Chapter Thirteen

 

The long legged cavalry horse that Gus had ridden up into the mountains did not step out as lively as he had down on the flatlands. In fact, he was stepping slower and slower the higher they climbed. Gus wished he were riding a mule instead of a long-legged Thoroughbred. Then he thought he should be grateful that he wasn't walking.

He had been following what seemed to be a trail, but at times he wondered just how often it had been used. When the trail came to mountain streams it looked to Gus like the streams had had their way washing out the trail for many years. What struck Gus' interest the most was the way the vegetation changed the higher up on the mountain he climbed. From the desert grassland below where he started, the next zone that appeared was a community of oak with grasses still occupying the spaces between the trees. Higher still, juniper, then a mixed community of juniper and piñon pine that had nuts in their small cones. As he got closer to the top of the Sierra Madre, ponderosa pine dominated the landscape with an under story of grasses, many of which grew in bunches.

The trail had taken him into a rocky terrain where the trail became narrower than it had been down below. There were outcropping of boulders, and around one bend in the trail Gus saw a mountain lion atop one of the boulders. The big cat looked down at him in what Gus felt was a menacing way. The cougar growled, then turned, jumped from the boulder and disappeared among the trees in the forest. Gus kept his eyes focused on the spot where the cat had vanished from sight.

A little further along he reined in his horse when he saw another trail splitting off and going into what looked like a large mound of boulders where no trees grew except for a few brave ones that had sunk their roots in between cracks in the expanse of rock. Gus looked at the secondary trail for a while before deciding to explore where it went. He kicked his horse to get him moving again and after three hundred yards the trail came to a space in the rocks that looked like it had been cleared by someone. Riding a little further he saw a burro carrying a packsaddle with a shovel handle sticking out. Tied to a small tree, the burro stood with its eyes closed as if sleeping, but as Gus approached, the long-eared jackass turned his head toward the intruder and gave forth with the noise only a burro can make sounding like a makeshift horse's neigh. Gus' horse nickered in return. Gus reined in the horse and wondered where the burro's owner might be. It was then that he saw the open shaft beyond the burro. Next, he saw a white-haired man dressed in overalls, a sweated felt hat and wearing sturdy looking boots come out of the shaft and stand looking at him. The man waved a friendly wave. Gus waved back and said, ""Hello there."

"Get down and stay a while," the man said. "My camp is behind those boulders," he said pointing in back of him. "I'll have coffee ready in a jiffy."

Gus hadn't heard the word jiffy since he had left the plantation when he ran away. He dismounted and led his horse to the tree and tied him up with the burro. There were no other trees nearby. Gus walked over to where the man waited. "My name be Gus," he said.

"I am Silas," the man said. "The Apache call me 'Silas, Man of Gold' because I am a prospector and look for gold most of the time when I am not living with the Apache. Are you a soldier?"

"I was a soldier," Gus said, not wanting to reveal any more of his personal information.

"That uniform looks fairly new," Silas said. "I don't mean to pry, but I think it is strange to see a soldier alone up here in the middle of Apache country."

Gus followed Silas to his camp around the boulder and stood as Silas stirred the coals of the fire and put his coffee pot on to warm.

"Are dere Apaches near here?" Gus asked.

"I live with Tara and his band and I go home every night unless I find a vein to follow."

"I never heard name," Gus said.

"You sound like you haven't been out West very long. Tara is famous in Arizona. He is the son of Cochise."

"I heard soldiers talkin' 'bout Cochise when we was at Fort Buchanan."

"I guess I need to tell you that it doesn't make any difference to me about you being a soldier or just wearing a uniform because I don't cotton to the U.S. Cavalry, the U.S. Infantry, or even the U.S. Government for that matter. They have never treated the Apache like human beings and I happen to be close friends with the Apache. I have an Apache wife."

"I doan cotton to U.S. Cavalry so I run off from Agua Prieta. I's wearin' dis uniform cuz I didn't wait round to buy a change. I come straight here to da mountains. Da army made me feel like I was a slave agin, an I doan like that feelin' a-tall."

Silas grabbed the coffee pot and a cup. He poured it full of steaming coffee and handed it to Gus. Then he filled a cup for himself. They both sat down on logs that Silas had provided in place of chairs. They chatted while sipping the coffee. Silas told Gus about his life among the Apache and Gus spoke about his trip West with Homer and Billy. He also asked if Silas knew of anyone in Sonora who raised mules who might hire him to train them.

"I heard about a feller that bought a small ranch way west of here in a valley that has lots of farmland. Someone said he was raising mules to sell to the U.S. Cavalry."

"Dat doan sound lack somethin' I'd wanna get took up in," Gus said.

"Where are you heading? Do you know?" Silas asked.

