Along the Trail to Freedom

by John Duncklee

  "Good lord, Virgil, I never expected to see you here in Tucson," Homer said.

  "Well, I have been here a spell. After you fellers left Santa Fe, I got to talking to some freighters and decided that since the railroad tracks were heading westward, I might as well sell my wagons and mules while I could still get a good price for everything."

  "Do you mean to tell me that you never went back to Missouri?"

  "No reason to go back there," Virgil said. "I sold out everything to a couple of rich Mexicans from Chihuahua. They paid me in silver pesos. You know those Mexican pesos have more silver in them than our silver dollars. Anyhow, I had heard about Tucson's horse and mule auction so I decided to have a look-see. I had been thinking that I could become a trader instead of a freighter with nothing to haul."

  "How long have you been trading horses and mules in Tucson?" Homer asked.

  "It took me four months to find those Mexican buyers with more pesos than brains. Once I had the cash, and had got those boys acquainted with those mules, I came to Tucson and settled in trading."

  "Let's go get some good Mexican food down at La Cucina," Homer suggested.

  "Sounds to me like a fine idea. We can sit and jabber away over some carne asada and beans."

  They sat down at a small round table in the corner of the restaurant's dining room, ordered their meals and began their palaver.

  "Do you ever see Gus, the best mule man I ever knew?" Virgil asked.

  "You heard me tell the crowd at the auction about how well trained those mules are, didn't you?"

  "I sure did," Virgil answered.

  "Well, Virgil, Gus is the mule man that trained all those mules, and Billy Peabody raised the mules."

  "I'll be darned," Virgil said. "Where are those boys located?"

  "Billy bought a ranch down in Sonora near an old mission town called Tubutama. He married Juan Elias' daughter and they have a son. Gus lives up in the Sierra Madres with his Apache wife. He comes down from the Sierra once a year to train the mules."

  "What are you, the driver?"

  "Well, I drive the mules to market, but I am also a bounty hunter."

  "Are you married like the other two?"

  "No, Virgil, I have trouble staying in one place for very long. And besides, I have never found a girl that is stupid enough to marry a drifter like me."

  "I am surprised that I haven't seen you at the auction before," Virgil said.

  "That is strange because I have been coming up here for three years with Billy's mules. Billy stays in Tubutama because his father-in-law has put a bounty on him."

  "What did Billy do to his father-in-law?"

  "Married his daughter for one thing. Juan Elias owns the Sopori Ranch and didn't think that a common cowboy deserved to marry his daughter. Juan Elias is a rich man with far too much power. Juan Elias is a mean bastard. His daughter and Billy are much happier living in Sonora."

  "I sure would like to see Homer and Gus," Virgil said. "Do they ever come to Tucson?"

  "Gus never comes here. Billy might bring the mules next year, but then again, he might get me to do it. Billy has become quite a homeboy. He speaks Spanish even though he has his southern accent. I speak a little, but Billy has his bedroom dictionary, María Elinora, his wife."

  "I sure would like to see those two again," Virgil repeated. "Is Gus still there or did he go back to the mountains?"'

  "Gus is still at the ranch. He has some young mules to work with before he can go home to his Apache wife."

  "When are you leaving to go back down there?" Virgil asked.

  "I figure tomorrow early as it is a good four day ride from Tucson to Tubutama."

  "Would you mind if I tagged along?" Virgil asked. "I can be ready tomorrow morning as early as you want to leave."

  "By gollies, Virgil, that would really be great. I would enjoy the trip riding with you again and I know darn well that Gus and Billy will be happy to see you again."

  "By the way, Homer, I bought all the mules you had consigned. The auction fellows will keep them for me until I get back from this visit."

  "That's great. I didn't see any of the buyers there because I was too busy showing off those mules and how well trained they are."

  "I recognized you. And, the way you handled those mules in the ring told me something so I bought every one that you had with you."

  "What are you figuring on doing with that many mules, Mister Becker?"

