Chapter 8

Harry asked, “What about me?”

I informed him, “I need you with me. I want to do some measuring where we will be making the cut for the new waterway. We’ll be interacting with the Indians after I get that done. I want to find out if they know how to irrigate the land like it used to be and what has to be done to get the land ready to till again.

“What we really need is someone that has farmed here before. I know absolutely nothing about planting and stuff. I’m sure I will make an awful lot of mistakes and we don’t have the money to make that many. Looking ahead, we will need some buildings too. It is too far away to travel back and forth from one side of the grant to the other every day.”

Charley questioned, “What about Hank? We’ve kind of sidestepped him. He wants to build a ranch over on the other side of the grant.”

I answered Charley, “Hank wants to do that himself. I thought we would finance him getting started. We never would have had a chance like this if it wasn’t for him. He can even keep the ranch separate if he wants too.”

“I don’t think he plans to. He wants to make this grant great again and promised the Don it would always be known as the de Castillo Grant. He said to me that he did need some backing to get started and didn’t know how to approach everyone to ask.”

“Charley, you tell him we’re behind him all the way. He’ll be tied up with Elena for a few days. I doubt he has cows on his mind. When he comes around we’ll help him.”

“Thanks, Brady, I knew we would.”

We sat around the rest of the afternoon relaxing. Every once in a while someone would ask a question concerning what we had laid out to be done to make the grant something to be proud of.”

Jim asked how we all came together, and Berta answered. “We each have our own story to tell and it didn’t happen all at once. Me, well, Brady rescued me up in the wilds of Montana. He helped me make it through the winter and then asked me to marry him. He was a trapper and kept me alive for six months before I saw another soul. I think I loved him from the first day we met, but I had issues so it took a while.

I took over. “The first time I saw Berta, she had just killed a man, but then she was in real trouble. Alone in wild country with the winter coming on, we threw in together and had a good season trapping. We came out in the spring loaded down with furs and headed south to sell them. On the way, we met up with Tom, Pete, and Harry.

“The first night in town I went into a bar and played poker. I had a run of luck and Jack here lost his freight line to me. I, who didn’t know anything about managing a freight line, was in trouble. I hired Jack to manage it for me. Berta and I were married a week later.

“Not long after that, the owner of another freight line, challenged me and I killed him. I promised to see that his wife was taken care of. That’s Sarah, who eventually married Jack. Pete, Tom, and Harry went to work for the concern. Berta and I needed more experience so we made Sarah and Jack our partners and they still are. Not bragging, it was the best move we ever made.”

“Where does Charley come into all this?”

Charley spoke up, “I’ll tell how. Hank is my brother and my parents decided to head west to find land to farm. We were living in Ohio at the time. We were almost to the Wyoming border when Ma and Pa died of cholera, leaving me at fifteen, and Hank at twelve, to carry on. We had a wagon and oxen and the trail boss in the train wanted me and the cattle. He was going to give me to another man. Brady came by and took up for me and Hank. Brady then took us home to Berta. We found out that our lost uncle, Harry, was working for him.

“We got us a home built and I did a few little things to pay the outfit back for taking us in and saving us from the hell that was before us before Brady came along. When I turned sixteen, the outfit gave me a birthday party and Pete asked me to marry him. I worked hard and eventually I was asked to become a partner with the others.”

“What about Hank?”

Charley laughed, “Brady put Hank on his horse the day we met him so Brady could drive the oxen. Since that time, Hank has to be riding. When the Pony Express was formed, Hank went to ride for them. He had a 73 mile stint through all kinds of rough territory to ride in 10 hours.

“Eventually he and some cowhands came west here and he fell in love with Elena. To save the grant, Hank came back to Cheyenne to see if he could borrow enough money so he could marry his love. We had been approached to sell the freight line and it came about that we had the funds so we could. We moved here three weeks ago.”

“Charley, how long were you in Wyoming?”

“Jim, 11 years and now we start over.”

