Sagebrush Read online

  The mountain men helped him go through the things he had stored and helped him to decide which ones he should take, and which he had to leave behind. He told Joe and Pat that he would someday return to recover the things he couldn’t take with him. He hoped he would someday be able to share them with Evening Star. He told them about Evening Star and that he must go to see her once more before they left.

  Pat knew the sorrow of leaving an Indian woman behind, and his eyes showed it. He remembered his own wife and two sons. He carried the sorrow of their death wherever he went.

  “Do you want me to go with you?” Pat asked. “I speak their language.”

  “No, I’ll go alone,” Sage said. “I’ll go tomorrow and be back in a couple of days.”

  Pat nodded. “I understand why you would want to go alone. We’ll be ready to go when you get back.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Second Trip to the Indian Village

  Sage left the next morning when there was just a trace of light. He had a long way to go, and he wanted to arrive at the Arapaho village by mid-afternoon. He was hoping to spend the night with Evening Star and tell her he would come back for her when he had fulfilled his father’s pledge. He had to go to Santa Fe and the journey was too dangerous for her to go with him. She would be better off with her own people. He was also concerned about how she would feel about leaving her mother and her village when he returned to take her away with him.

  Long before he reached the village, a feeling warned him that something had changed. He slowed his stride and moved cautiously. When he neared the village, he saw a group of young men playing a game. Gray Elk was among them. Michael remained hidden and waited for an opportunity to beckon to Gray Elk. At last he attracted Gray Elk’s attention. Gray Elk looked around to make sure no one was watching, then slipped away, and went to Michael. They walked farther into the thicket, where they couldn’t be seen.

  Michael asked, “Is everything all right with Evening Star and her mother?”

  “No, things have changed.”

  “Can you get word to her that I’m here and ask her to meet me?”

  “Evening Star and her mother are being held in the lodge of Black Crow. They’re not allowed out of his sight. The chief wanted the knife you made for Evening Star, and she wouldn’t give it to him. Black Crow has taken Evening Star as his wife. He made a trade with the chief. If the chief would give him Evening Star, he would give the knife to the chief in exchange. That was exactly what the chief was looking for, so the bargain was made.”

  Michael was furious. “I’ll go get her.”

  “No, you mustn’t. Black Crow has sworn to kill Evening Star and her mother if you are seen near the village. Evening Star asked me to find you, and ask you to not try to rescue her. She’s carrying your child and wants it to be born. Many men have tried to find your lodge and couldn’t. She wouldn’t reveal its location, not even to save her life. You must go now. You can return after the baby is born. She asked me to tell you that this is the best way.”

  “I can’t leave her. I’ve got to rescue her.”

  “No! She belongs to Black Crow, and he is a man of high standing. He’ll kill her and her mother before he’ll let her come to you. He’s expecting you to come for her, and she’s guarded night and day.”

  “Can you get word to her that I’m here? Ask her what she wants me to do. I’ll be waiting. No one will see me.”

  “I’ll return tomorrow,” Gray Elk said and hurried back to join his friends before they began to wonder what had happened to him.

  Michael withdrew into the woods and waited. The night was long.

  He had a canteen of water and dried food, but it seemed that tomorrow would never come. His tortured mind kept thinking of Evening Star in the lodge of another man. In his mind, he kept hearing the words, “She is carrying your child.”

  What can I do? If I try to save her, I’ll be putting both her and her mother’s lives at risk. If I don’t save her, she’ll be living as the wife of another man.

  He wasn’t prepared to deal with this. He needed the council of his friends. Pat would know the right thing to do. He had to hear Evening Star say “I want to stay” before he could leave. She had to know that he was waiting, and that he had kept his promise. He was going mad with anxiety. It was midmorning before Gray Elk returned. Michael approached Gray Elk cautiously, and appeared to him so quickly, that it startled Gray Elk.

  “What did she say?”

