Sagebrush

  He turned to Pedro and told him to let Juanita look down the mine-shaft. “That shaft is more than two hundred feet deep. You’ll never be found unless we tell the miners where those mountain men threw your body. That vein of gold played out years ago, and no one ever goes down there anymore. It’ll be easy to just give you a push, and down you’ll go. Then everything will belong to me. Everything will belong to me!” he repeated with a wild, crazy look. “So, why am I fooling around with you?”

  Sage saw them holding Juanita’s head over the dark hole and knew that if they found out that he was there, they would immediately drop her into the open shaft. He had to act quickly, but two guards were between him and Juanita. He picked up a stone and threw it back toward the opening of the tunnel.

  “What was that?” the guard just ahead of Sage asked.

  “You’d better check it out!” the one farther in yelled.

  Sage stepped back into the shadows and waited. After the guard passed, he followed him and quietly eliminated him.

  The other guard called out, “What did you find?” No answer. Sage heard him mumble, “What do you suppose could have happened?”

  “Well, go find out, you idiot,” Vacca retorted.

  The second guard rushed back into the tunnel to check on the first guard. As he passed Sage in the tunnel, Sage pulled him into the shadows, and now there were no guards at all.

  Pedro said to Juanita, “I’m tired of fooling around with you.”

  He started dragging her to the opening of the mineshaft. Juanita was desperate. She knew Sage would be coming for her as soon as he found out that she was not at the hotel. She looked back down the tunnel leading to the opening of the mine hoping to see him coming to rescue her. She saw him! He was signaling to her, indicating that she should sign the papers.

  Juanita knew she must do nothing that would attract the attention of her captors to the fact that Sage was hidden in the tunnel.

  “Oh, all right! I’ll sign,” she said reluctantly.

  They dragged her back to the table where they had the papers ready for her signature. As soon as she was away from the danger of being pushed into the mineshaft, Sage jumped into the room and knocked Alvarez unconscious. Juanita broke free from Vacca and ran to Sage. Vacca was right behind her with a long, thin knife in his hand. Sage drew Juanita behind him and faced the killer.

  Pedro glared at Sage. “I’ve heard of your skill with that knife. Now, we’ll see just how good you really are. I’ve killed many men with this knife, and I’m just about to add you to that list.”

  Vacca was advancing slowly, slashing with the long-bladed knife. He had a sadistic sneer on his face.

  Sage waited, crouched like a lion. He was again the silent, stealthy warrior, half lion-half man. There was a fury in his eyes that Bonnie had told Juanita about. It was the fury she had seen when the two gunmen tried to kill her in the canyon. And the same fury the people of the wagon train saw when he killed the two Indians attacking Sally.

  Juanita was so fascinated by this wild, young giant that she almost forgot that she was watching a struggle that could end only with the death of one or the other of the men.

  Vacca saw the same look, that she had and he too, had never seen that look in the eyes of a man. A cold chill ran up his spine.

  He yelled, “There’s no man on earth who can beat me in a knife fight. I’ll put an end to this and throw you both down that mineshaft.” He laughed wickedly. “And I’ll throw that uncle of yours down that mine shaft, also. Who needs a weakling like that? I’ll take over the whole thing.”

  Vacca was maneuvering, trying to get Sage into a position where he had the open mineshaft at his back. Sage knew this killer was very quick, and had lots of experience in knife fighting. Sage remembered the technique he had seen a mountain lion use in overcoming an antelope. The lion had used its paw to trip the running antelope, and before the antelope could get to its feet, the lion was at its throat.

  Vacca was thrusting with his knife. Sage was avoiding the thrusts, allowing himself to be maneuvered: He wanted the open mineshaft at his back. When he was aligned just right, he waited for the thrust that he knew would be coming. When it did, he dropped to the ground on his side, tripping Vacca with his foot. Vacca’s forward movement carried him headlong into the open mineshaft. Sage and Juanita listened to his fast-descending scream as he plummeted to the bottom of the hole.

