Chapter 17

We all rode out after breakfast the next morning. The half day ride was quick. We all saw the Estancia through George’s eyes, as he talked about what a change there had been since his last trip north along the Camino Real.

Crossing the river just before noon, we rode up the slope and I discovered that this was the first time he’d seen the Hacienda in all its glory. We gave the horses over to the cousins, after pulling our weapons and saddle bags off. Anna and I led George through the courtyard, telling him that after he got settled in his room, to come upstairs to the terrace. I introduced him to Celia who promptly whisked him off with a big smile, to a guest room.

Anna and Esperanza took our saddle bags up to the bedroom, while I dropped off the scabbards in the study. On my way upstairs, I stopped in the kitchen to ask for a coffee service for six to be sent upstairs to the terrace. Esperanza, Anna, and I were enjoying a cup of coffee on the terrace ten minutes later, when Tom and Yolanda joined us bringing George with them.

George glanced around the terrace and walked over to the railing, looking out towards the Doña Ana Mountains, before turning around and telling us he never even suspected the Hacienda was this big from the road. Yolanda told him the lay of the land made the Hacienda deceptive from the road.

We spent a pleasant afternoon talking about the Estancia and all its components. When Sofia and the Padre came back with all the children from school, we introduced them to George. As the kids told us all about what they’d been doing while we’d been gone, George watched with fascination as two Apache kids intermingled freely with two Italians and two Hispanos.

He was even more fascinated when all the kids continuously switched between Apache, Spanish, English, and Italian depending on who they were talking to. After they were all talked out, the kids disappeared to the upper plateau to visit with the cousins on horse duty. Sofia gave a big sigh, and sat back enjoying her coffee. When she’d had a little coffee, she told us that keeping up with those six, was almost as tough as keeping up with all the other 250 kids at the school!

Everyone laughed but George, who was staring incredulously at Sofia. Sofia didn’t notice the stare and told us they’d taken over the two store rooms next to the school, and turned them into school rooms as there were now just too many kids for the two original rooms.

George finally asked where the school was and Sofia off handedly told him it was in the village. I saw the questions starting to come and told him he’d have all his questions answered at supper, and we’d give him a tour of the Estancia tomorrow morning.

Giuseppe, Tomas, Hector, and Lorena joined us in the dining room from wherever they had been, and we introduced them to George as they arrived. Dinner was a riot of conversations, topics, and languages as usual. George finally adapted to hearing the mixture of languages and concentrated on the pizza we were having for supper. After supper, Izabella took the kids upstairs to get ready for bed leaving the adults alone to talk.

George started to ask a question, but I interrupted him and asked Tom to tell him about the Estancia. Tom stood up, and motioned for George to join him in front of the painting. He explained the painting, pointing out what was completed, what was being built, and what still needed to be built. George just shook his head in wonder when Tom was done. I motioned for Giuseppe to take him through his journal and drawings, since I knew he’d been trained as an engineer at West Point.

While that was going on, I brought everyone up to speed on the beef contract at Fort Fillmore and the potential for other contracts including supplying an initial herd of 2,000 head to the agent at Fort Thorn. Hector was very pleased with the news.

We talked about the feasibility of supplying the two farthest forts, Buchanan and Craig, with such small herds every month and decided that if they demanded them on a monthly basis instead of a quarterly basis, we’d have to turn the contract down.

Anna and I were quite surprised when we walked out to the upper plateau for Tai Chi the next morning, to find Hector, Lorena, Tomas, and Esperanza waiting with Tom, Yolanda, Giuseppe, Sofia, and the Padre. At one point I saw George watching everything from the courtyard doorway. Anna and I finished last and walked to the terrace where we joined the rest of the Hacienda for our cool down and morning coffee.

George had been asking the others questions about the exercises and learned that it was a combination of slow stretching exercises, and hand to hand combat exercises. Anna and I were pouring our coffee, when Hector mentioned that Miguel and two other cousins had moved into ranch apartments, and were leading all the vaqueros and any interested family members through the early morning Tai Chi and katas.

Lorena added that breakfast had become a common meal at the ranch, with everything being cooked in the large downstairs kitchen and everyone eating in the big downstairs dining area and out in the courtyard.

