{"id":7902,"date":"2012-11-10T10:05:25","date_gmt":"2012-11-10T15:05:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7902"},"modified":"2026-07-29T14:57:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T18:57:08","slug":"death-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7902","title":{"rendered":"Death Valley (by MonicaSJ)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 <\/span>Joe has been kidnapped and taken into Death Valley where an Indian War rages against the white man. Adam hires a mixed heritage guide to navigate the dangers in the desert and deal with the two tribes that live there as he searches for Joe.<\/p>\n

Rated:<\/span>\u00a0T \u00a0WC 19,500<\/span><\/p>\n

Death Valley Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Death Valley<\/a>
\nDeath Valley – Complete Story<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Death Valley<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Chapter One<\/strong><\/p>\n

Adam Cartwright rode into the mining town of Aurora and made his way to the saloon. The eighty miles or so from Virginia City had been long, hot, and dusty, and he was looking forward to a cold beer. As he drank, he turned and looked around the saloon, surveying the faces. When he sat his empty mug back down on the bar, the bartender brought him another beer. \u201cI wonder if you could help me,\u201d said Adam, turning to the bartender. \u201cI\u2019m trying to find someone who\u2019s supposed to be here in town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI pretty much know everyone here. What\u2019s his name?\u201d asked the bartender as he wiped out a whiskey glass.<\/p>\n

\u201cDutton. Mike Dutton. A friend in Virginia City told me he might be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bartender straightened and looked at him suspiciously. \u201cWha\u2019da you want him for?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam took a long drink of the newly arrived beer. \u201cI need a guide, and I was told he was the best one around.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019d be right, if\u2019n he\u2019s willin\u2019. You\u2019ll find Dutton at the livery.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chugged the last of his beer, dropped a dollar coin on the bar, tipped his hat to the bartender and left the saloon. He walked Sport to the livery, stuck his head in the barn door, and called out, \u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n

No one answered from the barn, but as Adam turned to walk to the corral, a skinny fellow in buckskin pants and a loose jacket came around the corner, and seeing Adam standing there, stopped dead in his tracks. \u201cWho are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy name is Cartwright. I\u2019m looking for a guide by the name of Mike Dutton.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man had several bridles looped over both arms. He walked past Adam toward the barn and disappeared inside. Adam followed him and stood in the door, waiting for an answer. Once the man had the bridles hanging on the wall, he turned to Adam. Sunlight from the open barn door brightened the dull interior of the barn around the shadow Adam cast, allowing him to see the man\u2019s face. He studied it for a moment, straining to see in the shadow cast over the face by the man\u2019s hat. When his eyes adjusted, he realized the facial features of this person were too soft for this to be a man. He was speaking with a woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d appreciate it if you could tell me where I could find Mike Dutton.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWha\u2019da you want him for?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled. It seemed everyone he asked about Mike Dutton wanted to know the same thing. \u201cI want to hire him as a guide.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat for?\u201d asked the woman guardedly.<\/p>\n

Adam took a deep breath, shifting his weight to the other leg. \u201cThat would be between Mr. Dutton and me.\u201d<\/p>\n

She went about her business in the barn. \u201cWell, the only way you can get to Mike Dutton is through me, so suppose you tell me exactly what you want, and I will think about telling him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you his wife?\u201d<\/p>\n

She laughed as she threw some hay in a stall trough and motioned to Adam to let Sport eat. \u201cDutton is not married and probably never will be. Let us just say I am his conscience.\u201d She carried a bucket of water into the stall and came back out. \u201cWhere d\u2019you wanna go?\u201d she asked, leaning back on a post, fiddling with a stem of hay.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeath Valley,\u201d answered Adam as he loosened the cinch around Sport\u2019s stomach.<\/p>\n

She narrowed her eyes, looking sideways at him. \u201cWhy in the name of all that is sacred would you wanna go there? Do you not know the Aha macave and Shoshoni are at war against the white man? You would not do well to go there\u2026white man,\u201d she added disdainfully. As she spoke, she moved into a ray of sunlight coming in from the open door and took her hat off, allowing her hair to fall over her shoulders.<\/p>\n

Adam looked over Sport\u2019s back and could see that her face was tanned, he assumed, from working in the corral in the sunlight. Her hair was a light brown, but had lighter streaks that told of time in the sun. He moved his attention back to his saddle. \u201cI have no choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone has choices, Mr. Cartwright. Why is this your only choice?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m tracking someone who took something from me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did he take?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes it matter?\u201d he asked, glancing back up at her.<\/p>\n

She snorted. \u201cMike Dutton does not take anyone into Death Valley without a good reason, and so far, you have not given one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam stepped out of the stall and looked at her with stolid iciness. \u201cThey took my brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman straightened and tossed the stem of hay to the side. She glanced at his horse, a well cared for animal. His saddle was an expensive one. She looked carefully at Adam. He wore nice clothes, nicer than other cowboys in town wore. His hair was cut and neat, and his fingernails were clean though it was apparent he had not shaved or bathed for several days. Even the way he carried himself, with purpose and confidence, told her this was a well-bred man of means. His quiet self-assurance, and the way he wore his gun comfortably, like it was a part of him, suggested he could take care of himself. \u201cCome with me, Mr. Cartwright. You may speak with Mike.\u201d She led him through a door at the back of the barn, across an alley and into a modest house. \u201cWould you like something to drink? I have coffee, whiskey, and water.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked around the sparsely furnished room, noticing that there was only one bed. \u201cMiss, I\u2019m in a hurry to leave. May I speak to Mr. Dutton?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRelax, Mr. Cartwright. Please, sit,\u201d she said, pointing to a chair at the table in the middle of the only room in the house. \u201cAre the men who took your brother white men?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, they are,\u201d he answered, still standing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen they are at a disadvantage if they are going into the valley of the Shoshoni and the desert of the Aha macave. Why do you think they are going into the desert?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam exhaled heavily, pursing his lips in aggravation, but sat down, understanding that he would only see Mike Dutton when she was ready for him to see Mike Dutton. \u201cIf they keep going south, and they have since they left Virginia City, they have to go into Death Valley.\u201d He hesitated. \u201cIsn\u2019t Mike Dutton a white man?\u201d<\/p>\n

She smiled. \u201cLet me tell you about Mike Dutton.\u201d She sat in the other chair watching him look at the bowl of apples on the table. \u201cPlease,\u201d she said, slightly pushing the bowl toward him. \u201cThe first Mike Dutton was a white man who married a Shoshoni woman. They had a child and named him Mike, who married an Aha macave woman. They also had a child named Mike. So, you see, there is more Indian blood in Mike Dutton than white blood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam took a bite of an apple and sat silently studying her. It wasn\u2019t just her face that was tanned. Her hands and what he could see of her arms and neck were smooth, unblemished and bronze. Her eyes were dark, almost black, and her hair was not the coal black of Indian hair. He realized Indian blood ran through her veins, but he also knew it was mixed with white blood. \u201cIs your name really Mike, or is that just what they call you?\u201d<\/p>\n

She slightly grinned and sat back in her chair. \u201cAh, Mr. Cartwright, you have solved the riddle. My parents called me Michael, not Mike. But since my father died, I have been Mike to everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Michael,\u201d he began, while raising one eyebrow and looking her square in the eyes. \u201cI can understand your ability to deal with the Shoshoni, but what about the Mojave? I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever heard of a friendly Mojave.\u201d<\/p>\n

She smiled. \u201cIt would be better if you learned to use Aha macave, not the name the white man gave them.\u201d She paused and pursed her lips. \u201cThe Aha macave can be a problem, but we will do our best to avoid them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her nostrils flared as she looked down at the table.\u00a0Fools\u2026they always want to negotiate.<\/em>\u00a0She answered, looking gravely into his eyes, \u201cThat depends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn what?\u201d he asked, meeting the severity of her gaze.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn whether we come out of this alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chewed another bite of apple as he thought. She came very highly recommended, or did she? Could it have been her father the old man in Virginia City remembered? Still, the bartender seemed protective of her, and she certainly didn\u2019t let it be known to strangers who she was unless she was given a good reason. She was careful, but that still didn\u2019t mean she was a skilled guide. \u201cMiss Dutton, I don\u2019t mean to slight you, but I have some concerns about hiring a woman as a guide.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen go find someone else if you have the time to waste,\u201d she responded aloofly.<\/p>\n

He raised his eyebrows and drew his chin upward, nodding.\u00a0Alright then.<\/em>\u00a0\u201cThank you for the apple,\u201d he said and left.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Chapter Two<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

Adam walked out into the blistering sunlight, squinting after being inside the dim shack. He made his way back to the saloon.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou again. What\u2019ll it be?\u201d asked the bartender.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been tracking some riders, probably five or six, and a wagon. Have you seen anything like that here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMore n\u2019 once.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

The bartender leaned over the bar, looking around them before he spoke quietly. \u201cIt\u2019s the lead mines in the desert. Men go in; they don\u2019t come out. A man\u2019s out riding alone, he could end up in one of those wagons.\u201d<\/p>\n

A man wearing buckskin walked into the saloon, stood eyeing the bartender for a moment, then went to a table and sat, watching everything that happened in the room. The bartender leaned back, slightly nodding toward the man. \u201cArmy scout,\u201d he said, handing Adam a beer.<\/p>\n

Adam scratched his ear. \u201cAre there any other guides in town?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

The bartender chuckled and continued quietly, keeping his eye on the scout. \u201cShe turned you down. Reason wasn\u2019t good enough, eh? Mister, if she won\u2019t go, no one else will.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy is that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s spent most of her life in the desert with her father. The Indians know her. She knows their ways. And even though the Mojave don\u2019t appreciate her white blood, they allow her in their lands. Because of the war, they\u2019ll kill anyone else on sight, and the white guides here know that.\u201d He stopped to wipe out a glass, glancing back up at Adam, who was looking at him warily. \u201cA word of advice, Mister. If anyone else finds out you went to her first, and she\u2019s not taking you, you won\u2019t find any takers.\u201d He snorted, cutting his eyes back at Adam with an envious smile. \u201cShe\u2019ll keep you alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam blew out his cheeks, and pushed himself away from the bar, dropping a coin. \u201cThanks,\u201d he said, tipping his hat.<\/p>\n

\u201cMister,\u201d called the bartender. Adam turned around. \u201cBe careful who you talk to,\u201d he said, glancing over Adam\u2019s shoulder at the Army scout. \u201cTrust is a funny thing.\u201d Adam nodded and left, walking over to the telegraph office then back to the livery.<\/p>\n

Mike was mucking stalls when Adam came in and walked over to Sport\u2019s stall. At first, he watched her, wondering if she knew anything about the lead mines. If she was part of the Aha macave, surely she would know.<\/p>\n

\u201cMike, would you answer a question for me?\u201d She looked up at him then continued her work, saying nothing. \u201cWhat do you know about the lead mines?\u201d<\/p>\n

She stopped, propping her hands on the end of the pitchfork handle, hesitating. \u201cThe white man has many mines in the desert, both gold and silver. It is easy to get men to work in those mines. But the lead mines are not so. The lead mines are cruel places. The men are given barely enough to live, and meet their deaths in cave-ins or by the weight of a falling rock or by starvation. They are replaced quietly and quickly. No one knows where they come from. Is this what you think has happened to your brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe could have been taken for money, and we just haven\u2019t received a demand yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