  "Homer, mules like you sold will always have a good market. The market for mules in this country, where there are some big mining operations, is always good because the mines use mules in their arrastres, those ore crushers that separate the metal from the rocks. The crushers are pulled around and around by mules. I hate to think about that way to use mules. It doesn't take long for the acid they put in the arrastres to eat away the mules' hooves. I hope someday they will invent a machine that won't kill mules."

  "I never have heard of that use of mules, Mister Becker. That is cruel."

  "Men can be awful cruel when it comes to making money. There is a mine just over the border at Cananea, owned by a Colonel Green. He owns a bunch of grassland on both sides of the border. He raises his own mules for his arrastres and has plenty of grass for a huge cowherd. Green has bags and bags of money but he always wants more."

  "It doesn't make any difference how much money he has; it doesn't give him the license to be cruel to mules," Homer said. "The trouble with his kind is that because he claims ownership of those mules, he thinks he can do anything he wants to do with them. If a mule thief were to steal all his mules and there was a dodger out on him and I found him, I would buy the mule thief a drink and a meal before sending him on his way with his stolen mules."

  The following morning Virgil Becker and Homer Crane started down the trail that would eventually take them to Rancho Romero in Sonora. Homer was full of happiness to have met Virgil again and was looking forward to showing his find to Billy and Gus. At mid-afternoon on the fifth day of the ride, they arrived at Rancho Romero. Billy was looking over the corral fence, watching Gus work with the young mules when Homer and Virgil rode up. Billy looked up when the dogs began barking. He turned toward Gus.

  "Gus," he yelled. "Come here and see who just rode in."

  Billy ran over to Homer and Virgil, both of whom had dismounted and stood ready to greet the two old friends. Billy reached them first, grabbed Virgil's hand and shook it so long that Virgil asked if he was hoping to find water. Gus arrived, wiped his brow and exclaimed, “What a wonerful sight yo is, Misstah Becka.”

  The three former muleteers that worked with Virgil Becker took him on a tour of the rancho so that he got a good look at all the mules, mares and jacks. After that, Billy led them all inside the house where he introduced Virgil to María and Tess, who was visiting for the afternoon. The mescal bottle appeared and they spent an hour reminiscing about the Santa Fe Trail adventure.

  "Billy, I'll tell you what I will do," Becker said. "I will buy everything you have for sale that is trained by Gus. All you have to do is deliver them to me in Tucson any time you have mules ready for sale. I will give you better than market price for everything."

  "That sounds really good to me, Mister Becker," Billy said. "It will also be nice to know that my mules will be in good hands once they leave Rancho Romero."

  Virgil Becker spent the night and everyone came for breakfast in the morning. They were extra happy to see the man that had been their wagon boss from Independence to Santa Fe. When Virgil saddled up and mounted to leave, there were a few tears welling up in all their eyes.

  When Becker disappeared on the entry road, Homer put his hand on Gus' shoulder. "I have been thinking about our trip to the mountains all the way to Tucson and back. Is this a good time for that trip?"

  "It good as any," Gus said. "I most finish wid da young'uns, and I kin get all o dem dones when we's get back down."

  "Give me a couple of days out of the saddle and we can get going."

&nbs
p; "Sounds good ta me."

  The two friends started early three days after their decision to make the trip. After four more days of riding up the trail that was narrow for the most part, they arrived at the cave where Gus had spent some good times with the Apache. Gus asked the lookout to find Doreentah's daughter, and bring her to the entrance of the cave so that she could take Homer and him to her mother. The lookout entered the cave and a few minutes later returned with Charlah. She greeted Gus and smiled. Gus and Homer dismounted and followed Charlah into the cave until they were in front of Doreentah, who was seated on a stack of blankets.

  The old lady looked up at Homer who stood motionless in front of the aunt he had not seen since she had left the Catskills to go back to her people in Arizona after Uncle Charlie was killed.

  "Auntie Doreentah," Homer said. "I am so happy to see you again after all the years."

