Michael said, “Please excuse us for a few minutes. I want to see the house again, and I want to show it to my family.”
Puma’s father was like a little boy. He was so excited at seeing his old home again and telling his family about his boyhood in this house. He showed them his room and said, “This is where I spent my childhood, and the room is just as I left it.”
After lunch, Grandfather McBain said, “Michael, your grandmother and I are proud and impressed by the way you survived all by yourself, and now you’re all grown up. Please tell us about what happened to our son.”
Michael repeated the story to a somber audience. After the story was told, the tears dried, and the questions answered, Senior McBain held his wife in his arms and said, “He was a fine son. It’s too bad he had to die so young, and I’m proud to hear of what our grandson has accomplished.”
Grandfather McBain pushed his chair back, wiped is eyes with his handkerchief, and said, “Well, I better bring you up-to-date on what’s happening in your shipyards. Everything is changing. The days of wooden ships are limited. The new thing is iron. There are big problems ahead for the McBain shipyards. A war is brewing between the northern states and the southern states. The North can muster an army much larger than the South. The North has all of the factories for manufacturing war material, and they have a religious, self-righteous group who are thumping their Bibles. These Bible thumpers are stirring up the people about slavery. The northern shipping traders were the ones who fostered slavery in the first place, by bringing slaves in their ships to sell to the southern planters.”
“Why are the McBain shipyards involved?” Michael asked. “We don’t own slaves, and we never have. We do not condone slavery, so why is the slave question a problem for us?”
“Virginia is a southern state,” Grandfather explained. “Our shipyards are in Virginia. To get to the southern stronghold, the North will have to go through Virginia. Anything that can build war material for the South will be the first things the North will want to destroy. That is us. The new ships are going to be built from iron. All of the foundries are in the North. Without iron, we cannot build iron ships.”
“What should we do?” Michael asked.
“That is a difficult question to answer,” Grandfather replied. “The South can’t win, yet it has to fight. We’re in a position where we’re forced to side with the South. To even hint that we might do other than that would be suicide. The South has many good men. They are proud and their pride will destroy them. If the North would give us time, we could work out a solution to the slave problem that would be good for both the white men and the slaves. But the textile mills in the North are not going to give us a chance. They want the cotton. They don’t realize it, but they’re killing the goose that lays the golden egg. If they destroy the southern plantations, the South cannot grow the cotton the North want so badly. It’s a complicated problem, and one about which we must decide what to do. I’m glad you’re here. You own this shipyard, but I’m afraid you’re going to lose it.”
“Let me have a few days to look around and get a feel for the problem,” Michael said. “Then we’ll talk again. I want to see about getting Puma and Carmen enrolled in good schools. Their education is important to all of us. Now, let’s go down to the shipyards. I want to get to know the workers. Thank you, Grandfather, for keeping the shipbuilding business going. I’ll try to give you some relief now that I’m here. Together, we’ll work out the best course of action for all of us.”
* * *
Upon arriving at the shipyards, they found that the employees had heard about the exploits of Michael and Puma when they were attacked by the pirates. Everyone wanted to meet them. Many of the old-timers remembered Michael’s father and were eager to meet his son. They also wanted to know what had happened to their previous boss. They were all saying how pleased they were to have Michael back to help in managing the shipbuilding business. Michael talked to the different department heads, asked them if they would be willing to take Puma as an apprentice, and train him to do the many things that are required to build a ship. They were all willing to help. So it was set. Next Monday morning, Puma would report for work, and he would work until his school started in the fall.
Michael had to learn how to run the business from his grandfather. Then, in time, he would teach Puma what he had learned. Michael and Juanita spent the next few days getting Puma and Carmen enrolled in school, as they decided it would be better for the children to attend school here in Virginia. Michael and Puma would be working at the shipyard. They explained their decision to Grandfather and Grandmother O’Hannon in Georgia by sending them a letter. The grandparents wrote back saying they were disappointed, but they understood.
It was determined that Juanita and Carmen would go on to Spain, while Michael and Puma remained in Virginia to learn the shipbuilding business. So Juanita and Carmen obtained passage on a ship to Spain to visit Juanita’s family. It was going to be a busy summer for all of them. Puma and Carmen would begin school in the fall. Puma learned to work with both wood and metal. Most importantly, he learned to work with the men. He also had to learn to go without his weapons—they were not acceptable attire in Virginia and, for a time, Puma felt naked without them.
The day came for Juanita and Carmen to depart for Spain. They had trunks loaded with things they needed, and gifts for Juanita’s family. They had sent a message ahead telling Juanita’s family when they would be arriving. They had just received a return message that they were expected, and that Juanita’s family was looking forward to seeing her and her daughter.
After Juanita and Carmen sailed, Puma and his father felt an empty spot in their lives. They tried to fill it with their work.
One of the highlights of Puma’s summer was when his great-grandparents took him and his father to their home in the mountains. This house had been the ancestral home of the McBain family for five generations. It was a grand old place made of hand-hewn logs. The structure rambled across the face of a hill, with tall trees all around, and a bright, clear stream running through the land.
