63

The Guardhouse

Will languished in the cell for two more days. He was given very little to eat, a couple of biscuits, a bowl of beans, occasionally a cup of water when the soldier in charge of the guardhouse happened to stop through to check on him. But otherwise no punishment was imposed. No civilian charges or military court marshal were pressed. The general did not come to harangue or interrogate him. Sgt. Peak did not come to torture or beat him up.

Lt. Bauer did stop by the second afternoon.

“Look, Mister, you’re in deep trouble. You better come clean with me.”

“Yes sir.”

“Do you have any papers from the general’s desk?”

“No, sir,” Will answered quite truthfully. The papers were safely in Dezba’s hands. He gestured around the cell. He tossed the blanket into the air to show there was nothing in it. He shook out his clothes.

“Damn, I was hoping you had it. The general’s blamed me for losing it.”

“Something’s missing?” Will feigned sympathy.

“It was his own damn fault. It was a loose sheet of paper,” Bauer fussed. “Look, Lee, you’re telling the god’s own truth that you did not get into the general’s desk?”

“On my word of honor,” he said—truthfully, but fudging just a little, “I would never in my right mind have gone into General Carleton’s desk.”

“I guess you’re correct about that. But that didn’t stop you from getting into the office and rummaging in the file cabinet.”

“Those were my reports.”

“Say, Lee, how did you get into that office? I’m sure I’d locked the door. The general said the office was open, and there weren’t no key in the door. My key was… well, where it belongs.” Bauer seemed to realize maybe he’d already told Will too much.

“Perhaps you’d forgotten to lock the door,” Will suggested innocently. He didn’t have any idea how he’d gotten into that room. Had Hasbaá actually been there to bring him the key? But she’d been only an apparition.

“I never forget.” Bauer was firm. “Well, Lee, you’ll get blamed for the whole thing just the same. Carleton can be a hard man. I’m sure not taking the responsibility.”

That evening, just after supper, Mac McCarrie came to visit. He stood at the window and chatted through the bars.

“You know what your problem is? You let yourself get emotionally involved with the Indians. Hey, I understand ‘bout gettin’ sex.”

“Huh?”

“Sure, I got me an Indian squaw over in the Mescalero camp. Hell, what’s a guy to do ’round here? Too many of the men are havin’ it out with each other in the bunkhouse for my taste. I ain’t like that. Guess I can’t blame ’em tho’.”

Will was so surprised at Mac’s announcement he didn’t take time to admonish him about the word “squaw.” He was hurt by the soldier’s saying, “I ain’t like that.”

“But, damn it, man, you gotta keep all this outa sight. Everybody can see you’re livin’ with that Navajo. That riles some folks up. Look, the women are for fuckin’, but that’s all.

“You show ’em a little kindness now and then. Buy ’em some trinkets from the Sutler’s. Or take ’em some grub from the mess hall. That keeps ’em happy and everybody stays quiet. You don’t want to go angerin’ the Indians none. They can be pretty dangerous.”

“You took food from the mess hall?”

“Sure, there’s more meat than the men can eat…” Mac tossed off.

“Weren’t you worried about the cook catching you?”

“Catchin’ me?” Mac laughed. “Hey, I take him a bottle of whisky now and then. He gives me anything I ask for. Wraps it like a butcher shop. All’s he wants is his tip.”

Will almost laughed himself. How ironic! I thought I’d been endangering the safety of the Diné by stealing the leftover meat for them. All the cook wanted was a tip. Changing Woman didn’t seem to understand the ways of the white man any better than I did!

“It’s the Indians you need to be afraid of, not chef. They been beat down so bad, they’re angry. Can’t blame, but ya gotta be careful.

“You know that first day you and me met, Mr. Lee, it was over that Indian who I’d said tripped me, ’member? He was cousin to my Mescalero woman. He’d been in on a feast I brought over one time. He threatened to get me in trouble with my ladyfriend if I didn’t bring vittles special for him. I was just tryin’ to make friendly with ’im that day, when he went ’n kicked me in the nuts. I told myself I shoulda known better…

“I was pretty embarrassed when the Sarge came along escortin’ you and caught me.”

Have I ever understood what’s really going on around here?

Pvt. McCarrie’s visit was interrupted by the arrival of Sgt. Peak. Mac ducked away from the window.

“The general’s decided to release you, Lee,” Peak announced. “He apologizes. Don’t want to overstep his authority by arrestin’ a civilian. That’ll just mean more forms for him to fill out. Believe me, he don’t need no more controversies.”

Will did not understand. Is Carleton going to let me go that easily?

“The general said he understood why you might be peeved your reports weren’t sent. In fact, he told me to tell you he’d be happy to go over those reports with you and show you just where your errors were. Then maybe you’d wanna do ’em over again. Right, this time.”

“I’d certainly discuss the reports with General Carleton.” Will didn’t want to screw up his chance of getting out of this cell. He needed to talk to Hasbaá. He felt very confused about what was and wasn’t real.

“Look,” Peak said, as though taking him into his confidence, “we all know what’s going on around here. I mean anybody can see the requisitions aren’t going to feed the damn Injuns. But the general’s got a reputation to protect. He was one of the great Injun fighters. He don’t want no problems here.

“Now Gen’rl Carleton’s been known to be generous with his friends. He ain’t done so bad for hisself out here. You know, there’s pretty good money flowing through this reservation. That Agent ’fore you, Ayers—he’d ’ve been happy with a cut. You think about it.”

“Sergeant, all I want is to do my job of looking out for the Indians’ welfare as best I can. I don’t want any cuts.”

“If Ayers had been satisfied with the general’s offer, he wouldn’t ’ve got himself strung up on that cactus. Just remember, the general can be generous. Or he can be merciless. It’s up to you. Anyway, for now, you’re a free man.” Peak opened the door of the cell. Will didn’t think the way he said “free man” very convincing. But he got out from behind bars just as fast as he could.

Outside, he looked around for Pvt. McCarrie, but the fellow had apparently run off. He wondered how much he’d heard and what he’d understood. He felt so in the dark himself.

Will wondered how much Carleton knew he knew. Maybe not much. From the way Bauer and Peak talked, it sounded as if they thought he had sneaked into the office just to find out what had happened to his reports. But Bauer had revealed that Carleton had noticed that that page of phony accounts was missing.

The first thing Will wanted to determine was if those documents had really been real and if Dezba and Hasbaá actually had them in their possession.