
out of here?”
“Of course, Beth. Annie, can you lead? I’ll help Beth. I have a feeling
her ankles and legs won’t work that well after having been bound for so
long.”
“I’ll do that, Jonas,” Annie replied smiling at him.
“Thank you, Annie.”
As Beth struggled to rise, even with Jonas’ help, she noticed two things.
They were calling each other by their first names and in addition to wearing
Jonas’ pistol at her hip, she noticed that Annie wasn’t wearing her chest
wrap which added even more questions that she’d need to ask than she
could store in her busy mind.
After she took a few faltering steps, Jonas said, “Beth, I don’t want you
falling down this bunch of rocks.”
He then scooped her into his arms, and Beth simply wrapped her arms
around his neck and let him take her outside. As they stepped into the bright
sunshine, she felt so alive. It was over and she was going home, home to
Elias.
Annie slowly led the way down the mountainside with Jonas carefully
carrying Beth behind her. It only took a couple of minutes. When they
reached the bottom, Jonas carried Beth to Enciente’s pony then sat her on
its back.
“Can you ride bareback, Beth?”
“Yes. Not well, but I can manage.”
 Jonas untied the reins and handed them to Beth who had managed to
slide her other leg to the right side of the animal. Her skirt was splayed
across its back, but modesty was the least of her concerns.
She turned the horse to follow Jonas who was walking toward Annie.
She had already untied another Indian pony from his mule’s saddle horn.
She wondered where he got the second Indian pony.
As Annie walked the animals to Jonas, she smiled and said, “You did
well, Mister Smith.”
Jonas returned her smile as he replied, “I’m sorry I had to smack you
like that. Apaches need demonstrative moves to make a point. You were
just amazing, Annie.”
“Oh, I don’t know. You seemed pretty spectacular to me, Jonas. Will you
ever tell me what you said to him?” she asked.
“We have a two-day ride ahead, and I’m sure the subject will come up.”
She laughed as Beth rode closer.
Beth was impressed and stunned at the same time. They were talking to
each other like an old married couple, and this new arrangement would
require a lot of clarification.
Jonas turned to Beth and said, “I know you must have a thousand
questions. I’ll have a thousand answers for you, well, maybe one less than a
thousand when we get back to our campsite. It’s only about three hundred
yards from here.”
“You’re right about the questions. But we need to get that cut fixed up,
too.”
“Oh, yeah. I forgot about that,” Jonas replied as he studied the slice.
He swung his leg over the pony as Annie mounted Dusty and just two
minutes later, they stopped near their campsite and stepped down. They
hitched the animals then walked to the seep.
“Can I assume that you’re hungry, Beth?” Jonas asked.
 “That’s an understatement, Jonas.”
“I’ll fix something, and we can talk as we eat. Okay?”
“That’s fine, but first you need to get that wound cleaned.”
Jonas looked down at the still-bleeding wound again and walked to the
seep. He scooped water with his hand and splashed it over the cut, letting
the dried and fresh blood run down his side. It felt better already as he
examined the wound more closely. The Apache’s knife must have been very
sharp because it had sliced a very thin cut that rode right across one of his
large ribs. It was very shallow, and he wasn’t even sure it would need
suturing. He’d let the doc make that decision.
Annie approached with a long swath of cloth and handed it to him.
“Where’d you get that?” Jonas asked.
“Think about it for a second,” she replied with a smile.
“Oh,” he said then grinned at her.
She wrapped it around his chest as he held his arms in the air. Annie took
her time then finalized the wrap by tucking the end of the cloth under the
makeshift bandage.
“You can lower your arms now, Mister Smith,” she said as she smiled at
him.
“It’s like I was being held up, but I’ve had worse experiences,” he
replied as he grinned back at her.
Annie kept her eyes locked onto his with her smile on her face as she
walked a few steps back to the camp, then she finally turned and rejoined an
astonished Beth.
Jonas put his arms down and began putting twigs and brush into the fire
pit, started the fire and put the grid over the top along with the filled coffee
pot and the skillet. He walked back to the saddlebag and pulled out three
tins and a small slab of bacon. He took out his knife and opened one can
and put the spoon inside, before he walked back to the fire with the food.
 “Beth, why don’t you and Annie share this while the rest of the food
cooks,” he said as he handed Beth the can of peaches.
She looked inside and her eyes widened as she exclaimed, “Jonas Smith,
you are a prince among men!”
He waved as he crouched by the fire and tossed some bacon into the pan.
When the bacon had cooked, he tossed in the two cans of beans and then
stood.
“While that’s cooking, I’m going to get dressed.”
“Are you going to ruin the show?” Annie said before she giggled.
Beth was shocked. The comment alone was bad enough but hearing
Annie giggle added much more to the effect.
What the hell is going on
between those two?
“Yes, ma’am, that is my intention,” he said with a broad grin on his face
which only added to Beth’s exploding curiosity and interest.
He stepped to the left side of the camp and removed his moccasins, then
pulled on his socks first and then his denim pants. Next came the boots and
finally the shirt and hat before he walked back to the fire and judged the
simmering mixture to be ready. He slid it onto the sand along with the hot
coffee.
By then, the ladies were finishing the peaches. Annie had only been
taking small bites, leaving most of the tin’s contents for Beth.
“Okay, ladies, bring the spoon over here and let’s enjoy the beans and
bacon,” Jonas said loudly.
He didn’t have to repeat himself as both women trotted over then sat
down near the skillet and began devouring the food.
As they passed the loaded spoon back and forth, Jonas said, “Before I
start telling you what happened, I promised Annie that I would tell her what
I said to the Apache. I owe her that for thumping her twice, so I’ll try to be
accurate.”
 “What I said was, ‘my woman,” Jonas said as he mimicked striking
Annie’s chest then continued on with the exact translation of what he had
said to Enciente.
Both women stared at him before Annie asked, “So that’s why you hit
me? To show him how strong I was?”
“Exactly. Nothing is more insulting to an Apache than to be told he was
weaker than a woman.”
Beth said, “But I noticed you called her your woman.”
“It’s the only way to explain her being there. I apologize to you, Annie,
if you’re angry with me for saying such things, even if it was in Apache.”
“Why would I be angry? It worked, and I can think of much worse
things to be called. In fact, I think of it as the greatest possible
compliment.”
Jonas smiled and said, “Thank you, Annie.”
Then he looked at Beth and said, “Beth, I’m going to start talking about
the things that I think you should know, so just keep eating. Annie knows
all of it, too. First, I’ll explain why Elias isn’t here.
“We went down south three days ago on a patrol. I know that he
explained to you how we were going to do it. When we got there, we lined
up the troop and we rode up to Victorio’s camp. We talked to him and
explained a few things. He finally agreed with our proposal and agreed to
not raid in the United States anymore and move to Mexico.”
“Why that’s wonderful, Jonas!” Beth exclaimed as some of the liquid
from the bean and bacon mix slipped out of the corner of her mouth before
it was recaptured by her tongue.
Annie had noticed that Jonas had said
we
rather than I and wasn’t
surprised. She’d come to understand Jonas very well in such a short amount
of time.
“Well, we marched back, arriving the morning after you were abducted.
Everyone was happy, except our own private Napoleon. He was furious. He
charged Elias with cowardice in the face of the enemy and is going have
him face a court martial.”
Beth’s chin dropped before she exclaimed, “You can’t be serious!
He
stops the Apaches from raiding and that man wants to court martial him?
”
“He thinks he can. But don’t worry about it for a second. It won’t
happen. Trust me. Okay? Nothing bad will happen to Elias. Just like I
promised Elias that I’d take care of you, I’m telling you that I’ll take care of
Elias. Do not think of it again.”
Beth looked at him curiously as did Annie.
How could he make such a
promise?
“Anyway, the major locked down the fort, prohibiting anyone from
leaving. So, I just packed up and came after you.”
“How did you manage that?” Beth asked.
Before he could answer, Annie interrupted, saying, “Because as he was
leaving and the major was screaming at him that he was disobeying orders,
our magnificent Jonas Smith yelled at him, ‘Take that order and shove it up
your lily-white ass.’.”
Beth who had been sipping some coffee, blew it out across ten feet of
desert.
“You didn’t!” she exclaimed as she whipped her face around to look at
Jonas and began to clean off the coffee dripping from her chin.
“He did,” Annie said as she laughed.
Beth joined in her laughter, and they continued for almost a minute.
“If you’ll let me continue, ladies,” Jonas said as they calmed down, “I
swear, Annie, you like telling that story just so you can say ‘lily-white
ass’.”
That elicited more laughter as both women felt an incredible sense of
relief from the immeasurable tension.
“Beth, speaking of Annie,” he continued, “did you know what she did?”
 Beth glanced at Annie and smiled as she replied, “I hate to imagine.”
Jonas’ answer was not what she expected.
“Annie saw you being abducted, then ran to the fort, told the sentry and
then just took off after you on foot. She ran for hours. When C troop
returned the following morning, I started on the trail. When I saw the boot
tracks, I thought it was a man running, but it was Annie. I trailed her for a
day and a half, and she must have run a total of twenty miles trying to help
you.
“When I finally caught up to her, she was being trailed by another
Apache. I didn’t know what his intentions were, so I took him out with my
Sharps. Annie hadn’t eaten or had anything to drink when I finally reached
her forty hours after she began. Her legs were cramping up something fierce
and I’m just glad I caught up to her when I did. The Apache provided the
other horse, by the way. It was one of the most courageous acts I’ve ever
witnessed. What Annie did would earn a medal in the army. It was
extraordinary.”
Beth had been watching Annie as Jonas relayed the tale and was so
overwhelmed, she couldn’t think of what to say. Just as Jonas had just told
her, she knew that what Annie had done was extraordinary.
Annie had kept her eyes on the ground as she listened.
Finally, Beth leaned over, put her arms across Annie’s shoulders and
said, “Thank you for being such a wonderful friend, Annie.”
Annie just nodded before Jonas spoke again.
“So, as soon as we’re ready, we’ll mount up and get moving. We should
be able to make it to the fort tomorrow by noon. We have plenty of food
and water, so do either of you have other suggestions before we go?”
Annie had lifted her head, glad that she was no longer the focus as Beth
said, “I’m anxious to get back to Elias. He needs me.”
“Beth, why don’t you make use of that nice seep back there and get
cleaned up. It’ll probably be your last chance till we get back.”
 “Okay,” she said as she stood and walked to the seep.
Jonas knew that he had embarrassed Annie by telling that story, but it
was important that Beth and everyone else understood what she had done
and how extraordinary she was. He walked over to Annie and plopped
down next to her.
He asked quietly, “Annie, do you know why I told Beth that story?”
“I wish you hadn’t,” she replied even more quietly.
“I had to. You seem to view yourself as somehow lower on the totem
pole than women like Beth, and that’s not right. She’d be the first one to tell
you that. You sit here in that baggy men’s shirt and dirty trousers wearing
men’s boots and I’m telling you that you are more of a true lady than Queen
Victoria. Beth knows it, and so do I. You are capable of anything, Annie.
That effort you made to help Beth was just one of them. Okay?”
“Alright,” she answered as if she didn’t feel the warmth from his praise.
But she most assuredly did notice, but she was even more aware of the
warmth of his body so close beside her.
“Oh, and by the way, thanks for the use of your chest wrap. It’s working
fine, and you can have it back when I’m finished with it,” he said as he
grinned at her.
She saw the look on his face and replied with a weak smile, “That’s
okay. You can keep it. It’s got blood all over it now. Besides, I don’t think
I’ll wear them anymore.”
“Good for you, Annie. I’m proud of you,” Jonas said giving her shoulder
a gentle squeeze.
She genuinely smiled and said, “Thank you, Jonas.”
Beth was walking back and saw them talking and the shoulder squeeze.
How could this happen in just a few days?
Last week they barely knew each
other’s names and when Jonas had spoken of her, it had been with an
undercurrent of dread. Now, as she studied them, she wondered how far it
had gone. Regardless of how far their relationship had progressed, she was
happy for both of them.
 They packed up the gear and added them to Dusty’s pack then mounted
and began the return journey to Fort Selden.
 CHAPTER 11
In Las Cruces, just as Jonas and the women were beginning their return,
Lieutenant Avery and four troopers had arrived at the train depot, the
lieutenant driving a buckboard. The train was on time and fifteen minutes
later, it pulled into the station and the lieutenant stood by the platform as
passengers began to unload. He soon saw a very pretty young woman step
unaccompanied from the train, scanning the platform. He was instantly
mesmerized as he walked across the depot floor.
He approached her and asked, “Miss Draper?  I’m Lieutenant John
Avery from Fort Selden. I’ve been asked to escort you to the fort.”
She smiled at his handsome face and wished it was the lieutenant she
would be marrying and not some unknown, and potentially undesirable
man.
“Good morning, Lieutenant. I’m Grace Draper. My bag should be
unloaded shortly.”
Avery escorted her to the area where the bags were being unloaded. She
had her hand on his arm as he found her one bag, which surprised him. His
wife had never traveled so light.
As the soldiers walked behind them, Lieutenant John Avery asked the
explosive question, although he didn’t know it at the time.
“So, Miss Draper, what brings you to Fort Selden?”
“I’m to be married.”
Avery felt his heart deflate but continued the conversation.
“Oh. And who is your betrothed?”
“A Mister Horace Beeler,” she answered innocently.
Avery stopped as if he’d been blasted with a canister shot from a cannon.
