A Note about Spanish Terms: This novel is set in northern New Mexico and reflects as much as possible the local dialect at that time. Even today, Northern New Mexico Spanish is a unique combination of late 1500s Spanish, indigenous words from the First Peoples of the region and of Mexico, and terms that filtered in with the French and American trappers and traders. I’ve tried to represent the resulting mixture as faithfully as possible. My primary source of information was Rubén Cobos’ excellent work, A Dictionary of New Mexico and Southern Colorado Spanish (University of New Mexico Press, 2003). Any errors in spelling, usage, or definition are solely my responsibility.

CHAPTER 1

When Gerald tops the low rise and sees the mule-drawn wagons strung out along a rutted track across the prairie, it takes him a moment to adjust. After five days walking westward, he is still absorbing the healing beauty of the wind bending the grass, the bulk of buffalo in the distance. The sweep of the land has been a balm to his eyes. So the eight mule-drawn wagons jolting along the rutted trail below are a bit of a shock.

A loose collection of mules and horses meander to one side. Gerald stops, considering. Approaching the train is the sensible thing to do. It’s pure luck that he hasn’t encountered any Indians so far. But he isn’t quite ready to give up the silent grassland, regardless of the risk to his light brown skin.

Then a long-haired man with a wind-reddened face canters a chestnut-colored horse out from the wagon train. A firearm is braced in the crook of his right arm. Gerald moves toward him, down the slope.

The man on the chestnut reins in at a safe distance, rifle still in a position to be easily lifted and fired. Gerald stops walking and lifts his hands away from his sides, palms out.

“Ya’ll stranded?” the man calls.

Gerald takes off his hat, runs his hand through his curly black hair, and shakes his head. “Headed west.”

The man turns his head and spits. “Lose yer ride?”

“I figure my feet are more dependable.”

The man snorts. “And slower.”

“They also give me a lower profile, out of Indian sight.”

The other man nods begrudgingly, then jerks his head toward the caravan. “Wagon master says come on in, he’ll trade ya for a mount ’n some food.”

“Where are you headed?” Gerald asks.

“Santa Fe, where else?”

“I’m hoping to reach Don Fernando de Taos.”

“Same thing, pretty much. North o’ Santa Fe a couple o’ days.” The man jerks his head toward the wagon train again. “Young’s got a mercantile there.”

“Young?”

“The train master. Ewing Young. He’s been merchanting, bringin’ in goods from Missouri, selling ’em, then goin’ back fer more.” The chestnut stirs restlessly. “Come on in an’ he’ll tell ya himself.”

If he refuses, they’ll suspect him of trouble and who knows where that will lead? Gerald nods and follows the horseman toward the wagons.

As he gets closer, a tall powerfully built man wearing fringed buckskins and a broad-brimmed felt hat walks out from the lead wagon. In his early thirties, the man’s air of command is enhanced by intelligent brown eyes under a high forehead, a hawkish nose, and a mouth that looks as if it rarely smiles.

“Well now, it’s not often we find someone walkin’ the trail,” he says in a Tennessee drawl. He looks steadily into Gerald’s face.

“A horse seemed like an unnecessary expense and more than likely to make me a target,” Gerald says.

“It’s a slow way to travel, though,” the other man observes.

Gerald glances toward the wagon trundling past at the pace of a slow-walking mule. The way it lurches over the rutted track says it’s heavy with goods. “If I had what you’re carrying, it would be,” he says.

The man sticks out his hand. “I’m Ewing Young, owner of this outfit.” He jerks a thumb toward the rider who’d met Gerald on the hill. “This here’s Charlie Westin, my scout.”

Gerald nods at the scout and reaches to shake Ewing Young’s hand. “I’m Gerald Locke Jr., hoping to one day own an outfit.” He grins, gray eyes crinkling in his square brown face. “Though not a wagon outfit.”

Young chuckles. “Well, out here just about anything’s possible.” The last of the wagons trundles past and he gestures at it. “Come along to camp and we’ll talk about how you can get started on that.”

Gerald falls into step with the older man, cursing himself for a fool. He doesn’t need to tell his intentions to everyone he meets. It comes from not speaking to another living being in the last five days, he thinks ruefully. Solitude makes a man too quick to speech. How often has his father repeated, “Words can be a burden”? He’d do well to heed that idea. Especially until he knows the character of the men he’s fallen in with.