She snorted. \u201cYou found his horse, with nothing missing. You found his gun. You found any personal things he carried\u2026a watch, a picture…everything that could identify him. You found wagon tracks nearby. True?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s mouth opened slightly as he stared at her. \u201cI\u2019ve been tracking a wagon and five or six horses.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continued mucking the stall as she spoke. \u201cThere is nowhere in the desert where anyone would want to hide if they wanted money. If your brother was taken into the desert, it would be to work in the lead mines. Chances are, someone died along the way, and he was replaced by your brother. The men are tied like animals in covered wagons. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know the way to the mines?\u201d<\/p>\n

She propped the pitchfork against a wall and motioned for him to follow her. When they were in her cabin, she looked out the door before she closed it then went to the window, looking. \u201cYou cannot go into the desert alone by the road or you will be taken for the lead mines.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do I go in?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou left to find another guide. Did you?\u201d She turned to him, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow\u2026waiting.<\/p>\n

Adam held his hands out to his sides as if in surrender. \u201cI apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n

She harrumphed. They usually came back begging. But then, he didn\u2019t look like the type to beg. \u201cYou got a first name white man?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet your tack from the barn and bring it here. We will talk.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Chapter Three<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Adam came back to the shack, he waited for her to tell him where to put his saddle. She pointed to the floor against the wall opposite her bed. \u201cIf I take you it will not be easy. You must live as the Shoshoni and the Aha macave; off the land. You must learn their ways. You must act like an Indian. This is the only way to pass the Army scouts unnoticed. Can you do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can if you teach me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must go as husband and wife. The Indians accept me. This is the only way that the Shoshoni and Aha macave will accept you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam creased his brow. \u201cYou are Shoshoni and Aha macave. Why wouldn\u2019t they accept you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have white blood,\u201d she said, shamefully looking down and away. She turned away from him, breathed deeply then walked back to him, looking up into his face, her eyes warning. \u201cYou must do as I say. Our lives will depend on it.\u201d He nodded. She motioned for him to follow her back to the barn, first looking surreptitiously out the door, then hurrying through the back door of the barn.<\/p>\n

She began to gather everything they could carry on two horses. They had to travel quickly, light and unseen, so a pack animal was out of the question. \u201cSomeone will be here to take care of your horse and your tack is safe in my home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWon\u2019t I be riding my horse?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

He waited for an explanation that didn\u2019t come. \u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour horse will not survive in the desert. And your saddle will give us away. Have you ever ridden bareback?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but not for long.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think you can for the whole trip? It would be better if you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll manage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do not talk much, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot when I have nothing to say.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPractice talking. The Aha macave are talkers. You are not an emotional man?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can be pushed to anger.\u201d<\/p>\n

She laughed. \u201cBecome emotional\u2026with all emotions. The Aha macave are an emotional people. They consider it disrespectful to hold in emotions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you said we were going to avoid the Mo\u2026the Aha macave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI said we would try. I did not say we would be successful, and it is likely we will not. They will know we are there by the time we are ten miles out of town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou seem more worried about the Aha macave than the Shoshoni.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandmother is with the Shoshoni, and they are not as\u2026unwelcoming\u2026as the Aha macave. The Shoshoni will find us first. When the white soldiers came to remove them from their land, they fought. Many of the Aha macave allowed the soldiers to move them, but there are still small numbers fighting to keep their lands.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam watched as she gathered skins, blankets, leather straps, knives, several pokes of water, and strings. He noticed there were no pans, no coffee pot, no scabbard for a rifle, and when she pulled out two bows and two quivers of arrows, he got nervous. Still, he watched in silence. When she had everything packed into what looked like baskets held together with leather straps, she straightened up and without looking at him she said, \u201cCome with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

They walked back into the shack, and she immediately went to the stove and started cooking. \u201cYou will sleep there,\u201d she said, pointing to where he had laid his belongings on the floor at the opposite side of the room from the bed. She pulled salt bacon off the shelf, placing it in a pan to fry while she started beans and coffee. While the food was cooking, she opened a trunk at the foot of her bed and pulled out more skins. \u201cStand up straight so I can see you.\u201d He obliged. \u201cTurn around.\u201d He did as he was told. She pulled several items from the trunk along with what looked like boots, and what he swore was a buckskin skirt. \u201cIs your brother bigger or smaller than you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s smaller.\u201d<\/p>\n

She pulled out more skins and laid everything on a small table beside the door then went back to the stove. \u201cFrom this time on, I will not call you by your last name. You will be known only as Adam. If the Aha macave give you a name, you will be known by that name. You will call me Mike. Nothing else. Do you understand?\u201d Adam nodded as she prepared two plates of food. She placed them on the table along with the coffee pot and two cups. \u201cCome. Eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

He sat down at the table, and started looking for a fork. She watched him and waited for him to look up. \u201cYou must get used to eating with your fingers. The Aha macave and Shoshoni do not use forks. If you are eating meat, you may stab it with your knife. Watch.\u201d She dipped two fingers into the beans, holding the plate at her chin and shoveling them into her mouth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get the feeling we\u2019re leaving behind the comforts of home.\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded at his plate. \u201cTry it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He wiped his hand on his trousers, picked up his plate, and hesitated, then dipped two fingers into the beans as she had and shoveled them into his mouth. A look of dread took over his face. \u201cMesquite beans,\u201d he said with a full mouth.<\/p>\n

She looked disdainfully at him. \u201cWe will live on what we can find. There will be no bacon and no coffee, so enjoy it while you can. We will rest during the day and travel at night. You will not take your clothes\u2026any of them\u2026or your hat. Do not take anything from your pockets. I will allow you to take your gun, but it will be hidden in one of the baskets. It may be useful when we find your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

After they had finished eating, Mike collected the dishes and washed them. She turned back to Adam who was just finishing his last cup of coffee for awhile, drinking it slowly, enjoying it. \u201cWe will sleep until dark then we will pack the horses and go.\u201d Adam went to his saddle, laying out his bedroll on the underside. \u201cSleep on the floor, not your saddle. You will be sleeping on the ground. Get used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He breathed heavily, wondering what he had gotten himself into, raising his eyebrows and nodding to himself, thinking he had no choice. When he stood to remove his gun belt, he looked at her and sucked in a breath of embarrassment, turning around at the same time.<\/p>\n

She had removed her pants, stripping down to nothing and had begun to remove her shirt. She turned and stood, looking at his back. \u201cYou must become accustomed to this as well. You will bathe with my family and you will sleep in my lodge. Otherwise, you will be left alone and will be killed and I will be\u2026pursued. I cannot protect you any other way.\u201d Adam stood with his hands in his back pockets unwilling to turn around. \u201cDo you want to find your brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen turn around and remove your clothes.\u201d Adam stood, thinking this through. This was uncomfortable\u2026he would never think about looking at an unclothed woman under any circumstances but marriage. But, if he was going to save Joe, it appeared he had no choice. He decided he\u2019d keep his eyes on her eyes and by doing that, he wouldn\u2019t really be\u2026looking. He slowly turned around, found her, and looked at her eyes.<\/p>\n

She watched him and laughed. \u201cA gentleman, I see. You need to forget your upbringing and act like a man. If you don\u2019t, you will be laughed at and exiled, if not killed. You will not cast your eyes upon another woman with desire. You will not sit next to another woman. You will not offer another woman food. You will not speak to another woman unless talk is started by her man. You will not help another woman outside of my family in any way. Do you understand?\u201d He nodded. She walked to the table next to the door and pulled out some of the skins she had placed there earlier. You will wear these.\u201d She threw a handful of skins to him\u2026buckskin pants, a breechcloth, a long white shirt and belt, and a pair of buckskin boots. You will dress in this, and only this tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about\u2026?\u201d he said, moving his eyes away and crooking his jaw.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndians do not wear under clothes. I will tell you what else you need to know tonight. We must rest.\u201d With that, she closed the curtain in the only window in the cabin and lay down on the bed, turning away from him.<\/p>\n

Adam undressed down to his underwear, hesitated for a moment, looking back to see that she was still turned away, and then dropped his drawers and lay down to sleep.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Chapter Four<\/strong><\/p>\n

<i>Oh, Great Spirit
\nWhose voice I hear in the winds,
\nAnd whose breath gives life to all the world,
\nhear me, I am small and weak,
\nI need your strength and wisdom. \u2013 Native American Prayer<\/i><\/p>\n

Adam awoke to the sound of glass tinkling, as if it were being brushed against more glass. He rolled over then remembered his lack of clothing and quickly grabbed his cover. He could see her moving around the cabin in the darkness, but couldn\u2019t tell what she was doing.<\/p>\n

She stopped. \u201cGet dressed. We will be leaving soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam did as he was told, thankful for the darkness, though it was difficult to figure out fronts and backs of clothing. She picked up a skin-wrapped package and the fruit from the table and opened the door. \u201cBring your gun and ammunition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once they were in the barn she lit a lantern then took the gun and a box of bullets from him, burying them deeply in one of the slender baskets. She took the package she brought from the shack, burying it in another basket. She spread one of the skins on each of the horses then placed the baskets on them with the straps over their back, allowing the baskets to hang on each side of the horse. She followed this with the rest of the skins then covered both horses with a blanket. In the dim light, he could see that she was wearing a tasseled skirt and a shirt similar to his. Her hair was braided down the back, and she wore a colorful headband. She walked into a dark corner of the barn and came out with something in her hand. \u201cGive me your right hand,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Adam held it out, and she tied a bracelet similar to her headband, but slimmer, on his wrist. She held her left hand out, handing him a matching bracelet. \u201cTie it on my wrist.\u201d She rolled out a skin, revealing a collection of knives, took one and placed it in a sheath on her belt. When she pulled up her skirt, showing her thighs, he looked away. She placed a knife in a sheath tied around her right thigh, glancing up at him when he cleared his throat. \u201cGet used to it. You cannot show embarrassment at the sight of your wife. These are our marriage bracelets. You will not take it off, even to bathe.\u201d She handed him two knives and another sheath. \u201cTie the sheath to your leg inside your boot. Can you throw a knife?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you use a bow and arrow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll learn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you get on your horse without stirrups?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen we leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two rode through the town silently in the dark, the only sound the muffled beat of the unshod hoofs in the dirt. Once they were out of town, she spoke. \u201cIf a brave speaks to me or touches me in any way, you will step between us. If you cower, he will kill you. If a brave sits next to me or offers me food, you must pull him away from me in anger. When my family leaves to bathe, you will not hesitate to remove your clothes by the river. They will ask questions about you; you are hairy and your hair has curls. You will tell them that your mother was Shoshoni from the north and your father was a trapper from the mountains. Your hair is black and your skin is dark; you will pass for a half-breed. Do not use big words. Speak simply. I will teach you to trap and kill the crawlers and the desert dogs for food. If the sun burns your skin, you will cover it with the milk of the healing plant. You must learn all this quickly. Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do not have to worry about the language. Because the Shoshoni and the Aha macave know that I have white blood, they will not question the language. They speak the tongue of the white man. But, if they give you a name, you must answer to it. The Aha macave may play jokes on you. This is the way of the Aha macave and means they like you. You will not be offended, but will laugh with them. If the men cry, you must cry. If the men shout in anger, you must shout with them. Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a lot to remember. I\u2019ll do my best.\u201d<\/p>\n

She jerked her head toward him, looking him fiercely in the eye. \u201cYour life depends on this. If you cannot remember anything I have told you, tell me now so that I can repeat it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll remember.\u201d<\/p>\n

