Chapter Twenty

 

Before she could leave, Gus came out of the house and stopped in front of her. "Missy Tess, I like to ask to go see ya tamorra," Gus said.

Tesuquilla felt surprised by Gus' request, but didn't hesitate to reply. "I would like that, Gus. We did not get much chance to become acquainted with all the people there in the house."

Gus smiled. "Good, I be dere afta I gets done wid da mules."

"I will have supper ready for you," Tesuquilla said, and mounted her horse for the short ride back to her house by the bosque. All the way home she thought about Gus and what her mother had told her about the need for more Negro blood to be infused into the Apache. The following afternoon Gus rode up to Tesuquilla's house on his saddlemule, dismounted and tied the mule to the hitch rail. Tesuquilla came out of the house and greeted her guest.

"It is nice to see you," she said. "I am glad that you finished with the mules before night."

"Nice bein' heah. I hopes ah ain't intrudin'."

"I asked you to come because you seem like a nice man with gentle ways," Tess said. "I have our supper ready; so why don't we go inside and enjoy it."

"Dat sound perfeck ta me," Gus said.

Seated at the small table after Tesuquilla had brought the plates with the meal and sat down across from Gus, Gus looked at her. "Can I calls ya Tess like they does at da mule farm?"

"That is fine," Tess said.

"Well, Tess, I jest wanted to say I is sorry to heah 'bout yer Momma, an if dere's sometin' I can do, please tell me."

"Thank you, Gus," Tess said, and rose from her chair, stepped over to Gus and put her arms around his neck. "You are a kind and feeling man, Gus. I am happy that you are here with me."

She went back to her place at the table, and sat down with moist eyes. They chatted about the mules and Gus told her about Doreentah. Tess told him that she had met Doreentah after she had given birth to Zaranda. "I heard about her leaving San Carlos for the Sierra Madre," Tess said.

Then Gus told Tess about Homer saving Koosalat's life after the skirmish with the Apache raiders on the stage road.

"That makes Homer a very special person to us Apache," Tess said.

"Homer good friend," Gus said, and rose from his chair to leave. "I say good night, Tess. Long day wid mules tamorra."

Tess rose from her chair, put her arms around Gus' waist and hugged him. "I hope you will stop by tomorrow when you are finished with your mules."

"Sound good ta Gus," he said, and went out to mount his saddle mule for the ride back to Rancho Romero. All the way back he couldn't get Tesuquilla out of his mind. He knew that he could have spent the night had he just said so, but he was glad that he was where he was and not rushing things for which he saw possibilities. She was far more special in his eyes than a short-term fling. He was happy that she had invited him to come back the following evening.

All day the next day as Gus worked the mules he thought about Tess and wondered about what might happen between them. At noon, over dinner, Billy brought up the subject of selling some of the mules. Homer advised him to sell at the Horse and Mule Auction in Tucson. Homer had been there a time or two and it seemed to him that it was the best market, especially if a fellow had a number of horses or mules to sell. They both discussed the matter with Gus, but Gus was adamant about staying in Mexico lest the army found him and arrested him for desertion. All told Gus had thirty head, fifteen teams ready for sale. Besides being broke to harness, all the mules were also saddle broke to ride. Billy and Homer agreed that Homer would be the best one to take the mules to Tucson along with some locals to help herd them across the border to the auction that was held on the south side of town down by the Santa Cruz River. Billy, also, was reluctant to go because of the chance that he might run into Juan Elias.

"I am sure glad you are here instead of chasing bandits," Billy told Homer as they finished dinner.

"I like life down here in Sonora. I don't mind helping with those mules and I am hoping they will bring good prices after all the work Gus has put into training them. I think they will do well for you."

"Do you think you will ever go back to bounty hunting?" Billy asked.

"Oh, I am sure I will and probably someday soon," Homer said. "One of these days the money lake will go dry and I'll have to go after those jaspers whose pictures decorate the dodgers."

A week later, Homer and three local boys, one from Tubutama and two from La Reforma, climbed into their saddles and started the fifteen mule teams up the trail that would eventually take them to Tucson.

Gus had a look of satisfaction on his face as they began the drive. When they were out of sight he went back to the corrals where he was halter breaking the current crop of foals before they grew too big and got stubborn. He was anxious to join Tess for the night in her house. She had asked him the night before to move in with her, and he wanted to discuss that with his friend Billy before making any decision.

Once the mules had been gone for a couple of hours Gus went to Billy and told him about what he had planned with Tess. Billy smiled. He patted Gus on the back. "That sounds wonderful to me, Gus. Tess is a fine woman and very close to my María. She has promised to be María's midwife when the baby comes, and that shouldn't be too long from now."

"I see dat she gittin' pretty big," Gus said.

"Tess came here yesterday and she thinks the baby will arrive in a week."

"Let me know if I can hep wid anathin'," Gus said.

"Thanks, my friend," Billy said. "I value that greatly."

María felt the first labor pains three days later, and sent Gus to tell Tess that she had started the birth. Gus was nervous on his mission and galloped his saddle mule almost all the way to Tess' house.

When Tess arrived, María was sitting in the big living room waiting. They had talked about the birthing many times so María followed Tess out of the house into the back yard where a large mesquite tree with strong lower branches grew next to a small arroyo.

María knelt down on a blanket that Tess had brought and put under one of the lower branches as Tess had previously instructed. Tess knelt down in front of her and talked quietly to calm her. "Remember, I will be here to deliver your baby, and everything will be fine," Tess said. "Your job is to hold onto the branch, spread your knees, and wait for your son or daughter to arrive. This is the best position for birthing that I know of."

"Must I stay holding the branch the entire time?" María asked.

"You can relax now but when the pains get close, you will need to grab the branch again and use your grip on it to help with the birthing."

María let go of the branch and sat back on her heels, and the two friends chatted about all sorts of things that came up in the conversation. Both expressed their feelings of friendship for each other.

Billy stayed with Gus out by the corrals as Gus worked with the young mules. Billy enjoyed watching Gus with the young mules, talking to them in his gentle way and getting them to trust his hands on their bodies. Billy marveled at how quickly the youngsters responded to Gus' requests and how they seemed to join Gus in conversation. Gus' way with the mules also calmed Billy's nervousness with María in labor.

Gus had finished the session with the young mules when Tess approached with the news that Billy was now the father of a handsome son.

"Thank you for everything, Tess," Billy said. "We will always be in your debt."

"We are all friends here, Billy. There is no debt among us."

"You are my sister, Tess," Billy said, and went over and gave her a hug.

"I never thought I would have a White Eye brother," she said, and laughed.