  “She said she knew you would come, and she asked me to tell you that her heart aches for you, but you must not try to rescue her. She wants to bear your child, and she will not be able to do that if you try to rescue her. She said to tell you that after enough time has passed, you can return. She also said to tell you that her spirit will travel with you wherever you go.”

  “Tell her, the men I went to kill are no more, and they will not trouble this village again; and then tell her that I will return.”

  Michael grasped Gray Elk’s arm in a gesture of thanks and farewell, then turned and silently disappeared into the woods. Gray Elk knew he had been in the presence of a great warrior. He walked to the village to relay the message. Evening Star was pleased that the terrible men were dead, and she wasn’t surprised that Michael had settled the score. They had heard talk of a brave warrior who had entered the Comanche village and killed four of their bravest warriors. Her village knew of the debt they owed him, and her heart was heavy, but she was glad because she had the greatest of rewards—she was carrying his baby.

  It was late when Michael returned to the cave. He gave a low whistle and then entered. He told Pat and Joe what had happened.

  Pat said, “You’ve done the right thing. Black Crow would have killed Evening Star and her mother if you had tried to rescue her. She’s not too bad off. She’ll be with her mother and her friends. The Arapaho are her people and, in time, she’ll take her place in the village. Her husband will know that the child is not a product of his loins, but it will make no difference. In an Indian village, the child will be treated well.”

  Michael vowed, “One day I’ll return to see the child and make sure Evening Star is doing all right. I will sleep tonight, and tomorrow we will go to get horses.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Getting the Horses

  “Pat, can you walk in moccasins? Those boots will leave a trail a blind man could follow.”

  “Yes,” Pat laughed. “When I lived among the Cheyenne, my woman made moccasins for me, and I wore them all the time. I also learned to ride bareback like the Indians. I’ve spent my life on the frontier, and I’m not without skills. Don’t worry about me; I’ll keep up.”

  “I meant no disrespect. I’ve noticed your skills, and I hope to learn from you.”

  “And so you shall, Sage. There’s much I can teach you about being a mountain man.”

  Joe explained, “Pat can track a cat across a rock pile, and drive a nail in a tree with a rifle bullet from a hundred yards away. He is highly respected among mountain men and Indians.”

  Pat was embarrassed by Joe’s praise. “I’ll make myself a pair of moccasins while you sleep, and then we’ll leave early in the morning.”

  They ate, discussed the task, and went to sleep. They were going to need all the sleep they could get. It would take two days just to reach the Comanche village. They would need one day to scout the area and to locate their horses and saddlebags. Then it would take another two days to get back to the cave.

  Sage lay down on his bed and was instantly asleep. He awoke after only a couple of hours and began preparing for the trip. He checked and sharpened his weapons, packed dried food, and made a backpack for the horse from a buffalo hide.

  Joe fashioned a bridle. His wound was healing nicely, so they didn’t have to worry about him. Pat and Sage were ready and left before sunrise. It was a glorious sunrise. The sun’s rays reflected off the high clouds long before it appeared on the horizon. They picked up Midnight. Pat would ride, but Sage
felt more comfortable on the ground. He ran for hours, while Pat rode at a gallop. They wanted to arrive at the Comanche village before dark of the second day, so they could get the lay of the land while they still had light.

  In the middle of the afternoon on the second day, they saw a flock of birds fly up in the distance. Pat immediately dismounted and hid the horse, and said in a low voice, “Let’s check this out. Something frightened those birds, and we’d better find out what it was.”

  They moved cautiously until they topped a little rise and saw three Indians riding southwest in the direction of the Comanche village. Sage watched them while Pat went back for the horse. Two of the horses the Indians were riding looked like the ones that had belonged to Sage’s father. Seeing the horses brought back memories of his father’s death, and his anger boiled.

  Pat noticed the look of anger and said, “Sage, never let anger override caution; it can get you killed. You will have your revenge when we take those horses.”

