Fools' Gold

[Apache Hawk 60642]

I cantered off a good five or six miles from our group, knowing that, in this land, they would have easily seen any sign of trouble, if it had been coming in that short of a distance. It was getting light now and I could see well all the tracks and sign that was around. Track of the jack rabbit, and side winder, each, trying to get to the little bit of water on the leafs of the prickle pears. The Road Runner as he chased down lizards and the tracks they made.

And the plants, the bush, soft with the morning dew and some still held green leafs from the winter rains that rains through here. That Indicator plant, it's fiery red flowers in full bloom now, tells me, I am leaving the coast and interring the hot, dry desert. Even the sand knows that it's going to be hot now.

 

I ride on now, and I'm looking about and it's all flat land.......no ridges, no gullies nor washes, no big rocks for cover....just openness all around. I rein up my Appaloosa and think to myself..."This would not be a good place to pick a fight or to have to run and hide !" and I nudge my horse on. Just then I could a flash of something very far ahead ! I reached into my saddle bag and pulled out my spy glass to see what it was, but I was too far to it make it out. So I put the spy glass back into my saddle bag, and took the throng that held my rifle in it scabbard in place, off, and rode on.

 

Now I picked up a trail........it was faint, even for me. A white man would not see it. These Mexicans where clever as they rode over rocks to hide their tracks, but yet I found them, even after the monsoon rains had washed the rocks clean. I follow this trail for nearly eight miles for it twists and meangers through the flat lands . The flat lands off the trail where sandly, so the going would be much harder and any wagon would sure get stuck.

 

I came to the village I saw many brown washed homes.....not white washed like you expect. The where brown washed. I figured they where that why because these people didn't want to be found. They had serval buildings, one big building what looked to be a meeting place, stores, no sheriff or jails, and no Mexican troops. So I too my leave and slowly walked my Appaloosa out of that place so not to be seen and rode on.

 

I then rode on the rest of the day, not encountering nothing of danger, until I see something that I thought the Colonel should know about. It was a mountain formation called the "Twin Sisters." I wheel my mount around and I reckoned, I would make camp around 9 O clock that night.

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

we had been mpving at a good speed most of the day , I had noticed , Hawk had left the road , to do a bit of scouting

 

with that , I wondered , if we should not dry camp tonite , there had to be something , that he saw for him to leave the road

 

we pulled up to rest the horses , and give em a drink , this land was pretty dry , good thing we had several barrels of water

 

the day had passed without much to see , just tracks of critters

 

maybe things would stay quite , for a spell

[J. Mark Flint #31954 LIFE]

Hawk told me of the Twin Sisters formation and I wondered whether it could really be that simple. It wasn't our objective though and I had placed the gold we were after in it's hiding place with my own hands. I took a sextant from my bag at noon and noted our position as exactly as I possibly could noting the time and date in my journal. "Hawk, this adventure will wait for another day."

 

I was certain that he was disappointed, but he nodded stoically "Then may we see that day together my friend" and with that he returned to caring for his horse.

 

I pulled out a map and looked at our location without marking it-4 or five days away was Mexico City and enough gold to make us all either very rich or very dead.

[Blackwater 53393]

We had ridden a good forty miles by the time we pitched camp. I had changed horses once during the heat of the day, and then I rode back down the trail several miles to be sure we had not been followed. All I had seen was locals traveling to and from wherever. I turned off of the trail to return so as not to be seen by those same travelers again.

 

I chose a path that ran along the same trail, winding in and out of sight of it. Many animals move along these less obvious pathways to avoid being seen while stalking their human counterparts or scavenging from their camps and things dropped or abandoned along the trail.

 

As I moved along silently, I suddenly encountered a Yaqui brave who stepped into the path and barred my way. I signed that I was peaceful and had no truck with the Yaqui. I offered my canteen as a show of peace. He studied me for a moment before accepting a drink of water.

 

I stepped down from my horse and when he returned the canteen, I took a drink as well. We signed back and forth in conversation for several minutes. I asked if he had seen any Mexican troops and he replied that it had been several days since he'd seen any. I offered him a couple of strips of jerky and he declined. He explained the hunting had been good and he had a full belly. He asked for tobacco and I offered him a plug that I carried for just such an occasion and then some makings I had stowed in my war bag. He pointed to the makings and nodded, offering in return a bag of fresh picked berries he had collected to go with his supper. I smiled in agreement of the trade.

 

We spoke without speaking for a little longer. He explained that he hated the soldiers and that they had tried to wipe out his friends and family. He would kill them whenever he could, singling out those who fell behind or wandered away from camp. They had killed his brother and he sought to avenge him at every chance. I didn't tell him about us setting those soldiers afoot earlier in the day, but figured if they knew there were Yaquis around they might not suspect us as the culprits.

 

When I'd learned all I could, I mounted my horse and made a sign of parting. He signed the same and disappeared as quickly as he had appeared. I made my way back to the wagons an hour before we stopped for the night. Everyone was tired and covered with dust from the trail. We found a small clearing off of the road and pitched camp. There was a small creek a few yards away and I went there and watered the horses while Bama and Bill secured the wagons. While they drank, I knelt down and washed my face and head in the water and refilled my canteen. When I returned to camp, Tom and Cody had boiled some coffee and cooked up a small meal of pork and potatoes and then put out the fire just before dark. By the time I had finished eating, Hawk had returned to camp.

 

He made his report and went to the pot for some coffee and a plate of grub. "You see anything on the back trail?" he asked.

 

I shook my head, "I came back here on a game trail. I ran into a Yaqui in the bushes a few miles back."

 

The look on Hawk's face was one of puzzlement. "You seen a Yaqui and you still got your hair 'n' hide?"

 

"I think he was as surprised as I was," I answered. "I signed peaceful and he took me at my word." I went on to tell him the whole encounter.

 

Hawk shook his head. "The Yaqui and the Apache are mortal enemies. Goes back longer than anybody remembers," he explained. "Yaquis hate everybody 'ceptin' Yaquis. You did good, and likely we won't have any trouble with them from here on out because of it. They got ways of spreading news that I've never figured out, but you can bet that every one of 'em up and down this trail knows about you by now."

 

"Just the same, we should make sure nobody leaves camp tonight, especially if they're alone," I said. "We should pass the word right now."

 

Hawk stood up, "I'll fill the colonel in. It's good you didn't kill that Yaqui. We'd be fightin' 'em the rest of the time we're down here!"

[Apache Hawk 60642]

"Cause I found a small village by the Twin Sisters when I was scouting. Looked like their winter village, cause I seen a lot of them walking around wearing robes and blankets and women caring for babies. Yaqui time the birth of their young on the harvest of the meat which is normally the fall of the year. Lots of warriors around camp too, resting and recovering from raids.....even had a shaman with them. Many camp fires I saw, must have been at least 100..maybe more."

 

I felt the Colonel dismissed my report to him to soon as folly or adventure. I went out and scouted an told him, in detail, what I had saw and where it was. Back during the was, that was more than good enough. But if the Yaqui where to fall on us, I was going to be ready. I was not going to be caught of guard !

 

After reporting to the Colonel and talking with Blackwater, I got some grub and coffee, then, I went to my Appaloosa, unsaddled him, I gave him drink and brought him near me, ground tie him and laid a saddle blanket near him. Bamma Red gave me that funny look, but I just smiled. Didn't want to cause alarm, in case I was wrong.

