Chapter 1 - THE SHAMAN RISES
It was time, young Tonho's dream the last several nights told him what he must do. He went into the mountains near the old Indian Encampment Grounds and set up his camp.
For two weeks he fasted and prayed to The Great Spirit that he could be the leader his people so desperately needed. As he sat before his small fire, staring into the flames, suddenly, he knew. He knew what he must do, what path he must follow.
HE WAS SHAMAN!
He pulled out the leggings and shirt that had been his Grandfather's and bound his hair into a traditional knot. From the cave that had been revealed to him in his dream, he withdrew two gourd rattles, a turquoise necklace and his Family's amulet.
The last two, he place around his neck and returned to his small fire.
He took off all his modern clothing and dressed in his Grandfather's leggings and shirt. He then placed the beaded moccasins that his sister had made for him on his feet and sat cross-legged before the fire, the gourd rattles crossed, on his lap.
He again prayed to The Great Spirit for guidance. After a time, he began to chant in the old language of his people and tossing small amounts of herbs into the fire.
At dawn, he allowed the fire to go out and he spread his blanket under a tree, where he fell into an exhausted sleep. He repeated this each night for the next three nights, taking no nourishment and only sips of water, laced with herbs. At dusk of the fourth day, he awoke refreshed and ready to begin his task.
HE WAS SHAMAN!
He walked the distance back to Willow Springs Ranch, where his Father, Tonho O'Brian and his sister Patricia Maria O'Brian Bennett were waiting for him.
It was past midnight when he arrived, but the two knew of his coming. His sister fed him and his Father listened to what he had to say, neither would have dared ask questions of him.
He said to them, "I AM SHAMAN, IT IS TIME."
They each knew of that which he spoke, it was time for their people to return to The Great Spirit.
His Father stepped out into the yard of the Ranch House and began to beat a huge drum that had been set up there. He beat out slow, deep impacts onto the drumhead and its sound echoed for miles. The drum sounded until dawn broke and all those within hearing of the sound had gathered.
Tonho stood before the crowd, there were Indians of his folk as well as other tribes, white people and the children of mixed blood, all had responded to the tolling of the drum.
They all stood quietly, in expectation.
Tonho stood and climbed up on a log platform, "I AM SHAMAN, I call you to The Great Spirit; it is time! He has called us together to renew our faith and restore our souls. He does not ask that you give up your lives. He does not ask that you go back to living in skin tents or brush hovels. He does not ask that you begin to eat roots and grasses. He asks only that you believe in him and follow his laws, live in peace and protect one another as His people."
Tonho looked around him before continuing, "He tells me the bad people of the south are rising again and mean to make war upon us, steal our lands and our cattle; enslave our people and lay waste all we have created here. Who of you will fight for us? Who of you will protect our children? Who of you will die for us that we might remain a free people? Think upon these things, for the time of battle draws near."
"I AM SHAMAN AND I CALL OUR PEOPLE; IT IS TIME!"
The crowd began to move around, into small groups to discuss what they had heard. They all knew of the several Tonhos, Grandfather, father and now, Shaman, and their part in securing their freedom; that this Tonho was the descendent of his Father and his Grandfather, both heroes.
The legend of the First Tonho and Patrick Peter O'Brian had been told by fathers to their sons for many years and not a few boys carried the name Patrick or Tonho in remembrance and honor of those two great heroes, many carried both names.
Tonho went into the house to rest, his ordeal had exhausted him and he knew there were more and worse things to come. His sister made him shower and she fed him again before she would allow him to sleep. She, also, had knowledge of the trials facing her brother and was determined that he survive them.
She guarded his rest like a fierce mother lion allowing none to arouse him.
The first to answer his call were the members of the Arizona Rangers, led by his father. The Legendary Arizona Ranger Colonel, Tonho O'Brian, waited patiently for his son to awaken.
He brought three companies of Rangers with him and they were taking their rest under the huge Desert Sycamores that surrounded the spring and ranch headquarters.
Company A, under the command of Captain John Little Bush, had the duty and he had posted guards around the house and property.
Company B, under the command of Roscoe Higgins, was resting with his men as they had stood the night watch.
Both officers and their men were veterans of years of border skirmishes with the bandits and drug cartels who had taken over Mexico and its government.
A newer group of Arizona Rangers, Company C, was designated the Investigative Service and was commanded by First Lieutenant Toby John Bennett. Company C was comprised of young men who could pass as Mexicans or Indians in order to spy on the forces to the south of them. Mostly, they were of Mexican or Indian descent and they all spoke Mexican Spanish and several Indian dialects fluently.