  "My Homa," Doreentah said, with her eyes filling with tears. "You have grown into a handsome man just like your Uncle Charlie. I still miss Charlie every day. I had to leave your family after Charlie got himself killed by the Confederates. I did not feel like I belonged there even though your family was kind to me. I had to go back to my people."

  "We all understood, Auntie," Homer said. "I have always missed you, but it is wonderful that you are here and I am here so we can talk with each other again. I remember all those stories you once told me when I was little. We both loved Charlie, too."

  "Homa, my Homa," she said. "You speak well and I am glad that your memory is good. Telling you my stories when you were little was a great joy. I had a lot of practice with you, and when Charlah arrived I had the chance to tell those stories over and over again. Isn't your cousin beautiful?"

  "She is as beautiful as you when you were her age, but she resembles Uncle Charlie as I remember him."

  "She should look like her father," Doreentah said.

  "Where is her husband?" Homer asked. "Gus told me that he is the warrior I tried to help after he and three others attacked the stage coach I was with."

  "Charlah will take you to him. He is anxious to see you. He cannot come here where I am because Apache have a custom that sons-in-law cannot talk or look at their mothers-in-law."

  Charlah left the area with Homer and stopped in front of her husband, Hertolo. He held out his hand to Homer and they shook with one another.

  "You saved my life on the road when we attacked your stage coach," Hertolo said. "I opened my eyes and saw you when you told the other man not to kill me. I will never forget that."

  "I told Billy Peabody not to kill you because of having my Auntie Doreentah. As it turned out I was right that you might be her relative. Now I find out that you are her daughter's husband. That makes you my cousin."

  The two chatted a while until Homer returned to sit with Doreentah to reminisce about their life in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Doreentah and Homer talked until hunger took over and Charlah brought them and Gus some broiled venison. Homer and Gus stayed in the cave for two days before returning to the trail down the mountains to the west. They had ridden a few miles down the trail when Homer reined in his horse and turned around toward Gus.

  "I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for bringing me here to see my Aunt Doreentah and my cousins. Seeing them has filled a vacant spot I have felt since Doreentah left after Uncle Charlie died in that stupid war."

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Juan Elias' power and influence in southern Arizona and northern Sonora traveled wide in the entire region. There was little difference between Mexican Sonora and American Arizona as far as friends and acquaintances were concerned. Relatives of families lived on both sides of the border, so that the border meant little else than a fence in some places. In other locations not even a fence. Within such a society information flew back and forth on every breeze. Juan Elias received word of his daughter's baby boy on such a breeze that began with Noriberto Burruel, the owner of the cantina in Tubutama. Noriberto knew that the next time he went to Tucson he would be rewarded when he stopped at Rancho Sopori.

  As a result of the information about his grandson, Juan Elias and his wife Leticia packed for the trip to Tubutama. Their first stop was at Leticia's sister's house. Rosa Samaniego was happy to see her sister, but seeing her husband, Juan, gave her concern for María and Billy at Rancho Romero. When Juan asked her how to find his daughter, Rosa claimed that she didn't know where the couple was. Juan stomped out of the house on the Tubutama Plaza like a wounded bull. He went directly to the cantina where Noriberto gave him directions to Rancho Romero. Juan returned to Rosa's house, grabbed Leticia by the arm and marched out of the house to his waiting buggy. Leticia did not utter a word, because she knew that her sister had deceived her husband and he would blame her, Leticia, for whatever her sister did.

  "You sisters stick together like flies on a manure pile," he said, as they left the town on the mesa.

  Arriving at Rancho Romero, Juan and Leticia got down from the buggy and walked up to knock on the front door of the ranch house. María came to the door and opened it. She was both surprised and scared when she saw who was standing there waiting to be invited inside.

  "Mama, Papa," she said. "What brings you down here?"

  "I understand that you have my grandson here," Juan said roughly, scowling at his daughter.