 He turned to her and exclaimed, “That’s got to be wrong, miss! You
can’t marry that man!”
Grace knew that being a mail order bride had potentially bad outcomes
but was horrified to learn it so soon after she arrived.
She replied, “But Lieutenant, I’ve never met the man. I’m what you refer
to as a mail order bride. He sent me the tickets after months of
correspondence. He seemed like a nice man and said he was considered to
be of admirable physical attributes.”
“Miss Draper, may we sit for a few minutes, please?”
She nodded and they sat on a nearby bench as the soldiers took positions
behind the bench, knowing this would be an interesting conversation.
“Miss Draper, trust me you do not want to marry Horace Beeler. He’s the
Indian agent and is not well regarded by anyone at the fort. A few months
ago, he ordered another mail order bride and when she arrived, he wasn’t
pleased with her and threw her out without a thought. He’s a bitter old man
and corrupt as well. If we had a commanding officer with a shred of
propriety, he would have had the government remove the man.”
Grace Draper was horrified and quickly asked, “You said he was old? He
claimed to be of lower middle age in his letters.”
“He’s almost sixty, and he’s far from having admirable physical
attributes. He’s a short, ugly man. In fact, I doubt if he has any positive
features at all.”
Her eyes welled with tears. This was dreadful news.
She wiped the tears from her cheeks as she asked, “What can I do? He
paid for the tickets, and I agreed to marry him. I don’t know what I can do. I
can’t go back, my parents already spent the money he paid for me.”
Avery’s mouth dropped open before he exclaimed,
“They sold you?”
“Yes. The price was a hundred dollars, so I can’t go back. I don’t know
what to do.”
 Avery was flummoxed. Here was this lovely girl sentenced to this
horrible fate, but he had little options and had to follow orders.
Then he heard a throat being loudly cleared clearing behind him. It was
obviously an attempt to get his attention, so he turned to the soldier who
seemed to have something to suggest.
“Suh,” said the private, “if I could make a suggestion?”
“Anything you could come up with would help, Private.”
“Suh, I’d bring the young lady to Mrs. Preston. She would take her in.”
“But she’s been kidnapped by that Apache. She’s gone.”
Grace heard that comment and felt even worse.
A woman was kidnapped
by an Apache!
“Suh, I beg your pardon, but Mister Smith went after her yesterday. I
think she’ll be back today or tomorrow. Then when the young lady is with
Mrs. Preston, Mister Smith will fix everything.”
“But he’s only a scout. What can he do?”
“Mister Smith don’t have to listen to nobody. That major can’t tell him
nothin’. If you tell him about the young lady’s problems, Mister Smith
would go and let Mister Beeler know he ain’t marryin’ nobody, and he’d
make it stick, too. Remember the last time Mister Beeler brought a woman
from back east and put her out? Well, she’s Mister Smith’s woman now.
He’s gonna take her away, too. You’ll see. He sorely hates people that take
advantage of ladies.”
Avery thought for a second. There was merit to what he had said. Smith
had not only defied the major’s orders to stay in the fort; he had told him
where to put them as well. A smile finally crossed Lieutenant Avery’s lips.
The private’s suggestion just might work at that.
He turned to Grace and said, “Miss Draper, what the private is saying is
correct. Mrs. Preston is the wife of my good friend. Knowing our scout,
Mister Smith, he probably has her enroute back to the fort as we speak.
Because he’s a scout, he can do things that those of us in uniform would be
thrown in jail for doing. So, why don’t we plan on taking a leisurely ride
back to Fort Selden. We’ll see what happens when you get there. Don’t
worry, we’ll come up with something.”
“But if I don’t marry Mister Beeler, I still have nowhere to go.”
“Miss Draper, trust me, you’ll be treated well and cared for.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant.”
Avery stood and offered her his arm, then after she took it, he glanced
back at the private and winked.
After they had boarded the buckboard and it was rolling out of the
station, Grace looked over at the lieutenant and asked, “Are you married,
Lieutenant?”
Avery replied, “My wife died in childbirth a few months ago and our
baby died as well.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No. It’s good that you did. I’ve done nothing but mope around since
that day. It’s time I got on with my life, but I’ve been thinking. We need a
fallback plan in case Mrs. Preston hasn’t returned yet. Can you pretend to
be sick?”
Grace looked at him and replied, “I think so. Why?”
“Doctor Withers, our medical officer, once he finds out about your
situation, would be more than willing to put you into quarantine for a few
days while he diagnoses your illness. His wife acts as his nurse, so she can
help. They can put you up in my old quarters, too. It’s still empty as I’m
living in the bachelor officers’ quarters now. So, as soon as we get to the
fort, I’ll ask if Mrs. Preston has returned, if not, then you can go into your
sick act. Okay?”
She smiled and said, “This may turn out to be fun.”
Lieutenant Avery grinned back at her then said, “I hope so,” as the
buckboard continued to roll to Fort Selden with its cavalry escort.
 _____
At the fort, Major Thomas was staring at a telegram. This is
astonishingly good luck, he thought, then stood up and almost ran to the
sergeant major’s office.
“Sergeant Major, I need you to form sanitation details this instant. I want
this fort looking like it was brand new by tomorrow morning. And notify
the quartermaster that I want the best possible food for the mess until
further notice as well. Get it done.”
After the sergeant major acknowledged his orders, the major turned and
almost giddily headed back to his office.
__________
Out on the trail, the two horses and one mule were making good
progress. Jonas knew that with no Apache problems to worry about, there
was no need to be excessively careful.
Annie and Beth had been chatting for hours and he caught bits and
pieces but concentrated more on the surroundings. He figured that it was
probably just as well that he didn’t hear what they were talking about.
“Beth, remember when you were saying how you enjoyed trying with
your husband?” Annie asked.
Beth smiled and replied, “And I’m not embarrassed to tell you that we’ll
be trying within twenty minutes of my return and I can’t wait.”
“That’s what has me wondering. I told Jonas about what had happened to
me before, and now I’ll tell you. I was raped many times when I was a
teenager, and it wasn’t enjoyable at all. I don’t know if I could ever feel like
you do.”
Beth was stunned. This explained a lot, especially the chest wraps, but
now she had removed the wrap, obviously because something had
developed between her and Jonas.
“Is that your only experience?” Beth asked.
 “Yes.”
“That’s why you can’t understand, Annie. Rape isn’t sex. Rape is an
attack. It’s just violence and hate. You couldn’t have enjoyed that any more
than someone getting beaten with a club. But it’s so much different when
two people love each other. It’s just the natural expression of that love.
When there’s love, it becomes more than just enjoyable. It becomes, well,
it’s hard to describe. Take my word for it, it’s well past enjoyable.”
Annie thought about it then asked, “But what if I find I still don’t enjoy
it; won’t he be disappointed?”
“You mean Jonas?”
“How did you know?”
“It’s the second question I asked myself when you both came into the
cave after I asked myself, ‘where is Elias?’. I noticed a profound difference
in the way you two behaved towards each other. What happened, Annie? 
Did you already try with Jonas and didn’t enjoy it?”
Annie’s eyes grew wide as she shook her head and rapidly answered,
“Oh, no! Not at all. In fact, all we’ve pretty much done is talk. But I’m
already so comfortable with him. I’ve told him things that I hadn’t told
anyone else, and he’s told me something that he said not to tell anyone else,
not even you. And that’s even after he told me that he loves you and Elias
more than anybody.”
“Well, I think we’re second and third now, Annie. I believe you’ve
moved up to the number one position.”
“You think he already loves me?”
“Absolutely. But it’s not the kind of teenage crush that comes so fast and
leaves just as quickly. What he feels for you is much deeper than that. Since
I’ve known Jonas, I knew that he had been hurt, and hurt badly but he’d
never talk about it. We thought it was something to do with the war, but
we’re not sure. He takes risks that no one else would dream of taking.”
“I know what hurt him, and it was even worse than what happened to
me. He also told me why he isn’t afraid of dying. He said what happened to
him really didn’t matter. When he went into Victorio’s camp alone, do you
know why he did it?”
“I thought he was trying to pass off credit to Elias. He’s done that before.
So, why did he say he did it?”
“He said he was tired of the killing and wanted to fulfill his promise to
you to keep your husband safe. That’s when he said that if he died, no one
would notice, but he had to protect your husband because he knew it would
break your heart if anything happened to him.”
Beth couldn’t have imagined that level of compassion and was stunned
into a short silence before she replied, “I wonder how we can get him to
change that attitude.”
“I think it already has changed. When he was getting ready to fight that
Apache, I asked him if he was still not worried about dying, and he said that
it changed because he had gotten to know me.”
Beth looked at Annie with big eyes and exclaimed, “Wow, Annie! I can’t
believe how deeply connected you two have become in such a short time.
Most married couples I know never get to know each other as truthfully as
you two have in just a few days. I really believe that you’ll be good for each
other and can soothe the pain and push it into the past. It’ll be wonderful,
Annie.”
“I’m just afraid, Beth. What if I don’t make him happy?”
“Trust me, Annie. You’ve already made him happy. I see it in his eyes.
Whatever you do, don’t ruin this chance by doubting your ability to share
everything with him. I know he won’t hold anything back, although I still
think there are some secrets out there that he’s hiding.”
“Bad ones?”
“I don’t think so. But I think he’s got something going on. Remember
how he promised me that Elias had no worries? How could he be so sure?
Jonas never makes a promise he can’t keep.”
“All I can do is wait for him to tell me.”
 “Exactly. And, Annie, trust me that it will be worth the wait.”
Annie smiled as she let her imagination take hold. Talking to Beth
always made her feel better.
__________
The buckboard carrying Lieutenant Avery and Grace Draper arrived at
the gate and Avery called the sentry over.
“Private, has Mrs. Preston been returned, yet?”
“No, suh.”
“Thank you, Private.”
The private saluted the lieutenant, which he returned, then he started the
buckboard moving again through the gate as Grace slumped into her seat
and moaned softly, and Avery had to hold back a smile. And so, the game
began.
He drove toward the infirmary, and when he reached the building, he
rushed over to the other side of the buckboard as Major Thomas
approached.
“Avery, what are you doing? Mister Beeler is waiting for you to transport
her to the Indian office.”
“Sorry, sir, but Miss Draper arrived from the train looking feverish. She
gotten worse as we rode down to the fort, and I just hope it’s not
contagious, sir.”
By then he had reached Grace’s side of the seat and helped the flopping,
moaning girl to the ground.
“I don’t think she can walk, sir. It’s getting worse.”
After Avery had uttered the word ‘contagious’, Thomas had begun
backing away.
Damned Beeler, another one of his brides-to-be is going to
cause him problems, and now of all times!
 Avery lifted Miss Draper, who conveniently found the strength to wrap
her arms around his neck and carried her into the infirmary past a curious
Dr. Withers into an examining room. He placed her on the table as the
doctor entered and closed the door.
“Doc,” Avery said in a low voice, “we have a problem here.”
“What symptoms does the young lady have?”
“I believe she’s suffering from a severe case of Beeler-itis. Her parents in
New York sold her to Beeler for a hundred dollars to be his wife.”
The doctor snapped, “That low-down excuse for a human being! What
can I do to help?”
“Right now, we just need to stall until Mrs. Preston and Jonas return.
Can you help with some contagious disease that will require quarantine?
You can recommend that she be put into my old quarters. It’s still empty as
I’m in the BOQ.”
“Great idea. You get out of here and let me perfect my diagnosis. Oh,
John, can you stop by my quarters and have my wife stop by? This will
make her day. She still wants to cut off Mister Beeler’s manhood for the
way he treated his last mail order bride.”
John nodded and left the room.
The doctor approached Grace and took her pulse as he asked, “Now,
young lady. Let’s see what we can conjure up. Any disease preferences?”
She turned her smiling face toward him and winked.
__________
The sun was setting, and Jonas, Annie and Beth were still twenty miles
from the fort.
“Let’s stop here, ladies,” said Jonas, “We can’t press on because it would
put us at the fort around midnight. I’d rather you have a grand entrance
anyway. I have my reasons.”
“Always secretive, Jonas,” Beth said as she smiled
 Then she said, “But I’d rather ride in refreshed in the morning anyway. I
want to try something with my husband as soon as I return and don’t want
him to be tired,” then winked at Annie.
“I’m sorry, but you may not be able to ‘try’ anything for a little while,
Beth. I believe you’ll have my company for a little while. You can try
whatever you want when I’m gone. It would probably be safer for Annie to
stay with us as well.”
“What do you think is going to happen?” Beth asked.
“Let’s set up camp and I’ll explain.”
Jonas slipped down from the pony and took Dusty’s and the other
Apache horse’s reins. After removing Dusty’s trappings, he led the four-
footed critters down the fifty yards to the Rio Grande, let them all drank
until they were satisfied then brought them back to the camp. He found a
nice patch of scrub grass near the river and hobbled them before returning
to camp.
The women were already gathering wood or brush for a fire, so Jonas
removed his saddlebags and carried them to the spot they had picked out.
Soon they had a fire going and Jonas was cooking another bean and bacon
dinner.
Jonas sat down between them as the beans simmered and said, “Okay.
Here’s what I think will happen tomorrow. When we arrive, Beth, you can
head straight to your quarters. You can do anything with Elias, but don’t
‘try’
anything, if you catch my meaning.