The night clouds had broken, and he could see her now in the light of the moon. Her skirt was hiked all the way up to the tops of her thighs. She rode with the tassels of her skirt hanging between her legs so that she wasn\u2019t exposed. \u201cYou don\u2019t wear shoes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. My feet are used to the ground. It would be a good thing if you do not have tender feet and can go without your boots. But if you must wear them\u2026\u201d She shrugged. \u201cThey will not protect you from sharp rocks or spines. You must learn to move silently.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat were the bottles you packed?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe white man has brought sickness to the Shoshoni and the Aha macave. I bring them medicine. This is why they allow me in their lands.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can understand why you\u2019re the only one that will come out here. I don\u2019t see a white man being able to do the things you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

She laughed. \u201cI do not fit in the white man\u2019s world. I do not fit in the Indian\u2019s world. I do not belong anywhere. So, I can walk through either.\u201d<\/p>\n

They rode in silence until a faint light shown just above the horizon. \u201cWe must find a place to make camp. When the morning sun has warmed the rocks, I will teach you to hunt the crawlers. Then we will eat and sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Chapter Five<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mike moved efficiently around the area she had chosen as a camp. She pulled the blankets off the horses, and unpacked the baskets and skins before spreading some of the skins over the bushes and some of the ground. The baskets and blankets she put at the back of the makeshift tent. Adam stood out of her way, unwilling to interrupt her quick and methodical movements.<\/p>\n

\u201cWouldn\u2019t it be better if the shelter was against the rocks?\u201d asked Adam.<\/p>\n

She looked and pointed up. \u201cOnly if you want your head smashed by one of those rocks. A shelter is built away from rocks. It is not built in a low place because of rushing rain water. It is not built where there are desert dog droppings because they will come in your shelter. It is not built near the water.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait. Why wouldn\u2019t you build a shelter near water?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want to be trampled in the night by the desert animals that come to drink?\u201d Adam smiled slightly, nodding. \u201cCome with me,\u201d she said. She began cutting brush here and there, never taking more than a few stems from any one plant. She handed them to Adam. \u201cWe will use these to cover the shelter.\u201d She motioned for him to continue gathering brush.<\/p>\n

She had chosen a place away from the base of a sheer rock wall leading up into the mountains they had been skirting. When the shelter was blended into the desert landscape, she said, \u201cWait here,\u201d removing her clothes, holding her knife between her teeth then climbing up what Adam had thought was unclimbable.<\/p>\n

He watched her ascend, clinging to the rock, the color of the rock and her skin making it seem as if she melted into it. He watched her quickly choose her handholds and footholds, zigzagging her way up. When she reached the top, she crawled over the edge and disappeared.<\/p>\n

He sat down on a rock, waiting\u2026and sweating. The sun was barely up and it was already hot. He jumped when she surprised him, appearing before him, naked, glistening with sweat. \u201cWhere did you go?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo see if we are being followed. I saw no signs. We will sleep safely here. It would be better for you if you remove your shirt and pants and wear only your dopada\u2019-nee\u2019\u2026your breechcloth. Your pants are biga-gusa. Your shirt is kwasun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t be as comfortable as you think.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we arrive at the village of the Shoshoni, you will see the men wearing only their dopada\u2019-nee\u2019. The women will wear only their biga-gwasu\u2019N,\u201d holding her hand in front of her to indicate a skirt. This is the way we live in the hot season.\u201d She walked around behind him, sneering at him. \u201cYou white men think you have such modesty. You make the desire worse by covering up. Indian braves do not want after women who are not theirs to want.\u201d<\/p>\n

He glanced up toward the sky. \u201cI\u2019m not an Indian brave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you are not,\u201d she said scornfully. \u201cCome, we will hunt and eat. Then we will sleep.\u201d Adam followed her as she easily moved across the desert floor, over rocks and through brush, as if she were floating just above the ground, making no sound. She stopped and sat on a rock. \u201cWe will never find food. You sound like a herd of buffalo. Stay here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grimaced. He knew he was noisy. He heard himself move, crunching, stumbling, the brush scratching against his pants.<\/p>\n

He watched her climbing over the rocks, poking in crevices with a stick. She stopped at a crevice, working the stick in and out, eventually pulling out a rattlesnake. It had not yet come out to warm itself in the morning sun and moved slowly. She slung it to the ground and quickly threw her knife, pinning the snake to the ground just below the head. Then she jumped down and cut the head off with her other knife. Bringing the snake near the shelter, she laid the body and head out on a rock then began to gather twigs from the brush and from a nearby ocotillo cactus. Soon she had a small fire burning. She sat, taking the snake and pushing the stick she had used to pull it out of the crevice into the meat then pulled the skin down and away. The snake was a good-sized snake, measuring the width of three fingers across its back. Once the skin was removed, she wrapped the meat around the stick pushing the other end of the stick into the meat, then laid it over the fire propped up between two rocks. Cutting the rattle off the end, she then split the skin, laying a six finger wide band out flat on a wide rock next to the head to dry. The rattle was then strung on a piece of twine that she wore around her neck. Nothing of the snake was wasted. She turned the stick holding the meat over on the fire then walked to a cactus, cutting and spearing two fruits on each knife which she laid on one of the rocks by the fire.<\/p>\n

Once the fine spines at the base of the fruit were burned off, she skinned them and cut them in halves, handing two halves to Adam. She then pulled the rattlesnake meat off the fire, cut it in half and handed half to him. \u201cEat.\u201d Mike watched him staring at his meal for a moment. When he looked up at her, she held up a piece of the cactus fruit and bit into it. \u201cIt is good. It will quiet your thirst,\u201d she said, then motioned for him to do the same. He took a small bite, chewing slowly, then raised his eyebrows and nodded. Next she nodded at the rattlesnake as she picked her half up, cutting it into small pieces then putting one in her mouth, chewing.<\/p>\n

He did the same, warily chewing the meat, slowly smiling. \u201cTastes like chicken.\u201d He picked the small bones out of his mouth and enjoyed the rest of his meal.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow far do you think we\u2019ve come today?\u201d asked Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will be with the Shoshoni after two more sleeps. When we arrive, they will be uneasy. They are fighting to stay on their land. If they stop us, you will not fight. They must be sure we are not an enemy before they will take us to their hidden village. We will speak the language of the Shoshoni first, and then, when they know who I am, they will speak your tongue so that you may understand. We will stay in my grandmother\u2019s lodge. We will talk to the chief and his braves about the lead mines and deliver medicine in return.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sat listening, chewing the cactus fruit. He held it in his mouth, enjoying the cool wetness. \u201cWhy are you doing this? You could\u2019ve turned me down. You would have been safe in your cabin back in Aurora instead of\u2026\u201d he waved his hand around him, \u201cin this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am more comfortable in this\u2026\u201d she said, copying his gesture, \u201cthan I am in Aurora.\u201d The white men there look at me with hunger in their eyes. It is not a good feeling.\u201d She paused, looking at her feet. \u201cI have agreed to take you\u2026so that I can buy more medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n

To Adam, she seemed almost remorseful. He thought she could well be the only one that could help her people survive. \u201cYou speak English well. If you used contractions, I wouldn\u2019t know you were part Indian. Do you know what that means?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy great-grandmother was a white woman who taught in your schools. I understand the words. I use them, but only around the whites. The Indians would not think well of me if I spoke like the white man.\u201d She watched him eat then asked. \u201cIs your brother all there is of your family?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, my father was away on business\u2026in St. Louis. My brother, Hoss, stayed to watch our ranch and meet my father when he arrives home. We decided I should start searching before the trail disappeared. What about your family?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father was killed fighting the soldiers. My mother is with the Aha macave that refused to go to the reservation. My grandfather\u2026\u201d She picked up a handful of sandy soil, wiping her knife in it until the blade shined then covered the small fire with dirt and moved the rocks on top. By the time she was finished, all signs of the fire had disappeared.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo to the shelter. I will follow you.\u201d As Adam moved to the shelter, she cut a piece of brush dragging it over the ground to cover their footprints as she followed him in. Earlier, she had moved the horses into a small canyon in sight of the shelter, fed them mesquite beans mixed with a small amount of oats, watered them from one of the pokes and poured water in the shallow of a shaded rock. The higher walls were on the north and south of the canyon, giving the horses shade most of the day.<\/p>\n

She entered the shelter next to Adam, and lay down on the skins, rolling the blanket and using it as a pillow. Adam did the same and lay down next to her, already miserable from the heat. He moved around uncomfortably, until she sat up. \u201cIf you would take your biga-gusa and kwasun off, you would be more comfortable, and I will be able to sleep,\u201d she said sternly. \u201cWear only your dopada\u2019-nee\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sat, pursing his lips, thinking that if Joe and Hoss ever found out about this, they would never let it go. He took his clothes off, put his breechcloth back on and lay down. Soon, he was asleep.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Chapter Six<\/strong><\/p>\n

<i>Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold
\nthe red and purple sunset.
\nMake my hands respect the things you have
\nmade and my ears sharp to hear your voice.
\nMake me wise so that I may understand the things
\nyou have taught my people.
\nLet me learn the lessons you have
\nhidden in every leaf and rock. \u2013 Native American Prayer<\/i><\/p>\n

Mike awoke when the sun was midway between straight up and setting. She lay still, reserving the strength she gained from sleep and trying to stay as cool as possible in the heat of the afternoon. She was not cool by any means, but it was too hot in the day to leave, and there was nothing to do until evening when they would be traveling. She thought that, at least, this man trusted her. If he didn\u2019t, he wouldn\u2019t be sleeping so soundly.<\/p>\n

An hour before sunset, Adam woke up, lying with his eyes closed, listening. By the sound of her breaths, he knew she was not asleep, the cadence of her breathing not quite as long. Still, she was relaxed and motionless, not wasting any precious energy in the heat. She had been right; even in the one hundred and twenty degree heat he had been able to sleep well in only the breechcloth. He almost felt as comfortable as at home, except for the heat, having slept most of his life with no night clothes of any kind. He rolled onto his back.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must lie still until it is time to leave,\u201d she said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just as the sun was setting over the mountains, giving them enough light to break camp, they emerged from the shelter. Mike fed the horses more mesquite beans and oats and watered them. She brought them to the shelter and began to dismantle it, handing skins to Adam, who began loading the horses. While he finished loading, she collected the dried snakeskin and the head, peeling the skin off the skull and adding it to the necklace she had made with the rattle. She rolled the snakeskin and placed it in one of the baskets.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat will you use that for?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be a gift for Fulani moco’o, the Aha macave medicine man. The necklace will be a gift to newe pohakanten of the Shoshoni.\u201d She looked at the fully loaded horses. \u201cYou learn quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

She began to stick the pieces of brush that had covered their shelter back into the bushes, motioning for Adam to do as she did. After the area was completely clear, she took the last piece and brushed the area where the shelter had been.<\/p>\n

Adam looked back when they were on their way, amazed that there was no trace of their camp.<\/p>\n

Mike pulled the fruit she had taken from the table in her cabin out of a basket along with some jerky wrapped in a skin and again in oil cloth. She passed an apple to Adam then offered him the jerky. She smiled when she noticed his feet\u2026they were bare.<\/p>\n

They stopped only once this night, to cut fruit from a prickly-pear cactus to quench their thirst. She showed him where to cut it from the cactus and how to peel the skin without touching the fine hair-like spines at the base of the fruit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis morning, you will find our meal and prepare it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Adam watched the dark shadows of the steep mountains pass by as they travelled. He listened to the sound of the horse hooves in the rocky, dry soil and the occasional sound of a distant vulture. Other than those sounds, the night desert was silent.<\/p>\n

Once again, when the morning light appeared over the horizon, they stopped to make camp. Mike asked Adam to choose the site and when his decision was made, she asked him to tell her why he chose it. Adam was pleased\u2026she made no remark either good or bad and didn\u2019t move the location, meaning to him that the site he picked was a good one.<\/p>\n