I spoke now, “I do believe this is where we will settle for the rest of our lives. But then, that’s what I said when Berta and I married and settled in Wyoming.”

“What made you decide to sell and move?”

“Indians had something to do with it. Wyoming, the Dakotas, Montana, and the Territories to the south are terribly unsettled. Berta and I thought of the family we have and wanted them out of harm’s way.”

“Yes, and you have been here three weeks and had to kill or be killed.”

“That’s true, but the odds were on our side.”

“I guess.” He grinned and then said, “But they didn’t know that. Jesus, Herro didn’t know what to do. He had never been confronted with a sword before. He was a mean bastard too.”

I made an observation, “The Don is a prideful man and was having guests in at his daughter’s wedding. He didn’t think, just acted. Think about that a little. We’ve lived where the unexpected was the norm. We were alerted that strangers were headed our way. Hank had his pistol because it wasn’t out of place on his wedding outfit. This is the way we have had to live for the last ten years.

“Berta took a basket and went after our own firearms. The guns wouldn’t have come out of the basket if those riding in were friendly, but we were ready. Three weeks ago on the train we were riding on was being robbed. The robber in Charley and Berta’s railcar were going to kill. Berta took care of that, killing him in front of twelve passengers and four children. Charley plugged the other robber and slowed him enough for me to finish him off.

“This is kind of a code to live by. Be ready if you don’t feel comfortable in any situation you get into. It starts with having a weapon and knowing how to use it.”

Jim looked at me and then asked. “Were you always ready in every situation when you should have been?”

I hesitated and turned to look at Berta. She explained my silence, “Jim, Brady knew that Indians often waited where they could see the front door of a home, the first thing in the morning. The person came out every morning to do his business and the Indian would shoot and kill him. I saved Brady’s life one morning when he forgot what he thought was his automatic, ingrained action.”

“How was that?”

“Brady turned back to tell me he loved me just as he was to step outside. The person missed, but it was close. To get even, it was me who killed the person who almost cost me my love a half hour earlier. I’ll tell you in detail some other time.”

No one said anything for a while. Robby and Betty were playing tag and Brenda was trying to keep up. It would go until the two older ones could see that Brenda was getting frustrated. They would then let her tag them. Jack asked, “When are we going to start all of this moving ahead?”

I spoke up, saying, “Tomorrow I guess. Is everyone okay with that?” Everyone was.

Charley said when she got to town Jim was to get some new clothes. Pete needed some as well. We were all lolling around when we saw a tall man on a horse, another person on a burro, and six Indians walking beside them. They had appeared from the direction of the Hacienda. Jack volunteered, “They are headed here. Maybe it is a bunch that belonged here in the past.” We agreed that this was likely.

They all stopped, facing us. The tall patrician appearing man looked to be about sixty. The old person on the burro looked to be Indian and so were the rest.

Berta and Sarah brought out bowls and a jug of water, and after telling the people to get down, she handed them a bowl of water. “Hungry,” she asked.” The tall man nodded. Sarah went inside and returned with a pot of stew. Berta had made it earlier for our supper, but we’d eat something else. There was also some bread made of corn.

Each person presented the bowls they were holding and Berta ladled stew into it. One Indian brought the old Indian’s bowl to be filled. I guess he was used to being waited on. I remembered back to the deal Hank had made to lease the Presidio, if anyone came to the door and were hungry, we would feed them.

The tall man now announced, “I’m Sylvio and I used to be the overseer on the planting of the grant. I was in charge of planting and of harvesting what the grant produced. This old Indian, Pito was in charge of all the Indians as head man. I wouldn’t dare guess how old he is. All the Indians take his orders, even mine through him. Word has it that new people are in charge of the grant and will soon be working the land again. I would like to return here if possible.”

I said, “Yes, that is correct. You are very welcome for none of us have worked the land before. How did you hear of this?”

“Whispers on the wind have been circulating for many days. I thought the grant would be lost when all the cattle were sold, but then the little man returned and the wind whispered the grant was safe once more. Only last night whispers came to me that bad men who preyed on the grant had been removed. Tell me, if it is true that water will fill the lake again?”