  Sage ran to Juanita and took her in his arms. She was trembling like an aspen tree in a violent wind. He held her until she began to recover. She had been through a terrible ordeal. For the past half-hour she had expected to be killed. She knew that signing the paper would not have saved her life. Her uncle just wanted proof that she had willingly relinquished the ownership of her land.

  Juanita and Sage heard a groan coming from the uncle. Sage quickly removed a shirt from one of the guards and used it to bind and blindfold Jose. He had to decide what to do with this despicable man.

  * * *

  Earlier, when Pat and Joe had watched Sage disappear into the mine, Joe remarked, “I don’t feel right letting him go into that mine by himself.”

  “I don’t worry about him as much as I feel sorry for anyone in there doing harm to Juanita,” Pat replied. “I’ve seen what that young man can do to people he doesn’t like, and he’s a terror to behold.”

  A bullet ricocheted off a rock near their heads. Vacca’s men were coming up the hill amass.

  Pat said, “Looks like we’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest. There are at least twenty of them coming up that hill!”

  “We’re going to be busy for a while,” Joe exclaimed. “Let’s duck into these boulders. I’m glad we have these revolvers. With these guns, we'll give them a fight. I hope Sage doesn’t take too long in there. We may need his help. Keep your eye out for sagebrush; he’ll probably crawl out from under it.”

  Bullets were flying fast and furious.

  “Wait until they get in range of these revolvers. We’ll give them a big surprise,” Joe commented.

  Soon the men coming up the mountain were in range. With every shot fired by Joe or Pat, one of the attackers dropped. The miners climbing the hill soon realized what was happening and withdrew out of range of those deadly revolvers. At rifle range, they had the advantage. They had more people, and their weapons were effective at a greater distance. The mountain men had rifles, but they had to reload after every shot.

  “We can’t wait here!” Joe exclaimed. “As soon as it gets light, they’ll pick us off!”

  They heard gunfire coming from the opening of the mine. At first, they thought the guards in the mine were firing at them. Then they saw Sage standing in the dim light of the opening the mine firing at the men with the rifles.

  “Let’s get into that tunnel with Sage,” Joe yelled, “we can hold off an army from inside that mine.”

  “Well, we’d better do it now, before they get any closer. It will be very difficult to get into that mine without getting shot.”

  Joe motioned to Sage indicating what he and Pat were planning to do. Sage was closer to the miners, so his pistols were still in range. He began laying down a cover of fire until Joe and Pat were inside the mine.

  Sage drew them farther inside the tunnel and told them what had happened. They saw Alvarez trussed up like a chicken with Juanita standing guard over him using Sage’s muzzle-loading pistol.

  Sage said, “We’ve got to decide what we’re going to do with Juanita’s uncle.”

  “I know what I would like to do with him,” Joe answered. “Untie him and maybe he’ll try to escape, and that’ll solve our problem.”

  “No, I promised Juanita we wouldn’t kill him.”

  Pat looked at Juanita. “After what he tried to do to you, do you still feel the same?”

  “When I was looking into that mineshaft,” she replied, “if I had been holding a gun, I would have killed him myself. But now, I can’t do it. I have to find a way to get him out of the country before someone
does with him what I should do.”

  “We’re trapped, you know,” Pat pointed out. “They can’t get to us, but we can’t get to food or water.”

  “Carlos will be here soon with his vaqueros, and they will have the local miners with them. They’ll deal with Vacca’s men. From what I’ve heard, some of the local miners have a score to settle with that slave driver, Vacca. Let’s just wait and give Carlos and his men a chance to settle their score with this bunch of killers. Then, if there are any of Vacca’s men left, they’ll be glad to skedaddle back to Mexico.”

  Sage added, “We’ve got to decide what to do with these vermin. They’ll give up when they realize that Vacca is dead and Alvarez is our prisoner. Alvarez can tell them that they are vastly outnumbered. The local miners will want to deal with these men, and they’ll want to do it in their own way, but I think there’s a better way. I suggest that we turn Alvarez, this disgusting piece of humanity loose, and let him go back to Mexico with the killers he hired. That way, we solve all of our problems at the same time.”

  “That sounds like a good idea,” Juanita said. “He gave me an ultimatum. Now I’ll give him one. We’ll give him enough gold to get him back to Spain where he can live with his father’s people.”