After they had unloaded the horses, he made the shelter as she watched. He fed and watered the horses as he had seen her do the night before. She guided him through the rocks pointing to likely spots where he might find a snake, and when he did, he pulled it out, throwing his knife, severing the head with the throw. She helped him skin it, and took the rattle for her necklace. He did as she had done to prepare and cook the meat and dry the skin and head. When they finished eating and covered the fire, he removed his clothes without hesitation and donned his breechcloth. He covered their footprints and crawled into the shelter, both of them falling asleep almost immediately.<\/p>\n

When they awoke, the evening routine was done in efficient and methodical silence by both of them. Shortly after they were on their way again, they stopped, Mike having heard more than the sound of the horses or the night birds.<\/p>\n

She jumped down from her horse, leading him through the darkness into the rocks. Adam followed. He knew not to speak, but listened, straining to hear what had alerted her. Before he heard anything, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his head. That was the last thing he remembered.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
Author’s Notes:<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n
\n

The language you will see in this chapter is Shoshoni. On my last visit to Furnace Creek, I picked up a language book. The syntax may not be quite correct, but if you were to translate it, it would be close enough to what I was trying to say to understand it. Another thing you will notice in this story is that the Indians do not refer to the women as squaws, except in the instance in this chapter. The word squaw is derogatory among the Indians.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Chapter Seven<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Adam awoke, the first thing he noticed was pain. He moved his hand to the back of his head and felt a distinct knot. He looked around him, realizing he was in what looked like a hut made from skins. Even the floor was covered in skins and Indian rugs. The hut was not the same as any teepees he had seen. It was bigger with a slant beginning about shoulder height leading to a hole in the roof under which the remnants of a fire sat on the only space in the floor that wasn\u2019t covered. He wasn\u2019t tied or bound in any way, so he slowly got to his feet and walked to the only opening other than the hole in the roof.<\/p>\n

He stopped just inside and listened to the voices he heard. He was unable to understand what was being said, but he knew that one of those voices belonged to Mike. Assuming she had identified herself and they weren\u2019t captives, he stepped out of the hut. The other two voices belonged to an old woman wearing only a skirt and an old man wearing a breechcloth who Adam guessed was their medicine man based on the way he was adorned. Besides other colorful jewelry, he wore the necklace containing the two rattles and two snake heads Mike had made.<\/p>\n

They squatted in a close circle near the door of the hut. He noticed that Mike and the old woman, were both positioned so that the tassels of their skirts hung between their legs. He looked around him, and everywhere the women were dressed and sat the same, and all the men wore nothing but breechcloths as Mike had said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHutsi\u2019, daiboo\u2019,\u201d said Mike, motioning to Adam, \u201cnappai Shoshoni. SodeN tsa\u2019uhtu-monih demenge-nattahsun, ne demazai-da\u2019oda-sokaN dai\u2019zhi.\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman took Mike\u2019s hand then looked at Adam\u2019s. \u201cKuhma?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHaa\u2019,\u201d answered Mike, nodding. They all looked over at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSodeN daiqwa-Shoshoni?\u201d asked the old woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cKai,\u201d said Mike, shaking her head.<\/p>\n

The old woman stood up and was followed by Mike and the medicine man. \u201cThen we will speak the white man\u2019s tongue. You have the medicine?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mike nodded and walked past Adam into the hut, taking five of the bottles out of a basket, and returning to the old woman. The medicine man took the bottles and left toward another hut.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will meet with the Shoshoni men when they return from the hunt. The mines are in the lands of the Aha macave. You will be guided to the edge of their lands, but we will go no further. You will sleep in my lodge. Then you will go when the sun rises again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mike bowed her head. \u201cOse, hutsi\u2019.\u201d The old woman laid her hand on Mike\u2019s head, looked up to the sky and said what Adam imagined was a prayer, then left. Mike stood next to Adam, and when the old woman was out of sight, she pulled Adam into the lodge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho is she?\u201d asked Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe is hutsi\u2019, my grandmother. \u201cHer name is Kimama.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI told her the money I will make for helping you save your half-brother pays for the medicine. When the men return, we will talk. They will take us toward the mines up to the land of the Aha macave. I do not think we will go far from there before the Aha macave find us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, we wait,\u201d said Adam, tightening his lips and breathing heavily through his nose. He knew Joe could last for a time; he was healthy and strong. But if what Mike said was true about the conditions of the mines, the longer he was there, the more likely he would run into trouble, especially with his temper. \u201cI never told you he was my half-brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he is it is just as well. They would not believe we would be getting money for medicine if he was Shoshoni.\u201d Mike emptied one of the baskets, gathering some small skins and oil cloth. \u201cCome. We must prepare for our journey to the Aha macave. We will gather food. After the evening meal we will go to the water and bathe with my family. Then we will sleep here in the lodge of my grandmother. The men will want to leave before dawn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam followed her to the edge of a large creek. On the sunny banks across the creek stood rack upon rack of salmon meat drying in the sun. They waded to the other side then Mike laid her basket down and took a spear from the side of one of the racks, handing it to Adam. She found another and beckoned for him to follow her back into the creek. At the bottom of a small fall, she pulled him behind her and stood patiently until one of the swimming salmon jumped out of the water heading up the fall. She speared it in the air then motioned for Adam to do the same. He was successful with his first fish. They took the fish back to the bank and went back to the fall, each taking one more fish.<\/p>\n

When the fish were on the bank, she reached up, touching his face. \u201cWhite men are hairy. Wait here.\u201d He watched her from a distance as she dug her knife deep into the heart of a cactus, pulling out a thick, translucent substance. When she came back, she dropped her skirt to the ground and walked into the water, her knife in one hand and the goo in the other. \u201cCome,\u201d she said motioning for him to follow her.<\/p>\n

Adam removed his breechcloth and walked into the water, cocking his head and raising an eyebrow. \u201cWhat is that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will make the blade move easy over your face.\u201d<\/p>\n

He chuckled nervously. \u201cUh\u2026I\u2026would\u2026prefer to do that myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have no mirror.\u201d<\/p>\n

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, accepting that she was right that he would never be able to shave without one. \u201cMay I see the knife?\u201d She gave it to him, and he tested the blade, pulling his finger back quickly after making a small slice without any effort. He handed it back.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet down on your knees in the water.\u201d He slowly lowered himself, so tense she thought he might snap in two. She laughed at him as she put the knife in her mouth, reached around his head and began to spread the goo over the shadow of his beard. Once she was done, she wrapped an arm around his head holding him so tightly against her that he struggled. \u201cDo not move unless you want me to cut your throat,\u201d she said sternly. When he relaxed, she put the edge of the blade against his face and began to shave him. He had slowly relaxed until she got to his neck then he tensed again. \u201cIf I wanted you dead, you would be dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not worried that you\u2019ll kill me intentionally. I\u2019m worried that you\u2019ll kill me accidently.\u201d He forced himself to relax, allowing her to continue. As she began shaving his neck, she said angrily, \u201cYour words are too big.\u201d<\/p>\n

<i>That was smart. She\u2019s angry with me, and she\u2019s shaving my neck.<\/i><\/p>\n

When she was done, she let him go and turned away to clean the knife in the water while he rinsed his face. As he was washing away the remnants of the goo, he drew his fingers over his face and grunted in surprise. He couldn\u2019t remember a time when his face had been this smooth after he had shaved with a razor.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere did you learn to shave a man?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere. You are the first,\u201d she answered offhandedly. Adam\u2019s bottom jaw dropped, but he quickly recovered it, blowing and puffing his cheeks out. \u201cDo you know how to prepare a fish\u2026to remove the bones?\u201d<\/p>\n

Filleting a fish was something that he had done a hundred or more times, and he happily replied, \u201cyes,\u201d glad that there was something out here to do that he already knew.<\/p>\n

Mike took four large pieces of already dried salmon meat off of one of the racks, rolled them in oil cloths and wrapped them tightly in a skin. Then she took their first fish to a flat rock and began to prepare it for the rack. Adam did the same, and soon, all four fish were filleted and hanging over the rack in place of the fish she had taken. They dressed and went back to the lodge where Mike repacked the basket with the dried salmon. Then they waited and rested until they were called for the evening meal.<\/p>\n

The Shoshoni men returned with a big horn sheep that they skinned, cut and began cooking over several fires. The big horn would be enough to feed the entire tribe, including the two visitors. The men sat cross-legged in a circle around the fire with the medicine man and Adam. Mike and her grandmother were the only two women seated in the circle. All the other women were either tending to the men or were sitting with a group away from them.<\/p>\n

The medicine man addressed the men. \u201cMike nattahsun-keya. SodeN yaa monih nasukkuse nattahsun demazai\u2019-Adam yaa dawi\u2019 gahti kaitsaan-hooda.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the men in the circle spoke, \u201cAdam daiboo\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam nappai daiboo\u2019 nappai Shoshoni gahti kwinahai. Adam kuhma. Mike kwehe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam leaned over to Mike. \u201cWhat are they saying?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPohakanten,\u201d she said, pointing to the medicine man, \u201ctells them we bring medicine and can get money for more medicine if they help find the mines. He tells them you are half-breed and that we are husband and wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man in the circle spoke again. \u201cKimama meheN-nehwe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHaa\u2019,\u201d answered Mike\u2019s grandmother.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey asked if Grandmother claims us as family. She said \u2018yes\u2019,\u201d whispered Mike.<\/p>\n

\u201cSodeN daiqwa-Shoshoni?\u201d asked the man.<\/p>\n

\u201cKai,\u201d said Kimama.<\/p>\n

The men looked around the circle at one another discussing Adam among themselves. The man who had been speaking asked, \u201cYour brother is Shoshoni?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, my brother is a white man. He is my half-brother.\u201d There was more discussion within the circle.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe take you to land of Aha macave near mines. No more.\u201d He clapped his hands and the women brought flat wood covered with chunks of meat, followed by flat bread and what Adam recognized as the fruit from the prickly-pear cactus. Mike and her grandmother left the circle. Adam stayed and ate with the men. He carefully watched what the men did before Mike brought food to him. He laid a smaller piece of wood on the ground in front of him, and stabbed a piece of meat with his knife while Mike placed a piece of the flat bread and chunks of the cactus fruit on the wood. Then she backed away, sitting with the women and eating after all the men had been served. Some of the men left the circle, each calling to a woman to sit with him. When Adam looked around for Mike, he found her sitting with her grandmother, eating a piece of meat with her hands, gnawing it, letting the grease drip down her chin. He didn\u2019t allow his disgust to show on his face, thinking better of it when he observed the other women eating the same way, wiping their chins with the back of the arms.<\/p>\n

Mike caught his eye and nodded him over. He got up, walking over to her. She sneered and motioned away. Adam stood for a moment, watching as another man called a woman to him. \u201cMike,\u201d he said loudly, walking to a log near the entrance to her grandmother\u2019s lodge.<\/p>\n

The man that had been talking in the circle leaned over to the other men still sitting with him. \u201cHe does not know the way of the Shoshoni.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another man answered. \u201cHe is the family of Kimama. He stays this night. He will not be ours to feed when the sun rises, and the Aha macave squaw will go back to her people.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
Author’s Notes:<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n
\n

