After the storytelling, each man retired to his bedroll and to his own thoughts while he waited for sleep to overtake him. Each looked at the sky with the whole universe in display. It was a time to think and reflect on your life. Sage thought about where he came from, and where he wanted to go.
* * *
After they went through the pass, Bent’s Fort was only a few hours’ ride away, and they reached the trading post before dark. People were there from all over the area. There were mountain men, hunters, trappers, adventurers, prospectors, and people from other wagon trains on their way west. Grant knew the wagon masters, and Pat knew many of the mountain men. They drank and swapped stories.
White women were rare in the West, and the women from the wagon train were attracting a lot of attention. The fathers and husbands of the women were nervous, but the women were enjoying the attention while pretending to be indifferent to it. It was always an explosive situation, having women around men who had not seen a woman for a long time. Most men were shy, but some were bold. And that always caused trouble. Fathers didn’t want their daughters getting involved with these men. They were not good prospects as husbands, and they sure didn’t want their wives getting pregnant as a result of an encounter with one of these men.
The trading post was surprisingly well stocked. It had goods for mountain men and the travelers alike. Grant and Pat bought the things they needed. Sage was in luck. Becknell was at the trading post buying the trade goods for his mule train to St. Louis. Grant introduced him to Sage. Sage told Becknell he would like to join his train eastbound and that he would be hauling a load of silver bullion to St. Louis.
“I’ll buy it from you here,” Becknell said, “or I’ll haul it for you. I’ll guarantee that I’ll try to get your silver to the market, but I can’t guarantee I’ll get it there. That’s why the price I pay for it here is much less than you could get for it in St. Louis. If you want to bring your own wagon and driver, I’ll be glad to have you along for the added guns to protect my goods as well as yours. You’ll be responsible for your own wagon and animals. I suggest you bring an extra pair of mules and a couple of extra wheels for your wagon. Wagons do break down, and we can’t take the time to repair them on the trail. You can’t leave a load of silver bullion lying out on the plains; it might not be there when you get back.”
Grant told Becknell, “This young man has experience on the trail, and he will be a good man to have along in case of trouble. I’ll see to it that he has all the tools and supplies he’ll need.”
“Then, be here in two weeks,” Becknell said. “That’s when we’ll be leaving.”
“I’ll be here with my wagon and drivers, thank you,” Sage replied. Then he turned to Pat and said, “Well, fellows, as soon as I can buy a ring for Juanita, I’ll be ready to get back for Joe and Bonnie’s wedding.”
“Sounds good,” Pat responded. “We’ll camp on the trail. The mules will be loaded, so the journey back will take a little longer, although after we go through the pass, it’s downhill all the way.”
Sage was happy with the mustang Joe had selected for him—he was strong, fast, and sure-footed. He was eager and manageable. Sage trained him to come when he whistled and named him “Rambler.” A rider needs to be friends with his horse. The horse and rider are a team; each looks out for the other. The mustang was not as showy as the Arabian stallion, but he was more dependable because he had been bred to the rugged West.
Sage said, “I’ll have to remember to thank Joe for making a good selection. Rambler is the right horse for this rough country.”
The trip back was easy, and Sage was eager to see Juanita. He knew what he needed to do to get ready to take the load of silver to market. He would have to go all the way to St. Louis, sell the silver in exchange for gold coins. Then his men would return with the coins to Santa Fe. He would accompany the train to St. Louis and stay with it on the way back until it reached the point closest to his cave. There, he would leave the train and go on alone to keep his promise to Evening Star. He would go to his cave first. It would be like going home. Sometimes he missed the evenings watching his little animal friends playing in the meadow.
When Sage arrived back at El Casa Grande, Juanita was expecting him and came running to greet him. She wanted to show him the results of the four days’ work on diverting the stream. One more day and they would be ready to start the water flowing. The water would run through the courtyard, and everyone was excited. Juanita told him how wonderful it was to have the people working together again.