After enjoying a time with his great-grandparents, Puma and his father went into the wild, unsettled portions of the mountains. They lived in the open and made their beds under the stars. They gathered their food, prepared, and cooked it over open fires. It was a peaceful time. Puma and his father were again in touch with nature and felt the wonder of being a part of it. Michael continued teaching Puma the things he had learned from the animals while he had lived alone in Indian Territory. He showed Puma how to remain unseen and unheard. They watched a hawk circling in the sky.
Michael pointed to a rabbit that was hiding under a brush nearby and said, “Remain completely still and watch what happens.”
The hawk, even with its keen eyesight, did not see the rabbit. But the hawk circling overhead cast a shadow, and the shadow frightened the rabbit. The rabbit ran to a new hiding place. Once the rabbit began to run, it attracted the attention of the hawk. The hawk swooped down and grasped the rabbit in its talons and then flew away with it. The rabbit would provide food for the hawk’s babies.
Michael asked, “What did you learn?”
Puma answered, “I learned that the rabbit’s fear caused it to seek better concealment, but when it moved, it revealed its presence, and the hawk caught it before it could reach its new hiding place. The rabbit probably would not have been seen if it had not moved.”
“That’s very good. Now, the question many men have asked, and none have answered, is: Did the hawk do wrong in killing the harmless rabbit?”
“No, I don’t think so. The hawk killed the rabbit to feed its young. For the hawk’s chicks to live, the rabbit must die.”
Michael asked, “Did you notice the rabbit was a female, and its mammary glands were swollen? That means it has a nest of babies somewhere. The babies will wait in vain for their mother to return. When the mother does not return, the babies will die. Does that change the answer to the que
stion?”
“No. It makes the event even sadder when seen from the standpoint of the rabbit, but it still does not make it wrong for the hawk to kill the rabbit to feed its young.”
“A rabbit’s only defense is to run and hide, but when it runs it attracts the attention of the hawk. So,” Michael asked, “did God favor the hawk, to the disadvantage of the rabbit? Does God take sides in the lives of his creations?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t think so. The Creator gave both the rabbit and the hawk life, and they each have a place and a way to live. Then it is up to them to live the best they can within the limits of what has been provided.”
Michael noted, “Both a rabbit and a dove are harmless, yet many things prey upon them. The only way they can survive is to hide or flee. Now the question that it presents is: Did the Creator create the rabbit and the dove to be food for the things that prey upon them? If He did, did He also create them to be free of pain and sorrow? If He did not, is He an uncaring cruel God? We knew the hawk was going to kill the rabbit. Yet we did nothing. Did we do wrong in not preventing the hawk from killing the rabbit?”
Puma responded, “I can see the question is very complex. Are you drawing a parallel to the complex problems men face in their lives?”
“The answer to that question is: yes and no. The “yes” portion is that men face very complex situations in their lives the same as animals do, and they should not expect God to intercede in their squabbles anymore than He intercedes in the lives of his other creations. The “no” portion to the answer is that man is not an animal. The Creator has created man with the ability to reason and expects man to use that power of reasoning to solve his problems. There are those who will ask you to abandon reason, so that you might have faith in the Creator to solve your problems. You have just seen how much the Creator is willing to intercede in the affairs of His creations. We, like the animals, have been given life, and we have been given a place and a way to live our lives. It’s up to us to live as best we can in harmony with our fellow man and our fellow creatures. We are all a part of everything and everything is a part of us. When one is harmed, we are all harmed.”
“But how can we know the right or the wrong of what we are doing?” Puma asked.
“We can’t, because there’s no right or wrong to it. There’s nothing which is always right or always wrong under all conditions. That’s why man has been given the ability to reason. A man’s ability to reason, and the way he reasons, is what sets him apart from other men. That’s why you must have knowledge. Only the reasoning that is based upon knowledge can be sound reasoning.”
Michael continued, “There have been some very smart men who have thought on these questions and have given us the benefit of their thinking. Jesus of Nazareth was such a man. He said, 'Love your fellow man.' He also said, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' 'Judge not lest ye be judged.' There have been many others who have shared their thoughts. Among them were Buddha, Mohammed, and Moses. They all said about the same thing. The Indians have a saying, ‘Do not judge another man until you have walked in his moccasins.’”
Puma laid awake long into the night, looking up at the vastness of the universe. He had been exposed to the white man’s God and had gained a great respect for the faith and beliefs of the white men. Yet he could not help but feel that there was something missing. The white men seemed to limit God; they seemed to be too detached from God’s creation to understand it and be a part of the greater oneness of it all. Puma thought, Perhaps when I get older I’ll have a better understanding.
* * *
The time spent with his father had been a wonderful time of learning. Puma thought that because he had grown up in an Indian village, he had learned about everything he would ever need to know about living in the wild. But that knowledge was greatly improved by having instructors like his father, Pat Connors, and Joe Martin. Now, when he walked through the woods, he saw things in a different way. He saw the wild areas as the homes of hundreds of creatures, large and small. He understood that when he’s in the animals’ homes, he should respect their homes as much as he respected the homes of men.
