From Book 3
When the bandits thought it was safe, they came racing into the village, screaming and shouting in hope of terrifying the villagers. They did not expect to be met by a disciplined force, well-armed and with plenty of ammunition. They galloped into the village, firing their ancient pistols and their few rifles, expecting the villagers to be cowed and subservient. Instead, they were met with two squads of soldiers, one, the Army of Arizona and the other, local cadets. The heavy thud of the Army's rifles and the somewhat lighter sound from the Cadet's rifles pierced the night, along with the screams of agony as the bandits met a wall of lead bullets. By daylight, there was a pile of dead Bandit bodies awaiting burial and a number of wounded bandits watching in horror as the soldiers built gallows. The bandits appealed to the villagers to stop these foreign soldiers and the old Alcalde spat in the bandit leader's face, telling him that wild dogs needed to be tamed. Sergeant Domingo left the bodies of the bandits hang from the gallows for many months, as a warning to those who would try their hand at banditry. The Cadets were even more severe in their punishment of the bandits, they rolled the dead bodies out onto the desert for the wild dogs and other animals to devour, they refused to contaminate their soil with the perro banditos!
Chapter 1 - THE TRIP CONTINUES
The troop continued their ride, finding only dead and abandoned villages. Claw reasoned that the villages along the coast might have survived, where they were able to fish for food. They rode east, to the coast and continued south, finding no life until they reached a small community at Bahia de Los Angeles.
Here, they found two dozen huts and several fishing boats drawn up on the beach. When they investigated the village, they found no one there, the huts showed they were obviously occupied, but there were no people.
Panther rode forward to whisper to his Lieutenant, "Papa, they are all in the hills above us, they are afraid."
Claw ordered his troopers to dismount and they went about setting up their camp in the center of the village. They found the spring to be nearly buried in rocks and a landslide, so the soldiers used their horses to pull the large boulders away from the spring and then they set upon the spring with their trenching shovels and cleared the pool.
By the time they were finished, there was a large pool of clear, clean water and the soldiers lined the pool with flat rocks to stabilize the sides. They then began to repair the small chapel and clean up the village.
As Claw was watching his men work, an old man clambered down the hillside and began to creep towards him. Claw saw the man out of the corner of his eye and watched his progress. The man was just around the corner of a building next to where he was standing, Claw said loudly, "Senor Alcalde, we mean you no hurt, come, join me and tell me what your people need. We are from Los Estados Unitos and we want only to help you and your people."
That simple sentence taxed Claw's imperfect Spanish, so he tried his own native language and the old man's face lit up with understanding. He finally convinced the old man that they would not harm the villagers and the Alcalde went back to his people and brought them down from their hiding place.
The villagers noticed that their spring had been repaired and the chapel had been restored. The soldiers began fixing their evening meal and several small boys shyly offered them some fresh fish to fix for their supper.
The sergeant pulled a small coin out of his pocket and gave it to the boys in return for the fish. That opened a dam, the people realized the soldiers were not there to steal from them, they were not banditos!
When the village boys discovered the boys from San Felipe serving as junior soldiers, Claw was flooded with boys who wanted to serve also. He told Panther to pick out seven boys to make up a squad.
Panther brought the boys to his Papa for his approval and Claw said, "Corporal Panther, these are your men, get them outfitted!"
It took Panther several minutes to comprehend what his Papa had told him. He then brought his new squad to Sergeant Dolan to be outfitted with caps and rifles. Panther had watched the soldiers during their trip from San Felipe and he soon had his squad ready for the trip.
The two squads of boys were now in competition, each trying to outdo the other.
The Alcalde was excited about joining the Estados Unidos del Norte and Claw decided to leave a Corporal and two troopers in the village to maintain a presence.
The Alcalde had said they had not been bothered by bandits as there were no nearby villages to attract them. He warned Claw there was a terrible desierto to the west and there were no villages along the coast for a great distance. He said there was an old road that would take him southwest and he would find a large village at El Arco.
Claw located El Arco on his maps and they made plans to travel to El Arco. He collected his troops and made ready to depart, the tiny village contributed two teen boys as Cadet Troopers, as they rode out of the village, the boys who had turned the Alcalde's offer down were drooling. Their two former comrades were riding cavalry horses and had Army caps on their heads and .30-30 rifles in their scabbards!