One of the vaqueros came to get Sage’s horse Rambler.
Sage said, “Take good care of the horse; Rambler will be a good mount for the journey to St. Louis.”
When Sage was sure the horse would be well tended, he went into the big house with Juanita. The housekeepers had a meal prepared. Sage told Juanita about the trip and his plans for taking the bullion to St. Louis. Juanita was pleased that they would get twice as much for the silver this way. That was equal to a year’s work for all their miners. She hated to see him go, but it was a trip worth making.
After the meal, they went for a walk in the twilight. Sage gave her the ring as a pledge that he would return. With tears in her eyes, she accepted the ring and promised to wear it in memory of his promise, and to wait for his return. Sage told her that when he returned, they would be married, if she would consider sharing her life with him.
“You are the man I want for my husband,” Juanita whispered. “I’ll wait for you no matter how long it takes. But please hurry back. My life will be empty until you return.”
She continued, “I’ve been working with Bonnie, helping her get ready for their wedding. A protestant minister will marry them in the little chapel in Santa Fe. There’ll be a wedding reception at the McBain Ranch. Many of the ranch owners and many of the business people of Santa Fe will be there.
“Everyone will get a chance to meet the new bride and groom, and get acquainted with the new manager. We have changed the name of the Cordova Ranch to the McBain Ranch. The guests will also be looking forward to meeting the new owner. They’ve heard much about you. I’m so proud of you. You must be tired. Will you sleep in one of the guest rooms? We have a room ready.”
“Yes, I’m tired, and I’ll sleep here tonight. Tomorrow I want to see the work you’ve done. I want to be here for the opening of the stream and watch the water make its first run through the grounds. I want to thank you and all of the workers for working so hard and getting it done so quickly. Then I have to prepare the wagon and get the supplies ready for the trip to St. Louis. There’s much to be done, and we have only a few days to do it.
“I’ll prepare the wagon so it can be defended from either bandits or Indians. We’ll be hauling valuable cargo, so I’ll make the wagon into a rolling fortress. Men will be able to stand inside it and defend it against all attackers. We’ll build sideboards of heavy wood that can be quickly put into place. The defenders will be able to remove the sideboards and store them under the wagon when they’re not in use. There’ll be a false bottom in the wagon to hide the gold coins we’ll be hauling back from St. Louis. The wagon will look like just another freight wagon loaded with trade goods. Should anyone look for the gold, they won’t find it.”
“That’s a wonderful idea. The workers will be glad to help you fortify the wagon and prepare it for the journey. I’ll feel better knowing you’re prepared in the event of trouble. It’s such a long and dangerous trip, and I fear for you. Yes, I know you’re capable of handling yourself, but still, I’ll worry.”
“Please tell the ladies that I’m an early riser, and I’ll want breakfast at sunrise. If that’s too early for you, then I’ll see you when you get up.”
“No, I want to have breakfast with you. Then I want to show you what we did while you were gone.”
Sage took her in his arms and said, “I’d better not hold you like this very long; I won’t be able to sleep. Good night, I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow
morning.”
The guest room was spacious. The bed frame was made of heavy wood with a mattress of linen stuffed with cotton. It had linen sheets with pillows. The room was furnished with a table made from hand-cut wood and two stuffed leather chairs. The bathtub was filled with hot water; soap and towels lay nearby. The room was lit by candles. This was better than his room at the hotel. One of the ladies knocked on the door and told him to leave his clothes outside his door so that they could be washed.
“They will be ready when you awake tomorrow morning,” she said.
This is a wonderful way to live. I could learn to like this. It’ll take me a while to adjust, but I could learn to like having someone attend to my needs.
For Sage to go from having no human companionship at all, to having someone serving his every need was almost too much. He was used to doing things for himself, and it made him uneasy having others doing things for him. Before he went to sleep, he wondered where Juanita was sleeping.
I better not think about her, or I won’t get any sleep.
