They heard Sage say, with resignation and determination in his voice, “I will take the job, if Joe will be my deputy.”
Joe said, “I don’t think he’s going to need a deputy, but I’ll ride along and make sure he doesn’t get lost.”
With a chuckle, Sage remarked, “I was lost when he first found me, so I trust him to keep me on the right trail; thank you, Joe. When do we start, Governor?”
“Step forward and put your hand on this Bible. I’ll swear you in right now,” said the governor.
While Colonel Hamilton and Lieutenant McBain walked back to the fort, the colonel said, “I was anticipating this meeting , so I have a survey team waiting on the base. They can be ready to begin mapping tomorrow morning. Have your men ready to ride guard for them at first light. My orders from the high command are to get this problem taken care of as soon as possible. An election is coming up, and this land settlement dispute must be seen as fair. Make damn sure you have documentation to prove all claims before you record it on the maps.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll have people from both sides with us at all times while the mapping is being done, and the people being asked to move will be given a place to move to, until the mapping is completed,” Lieutenant McBain answered.
“Remember, you have no authority to move anyone,” the colonel reminded. “That is the job of the marshal. Your job is to protect both sides until this question is settled in a fair and just manner. Only the governor can request military assistance in dealing with civilians, and I doubt that will happen; the governor is up for reelection, also.”
“What do you recommend I do with this Carl Krugg and his band of gunslingers?” Puma asked.
“That falls within the duty of the marshal,” Colonel Hamilton answered. “From what I’ve heard, your father and Joe Martin are capable of handling that problem. If the gunfighters threaten the surveyors, you have the responsibility to protect the surveyors. They are under federal contract. Have your men ready to ride tomorrow morning. The surveyors know their job. You will accompany them wherever their work takes them. You’ll have an additional company under your command. You have been given a field promotion to captain. Are there any other questions?”
“No, sir,” Puma answered, and then walked to the office that had been assigned to him and called for a meeting with his lieutenants and noncommissioned officers. They arrived in minutes. “At ease, men,” Puma said. “We have a job to do. Tomorrow morning we’ll be riding guard for a group of men who’ll be surveying the privately owned lands in the Rio Grande Valley. They’ll survey all privately owned land from the San Juan Mountains to the north, to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east, and to the Nacimento Mountains to the west. It’s an area larger than some states. You will have several tribes of hostile Indians mountain men, prospectors, rustlers, bandits, and an assortment of unsavory characters to contend with. That’s why the army is needed to protect the surveyors while they do their jobs. Sergeants, draw rations for an extended patrol. We will need extra ammunition and blankets. It gets cold in the mountains. No need for meat rations; there’s plenty of game in the mountains—we’ll provide our own meat—it’s fresher and better. Lieutenants, stand by. The rest of you men are relieved.”
Sergeant Grimes, the NCO of the new troop, said to Sergeant Hurly as the men walked away, “That West Point captain is kind of new to the West, ain’t he?”
Hurly replied, “That West Point captain was born in the West. He knew more about surviving in this land when he was 10 years old than you and I will ever know. I suggest you listen very carefully to what the captain says. He just might keep you alive.”
“He’s that good, huh?”
“Yeah, he’s that good, and then some. He’s the best I’ve ever seen. And he just may be the best there is. If there’s a dangerous job to do, he won’t assign somebody else; he’ll do it himself. We’re damn lucky to have him for a commanding officer. I have a feeling this is going to be a patrol to remember.”
Chapter 27
The Survey
“Lieutenants,” Puma said, “you will each be in charge of the men under you, I’ll be riding single patrol most of the time. That way I will be aware of what we might come across before we encounter it. I’ll check in with you every day or two.”
“How will we know if you get into trouble or get lost?” Lieutenant Allen asked.
Captain McBain smiled. “I will not get into trouble, and I most certainly will not get lost, so don’t worry about me. You just keep your eyes open and don’t get careless. There are a thousand things out here that can either hurt or kill you. Never relax. Let’s talk to the surveyor in charge of the mapping. I hope he’ll map the private property close to Santa Fe first. That’s the land the settlers want, and that’s the land that is mostly in dispute.”
Captain McBain and Lieutenant Allen rode to the surveyor’s office, where they were introduced to the man in charge of the surveyors. His name was Thompson, a big, friendly man with a smiling face.
Thompson extended his hand to Captain McBain and said, “Call me Tom.”
“I’m Captain McBain, and this is Lieutenant Allen. We’ll be riding with you. Our job is to keep trouble off you and your men’s necks so you can get your job done. There’ll be four civilians riding with us. They’ll represent the landowners and the newcomers. These men have firsthand knowledge of who owns what land, and they’ll have the records with them. They’ll help to verify each and every man’s claim to ownership of his land. They’ll also serve as interpreters. There are many languages spoken here. I’ll bring these men to your camp tonight. It would be best, if you mapped the area that is close to Santa Fe first. We’ll need time to notify the owners that you’ll be on their land, and then they will know why you’re there.”