 

Next, I rolled out my bed roll, and put my saddle at the head of it. There, I sat my Henry and my 73 Winchester, and my Sharp 45-110 was close by. I check to see if my Remington side by side mule ear 12 gauge was still loaded. It was. The I loaded up 5 rounds of 00 buckshot in my Lever action 12 gauge plus 1 in the chamber. I checked my Dragoons, all seemed go to go, then I checked my .44 pocket pistols. When I was satisfied that all was ready, I pulled my fighting knife, and whenI found a nice rock, put a fine edge on it. Next, I checked my bow. I haven't used it much, so I checked it over the recruve carefully, looking for cracks, then to the sting..looking across the sinew to see if it was worn any place to the point of breaking. Then I checked all arrow heads to make show the where attach well and where sharp and the feathers where still glues on and not matted up. All looked well.

 

I then settled down next to my little fire I had built, I needed a little down time after been out scouting like that.

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

I had been thinking of putting the gattling gun back into the boxes , but seeing Hawk , acting a bit on edge

 

I had made sure it was clean and ready to go into action ,

 

Blackwater , had came over , while I was doing this , and never said a word , about what Hawk had told the Col . maybe nothing inportant was seen

 

I would be ready , if anything nasty was to turn loose , it was not like Hawk to be on edge like this

[J. Mark Flint #31954 LIFE]

I pondered our plight and determined that the best course of action regarding Yaqui's would be to move expeditiously across their land without provoking them. We'd move fast and make small campfires. Nothing was to be left behind and even our campfires were to neatly extinguished and buried. We'd treat the land as a guest should and hope that would be enough.

 

I spread the word, come daylight we'd move out smartly and make time.

[Apache Hawk 60642]

At sunup, I was saddled on my Appaloosa, with the Spirit bridle on his head, Henry on one scabbard and the 73 winchester in the other, my Sharp's laying across my lap. I knew that every move we

 

the Yaqui's would have eyes on us and no about of honoring Mother Earth would ease that. It might, however, hold off an attack because of the Yaqui brave Blackwater had met on the trail earlier. I

 

swung up into the saddle as the sky turned from a purple to a dark blue, and gently gave a spur and went toward Chickasaw Bill and his wagon.

 

"Recon if this thing goes bad and we got to hole up some where, get that gun up and workin'....rat fast like." I then rode back up to Bama Red's wagon.

 

"Bama..If them Yaqui's hit us, toss me my scatter gun, you grab Thunder and and a winchester and dive for cover. I'll try and draw 'em off."

 

Bama Red cocked his head to one side, laid Thunder across his lap, "Gawd Almighty Colonel Hawk ! Ya got to be the hero again, don't ya ?"

 

"Better safe than sorry, Sargent ! " I said with a wink and gave my mount some spur and he moved on.

 

The Colonel had gave the word to bury the small fires and that we did, and was ready to move, and when I was satisfied everything was ok, I spurred my Appaloosa and rode out to scout ahead of our group.

[Apache Hawk 60642]

I rode out at a canter for about 12 miles then slowed to a trot, paying careful attention to the sky line ahead and on my flanks. I knew the Yaqui's where out there watching and so did my Appaloosa. He was skiddish as he could be and that was not normal for him. We had been through the war together, the last few months, anyway, and he never acted like this. So I was more alert that ever.

 

I found sign on a rock......moccasin made, man running, going northeast to my flank. Most white men would have missed that sign. I slowed my mount to a walk, in this I hoped I was showing I was not a threat and had no fear of the Yaqui and they could look me over well. It worked.

 

Suddenly there appeared the Yaqui brave that Blackwater had talked with. At this point, I would have given all the gold that we where going after just to know what Blackwater had signed to him. And then there was another Yaqui and still another and yet another ! I was starting to get a little nervous when on all sides of me, what seemed like the entire winter village of the Twin Sisters appeared. I cocked my Sharp's and made ready and my mount walked along.

 

At last the Chief of the village appeared and he , with the brave Blackwater had signed with rode out to meet me. I kept the Sharp's ready and waited. The Chief signed that he knew how many of us there where and he wanted to know what we where doing here. Having not knowing what Blackwater had signed to the Yaqui brave standing next to the Chief , I told him the truth. I signed that we are going to kill Mexicans soldiers. The Chief laughed and signed how I was going to do this. I signed the motion of a crank then made the BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM sound. His eyes widened and he made a sign that I and my friends could pass through unchallenged, for he hated the Mexicans as much as I did.

[J. Mark Flint #31954 LIFE]

(sorry folks, my head has been elsewhere as of late dealing with work matters and such. Get us to Mexico City and I'll make sure and give you some good posts to work with)

[Blackwater 53393]

Hawk had managed to pacify the Yaqui chief and we passed through their territory without incident. A gringo and an Apache had made peace with this tribe despite old and hardened grudges. If the colonel could accomplish as much when we reached Mexico City, this adventure might see us home and dry sometime soon.

 

I still had the uneasy feeling that this whole thing might go straight to Hell in a hand basket at any time. I glanced at Bill and nodded to the Gatling gun. He smiled back and winked. I eased up a bit and took a look on our back trail. No dust and no sign of birds being flushed, something that travelers often fail to recognize.

 

I nudged the sorrel forward and sidled up to Bama's wagon. "All quiet behind us for now," I told him.

 

He nodded and and patted Thunder with a smile, "Let 'em come! Nobody lives forever."

 

"Yeah, but it doesn't hurt to try!" Tom chuckled as he rode up on the other side of the wagon. "You fellers won't object if I do my best to keep us all among the living, will you?"

 

Cody replied, grinning, "We'd all appreciate whatever you can do." He spurred his mount forward and caught up with the colonel.

 

"A lot will depend on the colonel from here on out," I muttered as I urged the sorrel forward again. "Tom! Cover the rear for a while!" I called as I rode ahead.

 

"We don't have far to go now," I heard the colonel say as I drew even with him and Cody.

 

"We gonna' bed down in a hotel by tomorrow night?" I asked

 

"Ought to be there before noon tomorrow," J. Mark replied.

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

We had been pushing the teams pretty hard most of the day , I figured we would catch up to Hawk pretty soon

 

I was not prepared to see , that many braves gathered around the road in the distance , It did not look good

 

I looped the lines around the edge of the wagon seat , and loosened the top so I had a better field of fire

 

as I returned to the wagon seat , the braves were starting to move away from the road , disappering into the scurb brush

 

looks like Hawk , convencied em to let us pass without a fight , there had been a very slight dust trail off to both sides all day

 

only enough to be cuased by 1 or 2 riders , just enough to know , we were being watched , real easy to miss , seeing

 

just in case , I was ready to bring fire down ,at the outset of hostile action

 

Blackwater and the Col , had tightned the wagons up , seeing what was going on ahead

[Apache Hawk 60642]

I took the Chief 's hand and made sign of brother peace in it and he did the same in mine and signaled his tribe and without a word, all of them rode off into the distance, back to the Twin Sisters Peak, back to their winter home. I sighed a welcomed sigh !

 

Now I could concrete on the shod tracks that I had seen before I found the Yaqui made their presents know. I had seen this track before, and knew the horse who wore the shoe, and I wanted that horse ! So, I set out to have it, as the horse and it rider where going the same way we where going.

 

The sun was now high in the sky, so I reined up next to a dead Joshua Tree, and waited for the wagons to catch up. My Spirit Bridle had worked with the Yaqui,....it had kept me and my Appaloosa safe as they could have killed me with out a thought and tok my mount as Appaloosas are highly salut after for their endurance and skill.

 

The rumble and clanging wagons came , stirring up dust you could see for miles ! Chickasaw Bill reined up and was out checking the traces and then his gatling gun. Seems like he sure did love that gun, almost more than a women, if that was possible. I walked over to Bama Red's wagon, went to the water barrel for a cool drink of water, which just happened to be where he was trying to step down, and I said, "Need help, Bama ?"