“Shortly after you get there, I’ll guarantee that the major will put me
under arrest. He can’t court-martial me, but he’ll act as if he can. I’ll let him
enjoy himself, maybe even tweak his nose a bit just for fun. He’ll direct me
to my quarters under house arrest, but I’ll tell him I’d rather spend my time
with his other miscreant, that coward, Elias Preston. He won’t care, as long
as he thinks he has me under control.
“Now, Annie, you have nothing to worry about. That issue with Feely is
nothing. Even if the major suspects something, he can’t prove anything, but
I don’t want to risk Beeler trying something with you. So, Annie, I’d rather
you just follow me to the Prestons. Rumor has it you’re my girlfriend
anyway, so it won’t be a surprise.
“Beth, we may be your houseguests for up to three days. I know the
layout of the house, so you and Elias can share your marital bed and Annie
can sleep in the other bedroom. I’ll just sack out on the couch. Then we just
wait for developments.”
Beth asked, “What developments?”
“I’m not really sure, yet. A few days ago, I went to Las Cruces and sent
a telegram to an old Army friend asking if he could help with the problems
at Fort Selden and send someone with sufficient authority to solve the
issues. I’m not sure it reached him or if enough time has passed to get
someone here, but he would act quickly.”
“Jonas, you left the army, what, fifteen years ago? What friend could you
have who could do anything?”
“General Sherman,” answered Jonas quietly.
Beth’s eyebrows shot up as she shouted, “
The
General Sherman? The
General of the Armies of the United States Sherman?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Jonas, you continue to astonish me.”
“Well, a lot has to go right for things to work out, but even if the timing
doesn’t, I think that anything that the major does will be undone. I’d prefer
that nothing be done in the first place, though.”
“Well, that sounds convincing.”
“Have I ever made promises to you that I didn’t keep before, Beth?”
“No, you haven’t.”
“Okay. Do we need to talk about anything else before we eat?”
Annie asked quietly, “Are those rumors true?”
 Jonas was perplexed and asked, “Which rumors? There are always
dozens around every army fort.”
“The one you just mentioned a minute ago about everyone thinking that
I’m your girlfriend.”
Jonas looked at her and said quietly, “Only if you want them to be,
Annie.”
“I think that would be nice.”
“Then you are. And honestly, Annie, you have been for a few days now.”
She smiled at him, feeling a contentment she had never felt before.
Beth looked at them gazing into each other’s eyes and exclaimed, “Oh,
for God’s sake, Jonas, kiss the woman!”
He glanced at Beth, then looked back at Annie, leaned over and gently
touched his lips to hers.
Annie felt his lips and wanted them to stay where they were as an
expected warmth flooded through her. This was so different, so very
different.
Jonas sat back and ran his fingers across Annie’s cheek and smiled at
her.
Annie smiled back and held his hand against her face for a few seconds.
A lot of information was passed in those few seconds.
“I’d better serve dinner,” he said quietly.
As Jonas turned to remove the frypan from the fire, a smiling Annie
looked over at a grinning Beth and mouthed, “I liked it.”
Beth grinned even wider and wondered what she would think about the
natural progression from the innocent kiss that they’d just shared.
A few minutes later, as they were passing the spoon back and forth,
Annie looked at Jonas and asked, “Will I be able to go back to my job at the
laundry tomorrow?”
 Jonas replied with his own question when he asked, “Do you want to?”
“It’s all I know.”
“No, Annie, it’s all you’ve done for the past few months. You can read;
can’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then read and learn about something you want to do. Maybe you can
write about things that are important to you. Maybe you want to learn how
to garden or how to build a house. There’s nothing stopping you if you can
read.”
“There aren’t many books at the fort.”
“I have couple of dozen out at my cabin and I can also order anything
you’d like from the bookstore in Las Cruces.”
“You have that many?”
“Sure. But you should only go back to the laundry if you really want to,
not because you think you have to.”
“What other choices are there?”
“Well,” replied Jonas with a smile, “we can rule out being Mrs. Beeler.”
Both women laughed loudly as expected.
“Other than that, after a little while of being my girlfriend, we may be
able to change your status, if you decide you’d like to do that.”
“Well, we’ll just have to see, won’t we, Mister Smith?” she answered as
she smiled.
“Now, ladies, while we have a little light in the sky, I’m going to go
down to the river and take a bath. I just need to find my soap.”
“You have soap?”
exclaimed Beth.
“I always do. I just never know when I’ll get a chance to use it.”
 “Can I use it in the morning before we go?” she asked.
“Certainly. I’m sure Elias would appreciate it.”
“Can I use it, too?” asked Annie.
“I could never deny my girlfriend; could I?” he replied as he grinned at
her.
Annie smiled back and was luxuriating in the warm glow.
Jonas found his bar of soap in his saddlebags where he kept it buried,
then wandered down to the bank and stripped off his clothes, including his
semi-union suit and even Annie’s chest wrap. He set them all down and
walked into the river until the water was just below his wound. He began
scrubbing until he was covered with suds, the strong soap stinging mightily.
Then still holding the bar of soap, he submerged into the gently flowing
warm water and after he surfaced, he checked his wound again and was
surprised to see that it wasn’t bleeding.
He slipped beneath the water for a final rinse and came back up, shook
his head and started toward the shore where he put on his underwear and
denims and then wrapped Annie’s cloth around his chest. He sat on a
nearby rock and put on his socks and boots, ran his hand through his hair to
straighten it out and grabbed his shirt before heading up the bank. His
scout’s eyes detected two scurrying figures in the waning light, and he
shook his head. He should have expected it after the recent conversations.
As he sat down between them, he thought he’d play ignorant for a few
minutes.
“Well, tomorrow is going to be an unusual day. I suggest we get some
sleep early, so we can get an early start. Is that okay?”
Beth barely managed a quick, “Okay,” between her stifled giggles.
“I figure we need to allow time for you two ladies to take a bath in the
morning before we go. Will that work?”
He could hear the pent-up desire to laugh building as a quick, “Okay,”
popped out of Annie’s mouth.
 Jonas then said, “Of course, I’ll have to get the mule packed early, so I
can sit on the bank and watch you two naked women in the water.”
That blew the dam wide apart as the two female voyeurs began laughing
so hard that tears were falling everywhere as they clutched each other,
rolled around and every other human contortion short of a headstand.
Jonas just sat back and watched them enjoy themselves, happy that they
could laugh like this after what they had gone through the past few days.
Beth had been kidnapped and spent most of that time worrying about being
raped or killed and not knowing if anyone was coming to save her or would
get there in time. Annie had reached the limit of her endurance trying to
save her friend and seen two killings. They were both incredible women.
Finally, they were just snickering and wiping the tears from their eyes.
Beth eventually looked at him and said, “What no smart comebacks,
Mister Smith?”
Jonas just smiled and shook his head before he said, “No. I was just
watching you both laugh. and I thought to myself that you are two
incredible women. I am honored to know you both.”
Annie said, “We thought you’d be mad.”
“No. I consider myself flattered that two such pretty women would even
consider looking at me.”
Annie replied, “You’ve told me more than once not to underestimate
myself, yet you do it all the time.”
“I’m just being honest with myself, Annie. Look at Beeler. He honestly
thinks he’s a handsome man. I know a lot of men like that. They’re fat and
think they have an athletic build. They’re idiots and think they’re brilliant.
It’s much more prevalent in men than it is in women, I believe. Balding
men think it makes them look more attractive. In my case, it’s just a
realistic assessment to keep myself in check.”
“Well,” Annie replied, “I think you’re an extraordinary man, Jonas. I
wouldn’t accept anything less for my first and only boyfriend.”
 “I’ll accept that for what it is, Annie. Let’s all turn in and get some rest.
One of you can take the bedroll and the other can take the blanket. It’s a bit
ripe, but it’ll keep you warm.”
Annie convinced Beth to take the bedroll rather than the smelly saddle
blanket because she would be seeing Elias in the morning. It was an
effective argument and it helped that they would each be making good use
of Jonas’ soap in the morning.
Annie closed her eyes and revisited the images of Jonas in the river and
shuddered, but it wasn’t revulsion that caused the reaction, it was a
realization that she wanted to try to make Jonas happy and that meant that
she needed to try being with him in Beth’s use of the verb.
__________
 
Back at the fort, Beeler was in Major Thomas’ quarters and was very
unhappy.
“What do you mean, I can’t see her? I bought her!”
“Horace, she has a contagious disease. Doc Withers isn’t quite sure
whether it’s yellow fever or swamp fever. He suggested that it may even be
a severe form of syphilis.”
“What! Not again! Did I waste my money again?  If this woman has that
disease, I’ll do more than just throw her out like the last one, I’ll burn her
alive!”
Major Thomas had more important things on his mind and didn’t say
another word before Beeler slammed his fist on the major’s desk and
stormed out.
The major then straightened out his nameplate after it had bounced into
an odd angle.
_____
 Meanwhile, across the square in Lieutenant Avery’s old quarters, Grace
Draper and Mrs. Withers were engaged in a pleasant game of checkers.
 CHAPTER 12
The women were enjoying themselves in the still warm water as they
lathered themselves with the soap provided by last night’s viewing victim.
They still released an occasional giggle about it, but they were both highly
pleased to be able to wash off the accumulated grime from the last few
days, especially in their hair.
Jonas had intentionally spent the time making the fire and preparing
breakfast with the last of the beans and bacon. He wished he had something
to vary the menu, but there was nothing else. He just hoped that things
worked out. If not, he’d have to use more drastic measures with the major,
and that wouldn’t be fun at all.
He was stirring the beans and still deep in thought when he heard the
chatter of the two women behind him. He turned and noticed how shiny
they looked. Their hair was still wet, but they looked nice. He especially
took note that Annie had tied her shirt at the bottom, making it less baggy
revealing those very female attributes that she had spent so much time and
effort to hide.
“Now, I confess myself disappointed, Mister Smith,” said Annie.
“Why? Because I’m not as lecherous as you two fine ladies?”
That got them laughing again, but they soon calmed down and ate
breakfast. As they shared their last meal, Jonas noticed how excited Beth
was about almost being home.
But they needed to get moving, so just an hour after sunrise, they were
mounted and riding back.
____
In Fort Selden, all the assigned personnel were buzzing about something
that Major Thomas knew that they didn’t. He had the troops doing extra
duty turning the fort into a model of military order, but they didn’t know
why.
Jonas and the ladies made the last turn from the river heading toward the
fort. As they passed, Annie and Beth looked at the stand of junipers. Each
of them wondered if she could ever enter them again. Soon, they both
turned their attention back to the fort straight ahead.
Jonas caught Annie’s eye and motioned for her to slow down and allow
Beth to take the lead through the gates.
Beth hadn’t noticed, as her eyes were now locked on the open gates just
ahead, as she hoped to see her husband soon.
As soon as she neared the gates, the clamor started after the sentry’s
announcement.
He looked into the fort and shouted, “Mrs. Preston’s back! She’s safe!”
Beth heard none of it as she rode onto the parade grounds, slid from the
Indian pony and sprinted to her quarters.
Jonas reached out and took Annie’s hand as they watched Beth explode
through the door then watched as Elias clutched onto her and began kissing
her. After about a minute, Elias looked out, saw Jonas and simply waved.
Jonas waved back, then turned to Annie and said, “That’s the good part.
Are you ready for the rest?”
She smiled and replied, “With you, Jonas. I’m always ready.”
He smiled back and they rode forward.
The word of Beth’s return had trickled back to Major Thomas’ office and
as soon as he heard the news, he cursed.
Not now!
He knew he had to deal
with this issue immediately as there wasn’t much time.
He popped up from behind his desk and marched out of his office, then
immediately spotted Smith riding toward him with that laundry woman.
What was she doing there?
And she looked different somehow, too.
 Troopers were streaming out into the yard, watching the indomitable
scout walk an Indian pony across the parade grounds with the laundry
woman, his girlfriend, riding next to him on his mule. The men in blue were
universally smiling broadly and some noticed their commanding officer
rush past them.
Also smiling was Lieutenant Avery who was standing out in front of his
old quarters that now housed the deathly ill and contagious Grace Draper.
Things were going to happen now that Jonas was back.
When the major hit the parade ground at his fast march, he quickly
approached Smith, his face a virtual tornado of anger and hate.
He stopped just a few feet of Jonas, pointed at him and shouted, “Get
down from that animal, Mister Smith! I am placing you under arrest for
violating my orders to remain within the confines of this facility.”
Jonas stepped down then made a point of walking over to Annie, placing
his hands about her waist and lifting her down from Dusty. She had no idea
why he did it, but she thoroughly appreciated having his hands around her
waist. He then took her hand and led her toward the major.
He then spoke loudly so everyone in the suddenly silent parade grounds
could hear.
“Major Thomas, your order to close the fort when the wife of one of
your officers had been kidnapped by a hostile Apache was reprehensible,
immoral and illegal. Therefore, under Army regulation 1-38a, I was
obligated to ignore it. In so doing, Miss Jones and I were able to
successfully obtain the release of Mrs. Preston without harm to her person.
“Miss Jones, I may add displayed more courage and honor through this
difficult situation than I have seen displayed by any officer in this
command, especially you. But I will honor your request to be placed under
arrest for private reasons. I will spend my house arrest with my fellow
arrestee, an officer who easily outshines you in every aspect of officer
conduct and behavior, First Lieutenant Elias Preston. Good day to you,
Mister
Garner B. Thomas.”