“That will be helpful,” Mr. Thompson said as he referred to the map. “We’ll map from the town to the river, and then move up the west side to the San Juans, then east to the Sangre De Cristos, and then south to the southern border of the area to be surveyed. Since we’re surveying only the privately held land, it should move pretty fast.” He looked at Puma. “Do you expect trouble?”
Puma nodded, “Yes, there’ll be trouble. Apaches hunt west of the river, and bandits roam the entire area. A band of gunfighters are accompanying the last group of settlers. Without a doubt, there’ll be trouble. We’ll be working with the civil authorities and together we hope to keep the trouble under control. You and your men should be armed. If your men don’t have guns, the army will supply them.”
“Thank you, Captain, I’ll see you at camp tonight,” Tom said.
“Very good,” Puma replied. “Lieutenant, take the troops and ride with Tom. I’ll see you tonight.”
Puma packed his buckskin and weapons in his saddle bags and rode to meet his father and Joe Martin. He found them at the hacienda. Manuel and Kile were with them. They were waiting for him.
Sage was wearing his marshal’s badge, but it was covered with a flap of animal skin. No way he would be wearing something shiny like a badge to give away his position to a possible enemy. Both Sage and Joe were wearing buckskin. They looked more like mountain men than marshals.
Kile and Manuel were also dressed for rough riding, and they were well mounted. Since they owned a ranch that raised the finest horses available, they had many good horses to choose from.
Puma said, “Let’s go to the settler’s camp and get a man to ride with us to represent them in seeing to it, that the survey is done fairly.”
Joe remarked, “There’s a group of settlers camped just an hour’s ride downriver, but I think the gunfighters are with them. I can’t think of a better time to confront that bunch than right now, so let’s go.”
The day was hot, with very little wind; the camp was by the river, under the shade of some large cottonwood trees. The camp looked peaceful, with the smoke from their cooking fires drifting skyward. A group of armed men were waiting for the marshals at the edge of their camp.
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br /> Marshal McBain said, “We’ve come for a chat. Who’s in charge here?”
“Who wants to know?” asked a medium-sized man with quick movements and dark, deep-set eyes. The dark-eyed man was wearing two guns tied down in well-worn holsters. Without a doubt, those guns had been used many times.
“I’m called Sage. The governor has appointed me to be the marshal. This man to my right is Joe Martin; he’s my deputy. The captain is with the army. He’s escorting a mapping crew that has been hired by the federal government to survey and confirm the title to the land that is owned by the people that already live here. After the maps have been completed, they will be posted, and then you and all the rest of the settlers will know what land is open to be settled.”
Puma spoke up and said, “We want to get someone from your group to come with us to represent the settlers, and confirm that the mapping is being done in a manner fair to all. Who among you will come with us?”
The quick man wearing his guns tied to his leg replied, “Why should we let you decide what land we’re entitled to, when the current title isn’t legal? We have as much right to the land as the ones who claim to own it. Mexico lost the war, so the Mexicans have no right to the land. Most of this land was granted to the current owners by the king of Spain, and those grants are no longer valid. The Indians have no right to own land so we will settle wherever we want, and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it.”
Sage said, “As marshal, it is my duty to tell you that you can stay where you are until the ownership of this land is verified; then you’ll have to leave.”
Puma added, “It’s in your best interest to have a representative with the survey crew. Puma pointed to the cottonwood trees and said, “We will wait under those trees. Select a man to represent you, and then we will return in one hour. If you make a selection sooner, let us know. If no one steps forward, we’ll go to another group of settlers and, hopefully, they’ll provide a man.”
Puma and his group turned and rode into the shade of the trees. The gunmen watched them go; their leader’s face and manner, showed his contempt.
“We’re going to have to deal with that one,” Joe said.
“He looks like he might be fast,” Kile commented, “and he sure is spoiling for a fight. If we take him out, I think we can work with the others.”
“I want to do this without bloodshed if we can. Let’s see what they come up with,” Sage said.
After waiting for about a half hour, two men came riding out from the settlers’ camp. The gunfighters weren’t with them. Sage and his group rode to meet them. The older of the two men spoke.
“We hired those men to lead us here. They’ve already killed two families of Mexicans. We’re against killing, but we want the right to settle on the land the same as others. Can you guarantee there’ll be land open for settling?”
“There are thousands of square miles of land,” Puma said. “You can settle on any of it that is not already owned. We cannot allow you to take land that belongs to someone else. It doesn’t matter what the ancestry of the present owners might be. You wouldn’t want it to be different if you were the ones owning the land. It’s no different where you came from. Will one or both of you come with me and observe the survey?”
One of the men said, “My name is Jake Adams. I’ll come with you, and most of the people will abide by my decision, but there may be trouble. The man you were talking to is fast with a gun, and he has threatened to kill anyone who cooperates with you. I’m not good enough to stand up to him, and I’m afraid my family will be in danger.”
“Your family can stay at my ranch,” Joe said. “They’ll be safe there.”