I pointed at Jack and Tom. “Those two will begin tomorrow to search for someone to change the course of the river and bring water back to the empty lake. The woman and man sitting over there are leaving to search for seed and fertilizer for what we hope to produce. They have a plan.”

“That is good that you search for fertilizer. The seed will not be wasted. And you who tells me this, what do you do?”

“I’m the person who puts it all together to make a success of the grant.”

“And what about the little man who has just married my second cousin and will be Don someday?”

“You have me confused. How can Elena be your second cousin?”

“Because Don Pedro is my cousin. His father and my father were brothers. My uncle married a woman of station and my father loved a woman of the village. My place was chosen for me before I reached this earth. But I am a man and have done much to preserve the grant for many years. That is until Pedro wasted it away by gambling and playing at being the Don of his ancestors. It was in debt when the earthquake emptied the lake.”

“You will find Henry de Castillo not like that. He came out here a few years ago working wherever there were cattle. When the problem came up about nearly losing the grant, Don Pedro promised Henry his daughter’s hand if he could save it from going out of the de Castillo ownership. Hank, as we have always called him, searched the thousands of acres on the grant and got together enough cattle to sell to pay to have the boundaries and the grant certified solidly in the de Castillo name.

“Don Pedro thought that would be the end of it, but then it was found that certain fees needed to be paid to the new American government. Neither Hank nor Don Pedro had any money so Hank traveled east to ask of his sister and those she was partnered with for funds to pay the fees and pay the lawyer whom he had hired. He had thirty days only to accomplish this. It took him five days to reach us and within thirty-six hours he was back on the train with the money and with friends who were to stave off anyone who objected to Henry paying all of the money required.”

“When Don Pedro yesterday foolishly charged a well-armed outlaw with only a sword, Hank was right beside him and killed another two outlaws that were reaching for their guns. I was on the move, but this happened very fast and Don Pedro was in luck to kill the man whom he was facing.

“Don’t sell Henry short. There wasn’t many fourteen-year-olds who rode for the Pony Express, but Hank was one of the best. Everyone you see here had their hand in teaching Hank to become what he is and we are proud of what he has become. Hank is sticking with cattle and horses. You will be feeding our Indians beef, when before they had to settle for a bit of corn for food.”

Sylvio asked, “May we camp here tonight? We have traveled far. Tomorrow we journey to the lake and gather the Indians together to build a more permanent village?”

“Harry and I are going up there in the morning. We will ride together. Sylvio, would you like to bed down in one of the rooms tonight?”

“You are generous, but no, I will sleep in the stables at the presidio and be comfortable.”

“Okay for tonight, but I will have a room set up you can call your own when you are in this part of the grant. Do you have family?”

“My wife has been living with friends and will be with them until I can construct quarters near my work for her.”

“She would also be welcome to stay here in the mission while you get organized. Berta and the children would be pleased to have her here. Another question, Do you have funds?”

“Not at the present.”

I looked at Berta and she went inside, coming back handing Sylvio a draw string purse with some coins in it. She received a smile and a soft thank you. I then turned to Pete and Charley and made plans about them leaving tomorrow, taking Jim with them.

Sarah, Jack and Tom saddled up and made ready to go up to the hacienda. I handed Jack a sketch of where the cut was to be made to get to the river. I also included some details of what the land was like that needed to be transformed into a channel for the new river bed to move water to the dry lake.

That night, lying in bed with Berta, I said, “Sweetheart, I have never really doubted myself, but I have been worried about the wisdom of taking on the work of making the grant productive. I believe my prayers were answered when Sylvio stepped down off his horse and explained who he was. He evidently loves this grant, probably even more than Pedro. He will be someone we can work with and we’ll make sure he has a home for the rest of his life. I’ll learn from him just like I learned the freight business from Jack.”

“You have a lot of Indians to boss too. That old one on the burro doesn’t look like he will live very long.”