So when the small train stops that night, Gerald says nothing of joining his father or of his desire for land. That he’s from Missouri and going west to try his fortune are all that Young needs to know.

It seems to be all he wants to know. The men with him are silent, clearly playing subordinate roles, and the wagon master does the talking, mostly about himself and the part his merchandise is playing in opening up the Santa Fe trade.

“It’s slow goin’ though,” he says. “Now, trappin’s a way to make yourself some real money. But it’s a risky business. You’ve got to throw in with the right men and steer clear of the Mexican officials as much as you can.” He grimaces and shakes his head. “The Mexican government’s as changeable as the weather when it comes to what’s allowed and what’s not.” He takes a sip from his tin cup of coffee. “The best way to do it, is to find a seasoned man to work with. Someone who can show you the ropes and knows whose hands to grease.”

Gerald raises an eyebrow. “New Mexico sounds like it’s not much different from Missouri.”

Young chuckles and looks into the fire. “Oh, it’s different all right. For one thing, the women are more forgiving. And the houses the people live in are like nothin’ you’ve ever seen. But government’s government no matter where you go, so the main thing is to steer clear of it as much as possible. That’s why I like Taos. It’s a good stretch from the official center of things. And it’s within strikin’ distance of good fur country. Trappers bring in the furs and I trade for ’em. Do a little trapping myself, for that matter.” He swings his head, eyes on Gerald’s face. “But Charlie says you’re headin’ there, not Santa Fe. Where’d you learn about Taos, anyhow?”

Gerald shrugs. “I don’t rightly know,” he lies. “Someone passing through, I suppose.”

And that’s all it takes. Young gives him a sharp look, then nods as if he approves. “We could use another man on the remuda,” he says.

Gerald feels something like hope stir in his chest. Could it be this easy?

But then he turns his head and catches the flat contemptuous gaze of a big man with long, matted dirty-blond hair, who’s leaning against a nearby wagon bed. He knows. In spite of Gerald’s light skin that could pass for a tanned white man, and the red highlights in his wavy black hair, he knows.

Rebellion stirs. Gerald’s eyes tighten and he looks deliberately at Ewing Young. “Remuda?” he asks.

Young gestures toward the herd of mules and horses grazing beside the wide, dusty track that breaks across the prairie. “What in New Mexico they call the extra mounts we’ve brought along as spares. I could do with another herder. Not much in wages, but bread and board and a mount.”

Gerald’s lips twitch as he remembers the Missouri farmer who refused his back wages and predicted he’d be back within a month. He looks into Ewing Young’s eyes. “I can do that,” he says.

As he unrolls his bedding that night, Gerald shakes his head. His father’s letter said a man isn’t judged by his color out here. Is it possible that it’s not even noticed? Then he tamps down the tingle of hope. Some men do notice and judge. The dirty-haired blond man with the narrow blue eyes certainly seems to suspect something. Can somehow tell that, along with the Irish and Cherokee blood in Gerald’s veins, there’s blackness in there, too.

Gerald scowls. Somehow, that piece of his heritage outweighs everything else. But not, apparently, for everyone, he reminds himself. And Young is the boss, not the man with the sneer. He’ll just have to wait and see. To work for a man who accepts him as just any other man would be a new experience in itself.

The work is simple enough: keep the loose horses and mules alongside the wagon train, spell a teamster when it’s needed, brush down whatever mount he’s ridden that day. The days are long and, when sundown comes, no one’s in much of a mood for talk.

There’s also guard duty. Each man takes a shift every three nights, watching to make sure the animals don’t stray, or that interested coyotes or wolves don’t get too close. No one speaks of the possibility of human interest in the resting animals, but there’s always that danger, as well.

But it’s another week before there’s any sign of other humans on the prairie. Young’s merchandise train bumps steadily along the dusty Santa Fe Trail, the grass beside it growing ever more golden-brown as the autumn heat bakes the ground, the loose herd wandering a little farther off trail each day as they search for tender shoots in the occasional water seep. Gerald follows their wanderings on his plodding horse, both of them half-asleep in the warm fall sun.