 After his stunning indictment, Jonas, his hand still clenching Annie’s,
walked with her across the parade ground to the bordering-on-applause
appreciation of every enlisted man who witnessed it.
Before he entered the quarters, he turned to the assembled bluecoats and
asked, “Oh, could someone take care of my mule and put my things in the
scout quarters, please? The two ponies belong to Miss Jones, so could you
see that they are taken care of as well? Thank you.”
Major Thomas had barely made it to the boardwalk when there was a
mass rush to take care of Mister Smith’s and Miss Jones’ animals.
Jonas and Annie stepped into the Preston quarters, closed the door and
had barely stepped inside when Elias, Beth and Annie did break into the
applause as the troopers wished they could have done.
Elias charged up to Jonas and wrapped him in a bear hug as he said,
“Beth told me what you did, and I don’t know how to thank you. The army
can do what they want to me, but it doesn’t matter. I have Beth back.”
Jonas said, “You owe Annie a hug, too. What she did was heroic.”
He didn’t waste any time fulfilling that obligation and Annie was a bit
overwhelmed but thoroughly warmed by the praise from Jonas.
After he released Annie, Elias said, “Beth only gave me a brief outline of
what happened. She said you had a knife fight with her captor while you
were naked.”
“No, she exaggerates a bit. I was mostly naked. It was the only way to
get him to come down to fight.”
“Well, I still need the whole story.”
“First, give me an update on what’s happened to you since I left.”
“Not much. They keep me in here under house arrest. The troopers don’t
like it one bit, either. They also told me that the major is all excited about
something big happening today.”
 Then Jonas confused Elias when with raised eyebrows, he said, “Today?
Already?  I thought it would be at least another day or two. Go figure that
one out.”
“What are you talking about, Jonas?” asked Elias.
“I told Beth and Annie yesterday, and I don’t have time to explain it
now. I’m just pleased it’s happening so soon. It should prove very
entertaining,” he replied as he grinned.
Then he sat down and said, “Okay, Elias. Sit down and we’ll go over our
little adventure. If it’s okay, Annie and I will leave some parts out, just to
keep from embarrassing her and certain other female parties.”
Jonas had been telling the story for ten minutes, when there was a knock
on the door. Elias rose, walked to the door then opened it a little and peered
out to see who it was.
“John! Come on in,” Elias said as he opened the door and John Avery
stepped inside before Elias closed the door behind him.
“Elias, I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but I need Beth and Jonas’
help.”
“Anything we can do. Come on over and have a seat. Tell us what you
need.”
John remained standing as he said, “Well, yesterday, I was detailed by
the major to go to Las Cruces to pick up a young lady. He didn’t give me
any particulars about why she was coming. Her name is Grace Draper.
Beth, she’s a pretty, young woman about twenty years old or so. She told
me that she was here to marry Horace Beeler.”
There was a collective gasp in the room before Annie snapped, “Not
again!”
John Avery glanced at Annie then continued, saying, “Anyway, just like
you, I was horrified. Beeler had paid her parents a hundred dollars for her
and then lied about himself in the letters, making him sound like a good
catch. So, because you weren’t around, we asked Doc Withers to make up a
diagnosis of a communicable disease. That way we could keep her in
isolation until you got back. She’s in my old quarters right now being
chaperoned by Mrs. Withers. Do you have any suggestions?”
Beth began to reply but was cut off by Jonas who rose, stepped toward
Avery, put his hand on his shoulder and said, “That was mart ruse,
Lieutenant. It’s worthy of a crusty old sergeant. Now all you need to do is
go back to your duties and everything will be fine by tomorrow. Okay?
Trust me on this one.”
John looked at Jonas with a start then asked, “Jonas, are you sure? I
mean Beeler is hopping mad.”
“John, I already owe Beeler for what he did to my Annie. Trust me, he’ll
be sorry he ever did this. Miss Draper won’t have a care in the world and
then you can start calling on her.”
Annie and Beth glanced at each other with raised eyebrows.
Avery blushed and said, “Well, she’s very pretty and everything,
but...well, I guess. I mean, I don’t know.”
“John, if you want to, you will be able to. Right now, though, you need
to get back to your duties and enjoy the show.”
“Okay, Jonas, if you’re sure.”
“I am.”
Lieutenant Avery nodded and turned to the door then waved before he
left the quarters.
“Okay,” asked Jonas, “where was I before the lieutenant came in?”
_____
If there was confusion inside the Preston quarters, there was genuine
pandemonium outside.
A convoy of riders was approaching the gate led by an NCO carrying a
guidon with stars and a second with a large American flag. After passing
through the gate, they headed toward the commander’s office, pulled to an
orderly halt, dismounted, and another sergeant took the horses’ reins.
 A captain sprang ahead of the senior officer, opened the door to the
office as a major stepped into the room and shouted, “Ten-hut!”
The corporal at the desk had no idea what was going on but popped to
his feet as the general strode past the desk and entered the major’s office.
Major Thomas, expecting the visit, was standing at attention wearing his
immaculate uniform with every bit of brass shining and even his saber in
place, glistening in a new leather scabbard.
This contrasted with the dusty, rather shabby appearance of the general
officer striding into his office.
“Good morning, General,” said the major, “and welcome to Fort Selden.
I hope you had a pleasant trip.”
“Have a seat, Major,” said the general curtly. It was not a request.
As Major Thomas carefully lowered himself into his chair, the general
said, “We’ve been running a series of inspections of the western forts for
the past month, so tell me if you have any major issues at the moment.”
“Why, yes, we do, General,” Major Thomas replied with a frown, “We
are preparing a court martial of an officer for cowardice while facing the
enemy. He was assisted in this heinous act by a long-time scout, who, while
not subject to court martial, is also currently under arrest. The scout is also
insubordinate and willfully disregards direct orders from me.”
“Well, we can’t have that, Major. Can we? Where are these two cowards
being held? In the stockade?”
“No, General. The officer in question is being held in house arrest. The
scout is also there, despite my directing him to his own quarters, which was
yet another example of his insubordinate behavior. I believe that the officer
was acting at the recommendations of the scout, but that does not release
him from responsibility of command.”
“No, it surely does not. Take me to these men. I’d like to give them a
piece of my mind.”
 “With pleasure, General,” Major Thomas replied trying to restrain his
glee. This was going even better than he’d anticipated.
The major rose from his chair and stepped out in front of the general
officer, then marched more than walked down the boardwalk, leading the
general and his staff, already cherishing the moment when the general
officer roasted those two.
Major Thomas arrived at the Preston quarters, waited until the general
stood next to him, and without knocking, turned the handle and swung the
door open.
As soon as he did, he practically screamed, “Room! Ten-hut!”
When he stepped inside, the only person at attention was First Lieutenant
Preston. Everyone else remained sitting and turned with startled looks on
their faces, except for the insubordinate scout, Jonas Smith, who had risen
to his feet. But instead of standing in place, he began walking toward the
general with a smile on his face.
Major Thomas pointed at Jonas and then to Elias as he said, “Those are
the two who violated my orders, General.”
The general looked over at Jonas and smiled before saying, “Good
morning, Jonas,” then offered his hand which Jonas took in a firm grip.
“You’re getting kind of old there, Jonas.”
“I still don’t have any white in my beard yet, General.”
General Sherman laughed, rubbed his white-streaked beard and replied,
“That’s only because you’re clean shaven, Jonas.”
As soon as he saw the greeting the general shared with the scout, Major
Thomas felt his stomach sink to his ankles.
What the hell is going on?
Jonas then asked, “How are you, General Sherman? I’m kind of
surprised to see you here. I only asked for someone with appropriate
authority.”
“Do you doubt that I have authority, then?”
 “No, sir. No one ever doubted your authority.”
Thomas stood frozen like a statue and was well beyond the stunned
stage.
“So,” General Sherman asked, turning toward Lieutenant Elias Preston
who was still at attention, “is this the young officer you mentioned in your
telegram?”
Jonas replied, “Yes, sir. He’s one of the best officers I ever served with,
General, and that includes you.”
Sherman laughed then said, “You always were a bit of a smart ass, Jonas.
Oh, for God’s sake, Lieutenant, have a seat and relax.”
Elias didn’t believe any of this. The man in the general uniform looked
like General William Tecumseh Sherman, the General of the Armies of the
United States, but he seemed to be talking to Jonas like an equal. Without
even realizing it, he slowly lowered himself to his seat.
General Sherman turned to Major Thomas and said, “Major, go back to
your office and wait for me there until I’ve had a while to talk to the
lieutenant and Jonas.”
The major tried to make a show of proper military decorum by saluting
and doing an about face and marching out the door, but it wasn’t pretty.
The general undid his blouse, removed his hat, then asked, “Excuse me,
Mrs. Preston. Do you have another chair?”
Beth had recovered faster than her husband and replied, “Why, of course,
General.”
She stepped into the kitchen and soon returned with a high back chair.
He thanked her and took the chair from her hands and positioned it facing
the two couples.
“As you may have guessed by now, that ornery scout over there and I are
on pretty close terms. A few days ago, my office in Washington received a
telegram from him. They have instructions to forward any telegrams
addressed to Cump Sherman rather than General Sherman to me personally.
There are three people who can use that form of address. This is the first
time that you ever have in almost twenty years, Jonas, and I thought it must
have been serious. Judging by that piece of work in a major’s suit, I’d say
you’re right.
“We really were on an inspection tour of the western forts, but only the
large ones. When I received your telegram, we just swung down here, but
had one of my staff do a quick background check to see what was going on
before we arrived. Now, Jonas, fill me in on the rest of it and what the hell
you and ‘the best officer you ever served with’ are doing under house
arrest.”
Jonas then began his lengthy narrative of events since he’d returned. He
left out certain sensitive parts of Beth’s rescue, and General Sherman was
most impressed with the way they had handled Victorio. Although Jonas
still used the
we
in describing the actions, he knew better.
Then he asked Elias for more details, and Elias confirmed his suspicions
when he gave all the credit to Jonas. He then talked to Beth about her
rescue and to Annie about her treatment by Beeler.
Jonas had already mentioned the apparent corruption between the
sutler’s store, the Indian agent, and the major, and after he asked Annie
about Beeler, Jonas interrupted.
“General, a few days ago, Miss Jones, while working in the laundry, was
assaulted by the sutler, Mister Francis Feely. Feely told him that Beeler had
asked him to force Miss Jones to work in his house of prostitution. He was
going to rape Miss Jones, but luckily, I had given her an Apache knife just a
few days earlier. She stabbed the man, and he died. Knowing that the major
would most assuredly prosecute Miss Jones, some of the troopers, acting
out of respect for her, removed the body and buried it behind the fort.”
Sherman looked at Annie and said, “I apologize on behalf of the United
States Army, Miss Jones. This kind of thing should never happen anywhere,
especially on an army post. Are you all right?”
“Yes. Thank you, General. I’m much better.”
“Good. Now before I start taking actions, do you have any questions?”
 Beth asked, “How do you know Jonas, General?”
Jonas tried to interrupt by saying, “It’s not important, Beth. General, it
really doesn’t matter.”
General Sherman looked at Jonas, shook his head and said, “You still
haven’t changed; have you? Well, I’ll tell them whether you like it or not.”
He looked at Beth and started, “Jonas was in my command almost all of
the time that he was in the army and was just another trooper at first. But
even then, he was very notable. His commanders were always singling him
out for difficult missions. The one where he came to my personal attention
was when he was a sergeant in ’64.
“We had just finished an engagement in the Atlanta campaign, and I was
in my command tent reviewing positions when we heard a real ruckus
outside. What had happened was that Jonas, having returned from a
particularly vicious fight, was enroute to the hospital to check on some of
his wounded comrades. He saw a group of eleven cavalrymen from the 5
th
Ohio ride into the camp, looked at them and didn’t recognize any of them.
But instead of just disregarding what he had seen, Jonas got closer and took
a hard look. He noticed that the horses didn’t seem to be of good stock and
seemed undernourished. Then he saw a CSA brand on one and knew they
were there to assassinate me.
“He didn’t hesitate and didn’t cry out an alarm because it would warn
them, so he charged, saber drawn, with a pistol in his left hand that had
been given to him by an officer some time earlier. But his first attack was
with the saber. He took out the leader wearing a captain’s uniform and then
began slashing. They didn’t even know what hit them.
“By the time we could even get a soldier to pick up a rifle, except for
one of the sentries who took a shot at Jonas thinking he had gone crazy and
was attacking Union men, it was over. There were seven dead, and four
wounded and captured assassins. I owed that young man. More than that, I
had never seen such a combination of bravery and skill, so I gave him a
battlefield commission on the spot, and even skipped him all the way to
captain. He was also awarded the Medal of Honor. After that I followed his
career and was thoroughly impressed.
 “I tried to get him to stay in the army after the war and was going to put
him on my staff and put him in a position of command, but he wouldn’t
have it. He told me he was tired of it and wanted to do something different
which gave me a deeper understanding of the man which impressed me
even more. Most men when offered an important position, are so flattered
that they take it even if they really don’t want it.
“So, I told him how to get in touch with me if he ever needed anything.
Lieutenant Preston, you must be one hell of an officer to get Jonas to ask for
my help. We’ll make things right now. This court martial is a travesty. In
fact, why don’t we just walk down to visit the ex-commander of Fort Selden
and tell him you’ll be taking over. Is that okay, Major Preston?”