 

"Get you cotton pickin' hands away from me, you ijun ! I don't need know damned help !" I could see Bama Red was in a fine mood, so I decided to stir the pot just a bit.

 

"What's fer supper, Bama ? Hope it's something we can eat !" That's when I saw him reaching for ole Thunder, which thankfully, had sidle under the seat feather that Bama thought.

 

"Well, maybe if these animals can take it, we'll be eating Mexican food tonight in Old Mexico City. What do you think Colonel ?" His face was buried in a map and a book, and he just nodded. Blackwater did the same.

 

With no water in sight , I took the dipper from the water barrel and dipped some water into my hat and offered it to my mount, who eagerly took it. I could see the rest of our group doing the same, not because I did it, but because they had did the same thing before during the war. I had not had any breakfast, so I pulled out some hardtack and jerky to chew on. I knew this would make me thirsty , but I refilled my canteen so I was ok on that. I when I was ready, and the wagons where ready, I started out a few miles ahead of the wagons.

 

I still had that horse on my mind as I saw the tracks on the hardpan, along with all the other desert animals, and I still had a mind to get him. As we neared Mexico City, we reined up outside of the city, and I made suggestions, as this was the Colonel's show. I knew this land better, but the city had changed since last I'd seen it. So, I suggested that we put the wagon the gatlin gun in the livery and the other, just outside, with all guns in that wagon, put inside livery.

 

The horses, I suggested that they be well cared for, curried and grain feed, shod if needed. They saddles be kept on the stalls where they horses are and each horse is to be exercised each day we're in town.

 

And now, as I spurred my mount into a canter, Colonel, as I'm the same rank, I'll see you in a cantina in Old Mexico City !

[J. Mark Flint #31954 LIFE]

Mexico City had grown a bit since my last visit, but it was still racked by the distinct divisions between the wealthy and the poor. We quickly divided the group between two hotels and stored the wagons at a local livery, where Tom and Bama Red looked to their safety. Antonia was given a small stipend to allow her to add to her wardrobe and to be seen among the city's finer merchants.

 

I walked a good 2 hours inspecting the changes and the city, making mental notes of those changes that would impact our plans and eventual departure. I made no show of slowing down as I passed the church and saw the fencing and the bars added to the windows. Turning I continued my travels as I walked to the President's Mansion. Built long ago in the Spanish style it had been the center and the heart of Mexico City for numerous generations. With a red facade and towers on each side it was imposing. I closed my eyes and remembered the internal layout as best I could. If things went badly, such knowledge was useful.

 

"A beautiful building is it not?" a voice behind me said with a hint of a Mexican accent. I turned slowly to see who was addressing me. I quickly dropped to a knee and removed my hat

 

"El Presidente! It is an honor." His guards relaxed at my show of respect and he motioned me to arise. "Come and join me in a drink . . . Colonel Flint." he said with a laugh on his lips.

 

I smiled back and thanked him for his hospitality as I walked with him and his guards, inwardly knowing that nothing good was going to come of this encounter.

[Apache Hawk 60642]

After a nice meal , some of the best Mexico has to offer in the way of drink for the lowly half breed and some rounds with the local cantina girls, I decided another ceegar and take in the sights. The first thing that struck me odd was that folks was not running away at the sight of me. Where I am from, this is a common sight.

 

So, I took this opportunity to fire up a lucifer to the ceegar, and walk boldly down the sidewalk, just as proud as a peacock ! Now up ahead a saw a big building, red in color with two imposing towers on it. That thing made the hair on my neck stand on end, so I decided I best not go there.

 

I walked for I guess about 2 or 3 hours, enough time to finish that ceegar, and get thirsty again, anyway, I came upon this church and I immediately noticed iron bars on the lower windows and fencing around all the church expect the front doors.

 

Now...........I have not been inside a church in a loooong time. To my way of thinking, way do I need to worship in a building when the greatest church ever made by the Creator is all around me, yet, ...I still went inside.

 

I dipped my finger in the holy water, made the sign of the cross over my chest, knelt down, got up, and slowly walked down the aisle, I looked up at the wooden ceiling, how it had been brightly painted white and then pictures from the Bible painted on it. Statues of Mary, Joseph and others who I didn't know where in little alters on ether side of the church. Stain glass was behind the pulpit and to each side of that where candles lit for those afflicted with some kind of aliment or need of a prayer.

 

I sit down on the pew and let my mind wonder a bit and I said " Great Creator,......Forgiveness has not been one of my stronger suits, as you well know. And I ask for it now as for what I and my compadres are about to do to this building maybe a sin. Paying my thith has not been one of my strong suits neither, but if you can see fit to wipe this clean, I promise you, here and now, I will see to it that you get 1/10th of my cut from the gold that's buried here, Creator !"

 

I got up and started on my way out and I heard someone come up behind me and it was the Padre. "Come I help you my Son ? Do you seek Peace ?"

 

Smiling, I lit up a lucifer to another ceegar and said, "Nope, Padre........Done found peace without you're help." and went back outside.

 

Going back into the Cantina, I said, "Carlos, put this bottle on my tab and send up Junta. I like her !"

[J. Mark Flint #31954 LIFE]

I was escorted to one of the many courtyards. If memory served me correctly there were over a dozen. We were in the south side of the building and after we sat down the guards retired to the other side of the courtyard while servants came to bring us glasses and a bottle of what I suspected was some good Tennessee sipping shisky by the color. I was not disappointed.

 

President Portifino Diaz was a cagey man. That he knew my name did not bode well, but for the moment I would have to listen and determine what else he knew.

 

"Colonel Flint, relax, I am quite familiar with your background. I can assume that you are not here in Mexico City for your governments benefit." He began. I nodded and responded "I am not. My first visit to Mexico was to defy the US Government and I can say that my attitude towards them has not improved."

 

"A rebel always, perhaps you should find a government that would respect a man of your particular skills." I nearly choked at that statement. After I gathered my composure I looked at the guards and then back at President Diaz. "Sir, if that is an offer, I must decline. I am in pursuit of a lady who recently arrived in Mexico City. She is quite beautiful and more importantly, she is going to be quite rich in the near future."

 

He laughed "Such a lady I should like to meet myself, though my wife might not approve." I smiled "Such a lady would be worth the disapproval of a wife, I would think." I showed him a picture and he nodded approvingly. "So you are here chasing the affection of a woman. That is a relief, I was afraid you had come to conquer all of Mexico." He laughed at his own joke. "Several of my soldiers recognized you Colonel Flint. It is my understanding that when you were here 15 years ago a number of men turned up dead."

 

"am I under arrest? If so I would request counsel." I replied The president's jovial mood continued "Not at all, that was before my time and I have no evidence to present-but I do have a warning for you." His voice had grown serious and he put down his glass. "This country is ready to burst into flames at the slightest incitement. Should you be involved in any action against my government, you will not be given any quarter."

 

I set my own glass down and responded. "Mr. President, I have no plans or desires to undermine your government. I intend to leave Mexico with nothing more than what I brought with me and I bear no desire to harm anyone. If I may ask you a quick question, however, why would you confront me yourself?"

 

I heard the cocking of a pistol and turned slowly "I didn't before now, this man is an actor, my double for public appearances. I needed to know if you were here to kill me."

 

I slowly picked up my glass and took a sip. "If I were, you would not have seen me coming." My tone was deadly serious even though I was unarmed.

[Apache Hawk 60642]

After my siesta, I rose from the bed, pulled my buckskin pants on, and my buckskin shirt on, then my Confederate Colonel hat, that had a bullet hole in it, and as I sat back down on the bed to pull my moccasins on, I slapped Junta on her bare butt and said the gold for her "services" was on the dresser with a little extra and left my room and walked down stairs to find Bama Red at a table, his face buried in a plate of food.