Puma had learned to live on the Great Plains. He had learned to live in the mountains, the desert, the forest, and on the ocean. Now he must learn to live in the cities, and he must have the knowledge and learn the skills necessary not only to survive, but to excel in the white man’s world. He must learn math, literature, history, geography, philosophy, and government.
Chapter 22
West Point
In the early fall, Carmen and Juanita returned from their trip to Spain. They had been received with open arms by Juanita’s family, and they were entertained royally. Night after night, Juanita and Carmen related the stories of their journey and the wonderful things they had seen and done.
Michael worked with his grandfather, managing the shipbuilding business, and helped prepare for the inevitable conflict that was developing between the northern and southern states. Grandfather McBain wanted to retire to his mountain home, and Michael and Juanita wanted to return to their hacienda in New Mexico.
There was much to be done for Puma and Carmen to complete their education. They had to work harder than most of their classmates because they had a lot of catching up to do. They received tutoring at home as well as training at school, and in two years they graduated among the top achievers of their classes.
Puma had grown—he was now six-foot-two with a strong, athletic body. He was every inch a man. His movements were smooth and sure. His Scottish, Irish, and Indian ancestry showed in his strong, masculine features. He had wide-set brown eyes, his hair was dark brown and his skin tanned easily. He graduated from high school with excellent grades.
He was recommended for acceptance to West Point by no less than Zachary Taylor himself. Great-grandfather McBain encouraged him to take advantage of the recommendation and enter the academy. Puma knew it was a wonderful opportunity, but he was dreaming of returning to the mountains and plains of the Great Southwest. He longed to see his friends, Kile and Cathleen, and he felt a deep longing to again see the land of his childhood.
“Grandfather,” Puma asked, “how can I accept a commission in the army of the United States when the United States is engaged in a war with many of my Mexican friends? It’s looking more and more like the army will be fighting against the best interest of both of my great-grandfathers. That army is now fighting the Indians who are my people on my Indian mother’s side. I am confused and concerned as to where my loyalties lie. The Mexicans I have known are good people; the Indians are not bad just because they are Indians. Many of them are good, kindhearted people. My great-grandfather in Georgia is a fine man. I have nothing but the utmost respect for you and all the people who work at the shipyard. I have made some wonderful friends with whom I have gone to school. All of you are Southerners. How can I become an officer in the army that will be fighting against my southern friends and my own people?”
Great-grandfather McBain replied, “Yes, I can see how you might be confused but there’s something that I think you should consider. You’ll be receiving training to be an officer and a gentleman. You’ll have excellent training for whatever vocation you choose. Think about it. You don’t have to make the choice until the time comes, and who knows what conditions might exist at that time.”
Puma’s father, who had been listening to the discussion, commented, “Son, you have come a long way. You’re already better educated than most. I understand and share your desire to return to the West. Your great-grandfather wants to return to his home in the mountains. Your mother and I want to return to our home in Santa Fe. You are lucky. There are many things you can choose to do. You and Carmen are heir to a large ranch in New Mexico, a plantation in Georgia, and a ship-building business here in Virginia. Right now, you are at an awkward time in your life. You are no longer a boy, and you have not yet been asked to accept the responsibilities of a man. Perhaps you should consider y
our great-grandfather’s counsel and join the cadet program at West Point. It will give you time, and when you graduate from West Point, you’ll be more qualified to decide what you want to do.”
Puma asked, “What are you going to do, Father?”
“I’m turning the operation of the shipyard over to the management personnel,” Michael answered. “They’ll be operating it on a share basis. They’ll derive their benefit from the profits they make by operating the business successfully. Juanita, Carmen, and I will again visit with your great-grandparents in Georgia, and then, in the spring, we’ll return to Santa Fe. You may come with us and help run the ranch, or you may stay here and continue your education at West Point. You have a couple of weeks to decide—it’s going to be a difficult decision.” Sage placed his hand on Puma’s shoulder. “I know it would be difficult for me.”
* * *
Puma applied and was accepted into the West Point where he developed many lasting friendships with young men whom he admired and respected. He acquired a greater knowledge of his country and a deep respect for the rights of every citizen. He was presented certificates of honor for his outstanding achievements, both physical and academic.
Because of the many conflicting thoughts about where his loyalties lay, he decided he would not pursue a military career, but would instead return to his home and family in Santa Fe. Unknown to Puma, Colonel Hamilton, the man who had provided him with a letter of recommendation to West Point, had been monitoring his progress. Upon receiving his graduating certificate, Puma was asked to report to the officer-in-charge, where he was given a letter from Colonel Hamilton. In the letter, Colonel Hamilton asked him to accept a commission as lieutenant in the cavalry, and proceed to Fort Osage on the Missouri River by April 10. He was to lead a cavalry troop escorting a wagon train to Bent’s Fort.
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