  Sage realized he had been given some wise counsel. He nodded, keeping an eye on the men.

  Pat smiled and thought to himself, This young man is an adept student. He’ll make a great frontiersman.

  They followed the horsemen for about an hour, being careful not to be seen. Sage recognized the terrain and knew the Comanche village was near. He signaled for Pat to stop.

  “The village is only a short distance ahead,” Sage said. “Let’s work our way around the village and scout out the canyon I was telling you about. I want to find a good place for you and Joe to lie in wait while I bring the Indians to you. You’ve got to be secure and have a good view of the Indians riding up the canyon. There are only three of us, so we have no room for error.”

  It took about an hour to work their way to the canyon. They found a spot where the canyon made a turn to the left. From this spot, Joe and Pat could hide on the rim and fire on the Indians who would be chasing Sage. The mountain men’s rifles would be effective, long before the Indians were within bow-and-arrow range. Sage could hide behind the rocks until the Indians retreated and then pick up the stray horses that would be left by the fallen Indians. Sage would ride one of the horses and lead the others while he rode farther up the canyon to where the horses could climb out. The Indians who had not been shot would have to ride back down the canyon before they could get out of it to pursue the mountain men. Before the Indians could get back, Sage and his companions would be long gone.

  Pat was pleased. “It’s perfect. Now let’s see where they’ve put our gear.”

  “Let’s wait until dark,” Sage replied, “then work our way to the river. By floating down it, we’ll leave no tracks, and we’ll have a good view of the village from the riverbank.”

  “Won’t they be coming to the river for water?”

  “Yes, I’m sure they will, but there’s plenty of brush. It’ll be easy for us to hide, and after we spot your things, we’ll return to the cave.”

  “All right, let’s take a look.”

  The Indians were settling down for the night when Pat and Sage got to a place where they could see, although it was almost too dark. At first, they couldn’t make out the saddles.

  Then Pat said, “I think I see them behind that tepee . . . over there at the edge of the village. I can’t be sure, but I think that’s our gear.”

  “Come, we’ll check it out.”

  “You mean you want to go into the village?”

  “We have to, unless you want to wait until morning when the light gets better.”

  “No, let’s do it now,” Pat agreed.

  They waited until the village was asleep. Then they worked their way to where Pat thought he spotted the saddles.

  “Yep, those are our saddles, all right. The saddlebags and most of our things are still in them, but the bedrolls are gone.”

  Pat began dragging one of the saddles back to the river and signaled to Sage to bring the other. Sage hesitated—this wasn’t the plan. There was no way they could discuss it, so Sage dragged the other saddle. He heard a noise coming from inside one of the lodges. He stopped and lay completely still. An Indian came out, looked around, and after seeing nothing, returned to his tepee. Sage lay still until he heard the sound of the man’s deep breathing, and then continued dragging the saddle to the river.

  “That’s the damnedest thing I’ve ever seen,” Pat marveled. “You must have ice water in your veins.”

  “I learned that from a rabbit,” Sage explained. “What made you change your mind about taking the saddles?”

  “You’ll have to tell me about that rabbit someday,” Pat said, and then answered, “We were there, so I thought, why not just take them. We can hide them in a ravine near where we’re going to stage the ambush. That way, we can do it all in one quick move. You wait here. I’ll get the horse to help carry this stuff back to the canyon.”

  “Okay, I’ll wait, but hurry; we’ve got to get out of here before daylight. This place is going to get downright unhealthy after those Indians wake up.”

  They pulled the saddles farther into the thick brush where Sage could wait, and Pat disappeared. When Pat returned, they loaded the saddles on the horse and returned to the rim of the canyon. They were on their way back to the cave just as it was getting daylight. They rode double for a while to put distance between them and the Indians. They were both big men, and too heavy for the horse, so Sage got off and asked Pat to continue on alone.