The Padre added that exercise wise, the same thing was going on at the village with Maco leading the morning exercises in the plaza, but everyone went back to their homes for breakfast when they were done.

George asked how many men we were talking about and Hector told him between the cousins, farmers, vaqueros, and masons there were over four hundred men on the payroll. George hadn’t been paying attention to the numbers last night and it finally hit him how big the Estancia was.

The Padre added that the men were the only ones required to attend the morning exercises, but counting the wives and kids that had joined in, the total number doing the morning exercises and learning hand to hand combat was closer to 1200 at this point. Now, I was the one who was amazed at the number.

I was also trying to remember when I’d made Tai Chi and katas mandatory. Yolanda told me she had talked about it with Hector, Tomas, and the Padre, right before we left for Las Cruces. They had all agreed that it needed to be mandatory for the men, so they could reach and maintain a level that was useful if they had to fight.

All through the conversation Anna was beaming her huge Anna smiles telling me with her body language that she approved of these developments. I must say I did too, however unexpected they were.

George was three days into his visit, and had gotten both an eye and an earful of what the Estancia was all about. We’d spent the previous afternoon watching Anna, Yolanda, Sofia, Esperanza, and Lorena putting pay envelopes together for each of the farmers, vaqueros, and cousins. There were four separate money boxes, one each for the farmers, vaqueros, cousins, and stable/wagon yard - which included the wranglers.

After breakfast, this morning, Hector and Tomas had ridden out with the money box for their area, while Tom and Yolanda took the boxes for the stable/wagon yard and the cousins respectively.

Anna, George, and I rode out a little later for our normal morning ride. We watched the payday activities in the plaza as we rode down to where the masons were working to give Heinrich the pay for him and his men.

I’d spent almost every minute of every day so far with George. I knew from history that he was a carefree soul who pretty much allowed himself to go where the winds blew him, within the context of his chosen profession. Introspective thought was just not in his nature. Like most Americans of this time, George’s primary loyalty was to his home state first, and the nebulous concept of the United States as a nation second.

My intention during this two-week visit was to start him thinking about the future, his future, the future of the nation, and each State’s place in that nation. I got the chance to fire the opening salvo after this morning’s ride. The two of us were on the terrace enjoying the crisp air and our coffee when George asked why I was doing all this.

I knew what he was asking, but I wanted to hear him articulate his thoughts, so I asked him what he meant. He thought for a minute and then said he understood the Estancia as a business operation, but what he couldn’t understand were the military aspects, the Apache training, the Scout/Sniper training, the weapons training, and the martial arts training. He went on to add the education and the requirement for everyone to learn the four languages: Apache, Spanish, Latin, and English.

He could understand Latin and English but not the other two. This started a deep conversation that lasted through lunch and right up to supper. Instead of giving him my vision, I asked him leading questions forcing him to think about what he knew of the economic structure of the northern and southern States, and the impacts of export and import taxes to each region.

We talked about the fanatical slavery and anti-slavery forces that were beginning to militarize in the frontier States, creating news with raids on those with opposing views. As we were walking downstairs for lunch I asked him to think about what the southern States’ reaction was going to be, when Congress finally got close to taxing exports, without a corresponding increase in import taxes, combined with the election of an anti-slavery President, and increasing levels of violence over the slavery issue. He looked startled at the thought of that particular combination, but nodded his head.

We continued our conversation back up on the terrace after lunch when I asked George what his thoughts were on the questions I’d asked earlier. His immediate response was that the southern States would fight. I made him clarify what he meant by fight, and then led him with more pointed questions through secession, the northern States invading the southern States, the withdrawal of most of the trained military from the Territories, and the impacts to this area when that happened.

Then I got him thinking about how the Indian tribes would view the withdrawal and the impact their view would have. When he’d absorbed those thoughts, I led him through the invasion by southern forces on this area, as they tried to keep supply lines from the Pacific open and blunt the arrival of northern forces from California.

From there I turned to where the majority of the battles would be fought and who would ultimately win the war with all the ensuing economic, social, and political issues that would result. As we got up to go downstairs for supper, I told him to think about everything we’d discussed, and he would probably reach the same conclusions I’d reached. That conclusion was the reason for all the training.

George was quiet at supper that night, and for the next day as well, as he thought through everything we’d talked about. Although his sunny disposition returned, he didn’t bring up our conversation again during the rest of his visit.