The two squads of Boy Troopers remained and placed themselves under the command of Corporal Norton. Claw had left them with sabers and they practiced daily. They vowed to their Corporal and the Alcalde that they would die protecting their village.
It was a long, desolate trip across some of the most barren country the troopers had ever seen. They went days without seeing even animals and water became very precious between the infrequent springs.
After about three weeks, they finally arrived at a collection of small ranch buildings and several corrals. It did not look very prosperous and the windmill was leaning at a precarious angle.
Tired women and listless children looked, dull-eyed, at the soldiers as they dismounted their horses and went looking for water. Claw dismounted and walked up to the largest home, hoping to get some information.
An elderly woman came to the door, she had obviously been crying as tears were still wet on her face. She made Claw understand that her husband, Arturo Sabino, had been thrown from his horse and his leg was broken. There were no medicos and the man was surely going to die.
Claw told her that they had a medic and could he look at her husband. The woman looked up at the young officer, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes and told him that she would welcome the stranger's medico.
Claw turned and hollered for Sergeant Greentree. The Medic hurried to Claw and asked him what the problem was, when Claw had related to him what the woman had said, the Sergeant ran back to his horse and got his bag.
The man was lying in his bed as sweat pouring off his body. He was obviously in great pain. The Medic asked for some cool water to sponge the injured man down, the woman told them that their well had run dry and the only water was a small spring up in the hills above the ranch.
Claw detailed to Cadet Troopers to go get some water and then, while he was waiting, told his troopers to dismount, they were staying for a while. He told First Sergeant Ferguson to break out the pounder and fix the village well.
Soon after the Cadets had returned with several canteens of fresh, cool water, they heard the gasoline engine of the pounder start-up and the machine began its rhythmic pounding as it dug the well deeper into the earth.
Sergeant Greentree examined the injured rancher and told Claw that the man had a compound fracture of his right leg. They were going to have to realign the broken bones and splint the leg until it healed. He reported, "I have plenty of laudanum, we can do this, Sir."
While the Medic sponge-bathed the injured rancher, cleaning him up and cooling his fevered body, Claw asked for volunteers to assist the Medic. Two Cadets, Growler and Black Crow volunteered.
The two Cadets watched as the Medic spooned the laudanum into the injured man and waited until the man's eyes began to go glassy.
When he was ready, Sergeant Greentree told the two Cadets to hold the man's body steady and not allow him to move. He grasped the man's leg and, in a quick motion, he drew the leg down and then maneuvered the two ends of the broken bones until they matched.
The poor rancher screamed in pain, despite the generous dose of laudanum and he shortly passed out. By the time the rancher had regained consciousness, the Sergeant had the broken leg securely wrapped between several boards that he had smoothed for splints. He wrapped stout cloth around the man's leg and the splints to hold the broken bones in alignment.
About that time, they heard the pounder shut down and Sergeant Ferguson asking for a bucket. Claw went out on the porch and watched as the First Sergeant brought up a full bucket of muddy water from the well.
The ranch folk looked on, disappointed that the Sergeant was not satisfied. He ordered the pounder back down the well and it continued pounding for the next two days before the Sergeant was satisfied.
By the time the well had settled, the troopers had rebuilt the windmill and repaired the pull shaft. They also rebuilt the pump deck, replacing the leathers and the inlet screen.
The windmill was turning slowly in the light breeze, Sergeant Ferguson tripped the pull shaft latch and the shaft began to go up and down. For the first time in the memory of the local teen boys, water began to fill the old horse trough that stood next to the windmill. It leaked like a sieve until the wood swelled and sealed off the cracks.
One boy, Rafael Sabino shucked off his clothes and jumped in the trough, he came sputtering up screaming that the water was muy frio, but that did not slow the other ranch boys down, the watering trough was wall to wall boys!
Maria Sabino, the rancher's wife, had lifted her husband's shoulders so he could see the boys playing in the water through the window of his bedroom. He murmured to his wife that the Norte Americanos had saved them.
The troopers worked around the small village, they repaired the schoolhouse and the tiny Chapel. They also strengthened the corral and repaired the houses. Some of them were in such disrepair that the roofs barely shaded the interiors from the sun.
The Cadets combed the surrounding area, rounding up the cattle that the villagers had turned out when the well had failed. The cattle were more than half wild, but, so were the boys and they treated it like a rodeo. They rounded up over 200 cattle and many calves.