You will see mostly Aha macave names going forward with very little Aha macave dialog. Until modern times, the Aha macave had no written language…only the spoken word. Their language is somewhat metaphorical, so putting the right words together would be difficult without knowing their complete history.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Chapter Eight<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAyasha, it is too dangerous for you to come again. If you are with the Shoshoni, you will be taken to the reservation. If you are found without the Shoshoni, the Army men will not be kind to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHutsi\u2019, if I do not bring the medicine, our people will die.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will make the Shoshoni men understand that you do this to keep our people alive to fight. They will come to know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and the Shoshoni men who were taking them toward the mines waited while Mike and her grandmother said their goodbyes. Mike swung her leg up and over one of the two horses the Shoshoni had given them to replace the two they had arrived on, and they left the village.<\/p>\n

\u201cAyasha?\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy Shoshoni name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does it mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle One. Ssh. We must be quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n

They rode with four Shoshoni men through steep-sided canyons and up and over the mountains of dust and rock, never entering the wide valleys. When they arrived atop a high precipice, the men slid off their horses and motioned for Adam and Mike to join them lying on the edge. From where they were looking, the entire east end of the valley between two mountain ranges was visible. Mines could be seen as tiny points of dust where men were constantly moving in and out of them. The mines that were close together were gold or silver mines. Other mines were isolated, hugging looming rock walls; one with the opening positioned high up on the face of the wall.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe white man digs the lead mines against the rock and high up so they cannot be attacked from sides or back\u2026only front,\u201d said one of the Shoshoni men, pointing. He crawled back away from the edge and stood. \u201cWe go no further. There lies the land of the Aha macave.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Shoshoni man took Mike by the arms. \u201cKimama has told us why you come to our lands again and again.\u201d He looked up to the sky and said, \u201cMay Hania watch over you\u2026and Tsiishchili,\u201d he added, looking back at Adam. \u201cGoodbye my sister.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mike and Adam watched as the Shoshoni men disappeared into the canyon below the precipice. \u201cWhat did he say to you?\u201d asked Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe asked that the Great Spirit warrior watch over us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUs?\u201d asked Adam with raised eyebrows.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe gave you a Shoshoni name\u2026Tsiishchili. You are one of the tribe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does it mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked to the side trying to hide a grin. \u201cIt means \u2018curly haired\u2019\u201d. He frowned. \u201cDo not look displeased. It could have been Pehe-daaN.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHairy one.\u201d He looked down at his bare chest, bouncing his head from side to side with his eyebrows raised.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome. We have far to travel.\u201d Even though the mines could be seen from the precipice, they were still more than two days ride away. \u201cWe will find a place to make camp and travel again in darkness.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Shoshoni didn\u2019t feel the need to do that. Why are we?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a better chance of avoiding the Aha macave if we travel at night. And the sun will not burn your skin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve already been traveling in the sun, and sunburn is not going to interfere with getting Joe out of there. What are the chances we\u2019ll avoid the Aha macave?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSmall,\u201d she said as she took the braid out of her hair, now wearing it loosely falling over her shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen we\u2019ll keep moving.\u201d Mike pinched her mouth into an aggravated pucker, but before she could voice her dissent, Adam stopped her. \u201cNot a word,\u201d he growled, flaring his nostrils and furrowing his brows. She pulled her pucker in at his growl and did as she was told while Adam chuckled to himself. She reminded him of Little Joe at eight or nine years old when he was angry.<\/p>\n

As they travelled, they stopped periodically to water their horses and themselves. In this part of the desert, plant life was sparse. They had not found a prickly pear cactus or any other edible plant for hours.<\/p>\n

Adam had excused himself and walked behind some rocks. When he returned, an Indian, he assumed Aha macave, was dragging a struggling Mike away, holding his hand over her mouth. Adam pulled his knife from the sheath he wore at his waist, intent on freeing Mike, but several more men jumped down from the rocks above him, surrounding them. Adam looked around him and back at Mike, who was staring intently at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou dare touch my woman!\u201d he shouted, then lunged forward with his knife. The other Aha macave closed in on him, holding him by the arms and neck as he struggled to free himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho are you?\u201d said the man holding Mike.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am Chacha hoda, daughter of Chacha wakavar. I have brought medicine for Fulani moco’o.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFulani moco\u2019o lives with the Great Spirit. \u201cQuaskette howa has taken his place. Who is he?\u201d the man asked, pushing his chin out toward Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is my husband.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is a white man,\u201d said the man in disgust.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is also Shoshoni.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Aha macave man studied both of them then nodded to the other men, pushing Mike hard toward Adam, who caught her in his arms and held her. He pulled her behind him as he approached the Aha macave man.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you touch her again, I will kill you,\u201d threatened Adam through clenched teeth, standing chest to chest with the Aha macave.<\/p>\n

The Aha macave man looked impassively at Adam then looked over his shoulder at the other men. They all began to laugh. Adam flared his nostrils, and the man patted both of his shoulders. \u201cCome brother. We will take you to our camp. You will eat and drink with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked down at Mike who was smiling up at him proudly. They followed the Aha macave through the canyon to their camp, dodging an Army patrol on the way.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Chapter Nine<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hoss Cartwright stood, churning, waiting for the stagecoach that would bring his father home early from St. Louis. His father\u2019s response to Hoss\u2019 telegram was a short \u2018I\u2019m on my way. Don\u2019t let the trail get cold\u2019. After that answer, Adam and Hoss knew one of them had to start tracking, and it was as plain to Hoss as the nose on his face which one should go and which one should wait. Adam was smaller and could move faster and right now speed was necessary. The only traces left of Joe was just about everything he carried with him. Whoever took him, took him and nothing else. It definitely wasn\u2019t a robbery, and they definitely didn\u2019t want anyone to identify him. It had taken weeks for his father to return and in all that time a demand for ransom never materialized.<\/p>\n

Now, after receiving Adam\u2019s telegram from Aurora, Hoss felt that maybe it would have been better if there had been a ransom note. If what Adam suspected was true, Joe could be in serious trouble, if not already dead, and there would be no one on the way Adam could trust to help him.<\/p>\n

Hoss heard the unmistakable sound of the team of horses pulling the stagecoach. He craned his neck to see it coming around the corner, watching it until it stopped in front of him. Ben Cartwright barely waited for it to stop before he bolted from the coach.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny news?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, this telegram came from Adam about a week ago, Pa. It don\u2019t sound good,\u201d he said, handing the telegram to his father.<\/p>\n

Ben read the telegram. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t look like Adam\u2019s going to get much help either except for this guide, Mike Dutton. He says the Army post down there is probably in on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDeath Valley,\u201d said Hoss, shaking his head. \u201cThere\u2019s an Indian war goin\u2019 on down there, and Adam\u2019s walkin\u2019 right in the middle of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t seem to have much choice, Hoss. Let\u2019s go. I want to get started as soon as we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam said we should bring some of the men unless we wanted to end up on one of those wagons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben and Hoss rode quickly home to the Ponderosa where they handpicked two men to ride with them, packed their gear on fresh horses, barely saying hello and goodbye to Hop Sing. Hop Sing understood. He was just as anxious for them to bring Joe and Adam home as they were. When Hoss told him his father would be on the stagecoach, Hop Sing packed enough food to carry them through the ride to Aurora.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Hop Sing,\u201d said Ben.<\/p>\n

Hop Sing could see the worry on Ben’s face. \u201cHop Sing be okay here. You bring Missa Joe and Missa Adam home.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Chapter Ten<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Adam and Mike arrived at the Aha macave camp, most of the inhabitants were men. There were very few women and no children.<\/p>\n

\u201cAsk them where my mother is\u2026Chacha wakavar,\u201d said Mike, leaning into Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is Chacha wakavar?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was sick and was taken to the reservation.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Mike heard this, she stepped in front of Adam, but he pulled her back, looking sternly at her. \u201cWho took her there?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was found and taken by the soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mike slumped, stepping away, and Adam followed her, standing behind her. \u201cShe would rather die than go to the reservation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

He turned back to the Aha macave. \u201cCan we get her back?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, we cannot. The soldiers are too many to fight at the reservation.\u201d He motioned toward a small hut. \u201cCome. Rest. We will talk at the night meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mike went to the pallet of skins at the back of the hut, dropping, bringing her knees up to her chest and covering her head. Adam sat near the opening of the hut, observing the Aha macave as they went about their daily chores. He heard Mike moving around behind him, going through the baskets. Soon, she sat next to him. He noticed she sat with one leg underneath her while the other was bent with her knee up, the tassels of her skirt covering her, and recognized that she was sitting like the few Aha macave women in the camp. She had changed her whole demeanor in the presence of the Aha macave.<\/p>\n

She sat down close to him with her head bowed, leaning into his side, grasping something in her hand and fidgeting. \u201cMy great-grandmother taught me to speak your language, but\u2026\u201d She held out her hand closed in a fist, and Adam held out his open hand. Her hand hovered over his for a moment, as if she was unsure if she wanted to give him whatever was there. \u201cThis came for me before you came to Aurora. I was told it is from California.\u201d She dropped a rolled envelope into Adam\u2019s hand, never looking at him, then drew her hand back and played with the tassels on her skirt. \u201cMy grandfather was taken by the soldiers. My grandmother said he was in the prison of the white man, and that we would not see him again. That was many years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour great-grandmother never taught you to read, did she?\u201d asked Adam gently. She looked away shamefully, shaking her head. \u201cDo you know why your grandfather was taken?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause he took supplies and medicine to the Shoshoni during the big war.\u201d She unrolled the envelope in his hand, taking the letter out and placing it back in his hand. She glanced up at him quickly, pushing the edge of the letter with her fingertips, silently imploring him to read it.<\/p>\n

Adam unrolled and unfolded the letter and read it to himself, sucking in a long, deep breath when he was done and looking out the opening. He looked back at her when he felt her eyes on him, pleading. He cleared his throat and read. \u201cMiss Dutton, it is with my sincere apologies that I must inform you of the death of Michael Lewis Dutton on the evening of July 4, 1860 while incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. Mr. Dutton died of consumption.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes clouded, and she backed away from him, crawling back to the pallet of skins, curling into a tight ball. He\u2019d never seen her cry. After watching her unemotional, methodical ways, he never imagined he would ever see her cry. He backed away from the door and lay next to her on the skins. She turned her back to him, but allowed him to hold her as she sobbed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Chapter Eleven<\/strong><\/p>\n

Adam went back to the opening of the hut, leaving Mike lying on the pallet after crying herself to sleep. When he saw that several men had brought in a mule deer, he stepped outside, hoping they would allow him to help. He had slaughtered enough cattle and deer in his life to know his way around a mule deer. When he approached the men with his knife out, none took it as an act of aggression, but rather that he was coming to help, like every other man in the small band. He knelt next to the man that had spoken to him before and began pulling and cutting the skin from the underlying meat.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you called?\u201d asked the man.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have a Shoshoni name?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTsiishchili.\u201d<\/p>\n

The men surrounding the mule deer looked at him, his chest, his arms and legs then laughed heartily. \u201cThen you shall be called Homar huwhen,\u201d said the man, laughing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you called?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am Empote quatacheech.\u201d Adam slowly pronounced the name, and Empote quatacheech gave him a satisfied grunt and nod.<\/p>\n

When the men had finished removing the skin and gutting the mule deer, they passed the skin and waste back to the women who were waiting to clean and hang the skin to dry. The waste was taken away from the camp and sparsely spread over the ground. By morning, there would be no trace of it.<\/p>\n

Once the meat was cut and cooking over the fires, the men went to wash the blood of the mule deer off their bodies as the women brought corn and squash. Each Aha macave man patted Adam on the back, inviting him to go with them, appreciating his skill with the knife. The men washed silently, ever vigilant of their surroundings.<\/p>\n