"I haven't thought 'bout dat. I jes wanted to get away from dat uniformed slavery dey calls da army."

"I'll tell you what," Silas said. "I'm about done for today. I'll load up the burro and I'll take you to meet Tara, where I live. He might have some idea about what you can do around here."

"What's he gonna say when he sees a feller lack me dressed like a sojer?"

"I'll go in ahead so I can warn the guards and the rest. You'll be fine. The Apache trust me and treat me like I am one of them. That's more than the territorial people did when I was down and out trying to find someplace worth claiming."

Silas packed the things he wanted to take home from his mine and the two new friends started for the cave where Tara and his people stayed hidden from the Mexican and American military. Before starting, Gus said, ""Silas, jump behine and lead da burro."

"Good idea," Silas said.

Gus took his left foot out of the stirrup and Silas handed the lead rope to the burro to him. Silas lifted his left foot, put it in the stirrup and grabbed the cantle of Gus' saddle. Then Silas pulled with his right arm and pushed into the stirrup with his left leg and swung his right leg over the leggy Thoroughbred's rump. Gus handed back the lead rope and the pair started for the meeting with Tara.

When Silas figured they had come within a quarter mile of the hideout he asked Gus to rein up so he could dismount. Upon dismounting he started walking toward the hideout after telling Gus to stay behind at a safe distance so that the lookout guards would not see him before Silas reached them to explain that Gus was all right in spite of his soldier's uniform.

Gus reined the horse down to a slow walk, thus avoiding the Apache guards. When he caught up with Silas, his new friend was talking to two guards in their language. The guards looked up at Gus and grinned. Gus waved to them and grinned back. From there it was only a short distance to the hideout so Silas didn't bother to get back aboard Gus' horse. Gus followed Silas to the rim of the deep canyon and down the narrow trail that led to the mouth of the large cave that was Tara's place to hide himself and all his followers from the Mexican Army and anyone else that might try to find them for the purposes of doing harm. Beyond the mouth of the cave the trail went to the bottom of the canyon where the Apache had a series of corrals built to hold their horses for riding and other animals for their meals. Silas told Gus to follow him down the trail so they could leave the horse and the burro in the corrals. In one corral, Gus noticed four mules standing head to tails and swishing away flies.

It was a steep climb back to the mouth of the cave, but once there, Silas took Gus inside and introduced him to some of the people, including his wife. It was not long before Tara came forth to see who the visitor might be. Silas introduced Gus to the Apache leader. And then acted as interpreter during their conversation. Tara had several questions that Gus answered to his satisfaction. Then Gus asked him about the four mules he had seen in the corral down below.

"Apache love to eat mule better than horse," Tara said.

"Mules more better ta ride in mountains dan horse," Gus said.

"Apache not ride much, mostly walk or run. Horse is for long distance, but Apache fight better on foot."

Gus told Silas that he hated to see good mules killed to eat when there were plenty of horses for meals. "I have idea," Gus said. "Tell him that I trade him my horse for my choice of da mules, and I break da otha mules ta ride just ta stay here fo while."

Silas repeated in Apache what Gus had said to Tara. "What do we need mules broken to ride if we are going to eat them?" Tara asked Silas.

"That's something I will ask our guest," Silas said, and repeated Tara's question to Gus.

"He is really set on eatin' dem mules," Gus said. "Damn shame ta see dem good lookin' mules an thinkin' 'bout dem gettin' ate."

"I will give another try at convincing Tara to have you train the mules instead of the usual use by the Apache."

Silas turned to Tara. "From what this man has told me, he knows mules and how to train them better than most. I suggest that you allow him to train these four mules, trade one for his horse that will furnish a lot of food for your people. Once the mules are saddle broken they will be worth good money from the White Eyes. I will take the three remaining mules, sell them and buy ammunition or trade them for ammunition. Trained saddle mules will bring a lot more money than wild, untrained mules."

Tara sat in silence. Silas told Gus what he had said to the Apache leader. Gus smiled. "If dat doan convince dis man 'bout mules nuthin' will."

Finally, Tara stood up and, looking Gus straight into his eyes, said that he approved of the plan. Gus interpreted the leader's words. Gus smiled and thanked Silas. Then he turned to Tara. "Thanks you, Tara, I do m'best on dem mules. Thank ya fer letting me stay here wid you."

Gus again interpreted and Tara smiled again before turning and walking back to his living space deeper in the cave.

"How come ya gots to be sech friends wid Tara?" Gus asked.

"When he first came across the border from the United States, he came up here in the Sierra Madre. I had been here for quite a while prospecting and I knew about this cave that is an old abandoned mine. I showed it to Tara. He appreciated that help I gave him and has been my friend ever since."