Enoch Jones, the man who’d scowled when Gerald and Young were negotiating Gerald’s pay, is also with the remuda, but he’s made a point of steering clear of Gerald, so Gerald’s lost his edge of concern about the big man. He’s stretching himself sleepily, trying to stay awake, when there’s a sudden hail from the head wagon.

Gerald looks up to see Ewing Young half-standing on the wagon seat. He’s leaning out from the wagon and rotating his arms over his head, signaling the herders to move the remuda closer to the train. Charlie’s on his horse beside the wagon, his head turned to focus on a low ridge to the south.

As the spare animals move closer to the train, Young swings onto a horse and rides out to meet the herders, the scout behind him.

“Charlie tells me we’re goin’ to have company shortly,” Young says. “We’ll make a halt up on that rise ahead.” He gestures toward the loose animals. “When we do, I want all these hobbled or staked close by so they can’t be run off.”

“Comanche?” someone asks.

Young shakes his head. “Pawnee. They should be friendly. They don’t look painted up and he didn’t see any war shields.” He turns to gaze at the ridge to the south. A line of men on ponies is strung out along its top, facing the train. They could be trees, they’re so still. Young turns back to his men. “Go cautious, though. No gun waving. No heroics.”

Enoch Jones growls “Coward,” and there’s a low mutter from the men at the back of the group.

His mount moves restlessly, but Young just turns to his scout. “Charlie, why don’t you go see what they want. Raise both hands comin’ back if they’re lookin’ to trade.”

The scout’s face tightens, but he nods and turns the chestnut’s head. They all watch silently as he trots toward the waiting Indians. When he reaches sign-language distance, half a dozen yards below the ridge, there’s a long tense moment. Charlie moves his hands, then one of the Pawnee moves his. Finally, Charlie turns and begins to trot back, both hands up and waving.

The tension goes out of the group. The herders scatter to gather the remuda and follow the wagons up the trail. When the train stops, the teamsters leave their mules in their traces but the herders vault from their mounts to hobble or stake out the spares. When Gerald’s finished his work, he heads for the train, where the teamsters are pulling boxes of goods from the wagon beds.

Young moves along the little train, confirming what should be displayed and what left covered. “No liquor,” he says as he passes the third wagon. “Move those jugs farther back and cover up that barrel. We don’t need them to know we’ve got all that on board.”

“Too good for ’em anyway,” a teamster chuckles. “Let ’em go t’ Taos for some lightning.”

Young grins. “Make sure it’s well covered,” he says.

Gerald watches in fascination as the Pawnee canter toward the train. Their ponies are full of energy and seem to respond to the slightest touch. The men have no hair on their faces at all, whiskers or eyebrows. Gerald tries not to stare. The sides of their heads are also shaved, leaving a mop of hair and feathers on top. This has been stiffened with something that glints red in the sun, and arranged so it curves up and out over the men’s foreheads like the prow of a ship. Ridges of hair run from this puff toward the back of the warriors’ heads, then hang down their backs in a kind of braided tail. Silver and brass earrings dangle from the Pawnees’ ears.

The Indians vault off their horses and stalk alongside the wagons, looking imperiously at the goods Young’s men have pulled from the boxes. The cloth shirts the warriors are wearing with their buckskin leggings say the Pawnee have traded before. The shirts are weighted down with necklaces of shells and beads.

But it won’t do to stare. After all, Gerald’s seen Indians before, in the Missouri settlements. They aren’t a brand new phenomenon. But they seem different out here, somehow. More at home.

Certainly more confident. A tall young man strides up to Gerald and reaches toward the tooled leather scabbard at Gerald’s waist and the carved wooden handle of the knife protruding from it. Gerald starts to flinch away, then catches himself and forces himself still. He raises his eyebrows and stares inquiringly into the man’s face. The Pawnee points his index fingers into the air, then begins crossing his hands and swinging them up and back, in a kind of arch.

“He’s wantin’ to trade for yer knife,” Charlie says from behind him.

As Gerald turns toward Charlie, the Indian reaches out and pulls Gerald’s knife from its sheath. Gerald’s hand clamps instinctively on the man’s wrist. “Leave it alone!” he snaps.

“Easy now,” Charlie cautions. “Ya hafta agree it’s a right purty thing.”