When he awoke, his clothes were impeccably done. He washed his face and shaved, then went to the dining room. Two ladies were there, ready to serve him. They asked him what he wanted for breakfast. He told them he would like two scrambled eggs, with bacon, coffee, and bread.
Then he said, “Please wait to prepare it until Juanita arrives. I want to have breakfast with her.”
They brought him a cup of coffee while he waited. He didn’t have to wait long. Juanita soon appeared. She was beautiful in her bright, shiny boots with a dark skirt and white blouse; her hair was combed back, showing her fine profile.
She smiled and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek and asked, “How did you sleep?”
“I slept well.” Turning to the housekeepers he said, “And thank you, ladies, for the nice bed and for having my bath ready. Also, thank you for washing my clothes.”
Juanita smiled. “I’ll have whatever Sage is having.”
The ladies smiled and brought the food. Juanita told Sage about all the exciting things that had been happening. After breakfast, she took his hand to show him the work that they had done on the streambed.
“All that’s left to do,” she said, “is to complete the leaching fields. Leaching will filter the water so it will be clean before it reenters the river. Then we’ll open the dam at the head of the stream, and the water will begin flowing through the grounds.”
Everyone was up early to see this happen. At first, the running water picked up the dirt in the channel, but soon the dirt was washed away, and the stream ran clear. Each lady wanted to be the first to get water from the new stream.
“Now we must do the same thing for Joe and Bonnie,” Juanita suggested.
The workers agreed. “We’re ready to start.”
“We’ll have to wait until after the wedding,” Sage said. “We don’t want to interfere with their wedding plans. As soon as the wedding is over, we’ll begin the work.”
The man, whom the miners had selected as their foreman, said, “If we can’t do the new channel, let’s go back to work at the mines.”
“The first thing you must do,” Sage said, “is to fill that old mineshaft. It’s too dangerous to leave it open.”
The workers were glad to erase all traces of the hated Vacca from the mine forever.
“We’ll do that today,” the foreman replied. “Bring your tools, men, let’s go.”
Sage called out, “I need two carpenters and one blacksmith to work with me today.”
Three men stepped forward. Sage showed them what he wanted done, and showed them how he wanted metal brackets attached to the sides of the wagon to hold sideboards that could be quickly assembled or disassembled. When the sideboards were assembled, eight men could stand behind them and fire through openings cut into the boards without exposing themselves to attackers. Then he had the workers build a false bottom in the wagon for hauling concealed cargo. The workers were surprised; the idea was so simple yet so effective.
“Why has it never been done before?” they asked.
“It has been done,” Sage said. “I learned it from my father.”
They made a container to hold an extra supply of water for the animals. The wagon was rigged to carry two extra wheels and two more racks for barrels: one for salt pork, and the other for flour and meal. They made containers to carry coffee and other necessities. Sage made sure he had a bucket of grease for the wheels.
After this was done, the wagon was ready. Sage talked to Grant and Pat, both experienced men, in what a wagon would need. He wanted to be sure that he hadn’t forgotten anything.
When he showed the wagon to Juanita, she said, “I don’t know much about fighting Indians, but it looks to me like eight men could stand off a whole tribe of Indians from inside that wagon.”
“That’s the idea. We can use this wagon for future deliveries of our bullion to the best markets available, without having to sell the bullion for less than it is worth. I’m ready, and now I can concentrate on running the ranch and being the best man for Joe, at his wedding. I’d like to have a meeting with you and Carlos. Let’s see if Carlos can talk with us for a while.”
Juanita asked one of the workers to find Carlos and have him meet them in the big house. Juanita and Sage waited for Carlos while the men working on the wagon put the finishing touches to it. When Carlos arrived, they sat in the center room.
Sage said, “We must produce everything we need. About the only things we can’t provide are things like baking soda and cooking spices. We have a wagon going to St. Louis, and it will haul a load on the way back, so make a list of what each of you need. Perhaps we should buy a plow for tilling the fields. We could bring back things like vanilla, cinnamon, black pepper, and salt, just to name a few things that will make our lives more interesting.”
