“Puma,” Sage said, “ride with me for a while this morning. I’d like to show you the changes that have taken place on the ranch while you were gone, and there are other things we need to discuss.”
After their breakfast, they walked to the corral to saddle their horses. Sage said, “People moving in from the East see empty land, and they believe they have a right to stake their claim to whatever parcel they happen to fancy. When they are told that the land already belongs to others, they still won’t relinquish their claim to the land. So far, we have prevented bloodshed, but that’s not going to last. It’s going to require force to get some of them to move.”
“Perhaps you should elect a sheriff. A sheriff would have the authority to protect the rights of the present owners, and also protect the settlement rights of the newcomers.”
“The mayor has appointed a sheriff. He tries to keep order in Santa Fe, but he has no authority outside the city. We need a federal marshal.”
“Do you have somebody in mind for the job?”
“Yes, Joe Martin could do the job, especially with the cavalry to back him up.”
“Joe is well known and highly respected by the old timers, but would the newcomers trust him? He’s one of the men who owns a lot of land, and it’s all prime land along the river—just the land the settlers will want to homestead.”
“Yes, you’re right. They do want the river-bottom land. They want to force the Mexicans off their land. The Mexicans are unable to defend themselves or prevent their land from being taken.”
“Isn’t there plenty of unclaimed land farther down river?”
“Yes, but the settlers are afraid of the Apaches.”
“They’ll just have to be made to understand that the present owners, especially the Mexicans, had to deal with difficult times. They had to deal with the Apaches when they acquired the land. The settlers must be made aware that they will not be allowed to take land that others own.”
They reached the corral gate and while Puma was unlatching it, Lightning came running to him, whinnying to be petted. She searched Puma’s hands and pockets for the treat she was sure Puma would have for her. Puma reached into his jacket pocket, brought out an apple, and cut it into four pieces. He gave one of them to Lightning. She impatiently waited for each piece until she had eaten them all, including the seeds and the core. Then she searched each of Puma’s hands and pockets until she was sure he had nothing more to give her. Puma scratched her ears as he put the bridle on her.
Sage saddled his chestnut mustang, and they rode towards the river. After riding for about an hour, they were riding on land that was owned by the old ranch foreman, Carlos Viejo.
Carlos was working in his garden as they rode up. He hastened to greet Puma, and with his hand extended, he said, “Welcome, Puma, we’re glad to see you. You’re needed, and you’re wearing the right uniform to do what is needed. We are being forced off our land, and the ones doing the forcing believe they have the right to do it because we are Mexicans. They say Mexico lost the war, and that we should go back to Mexico. They don’t understand that we are American citizens. They also do not understand that we have been here for many generations.”
Puma smiled and responded, “I understand, and I assure you, I’ll do everything I can to see to it that you’re not driven off your land. Most of the people who are coming in are good, honest people. There are only a few bad ones who want to force their way. If we deal with the bad ones, the rest will, in time, become good neighbors.”
“I hope you’re right, Señor. Please call upon me and my family for anything we can do to help,” Carlos said.
“Thank you, Carlos. My father and I are just riding out to see how big the problem is, and we’ll try to determine what needs to be done to deal with it. Where is Ramon?”
“I haven’t seen him this morning. His wife said he rode towards the river to check on some cattle that had strayed onto his property,” Carlos replied.
Sage said, “Buenos dias, Carlos. Come, Puma, let’s see if we can find Ramon. There were some people trying to set up camp there last week. He may need our help.”
Sage and Puma rode the dirt road that led to Ramon’s ranch. They noticed the tracks of many horses going toward the river. Sage drew his rifle. “The riders who made these tracks are not riding to Ramon’s hacienda. Let’s get off the trail and ride in the brush until we can determine who made these tracks.”
They rode into a clearing by the river and saw a group of men holding a prisoner. Their prisoner was Ramon Viejo; He was in the saddle with his hands tied and a rope around his neck. They were preparing to hang him.
Sage and Puma rode up so quietly that the mob was unaware of their presence until they were only fifty feet away. Sage, in a demanding voice, asked, “What’s going on here?”
The man holding the end of a rope that was tied over the branch of a tree asked, “What business is it of yours?”
“That man you’re holding is my foreman. Cut him down,” Sage commanded.
“You must be out of your mind. There are only two of you, and there are many of us. We’ll kill you before you could get off a shot.”
In the blink of an eye, Puma’s ax cut the rope where it went over the branch. Sage’s knife penetrated the arrogant one’s right shoulder, while he shot the gun out of the hand of another who started to draw.
Puma rode among them and asked, “Is there anyone else who is impressed with your superior numbers?” The mob was withdrawing. “No? Then get out of here, and you’d better be out of the Rio Grande Valley before sunup tomorrow. I’ll have a cavalry troop here to see to it that you don’t try to take anymore land from Mexicans. There’s plenty of land in California. I suggest you go settle on some of it. You’re on private property. Now git! Any man who is still within rifle range in five minutes will be shot. You are trespassing on private property!”
