Death Valley (by MonicaSJ)

When Adam and Mike arrived at the camp, they were joined by the few Aha macave that had retreated to the rocks after the battle.

“Empote quatacheech will not return,” said Quaskette howa sadly. Our numbers are too small to fight. We must join with another band.” He turned and motioned for the remaining members of the band to begin breaking their camp. They would take what they could carry, leaving the rest behind. He turned back to Adam and Mike. “Chacha hoda cannot stay,” he said to Adam. “If the soldiers find her, they will keep her at the mine for many days before they take her to the reservation. If they find she has white blood, they will take her to the prison of the white man.”

Ben stepped forward. “Adam, the army knows she’s been helping her people. They’re looking for her. She can’t go back to Aurora.”

Mike looked out across the top of the small mesa. “I do not belong…anywhere.”

“What about the Shoshoni?” asked Adam. “Can’t you go back there?”

“I will bring the soldiers to them.”

“Not if you stay there and hide. Don’t go back to Aurora.”

“But who will bring the medicine?”

Adam took her by the arms. “I don’t know, but it can’t be you. It won’t do them any good if you get caught.”

She bowed her head. “I will go to the Shoshoni. I will find a way to bring the medicine. I can walk with the white man without being seen.”

Adam flared his nostrils in frustration. He would have to figure out how to reason with her when they were back with the Shoshoni. Right now, they had to leave. “You’ll travel with us. We’ll go back the way we came in.” He turned to his father. “The Army will be looking for us. We have to get back to Aurora before they find us.”

“Adam, I sent a telegram to Colonel Adamson in San Francisco. I don’t know how long it will take them to get here, but I expect they’ll close down these mines,” said Ben.

“That will be good for the Aha macave, but it’s too late for us. We should leave soon. How’s Joe?”

“He’ll survive. He’s pretty worn out, but with a little food and water, he’ll be alright,” answered Ben.

“I hope so, Pa. He’s got a ways to travel.”

Adam and Mike packed their belongings, taking some of the corn and dried meat. Adam wore his gun now. There was no point in hiding his identity with his father and brothers with him. Besides that, he had the feeling he would need it before they reached the Shoshoni.

As they packed the horses they watched while the Aha macave climbed down from the small mesa carrying their belongings on their backs, silently disappearing into the canyons and rocks of the desert. In no more than a minute, they were gone.

Adam and Mike traveled the same way they had come, avoiding the open desert, making hidden camps, removing all evidence that they had been there. Ben watched as Adam turned into an Indian, wearing his breechcloth, climbing the rocks and cliffs as silently as Mike, preparing their camp and meals, and breaking camp, leaving no trace. They made four shelters at night, Ben sleeping in a shelter with Joe, Hoss sleeping by himself, the two ranch hands sharing a shelter and Adam, sleeping in his breechcloth with Mike. Mike wore her skirt and shirt, as uncomfortable with going without in front of the white men that were with them as she would be in Aurora. She was proud that Adam continued to wear his breechcloth and travel in bare feet. She had come to think of Adam as one of her people.

One day out, the soldiers caught up to them. As they turned their horses to run, the men fired at the soldiers who were firing on them. No one heard or noticed when Mike was hit. She kept riding on until they had reached cover, and even then, hid her pain from them. It was night before they tried to leave under cover of darkness. They quietly left the soldiers behind, traveling on foot for a distance, then mounting their horses. It was only then that Adam noticed her wound when she couldn’t pull herself up on her horse. He pulled her away from the horse, holding her as she slowly sank to the ground. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“We did not have the time to stop,” she said weakly.

“Adam, how is she?” asked Ben.

Adam shook his head. “If we could have stopped the bleeding earlier…she’s lost a lot of blood. We have to get her to the Shoshoni,” said Adam, covering her wound as best he could. Ben handed her up to Adam after he mounted his horse. He held her for the rest of the trip until the Shoshoni found them and took them to the Shoshoni village.

“What has happened?” asked Kimama, looking at the wound. “Ayasha has been shot by a white man’s gun?” she said, glaring at Adam and motioning for others to come take her. The Shoshoni went into a hut while the Cartwrights waited.

When Adam tried to enter the hut, he was stopped by one of the men. “You carry a white man’s gun. You are not Shoshoni.”

Ben drew Adam back away from the hut, frowning, watching him as he silently paced.

Soon, all the Shoshoni left the hut except for Kimama, having done all they could do. Kimama stayed and prayed. Ayasha held her hand out to her grandmother. “Hutsi’, do not blame Adam. I was hit by the bullet of a soldier. Adam has fought bravely for the Aha macave and the Shoshoni. He is tsaa’ mukua. I wish to speak to him.”

Kimama left the hut and stood in front of Adam. “She wishes to speak to you.”

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Author: MonicaSJ

I'm an Primary Software Engineer who writes technical manuals and was talked into writing fan fiction. I love all things outdoors, including my horses. I also love that I live in the mythical Cartwright stomping grounds and roam all the way from Virginia City to San Francisco looking for old roads, ghost towns and stagecoach stops. My favorite pastime is taking a 'no technology' weekend on horseback with a pack horse into the area around Lake Tahoe and the Desolation Wilderness. I do, however, take a GPS with me, so I don't get lost.

2 thoughts on “Death Valley (by MonicaSJ)

  1. Thanks for this story. To write it in so many chapters allowed to keep the orientation while reading it in several steps.

    1. SS, sorry for taking so long to reply to your review. I’m afraid life has gotten so busy, I’m not on the forums much these days. I’m just now getting a chance to skinny down my pending emails. I’m glad you appreciated the separation of the chapters. I tend to write long stories, so putting them in the library chapter by chapter takes time, but I like you appreciate the ability to come and go and not lose my place. You are very welcome!

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