Elias just gawked at the general. This can’t be happening.
Beth just smiled at her new Major Husband.
Before answering, Elias looked at Jonas and asked, “You got a Medal of
Honor?”
Before Jonas could answer, General Sherman responded, “No, he didn’t
get a Medal of Honor. He received two. The first one was awarded in the
engagement where he was made sergeant and the officer gave him the
pistol. That happened in Chattanooga when a company of rebels was close
to turning our southern flank. The fighting was hellacious, and there was a
lot of dying on both sides, but his company had suffered more losses than
the attacking Confederates, and we weren’t able to get any reserves over
there to help. Jonas was just about the last able-bodied man in his company
and had run out of ammunition, so he took a pistol from a dead officer. The
only other surviving officer gave him his pistol because his right arm had
been hit.
“Jonas didn’t waste any ammunition, but waded in among the enemy
with those pistols, firing at less than ten feet so he didn’t miss a shot,
despite bayonets and sabers being rammed at him. He had fired his last shot
when the rebels finally retreated, then he went among the wounded and did
all he could to keep them alive until help arrived. We didn’t even realize
how close it had been until two hours later.”
 Everyone in the room was staring at an almost beet red Jonas with a
good deal of awe.
General Sherman was enjoying making him uncomfortable, and he
wasn’t even finished, as he said, “I know that the Medal of Honor was
diminished in its original intent because they began giving them away like
candy to anyone above a lieutenant colonel for not shooting himself, but
Jonas earned both of his the hard way and deserved each of them in the way
they should be awarded. By the way, Jonas, I have to ask you something.”
Jonas was staring at the far wall as he replied, “Well, General, no one’s
stopped you so far. And you probably won’t stop until you’ve totally
embarrassed me.”
“You earned the payback, Jonas. One of the things that was well-known
was how miserly you lived, even when you were a captain. If you still live
that way, and I’m sure you do, you must have saved quite a bit by now
given your current rate of pay as a scout.”
Jonas almost mumbled, “Yes, Sir. I send almost all of my pay to an
account in Kansas City.”
“You must be a wealthy man then, Jonas.”
“It’s not important, Sir,” Jonas replied quietly.
The general was finally satisfied that he’d let everyone know just how
extraordinary Jonas Smith was. It was his real purpose for telling the stories
but realized that he might have gone too far with the question of his money.
Nevertheless, he finished by saying, “I just enjoy making you
uncomfortable, Jonas, because you turned me down. Did you want to come
along when I talk to Thomas? Hell, why don’t we all head that way.
Throwing my weight around is one of the few enjoyable parts of this job.”
Jonas quickly rebounded from his perceived humiliation when he
suddenly remembered Lieutenant Avery’s problem.
“Oh, before I forget, General. I have one more thing to bring up.
Remember what I told you about Annie’s treatment by Beeler? How he had
tossed her out with no chance of making a living and no one to turn to, and
how Beth took care of her? Well, he’s doing it again. He sent out Lieutenant
Avery, a good officer by the way, to pick up a young lady from New York.
“Beeler had paid a hundred dollars for her and lied in his letters
portraying himself as a younger, handsome man, not the old, hideous
scoundrel that he is. In a very ingenious plan, they had our post doctor,
Doctor Withers, pretend she had a communicable disease and put her in
isolation. She’s been there for a day, and we’d like to get her out.”
“Is that bastard Indian agent who’s been playing fast and loose with the
money he’s been given to care for the Apaches?”
“Yes, sir, the same one.”
“Tell Lieutenant Avery he can let her out. Now let’s all head down and
visit the major.”
With General Sherman in the lead, the two couples left the quarters and
strolled down the boardwalk. As they crossed into the command building,
the corporal jumped to attention and began to squawk for attention, but
General Sherman waved him down.
General Sherman then stepped into the room, followed by the Prestons,
Jonas and Annie. Major Thomas started to rise and then realized that things
weren’t going his way, so he remained in a crouch.
“Sit down, Major Thomas,” growled the general, “I am relieving you of
command effective immediately. Major Preston will take your place. His
date of rank will be retroactive to the first of the year. You will be turned
over to the Sergeant Major who will place you under house arrest in your
quarters until you are transported to the Army of the West headquarters for
court martial. Charges will include wrongful prosecution, issuance of
invalid orders, dereliction of duty and probably corruption after we
conclude a financial review. Your only other option is to resign your
commission today. You have an hour to decide. Until then, remove yourself
from Major Preston’s office and return to your quarters, which of course
will be Major Preston’s quarters hereafter. Now get your sorry ass out of
this office.”
 Ex-Major Thomas was in a state of disbelief.
This can’t be happening!
But he stood robotically and with glazed eyes left the office.
After he had gone from the command building, General Sherman turned
to Jonas and said, “Garner? Really?”
Jonas almost reminded the general of his middle name, but thought that
might be pushing it, even for him, and just said, “It did suit him.”
The general laughed and nodded, impressed that Jonas hadn’t mentioned
Tecumseh.
“Now,” said Sherman, “Let’s head over to the Indian agent’s office.”
The small herd of humans walked across the parade grounds and soon
left the fort and walked past the Apache encampment. The sutler’s store and
the Indian agent’s office were fifty yards apart and just outside the front
gates to the east.
Sherman looked over his shoulder at the newly minted Major Preston
and said, “One of the first things you’re going to have to do, Major, is get
the sutler’s store issue fixed.”
“Not a problem, General,” Elias replied quickly.
They entered the Indian agency office and found Horace Beeler sitting at
his desk reading a dime novel with his feet propped on the flat surface. He
saw General Sherman and hurriedly scrambled to get to his feet, looking for
all the world like a puppy on a sheet of ice.
“Beeler, is that your name?” Sherman growled.
“Yes, General.”
“Beeler, you have twenty-four hours to clear out of here. If one dime of
the Agency funds is missing, you’ll be hunted down and prosecuted. Do
you understand?”
“General, you have no authority over me. I work for the Federal
government, not the army.”
 “You really are an arrogant little weasel, aren’t you, Mister Beeler? Now,
who appoints the Indian agents? Is it not the executive branch?”
“That is correct, General, and that is the reason you can’t fire me.”
“Who is the head of the executive branch, Mister Beeler?”
“Why, that is the President, of course.”
“Now, when I met last with President Arthur just before departing on my
western inspection tour, he told me that he was deeply concerned about
corruption among the Indian agents. They were skimming money that was
supposed to feed and clothe the Indians. He said, and I quote, ‘if you find
any of those bastards, fire them or let me know and I’ll do worse.’ Now, do
you want me to fire you or do you want the President of the United States to
do worse.”
Beeler knew he couldn’t stand an audit and replied, “I’ll leave, General.
Just don’t notify the President.”
“See that you do, and it’ll stay between us.”
Sherman then turned, walked out and everyone followed quickly behind
as he headed back to the fort.
Once they caught up, Jonas said to him, “The president said no such
thing; did he? I don’t think he even knows there are states west of Ohio, and
I don’t think he’s fond of the Indians, either.”
Sherman chuckled and replied, “No, but it sure was fun.”
Jonas knew better than to mention Sherman’s own opinion of the Indians
because he knew it would serve no purpose.
Horace Beeler watched them walk away from his office and noticed that
damned scout talking to the general. They were laughing, and probably at
him. He felt the anger bubbling deep within him and wanted to get his
revenge on that damned scout who was walking beside that hideously tall
woman who had started him on this downward spiral.
_____
 When the general and his temporary entourage returned to the fort, Jonas
asked, “I really appreciate your coming out to help with a bad situation. You
know I would only ask if it was also good for the army, so what are your
plans now, General?”
“We have to head back to pick up our inspection tour, so we’ll probably
leave right away. Is there anything else you’ll be needing? You know, Jonas,
you’re one of the best men I’ve ever known and wish you had been able to
stay with me longer.”
“Well, General, I might have enjoyed it. I don’t know. Sometimes we
make choices at the time that seem right that don’t turn out very well.
That’s how life works.”
“You have that right. Well, I’m going to round up my staff before they
get into mischief. I’ve already told them to cut the appropriate orders.
Major Preston, the rest of the corrections around here will be up to you. If
you’re half as good as Jonas thinks you are, you’ll do a hell of a job.”
“Thank you, General.”
Sherman waved at them as he strode toward his collection of staff
officers, spoke to them for a few minutes and was handed a few sheets of
paper and a thick envelope. Then he called Elias over and handed him the
papers and the envelope, shook Elias’ hand before he took two steps toward
Jonas.
He and Jonas shook hands and General Sherman said, “Jonas, I noticed
that you didn’t get anything out of this but a good amount of
embarrassment.”
Jonas glanced over at Annie who was smiling at him, returned her smile
then looked back at the general.
“I believe I got a lot more than that, General.”
General Sherman had caught the glance, grinned and said, “Good luck,
Jonas.”
“Thanks for everything, General Sherman.”
 The general nodded and, as most lifelong military men, executed a
perfect about face without even thinking about it and returned to his staff
officers and honor guard.
He mounted his very general-worthy horse as the staff officers aligned in
front and behind him with the flag bearers at the forefront, then the group
rode out of the gate, receiving salutes from Major Preston and the sentry.
“Well, that was an interesting two hours,” said Elias as he returned to
Beth, Jonas and Annie.
“Do you know what will be fun?” asked Jonas.
“After this, I’m not sure I ever want to hear you say that word again,
Jonas,” answered Elias, “but what is it?”
“Let’s go get John Avery and bring him into his quarters where he’s
hiding Miss Draper. Then we give them the good news.”
“That is a going to be fun,” Beth said with a big smile.
“So, what papers did you get from the general?” asked Jonas as they
began walking to Lieutenant Avery’s quarters.
“My promotion orders, orders making me post commander, as well as
Thomas’ official resignation. His staff already made copies. The envelope
contains all of Thomas’ rank insignia which he won’t need any longer.”
“It’s nice to have a staff to handle all the mess you leave behind your
wake,” Jonas said.
They found Lieutenant Avery and then walked with him to his old
quarters. Once inside, they explained what had happened to Mister Beeler
and Grace was ecstatic.
“But what will the major do? He’s going to be really mad,” a worried
Lieutenant Avery said.
“No, he won’t,” replied Jonas, “He’s really a nice guy when you get to
know him.”
 Avery stared at Jonas as he asked, “We are talking about Major Thomas;
are we not?”
Jonas grinned as he replied, “Oh, I’m sorry, Lieutenant. I thought you
meant Major Preston, your new commanding officer.”
John Avery’s eyes widened as he looked at Elias and exclaimed, “
What
did you say?
”
Elias shrugged, smiled and said, “Sorry, John. I know it’s hard to
believe, but it’s true.”
Avery was stunned for a few seconds before he asked, “Really?”
“Yes, John. General Sherman made a few changes around the post.”
After John accepted the startling revelation, he grinned, grabbed Elias’
hand and began pumping it as if he was trying to fill a giant trough. Then he
turned to extend his smile to Grace Draper.
Beth believed they were suddenly redundant and took her husband’s
hand and tugged him toward the door.
Soon, both Prestons, Annie and Jonas left John Avery and Grace Draper
so they could become better acquainted. They returned to the Preston
quarters in the mid-afternoon heat to try to absorb all that had happened on
this glorious day.
As they walked, the news of Major Thomas’ shame and Lieutenant
Preston’s promotion raced through the fort. Probably the happiest soldier
was Sergeant Maloney who didn’t think that their new commanding officer
would mind if he toasted his promotion…more than once.
_____
As they were entering the quarters, a disgruntled Horace Beeler left the
post on his horse. He was carrying very little personal possessions, just his
stash of money and his Cooper Pocket pistol. He needed to get to Las
Cruces and board the train but needed to take care of one loose end before
he left New Mexico.
 _____
After the exhilaration of the sudden change from looming disaster to
resurgent optimism, each of them was emotionally exhausted when they
entered the Preston quarters.
After they had taken seats and before anyone else could say or do
anything, Jonas stood and reached over to the table where Elias had laid the
papers and envelope.
He took the envelope and said, “Ladies, will you please rise?”
They looked at him curiously but stood.
“I believe, Major Preston, that it is time for a small ceremony. Would
you please stand facing your wife?”
Suddenly, both Beth and Elias knew what he had on is mind and smiled.
Only Annie didn’t understand. But she knew where she belonged and
stepped close beside Jonas.
He opened the envelope, removed the major’s shoulder boards and
asked, “Beth, would you please do the honors?”
He handed her the shoulder boards, but because the insignia had to be
sewn on, she ceremoniously laid the new rank onto her first lieutenant
husband’s right shoulder, then placed a second one on his left. She would
attach them permanently later.
After she took one step back as she smiled at her husband, Jonas said,
“Beth and Annie, I present Major Elias Preston, United States Army.”
Beth was wiping tears from her eyes as she stepped forward and hugged
and kissed Elias while Jonas and Annie quietly applauded his unexpected
but well-deserved promotion. It was a small but important ceremony.
After Jonas and Annie stopped clapping and Beth released her grip, Elias
removed the temporary rank and handed them to his wife. Tomorrow he
would be uniformed properly.
 Beth was still dabbing at her eyes when she said, “I hate to have us all
return to the routine, but I’m pretty hungry.”
Annie laughed then said, “I’ll help prepare something. I need to feel
useful.”
Beth and Annie hooked arms then walked to the kitchen.
Jonas and Elias sat down, and Elias stared at his scout friend.