The gang rode away at a gallop. Sage quickly untied Ramon and handed him a gun.
“Thank you, Señor,” Ramon said. “Again you save my life. They demanded that I vacate my home and leave it to them. Rosa will be worried. I must let her know that I’m all right.”
“We’ll ride with you, Ramon. I don’t think those men will return, but to make sure your family will be safe, they’d better stay at mine and Juanita’s hacienda tonight,” Sage said.
“Thank you, Señor, but we’ll be safe. The vaqueros will be on watch. Men like these are causing trouble all over the valley. We must do something about it,” Ramon observed.
“You are right,” Sage said. “We must do something, but we must do it within the law. Tomorrow, we’ll ask the governor to appoint a marshal. Whomever he appoints will have to have deputies. Would you consider taking the job?”
“Who will be the marshal? I’d take the job of deputy, but Rosa does not want to be a widow, although she would have become one if you didn’t ride up,” Ramón answered. “The intruders are many, and more are coming every day. There are pistoleros among them. The only men I know who are fast enough, and good enough with a gun to do the job, are either Señor Joe Martin or yourself. I’ll be a deputy for either of you.”
“Thank you, Ramon; you should honor your wife’s wishes. You have a family to care for. We’ll alert the vaqueros at our ranch and tell them to go to your aid. We’re on our way to see Joe Martin and his family. Juanita and Carmen will ride with us. Come, Puma, let’s ride to the river and see how many more are trying to claim privately owned land,” Sage said.
“Okay, I told Cathleen I’d ride with her today,” Puma replied. The late morning sun was bearing down on the dusty trail. The hooves of their horses were kicking up little plumes of dirt and leaving deep tracks in the dust. The two men were enjoying their ride together. It had been a long time since they had had an opportunity to talk as father and son. They were a handsome pair; both big, strong men. Puma was a little taller than his father, but his father was heavier through the chest. As they rode into the corral at the hacienda, Juanit
a and Carmen came running to greet them.
Carmen said, “We’ve been invited to the Martin’s ranch for lunch. Mother and I are ready to ride as soon as you’re rested.”
“I don’t need rest, but I would like to clean up a bit and brush the dust off my uniform,” Puma said.
A couple of the vaqueros were working with the horses in the corral. Sage said to one of them, “Gather up a dozen men and report to Ramon at his home, pronto. Arm yourselves well; there might be trouble.”
“Si, Señor McBain.”
“What happened?” Juanita asked.
“We had to prevent some men from hanging Ramon. They wanted his home and land. He wouldn’t let them have it. We drove them away, but they might return,” Sage explained.
“Will they try to take our land?” Carmen added.
“Yes, and they will, if we don’t stop them. We’ll talk to Joe and Kile when we get to the Martin ranch,” Sage said.
Carmen said, “Then we’ll bring our rifles.”
“Yes, that would be good, but if I thought you were going to need them, we wouldn’t be riding alone,” Sage replied.
Juanita said, “We must hurry. Bonnie will have lunch ready.”
Puma returned from the house where he’d gone to brush up his uniform. He wanted to look good when he saw Cathleen. Carmen was chattering away as they rode along. She was teasing Puma about wanting to make a good impression on Cathleen, but she was wearing her best riding dress in anticipation of seeing Kile. As they rode past a turn in the road, they saw a group of people camped beside the river. It was plain that they were preparing to set up a permanent camp and claim rights to the land. A large group of men was keeping watch over the settlement with rifles.
Puma said, “Let’s leave them where they are for now. This is why Colonel Hamilton has requested me to report for duty at Fort Marcy. He knows that I know the people and their language. It will be my duty to bring this situation to a peaceful conclusion. Let’s go talk to Joe and Kile. I think we should enlist their help in dealing with these people.”
They rode on in silence enjoying each other’s company. They were expected at the ranch, and the whole household came out to greet them as they rode up. This was one of the few times Puma allowed someone else to tend his horse. He had more important things on his mind. Cathleen was beautiful in a flowing blue and white dress. The blue in the dress made her eyes look even bluer. The sun was glistening in her auburn hair, and her smile was radiant. Puma completely forgot about the problem with the squatters. He would deal with that another time.
Lunch was served on a heavy, wooden table in the little glade where Joe and Bonnie were married. Large trees provided shade, and there was a cool breeze drifting in off the river. They laughed, talked, and ate as though there wasn’t a problem in the world.
After lunch, the young people went for a walk along the river while their parents remained seated in the shade of the trees, talking in a more serious tone. Sage told Joe of the incident with Ramon, and of the squatters on their land just up the river an hour or so.
Joe said, “There’s a man named Carl Krugg who’s stirring up most of the trouble. He brought a lot of people with him. They paid him money to lead them to land that he said was available. He told those who paid him that the people who lived on the land only claimed to own it, but the newcomers have the right to drive them off and claim the land for themselves. They believed him because they wanted to believe him. Krugg has a group of gunfighters with him, and anyone who does not leave when they are told are either shot or hanged. Right now, there are too many of them for us to take on by ourselves. I suggest we get as many of the old-timers together as possible, meet at the governor’s office, and work with the civil authorities to force these squatters off the private land.”