 

I went over to him, pulled out a chair and set down and he didn't say a word, or even come up for air. "Mama Sita, Negros Ferroalloys, Nopalys, maze, coffee, por favor ?" Bama Red raised his head and said to me, "What the hell did you just say to here ? Didn't know you could talk that much Mexican, Hawk ?"

 

"Well, my one legged friend, if you have lived amongst 'em as long as I have , it rubs off. Best last off that whiskey a bit, least till we hear what the Colonel has planed."

 

"You're a Colonel as well Hawk, .....what have you got planned !"

 

"I'm gonna eat some food, dance with some beautiful ladies, and maybe, if I'm not too tired, bed one or two, if I have the money !"

 

"By Gawd Hawk ! You're about the hor..........what the hell is all that mess ? ?"

 

"This is, my friend , is black beans, fried cactus, corn torllias , and coffee. You want some ? Beats the hell out of those red beans and salt pork you been eating on the trail and eating now."

 

Bama Red came over with his folk and sampled every thing and before I knew it, everything I ordered was half gone ! "Muchas Gracias, for leaving me some Bama !"

[Apache Hawk 60642]

bbt for a nice run

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

everyone , was falling into a routine , being in town

 

I was ready to be on the move , Bama had wiped out most everything Hawk had ordered

 

I waved the waitress over and sent another order of everything to thair table ,

 

I was thinking of going out for a bit , just to see what was going on , need to check the wagons and contents

 

the hussle and bussle of the city was begining to wear thin ,

[Blackwater 53393]

After a few days, lolligagging around in the Mexican capitol, I realized why I hated big cities in general, and this one in particular. People running over the top of each other just to try to survive. It reminded me of a dead snake covered with devouring maggots. Everywhere I turned I could watch pickpockets and cutpurses, children robbing pedestrians and turning over their booty to some Fagin who then abused them gleefully, and even the occasional mugging or murder of some poor soul who had wandered into the wrong neighborhood.

 

Even now people called the less settled and less civilized part of America the "Wild West". I found it darkly humorous that that part of the country was safer and more peaceful than cities like Boston and Baltimore and the cesspool they called New York City where someone was killed or robbed or beaten ten times more frequently than even Dodge City or Deadwood in their heyday. "Civilization my ass!" I thought aloud as I walked the streets.

 

"Colonel! We're gonna have to get on with it if you expect us all to get out of here in one piece." I said as I entered his quarters. "I just had to buffalo an hombre in an alley a few minutes ago to keep him from gettin' my poke."

 

I looked around the room. Antonia was dressed in a splendid gown, one fit for royalty. "She looks like a duchess, doesn't she," J. Mark chuckled. "She is our key to the treasure," he continued.

 

The young doxy muttered something unrepeatable under her breath, then wriggled profanely as she strutted around the room.

 

"Nothing like that in public, Antonia!" the colonel warned with a laugh. "Save that for the boudoir, my dear!" he continued in Spanish.

 

He turned to me and nodded. "You tell the others to sober up, tighten up, and be ready to move by tomorrow night. I expect that Diaz will approve my papers the minute Antonia bats her eyes at him." He glanced once again at the soiled dove who now exuded the essence of aristocratic refinement in both her walk and her demeanor. "That's it! Like a young lady of royal lineage! El Presidente hides behind a veil of propriety, but he is a lecher of the highest order. He'll be like a bull elk in rutt when he lays eyes on our lady here."

 

I shook my head and laughed, "From what you're saying, we could take the treasure and expect a military escort from here to the coast."

 

The colonel only looked out the window toward the palace, "More likely, an escort to a post in front of a firing squad." He allowed his gaze to wander over to the old church. "If we can get out of town without a fight we'll have done better than we can hope. The distraction that Antonia will provide will only give us a way in. The way back out will require a deception of our own."

 

"Don't sound promising," I grumbled. "But I reckon it ain't no worse odds than us gettin' here in the first place!" I started for the door,"What do I tell the others? When and where do we meet?"

 

"We will be at the palace for the evening. Our little distraction here will keep Portifino occupied for another day or so, after which she knows to make her way back to San Diego the best way she can." He stroked her hair and then smacked her on her backside with a grin. "We will meet here after midnight. I'll join you as soon as I can get my papers endorsed and make my excuses."

[Elk Creek LeMieux]

I was glad to hear we'd be moving soon.

 

The first night we spent here, I'd had two Mexicans try to fight me over space at the bar, and one gringo try to get me to sign up for some army he was putting together for some long grand sounding name.

 

I had no interest in either, and after finishing my beer I'd found a store to replace a few items, and had sat in my room cleaning my guns, and tinkering with the rifle.

 

My hands itched. And my leg was half numb from sitting around. I was well out of my element, and irritable as an old dog. Ready for anything familiar.

 

A good fight with guns, a woman, or a long quiet trail on a good horse, I needed at least one of them very soon.

[Apache Hawk 60642]

I thank Chicasaw Bill for the reorder of grub as Bamma Red was a eating machine when he gets on a tear like he was now. It would be wise to count you're fingers and toes when you was around him now. I made damn sure I got my flu of that food before Bamma got any !

 

"Por favor Senior Hawk ! We necesidad you encarnizadamente ! Por favor Senior Hawk....Dar mi mas carinoso tierno !" came the call of the two young Mexican maidens I had sent the night with last night. "Mi Querido....salvar aquel par el/la dormitoro !" I said with a sheepish smile on my face. Bamma Red looked up from his beer and asked me....."What did they say Hawk ?" I told them how good you looked ! I said and walked away from the table, leaving Bamma Red and the girls alone.

 

I walked down the street toward the church, I don't know why, I was just drawn to it for so reason. I opened the big heavy outer door, and went in and opened the inner lighter door and went into the cooler salutary. I took a seat in the pew, my irons clucking on the pew, when the Padre came over and sat with me .

 

"Something burdening you, my son ?" he asked me. "No." I said "But maybe I can help you left a burden for you."

 

"What do you mean, my Son ? Other than helping souls, I have no burdens !"

 

"I think you do, Padre,........and it's in the conner of this church and whats more, you know it as well."

 

The middle aged Padre aged even more when I told him what I knew, and I was not surprised when he said he knew there was a treasure there but was surprised he hadn't made a try to retrieve it. Now I was going to pitch my best pitch to him to get him to be my inside man, but before I could even get it out of my mouth, he said,

 

"My Son, You and you're friends are here to steal this treasure, yes ? I will not help you there as I can not help a thief, but if you and you're friends need a way out of Mexico City and maybe even Mexico itself, I'll go with you."

 

"Well.....I'll be damned !" I said. "You may every well be My Son, but I hope not !" the Padre said, with this mischievous smile on his face.

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

Hawk was busy keeping the priest distracted , I had been scouting a way to secure the gold and planning a way out

 

It looked like the priest was wanting a way out of here , makes ya wonder , what was going on

 

I slipped out , while Hawk kept his attention , not knowing , just how much gold was here , it would be helpful to have as many hands as possable

 

to get it loaded , into the wagons , speed would be our ally , fast in , faster out ,

 

have to wait for the Col. , to start the play ,

 

the wagons were ready to move , supplys stowed , just waiting on the clock , to grab the gold and get out of here

[J. Mark Flint #31954 LIFE]

A carriage arrived and Antonia and I were transported to the Presidential palace. I made my introductions and apologized to Antonia as I was most insistent that I conclude my business with the President. In a moment he and I were in a study ready to discuss my paperwork. After a bit of preliminary political and business discussion I finally brought up the purpose of my visit.

 

"Mr. President, I have a letter of credit from Baring's Bank of London. I understand that Mexico needs capital and I have arranged a loan, subject to my recommendation, of course."