“We’ll be ready in a few minutes,” Mr. Adams said. “Will you ride back with me to get my family and let the others know what we’re doing? But I warn you, Krugg will not accept this arrangement without a fight.”
“So that’s who he is,” Joe said. “We’ve heard about Mr. Krugg. He’s the man who was trying to hang Ramon and steal his land. It’s about time somebody clipped his claws. Let’s go, and don’t worry about Carl Krugg.”
They rode back to the settlers’ camp. The seven gunmen had departed. The rest of the people remained and were waiting to see what would happen.
Sage said, “We have come to get the Adams family. They’ll be accompanying us. Mr. Adams will represent the settlers in the mapping of the land, and after the mapping has been done, the rest of you will be given maps showing the land that is open to be settled. After you have settled on your own land, we will welcome you as neighbors.”
Joe added, “Carl Krugg has threatened to kill anyone who helps with the mapping. Mr. Adams will be helping, so his family will be my guests until there’s no longer a threat to them. The marshal and I will arrest Krugg and his men. They’ll be tried for the murder of the two Mexican families.”
Sage and Joe took the Adams family to the ranch. Puma and Kile escorted the men representing both the landowners and the settlers to the survey camp. It was not hard to find the surveyor’s trail. They had a lot of people with them.
Puma located the lieutenants and their two sergeants, and told them: “The safety of these men is your responsibility. They’ll monitor the mapping of the land, and those who understand the language will work as interpreters to help you communicate with the landowners and settlers.
Manuel is Mr. Martin’s foreman. Manuel knows the land and most of the owners. If you have trouble communicating with the land owners he will be a big help.”
Then Puma and Kile rode to the fort where Puma reported to the colonel.
The colonel was pleased and said, “Be on the watch. The Apaches have been raiding and killing west of the river up near the San Juans.”
“We’ll be watching for them. I’ll check with my Arapaho friends. They’ll know what’s going on. I’d like to hire a couple of them as scouts, and they can represent the Indians in the mapping of the land.”
“Hire whomever you need, but are you sure you can trust an Arapaho?” the colonel asked.
“I sure hope so. I’m an Arapaho, and I trust me.”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot. No disrespect intended,” the colonel quickly responded.
“None taken, Colonel,” Puma laughed. “The Arapaho and the Cheyenne have been fighting the Comanche, Kiowa, and the Apaches a lot longer than the cavalry has, and they have more to lose than the cavalry does. I trust them as much as I would anyone. The army couldn’t have better scouts.”
“That’s why I wanted you for the job, Captain. Carry on and keep me posted.”
Captain McBain saluted and said, “Yes, sir,” and departed.
* * *
The last time Puma and Kile had ridden into the mountains together was when they had gone for training with Pat Connors. They were just boys then. Much has happened since, and it was good to have the time to renew their friendship.
Puma said, “These are dangerous times, and we are going to need all of the training we received from Pat and our fathers.”
“Sooner or later,” Kile said, “someone is going to have to find out just how fast Carl Krugg is.”
“Yeah, I thought he was going to draw on us this morning. How is your gun hand? Are you as fast as your father?” Puma asked.
“I don’t know. He’s still probably the fastest gun in the West. We practice each week and we are about equal, but I don’t know how I would do if I were drawing on another man. I’ve never been tested—they say practice is not the same as the real thing. Do you still practice with your knife and ax?” Kile asked.
“I didn’t get much time to practice at the Point, but I have been working at it since I’ve been in the West again. Dad and I were called upon to use our weapons in a fight to defend our ship against pirates. I found that you do what you have to do when the time comes. I think you’ll do just fine,” Puma answered.
Kile said, “I saw a shadow move, where there should have been no shadow. I think we’re being followed.”
The only thing Kile heard was the sound of the wind in the trees as Puma faded into the brush.
Puma came up behind two Indians straining to see what had happened to the other man they had been following.
From the shelter of a tree, Puma spoke Arapaho and asked, “Would you like to talk?”
Neither warrior responded. They were startled that a white man could get behind them without them knowing he was there. And how could this white man speak their language?
With his hand held in the sign of peace, Puma stepped into the open and said, “We have food; would you like to eat with us?”
The older of the two Indians recognized Puma from when he was a boy. He remembered that this boy’s father had given his people cattle and allowed them to graze their cattle on his land.
The older Indian cautiously stepped forward and said, “Yes. My name is Two Moons and this is my friend, Little Fox. We will eat with you and talk.”
Kile heard them speaking, but he couldn’t understand what was being said, so he stood ready to use his guns. Shortly, Puma and the two warriors walked into the shade of the trees where he was waiting.
“We’ll stop here a while and eat,” Puma said, as he built a fire. In only a little while, meat was roasting and coffee was boiling.
The Indians liked the smell of coffee and asked for tobacco. Neither Puma nor Kile smoked, but they carried both tobacco and whiskey in case they were needed for trading.
Puma explained, “We’re looking for the Arapaho village. We want to hire two warriors to scout for the army. We want them to help us to map the land that is owned by the Arapaho.”
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