“That’s a wonderful idea,” Juanita said. “I’ll make a list, too.
Maybe you could buy books for the children. If we’re going to teach them to read and write, they’ll need books.”
Carlos was normally a calm man, but today he was excited. “The plows are a good idea. We’ll need extra plow shears. I’ll make a list, also. We’ll use the water from the diverted stream to irrigate the fields.”
“Carlos, work with Juanita,” Sage suggested. “The two of you will run the ranch while I’m gone. Juanita, you can rely on Joe and Bonnie for help. They’ll be glad to work with you in any way you need. The wagon will be back this summer, and I’ll be back no later than this fall. Carlos, would you select two good reliable men, to drive the mules? I want to train them to use guns, also. Single men would be best. I don’t want to put the fathers of children at risk on such a dangerous journey. Please send them to me tomorrow morning when I’ll begin their training.”
“Si, Señor, I know two young men who will be glad to make the journey.”
“Good. Also,” Sage continued, “I need four good mules for pulling the wagon. We’ll be leaving in five days. We have to meet the mule train in ten days. Now I have to meet with Joe and Frank to arrange for them to begin the work on their ranch. Juanita, would you like to ride with me? You could visit with Bonnie while I talk to Joe and Frank.”
“Yes, I’ll be ready in a few minutes,” Juanita answered.
“Carlos, I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll get your list and meet the young men at that time.”
“Si, Señor, mañana.
The ride along the river was pleasant. It was an early spring day. Flowers were just beginning to bloom. It was a wonderful time for two young people in love. They talked of the things they wanted to do with the ranch. They were thinking of their life together, but neither wanted to talk about it until Sage returned.
When they arrived at the McBain Ranch, they found everyone preparing for the wedding, which was only two days away. Juanita went to Bonnie and Thelma and offered her help. They were preparing to receive guests.
Sage found Joe; he wanted to talk to him and Frank.
Joe called his prospective father-in-law, and they sat down with Sage. Sage told them about the diversionary stream and suggested they do the same.
“You can use the water for irrigation, and the plants in the fields will filter the water before it flows back into the river,” Sage explained.
They liked the idea. Then Sage asked if they had enough money to operate the ranch until they could build up a herd of horses to make it profitable. They thought they had enough, but it might get a little tight down the road a ways. Sage told them to use some of the gold coins that were left to him by his father. This would allow them to develop the ranch at a more rapid pace until they could get horses ready to sell.
He then suggested that they grow crops to make their ranch and its people self-sufficient, like they were doing at Juanita’s ranch. The excess crops could be sold in Santa Fe to get extra cash for operating the ranch. They immediately saw the advantage of doing it that way.
Sage said, “I’ll be bringing plows back from St. Louis for the Diego ranch. I could bring plows for you as well. I can buy another wagon if more space is needed. There’ll be plenty of men in St. Louis who’ll be willing to drive the mules.”
Joe and Frank were pleased and said they would make a list. Everything necessary to succeed had been taken care of.
Sage told Joe how pleased he was with the horse he had selected in exchange for the stallion. He mentioned that a cross between the Arabian and mustang would produce a horse that would have size and stamina. Such an animal would have the advantage of both breeds. He suggested they round up as many wild horses they could, and select only the best for breeding purposes. In that way, they would have a herd in no time. They could sell the animals that weren’t good enough for breeding purposes, and keep the rest.
Joe and Frank agreed and were eager to start rounding up wild horses.
“Now, let’s get back to helping the ladies,” Sage said.
When they were again in the company of the women, he mentioned that he had to get the clothes he would be wearing as best man.
“Juanita is going to be the maid of honor, and she’ll want to get everything ready. Juanita and I will ride into Santa Fe tomorrow morning, but tonight we’ll need a place to sleep.”