Silas showed Gus where he could stay in the cave, and Gus brought in his bedroll that he had unlashed from the McClelland saddle earlier. The following day Gus spent the day with the mules. Between talking to them and getting to know them Gus wondered how he could get rid of the army uniform and find some decent clothes to wear that wouldn't make him stand out so much.

Upon returning to the cave Silas told him that one of the warriors wanted to talk to him about his uniform. Gus lifted his eyebrows and opened his mouth. "Silas, I be thinkin' 'bout this uniform all day. Spose this here warrior you talkin' ''bout want's it?"

"He seemed interested in acquiring it somehow when he talked to me."

"Can you find da warrior and bring him ta talk wid me?"

"I'll be right back. He lives in an adjoining shaft," Silas said.

Silas returned shortly accompanied by a warrior that was of a similar build to Gus, and acted as an interpreter as the two talked about the uniform.

"Gus, this man says that the mule with the white spots on its rump is his and that he wants to trade you the mule for your horse and your uniform," Silas said.

"Silas, that would leave me runnin' naked," Gus said.

Silas returned to talk with the Apache.

"He says he will give you his clothes in addition to the mule since he will wear the uniform from now on if you will agree to the trade."

"That sound good ta me," Gus said, and began unbuttoning the tunic.

The Apache had his leggings and buckskin shirt off quickly, handing them to Silas to give to Gus when he was ready to put them on. When Gus had his uniform trousers and tunic off, he handed them to Gus, too. Gus then handed the traded items to the new owner. The Apache began to laugh. Silas asked him what he was finding funny and the Apache told him.

"What was dat all 'bouts?" Gus asked.

"This warrior didn't know that you were all black until you took your clothes off," Silas said.

"I spose dat give him cause to laugh," Gus said, and chuckled.

After Gus finished dressing in the Apache garb, Silas looked him up and down. "That buckskin looks better on you, Gus, than it did on him," he said.

"I be goin' down to da corral and look at me in da water trough," Gus said, and left the cave.

Returning to the cave, Gus, wearing a broad grin on his face, walked up to Silas. "I wanted to get out of dat uniform so's people doan see me standin' different. Now what dey think 'bout a black Apache?"

Another warrior approached Gus and surprised him by speaking to him in English. "I would like to tell you a story," the warrior said. "You may not remember me, but I am the one who was wounded when my raiding group tried to steal the stage you were in with two White Eyes. I was on the ground with my eyes closed when one of the white eyes told the other to kill me and get going. The other "White Eye" said no that I might be a relative of a woman he called Doreentah and said she was his auntie."

"I 'member dat. I 'member I was glad Homa stopped Billy from killin' ya."

"I opened my eyes for a look at the man you call Homa, and I saw you, too. That is why I come to you now. I am married to the daughter of Doreentah. My wife is also the daughter of who Homa said was his Uncle Charlie. Homa was right that I might be a relative of Doreentah. She is my mother-in-law. It is Apache custom that I cannot speak to my mother-in-law, but I can take you to Doreentah and you can talk with her. She would like you to tell her where Homa is. Please come with me now. My wife wants to meet you, too."

Gus blinked his eyes and shook his head from side to side as he left his space to follow Doreentah's son-in-law, Koosalat.

At the end of a passageway that had been part of the old mine's labyrinth of horizontal shafts or drifts, Gus saw a middle aged woman sitting atop a pile of blankets looking at him intently as he approached. Koosalat had left him when they had reached within a few yards of her space. Her daughter, Gus assumed, sat next to her. The daughter was not as dark as the other Apache he had seen before.

"So you are a friend of my Homer," she said after Gus had stopped in front of her.

"Yas'm, Homa good friend. I''m surprise to find ya up in da mountain like dis."

"I came here after my daughter was born in San Carlos because I do not like the ways of the White Eyes. It was a long journey returning to my people after Charlie got killed in that war." She pointed with an open hand to the young woman seated next to her on the blankets. "This is Charlie's and my daughter, Zaranda. As you know she is married to Koosalat, the man Homer saved on the stage road. Koosalat told me all about Homer telling your other friend not to kill him and how Homer also made him comfortable. Koosalat was surprised to hear my name mentioned by Homer."

"It almose magic me findin' you up heah," Gus said.

"Do you know where Homer is living?"

"He spose ta be in Tucson bein' a lawman," Gus said.

"Can you tell Homer where I am? I would be very happy to be able to see him. He was such a nice man, and my Charlie loved him very much."

"I doan know where I go, but I stay here fo while," Gus said.

"If you get to Tucson promise me you will tell Homer where I am and how to get here."

"I do best I can, Doreentah. I knows he would come here quick."

"Thank you, uh…"

"Me Gus. I happy to meet you, Doreentah."

Doreentah smiled at Gus warmly, and Gus smiled back. He hoped he would find Homer without getting himself caught by the army officers.