  Sage said, “I can get away from the Indians better on foot, and the horse’s tracks will lead them away from me. You can get back to the cave quicker by riding alone. You’ll be safe when you reach the cave, and I’ll be there tomorrow.”

  Pat had seen this young man’s skill at eluding the Indians and knew he would be safe. When Pat looked back, Sage had already melted into the prairie—he was invisible. Pat was amazed that Sage could conceal himself where there was so little cover.

  When the Indians discovered that the saddles were missing, they began looking for the persons who had taken them. Pat lost the Indians long before he arrived back at the cave. He put the horse in the blind canyon and placed the dead tree across the opening. He gave a low whistle before entering the cave to warn Joe that he was coming. He didn’t want to surprise Joe and get shot. Pat told Joe what they had done and explained the plan of the ambush.

  “I’m ready to go,” Joe said. “I’m feeling great and the wound has nearly healed.”

  * * *

  About four hours later, Sage crawled into the cave with a big smile on his face. “The Indians are still looking for us, but they’ve gone off in another direction. They have no idea what happened. Won’t they be surprised when we turn up at their village again in a couple of days?”

  “That will work to our advantage,” Pat said. “They’ll be so frustrated that they’ll chase you right up that canyon to where Joe and I will be waiting.”

  “I made a pot of buffalo stew,” Joe commented. “Help yourself, and then get some sleep. I’ve got everything packed and ready to go. We’re going to need a horse to carry our supplies, and we can take three horses just as easily as we can take two. That way, we’ll each have a horse to ride, and one to carry our stuff.”

  “I’ll be ready for that sleep, just as soon as we get something to eat,” agreed Pat.

  Sage and Pat ate and then went to sleep. Joe cleaned the place and made ready to leave. The next two days were going to be very busy. Everything had to go just right if they were going to survive, and they had to have those horses.

  * * *

  Each man checked his guns and made sure he had plenty of shot and powder, a canteen of water, jerky, dried fruit, and a pouch containing salt. Pat told Sage that salt was a real luxury on the frontier. The iron skillet and pot were too heavy and cumbersome to carry, so Sage oiled and wrapped them in a skin to keep them dry and stored them in his cave thinking that he might want to return someday . . . . Evening Star might want to use the cave while he was gone. He longed to hold her once
more, but there was no chance.

  They walked out into a beautiful autumn morning, each man carrying a load to put on the horse. They would all have to walk until they could get more horses. They went straight to the hidden canyon, loaded Midnight, and ate their breakfast as they walked. It would require two days to reach the Comanche village, and that gave them plenty of time to plan their strategy for getting additional horses. Pat and Joe wanted their own horses. However, there was no guarantee that their horses would be the ones abandoned during the ambush. They would recognize their horses and try to pick off the Indians riding them, leaving their horses unattended for Sage to pick up. They described their horses to Sage.

  Sage wanted an Arabian mare to match his stallion so he could start a new herd. The Arabian stallion would sire a better grade of riding animals, and it would be helpful to have a pair. Their colts would be in high demand. Sage was wondering how Juanita Diego was going to feel about being only half-owner of a ranch that had been in her family for five generations.

  On the second morning, they arrived at the canyon. The spot was ideal. It provided good cover, with an open field of fire on the Indians that would be coming up the canyon. Sage would hide in the rocks until the Indians riding the horses they wanted were eliminated and the horses left unattended. Not wanting to be encumbered, he would carry only his knife and ax. He would have to outrun the Indians long enough to lead them into the ambush.

  Joe figured about two hours before sunset was the ideal time to start the action. The Indians would have the sun in their eyes, and he and Pat would have the sun at their backs. They would have the extra fire-power of the two guns that belonged to Sage. The Indians would have no way of knowing how many attackers they were facing. They wouldn’t think that only three men would attack their whole village. If they were lucky, the Indians wouldn’t continue chasing them after losing eight or ten men in the assault. The Comanche had already lost six of their best warriors.