A few days before his visit was over, George found me in the study working on an emergency medical pamphlet, covering the items in the kits we were building that I wanted to add to the kits as a reference. I explained about the medical kits and the pamphlets and then took the opportunity to plant the final seed in his mind.

I sat back with a sigh. “My biggest problem at this point is that I don’t have anyone with military experience to be the Dos Santos Militia commander. Without that experience, I’m going to continue to have problems teaching anything besides small unit tactics.”

He raised an eyebrow at this and I explained. “The Estancia has what are, in effect skirmishers, infantry, and cavalry; but we don’t have the knowledge or experience to train them how to work as an integrated unit, in large scale pitched battles. This is an even bigger problem than usual given the training will have to be part time.”

We talked for a few more minutes about the training I envisioned, before he left me to finish my pamphlet with a thoughtful look on his face.

At night in our room, Anna and I had been discussing George and his visit. As good as I was, Anna was even better at reading people. It was her suggestion to lead him through the thought process rather than just give him answers when I’d originally told her I’d like to find some way for him to join us on the Estancia.

Anna showed absolutely no surprise the next morning when George said he’d like to stay for another couple of weeks, to see some of both the Apache training and the Scout/Sniper training. I was surprised at the request. Pleased, but surprised.

Anna beamed one of her smiles and gave my hand a small squeeze under the table. I was really beginning to think there wasn’t anything we couldn’t do together.

Of course, I told him he had a standing invitation to be here, whenever he liked, and to stay as long as he wanted, just like the rest of the cousins and our families.

Bright and early the next morning, Yolanda, George, and I met the two cousins we were attending class with at the bottom of the slope. We ran over to the meeting rock near the river to await our instructors. We waited for thirty minutes before the two cousins and George started to get a little frustrated with the delay in the instructor’s arrival. Yolanda and I sat quietly. Another fifteen minutes passed when one of the cousins grew extremely agitated and began badmouthing the instructors as lazy excuses for warriors.

When he ran down we all heard Miguel’s voice.

“The trouble with young warriors is their lack of patience and need to talk when their elders are trying to take a nap.”

Miguel’s voice had been clear, but the effect of the ghillie suit on his voice was to mask where it was coming from. The two cousins and George were looking around in shocked surprise trying to find Miguel when he startled them even more by standing up from where he’d been lying at the base of a mesquite bush less than five yards from where we were clumped together.

Miguel gave both cousins a hard look before telling them in Spanish, “That was just an example of what Scout/Snipers do. Scout/Snipers see, but are not seen! They hear, but are never heard! Most importantly, they kill, but are not killed. Scout/Snipers are scouts first and foremost.

“Their main purpose is to find enemy forces, determine their enemy’s capabilities, identify what their enemy’s target is, what route they will take to their target, and how long it will take them to get there.

“Their second purpose is to get that information to the Estancia as quickly as possible so that the Estancia can plan the appropriate action to fight the enemy.

“The final purpose of a Scout/Sniper, is to engage the enemy from long distance, to disrupt their travel, fighting capabilities, and morale. They only engage the enemy when told to by the Estancia, and then only after the enemy is on Estancia land.

“Scout/Snipers work in teams of two, they travel by foot, live off the land, and they know the land, for five miles around the Estancia like the back of their hand. They know every water hole, every arroyo, every cave, every boulder field, and every place to find game.

“You will learn how to do all these things, and more, over the next five weeks. Then it will be up to you to complete your knowledge and become experts.”

Both cousins and George were starting to get over their surprise until Miguel gave all three of them a hard glare and then gave a short whistle. Three more cousins stood up within ten yards of us startling the two cousins and George, yet again.

Miguel looked at the three of them in disgust. “Scout/Snipers are always looking for the unexpected, and the unanticipated. They see and hear the obvious, but they are always examining their surroundings for things that are easily overlooked. We are going back to the Hacienda for the rest of day. Pablo will teach you about the camouflage suits, how to make them, how best to use them, and the problems you can expect while wearing one.

“Pay close attention to what he says because before the five weeks are over, you will make a suit of your own, and use it to scout an enemy force for two days. The ‘enemy force’ will be me and the other instructors, and we will be looking for you.”