“You never know Berta, but I think our life just got a lot more interesting and this will be a great place to bring up our kids. There will always be something for them to learn and they just might want to make their life here when their Ma and Pa are old and decrepit.”

“Brady, you aren’t old and decrepit now. Any ideas?”

In the morning, we learned that one of the Indians, who was not mounted, had disappeared and I questioned Sylvio. His answer, “I sent word to my wife that we would be now living here on the grant and I have been engaged to take up work on my beloved land. My wife is much younger than I am and has never been on the grant before. You have offered a room and she may stay with you until I build us a home.”

“She will be welcomed.”

I was anxious to get up to the old lake area. I assumed this was where all of the Indians I had seen on the day of the wedding would now be gathered. Sylvio agreed that this was likely. He grinned and I knew he must have information that I didn’t have. Harry, Sylvio, the old Indian who rode the burro, and I mounted up and headed there after eating a breakfast. The Indians who were walking had started out before us and when we came even with them, we rode on, paying them no attention.

The speed of the burro set the pace and it was nearing noon when we reached the empty lake. All the Indians gathered around Sylvio and the old Indian on the burro. They were laughing and shouting with happiness.

Harry and I pulled to one side. The women must have remembered that I had sent water to relieve their thirst, for bowls of water were offered to us. We had the women and children gathered around us. We dismounted and I was in amongst twenty or more children jabbering at me.

I had been here a week ago and at the time there was no sign of inhabitants at all. Now, on the north side of the empty lake, hovels of sticks and mud had begun to take form. They were in an orderly placing of a half circle. We walked the three hundred yards there and Sylvio made a speech. There was a subdued cheer when he finished. He motioned to Harry and me to sit on the ground while food was brought to us.

When finished, we traveled by foot over the mile where I had thought the new watercourse should be. “Brady, you know we can dig out the old water course which I believe would be best. When the river is turned into it again, the sides won’t wash away and fill the lake with mud. It will take some digging. It could be cleared right up to where the upheaval is. I suspect that will have to be blasted for even from here I can see ledges and huge rocks.”

“What do you need to get started?”

“About twenty-five shovels I would think. If you could find a couple of those scoops that could be drawn by horses will come in handy. This will save loading the dirt onto wagons carrying it to where it won’t wash into the lake.”

“I’ll find what you need. It will be a few days.”

“That’s fine. The Indians can get their homes built. Come, I’ll show you where the old river bed is. I think you will agree with me that this is the way to proceed.”

“Sylvio, you speak English quite well. Your cousin, the Don doesn’t. How come”

“That’s because Pedro’s time and efforts have all been taken up with being a proper Don. I am more of the world in real time, I and have associated myself with many people. I speak several languages and that is why I am able to converse readily with the Indians. It is a great asset.”

“I agree.”

“I have never been recognized fully by my cousin, but it has been I who kept him out of the poor house. His lands would have gone years ago from his foolish habit of gambling. I suppose I am as proud to belong to such a big grant as Pedro. I just never felt it did any good to strut and brag and gamble its assets away.” Sylvio reflected for a minute and then changed the subject. “This young man Henry who married Elena, what is he like?”

“He is very young, ambitious, and as capable as he is ambitious. If he is fully at the helm of the grant and you have no need to worry about the grant being broken up. He has given over to us, his friends, partnership to manage portions of it and we are of like mind as he. Hank and Elena, I’m sure will welcome you as I take it that you not friendly with Pedro. Without you, I don’t believe our dreams of a good and satisfying life will come to be. The first chance you get, you should visit with Hank and Elena. They will receive you with a most hearty welcome.”

“From the conversation yesterday, I gathered that the beautiful Charley is sister to Henry?”

“That’s correct. She and her husband, Pete owned 20% of the outfit we just sold. She still does for that matter. Through hard work, she earned it. Jack Abram and Sarah own 25% and Berta and I own the rest. Charley earned hers and Jack came into the freight outfit with 10% for his expertise in freighting. Sarah was given 15% for the wreck of the freight company that came to her after I killed her husband.”

