Trooper

by Forrest Bryant Johnson

  Other Books by Forrest Bryant Johnson

  Phantom Warrior

  The Last Camel Charge

  Hour of Redemption

  What Are You Doing Derby Day?

  The Strange Case of Big Harry

  Basenji—Dog from the Past

  Raid on Cabanatuan

  Tektite

  Copyright © 2018 by Forrest Bryant Johnson

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

  Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or info@skyhorsepublishing.com.

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  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

  Cover design by Tom Lau

  Cover photo credit: iStockphoto

  Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-2822-6

  Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-2823-3

  Printed in the United States of America.

  “You become responsible forever for what you have tamed.”

  Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  My New Friend

  Chapter 2

  “Will He Live?”

  Chapter 3

  The Adventure Begins

  Chapter 4

  How to Domesticate a Wild Kitten

  Chapter 5:

  Getting to Know You

  Chapter 6:

  Games We Cats Play

  Chapter 7:

  Tough Guy

  Chapter 8:

  We Move

  Chapter 9:

  New Territory, New Friends

  Chapter 10:

  Disappearing

  Chapter 11:

  The Fox and the Black Cats

  Chapter 12:

  The Fox Knows

  Chapter 13:

  Vanished!

  Chapter 14:

  Rescue!

  Chapter 15:

  The Night Visitor

  Chapter 16:

  The Bodyguard

  Chapter 17:

  Little Brother

  Chapter 18:

  Mystery Solved

  Chapter 19:

  The Legend of Fat Face

  Chapter 20:

  Peace Is Shattered

  Chapter 21:

  The War

  Chapter 22:

  Introducing Brother to the Desert

  Chapter 23:

  The Touching of Heads

  Chapter 24:

  Gone

  Postscript

  Acknowledgments

  Prologue

  Summer 1987

  TO BE TRAPPED INSIDE THE bright yellow blossoms of a cholla cactus has to be one of the worst ways to die. In the twenty years that I’d been a guide in the Mojave Desert of southern Nevada, I’d become keenly aware that animals native to the area possessed an innate sense of danger when encountering this common shrubby plant. And so, on this hot July morning, as I was exploring the Mojave for yet another scenic spot for the next day’s tourists, I was astonished to hear a rather odd sound coming from devil cholla, the low-growing cactus near me.

  I had been walking above a wide ravine that cut deep into the desert floor by generations of fast-moving water, although it was totally dry at this time. There had been no rain in neighboring Las Vegas or across the Spring Mountains for over seventy days. I had just paused by the ravine’s edge to enjoy the wilderness’s beauty, watching the distant peaks and the vast treeless terrain sprinkled with wild sage, yucca, creosote bushes, and variety of cacti. The world seemed utterly tranquil, promising a perfect day ahead.

  But suddenly I heard a baby’s cry. At least it sounded like the muffled sob of a newborn. The nearest home was almost a mile away, so obviously nothing had come from there. And then who would be so cruel as to abandon an infant in the Mojave’s unbearable heat? Had someone placed a baby in the ravine during the night? A sick feeling rippled through me. But then the sound came again, albeit a little different this time.

  Could it be the cry of an injured animal, perhaps a ferocious coyote or cougar? There is always danger when encountering a wounded beast, especially cougars known to attack humans. That’s why I always carry a loaded pistol when exploring the Mojave—although I am aware that such a small weapon is not likely to provide much protection from a charging mountain lion.

  Still, having a gun and being an excellent shot allowed me to investigate the source of these peculiar cries. I could not walk away after the haunting thought that they might have come from a human infant. And so, disregarding possible danger, I slid down the embankment while pulling my pistol from its holster. Then I paused, waiting for another sound to determine which way I should move.

  There was no breeze in the ravine, with the morning heat having reached a near-suffocating intensity between high walls. Then another cry. I began walking slowly in its direction as my eyes searched the sandy floor for tracks or disturbed earth. I moved cautiously, my footsteps making no sound in the soft path. Determination and curiosity smothered rationality and logic. Sweat began to bead on my forehead, running in little streams down my cheeks to offer some cooling.

  Then I saw movement at the base of a yellow-green cholla. Something was there. I held my breath as I raised the pistol high. Then quickly I realized there was no danger, so I un-cocked the weapon, returning the pistol to its holster.

  A small brown animal was trapped in the cholla, crying as it struggled to escape. Its fur was a mangled mess, dried blood and puncture wounds visible at its shoulder. A far larger beast, most likely a coyote, seemed to have decided to have the tiny critter for dinner. As I moved closer, I figured the thing to be either a small domestic cat or a large household kitten, most likely lost in the wilderness. I wondered how the animal reached this distant spot so far from its home. Who did it belong to, and how had it managed to survive such dreadful wounds? And how did it escape its attacker?