 

I handed him the draft. It would extend 25 million dollars of credit to Mexico, no small sum for a country who had repudiated prior loans. "Such a loan would insure your presidency would be financially secure for quite some time."

 

He smiled and nodded "It would indeed, Colonel, but what is the price for your recommendation?" I had to chuckle, the culture of bribery was so ingrained that it wasn't even a matter to dance around,

 

"10% of the amount borrowed from the State of Mexico, It is incorporated into the paperwork as fees and commissions-totally legal."

 

The President reviewed the papers closely, even using a magnifying glass. I had no concerns, the forgeries were of such high quality that the bank itself might well act on it.

 

"So Colonel, if I sign your papers, then you are paid directly after money is delivered to me . . . Mexico, correct?"

 

I smiled, "No sir, not exactly. I still must sign and deliver the papers to Baring Bank myself, however, I have a contract to renovate the lower level cells in the prison on Donceles Street. My crew needs authorization from your office for access to complete the work and guarantee of payment. It is a week's work at most and only $25,000.00 in US money. But it is critical that I keep these men working as we must keep our crew intact until we have a larger project."

 

"$25,000 US Dollars, would you be surprised to learn that I cannot approve such a project on my own." I nodded and pulled an envelope out of my pocket. I handed it to him

 

"I'm not surprised, however, I am prepared-here is $30,000.00 from this you may pay us and the rest will be a handling charge. My men must work and will not accept charity-they need not know of this conversation."

 

He pocketed the money and signed both sets of papers. As I went to retrieve the bank drafts he placed a hand upon them. "Sign this and I will have it delivered." I nodded. "If they give your agent a problem, have me reached by telegraph at this location. I will intervene or sail to London as necessary." I signed the paperwork and took the orders for access to the jail and placed them in my vest.

 

"Mister President, my men are anxious to start and there is much to do. If you would entertain Lady Antonia for me, I would be most appreciative."

 

He smiled and handed me a glass of whisky "To our mutual good fortune, Colonel." With that toast we drank and I took my leave. I was escorted to the Northern doorway and offered a carriage, but declined and walked away. I returned to my hotel room and strapped on my guns, well hidden in shoulder holsters for the time being and slipped a knife into the top of each boot. I headed out to the bar to tell the men.

[Blackwater 53393]

I had watched as J. Mark and his doxy had climbed aboard the carriage and headed toward the palace. They both resembled European dignitaries on a diplomatic mission, dressed in all of their finery. He had glanced at me and nodded as he offered her a hand up.

 

I signaled Cody to find Bill and Hawk. Tom was with me and I knew Bama was enjoying the company of some local feminine companionship up the street in a cantina that we all had quickly become familiar with. I turned and entered the hotel to retrieve a few important items and to change into some more functional attire. Tom followed me up the stairs and turned toward his own room. "It's time to get down to it," I said as he grasped the knob of the door to his room.

 

"Here goes nothin'" he answered and smiled before stepping into his room.

 

I closed the door behind me and took off my coat and vest and rolled them neatly. I pulled a pair of canvas britches and a coarse cotton shirt from my roll and changed into them then replaced them in the roll with the clothes I'd just taken off. I strapped on my old Remington and the Colt Lightning and covered them with a lightweight homespun duster that draped loosely over my shoulders and reached nearly to the floor. I returned to the hallway and waited for Tom to emerge from his room.

 

When he stepped out into the hall, Tom had equipped himself in much the same manner as myself. We each had our bedrolls and traps with us and looked for all the world like a couple of down at the heels saddle bums working the grub line. Without a word we descended the stairs and made our way to the cantina.

 

When we stepped through the door of the cantina, I paused to let my eyes adjust to the dimly lit room. Tom walked to the bar , ignoring Bama, and ordered a drink. I pulled off my hat and pretended to wipe the sweat band before replacing it on my head. I saw the one legged freighter return an almost imperceptible nod. I then stepped to the bar and made my request as well.

 

One by one the others returned and took up positions around the room, being sure to stay separated, but also maintaining a line of sight with the door and with each other. An hour and several drinks later, the colonel made his way through the door. He too removed his hat and wiped out the inside of it before walking over to the bar. As J. Mark leaned against the bar, Bama made a production of standing up and giving both of the young lovelies a squeeze before he tottered drunkenly out into the street. With the eyes of most of the crowd on him, Chickasaw Bill and Hawk slipped out the back door, un-noticed.

 

Moments later, Cody rose from his seat at a poker table and cashed his chips noisily. As he did Tom eased out the rear entrance while the gambler downed one last shot and made his exit. I laid a coin on the bar and followed Cody out into the night. Each of us went in different directions and as I turned a corner up the street I saw Flint leave the bar and walk straight across the street and disappear. It was almost half an hour later that we all found ourselves at the stable where our wagons and gear had been staged.

 

The colonel looked at each of us and grinned, "Boys, we're in! El Presidente is on the hook and all we have to do is reel him in!"

 

"Let's get this gear over to the church and get started!" Bill said enthusiastically.

 

A totally sober Bama Red chimed in, "Yeah! I've had about all the Mexico City hospitality I think I can stand!" He laughed and shook his head, "That is if I gotta stay sober."

 

Hawk spoke up and to the colonel he said, "The padre might be of some help here," He looked at the colonel. "He says he won't help us snatch the gold, but that he can help get us away from here. Alls we gotta do is take him with us."

 

The colonel looked a little puzzled. "Well, get this gear over to the church. We can put it in the rear courtyard so it doesn't look too suspicious." he mused for a moment before snapping his head up and grabbing Hawk by the elbow. "Colonel! Take me to this priest, please!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* This makes my 10,000th post on the wire.

[J. Mark Flint #31954 LIFE]

"Colonel Hawk-you seem to have struck treasure of your own. If you care to share, I'd like to meet this Padre-if not, I guess we have other work to attend to in the meantime." With that I turned and walked out.

 

Hawk could be difficult. Me, I was known for my easy going and cooperative nature. How this would play out was anyone's guess.

[Apache Hawk 60642]

I nodded and led the Colonel to the church where the Padre was waiting for me. The Padre seemed surprised a bit when Colonel J.Mark Flint walked into the building with me, but he didn't move away, or suddenly .

 

"Padre....I told you I was not a church going man......nether is this hombre here. But I've saved his bacon many a time and he's done for me, so's I trust him more than my own brother. You can tell him what you told me." The Padre swallowed hard, looked at the statue of the Virgin Mary and then back to me, and I nudge him by saying, "It's all right Padre......go ahead now." And the Padre proceeded to tell the Colonel about how in the other revolution before the one that brought Diaz into power, when he was still in the simmer studying to be a priest, bandoits had the villagers melt down the gold coins they had stolen and cast then into several crosses, just in case they where discovered. But they banditos where all captured and hanged before they could retrieve their precious crosses. In all, about 1 million.

 

I looked at the Colonel and spoke. "The Padre will get what we need....tools, timber, lamps, ropes and canvas. He will also provide 2 workers to keep tally of the take, Junita and Alimita....the whores I was with in the cantina. I have seen them ride, shoot, fight, and throw dynamite equal to any man. The two women and the Padre don not want none of the damn gold.....they just want to go to the States with us cause this country is about to go up in flames ! How bout it J.Mark ? Colonel to Colonel.......man to man.....hell you can even have my share of this treasure ! What do you say ?"

 

The Colonel didn't say a word, just wheeled around and walked out. The Padre looked at me, Señor Hawk, this is a good sign, yes ?" "Don't know Padre.....but it don't look good. But if he don't, I will."