Gerald turns to the Pawnee and holds out his hand. The man lays the knife in Gerald’s palm. The ten inch double-edged steel blade gleams in the prairie sun. The knife guard is well balanced and solid, the finely carved maple handle cool to the touch. Gerald’s fingers curve around it protectively.

“My father made this for me,” Gerald says. He looks at Charlie. “I won’t trade it.”

Charlie nods and turns to the Pawnee. His hands gesture rapidly and the man looks again at the knife, then into Gerald’s face. He nods, looks at Charlie, moves his own hands in a few fluid gestures, then turns and is gone.

“This talking with the hands is hard to get used to,” Gerald says. “What did you say?”

“That it was made by yer father fer you only, an’ its medicine would be bad fer anyone who takes it away from ya.”

Gerald grins. “He swallowed that?”

“He said it’s good for a man to own such a thing from his ancestors and yer a wise man to protect it.”

“Thanks Charlie. I appreciate it.” Gerald looks down at the knife again, then slips it back into its sheath. He grins. “Guess I’d better try to learn some sign language.”

It’s another eight days before they see more Indians. They’re Kiowa this time, and they also want to trade. Ewing Young agrees and again orders his men to cover the liquor in the third wagon and place a guard on it. “That bourbon isn’t intended for the likes of them,” he says, turning away. He looks at Charlie. “In fact, let’s put all the trade goods up front by the lead wagon.”

But the Kiowa don’t seem at all interested in the third wagon. The older men cluster around the trade goods while the younger men wander freely along the rest of the wagons, stopping now and then to chat in sign language with a teamster or herder, or standing to gaze at the hobbled horses and mules nearby.

Gerald hasn’t been assigned guard duty, but he happens to be passing the fourth wagon when the shoving starts. Enoch Jones staggers to one side and his spine scrapes against the wagon wheel. He comes up in a crouch, long bone-handled knife at the ready. Steel flashes in the hand of the long-haired teenage Kiowa who pushed him, and the men standing guard on the liquor wagon, Charlie included, form a silent circle around the combatants.

Gerald glances toward the third wagon. A younger Indian, no more than a boy, is climbing over the tailgate, his yellow-painted leather moccasins braced on the rim of the big wheels as he leans to push the wagon’s canvas cover to one side.

“Hah!” Gerald shouts. Startled, the youngster looks toward him. Gerald laughs. “Good try!” He waves his hands as he walks toward the wagon, shooing the boy away. The boy looks toward the combatants, shrugs, pushes his long black hair away from his face, and hops down. The wagon guards turn to look. They grin sheepishly, then move back into position.

The teenager who’d pushed Jones glances toward them, then tosses his knife into the dirt and lifts his empty palms toward Jones. He grins mischievously, his silver earrings flashing in the sunlight. Jones scowls in confusion.

“We’ve been had,” one of the guards tells him. “Bloody devils were tryin’ to distract us to get at the liquor.”

“Bastards!” Jones growls. He lunges toward the Kiowa boy, but the Indian dances backwards, swoops down to retrieve his knife, then flashes Jones another smile and turns on his heel to trot toward the men clustered around the lead wagon.

“It’s just a couple of kids,” Gerald says.

Jones glares at him and opens his mouth, but then Charlie says, “They’ll be trying the mules an’ horses next,” and Jones sticks his knife back into his belt and heads off toward the remuda.

That night, Ewing Young settles beside Gerald as they drink the last round of coffee by the fire. “Good work there today,” Young says. “Kept a battle from starting.”

“Would it have gone that far?” Gerald asks in surprise.

“You never can tell. How’d you know what they were up to?”

“I guess I’ve learned to watch out for the unexpected.”

Young grins. “Even Charlie got caught by that one. And here I thought you were a green hand.”

“When it comes to the wilderness, I am,” Gerald says. “But when it comes to people, I’ve got more experience than I would prefer.”

Young studies him, a question in his eyes, but Gerald turns his face to the fire. Once again, he’s said more than he should have. But it doesn’t seem to matter to Young, who nods thoughtfully, then rises to name the men who’ll take the first watch.

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NOT JUST ANY MAN – CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

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NOT JUST ANY MAN – CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

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