When they returned, Adam was happy to see Mike tending the fires with the other women. He followed the men, sitting in a circle, discussing the kill of the mule deer and the location of the Army patrols. When the food was ready, the women laid large wooden trays of food in front of the men in the circle then positioned themselves behind the men. He noticed that a woman who was the wife of one of the men sat close to him, just behind and to the right. The wives were treated with greater respect than the single women who brought their food with them and sat farther back from the circle. The wives were given food from the trays by their husbands. Anything the husband didn\u2019t finish was passed back to the wife who could then pass back to the other women. The wives were allowed to speak when spoken to.<\/p>\n

Empote quatacheech spoke to the small band of Aha macave, raising his hands to the sky, thanking Mutavilya, their creator, who gave them their names and their commandments and his son, Mastamho, who gave them the river and taught them how to plant and hunt. When the prayer was done and everyone started eating, he spoke again. \u201cAdam, you use the knife well. You are Homar huwhen.\u201d Everyone, including the women repeated his name then laughed.<\/p>\n

Adam turned to Mike. \u201cWhy are they laughing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour name means \u2018hairy man with short hair\u2019,\u201d she answered, laughing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does your name mean?\u201d She frowned and looked away, muttering. \u201cWhat? I didn\u2019t hear you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBeautiful ear of corn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam laughed loudly, but didn\u2019t cause anyone to take notice. His laughter blended in with theirs. He found it refreshing, especially after hearing how vicious the Aha macave could be, that they were so friendly. He knew he wouldn\u2019t have been so fortunate if he had not been traveling with Mike. It was very clear\u2026to friends they were a very gracious people.<\/p>\n

When the meal was over, the women on the outside of the circle behind the wives took the trays and gathered near the cooking fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cChacha hoda, do you bring medicine?\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded and passed a skin-wrapped bundle forward. It made its way around the circle to Empote quatacheech. Another package was passed to Quaskette howa. When Empote quatacheech opened the package he held up the bottles for all to see. A mumble arose through the small band with everyone nodding approval, and again, when the medicine man unrolled the two snake skins.<\/p>\n

\u201cHomar huwhen and Chacha hoda, you have brought much needed medicine and have pleased the Great Spirit,\u201d he said, nodding toward Quaskette howa. \u201cSpeak your gift.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy half brother has been taken as a slave in the lead mines. We ask for your help in freeing him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHomar huwhen, many of our brothers have been taken to work in the mines. They are never seen again. We have been to the camps of the white men who guard the mines. The white slaves sleep in chains outside. The Aha macave slaves sleep inside the mine so that we cannot free them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother is not Shoshoni. He is white.\u201d A murmur passed around the circle. \u201cOur father is a white man. We have different mothers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Empote quatacheech sat with his eyes closed while the medicine man sitting beside him whispered to him. \u201cChacha hoda has the blood of the white man. She is mutaquesa manyieh, a good spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Empote quatacheech opened his eyes. \u201cWe will help you free your brother. But be warned. It will not go easy. We may all meet the Great Spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore we go, I would speak with the Captain of the soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. It is the soldiers that take my brothers to the mines. It is the soldiers that guard the wagons that come from the north full of white slaves. If you speak to this Captain, you will not return. You will be a slave in the mines.\u201d Adam nodded. \u201cWe will go to watch when the sun is high. Then we will go after the next sunset to find your brother and free him. Tonight we drink the water of the seer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mike tugged on Adam\u2019s arm, and when he looked, her eyes were full of fear. She whispered, \u201cDo not drink the water of the seer. It will\u2026change you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked sadly at him knowing that he would drink with the men. \u201cYou will become\u2026Aha macave\u2026not Adam Cartwright. It will make you act like an Aha macave man the night before he goes to fight\u2026so that his spirit lives on.\u201d<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t have a chance to explain further. The single women in the group took her, struggling to the hut, forcing her inside. \u201cYou will wait here,\u201d said one of the women.<\/p>\n

She had no choice. Adam would soon come into the hut, and she had to be prepared. She began to pull the leather straps from the baskets, pulling long pieces of string through the ends.<\/p>\n

The men sat around the fire while Quaskette howa prepared the drink that would be shared by all the men. He cut a dried cactus into small pieces, dropping them into a half gourd filled with water that he slowly warmed over the fire. He said a prayer then passed the gourd around, with each man taking a drink. When Adam drank the effect was slow, but soon the men in the circle began to move from side to side in a wave; their heads would move first then their bodies would move while their heads moved back. The gourd came around again, and he took another drink. As time went by, the sparks from the fire became small figures dancing around the fire as if they were alive. The medicine man danced with them. The drink had other effects, too, and soon, the men were leaving the circle, going into their huts with their wives amid the hoots and howls of those men left at the fire, watching the strange fire dance taking place in the middle.<\/p>\n

When the gourd came back around, Adam pushed it away, swaying as if he was going to fall\u2026but wait\u2026he was sitting on the ground already. Finally, he was pulled to his feet by someone saying something about his Shoshoni blood and maybe he couldn\u2019t take more. The bodiless arms guided him to his hut and shoved him through the opening. He fell to his knees, swaying. Then he saw her, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, her tanned body flowing to the floor like a river, her hair growing longer and longer. He reached for her and pulled her to him, running his fingers through her long hair.<\/p>\n

Mike pushed him backwards, straddling him, and he pulled her face down to his, taking her mouth with his. She whispered words to him that he could not comprehend, the melodic sound of her voice, soothing. She moved his arms over his head then climbed down his body to his feet, gently touching him, whispering promises.<\/p>\n

She suddenly backed away. He tried to sit up, but he couldn\u2019t bring his legs underneath him. He reached for her with his hands, but he couldn\u2019t separate them. As much as he tried to get to her, she was always just out of reach, until he fell from his knees onto his side, mumbling. His mumbles slowly faded, and he lay motionless. Mike stayed in the far corner of the hut the rest of the night.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Chapter Twelve<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Adam awoke, he opened his eyes, but the hut was spinning, so he closed them again. He brought his hands up to his head and realized he was tied. When he tried to sit up, he found his feet were tied together. \u201cMike?\u201d He slowly opened his eyes, wincing at the light coming through the opening. Bringing his hands up in front of him, he pulled the string with his teeth until he was able to pull them loose enough to get his hands out of the leather straps. After slowly sitting up, he untied his feet while looking around the hut. Mike wasn\u2019t there.<\/p>\n

He felt worse than he did after his worst night drunk in Virginia City. He thought he must have looked worse, too, because when he slowly made his way out of the hut, everyone stopped to look and laugh. Mike rushed over from\u2026somewhere\u2026and helped him sit on the log next to the hut, answering his questions through her laughter at his curls sticking out at all angles and his eyes, barely open.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou drank the water of the seer. Peyote.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me it was Peyote?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must eat or you will be sick all day.\u201d She squatted in front of him and pulled a small piece of meat from the chunk she was holding. \u201cHere. Eat this.\u201d After he swallowed, she handed him a gourd. \u201cDrink this. It will make the pain in your head go away.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a few minutes, memories of the last night slowly came back. He opened his eyes wide, looking intently at her. \u201cMike?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo not worry. I tied you. You did nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam blew out a long breath in relief. She puckered her mouth and cocked her head. \u201cMike, I didn\u2019t mean that you\u2019re not\u2026it\u2019s just that I would never\u2026intentionally\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

She patted his knee. \u201cYou are using big words again,\u201d she said as she went into the hut. She stuck her head back out. \u201cCome.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Adam entered the hut he was still eating the meat she had given him. He was surprised it was staying down, but he wasn\u2019t going to complain. After drinking whatever she had given him, he was beginning to feel better quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemove your dopada\u2019-nee\u2019 and put these on. The buckskin will blend with the rocks so that you will not be seen.\u201d While he was changing, she also changed into buckskin pants and top.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. I can move more quickly through the rocks than the men. I fit into small places. We will travel far on foot. Can you run far?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll manage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou will wear your buckskin boots. We will be running over rock that will wear on your feet.\u201d<\/p>\n

When they emerged from their hut, the Aha macave men who would be going with them were all dressed as Adam, except that they were barefoot. They handed a small poke of water with a strap to Adam and to Mike. Each one carried two knives. Three of the men carried a bow and a quiver of arrows. When everyone has ready Empote quatacheech said, \u201cWe go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam and Mike fell in line in the middle of the six Aha macave, and they trotted away from camp toward the mines. When they reached the precipice just to the west of the mines, Empote quatacheech signaled for each man to take a specific position among the rocks, two moving to the south above the mine entrance, and three moving to the east side. He motioned for Mike to work her way to a hidden ledge just above the mine entrance. From their height, they could all see the entire encampment below and anyone that went in or came out of the mine. During their watch, Army guards kept constant watch on the surrounding mountains, looking for any movement, seeing nothing. When the sun had moved halfway between straight up and the horizon Empote quatacheech made the vulture\u2019s call and the Aha macave, including Mike, slowly appeared behind Adam. They left as silently as they had come, and did not speak until they were back at the camp.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Chapter Thirteen<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben, Hoss and two ranch hands had ridden hard to arrive in Aurora the evening of their fourth day on the trail. Adam had mentioned in his telegram to speak to the bartender; that the bartender could give them more information than anyone else in town. The four men walked into the saloon and up to the bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019ll it be for you fellas?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFour beers,\u201d said Ben. When the beers arrived, Ben leaned forward toward the bartender. \u201cI\u2019m looking for my son. He was here a little while ago looking for a guide by the name of Mike Dutton.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bartender looked around the saloon, and seeing that it was almost empty, leaned forward. \u201cMister, people come in here all the time lookin\u2019 for Mike. After awhile, they all start lookin\u2019 alike.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben pulled a stack of coins from his pocket and began shuffling them, letting them bounce in his hand. \u201cMy son told me he was going into Death Valley with this guide. Does that sound familiar?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid your son dress in black?\u201d Ben nodded. \u201cHe left over a week ago, Mister, but there\u2019s no one here that will track him for you. He went lookin\u2019 for the Shoshoni and the Aha macave. The Army knows he\u2019s there and they\u2019re lookin\u2019 for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh? What happens when they find him?\u201d<\/p>\n

The bartender leaned close, looking around again before he answered. \u201cIf he\u2019s alone, he\u2019ll end up in the lead mines like his brother. If he\u2019s with Mike, he\u2019ll still end up in the mines, and Mike, well, they\u2019ll do some pretty awful things to Mike before they take her to the reservation. If they\u2019re with the Indians, there will be a small war. The Army outnumbers the Indians ten to one. It won\u2019t last very long.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHer?\u201d asked Ben, alarmed. \u201cHe hired a guide named Mike Dutton.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019d be a she, Mister. She\u2019s part white, part Shoshoni and part Mojave. And she\u2019s real important to the Army. She\u2019s been taking medicine in to the Indians. They\u2019re just waitin\u2019 for her and her Indians to attack the mines to get your missing son back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben turned to Hoss, \u201cAdam doesn\u2019t know they\u2019re walking into a trap. Is there a guide that knows that area that can maybe draw a map?\u201d Ben asked the bartender.<\/p>\n

The bartender thought. \u201cMaybe. You gentlemen take a seat. I\u2019ll send someone after him.\u201d<\/p>\n

While they waited, Ben pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil. \u201cWhat\u2019s that, Pa,\u201d asked Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll ask the bartender to send this telegram tomorrow to Colonel Adamson in San Francisco. They won\u2019t be here in time to help us, but they will eventually get here and hopefully close those lead mines down. If the Army here is involved, we can\u2019t trust any of \u2018em.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Chapter Fourteen<\/strong><\/p>\n