By the time the Rancher was well enough to come out and sit on the shaded porch, the ranch was beginning to prosper. There was young corn growing in the gardens and rows of vegetables were just beginning to bear. His people were losing that gaunt, starvation look and the children were attending school again!
The rancher's oldest son, Pablo Sabino followed Claw around like a puppy. The boy was sixteen and the rancher could see his son's envy at the other boys who were Cadets in the young officer's troop.
When Lieutenant Claw stopped by to see how the rancher was doing, Antonio Sabino asked to speak to the Teniente. He said, "My son wishes to join your troop, sir. While I am sorry to see that he wishes to leave us, I would not hold him from fulfilling his destiny." He thought for a moment before continuing, "Would you take him and train him? He is very intelligent and is a leader among us already. We cannot fulfill his needs here, if we do not allow him to stretch his legs, we will lose him forever."
Claw replied, "Sir, we can do that. Let me ask you, would you be willing to become part of our country to the north? We would give you protection and markets for your cattle and you would be part of our state, Arizona."
Antonio was surprised, "You would do that for us?"
Claw replied, "Surely, this land had much to offer and we can put down the banditos and thieves, we can make this a prosperous land, filled with happy and safe people."
He went on to tell Rancher Sabino of his task and what it had already achieved for the folk further north. Antonio told him there was not much further south, La Paz had been destroyed and nobody lived there anymore and there were only a few fishermen surviving at the very tip, Los Cabos. It was an empty land of sand and desert.
Sra Sabino went out on the porch and called her son, Pablo, to come into the house. The boy's eyes lit up when he saw Teniente Claw Bennett standing there speaking to his Papa.
Claw had seen the boy in action and had observed his leadership. He said to young Pablo Sabino, "Will you join my troop of cadets?"
The boy was practically wiggling in excitement, he looked to his father and Antonio Sabino nodded yes to him. Pablo stood very straight in front of the northern Teniente and said, "Si Senor, I would be your soldier!"
Claw replied, "Very well, Cadet Sergeant Sabino, draw your supplies and cap from the supply wagon and I shall see about assigning cadets for your squad!"
Pablo saluted Teniete Claw as he had seen the troopers do and did an about-face. He walked to the front door of his home and yelled, "YAHOO!" as he stepped out the door.
He raced to the supply wagon, where Sergeant Dolan was waiting for him. He issued the boy a Cadet Cap, with the Sergeant Chevrons already sewn on it, a brand new .30-30 rifle and bandoleer filled with cartridges, and an Army Guide Book telling the new Cadet how to behave in the Army. Antonio Sabino would treasure that book his entire life, it would be his guide as he rose in the Army and reached the rank of full Colonel before a bullet forced him to retire. He would then return to his home and manage Los Arco Rancho until his death, many years later.
Before Claw could get off the porch, he was surrounded by village boys wanting to join the Army! Claw told the boys that they had to have their parents' permission, that he was building a new squad to be led by Cadet Sergeant Pablo Sabino.
One boy remained after the boys had run off to get their parent's permission. Claw thought, "Oh, oh, this boy has problems" He knelt down and hugged the boy, "No Momma or Papa, huh?"
The boy broke down and, through his tears he said, "Me alone, no Momma or Papa have. Me alone."
Claw, himself, had been rescued from just such a situation by his Papa, Tonho, so he said to the boy, "I would be your Papa, if you really want to join the Army."
The boy clasped Claw around the neck and they both sat in the dirt, holding each other. So it was that Claw became the proud father of Roberto Claw Bennett. Roberto would stay with his Papa for their entire careers, He would rise to the Rank of Sergeant Major of the Army of Arizona, the most senior enlisted rank possible.
Claw found himself with nine new Cadets, one already a Cadet Sergeant and also, his new son.
Pablo took his duties seriously, he daily drilled his squad and they practiced marksmanship until the only hole that appeared in the targets was the bull's eye in the center! The boys were already tough ranch boys, but Cadet Sergeant Antonio took them out on marches and toughened them up some more.
Claw wondered if he had not created a monster, but Sergeant Dolan just laughed, "Sir, the only ones that need fear those boys are the bandits. They all believe one bullet equals one bandit!"
There was no denying that Cadet Sergeant Sabino's squad was the sharpest in the troop!