  “Those bandits will probably steal it from him before he gets to Mexico,” Pat said.

  “He has a choice,” Joe agreed. “He can ride alone and face the Apaches, or he can ride with that bunch of thieves. It seems appropriate to me, thieves stealing from thieves. There’s just one problem with that method. What’s to stop him from hiring a group of men and coming back?”

  “Would you come back,” Pat asked, “knowing there are nearly a hundred angry miners wanting to kill you? I wouldn’t, and I don’t think he will either.”

  “All right, untie him,” Sage said. “Perhaps we can save some bloodshed.”

  They untied Alvarez and explained the situation to him.

  “Uncle Jose,” Juanita said tearfully, “we’ll give you a horse and a pack mule to carry your supplies. The pack mule will have to carry the bullion we are going to give you. You take the men you and Vacca hired back to Mexico with you. If you’re ever seen in New Mexico again, we’ll turn you over to the miners you mistreated. Now, call to your men and explain the situation to them.”

  Pat glared at Jose. “You’d better understand one thing: Sage made a promise to Juanita that he would not kill you. But neither Joe nor I made that kind of promise.”

  “Yeah,” Joe said. “Your killers shot Bonnie’s father, and there’s nothing that would make me happier than for you to try to escape.”

  “How much gold can I take?” Alvarez asked.

  “A pack mule can carry two hundred pounds,” Pat replied. “If you’re smart, you’ll use part of that carrying capacity for carrying food and water. In the desert, both of those things are more valuable than gold. If you load your mule too heavily, you’ll kill him, and you’ll end up carrying the gold on your own back. That’s your limitation. You decide.”

  Alvarez stepped to the entrance of the mine and called out, “Vacca is dead. I am their prisoner. More than a hundred miners and vaqueros will be here in less than one hour. If we go now, we can go back to Mexico. If we don’t go now, we’ll be killed when the other miners and vaqueros get here. I suggest we take them up on their offer.”

  Sage stepped out to where the miners coming up the hill could see him, and yelled, “If you agree, lay down your guns, and put your hands in the air. Any man who tries to escape or use a concealed weapon will be killed. If you understand, then start walking forward, but make no mistake, one false move and you’ll be shot.”

  Sage turned to Alvarez. “You better explain it to them. My Spanish is not that good, and I don’t want them, or you, to misunderstand.”

  Alvarez repeated Sage’s words and added, “Don’t try anything foolish. They are just looking for a reason to kill us.”

  The men came forward and stood in a bunch just outside the entrance to the mine. Sages sensed danger and saw one of the imported miners with a knife in his hand step forward and try to grab Juanita. She slipped from his grasp, and in the blink of an eye, the killer looked down at the silver-plated handle of a knife protruding from the center of his chest.

  Joe, with his hands poised over his revolvers, said, “All right, is there anyone else who would like to try that? Try it, and die.”

  They heard a yell. It was Carlos and his men coming up the hill. The mistreated miners were looking to settle the score. It seemed a shame to deny them their revenge, but Sage had agreed to let the prisoners go.

  Sage stepped forward and called out, “Carlos, I gave my word that they wouldn’t be harmed if they surrendered. Will you and your men return with them to their camp? Let them pick up their horses and their things. Make them walk south for three days, then leave them, and let them deal with the Apaches and the desert if they can.” Pointing to Alvarez, he said, “Take this snake and his pack mule with you.”

  “Carlos, old friend,” Pat said, “if you’ll come with me, we’ll go with the miners and vaqueros. I want to see that this is well done. We have a promise to keep, and we must drive this vermin out of the country.”

  Carlos said, “Me and my sons will be happy to go with you. Gracias, Señor.”

  Sage asked Juanita, “What do you want to do with this wagonload of gold and silver bullion? There’s at least a ton of it here.”

  “After my uncle has taken what he was promised,” Juanita replied, “I suggest that we take the rest to the hacienda and store it until we can take it to either St. Louis or Mexico City.”