<i>I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother,
\nbut to fight my greatest enemy – myself. \u2013 Native American Prayer<\/i><\/p>\n

The Aha macave men gathered around the cold fire pit, drinking and eating a light meal discussing their observations at the mine.<\/p>\n

\u201cHomar huwhen, did you see your brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. Though there were many white men coming and going through the mouth of the mine, I did not see him. I do not know why he would not be with the other men. How do you know he is in this mine?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe wagons come only to this mine. The mouth is high on the mountain; no one can escape. They move Aha macave to other mines when wagon brings more white men.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another man spoke, \u201cEmpote quatacheech, the Army guards watched the mountains. They did not do this before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey know. I do not know how. They wait for us to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone turned toward a commotion on the outskirts of the camp. An Aha macave man came into camp holding a knife at the neck of a soldier whose jacket was opened showing a white shirt streaked with blood. \u201cWe have been found. We must move.\u201d A murmur grew in the camp. Empote quatacheech breathed deeply. \u201cHomar huwhen, we must wait to free your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe could die if we wait,\u201d answered Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will die if we do not. We will move and watch for a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat will you do with him?\u201d Adam asked, pointing to the soldier.<\/p>\n

Empote quatacheech turned to the Aha macave holding the soldier. \u201cDid he speak?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, he would not speak.\u201d Empote quatacheech made a cutting motion with his hand and the Aha macave slowly cut the man\u2019s throat.<\/p>\n

Adam could see the terror in the man\u2019s eyes as the blade slowly sliced his neck, thick red blood flowing down his chest. Adam jerked his head away and down, his anger turning to fury at the cruelness of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHomar huwhen, you look away in shame. He would not spare your life. The soldiers take pleasure in killing the Indian.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you know he was not following orders? When you give orders, do you not expect them to be followed?\u201d asked Adam, angrily looking Empote quatacheech squarely in the eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll men choose good or bad. He chose to follow bad orders.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll soldiers are not bad. If you go in to kill, you will be killed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Empote quatacheech rose from the circle. \u201cWe are at war with the soldiers. We did not bring the war. We did not take their lands. We did not force them away. We will fight the white man\u2019s Army to keep what is ours. We move.\u201d Everyone began to dismantle the camp.<\/p>\n

Adam sat staring at the ground in front of him. Mike slowly moved to his side. \u201cThis is the way of my people. They would not kill if the soldiers did not kill them or take them from their lands.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is why the white man believes the Aha macave are savages. Did you see that man\u2019s shirt? That man was tortured,\u201d Adam said furiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is no less than what they do to us. Because of this, they fear us yet they do these things. The soldiers are cowards.\u201d She moved in front of him, squatting as close to him as she could get. \u201cAdam, you must understand. When the Aha macave go to free your brother, there will be killing. The Aha macave will kill as many of the soldiers as they can. We may go in like a mouse, but we will leave like the big cat once we have your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t kill a soldier unless I have no other choice,\u201d he said. She turned away. \u201cWait. We? You\u2019re not going.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will be the one to enter the cave to free your brother and the Aha macave there. I will be taking knives for them. If I am found, I will die before I let them take me. They will\u2026do things\u2026before they take me to the reservation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t the kind of help I wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is the only help you will get.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Chapter Fifteen<\/strong><\/p>\n

A scout was sent to find a suitable place for camp higher up in the mountains. They would have to go further for water and food, but they would be even more difficult to find. Everything required to make camp was carried up the steep rocks on their backs, the women carrying the weight they could right along with the men.<\/p>\n

It was long after dark when the camp was settled, and everyone gathered for the evening meal of dried salmon and mesquite beans. Empote quatacheech spoke to the tribe as they ate. \u201cWe go tonight to watch, but we will take the knives. If the soldiers do not watch, we will go in to find the brother of Homar huwhen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd when you find him, what then?\u201d asked Adam, loudly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will bring him to you and you will leave us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Chacha hoda?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cChacha hoda must go into the mine to free our people and your brother if he is there. When she has done her work, she may leave with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam knew there was no point arguing about what would be done after he left. He knew this was the best he could do. Still, he felt\u2026ashamed\u2026dirty\u2026at the prospect of leaving the soldiers to a violent death. Or perhaps the Aha macave. He saw no way to prevent it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow will I know your brother?\u201d asked Mike.<\/p>\n

Adam thought for a moment. \u201cAsk him who the cook is. He\u2019ll understand. The answer is Hop Sing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHop Sing,\u201d she said, nodding.<\/p>\n

They traveled to the rocks around the mines as they had before, silently on foot. Empote quatacheech positioned them as before. They watched and waited. The white slaves from the mine were kept in a flat area where they slept on the ground chained together. The soldiers patrolled the area around them as well as the entrance to the mine.<\/p>\n

As they watched, one of the Aha macave to the south came back to Empote quatacheech and Adam. He pointed to the north where Adam could just barely make out four dark figures riding toward the mine in the moonlight. It wasn\u2019t long before the guards heard them approach, and they all formed a line to the north of their encampment. The only soldiers that didn\u2019t go forward were the two stationed in the mouth of the mine. When the riders stopped in front of the soldiers, Empote quatacheech signaled for Mike to enter the mine.<\/p>\n

They watched as she deftly climbed down the rock from the top, finding handholds and footholds that could not be seen from below. She stopped just above the mine entrance, hanging on to the rock with one hand and throwing her knife with the other. When the first soldier slumped, the second one bent to see what was wrong, unsuspecting of the knife that had been thrown from above. Before he had a chance to stand back up, she threw a second knife. The soldier slumped on top of the first. She climbed down, disappearing into the dark void of the mine.<\/p>\n

Mike searched both soldiers for keys to the chains, found them then made her way down the main tunnel. She began to worry that she wouldn\u2019t be able to find the Aha macave slaves and Adam\u2019s brother because there were so many tunnels off the main tunnel. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found a large chamber at the end of the main tunnel where the men were sleeping. She covered the mouth of the first man, waking him, then handed him the keys and a knife. He in turn woke the next man, passing the key along. As the Aha macave men awoke, she handed out knives. She looked across the entire group, but didn\u2019t see a white man, so she pulled the first Aha macave aside, whispering, \u201cWhite man?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne is here in another tunnel. But why?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must free him. We will talk after.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Aha macave man took her to the tunnel where Joe was sleeping. She put her hand over his mouth and her knife at his neck, waking him. When Joe opened his eyes, he saw the girl and the knife and didn\u2019t struggle. \u201cWho is cook?\u201d Mike asked him.<\/p>\n

Joe creased his eyebrows for moment. \u201cHop Sing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have come with your brother, Adam, to free you. You must be silent.\u201d Joe nodded and the Aha macave man unlocked his chains. \u201cDo you know how to use this?\u201d asked Mike, holding out a knife. Joe nodded. \u201cThen we go.\u201d<\/p>\n

When all the men were unchained, they waited for Mike at the mine entrance crouching in the shadows. Joe crawled up next to her. \u201cThat\u2019s my father and brother,\u201d said Joe quietly, nodding toward the riders at the far side of the encampment.<\/p>\n

She squatted low so the men on the ground below couldn\u2019t see her and signaled to Empote quatacheech. \u201cYou are not to kill the men who are not soldiers,\u201d she said to the Aha macave waiting behind her. She turned to Joe. \u201cYou will go to the rocks there\u201d, she said, pointing toward Adam\u2019s position. \u201cYou and your brother go back to our camp and prepare to leave. Tell your brother to pack the horses. Tell him to wear his gun.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Empote quatacheech gave the signal, the Aha macave poured out of the cave entrance and down from the surrounding mountain, taking the soldiers on the ground by surprise. Empote quatacheech had moved from their hiding place and went down the mountain with his men.<\/p>\n

Joe did as he was told, running to the rocks at the west and climbing until he was grabbed by Adam and pulled into the shadows.<\/p>\n

Adam wrapped his hand around Joe\u2019s neck, looking at his eyes. \u201cJoe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m alright, Adam. She said to go back to the horses and get them packed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mike waited until the fighting began, skirting along the sides of the mountains until she was even with Ben and Hoss who were confused at what was taking place, their horses barely in control. Mike ran to Ben\u2019s horse, taking the reins. \u201cI am Mike Dutton. Follow me,\u201d she yelled above the calls of the Indians and the cries of dying men. She ran ahead of them, turning and motioning them to follow. Ben turned his horse, yelling for Hoss and the two hands to follow. They galloped toward her as she ran to the cover of the rocks. \u201cWe must go quickly,\u201d she said, swinging up on Ben\u2019s horse behind him, pointing the way.<\/p>\n

Adam and Joe were running toward the camp when they heard the approaching horses and ducked behind rocks until the horses were closer. Seeing his father, Adam climbed up on top of the rock and waved him down. \u201cPa, I don\u2019t have time to explain. We have to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mike jumped down from Ben\u2019s horse, and Adam grabbed her arm. \u201cWhere are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI must help my people,\u201d she said, trying to pull away.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not going back. We need your help to get out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do not need my help,\u201d she shouted, struggling against his grip. \u201cYou know the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHelp me get them back to the camp. Then we\u2019ll both come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe climbed up behind Ben. The ranch hands doubled up on one horse, and Adam hauled Mike, kicking and struggling, up on the last horse and followed her up, sitting behind her and holding her in the saddle.<\/p>\n

When they arrived at camp, Mike spoke to the women explaining the white men in their camp. \u201cYou must stay at my hut. If you move away from here, they will kill you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait, where are you going?\u201d asked Ben anxiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, stay here. We have to help if we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben grabbed Adam\u2019s arm. \u201cThe only thing you have to do is leave with us. You\u2019re not going back there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shrugged his father\u2019s hand away. \u201cI can\u2019t leave them, Pa,\u201d he said, looking intently into his father\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n

Ben grudgingly nodded, recognizing that look on Adam\u2019s face that said he was doing this no matter what his father had to say. Adam went into the hut, pulling his gun out of the basket, and he and Mike climbed back down from the camp to the trail through the canyons.<\/p>\n

When they arrived at the mine, they climbed back up on the precipice where Empote quatacheech and Adam had been hiding, looking down into the encampment. Mike gasped at the bloody scene, bodies of both Indian and soldier littering the encampment floor. There were still screams of the soldiers as they felt the Aha macave knife mixed in with the grunts of the Aha macave falling from the bullets of the soldier\u2019s guns. In the end, there were more soldiers standing than Aha macave. Adam and Mike watched as the few Aha macave that remained began to climb the rocks to escape.<\/p>\n

\u201cStay here,\u201d Adam said as he climbed down the rock face. He motioned for the remaining Aha macave to come to him. As he pointed them up the rock, he drew his gun ready to defend them if the soldiers gave chase. When he climbed up behind them, he turned around and looked down at the encampment. He saw no more Aha macave who were alive. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing more to do here,\u201d said Adam. \u201cLet\u2019s get back to the camp.\u201d Adam stood to leave and Mike reluctantly followed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Chapter Sixteen<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cEmpote quatacheech will not return,\u201d said Quaskette howa sadly. Our numbers are too small to fight. We must join with another band.\u201d 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. \u201cChacha hoda cannot stay,\u201d he said to Adam. \u201cIf 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stepped forward. \u201cAdam, the army knows she\u2019s been helping her people. They\u2019re looking for her. She can\u2019t go back to Aurora.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mike looked out across the top of the small mesa. \u201cI do not belong\u2026anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about the Shoshoni?\u201d asked Adam. \u201cCan\u2019t you go back there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will bring the soldiers to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot if you stay there and hide. Don\u2019t go back to Aurora.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut who will bring the medicine?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam took her by the arms. \u201cI don\u2019t know, but it can\u2019t be you. It won\u2019t do them any good if you get caught.\u201d<\/p>\n