“It sounds like your affairs together are pretty well tangled up?”

“They are and I don’t see that they ever will be untangled. We all work to our own strengths. None of us are greedy and we do take pay yearly for our personal wealth which isn’t shared. I have no idea how much Jack is worth or Charley either. Berta and I keep our own counsel. I suppose the banker back in Cheyenne would know. Someday he may show up here and I hope he does for he has helped us all figure out the perplexing problems we have all had to deal with.

“When it comes time for Hank and Elena to formally join in our partnership we would need that same banker for advice. Know that Hank will give it his all every day and will never suggest our association level would change. He is our friend.”

“And Don Pedro: What about him? Will he come in with you?”

“No, he has nothing we can’t get along without. He gave us Elena and we will give him a home. He may tell everyone he still is the Don, but I believe the mantle has been passed to his daughter and it really is cherished by her, as it should be. Berta and I watched the Indians when Elena walked among them on the day she was married to Hank. Obeisance was shown to her.”

“I think the grant will be safe now if this Hank is the man you say he is.”

Sylvio turned to walk away. “Hank is the man I say he is. Sylvio.” He turned back to hear me. “Sylvio, I believe I saw some of the same obeisance displayed toward you by the Indians when we rode up. I’m confident the grant will soon be what we both hope it will be. I’m leaving now and I’ll be back as soon as I can round up the shovels we need.”

I mounted my horse. I was half a hundred yards away when Sylvio spoke, “Brady, about obeisance. I saw twenty children gathered around you with many women offering water to quench your thirst. I believe a mite of that same obeisance was being shown to you. Have a good trip.”

Within two days, everyone was out doing the necessary things to start the grant onto the road to make it great again. Hank and Elena we didn’t see. They had holed up on their honeymoon. It was on the grant somewhere but only for them to know. I had no doubt that Indians knew, for Delores told us that Elena’s personal maid left the hacienda every day with a basket of food.

Charley and Pete along with Jim headed for the coast to a settlement. Jim was to introduce Charley to a captain named Shaw who had been sailing to the south and bringing back shiploads of guano, the fertilizer we needed. We agreed that this would be Charley and Pete’s operation. Charley had thought of building a small shipping company. Eventually she would be taking the grant’s produce up to San Francisco, the best available market.

Before they left, Jim said, “You know this village on the bay where Captain Shaw has his ship isn’t in very good shape. Two years ago a hurricane came ashore and pretty much wrecked the village. All of the warehouses have been damaged and many of the homes and other businesses. The bay also had some damage. The wind drove the waters in and where the pier is, it has filled the anchorage with sand and mud so ships can’t tie up there anymore.

“We’ll take a look at it and decide if it is what we want. Talking to this Captain Shaw may tell us.

Jack, Tom, and Sarah were headed north searching to find a construction company to open up the waterway to the now dry lake bed. We were hoping to get this done so when the winter rains came water would begin flowing. We knew it would take several months before the lake filled. The winter would provide snow melt next spring to complete this process.

Berta had the four young children to look after while making our home more comfortable. Me, I hitched up a wagon and went to some of the small villages around the exterior of the grant for hand tools. The Indians who were building homes around the lake bed needed shovels and small tools to build homes. They needed homes to live in while getting ready to start the rebirth of one part of the grant that had been destroyed by the earthquake.

I found what I needed for tools and headed directly across the grant, not going back to the mission first. I was in luck, finding what I needed. I didn’t get as many shovels as I wanted, but I did get several picks and pry bars. I also found two rusty scoops that could be pulled by horses or mules to save a lot of shoveling when the soil was loose enough.

I was back at the presidio by evening the next day. Robby met me and screamed at me, “You left me with women and babies and I want to be with you. Next time you leave I’m going with you.”

“Okay, but you have to do what I say. You may not like what it is.”

“I’ll do anything. Oh, we have another woman here. She said she was Sylvio’s wife. She is not very old and awful homely. She and Mom talk in a different language. I have no idea what they are saying. Her name is Marta.”