  "Come in," María said. "The baby is asleep right now, but he generally wakes up after a couple of hours. It shouldn't be long now."

  Juan and Leticia walked in and sat down in the living room, each in a different chair.

  "May I bring you some coffee?" María asked.

  "That would be fine," Juan answered, thumping his fingers on the arm of the chair.

  María went to the kitchen to fill two cups with the coffee that she always kept on the stove. After handing the cups to her parents she stood in the middle of the room, not knowing what to say, wringing her hands together.

  "Where is that husband of yours?" Juan asked.

  "He is out with Homer and Gus. They are working with the mules. Homer and Gus just got back from the Sierra yesterday."

  "After we see the baby, I would like to see him because we have some unfinished business to take care of."

  "Billy knows all about the wanted poster you had passed around, Father. In fact, Homer brought one with him when he first came down here. I really wish you would not cause any trouble. We are very happy here and are very happily married."

  "Listen here to me, María," Juan said gruffly. "That husband of yours kidnapped you and stole a bunch of my gold. And you stand there and tell me, your father, that I should not make any trouble? I think it is high time that you grew up and acted like a woman instead of a…Never mind. You need to realize what you two did to me."

  "Father," she said. She didn't get to finish telling him that it was she that stole the gold and that she chose to go away with Billy Peabody, because the three friends entered the house. They had finished working the mules for the day.

  All three were hesitant to walk further than the foyer because they had seen the unfamiliar buggy at the hitch rail.

  María walked over to them. "It is my Mother and Father. They just arrived. Please be careful, Billy, he is still the same."

  The three friends went into the living room together and greeted Juan and Leticia. Billy introduced Gus, telling them that Gus had accompanied Homer and him from near the Battle of Antietam.

  Juan had stood up when the three had walked into the room. He scowled at Billy. "You are a wanted man in Arizona, Peabody. You kidnapped my daughter and stole my gold. I have come down here to see my grandson, but I also came to bring my daughter and her baby home. I can see that you have spent my gold for this ranch and this house, so I will have my lawyers in Pitic prepare the necessary papers to put this all in my name."

  "Mister Elias," Billy said, as calmly as he could. "You are making a great mistake. María and I are happily and legally married and this is where we will raise our son, who
is also your grandson. Now, please sit down and finish your coffee."

  Juan reached down to his belt and pulled out a revolver. Pointing it straight at Billy, he growled. Anger flooded his face. Billy and his two friends were taken aback by Juan's sudden erratic behavior.

  "María, go get the baby and what clothes you want to take with you and get into the buggy outside. Leticia, give her a hand so we can get out of this dump in a hurry before I kill this cabrón, this burglar and kidnapper."

  Gus had moved silently and carefully to one side. "Look ova dere outside!" Gus yelled at Elias. Juan took his eyes off Billy and turned his head toward the door. At that moment, Gus jumped at Elias, took the revolver out of his hand and smashed it against the angry man's head. Elias started to fall to the floor, but Gus began smashing his fists against the man's head and then down into his stomach. For a moment, Elias raised himself upward, but Gus swiftly planted his foot into the man's groin, and Juan Elias collapsed onto the floor unconscious.

  "Wow, Gus," Billy said. "I had no idea you were such a fighter."

  "I no fightah. I jus friend. Dis man no good fo dis place."

  Leticia was wide-eyed with awe sitting in her chair. She made no move toward her husband.

  "I am so sorry he made such a fool of himself. Billy, I hope you are all right."

  "I am fine, Missus Elias," Billy said. "He is the one who is on the floor and my friend Gus put him there."

  The three friends gazed at the unconscious form on the floor.

  "Maybe we should put him in a bed," Homer suggested. "He looks like he will be asleep for a while."

  "Grab him and follow me," Billy said, and led them to a spare bedroom where there was a bed that they used for guests.

  María heard the baby cry, so she went and got him to show Leticia her grandson. Back in the living room she handed the baby to her mother. "There you go, Mama. Isn't he beautiful?"