She bowed her head. \u201cI will go to the Shoshoni. I will find a way to bring the medicine. I can walk with the white man without being seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

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. \u201cYou\u2019ll travel with us. We\u2019ll go back the way we came in.\u201d He turned to his father. \u201cThe Army will be looking for us. We have to get back to Aurora before they find us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, I sent a telegram to Colonel Adamson in San Francisco. I don\u2019t know how long it will take them to get here, but I expect they\u2019ll close down these mines,\u201d said Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat will be good for the Aha macave, but it\u2019s too late for us. We should leave soon. How\u2019s Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll survive. He\u2019s pretty worn out, but with a little food and water, he\u2019ll be alright,\u201d answered Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope so, Pa. He\u2019s got a ways to travel.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019t pull herself up on her horse. He pulled her away from the horse, holding her as she slowly sank to the ground. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did not have the time to stop,\u201d she said weakly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, how is she?\u201d asked Ben.<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head. \u201cIf we could have stopped the bleeding earlier\u2026she\u2019s lost a lot of blood. We have to get her to the Shoshoni,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat has happened?\u201d asked Kimama, looking at the wound. \u201cAyasha has been shot by a white man\u2019s gun?\u201d she said, glaring at Adam and motioning for others to come take her. The Shoshoni went into a hut while the Cartwrights waited.<\/p>\n

When Adam tried to enter the hut, he was stopped by one of the men. \u201cYou carry a white man\u2019s gun. You are not Shoshoni.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben drew Adam back away from the hut, frowning, watching him as he silently paced.<\/p>\n

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. \u201cHutsi\u2019, 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\u2019 mukua. I wish to speak to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kimama left the hut and stood in front of Adam. \u201cShe wishes to speak to you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Chapter Seventeen<\/strong><\/p>\n

<i>Make me always ready to come to you
\nwith clean hands and straight eyes.
\nSo when life fades, as the fading sunset,
\nmy Spirit may come to you without shame. \u2013 Native American Prayer<\/i><\/p>\n

Adam sat on the ground next to the pallet of skins where Mike was lying. She smiled up at him, raising her hand for him to hold. \u201cYou have learned many things, Tsiishchili.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a good teacher,\u201d said Adam, smiling down at her. \u201cLittle One, I should never have asked you to come. You were too young.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not so young. I have seen seventeen winters.\u201d Adam\u2019s face saddened. \u201cYou are not to blame. You did not know then what you know now. I would have come anyway to bring the medicine.\u201d She turned away and coughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t speak, Ayasha. You should rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will rest when my people are safe. Adam, you must promise me. My people must have the medicine or they will die from the white man\u2019s diseases. Promise me you will find a way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI promise. I\u2019ll find a way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d she whispered. \u201cI can rest.\u201d She closed her eyes and let the great sleep take her.<\/p>\n

Adam bent his head into his hand and wept.<\/p>\n

====================<\/p>\n

The next day, when Ben, Joe and Hoss got ready to leave for home, Adam didn\u2019t prepare with them. \u201cPa, I don\u2019t think the Army will stop you now. You\u2019re too close to Aurora for them to risk it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, I don\u2019t like it. They\u2019ll be looking for you. You need to come with us,\u201d said Ben.<\/p>\n

Adam looked his father in the eye. \u201cI\u2019m not leaving until it\u2019s done. I\u2019ll be alright. I know how to blend in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took a deep breath and nodded. He knew this was something Adam needed to do to live with everything that had happened the last few weeks; to say goodbye. The Cartwrights and their hands mounted. Ben looked back one last time before he turned to leave while Adam waved as they rode away.<\/p>\n

Adam carried Ayasha\u2019s body to the funeral pyre, handing her up to the Shoshoni medicine man, who offered prayers so that her spirit would be not be bound to the earth. When the medicine man came down from the pyre, he handed a lit torch to Kimama standing on one end of the pyre and to Adam standing at the other end. When the last prayer was said, Kimama and Adam lit each end of the pyre and stepped back with the other Shoshoni, watching the smoke carry Ayasha\u2019s spirit to the heavens.<\/p>\n

Kimama leaned over to Adam. \u201cAyasha said you lived bravely with the Aha macave to save all our peoples. She said you are tsaa\u2019 mukua, a good spirit.\u201d She turned to face him, holding his arms. \u201cTsiishchili, the Shoshoni; Adam Cartwright, the white man, you are welcome in the land of the Shoshoni.\u201d She took his face in her hands, and kissed both cheeks, then turned and walked back to the village.<\/p>\n

A Shoshoni brave handed him the bosal reins of a horse. Adam swung his leg up and over, looked back at the pyre, then turned and left, never to return to Furnace Creek.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Chapter Eighteen<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

Adam only paused at home long enough to write a letter to Colonel Adamson before he left again, hoping to fulfill his promise to Mike with it. After spending more than a week in the northern reaches of the Ponderosa, living off the land, sitting on the mesa watching the sun rise and set, Adam Cartwright walked through the door of his father\u2019s house. He hung his hat on the rack hanging on the wall. He carefully wrapped his gun belt around the holster, placing it on the cabinet. Then he walked to the massive fireplace, propping one foot up on the hearth, looking into the fire.<\/p>\n

His father watched the routine he had not seen since Adam had returned from Death Valley. He stayed in the leather chair next to the fireplace patiently waiting.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was only seventeen; a child. I understand now, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it that you understand, Son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow you feel; why you worry when one of us is late getting home or hurting emotionally or in physical pain. I understand why you sit next to our beds when we\u2019re ill until you know we\u2019re alright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled. After a quiet moment he said, \u201cA telegram came for you while you were gone. It\u2019s from Colonel Adamson.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned, took the letter, and sat on the hearth. He looked at the envelope for a moment, then opened it and read the letter. When he was finished, he smiled, refolded it and put it back in the envelope.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lead mines have been shut down. The Captain at Fort Mojave has been imprisoned. The Shoshoni will be allowed to stay in their village at Furnace Creek. When an accounting was made of all the Shoshoni, they were told that only one Shoshoni, a man called Tsiishchili, was not with them. Medicine will be provided to them and the Aha macave at Fort Mojave and at the Colorado River Reservation. He said the remaining Aha macave went to Fort Mojave on their own. A man named Quaskette howa reported that other than one man and one woman, there were no more Aha macave in the desert. He couldn\u2019t confirm whether a man called Homar huwhen and woman named Chacha hoda were dead or alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know these people?\u201d asked Ben.<\/p>\n

\u201cChacha hoda means \u2018beautiful ear of corn\u2019. That was Mike\u2019s Aha macave name. Adam smiled. Tsiishchili means \u2018curly haired.\u2019 Homar huwhen means \u2018hairy man with short hair\u2019.\u201d He rose from the hearth. \u201cGood night, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled knowingly as he watched Adam climb the stairs. \u201cGood night, Son.\u201d<\/p>\n

===================
\n<center><i>When you were born, you cried
\nand the world rejoiced.
\nLive your life
\nso that when you die,
\nthe world cries and you rejoice.
\nWhite Elk<\/i><\/center>
\n<b>The End <\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Epilogue<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Shoshone living in Death Valley were known as the Panamint Shoshone. In the 1850\u2019s, the Act for the Government and Protection of Indians was essentially a slave act where any white citizen could take any Indian child to any justice of the peace and state that he wanted to adopt the Indian child. The child was immediately placed in the custody of that person. The same process could be followed for an entire family, after which the family became indentured servants. To leave was punishable by death at the hands of the owners.<\/p>\n

By the 1860\u2019s, after repeal of the act, there were approximately only 150 Shoshone left in Death Valley. In 1866, the Treaty of Ruby Valley granted the United States rights-of-way across Western Shoshone territories. The federal government officially took the Panamint Shoshone primary ancestral lands with the creation of Death Valley National Monument in 1933. Three years later, the Park Service officially allowed the Panamint Shoshone to remain on forty acres at Furnace Creek. Still, the Panamint Shoshone were not a federally recognized tribe until 1983 when their name became the Timbisha Shoshone.<\/p>\n

As a result of continued mistreatment by Park Service employees, most of the Timbisha moved from Death Valley north into Bishop to live as guests of their distant cousins, the Northern Paiute, on the Bishop Reservation.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until 1994 that the Secretary of the Interior was instructed to work with the Timbisha Shoshone to find a suitable reservation. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbit tried unsuccessfully to remove them off the last remnant of their traditional homelands.<\/p>\n

The Timbisha Shoshone Homeland Act was ratified in November, 2000. A total of 7,700 acres were restored to the tribe as a reservation. This includes the Death Valley Indian Community where they are the majority residents at Furnace Creek.<\/p>\n

The small tribe of the Timbisha Shoshone was historically among, if not the most, oppressed people in the United States.<\/p>\n

=================<\/p>\n

The history of the Aha macave has only recently been uncovered because the Aha macave had no written language. Their language was spoken only. The Aha macave or Mojave as they are known today were the largest and most war-like of the Yuman tribes. Their ancestral lands stretched from the area around the Hoover Dam today, to the area surrounding the Parker Dam. The Aha macave hunted, however their chief sustenance came from their cultivated crops grown along the Colorado River. To this they added mesquite beans, fish and pinion nuts.<\/p>\n

By act of March 3, 1865, the Colorado River Reservation in Arizona was established for members of the Aha macave, Chemehuevi and Kawia tribes.<\/p>\n

In April, 1859, Fort Mojave was established to provide a shelter for emigrants to California and a base of operations against the Aha macave (Mojave) Indians. Captured Aha macave were held prisoner at the fort. In 1861, the fort was abandoned and burned out of fear of Confederate forces in the area. In 1863, the post was re-established and assigned protection duties for travelers along the Mojave and Prescott roads. In 1870, the fort became the center of the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation. The Army gave the Aha macave the choice of submission or extermination, and the majority of them chose submission. Only small numbers remained outside of the reservation and fort.<\/p>\n

From 1890 when Fort Mojave came under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior until 1931, an era of \u2018de-indianizing\u2019 the Aha macave took place. Tribal ties were broken, they were forbidden to use their own language as well as most of their traditional ways. They were given five lashes if they spoke in their native tongue. The children were forced to attend a boarding school where they were transformed to white, with haircuts, clothing, eating habits, manners, industry, language\u2026all white customs. They were also given English names and forbidden to use their Aha macave names.<\/p>\n

From a population of thousands, in 1963 the population of Aha macave at Fort Mojave was 438 and at the Colorado River Reservation, 550.<\/p>\n

Today, their tribal headquarters, library and museum are in Parker, Arizona.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Next Story in the Death Valley Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Death Valley – Complete Story<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Disclaimer:<\/span>\u00a0All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 Joe has been kidnapped and taken into Death Valley where an Indian War rages against the white man. Adam hires a mixed heritage guide to navigate the dangers in the desert and deal with the two tribes that live there as he searches for Joe.<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0T \u00a0WC 19,500<\/p>\n

The Death Valley series, links to all the stories within the series are included.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":217,"featured_media":13929,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[1005,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-cartwright","category-drama","wpcat-1005-id","wpcat-23-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Dead-Mans-Canyon.jpeg?fit=218%2C164&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/217"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7902"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7902\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13929"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}