“I expect you to tell me all that happened after you left the fort, Jonas.
You need to give us more details about your surprising friendship with
General Sherman, too.”
Jonas grinned and asked, “Is that an order, Major? I hope it isn’t because
I’d hate to give you the same answer that I gave your predecessor when he
ordered me to stay in the fort.”
Elias laughed as he shook his head and replied, “No. It’s not an order,
Jonas. I’m not about to face that kind of humiliation. But it is a sincere
request from a friend.”
“I know. We’ll talk when Beth and Annie return.”
It wasn’t long before the ladies returned carrying a plateful of beef
sandwiches and four glasses of lemonade. They set them on the center table
then took their seats.
Before anyone even took a sip of lemonade, Beth asked, “Jonas, why
were you so doubtful about the general’s coming?”
“I sent the telegram last Wednesday and didn’t even know where he was.
He’s a very active man and doesn’t stay in one place very often if he can
avoid it. I just asked him if he could send someone with appropriate
authority to help with the situation but didn’t expect him to show up
personally. I was reasonably sure he’d send someone, but I’m glad he
showed anyway. Only he has the authority to promote on the spot, so it
worked out. By the way, Elias, did you tell Beth about that little bonus that
the general threw your way?”
Elias looked at him quizzically and asked, “What little bonus?”
 Beth repeated, “What bonus?”
Jonas smiled and said, “He made your promotion retroactive to the first
of the year. That means you’ll get back pay as a major for seven months.
I’m sure Beth can do something with it.”
Beth had her glass of lemonade in her hand when she grinned and said,
“Oh, I think I’ll be able to make good use of the money.”
Elias hadn’t touched the food or his lemonade yet when he said, “Jonas, I
know that you told the general that it didn’t matter. But just out of curiosity,
would you tell us just how much money you have tucked away? I obviously
know how much a captain makes, and I know you make more than that as a
scout. You’re also a well-known penny-pincher. You’ve been earning a
good pay for a long time, so you must have a fairly healthy bank account by
now.”
Jonas thought about it for a few seconds, then realized that he would
have to tell Annie soon anyway, so he answered, “As far as the exact
balance, I’m not really sure. The last time I checked last year it was just
over twenty-two thousand dollars.”
There was universal shock in the room after he revealed the staggering
amount.
“My Lord!” exclaimed Elias, “What are you planning on doing with that
much money?”
“Until recently, I really didn’t care. It was just there. I had no dreams that
required me to spend a dime.”
Then he paused and looked into Annie’s big brown eyes and said, “But
maybe now, I do.”
Annie didn’t say a word as she smiled back at Jonas. She simply wasn’t
capable of speech.
Elias then asked. “What are you going to do now, Jonas? The general
even said that all he did was to embarrass you.”
 “Then you heard my answer, Elias. All I need is in this room. My friends
and my new girlfriend, Annie, whom I need the most.”
Elias had been so focused on all that had happened to him and Beth that
he’d missed the changes with Annie’s appearance and the sudden attraction
between her and Jonas.
But once he said that she was his new girlfriend, all those missing clues
exploded into his mind as he asked, “What happened between you two on
that mission to bring Beth back?”
Jonas smiled and looked at an ecstatic Annie as he simply replied, “We
talked.”
“That’s all?” an unbelieving Elias asked.
Annie looked at Elias and said, “Well, he did kiss me after Beth
practically ordered him to.”
Elias then looked back at Jonas and asked, “So, you’re telling me you
just talked and now you’re boyfriend and girlfriend?”
Jonas nodded then replied, “That’s pretty much how it happened, Major.
But I’d rather not have her as my girlfriend anymore.”
Elias glanced at his wife before asking, “You changed your mind
already?”
Beth knew what he meant, and Annie just silently hoped that he was
about to move their relationship to a new level.
He smiled as he said, “I’ll never change my mind. I just don’t want her
to be my girlfriend. I hope that she’ll agree to be my wife.”
Annie quietly said, “I was hoping that was what you meant, Jonas. I’ve
never wanted anything so much in my life.”
 
Jonas stood and walked over to Annie, lifted her from her chair, wrapped
his arms around her and kissed her as her future husband. This kiss was
nothing like the one they’d shared after Beth had ordered him to do it.
 As they shared that first meaningful kiss, Annie felt sensations and
desires she didn’t know she had within her. She almost melted as Jonas held
her in his arms and felt his masculine presence overwhelm her.
Never before in his life had Jonas felt such passion. He and Annie had
only shared conversations and he had no doubt that he loved her. But now,
as he felt her in his arms, his physical and emotional needs exploded within
him.
They had forgotten about anyone else as they kissed, but still needed to
breathe. They separated and smiled at each other before they were reminded
that the Prestons were in the room. 
Beth had already stood and walked to congratulate them both, but Elias
was still too dumbfounded to do anything.
With his arms still wrapped around her, Jonas said, “Annie, we have to
make a few decisions. Any decision about what I’m going to do involves
you, so I want you to be part of them.”
“We have time,” Annie replied.
Jonas finally released Annie and they returned to their respective chairs.
Elias had finally come out of his stupor and asked, “So, what are you
going to do, Jonas? We still need a scout.”
“Not so much with Victorio out of the picture. My guess is that this fort
will be closed within two years. Besides, I don’t want to spend that much
time away from my wife. We have a lot to talk about.”
Beth grinned and said, “And a lot of new things to try.”
Annie laughed then replied, “You have a one-track mind, Beth,” before
both women began to seriously laugh.
Elias threw his hands into the air and looked at Jonas, silently asking, ‘
What is going on?’
Jonas figured he may as well throw another log onto the ladies’ merry
fire.
 “Elias, whatever else you do, don’t bathe in the river.”
Beth and Annie had barely heard Jonas’ recommendation, but it was
enough to inspire added laughter.
Elias looked at the women as he shook his head and said, “That must
have been one hell of a return trip.”
“I’m sure Beth will tell you all about it while she’s trying something
new.”
And just when the ladies had slowed down, too.
When they finally had laughed and giggled themselves out, Jonas said,
“Well, I think it’s time we leave the major and his wife, Annie. Don’t you
think?”
Annie was still wiping tears from her eyes from laughing so hard but
answered, “Whatever you say, husband-to-be.”
Jonas stood and took Annie’s hand.
“Oh, Major. With your permission, I’d like to either buy or borrow a
saddle for one of Annie’s new horses.”
“See Sergeant Maloney. I’m sure he can handle it legally, in his own
Irish way. That’s assuming he’s remotely sober.”
“I’m not about to deny the good sergeant a few drops of his favorite
liquid. I owe him for what he did for my Annie.”
He waved before he and Annie turned and headed for the door leaving
the Prestons alone.
After their guests left, Beth explained to her husband her meaning of ‘try
’
, and he took it to its natural conclusion.
_____
Jonas and Annie walked down the boardwalk with hands locked and
entered the quartermaster’s office.
 Sergeant Maloney may have been somewhat inebriated, but when he saw
them coming, he exploded from his desk.
“I heard the wonderful news and thanked the saints above. But I want to
hear it from you. Is the major gone?”
“Well, my good Irishman, he is not only gone but he is now Mister
Garner Thomas. The major’s office is occupied by your new commander,
Major Preston. Mister Horace Beeler has been sent packing as well. There
is no more need to worry about the aftermath of Mister Feely’s demise,
either. He has been given an official burial. Now that all this good news is
made official, the good major has asked if I could either purchase or borrow
a saddle and tack for my fiancée’s pony. We need to make a short trip to my
cabin.”
“Did you say that you’re getting married? Well, glory be! That being
said, I’ll help fill our new major’s order. It just so happens I have just the
thing. I have an old set of tack that was going to be cut up for the leather, so
I’ll just write it off as destroyed and send it over to the stables. Will that
work for you, Jonas?”
“Thank you for your assistance in this matter and the other one as well.”
Jonas reached over and shook his hand before Annie walked across and
gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“Thank you, Sergeant Maloney. You helped me when I really needed it.”
Maloney already reddish hue shifted almost reached maroon as he was
rendered speechless…almost. He was an Irishman after all.
He grinned as he said, “Tis nothing for the lass that is so important to our
Mister Smith.”
His grin was still plastered across his plastered face as Jonas and Annie
turned and left his office.
Once outside, Annie asked, “Are we going to your cabin now?”
“Yes, that’s what I had in mind, Annie. I want you to see it. Then we can
talk about what we’re going to do. Okay?”
 “It sounds perfect,” she replied.
Despite her recent, almost stunning revelations of her hidden urges, she
was still very worried. She was nervous about how she would feel when she
and Jonas ‘tried’. She had hoped that Jonas wasn’t going to ask for the post
chaplain to marry them first before they went to his cabin. She still had that
deep concern that all those memories of what had happened to her years ago
would return at the worst moment.
When they had kissed in the Prestons’, she knew that he was more than
ready to ‘try’ with her, but she didn’t want to disappoint him. If she couldn’t
make him happy, then she couldn’t marry him. If she was going to be his
wife, then she had to be his woman, too. She desperately wanted to please
Jonas and then there was that other, final worry.
She had never missed a monthly even though many of the other girls in
the orphanage became pregnant. She almost painfully needed to be his wife
in every meaning of the word and to be a mother to his children.
But for the moment, Annie was able to put those concerns aside. She
was so incredibly content as they walked into the scout quarters and found
it empty as usual. He walked to the back of the room and began assembling
his gear.
Jonas took some of his clothes but left most for later. They exited the
steamy scout quarters and headed to the stables. When they entered, Jonas
found Dusty brushed and saddled. The two Apache ponies that Jonas had
declared to belong to Annie were also brushed and as Jonas noted, newly
shod. One of them sported what looked like a brand-new cavalry saddle, as
well as a set of saddlebags, a bedroll and blanket. The unsaddled horse had
a long trail halter tied to Dusty.
When Annie saw the new tack, she turned to Jonas and said, “Isn’t
that….” but stopped in mid-sentence when she saw Jonas shaking his head
and smiling at her.
Then he said, “Sergeants do what sergeants do, and good officers let
them.”
 He took Dusty’s reins and Annie took the saddled horse’s reins before
they led the three animals out of the stable. Once outside, Annie mounted
the pony and Jonas climbed aboard Dusty.
After crossing the parade grounds, they waved at the sentry who snapped
a salute as they left the gate. Jonas looked at Annie and smiled before they
entered and exited the Indian encampment. Once free of the fort, they
started the long climb as they rode east to his cabin.
“How far away is your cabin?” asked Annie.
“Our cabin is about an hour and a half long ride at this pace. We’ll get
there just before sunset, so we’ll get to enjoy nature’s show before we try
anything so spectacular ourselves.”
Annie smiled as they continued to ride. Jonas noticed that she hadn’t
laughed or even commented on his ‘try’ reference. He understood why she
would be concerned. Those long, personal conversations they had shared
revealed Annie’s soul. He had been incredibly relieved when she’d made
such rapid and enormous strides in overcoming her fears.
When she’d removed her chest wrap, he had been impressed as much by
her resolve to overcome her worries as what his eyes had revealed. With
each hour they’d spent together, he’d watched her shed one layer of
protection after another. He was convinced that she only had one thick
barrier remaining and was determined to do all he could to help her rip it
away.
As they rode, Jonas talked about the canyon and his cabin to keep her up
her good mood, and Annie was content to listen to Jonas’ voice. For most
of ninety-minute ride, Jonas and Annie simply enjoyed each other’s
company and the scenery.
Annie soon spotted the mouth of his canyon and exclaimed, “Jonas, it’s
so beautiful!”
“It’s even more beautiful when you look back the way we came. Don’t
turn around yet, though. I want to share it with you as the sun sets.”
“I can’t wait,” she replied with a genuine smile.
 When she spotted the cabin, Annie was again surprised by how well-
made it appeared, but didn’t say anything. While she was impressed, seeing
the cabin reminded her of what it represented.
They reached the cabin just a few minutes later and after they
dismounted, Jonas handed her Dusty’s reins.
He smiled as he said, “Don’t turn around, Annie. I’m going to check the
cabin to make sure that no one has paid it a visit while I was gone. I didn’t
see any smoke so it’s not likely. You just watch me. No cheating to watch
the sunset. Okay?”
Annie nodded and nervously smiled before he stepped onto the porch.
He began opening the door and was turning to say something to her when
she heard the loud, sharp report of a pistol. She was horrified when Jonas
stumbled back across the short porch then fell to the ground and lay still.
“Jonas!” Annie screamed before she raced to him.
She quickly reached where he laid on his left side. She couldn’t see any
blood, but he wasn’t moving.
She knelt beside his prostrate form and was sobbing as she cried,” Jonas!
Jonas!”
She was so distraught after having seen Jonas fall that she hadn’t paid
any attention to shooter. Then she heard bootsteps on the porch behind her
and whirled to see the leering face of Horace Beeler with a smoking pistol
in his hand.
“That bastard finally got what he deserved. All he’s done since he came
back was to start trouble. Then he goes and brings that damned general and
takes away everything. Well, now, missy, I took everything from him and
you’re gonna to join him, too.”
Annie didn’t even think about what she needed to do. She was seething
with an anger that she had never felt before as she knelt over Jonas. She
saw Jonas’ gun sitting not a foot from her right hand then reached down,
slipped the leather strap holding the pistol into its holster and ripped the
Colt loose.