  The poor creature apparently avoided death by hiding in the cholla, but now it was trapped in its once safe haven. I had a tough decision to make. If I abandoned the little cat, it would surely face a slow, horrible death in the ravine. Should I end its suffering with a bullet? I could not do that. But if I carried it back to my home, I’d never find its rightful owner.

  The cat moved again slightly, making pitiful sounds. I knew what I had to do. Kneeling next to the small bundle, I slowly freed it from the cholla’s clutches. Then I removed my T-shirt and, lifting the cat carefully, wrapped the white cloth around it.

  By now a quick check had determined that I was holding a male kitten. Cradling my small charge next to my chest, I called my wife from my cell, asking her to alert the Sun Animal Hospital that I was bringing in a badly injured cat. The cat had managed to push his head slightly from the T-shirt to gaze up at me. And as one leg protruded from the T-shirt, I noticed that his paw appeared large for his body size. It made no impression at the time, focusing as I was on getting this poor baby to the vet.

  Speaking softly, I muttered reassuring words to the small creature. These made me feel better, and I hoped the gentle murmur of my v
oice created much-needed reassurance for him. Walking swiftly back to my car, I thought I heard the kitten begin to purr, softly and very low at first, then increasing the volume. I looked down to see huge dark eyes staring at me. It was my first experience with a cat, and it felt both quite strange and sort of wonderful. In a minute I had reached the car, placing a now apparently sleeping kitten next to me. In less than fifteen minutes we arrived at the veterinary hospital.

  CHAPTER 1

  My New Friend

  “I simply can’t resist a cat, particularly a purring one.”

  Mark Twain

  ONCE UPON A TIME, NOT long ago, I had a most unusual friend. We met in the Mojave Desert near the glittering city of Las Vegas, when he was very young, and I not so young. And we remained close companions for nineteen years. And as all friends need to do, we learned many things from one another.

  This friend was a cat. He was not an ordinary feline, but a kitty from the wild—a bobcat, as such creatures are called in many parts of the US; they are wild animals, even when captured very young, are not easily domesticated and seldom make good pets. Keeping a wild critter is illegal in some states; others have strict restrictions or require specific permits for their live possessions.

  One question bothered me about my buddy. Is it fair to tame and keep a bobcat as a pet? Or should it be released, returned to the wild once it is strong enough to survive on its own? I had seriously considered all options before deciding to raise this particular feline as a member of my family, to live in my home, which, as it happened, is located at the edge of the Mojave Desert. Our family bobcat (as he became) would always be given freedom to come and go as he pleased. And then decide whether to return to the wild or remain with us.

  My considerations also included knowing that genetically the bobcat is closely related to domestic felines. Could our cat eventually behave like a house pet if offered the same environment? Bobcats are loners once they leave their mother’s care. Unlike African lions, for example—such as Elsa, forever immortalized in the film Born Free—a bobcat does not belong to a pride, nor does it need any group to help learn survival skills. And then my cat had lost his own mother before he reached the age of two months. Could he remain alive in a desert that provided such limited food and water?

  The deciding factor came from alarming statistics supplied by the Nevada Department of Wildlife Conservation. Over 10,200 bobcats had been trapped or killed in the year before I found my kitten. There were mostly shot by hunters or poachers lacking permits and functioning out of hunting season. Beginning in the 1990s, a growing middle class in China and Russia had created the demand for luxury furs, the then favorite being the bobcat’s shiny and beautiful pelt.

  And so I decided that returning this cat to the wild was tantamount to a death sentence. But how would anyone domesticate a wild creature? Would it be an impossible task undertaken in the effort to save him? I understood that each situation and each animal is different. Like humans, cats possess their own personalities and function at different intelligence levels. To my delighted surprise, I discovered in only a few weeks that my cat possessed a superior brain. This I concluded by judging his response to various situations and his ability to learn and react to verbal instructions.

  One of the greatest questions of mankind has been, can animals and humans communicate? In 1978 there was a celebrated experiment with Koko, the gorilla, and his person where each seemed to “know” what the other wanted. The ancient Greeks with a special form of communication they called “telepathy,” when a perception or feeling was believed to be transmitted by thought or feeling. And the Japanese relied on an expression called e-shin, den-shin, or messages sent from one mind to another through shared feelings. Did I “talk” to my cat? Not exactly . . .

  Ask anyone who has ever been owned by a cat and you’ll learn that these remarkable animals seem to sense when a person is anxious or depressed or even ill. And then proceed to help as best as a cat can, with warmth and love, cuddling and closeness.

  My special friend and I shared much during our time together. That’s what I write about here. Soon after we met, I decided to call him Trooper. It is an army name I picked up during my years in the military. It refers to a soldier (or anyone) with an especially tough fighting spirit who overcomes difficulties despite all odds. Just as Trooper did, and taught me to do.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Will He Live?”

  “In the desert the line between life and death is sharp and quick.”