The Ranch supplied all the new Cadets with horses and, as they were getting ready to push on, the ranch families put on a festival in honor of their sons. The next morning, there were mothers with tears running down their faces, and, if truth were to be told, fathers also as the troop moved on.
Chapter 2 - CHANGE OF PLANS
After Claw had conferred with Rancher Sabino, he decided not to push further south, but, rather, push west towards the Pacific Ocean. They could follow the old highway to Guerro Negro, on the coast before heading north. Guerro Negro, according to Rancher Sabino was the site of ancient salt-evaporating ponds and a thriving fishing industry that sold salt-preserved fish over a wide area.
They picked up old Mexico Highway 18 just outside Los Arco and followed it southwest.
Near the junction of Mexico Highway 18 and Mexico Highway 1, they came across the abandoned remains of extensive farms and orchards. They decided to spend some time collecting some of the fruits of the old orchards. The fruits made a welcome addition to their meals and they ended up staying for a week.
The ruins there did not look as though they had been attacked, but, rather, the inhabitants had just walked off and left them. The wells had clear water in them and a few of the houses remained habitable.
After they had eaten their fill of the fruits they began to push on. As they traveled out, across the open desert and away from the mountains, they were able to restore radio contact with Army Command and General Tonho Bennett.
Claw filed his report to his Father, the poor radio operator was sure his hand was going to drop off before he had completed sending Claw's full report. General Bennett agreed with Claw's decision to return to the north, he agreed that there was nothing to be gained from the abandoned lands to the south. He was particularly interested in Guerro Negro and his old maps showed it as an important seaport at one time.
The troopers rode slowly northward, making good time at about thirty miles a day along the paved highway. As they neared Guerro Negro, they began to smell the distinctive odor of brine.
They, at last, came to an old road that led to the town, where they found racks of drying fish and a series of brine concentration ponds. There were about 500 people living there and they had a considerable armed force for their own protection.
After extended negotiations, the Troop was allowed to enter the town. Guerro Negro was a well-laid out village of neat houses and businesses, all related to the salted or dried fish business. The small port could handle ships carrying cargo in or out as the railroad no longer operated.
The village Alcalde and owner of the largest business in the town, Sr. Pablo Tomas was eager to speak with Teniente Claw Bennett. Claw was invited to the man's house for supper and he chose to have his son, Roberto Claw Bennett accompany him.
After a plain but filling meal Sr. Tomas invited Claw into the den for some negotiations, Roberto stood behind his Father, almost as a security guard. Their negotiations got loud and Sr. Tomas shook his hand in Claw's face. The man suddenly found a .30-30 barrel pointed at his nose and a smiling Roberto behind the trigger!
After that, the discussions proceeded with more decorum.
The two men negotiated an agreement that shiploads of dried and salted fish would be carried around the lower end of Baja and up the Gulf of California to Puerto Penasco, where wagons would meet the ship and transfer the cargo to cities in Arizona.
Manufactured goods and chemicals would be loaded on the ships for the return voyage. This contract would prove so profitable, in the near future, Claw would become the principal negotiator for business between Arizona and the New State of Baja Arizona.
Again, the poor radio operator would have hand cramps after sending the lengthy report from Claw Bennett to his father, Tonho Bennett. After more than two hours tapping the radio key, the radio operator was sure his hand would be paralyzed.
As the Troop moved northward along Mexico Highway 1, they again entered a barren wasteland of desert. There was little life until they arrived at Rosarito, where they found a lush farming area of orchards and gardens.
There, Claw decided to rest for a while, they had traveled a long distance across barren lands and the entire troop was exhausted. It was in Rosarito they were able to replenish their feed supplies for the horses. Grain was plentiful and ranchers were eager to sell to them. Claw had a message sent off to his Papa, "Have found plentiful grains and corn available at Rosarito, have we a need for these grains?"
Tonho sent back, "Yes, we have a need, crops bad this year!"
Tonho had supplied Claw with an emergency supply of gold coins and Claw purchased twenty freight wagons and had them filled with corn and grain. His Cadets volunteered to drive the wagons and the caravan stretched out a considerable distance as they departed Rosarito.
Chapter 3 - THE RETURN HOME
They continued north on the old highway, passing through the abandoned towns of San Andreas and Punta Prieta, sharing small portions of their grains with wandering families of Indians.