  Sage said to Pat, “Joe and I will escort Juanita and the bullion back to the Diego ranch. If you walk these hired killers south for three days, you’ll be able to return on in two days, so we’ll see you at the ranch in five days. If you haven’t returned in six days, Joe and I will lead a group of men to find you.”

  Carlos said, “Don’t worry about us; we’ll do just fine. Hasta luego.”

  “There’ll be no working at the mine today,” Juanita told the local miners. “Before you return to work, you must select the man who will be in charge. I suggest you select the man who was in charge before Vacca took over. He was a good foreman, and you know what to expect from him, and he knows what to expect from you. You’ll all receive full pay for helping to escort this bad influence out of our country.”

  “Si, Señorita. It’s an honor to be working for the Diego family again,” Carlos said.

  Pat went to Sage and Juanita. “We have them ready to start walking south.” He turned to Joe. “Look what I found in their quarters: cartons of cartridges for the revolvers. They were prepared for war. We don’t need to get cartridges from the trading post. We have two cartons right here: I’ll keep what I need and put the rest in the wagon.”

  Pat then said to the vaqueros, “Let’s get’em started south!”

  One of the vaqueros drove the wagon, and Joe rode with him trailing his horse behind. Juanita and Sage, with other vaqueros, followed. The bright winter sun streamed through the pine trees, and the horses' hooves stirred up little puffs of dust as they trotted. Herds of antelope grazed in the meadows. One would never have guessed that a life-and-death struggle had just occurred, and a great wrong had been righted. Sage was feeling good; he had fulfilled his obligation to his father, and fulfilled his father’s promise to Don Diego.

  Under his breath, Michael asked, “Father, are you pleased?” Almost as if in answer to his question a flock of quail flew up, sunlight glistened off their wings. Michael imagined his father’s voice saying, “Yes, son, you have done well.”

  Juanita reached from her horse and placed her hand on his arm, and said, “Thank you, Michael. Words alone are not sufficient to express my gratitude. I know my father and grandfather would be pleased to have me share the ranch with one so worthy. You are now legally half-owner and manager of the hacienda and all its lands. What a relief it is to have it in such capable h
ands.”

  With admiration, she gazed upon the face of the man she loved. She was sure of his love and knew that he had other duties to perform before he could make a final commitment to her. She would wait, hoping the wait wouldn’t be too long, or his duties too difficult.

  When they reached Santa Fe, the miners began dropping off as they passed their dwellings. Their wives and children were eagerly waiting, but before they left, they each came to Sage and Juanita and expressed their gratitude.

  At last, Sage, Joe, and Juanita reached the hacienda and placed the bullion in the big house. Pat was helping to escort the bad men south. Joe was going home to Bonnie. Juanita was again safe in her home with people she had known all her life. For the first time in almost a year, Sage was alone. He was uncertain about what to do next.

  “This is your home,” Juanita said. “Stay here at El Casa Grande.”

  “No,” Sage replied. “It would be torture for me to sleep so near to you and not be able to have you. I’ll wait. I’ll go back to the hotel, get my things, and live for a time in the mountains. I’ll ride the lands I am to manage. I’ll use the charts you have shown me as a guide.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Juanita said. “Father showed me the land when I was ten, but I remember it well.”

  “Thank you, Juanita. There’s nothing I would like better than to share a ride like that with you. One day you and I will take the ride together, and we will do it without compromising your reputation. We were fortunate to have that time alone up in the canyon. There was no one to see our lovemaking except our Creator, and I know the heavens smiled upon us that night. You are well known, and too important to me and this whole community to place you and your name in jeopardy.”

  “You are right,” Juanita said, “but don’t forget, you are to meet Pat and the vaqueros in five days.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be back,” Sage said.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Taking Over the Management

  For five days, Sage rode every river, creek, draw, hill, and valley of the ranch he was to manage. He rode through canyons, meadows, mountains, and he saw places where nothing indicated that men had ever been. Animals were so tame they let him touch them. The land was beautiful and wild. He understood the fascination that mountain men felt for this place. The Diego Ranch contained so much land it seemed wrong for one man to own it all, but as its new manager, it was his duty to preserve and protect it, and he would do his best.