 Horace Beeler was almost too astonished to react at first, but when he
saw her bringing that huge gun to bear, he raised his weapon and fired at
her from almost point-blank range.
Incredibly, in his shocked haste, he missed. He never had a chance to
take a second shot at Annie.
Annie cocked the hammer and pulled the trigger. The Colt rocked back
in her strong right hand and the first shot she had ever taken blasted through
Horace Beeler’s chest almost instantly. And as Jonas had explained to her
when they were saving Beth, she kept repeating the actions until all five
bullets had drilled through Horace Beeler’s now lifeless body before
burying themselves into the stout log walls of the cabin.
He had been thrown back against that wall by the first slug but had
stayed upright long enough to absorb the other four before slowly sliding
down to the porch’s wall into a pool of his own blood.
Annie didn’t waste any time with Beeler and quickly dropped the empty,
hot and still smoking Colt then turned to Jonas. She thought he had died and
was about to start weeping but when she touched his shoulder, he moaned.
The tears of loss she was preparing to spill onto his lifeless body were
now tears of relief and joy as she rolled him over onto his back.
She was giddy as she quickly asked, “Jonas! Jonas! Where did he shoot
you?”
“Annie?” he groaned. “Annie, are you all right?”
Annie laugh-cried as she replied in a shaking voice, “Yes, I’m fine.
Jonas, where are you shot?”
“Shot? I don’t know. I don’t feel any blood, but my left side is burning.”
Annie examined his left side and soon realized he was right. There was
no blood on his clothes or the ground.
He struggled to sit up as he held his head. As his vision cleared, he saw
the body of Horace Beeler crumpled on the porch flooring.
 “
Beeler? That little weasel shot me?
” he asked in surprise.
Annie dried her eyes as she said, “He was going to shoot me next, but I
was able to grab your gun and did exactly what you showed me to do and
fired all of the bullets at him.”
Jonas was stunned as much by her calm demeanor as her incredible
actions as he slowly rose and said, “Annie, you are one amazing woman.”
After he slowly stood, he began checking his left side for the source of
the pain.
“Well, I’ll be damned. Look at this, Annie.”
He turned his left side to the setting sun and Annie saw that the shot had
struck his knife, shattering the blade before it ricocheted away.
“I guess that when that shot hit the knife, I was thrown off balance and
hit my melon on the ground.”
Jonas then took two long strides to pick up his Colt, slid it back into his
holster and slipped the hammer loop in place.
Annie was so relieved that Jonas wasn’t shot that she’d forgotten about
Beeler. But when she turned to look at the cabin, she began to shake when
she saw lifeless eyes of Horace Beeler staring back at her. The same eyes
that had looked at her with revulsion and hate when he’d first seen her
height.
Jonas saw her reaction, walked to her and stood between her eyes and
the corpse. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close as she
continued to shiver.
“Annie, you are incredibly brave. I am so very proud of you. You know
that you saved my life; don’t you? Don’t feel any shame or guilt for what
you did.”
She buried her face into his neck before whispering, “It’s not that, Jonas.
It’s the eyes.”
 “Well, sweetheart, I’ll tell you what I want you to do. I want you to turn
west and admire the beautiful sunset. You let nature’s beauty fill your mind
and soul and I’ll take care of the ugliness. Okay?”
She nodded and quietly replied, “Okay.”
Jonas released her but took her hand and guided away from the cabin
where there was a small boulder he had often used as a chair to watch the
evening performances. He kissed her before he lifted her onto the boulder.
“You just stay there, Annie. I’ll take care of that mess and be back soon.”
Annie just nodded as she stared at the start of sunset over the western
horizon and the distant mountains.
Jonas headed back to the cabin, turning occasionally to make sure she
was looking at the setting sun. He led Dusty and the two horses around the
cabin to the corral, where he found Beeler’s horse tied to one of the rails.
He untied the animal, then led Beeler’s horse away from the corral to a spot
near the stream. There was grass here and the horse could eat and drink.
There was no reason for him to suffer. It wasn’t his fault. He removed
Beeler’s tack and let the horse go into the corral with the others. He
unsaddled Dusty and Annie’s horse then quickly moved his weapons and
saddlebags back to the cabin.
After setting his load onto the porch, he looked down at Beeler and
whispered, “Death is too easy for you, you bastard. I hope you’re burning in
hell.”
He lowered his large, calloused hands, grabbed Beeler by the jacket and
lifted him from the floor before sliding him across the porch, leaving a
bloody streak behind. He had thought about using a fireman’s carry and
throwing the body over his shoulder. But the mess created by those five .44
caliber bullets instantly changed his mind.
He dragged the body around to the corral and almost tossed it onto the
wagon bed.
After he closed the corral gate and stepped onto the cabin’s porch,
picked up all of his things and Beeler’s saddlebags then went inside the
cabin. He dropped the saddlebags and set his rifles where they belonged
before he picked up his bucket. He walked quickly to the stream and filled
it, lugged the heavy bucket to the porch and dumped it onto the pool of
blood then wiped it with his boots. It wouldn’t get rid of all the blood, but
he could take care of that later. He put the bucket down and walked back to
Annie. The sunset was dying, but there would be another one tomorrow,
and he and Annie would share that one and all that followed.
He climbed the boulder and sat against Annie as she continued to stare at
the dark reds and purples.
He put his arm across her shoulder and softly asked, “Annie, are you
ready to go to the cabin now?”
She nodded slowly without replying.
He slid down the face of the boulder and let her slide into his arms. She
smiled nervously at him before he put his hand around her waist. She
clutched Jonas tightly as he guided her to the cabin without either of them
saying a word.
When they were inside, Jonas said, “Don’t move until I light a lamp. I
don’t want you to trip and fall.”
“Alright.”
He walked to the fireplace, pulled out a match and struck it against the
rough stone. It flared to life then he lit a kerosene lantern. He carried it back
across the cabin and set it on the table before he returned to Annie.
“Are you all right, Annie?” he asked softly.
She took a deep breath and replied, “Yes. I’m okay. We were going to
have such a special night and then all of this happened.”
“It’s still a special night, Annie. We’re together, and any moment I spend
with you is special. Now, enjoy your new temporary home and I’ll build a
fire.”
Annie blinked then asked, “Temporary? What do you mean? Are we
going to leave?”
 “Not leaving, just moving.”
“Moving to where? I thought you loved this canyon.”
“I do. That’s why I want to build a real house a little further back in the
canyon. It will be our new home, Annie. You and I will make it whatever
you want it to be. We will turn our canyon into our own paradise, Annie.
Just for us.”
Annie walked close to Jonas and put her arms around his neck and
kissed him.
When the kiss ended, she whispered, “Thank you, Jonas. You’re right.
This will be a special night after all.”
Jonas knew Annie was mostly past the shooting, but he still needed to
help her complete her recovery by doing routine things. He still wasn’t sure
about her more important and more difficult recovery.
He then put some kindling in the fireplace and soon had a nice fire
popping and crackling to ward off the cooling night. He poured beans and
some peppers and onions into the hanging pot which he swung back over
the flames on its hooked arm. Then he fried some bacon and when it was
cooked, he added it to the pot, grease and all. With their supper simmering,
he put the coffeepot on a grate. When all the preparation was done, he
walked to a shelf and took out two large bowls, two spoons and two heavy
mugs.
Annie just watched, feeling much more content than Jonas probably
expected her to be so soon after shooting Horace Beeler. He didn’t know
what she had been thinking as she sat on the boulder.
As she had watched the sunset, she really hadn’t seen the amazing
colors, but had thought about what she had done. Once she got past those
dreadful eyes, she accepted that she had saved Jonas and realized that it was
not only the only thing she could have done, but it was the right thing to do.
She had not only saved her future husband’s life but had saved herself and
the life that they would soon be sharing.
 Once she had come to that conclusion, she did admire the beautiful
sunset and allowed herself to imagine what she would be trying in the next
few hours and still had that nagging worry that she would disappoint Jonas.
It was what was bothering her when he returned, not Horace Beeler’s death.
After his mix had thickened, Jonas took the bowls to the pot and began
spooning the steaming bean stew into the bowls. He set them on the table
before he carried the coffeepot from the grate and sat down beside Annie.
“Would you like some sugar in your coffee, Annie?” he asked.
“You are spoiling me, Mister Smith,” she answered then smiled as she
took the offered tin of sugar.
As they ate, they talked about anything but Beeler or ‘trying’.
When they had finished eating, Jonas stood and removed the bowls but
left the mugs on the table.
Annie looked up him when he returned and said, “It was still a beautiful
sunset, Jonas. Even after all that.”
Jonas replied, “And the wonderful thing is that it repeats itself almost
every night. And it’s ours, Annie. I always loved it, but I needed to have
someone to share it with. It’s one of the reasons why I was so lonely here.
But you’re here now. I love you, Annie. Since that first day when we really
talked to each other. I felt as if I could tell you anything, and you’d
understand.”
Annie replied, “I was shocked that you really did understand what I had
been feeling for all those years. Unlike you, I was around people all the
time, but I was alone. Women saw me as a freak. Men saw me as a pair of
breasts mounted on something that didn’t matter to them. Only you saw me.
When you told me the story that no one else will ever hear, I understood
then why you were the way you are. My heart went to you that night. I
knew that I had to be near you. I just didn’t know if you’d want me.”
“Annie, I want you in every way a man can want a woman. I thought I’d
spend the rest of my life alone, but you’ve given me a wonderful new life. I
can never do enough for you.”
 Annie sighed, then stared into Jonas’ dark brown eyes and quietly said,
“I know what you can do for me tonight, Jonas. I have one last, lingering
question that only you can answer. I asked Beth about it several times. It
was my greatest worry and still is. I don’t know if I can make you happy as
a wife is supposed to because I don’t know if I can enjoy ‘trying’ as Beth
would say. I don’t want to marry you and then discover I can’t be the wife
you deserve.
“So, if you could, before we get married, can we try? I need to know. I
don’t ever want to disappoint you, Jonas, because I love you so much. Beth
said that love is what makes it different. Ever since I knew that I loved you,
I’ve been wanting to have that question answered. Will you make love to
me now?”
Jonas looked at her worried yet hopeful eyes, took her hands in his and
said, “Annie, you know that I love you and think you’re the most amazing
woman I’ve ever met. I’ll make love to you and let you understand just how
special you are. But even if you find that you still can’t be intimate with me,
it doesn’t mean you’ll disappoint me. You can never disappoint me, Annie,
because I love you that much. If all we do is just spend time together for the
rest of our lives, I’ll still consider myself the luckiest of husbands.”
She squeezed his hands, smiled and whispered, “Shall we try, then?”
Jonas rose, slowly pulled her to her feet then put his arms around her as
she put her hands behind his neck.
He began kissing her gently at first then they graduated to more
passionate levels before he slid his lips to her neck.
Annie shivered as an electric shock raced down her back and her toes
curled and she automatically turned her head to the side before slid her hand
further up his neck and pulled his lips closer.
She felt an excitement she thought she’d never experience and knew that
it was just starting. She clutched Jonas as he continued to kiss her and
began to unbutton her large men’s shirt. Soon his large hand slid under the
shirt, and he caressed the breasts that she had hidden so long for fear of a
man’s touch. But she found that when Jonas touched her, it was completely
different. As she felt his fingers gently touching her, it excited her. She
began undoing his buttons to feel his hard, deeply tanned chest that had
excited her the first time she’d seen him without a shirt.
It took a few minutes but when they were free of clothing, Jonas lowered
Annie to the bed, looked at her expressive eyes that had told him so much.
He put his lips close to her ear and whispered, “Annie, close your eyes
and I will make love to you.”
She closed her eyes not believing that she could become more excited.
But when she felt his kisses and touches all over her goose-pimpled body,
her desire and pure lust exploded. Annie couldn’t believe how much she
wanted him. She began to ask him to take her, something she never thought
she would ask of any man, but he didn’t do as she asked.
He continued to kiss her, to caress and stroke her and to make her feel
loved and the center of his universe. She began to beg him to finish, but he
told her he wanted her to feel every bit of pleasure possible. She told him
forcefully that she couldn’t possibly be more aroused, but he still wouldn’t
end their lovemaking. She was about to scream at him to take her, but then
he began kissing her and touching her in new places that drove her close to
madness. She was writhing on the bed like a sidewinder rattlesnake as Jonas
continued to drive her to new levels of pleasure.
Finally, he slid next to her and began kissing her harder. She had her
fingers in his hair, pulling him closer to her, making the kisses even more
passionate. She knew he couldn’t last much longer as both were frantic
now. Annie was lost in a world of ecstasy she thought impossible.
She was screaming at the top of her lungs for him to end this now and
thought she was on the verge of passing out.
At last, Jonas knew he couldn’t hold out much longer and answered her
prayers. For what seemed like hours, she alternated grabbing the bed or
Jonas. Her back was arched, and her eyes closed as she screamed in ecstasy.
When they finally reached that ultimate level of pleasure, Annie’s eyes
fluttered, and she made noises she didn’t think herself capable of making.
Jonas was far from silent as they reached their pinnacle of passion before
they collapsed together in emotional and physical exhaustion.
 Any questions about disappointing Jonas were long forgotten after their
first few minutes and now, Annie wondered if they had ever existed in the
first place.
Jonas lay on his back with Annie’s head on his shoulder as they were
both bathed in sweat and breathing heavily. Her long, black hair was
everywhere.