“Yes, that’s a good idea,” Sage responded. “There’s plenty of land for them to settle on farther downriver.”
The young people returned. The ladies went inside the grand old house. The men remained to talk. Joe told Puma and Kile what he and Sage had discussed.
“I had hoped to take a few more days leave,” Puma remarked, “but it seems I have work to do. We’re going to need civil law enforcement to work with the army. We need a marshal. The governor has the authority to create that office and to appoint a man to fill it.”
“Yes,” Joe replied, “we can ask him to do that tomorrow when we meet with him. He’ll need a man to volunteer for the job. Who do you recommend?”
Sage said, “All of the people, including the old-time Spaniards, the Indians, Mexicans, and the whites, must feel represented. The ideal man for the job would be Pat Connors, but he won’t be back from California for at least two months, and we can’t wait that long.”
“Let’s leave it up to the governor,” Kile suggested. “Whomever he asks to fill the job will have to accept it, and the rest of us will get behind him. That person is going to need all the support he can get.”
“I’ll report to the colonel tonight,” Puma said. “Get all the landowners to meet us at the governor’s office tomorrow at noon. The longer we wait to get this mess under control, the more difficult it’s going to become. I’ll ride from here to the fort and talk to Colonel Hamilton and, if he agrees, we’ll see you tomorrow at noon at the governor’s office. I want to say good-bye to the ladies before I leave.”
Puma took Cathleen’s hand and led her out onto the patio. He said, “I have to go now. I had hoped to have more time, but we’ll have to wait for our ride together.”
“Do you have to leave right now? You just arrived,” Cathleen said.
“Yes, people are being killed and driven from their land,” Puma replied. “I have to do what I came here to do. I hope we’ll have a lifetime together when this problem with the settlers is brought under control. There are some bad men among them, but most are good people who are just seeking land of their own. When the situation is explained, and they understand, I’m sure they’ll want to do what is right, and we can resolve this without further bloodshed. We’ll show them other land they can settle on.”
Puma said good-bye to everyone and rode away on Lightning. They watched as he rode out of sight around a turn in the trail. After arriving at the fort, Puma went directly to his commanding officer to make his report.
“What are you doing back so early?” Colonel Hamilton asked. “Your leave isn’t up for several days yet.”
Puma related the events of the last couple of days and the request his father and Joe Martin had made to meet at the governor’s office tomorrow at noon. The colonel nodded. “I’ll send a message to the governor right away. He, too, is anxious to get this problem solved. Your troop is all settled in, and they’re being well taken care of. You get some rest. Your counsel will be needed tomorrow.”
The following morning Puma, as Lieutenant McBain, reviewed his troops and briefed the sergeant on the reason for their being assigned to Fort Marcy. He gave the order for the sergeant to have the men ready to ride on a moment’s notice.
It was only a brisk walk from the fort to the governor’s office. A large collection of land owners and prominent citizens had already gathered when Puma and the colonel arrived promptly at 12 noon. It seemed the whole community was assembled. There were Indians, Mexicans, and mixtures of all the races represented. There had been too many good men shot or hanged; something had to be done. Each man who wanted to speak was given an opportunity to be heard.
Having dealt with this kind of problem before, Colonel Hamilton recommended that a map be drawn up indicating all privately owned land, with the names of the owners on each plot of land. The map would be displayed for all to see. All unclaimed land would be opened to settlement. Anyone settling on private land would be asked to vacate. If they refused, they would be charged with trespassing and arrested. The colonel went on to explain that this was a civil matter and had to be handled by civil authorities. The military would be available to settle civil unrest. Lieutenant McBain and his troop woul
d assist the civil authority in enforcing the laws if they were requested to do so, by the governor.
The governor issued an order: All land ownership must be verified and registered. Any undocumented land will be made available to be settled. In that way, the rights of the landowners and the newcomers alike would be met. The governor asked if the military would help with the mapping of the land.
“Yes, we’ve been expecting this. We’ll begin surveying and mapping all of the privately owned land tomorrow,” Colonel Hamilton answered.
The governor asked, “Now, who would you like to serve you as your marshal?”
One of the Mexicans spoke up and said, “Señor McBain and Señor Martin have proven they can handle trouble. I recommend they be appointed to do the job. We all know and trust them.”
As a single voice, those gathered sounded their agreement. Puma was worried. This was his father and his girlfriend’s father they were talking about, and it was going to be a dangerous job. The newcomers had many men with them who had reputations of being fast and loose with their guns, and they would not be reluctant to use them.
Kile, standing near Puma, whispered, “There’s no one else as qualified as our fathers to handle this job. You and I will give them the support they’ll need. Our mothers and sisters are going to be furious.”
“Of course you’re right,” Puma commented. “Will you and your foreman, Manuel, assist me and my troop while we do the mapping? We’ll need your knowledge of the land. And you can help get the survey of the privately owned land done right. Everyone must trust the maps, after we get them done.”
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