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

the church has a pile of stolen gold , made into crosses , across the alley is a bunch more under the jail

 

now , just how are , we gonna be two places at once ?

 

if , we were to block of the alley , while doing the construction on the jail cells , maybe it would not raise any eyebrows

 

then we could grab the crosses as we were just about ready to leave in a hurry

 

How much gold is under the jail and in the church combined ? can it all be fit into the wagons ?

 

the border is a long way off , to be pushing wagons loaded that heavy , at any speed

 

it would take 4 or 5 days to get to the coast , even if there was a ship waiting on us , to take us north

[Elk Creek LeMieux]

I was standing watch in the street near the stables, waiting for word that it was time to move the wagons. Bama was inside, the rest of the group was by the church or the jail. My saddle bags and my few worldly belongings were in the wagons. I had my rifle, my pistols, and an ammo belt on me. I'd also squirreled the money I had left into my pockets, and almost as an afterthought I'd shoved that old watch into my vest.

 

J. Mark and Hawk had gone into the church, scouting I guessed. I was gettin more and more sick of this town, and less easy to get along with.

 

Knowing this, and knowing it wasn't anyone's fault in the group, I was trying to keep to myself. Like now, I stood alone in the gathering darkness, slicing a chunk of tobacco off my plug.

 

"Been a while since I had a chaw" a voice said.

 

I looked up to find the same man that had tried to sign me up in some other mans army. He had two men with him this evening, and I had nothing to say to the man. I didn't want trouble though, so I bit off the rude words that were rising in me.

 

The man felt the tension I guess, and spoke in a smooth tone. "Don't supposed he could get a piece of that" he indicated the big man next to him. "He does go on about missing good chewing tobacco."

 

I surely did not want to share, but I wanted them to leave me be, so I held out the plug. The big man with him reached out for it.

 

Reached out further than he needed to.

 

He grabbed my wrist.

 

He was a very big man, and strong. I was being pulled forward, hard and fast.

 

A shotgun I hadn't seen was rising to meet me, and the butt cracked against my forehead. The light was blinding, and I shut my eyes to keep it out. The light faded, and I was falling. My eyes refused to open. I felt the hard dirt of the street press against my face. I didn't like the feeling, but I couldn't raise my head.

 

My eyes finally opened. Well, one eye opened. There seemed to be something holding the other eye shut. The sun was bright and high in the sky, and it hurt my head.

 

After a few minutes, I realized the sun should not be there. It was not time for it to be in the sky yet. I also realized I still could not move. And my hands hurt.

 

I was not in the city anymore. And I was wearing nothing but my long handles. This was all wrong... Where was the stable, and my clothes, and my guns, and why couldn't I move...

 

Then I heard someone chuckle, somewhere behind me. I twisted my neck around, but I was having trouble focusing. A blur just at the edge of my vision became a large blur in the middle of vision, and then my jaw was in a vice. Now I was drowning, and I fought for air, but the vice held me under the water. I swallowed, and could almost breath before I was under water again, and I swallowed another mouthful without thought. Then the air came back, and I coughed. I would have coughed again, but it hurt my head.

 

"He's thirsty ain't he?" Said a coyote with a high pitched voice that squeaked.

 

"He's coming back now. I was worried I killed him." Boomed a bear in a cave somewhere close.

 

"Go get the Captain." Said the squeaky coyote.

 

The bear growled, and the large blur in the center of my vision got smaller, and disappeared into a cave.

 

"You still thirsty?" Asked the coyote.

 

Ice exploded in my face and around my head, and the pain brought me back from the gray area I had been lounging in. I liked the gray area. The pain wasn't bad there, and not of this was quite real there.

 

It was real now.

 

The coyote was a thin tall man, with a scar from cheekbone to cheekbone, across his nose. The scar ruined his appearance, and his nose. He was holding a bucket, the few drips of the water he'd thrown in my face falling from it to the ground.

 

"You awake now ain't you..." Said the coyote. "I hope you got enough left in you for the Captain. You answer his questions like a good boy now."

 

The coyote was from the north somewhere. Boston, New York, a city for sure. His hat and his shoes marked him.

 

The bear emerged from the cave, it was a tent. As he walked over he boomed again, "Captain is comin. Can he talk?" He stopped in front of me, looking down at me, and I took the question as one aimed at me.

 

"He ain't yet." Answered the coyote.

 

"I can talk, when the coyotes are quiet enough to let me" I answered, with my best one eyed dirty look toward the thin man. He got angry when I said that, he knew what I meant when I called him a coyote then. He'd been west long enough to learn that insult.

 

The bear laughed. He was a western man, with a slight drawl. Texas probably, but by his size he'd lived easy and been fed well. I remembered that vice though, the fat bear had power in those arms.

 

And the Captain was standing there next to him. I was still out of sorts, I hadn't seen or heard him approach. In the sunlight I saw Spanish heritage, that I thought I hadn't seen before. And pride. Dangerous pride.

 

He had a small smile on his lips, and he was the man that had asked for my tobacco, and he was holding it now. He squatted down beside me, and pushed a corner of the plug into my mouth. I pushed it to the side of my mouth, I'd mash it with my teeth and take my satisfaction from it later. The man I had taken for a gringo before handed my plug to the bear, then turned back to me.

 

"I've some questions to ask you. Only a few, as we both know you're only a hired gun. Not the brains of any outfit." He said in that smooth voice that had reassured me before I so foolishly extended my arm... The night before?

 

"How long I been out?" I managed to ask. I felt a little angry and insulted by the "brains" comment.

 

"All night and near half the day" the smooth voice answered me. This man would be the snake I decided.

 

"I was afraid Bob had killed you with that blow" the snake said, indicating the bear behind him.

 

He continued, "My turn. Who hired you?"

 

I did not know how to answer that. I was out of sorts, and decided I needed the snake to know that I wasn't just a dumb hired gun. So I said, "We're a group cooperating, no leader. We all agree on our decisions." Then decided to take another turn at a question. "Where am I now?"

 

"In one of our camps outside the city" the snake answered. "How far out, is not important at the moment. You say you have no leader in your group, who is your group working for?"

 

A part of me began to remember our cover story. "The president of Mexico" I answered. Then cussed myself. We were fixing a jail I thought to myself, the president doesn't care about those things. "The government, I mean. We're supposed to rebuild some prison."

 

"A hired gun to build a prison!" Said the snake with fake enthusiasm. "Learning a new trade are you?"

 

The snake hissed a laugh at his own joke. The bear growled in his best imitation of laughter. The coyote yipped.

 

The snake spoke again. "Men are building armies in this country, not prisons. You are here to join one of them. You refused my offer, so your group has joined another mans army." The smooth slithery tone was gone now. "You will remain tied to this stake until I know who you are here to fight for. There are too many experienced men in your group to be poking around an old church with unknown allegiances. If you are allied to our hacienda, then you go free, with my personal apologies." He had that thin smile again, and he wet his lips. I had a vision of a rattler tasting the air.

 

"If you are not however" he continued, "the threat you pose will be... eliminated. Do not worry about your friends. Others are watching them, they changed their clothing again this morning, but it is not enough to fool the watchers. As of sunrise, they did not appear to notice you missing. It is now past noon. All sign of you, leaving, shall we say? Is now covered by the movement of a city. They will not know where to find you, and even if they did... The watchers would tell us, and we would be ready!" He finished with a flair, standing and turning and extending his arm to the horizon. All around us were other tents. There were many men in this camp.

 

I was coming back to myself now, and I adjusted my hands as the snake walked away, trying to get some feeling back. The coyote started toward me when he saw the movement, but the snake spoke over his shoulder. "Bob, Kyle, come with me. We must decide if another from the group would be more useful. You may have hit him to hard Bob."

