Chapter 5

The headaches, the nausea, the vomiting just would not go away. No matter how much of the willow bark extract I consumed, the discomfort kept coming back. It had even gotten worse over the last two years. It looked like I would just have to bite the bullet and see those doctors in Minnesota. I planned to write the letter this afternoon, asking them to see me. The best time for me to go looked like in late May or in June, so that I wouldn't miss planting or harvest season.

"At last! Daddy will write the letter asking to see those new doctors. I hope and pray that they can help him! It is so sad to see him in such a condition. I wish I could help!"

"Here it is, the letter answering my request for an appointment with the doctors in Minnesota. Since there was such a long distance to travel, they had left open the dates of my appointment. They had said that they would just work me in whenever I arrived.

Sarah had become almost a pest about this trip, so I decided that the easiest thing for me to do was to take her along. Besides, she would benefit from seeing how the people lived in other parts of this great country. Sarah was almost eleven-years-old and growing up fast. Her education needed to be broadened and this trip would do it.

We left on May 15th from Julesburg, by train; we were supposed to reach Rochester, Minnesota, on June 1st. We had to change trains and railroad lines so many times that it became a puzzle just to keep everything straight. Sarah insisted that, since we were traveling without escort, she would guard me. After a lot of argument, which I invariably lost, I finally permitted her to carry her .32 strapped to her thigh under her dress. I wasn't really worried about her shooting somebody, so I just gave in.

The trip was interesting for the most part, but somewhat boring at times. One farm looks pretty much like another after you've seen hundreds of them. We played cards to while away the time, and that's when I found out that Sarah had the makings of a wonderful card sharp. It wasn't that she cheated! She just had the ability to concentrate beyond that of most people. What wonders could she perform if she learned to control that gift?

We arrived in Rochester on schedule and proceeded to register in a hotel. It was certainly more palatial than any Sarah had ever seen before, even more than El Paso! She Oh!ed and Ah!ed over almost everything she saw. She was a delight!

The next day, we went to the clinic and I was processed in. The examination started with a routine physical examination and went to Hell from there. Each evening I went back to the hotel and had dinner with Sarah. That was when I gave her all the gory details of my miserable existence. She always laughed and said, "Oh, Daddy, you have a way of over-dramatizing everything!"

For a week, they poked and pushed and pried and peered just like the other doctors had. They even had me stay overnight and gave me nothing to eat or drink. I was miserably hungry, but my headache and nausea went away.

After the second week of torture, the doctors called me in to report the results of their testing and probing. I had "chronic kidney failure." There was no medicine for this illness and no cure. I could expect the symptoms to continue until my death. The chronic kidney failure might turn into acute kidney failure at any time; if so, I would probably die within four to eight weeks. If I detected the symptoms of the change, I should prepare for my immanent death! They gave me a list of the symptoms to watch for and apologized for having to give me such dismal news. I thanked them for being honest and frank with me, paid my bill, and left.

I hid the worst news from Sarah. I just told her of the chronic kidney failure and that I would always have these symptoms. She looked like she knew there was more to the story, but didn't press me for more information. Thank God for smart little girls! I just was not ready to go into the whole deadly prediction.

We reversed our route and arrived in Julesburg on July 1st. We were met by a large delegation from the ranch. We had a grand time telling all about the trip as we rode home in our carriage. Everybody wanted to know if I was cured. I told them, "No, I am not cured, but I want to wait until later to give the details."

Sam and Jesus reported that things had gone well in my absence. Both the horses and crops were expected to produce bumper crops this year. In fact, our whole region was doing well. The water was in ample supply this year. The new wells had more than taken up the slack for the poorer producing old wells. Jesus had planted the maximum acreage that he could handle with our current employment level. If I wanted to plant more, he would have to import labor, probably from Mexico. But, then, he would need more wells—so it went! I told him to hold at this level, for now. Jesus looked relieved and Sam laughed.

We would start shipping our first of the two-crops-per-year items in a few days. The neighbors had been notified and would be ready to join our convoy. We decided to stick with the tactics we had used so successfully last year until circumstances forced us to change.

"When can we start harassing James York? We are well into the year and I have had no reports of activity."

"Sir, they will start shipping produce on Friday of next week. I plan to hit them then with a two pronged attack. We will divide our men into two groups with ambushes spaced along the road from York Ranch to Julesburg. I expect that if they escape the first attack, they will be complacent and we can score more damage with our second attack. We have never attacked more than once in any day; I expect to surprise them greatly with the second attack."

"A good plan! Be sure that it works. I am getting pressure from higher up to show some progress in the James York matter."

On Friday morning, we had eight wagons in our convoy and 52 guards. There were four horses or mules for each wagon, so our train was an impressive sight. Sam commented that the train was so long, he doubted that the ambushers could get the whole train under sustained fire at one time. Counting the point and drag riders, the wagon train was over 300 yards long!

The wagon train started out as before—absolutely chaotic until it reached the main road, but became very professional when it counted. The guards quickly sorted themselves out and Arturo did not have to order them to be alert. Julio, a man he could depend on, was leading the obvious guards and Arturo was leading the trailing guards.

They proceeded down the road, alert, but not overly concerned. They did not expect trouble until they got nearer Julesburg. They were hit at the first of the favorable ambush points. As usual, the guards in the wagons started shooting and the riders raced to the point man. They moved out of range, waited for the count of 200, and circled around the right side of the ambushers. Meanwhile, the trailing guards rode up on the ambushers' left and both sets of guards began to pour fire into the thugs. The usual result ensued—all of the attackers were killed with little damage to the Yorks. However, there was one change in the ambushers' tactics: when it became obvious that they would lose, several of the ambushers turned back toward the wagons and shot at the draft horses and mules.

Several of the animals were killed and it was necessary to redistribute the loads on the wagons. One of the wagons had to be temporarily abandoned for lack of sufficient draft animals. Once the corpses were picked up, the journey to Julesburg was resumed.

While the reloading, etc. was going on, Arturo called Julio aside and commented that he was concerned by the apparent change in ambusher tactics. He wondered if snipers might be stationed along the road to shoot at more draft animals. Julio suggested that two or three of the trailing riders be assigned to ride ahead of the wagon train to scout off the road looking for snipers. Arturo thought this was an excellent idea. He assigned two riders each from the trailing guard to ride on either side of the road, back far enough from the road that they could see any snipers hidden in the brush or trees.