  Frank Herbert, Dune

  I HAD NEVER OWNED A cat before Trooper. And so, I had imagined felines to be fuzzy little things that hunted birds and mice, preferring to prowl the neighborhood at night. But I always hated to see any animal suffer, certainly including a cat.

  “I don’t know if you’ll live or die,” I told my unresponsive bundle as we hustled through the doors of the animal hospital. “But you deserve a chance, and I’m going to see that you get it.” And then we both proceeded to the receptionist.

  “I have a wounded cat,” I told her. “Found him in the desert in a cholla patch.”

  “Yes, Mr. Johnson,” she said, leading the way into an examination room. “Your wife called. Doctor Marg will be in to see you in a moment. She’s our resident cat expert.” The girl tossed a wide grin at us. “And she can make the meanest cat calm down, using only her voice.”

  And so I was left alone with the little cat with the big feet. Doctor Marg entered the room within minutes, turning out to be a large woman well beyond the age of fifty. But when she spoke, her voice was soft, very different from her masculine appearance.

  “Put the little fellow down on the table so we can look at the damage,” she said. And then, with a single gentle motion, removed my T-shirt from the cat.

  “Well, now,” she exclaimed. “What do we have here? How interesting!”

  “He’s a neighbor’s cat,” I said. “Maybe caught by a coyote. There aren’t any big dogs in our area to cause this kind of damage.”

  The doctor was quiet as she examined our patient. “I’m giving him a shot as a relaxant so we can go to work. You’re lucky he didn’t regain consciousness and claw you to ribbons. This kitty doesn’t belong to one of your neighbors. He’s not a house cat.”

  “So where did he come from?”

  “From the desert, Mr. Johnson; where you found him. This is a bobcat kitten, not a fully-grown domestic cat. See? His spots are beginning to fade. I’m guessing he’s about six weeks old.”

  “A bobcat! But his ears are not pointed and . . . and, well, his tail seems too long.”

  “He may look like a full-grown cat, but he is only a youngster,” Dr. Marg said. “Like people, not all cats are created the same. Some have big ears, others small. Still, they are people—same with bobcats. Some have pointed ears, some have tufts of fur at the top. This particular one has slightly rounded ears. As for the tail, feel here.” She guided my hand to the cat’s tiny backside.

  “Feel the bones,” she said. “His tail should have ended here, at the last bone, and should be much shorter.”

  “But can you save him?”

  “Oh, certainly. First we need to get X-rays to check for fractures and look for internal damage.” She wrapped the little cat in a fresh white cloth, scooping him up in her arms. Then turned to me. “You understand that this is a wild creature. He has never known human attention or love . . .”

  “But,” I interrupted, “he was purring while I carried him from the desert.”

  “Even mountain lions purr. Cats purr under stress or if they are content and comfortable.” Then she added, like an afterthought, “He may be a hybrid.”

  “A what?”

  “Hybrid. Once in a while a wild cat will mate with a domestic one. It’s rare, but it does happen. I must tell you, as well, that this work may get expensive.”

  I didn’t hesitate for a second. “I want you to do everything to save him.”

  “You may wait in my office if you
like. I’ll be back shortly to review everything.”

  She returned in less than fifteen minutes, with a clipboard tucked under her arm. “He’ll pull through just fine,” she said. “He’s a tough kitty—comes from felines who survive in this desert against difficult odds. The x-rays show no broken bones. No damage to organs that we can tell. We cleaned the puncture wounds . . . should heal in a week. We’re injecting fluids and other medicines into him now. In two or three days he’ll be strong enough for vaccines.”

  She paused, staring at me for a reaction. I swallowed to control my nerves.

  “Doctor . . .” I hesitated to ask the question, fearing rejection. “May I keep him?”

  She was clearly curious about a motive. “You need to know some things before making that decision.” And then she listed them: the law in Nevada that governed wild animals; the enormous patience needed to train them; the fact that they may return to the wild, regardless of human love and care.

  And then she explained, “You realize that he won’t remain a cute little kitty forever. He’ll gain maybe twenty or thirty pounds. His claws will also grow, and he’ll need lots of things to scratch on. A cat post will help, but he could soon start on your furniture.”

  “I understand,” I said, although the details were becoming a little worrisome.

  But still I said, “I saved him. I’m going to pay to patch him up, make sure that he’ll have plenty of freedom to come or go.”

  “Do you have other . . . pets?” Dr. Marg asked.

  “No. And I was never a cat person. But this fellow is different. I would like to stay in touch with you and your staff, keep you posted on our progress.”

  “Of course, and thank you. For us and medically speaking, this will be an opportunity to study a wild cat while he is in our care. For you, there is a list of what you need for the new arrival: First, find a strong crate to transport him, one that can hold, say, thirty pounds; never use cardboard since he’ll claw that to pieces in seconds.”