 

The sun showed the noon hour was gone. At least the days weren't too hot. I had no idea how I'd get myself out of this pickle though... Or where I'd go when I did.

 

I had no clothes, no guns, no boots. I didn't know where I was. And I was surrounded by men like the bear and the coyote. If they were the Captains confidants... Then the rest of this group must be a real treat...

 

I let my head sink to my chest.

 

And I said a small prayer.

[J. Mark Flint #31954 LIFE]

I headed straight to the closest bar and bought a bottle and melted into the back wall. The Padre should be dead. He sure as hell should have recognized me, if not my name. I ran my fingers through my hair and pushed my hat down. I was older, heavier, grayer than I had been, But I was still me and I had still put two slugs in his chest for being in the wrong place nearly 15 years ago.

 

An hour passed and then two, finally Hawk walked in and made his way over. "Colonel Flint, I ain't used to seeing you be rude to a man for no reason, much less a man of the cloth. What the hell is going on?"

 

I finished a drink and twirled the glass on the table lazily. "Hawk, I put two rounds in that man's chest 13 years ago and left him to die to cover up one of my sins. Why don't you buy a wagon and help those people out, Ask one of the men you trust to help. Do as you will with the gold. We'll retrieve the Union gold at the same time equal shares for you and whoever you choose to help you."

 

I tossed a small bag of gold on the table.

 

"One other thing, if that Padre recognizes me, even hints at my familiarity-I'll kill him as sure as you and I are sitting here-so if you help him, you keep him at a distance if you want to keep him alive."

 

Hawk sat there, impassive. He has the poker face that only an Apache could achieve with such ease. He scooted his chair back and stood up, pocketing the gold. "Tom will do. And Colonel-if you kill that Padre, I'll kill you."

 

I raised a glass in the motion of a toast "To you, Colonel Hawk."

[Blackwater 53393]

It was a sound I knew well. Somewhere between a crunch and a splatter. I'd heard it many times during the war. I'd caused that sound more times than I cared to remember. I heard it just as I stepped through the doorway of the stable and quickly stepped back into the shadows. That sound was the noise made when something very hard strikes flesh and bone! As I looked out into the street I could see a man of medium build leading two others away. Between the two was Tom, slumping and being dragged by them into an alley.

 

I had no time to warn the others, and if I were to shout out, they were likely to kill Tom if he wasn't dead already. I waited another instant and then followed at a distance that would let me stay concealed from sight. The leader hurried along to a wagon that waited in the next block and ordered the others to throw my compadre into the back. They then mounted two horses and quietly moved out. Fortunately for me, they chose to go cautiously and so I was able to walk and then trot along at a distance until they had reached the outskirts of town. They soon increased their pace and disappeared ahead of me. Still, it was easy enough to track a single wagon and two horses along an empty road in the moonlight.

 

Just before daybreak I found where they had left the road. I followed their path slowly and soon could hear the sounds of a camp and I could smell smoke and cooked meats. I slowed my progress and found cover in the underbrush. As I eased along slowly I spotted the first sentry. He was sitting with his back against a tree and smoking a hand rolled cigarette. I slid away cautiously to his left among a line of small trees. At the end of the tree line I paused and looked around. "An army!" I thought to myself.

 

I stayed back from the edge of the woods and settled in for a wait. I had to see if they did actually have Tom here and if he was still alive. It was sometime after noon when I saw the bigger of the two who had kidnapped my friend head out of a tent and walk a short distance to where there was a man tied to a post. It was Tom.

 

They had just tied him there and he looked quite the worse for wear. Only his longhandles and his socks remained of the clothing he'd worn the night before. A well dressed man strode up to him and it was clear to me that they spoke to each other. The bear and his skinny companion then followed the man who was obviously in command away and I saw Tom study them for a moment as they went and then sag, as if he'd passed out again. "Don't worry bubba!" I thought as I slipped back toward the road, "We'll take their measure when I get back!!"

 

When I found my way back to own and my companions, the tension and turmoil was obvious. I found Colonel Flint and took up a seat beside him. "Tom's in trouble," I said in a low voice. "There's a sizable army assembled outside town a few miles to the north. They've kidnapped him and beat hell out of him."

[J. Mark Flint #31954 LIFE]

"Well, I guess the time to be nice is over. If you'll gather up Hawk and Bill I'll get Cody and Bama Red and we'll meet back here."

 

Blackwater nodded. "You got a plan?"

 

I nodded "Yep, I'll ride in under a white flag and ask for Tom back, at which point the Gatling gun and the rest of you will open fire and keep it going til we signal otherwise."

 

Blackwater shook his head "Foolhardy-I don't like it."

 

I nodded "It is that, but up close on the ground with a couple long guns on my horse and four revolvers, I'll manage to thin the herd"

 

Blackwater shook his head again "No, but we will. I'm riding in with you." I shrugged "That'll work too. You think we can recruit a few more rifles?"

 

Blackwater nodded "We could, but I don't see how we could trust them. Not enough time."

 

I agreed and headed for the door "Make haste, but do it quietly."

[Apache Hawk 60642]

I ordered a clean glass and filled it to the brim with mesclow, threw it back , taking the small pouch of gold, and looking Colonel J.Mark Flint square in the eye saying, "If you kill that Padre, I'll kill you."and backed out the cantina. The Colonel and I had rode together for 11 years now, going on 12. I scouted for most of those years,.......even in the war. It seems J. Mark Flint has a dark side I had never seen before, and I did not trust.

 

Once I had cleared the line of sight of the cantina, I walked back to the church to meet the Padre, but he wasn't there. I went to the old warehouse where we planed to store our traps and such for retrieving the gold crosses under the church, and the ladies where there, with winchesters loaded and trained at me when I came in ! I told them don't shoot and asked where the Padre was. They said he went to get the wagon.

 

I heard the clinging go the rigging and heard the voice of the Padre bring the team to a halt out in front of the warehouse. I walked out and looked at the wagon. It was good and well built...in the floor of the wagon was ropes, block and tactile for the hard lifting, canvas buckets, shovels, and a pick axe. "Señor Hawk....Come see ! I have a surprise for you !" Underneath the Padre's feet and the tarp, there was a wooden crate and it's labeled in bold letters "DINAMITA". "Damn it to hell Padre !" I said. He just smiled and replied...."The devil may not have use it , but that is not to say his servant Diaz has not."

 

Suddenly I heard the flop, flop, flop, of sandals on cobble stone street and when he got close he said "Señor Hawk...Ven Rapido !" I looked at the boy and he had fear in his eyes. I looked at the Padre and he said, "I know this boy Señor, go with him ! I looked to the ladies, Junta and Alimita and they both looked like they could trust the kid. So, I mobbed to the kid, took his hand and told Padre and the ladies, not to do anything till I get back, then I went with the kid.

 

The kid lead me back to the cantina. I stopped just short of the door, figuring that the last time, the Colonel and I hadn't parted in such good terms. As I walked in, I checked the stairs, the balcony, the bar beep and the rest of the coward in the cantina. The Colonel , along with Blackwater and Bamma Red, Cody and Tom where not there.

 

"Colonel to Colonel " I said as I bought the next round, which surprised everyone there, "Why did you summon me back ?" I looked him dead in his cold eyes. "Tom's been taken and beaten to hell ." Blackwater said before J.Mark Flint could speak. "We need you're help. He's being held by a good sized army just outside of town. " Chickasaw Bill came in just then, ....I poured more mesclow...."Spect some of them are in here now. But we need more rifles and the Colonel tells me you know of some one ?"

 

"Yea....If the Colonel here don't shoot him on sight or the whores with him. And before you ask, yes they all can shoot accurately. So with the gatlin gun, our rifles and some dynamite the good Padre just happened to have gotten, I think we can give them a around for their money while we get Tom out of there." I said.