“She must be from Poland. That is where your mother is from originally.”

“I guess so.”

Berta had been busy. Delores had sent down a couple of Indians to help clean some of the rooms of the mission better than the way they were when we arrived. The wooden window sashes had shrunk and sand often sifted in around the edges. Something had to be done about them. I went inside to meet Sylvio’s wife.

She looked at me and asked, “Sylvio?”

“Sylvio is up by the lake with the Indians. I’m sure the Indian who brought you here knows where that is. If not, I can take you up there tomorrow.”

“No, he said for me to stay here. Berta has given me nice room and she say I could eat with the family. You have such beautiful children.”

“We think so.” I turned to Berta, “Berta, I found the tools that Sylvio asked for. He will begin tomorrow clearing a portion of the old waterway to the lake. We won’t have to pay a construction outfit for that anyway. All of the Indians will soon have shelters. He has done something that I never thought of. He has the toilets quite far away from the living area. I should have thought of it because cholera is what killed so many people on the way to California. The North Platt River was just a sewer from the many travelers and their livestock. The cholera was what killed Charley and Hank’s mother and father.”

“What water are the Indians using for drinking and cooking?”

“The same wells they used when they lived there before. They are very large and very deep right in the village and have been cleaned already. I do need to get new rope to replace the ones they are using for one looks rotten. Remind me in the morning if you will.”

“You’re going back tomorrow?”

“I am. Robby can go with me if he wants to.”

“That’ll make him happy.”

“I’ll take the wagon with my horse hitched behind. Sylvio needs the wagon and I’ll leave it and ride my horse back. It’ll give me a chance to answer all of Robby’s questions. He has the most inquiring mind of anyone I ever knew.”

“That’s good isn’t it?”

“That’s why I’m taking him.”

Charley and Pete Downs

Pete and Charley took a road toward the coast. It had been agreed among the partners that the de Castillo Grant would need to have a presence on the sea coast. Jim said the coastal town where he had been staying had a small bay and at one time had docks where small boats could be loaded and unloaded. Much of these on the waterfront were in disrepair though. There were warehouses that were in the same shape. One complex of these had been abandoned. Charley was to see what could be used if this where she settled.

It was late in the evening when they arrived. Jim knew of a boarding house where she could rent rooms for the night. Jim led them to a nice appearing house that had a sign on it “Travelers Welcomed.” Pete engaged a room for a week. Jim, with them still, was satisfied to bed down in the stable used for the guest’s animals. He had in the past. He put up the horses when Pete and Charley went inside.

The owner, Kate, was a widowed woman and very talkative, “You are the only guests I have had this week. Shipping has moved away from this port. The waterfront is decimated badly. Mostly because the bay has filled in and needs dredging. The dock is still there and solid except it needs new planking. My husband was a captain and pushed the town to help keep things in repair. He died at sea a few years ago and with no one to push it; well you’ll see for yourself.”

Charley asked, “What is the waterfront like?”

“Everything is in poor shape. The warehouses are ready to fall down, where years ago before when the Californios owned the land, they were kept full. Now cargo has to be brought in from far out in the bay by lighter and dockworkers are hard to find to unload because it isn’t steady enough for them to stick around.”

“Do you know a Captain Shaw? I heard he might move some goods for us.”

“I know him well. He used to stay here. He sleeps on one of his ships now. He had one ship repaired but can’t pay the bill. Also, the ship he still owns has an attachment from the court on it for the same bill. The only way he can pay his bill to free both up is to go to sea to get cargo to fill his holds. It won’t be long before he will have to walk away, leaving his two ships to whoever will pay to get them out of hock.”

“Why doesn’t he sell one ship for the bill and free up the ship he has left?”

“Stubborn, I guess and he’d find it difficult to clear the bill. ‘Course the bill is high and this ship here needs new sails and some small repairs too. If he had planned right he would have had the one that needed the least repairs done first then he would have been okay. Now he has neither.”