Done talking, Miguel turned and started walking to the Hacienda. We all followed along behind him with George walking next me. He immediately started asking questions, the first of which was why I was teaching today and not Miguel or one of the others. I shrugged my shoulders and told him it was because I was the one who came up with the suits, and up until a couple of months ago I was the only one I knew who had ever used one.

He took that answer in stride and without a pause asked why Yolanda was taking the course.

“There are three good reasons she’s in this course. First, she wants to. Second, she is the Estancia equivalent of a training officer. She worked hard with Miguel and the others to develop the course, and now needs to evaluate its effectiveness. Third, she is the best marksman on the Estancia and will be teaching the sniping portion of the course.”

That answer made him think! I could almost see the wheels turning in his head all the way to the Hacienda.

The next five weeks were brutal. We spent most of that time on the outskirts of the Estancia, and in the mountains. We did get back to the Hacienda for a night once or twice a week, but they were rare occasions. We never spent an entire day on a single subject. Instead, each day was a combination of two or three subjects usually interwoven together to make things interesting. Regardless of the topic being taught, we came to learn that an instructor in a ghillie suit was always waiting to spring a surprise on us.

The hardest part of the training for the cousins and George to understand was the sniper portion. Most of the difficulty they had centered on the fact that Yolanda was teaching the course. Once they saw her shoot and were convinced she knew what she was talking about, they all had a much easier time.

The use of the shiny small metal mirror squares to send Morse code signals back and forth was a revelation to the cousins, as well as to George. Having to learn the Morse code and send messages in Apache, proved to be a difficult exercise. We spent many nights teaching and quizzing them on numbers and letters.

George ended up staying for the entire five weeks learning everything he could, including making his own ghillie suit. He wasn’t used to going long distances on his feet, especially at a trot, but he stuck with it and by the end of the five weeks he could keep up with Yolanda for four or five miles.

The graduation ceremony was a small affair with just the instructors and students. Miguel told the cousins they were now a team, and would always work together from this point on. He presented the two of them with the single A700 they’d been sharing throughout training. They each also received five loaded magazines and twenty-five loose rounds.

The final item he gave them was the most coveted! It was a round shoulder patch that Anna had some of the women in the village make. The patch showed a set of black crosshairs on a red background, and was to be sewn on the left shoulder of their shirts so that everyone who saw it would know they were Scout/Snipers.

The two cousins walked off with a swagger in their step, happy with the recognition they’d received this afternoon and would receive in the future after their patches were sewn on.

That night, Anna led me into the living room after supper and pointed to the piano telling me that it had been more than five weeks since she’d heard my music and asked me to sing some songs. I sat down and played some of my favorite classical music for about an hour.

Celia came in with coffee and I took a short break listening to Yolanda and Tom discussing the differences between Apache training and Scout/Sniper training.

George walked over to me and quietly said, “I’m missing my Sally. Do you know any songs that would help me remember her?”

“Do you think that’s what you really need right now?” I asked in concern.

With a firm short nod, he said, “I’ve been mourning her and the loss of the baby for too long now. It’s time to remember the good things and let them go before moving on with my life.”

It was easy to see that he was very serious in his request, so I nodded. “I’d be honored to sing something for you.”

In truth, I could only think of one song that might be considered even close to what he was asking for. A few minutes later everyone had fresh coffee and was looking at me expectantly.

Taking a deep breath, I mentally crossed my fingers, and sang “Honey”.

I knew from things George had said during our past conversations that Sally had joined George at his last posting in northeastern Texas. She died during premature labor while George was out on a patrol. To my mind “Honey” was a song that would resonate with him.

When I was done, I looked over at George. I found him staring at me, with tears on his cheeks but with his bright white teeth smiling at me, from under his mustache.

“Thank you, Paul. That was perfect,” he said softly.

I ended the night playing two of the three songs that had become theme songs for Anna and I, “Keeper of the Stars” and “Anna’s Song”.

At breakfast the next morning, George announced that he had decided to stay another a week to recover from the training before returning to duty. Over the next week I noticed that when he wasn’t with me, during the day, he was spending quite a bit time with Celia in the kitchen and the upstairs courtyard. I couldn’t figure out what was going on as the last I’d heard Juan and Celia were in the early stages of courtship.