Chapter 4

Over the next few months, there were a number of notable events at the Malik hacienda that deeply affected the families of Ranch Home.

On the ninth of September, eighteen eighty-seven, Christina gave birth to a son, who was christened Lucas Jacob Malik, honoring both grandfathers, with Valerian Malik’s middle name and Jacob Baylor’s first name.

Some nine weeks later, on the fourteenth of November, Emily Anna Tsosie was delivered of Matilda.

Hannah, Matilda’s mother, closed the bakery, her regular customers having been forewarned, as soon as word arrived in Waypoint. That word was brought by Malik who, by chance, had to attend two meetings in Dorado Springs and had been headed into town by coincidence. Jacob Baylor turned the store over to Jorje Garcia, who had been working as a part-time stock boy and clerk, then Baylor drove with Hannah out to the ranch.

Malik arrived in Dorado Springs on that same day and, after a short visit to advise Morton Quincy of his intentions, he sat down with Blue Maize, at the fire circle near the ramada on the plaza. In deference to the cold temperature, the chief was seated on a thick, folded blanket, but the sun provided more than sufficient radiant heat to make a person comfortable without excessive insulating layers, so he was in shirtsleeves, a colorful, patterned flannel.

After allowing time for Blue Maize to trim and light the cigar Malik offered him, he said, “Blue Maize, thank you for meeting with me this afternoon.”

“Shadow, you are a welcome distraction from the squabbles and complaints that are brought to me. But more than that, my time with you always helps me to learn something or to do some useful. I am always happy to see you walking to the ramada.”

“I appreciate those warm word, Chief.”

Malik moved his gaze to the tall young man seated next to the chief. “Stone Raven, thank you for coming here today. I think that this may prove rewarding to you.”

“Shadow, I am honored that you would ask to talk with me,” Stone Raven said.

Finally, Malik turned to the thin but wiry young man seated next to him, across the fire circle from the chief and his nephew. “Juniper, you came a long way to answer my invitation. I deeply appreciate your trust.” It was more than forty-five miles from the Tsosie ranch to Dorado Springs, by cross-country horseback.

“Shichaha’o, you are my brother. When you call, I come,” Juniper replied, as he reached over and gripped Malik’s shoulder.

Malik addressed himself to the chief. “Blue Maize, in the spring of this year, when we first sat down here, at the ramada, to talk about the silver mine, we talked of what the People might do with the money that will be earned from the mine. And when we spoke of the mine, we lamented that the People did not have anyone with the knowledge of a mining engineer or anyone with the knowledge to manage a mining business. I said that the People could use the silver mine money to send their young people to the schools that teach such skills.” Malik paused and drew on his own cigar.

Blue Maize said, “I remember that talk, Shadow. I remember that it was then that I began to think that the silver mine might be something good for the People. That these young men are here, I think that you must have a plan about that.”

“I do, Blue Maize, but what I will propose to you, as chief of the elders’ council, has only to do with Stone Raven. I have a different plan for Juniper to consider.”

“Speak freely, Shadow,” the chief said. Juniper and Stone Raven were riveted.

“If these young men are willing, I will take them to the black robes’ mission school and ask Padre Ramos to test their knowledge. If he feels they have the knowledge, or, if he can give them that knowledge that is required to go to a college school, then I would propose that we send these young men to a college to receive even better knowledge that will allow them to do better work.”

Blue Maize was nodding, but both young men looked thunderstruck. They were, however, too ingrained with the protocols of courtesy and decorum to interrupt with questions or comments.

Malik continued. “I propose that the People use either their Malik lease trust money or, when it becomes available, the silver mine trust money, to pay half of the fees required to send Stone Raven to college. I will pay the other half. In return, Stone Raven will work in a job that I choose for him for the first two years after he completes his college training.