 

"So, what is it Colonel ?" I said, throw back some mesclow, then eating a lime, "Can I tell the Padre I can give him you're word that you will not try to kill him........UNLESS he trys to kill you ?"

[J. Mark Flint #31954 LIFE]

"You can tell him whatever you want Hawk-If I intended to kill him I'd have told you nothing. Right now Tom's in trouble and we're going to go and get him back." I said

 

Hawk looked at me with cold eyes and softly spoke "You expect me to trust a man who would shoot a priest to hide his theft or his gold?"

 

I shook my head ever so slightly "No, no more than you expect me to trust you. None of us are angels here but how many have skinned a man alive? What are your sins Colonel?"

 

I stood up and turned my back on him and looked to the others 'While we sit and drink and plan, Tom may be getting a beating, or a bullet or worse. Let's move out."

[Blackwater 53393]

I tapped Hawk on the shoulder and nodded my head toward the door. When we stepped outside I guided him away from the others as we prepared to ride. "You know J. Mark as well as any of us with the possible exception of me." He nodded silently in agreement. "If he had intentions of killing your priest friend, the man would already be feeding the worms!"

 

Hawk mused as he tightened the cinch on his saddle,"I just don't figure the colonel having a grudge for a priest!"

 

"Something for you to think about. You look at Flint and tell me," I turned and looked into my Apache friend's face. "Any man that ever faced him at the point of a gun would never forget those eyes of his. If this padre doesn't remember J. Mark Flint, then he has amnesia." I paused to let that sink in. "If he remembers the colonel, then he has more than stealing them gold crosses in mind."

 

The wagon with the gatling gun rolled into the street, Bill was on the box with Bama Red on the seat beside him. Cody sat on his horse, now outfitted with three pistols that I could see and a carbine and the shotgun Bill had given him in scabbards hanging from his saddle. I had no idea what Chickasaw Bill might have stowed in the wagon, but he gave me a nod and a wink as he rolled by, Bama carried a pair of Colts and Thunder stood next to him, propped on the seat.

 

"Hawk," I said, "Go get your people and meet us on the north road."

 

The colonel added as he passed us,"It'll be near pitch dark in an hour, Colonel Hawk. Ride north 'til you're sure you ain't bein' followed and we'll meet you beside the road. I want to hit these bastards just as the sun comes up."

 

Colonel Flint took the lead and Cody and I fell in behind the wagon. We rode out of town and onto the north road. "Cody, check our back trail a little ways but don't get too far behind. Remember that Hawk is bringin' reinforcements, but I suspect we'll be far enough ahead that you won't see 'em for a while."

 

"I won't be more than half an hour behind you," Cody added.

 

"Nah!" I shook my head. "No more than fifteen minutes. Really ten would be better. It's two hours or better by horseback to their camp, I figure. I was afoot, so I ain't positive."

 

"Got it!" Cody pulled up and moved to a patch of trees beside the road.

 

I rode up and joined the colonel in front of the wagon.

 

"Tell me all you can remember about these hombres," Flint spoke softly.

 

I gave him a layout of the camp and a description of the three men who had taken Tom. "If we can get Cody and Hawk and his people to hit the camp off to the east side as the sun rises bright, they'll have the glare to help cover them. It'll cause a lot of confusion."

 

"Yeah, and we can send the wagon down the center of the tent rows with the gatling ripping up the troops." J. Mark added. "Everyone throwing dynamite and all will create mayhem!"

 

"You and me can take the command tent on the charge and we can cut Tom free and charge off west," I concluded. "Now we just hafta come up with a sure way to come out the other end without any extra holes in our hides."

 

The colonel laughed, "You wanting to live forever?"

 

"No! But I would like to live long enough to get out of Mexico and maybe spend a little of this gold we're tryin' to get!" I replied as I turned to go back to the rear.

 

We rode north until the sun had set completely. The moon would be late tonight and it was almost pitch dark. We traveled at a walk and my thoughts turned to other nights like this one. So many battles had begun with my outfit moving long distances in total darkness and then falling on an enemy like a bird of prey coming out of the sunrise to strike hard and then disappear. It had been almost twenty years since I'd ridden with Forrest's Raiders and still my blood rose and my heartbeat became more pronounced as the calm before the storm surrounded me. The plan was a good one, reckless enough to be risky, but also reckless enough to work.

 

After Cody checked in the second time, I rode again to the front. "Nobody's following us, Colonel."

 

"No sign of Hawk yet?" the colonel asked.

 

"There's plenty of time. He'll be along." I reassured him.

 

"How much further?" he asked.

 

I thought and tried to look at the surrounding area for landmarks. "At the pace we're traveling, I figure a couple more hours. I was walking the last time, you know."

 

The colonel thought for a moment, "The pace we're making is no faster than a walk, is it?"

 

"We can move a little faster when the moon starts to rise, but the racket the wagon makes might give us away," I pointed out. "You'll smell the camp before we're within listening distance. We'll have to turn off of the road and it's a mile or more down a side trail." I turned my horse and started back.

 

"Hawk ought to be catching up soon. When he does, ask him to ride up and find me," the colonel said as I rode away. I waved but I doubt it could be seen.

 

We plodded along. The moon had begun to light the sky a little as it rose, giving the eastern sky a halo effect along the horizon. Cody rode up from behind with Hawk, the priest, and two women. The two women were dressed for the road and each had a rifle in scabbards hanging from saddles that they rode astride. The priest bore no weapons that I could detect.

 

"We got here quick as we could," Hawk said as he sidled up to me.

 

I looked at him and nodded, "You did fine."

 

"The padre says he won't do any killing, but the ladies are ready."

 

"Any help we can get is better than none," I answered. "J. Mark would like to talk to you. He's up at the front of the line." I paused for a moment and then continued,"We've got some plans figured out, but I'd bet he want's your ideas as well."

 

He rode up to join the colonel. "You wanted to talk?" he asked as he drew even.

 

"Yes. Blackwater gave me a layout of the camp. It sounds like most army camps from what he tells me." Flint went on to detail the plans to Hawk and to trade some other ideas with him. The little scout took it all in.

 

"You want I should take a gander at this camp before we go chargin' into it next thing to blind?" Hawk offered.

 

"Blackwater can tell you what to look for so you can find it. I doubt you need any help, but talk to him before you go," the colonel concluded.

 

"I could maybe slip in and get Tom out without a fight?" 'Pache offered.

 

"You could get caught and then we'd have two of you to rescue, or worse you could get both your asses killed. I don't want that, old friend."

 

That last from the colonel hit Hawk funny. All of these years, J. Mark Flint had never called Hawk "friend" to his face! "Aye aye, Colonel, Sir!" he said as he drew reign and turned to the rear.

 

Hawk spoke to the two women and the three of them rode up to join me. "Blackwater, These are the women I told you about. Ladies, this is my old compadre. He is known as Blackwater, named by the Choctaw as Oka Lusa. Do as he says until I return!" To me he said,"Col. Flint wants me to scout our target before the whole troop gets there. Tell me what you know and what to look for along the trail."

 

When I'd given him all the information I could, I asked him about his disagreement with J. Mark.

 

"It don't matter right now," he answered. "We've gotta get Tom out of there first. We'll iron out the rest when that is settled." He chuckled, "Tonight is the first time that Colonel Flint ever called me friend." He shook his head slowly. "I don't know what to make of that."

 

"There's a stand of trees just to the east, above the camp. We can meet there before dawn." I looked again at the sky. "The moon is about to show itself. Forget about the colonel for now." I added as he turned again to go, "Like you said, we can iron the rest out when this is done."