Annie was happy that Beth had been right after all. It was very different
when love was the reason for making love.
She had been so very right! This
wasn’t trying, this was succeeding at an incredible level!
She sighed as she smiled at Jonas and whispered, “I can’t believe how
incredible you made me feel. I can’t wait to ‘try’ again.”
Jonas laughed lightly as he asked, “Do you want to ‘try’ again now?”
Annie stared at him and asked, “Are you serious?”
“Can’t you tell?”
She laughed then asked, “But will we have as much fun this time?”
“I’ll try to make you even happier.”
She rubbed his chest and said, “That’s not possible, Jonas.”
Rather than make any promises, slid his fingertips across her perfect left
breast and kissed her.
An hour later, she found out that the second time they tried was even
more incredible.
______
The next day, Jonas and Annie rode into the fort, driving the wagon with
Beeler’s body in the back. Annie accepted that they had to return to the fort
to clear up the mess that Beeler had created. She had long since gotten over
the trauma of last night and had other, much more pleasant things, on her
mind and an almost urgent need to talk to Beth.
 They continued across the parade grounds and stopped before the
commander’s office. Jonas set the handbrake, hopped down, looped the
reins of the two-mule team over the handbrake, then hurried around to the
other side to help Annie down from the driver’s seat. She surely didn’t need
his assistance, but they both appreciated the chance for a little more contact
to supplement the almost continuous touching that they’d enjoyed on the
ride down from the canyon.
Once she was safely on the ground, Jonas said, “Annie, I’m sure you
want to see Beth, so she’ll be in that building now,” then pointed toward the
Preston’s new home.
“I’ll go explain to Elias for the official record. I’m sure you have plenty
to talk to Beth about.”
“Oh, I can think of a few things, Mister Smith,” she replied as she
grinned.
She kissed him quickly then trotted away under Jonas’ admiring eyes.
Jonas exhaled sharply, then turned and walked into Major Preston’s new
office. Once inside, he noticed that the old “uppity” corporal had been
replaced and the new corporal was a familiar face.
“Good morning, Moses,” he said, “What happened to your predecessor?”
“He’s D troop’s newest private,” he replied with a grin.
Jonas smiled then asked, “Is the major in?”
Before the corporal could answer he heard a booming voice from the
office shout, “Of course, I’m in. I thought scouts were supposed to know
everything.”
Jonas rolled his eyes and smiled at the corporal before saying, “I guess I
can go in.”
He entered the office and shook Elias’ hand, pleased to see Beth had
already changed his rank insignia.
 Elias said, “To tell the truth, I didn’t expect to see you back so soon.
Miss me already?”
“No, I have a dead body outside.”
Major Preston stood quickly and exclaimed, “
What? Are you serious?
Not Annie?
”
“No, of course not. Someone would have to kill me if they tried to hurt
Annie. It’s Beeler. He was waiting in my cabin with a pistol when I opened
the door. He shot me and I was thrown to the ground and knocked
unconscious when my head hit the ground.”
“How bad were you wounded? Do you need to see the doctor?”
“My only wound is just a big black and blue on my left side where the
bullet hit my knife.”
“So, how did you manage to kill him?
You’re not telling me that Annie
did
?” he asked as he sat back down.
“That woman never stops amazing me, Elias. She saw me fall and
thought I was dead. She ran to where I was on the ground and knelt over
me. Beeler came out of the cabin and must have thought I was dead, too.
Then he told her that he was going to shoot her next.
“Elias, the woman saw my holstered Colt and was so heady, that she
remembered to unhook my trigger loop before she grabbed the gun then
turned to shoot Beeler. He shot at her from six feet away and I have no idea
how he missed. He must have been shocked to see her wielding that big
Colt. Annie remembered everything I told her to do, too. She didn’t use the
sights, she just pointed it at Beeler and then emptied all five loaded
chambers at him. She hit him with all of them, too. This from a woman who
has never fired a gun before in her life!”
“That’s incredible, Jonas.”
“I left his body in my wagon. It’s out front. I also left his gun in his
holster, so you can verify that two shots had been fired.”
 “That’s not even an issue. I know you weren’t hunting Beeler. Besides,
he was supposed to be out of the territory, not in your cabin.”
“Well, he’s sure out of the territory now. Oh, one more thing. I left his
saddlebags in the bed of the wagon as well. You might want to get someone
over there to retrieve them quickly.”
“Why?”
“He must have been planning on getting away with all the loot that he
scammed. I did a quick count and there’s almost eight thousand dollars in
there.”
Elias rose then stepped outside to tell Moses to have someone empty the
back of Jonas’ wagon of the body and to bring the saddlebags to the
paymaster’s office for accounting and safekeeping.
After Moses left, Major Preston returned to have Jonas give him more
details.
_____
While Jonas was telling the story, Annie walked to the new major’s
office and knocked on the door.
When Beth opened it and saw Annie’s smiling face, she said, “You’re
back! Come on in.”
Annie walked into the much larger quarters, and Beth could tell by the
look in Annie’s face that she was happier than she’d ever seen her before.
She quickly assumed that she’d tried with Jonas and was pleased and
relieved by the results.
After closing the door, they sat on her new couch and Beth excitedly
asked, “So, tell me what’s going on. Did you have an exciting night?”
“You might say that. I shot and killed Horace Beeler shortly after we
arrived at the cabin.”
That had not been the answer Beth had expected, not by a long shot.
She stared at Annie and exclaimed, “
You what?”
 “When we arrived at the cabin, Beeler was inside and shot Jonas. I
thought he was dead, and I was shocked and horrified, so I ran to him. I
didn’t even look at the cabin, which was kind of stupid. Anyway, Beeler
came out and said he was going to kill me, so I took Jonas’ gun from his
holster. Beeler shot at me and missed, then I shot him five times, just like
Jonas said to do.”
A stunned Beth took a few seconds to process the revelation before she
asked, “How’s Jonas? Was he badly hit?”
“As it turned out, Beeler’s bullet hit his knife and spun him to the ground
where he hit his head and was knocked out. He’s okay. He’s in your
husband’s new office telling him the story.”
“So, that really must have spoiled your evening plans then; didn’t it?
Annie smiled and replied, “Not at all. Jonas cleaned up the mess and
then made dinner for us. We talked for a while and then I told him how I
was worried about not being able to be a good wife for him because, well,
you know. He told me it didn’t matter to him, which I found incredible. But
I said that it did matter a lot to me, and I asked him to try.”
“And?” she asked with raised eyebrows.
Annie smiled more broadly than she ever had before as she replied,
“Beth, you were right. My God! You were so right! I even think you grossly
underestimated the experience. It was glorious. And you didn’t tell me we
could try so often! I’m so happy. Not just because it was, as you said, more
than enjoyable, but because I know Jonas and I can be completely happy
when we’re married.”
Beth glanced at the closed door before she quietly asked, “Um, Annie, if
you don’t mind my asking. How often did you try?”
“Three. I think.”
Beth’s eyebrows popped into peaks as she asked, “You’re not sure?”
“We almost never stopped once, so it could have been four.”
 Beth was stunned.
From being afraid to try, to this?
She smiled but
would talk to Elias later.
“So, when will you two be getting married?”
“We’re going to be married next week in Las Cruces. I asked Jonas if he
wanted to be married by the post chaplain so his friends could be present,
but he said he’d rather not have the army involved. But we’d like you and
Elias to be our witnesses. Is that alright?”
“We’d be honored.”
Annie was still bubbling as she said, “Jonas is going to contract an
engineering company to build us a house across the canyon from the cabin
then we need to buy a lot of furniture for the new house. He’s going to have
a road built across the section we have west of the canyon, too. We’re going
to clear an area for a large garden, too. And I need to buy some new
dresses, although Jonas insists that he likes to see me in pants and a shirt.
He just likes the shirts a little tighter, for some reason.”
Then she laughed as Beth stared at her with a big smile. She still found it
hard to match the Annie she’d known for months with the new Annie. She
was incredibly happy for her friend and knew how happy she made Jonas.
As she joined Annie in laughter, Beth marveled at what two lonely
people could do for each other in such a short time. She only then realized
that when Jonas and Annie came to rescue her, they had really rescued each
other.
 EPILOGUE
Three weeks later, ex-Major Thomas returned to Albany, New York and
discovered that his wife, who was by no means large, nor did she have a
single eyebrow or a wart, had run off with their accountant. She had
emptied the bank account and sold the house before they left.
Fourteen months later, Annie and Jonas sat on the upper porch of their
new home. It was a stone and adobe house with many unheard-of luxuries
like hot and cold running water, indoor bathrooms, a furnace to heat the
house using coal rather than wood, and a large library. But the feature that
they enjoyed the most was the upper-level porch off the two west
bedrooms. The couple spent many sunsets sitting on the double rocker they
had specially built. They would watch the sunset then return through the
French doors to their bedroom.
“So, are Elias and Beth going to make it over tomorrow night for
dinner?” Jonas asked Annie as they slowly rocked.
“Beth says she’ll bring him here even if she has to throw a rope around
him. Besides, I’ll get a chance to hold little Elizabeth. She is so cute.”
Jonas smiled and asked, “And we, Mrs. Smith, have yet to decide on a
name for our baby.”
Annie smiled and rubbed the large bump on her tummy.
“If it’s a boy, I’m happy with your suggestion of William. And, as I get
the choice if it’s a girl. I want to name her Laura.”
Jonas was startled by her decision and looked at her before he quietly
asked, “Annie, how did you know?”
Annie was confused by his question, so she asked, “Know what?”
He seemed anxious as he said, “Laura. The name. You didn’t know?”
 Annie was concerned about his obvious distress as she replied, “No, I’ve
always loved that name. When I was in the orphanage and hurt from what
someone had said or done, I would be in my room crying. I had no one, so I
turned inside to my imagination. To make myself feel better, I’d close my
eyes and picture myself in a wonderful home. My imaginary mother would
smile at me and hug me and tell me how much she loved me. She was
always there for me over those horrible years. She was so sweet and kind
and had such wonderful, smiling eyes. All I had to do was close my eyes,
and she’d be with me. It took away the sadness and the hurt. My imaginary
mother’s name was Laura.”
Jonas took her hand and quietly said, “Annie, Laura was my mother’s
name.”
 BOOK LIST
     
1 Rock Creek 12/26/2016
2 North of Denton 01/02/2017
3 Fort Selden 01/07/2017
4 Scotts Bluff 01/14/2017
5 South of Denver 01/22/2017
6 Miles City 01/28/2017
7 Hopewell 02/04/2017
8 Nueva Luz 02/12/2017
9 The Witch of Dakota 02/19/2017
10 Baker City 03/13/2017
11 The Gun Smith 03/21/2017
12 Gus 03/24/2017
13 Wilmore 04/06/2017
14 Mister Thor 04/20/2017
15 Nora 04/26/2017
16 Max 05/09/2017
17 Hunting Pearl 05/14/2017
18 Bessie 05/25/2017
19 The Last Four 05/29/2017
20 Zack 06/12/2017
21 Finding Bucky 06/21/2017
22 The Debt 06/30/2017
23 The Scalawags 07/11/2017
24 The Stampede 08/23/2019
25 The Wake of the Bertrand 07/31/2017
26 Cole 08/09/2017
27 Luke 09/05/2017
28 The Eclipse 09/21/2017
29 A.J. Smith 10/03/2017
30 Slow John 11/05/2017
31 The Second Star 11/15/2017
32 Tate 12/03/2017
33 Virgil’s Herd 12/14/2017
34 Marsh’s Valley 01/01/2018
35 Alex Paine 01/18/2018
36 Ben Gray 02/05/2018
37 War Adams 03/05/2018
38 Mac’s Cabin 03/21/2018
39 Will Scott 04/13/2018
40 Sheriff Joe 04/22/2018
41 Chance 05/17/2018
42 Doc Holt 06/17/2018
43 Ted Shepard 07/16/2018
44 Haven 07/30/2018
45 Sam’s County 08/19/2018
46 Matt Dunne 09/07/2018
47 Conn Jackson 10/06/2018
48 Gabe Owens 10/27/2018
49 Abandoned 11/18/2018
50 Retribution 12/21/2018
51 Inevitable 02/04/2019
52 Scandal in Topeka 03/18/2019
53 Return to Hardeman County 04/10/2019
54 Deception 06/02.2019
55 The Silver Widows 06/27/2019
56 Hitch 08/22/2018
57 Dylan’s Journey 10/10/2019
58 Bryn’s War 11/05/2019
59 Huw’s Legacy 11/30/2019
60 Lynn’s Search 12/24/2019
61 Bethan’s Choice 02/12/2020
62 Rhody Jones 03/11/2020
63 Alwen’s Dream 06/14/2020
64 The Nothing Man 06/30/2020
65 Cy Page 07/19/2020
66 Tabby Hayes 09/04/2020
67 Dylan’s Memories 09/20/2020
68 Letter for Gene 09/09/2020
69 Grip Taylor 10/10/2020
70 Garrett’s Duty 11/09/2020
71 East of the Cascades 12/02/2020
72 The Iron Wolfe 12/23/2020
73 Wade Rivers 01/09/2021
74 Ghost Train 01/27/2021
75 The Inheritance 02/26/2021
76 Cap Tyler 03/26/2021
77 The Photographer 04/10/2021
78 Jake 05/06/2021
79 Riding Shotgun 06/03/2021
80 the Saloon Lawyer 07/04/2021