After many days of hard travel, they finally arrived at the small town of Santa Ynes which sat beside a small river that flowed all year long. Here, Claw traded a few more of his gold coins for fruits and vegetables for his troopers. The long trip was beginning to take a toll on all of them. They were two years out from their home and they still had a long way to go.
They stayed a while, resting their horses and themselves along the cool stream. The medic treated minor injuries and the usual childhood bumps and bruises children collect and delivered two babies while they rested.
As they were pulling out of Santa Ynes for a long pull into the farmlands of San Quentin, Claw happened to look back, towards the Cadet Troopers. He spotted several Cadets riding double. He had not had any reports of lame horses, in fact, there were a number of spare horses tied to the rear of the freight wagons.
Out of curiosity, he dropped out of formation and rode back to the area occupied by the Cadets. Suddenly, the Cadets bunched up and he could not see into their ranks. He spotted Panther and his son Roberto riding just ahead of the bunched up Cadets.
Seeing those two, he suspected a rat!
He ordered the bugler to sound "Halt" and he rode his horse into the bunched-up Cadets. There, he discovered ten boys riding double, he just sat there, waiting for an explanation.
Both Panther and Roberto had guilty looks on their faces and Roberto started to stammer, "eer eaah er ah Papa, I can explain eeeeer...."
Claw was not so much older that he did not have a good idea what was going on, he sat quietly on his horse, waiting for an explanation, while the two boys, Panther and Roberto, were hoping he would just go away.
Finally, Roberto said, "Sir, ahhhh uhmmmmm, er we couldn't just leave them there, eer sir."
Claw just sat there, waiting and finally Panther said, "They were hurt sir and had nobody to care for them."
Claw asked, "Well, if they are hurt, why are they not up with the Medic being fixed up?"
All the boys who were riding double dashed their horses up to the front as they went in search of Sergeant Greentree.
As Roberto and Panther hurried past Claw, he said, "Oh no, not you two, you have some explaining to do." Claw let them stew for a while before he smiled and said, "Boys, you don't have to hide hurt boys, next time, you bringem' up front right away so we can help them."
Both Roberto and Panther said, "YESSIR!" as they went up front to check on the boys being treated by the medic.
By the time they had passed San Quentin, they were in territory that had already joined the State of Arizona and they met up with regular units of the Army of Arizona.
They worked their way eastward towards Yuma, much of California was covered with radioactive debris from the short war and would be very dangerous for young people to enter.
At Yuma, they were met with a message from General Bennett that they were to "get their butts home", so they left the freight wagons in the charge of First Sergeant Ferguson and Claw led the way home to Kingdom Ranch, leading Cadet Sergeant Panther and his Cadet Platoon, all the new Cadets and the boy refugees.
The Cadets had already told the "newbys" all about Kingdom Ranch and what awaited them. Claw led them through the front gate and the women of the ranch practically snatched the new boys from their saddles and marched them into the house to be cleaned up and "cooed" over.
General Bennett was having trouble keeping a straight face as his son, Cadet Second Lieutenant Claw Bennett made his report. When Claw got to reporting the treaties and agreements he had concluded, The General was near to bursting his buttons in pride and that Arizona now included all of Baja California Norte put him "over the top"!
A little later, he was speaking with his new Grandson, Roberto Claw Bennett when Roberto showed him a tiny boy, not more than five years old. The little boy whispered to Roberto, "esta elle?"
Roberto whispered back, "si, speak like I taught you."
The little boy walked slowly up to the General and said, "Senor General, me Paco, eer ah Pablo, you be me Grampapa?"
The old General reached down and picked the little boy up, "Si, if Roberto is your papa, then I will be your Grampapa!"
Claw was standing behind General Bennett, greatly relieved. When General Bennett discovered Claw standing behind him, he got a stern look on his face and said, "Cadet Claw Bennett, FRONT AND CENTER!"
Claw gulped and did as he was ordered, fearing the worst.
The General shouted, "ATTENTION" and all the troopers in the area came to attention and there was absolute silence. He said, "Cadet Second Lieutenant Claw Bennett, attention to orders. 1. You are hereby promoted to Captain, Regular Arizona Army. 2. You are ordered to the University of Arizona in Tucson for classes. 3. Upon graduation, you are hereby appointed Military Governor of West Baja Arizona."
TBC
As Arizona becomes the principal state in the reclaimed United States of North America, they will bring Baja Arizona along with them. As Military Governor of that new territory, Claw is going to have a great deal to do with its success or failure