Toby's father had played an important part in the first war against the bandits and drug cartels. A bandit's bullet had crippled Toby Bennett, Toby John's Father, and had taken Toby John's Mother's life as an act of revenge.
Toby John had dedicated his own life to prevent another such tragedy inflicted upon another of their people. Some might call Company C a bunch of spies, but none dared to say so out loud, Toby John and his Father were National Heroes in the eyes of the majority of folks in Arizona.
Toby John had married Patricia Maria O'Brian and their only child, Tonho O'Brian Bennett was 10 years old and fuming angry because his father would not let him ride as his Adjutant.
Young Tonho Bennett was a Ranger Cadet and had to be watched all the time, otherwise, he could be counted upon to sneak away and join his father's company of Rangers.
Shaman Tohno O'Brian II awoke from his rest and his sister, Patricia Maria, had his meal on the table, insisting he eat before doing anything else.
When he had finished his meal to his sister's satisfaction, he walked out to the courtyard and saw his young nephew, Tonho O'Brian Bennett, hiding among the men of Company C.
He walked over and said, "Nephew, how about I give you a job that your Daddy WILL approve of?"
The boy looked up at his Famous Uncle with hope in his eyes, eager to be of use in the effort to save their land from being ravaged.
Tonho said, "Go, beat the Ceremonial Drum, call all warriors to Assembly."
The boy took the padded mallet from his Uncle and began the slow tolling of the great drum. The sound reverberated around the hills near the Ranch and across the land.
Men and their horses answered the call, and the Rangers assembled in their companies.
Soon, there were 1,500 men assembled at the Ranch, all had answered the call of the Great Drum.
Chapter 2 - AN ARMY ORGANIZES
They spent three days creating companies of the massed men and appointing officers to lead them. More men dribbled in and by the time the companies had been organized, the Arizona Army was up to 2,200 men and officers.
The three companies of Arizona Rangers remained separate, Company A was assigned as the Headquarters Company and was to protect Shaman Tonho O'Brian.
Company B was assigned as the Communications Company and would relay messages and orders to and from the fighting troops.
Company C, the Intelligence Company would serve as the eyes of the Army, searching out the opposing force and learning its weaknesses.
The others called them Spy Charlies, but they all knew that if Company C failed in their task, they were all lost and the Mexican Bandits would overrun their homes and families.
Much to his parents' distress Tonho O'Brian Bennett latched on to Shaman Tonho O'Brian II and had found himself a Winchester Lever Action 30-30.
When he was on his pony, next to Shaman Tonho, the oldsters among them recognized who he was, the Grandnephew of the first Tonho O'Brian!
His father gave up trying to dissuade the boy, it was but history repeating itself!
The small army practiced for several days, before they felt ready to face the enemy.
The teamsters, mostly teen ranch boys who demanded they be allowed to help, hitched their teams and made sure their water barrels were topped off with fresh, clean water and that their loads of food, medicines and bandages were securely fastened.
Their Leader, Shaman Tonho and his companion, the 10-year-old son of Toby John Bennett, Tonho O'Brian Bennett, went to the front of the massed troops. Shaman Tonho raised his rifle and waved the troops forward, Tonho Bennett repeating his actions from his pony.
The older veterans of the first war against the Mexicans stared in déjà vu, they had tears in their eyes as they remembered another small boy, who carried the same name, as he accompanied their National Hero, Patrick Peter O'Brian into war. They did not know that the boy carried the very same rifle in his hands, given him by his Aunt Patricia.
The Intelligence Company spread out in search of the Mexican Bandit Force. Their informants had placed the Mexicans just south of Horse Thief Mesa, where they had built up a considerable encampment.
There were nearly 10,000 of them, but, according to their spies, they were undisciplined rabble, more likely to fight each other than the Arizona Army headed their way.
Shaman Tonho led the Arizona Army slowly, taking advantage of the few springs in the area to keep their water barrels full and the men fresh. Each night, they bedded down, rotating the sentry companies so that nobody became overtired.
The last night before, before deciding how to contact the Mexican Bandit Army, Shaman Tonho crept around the Mesa to see for himself. He was halfway there when he discovered he had company, Tonho O'Brian Bennett was right behind him.
The boy refused to go back, "Uncle, you cannot watch in two directions at once, I am the eyes on the back of your head." Shaman Tonho shook his head, there was no dissuading this boy.
As the two peeked over the shoulder of the mesa, they saw the bandit camp sprawled out below them, there was no order to their encampment and they could see several fights in progress that involved many men.
There was no central area, each small group of men prepared their own meals and used any convenient bush as a latrine. The two made note of the camp layout and where they thought the leaders were staying.
Dawn began to break and they noted there was no order, nor attempt to feed the enemy soldiers. They could see people penned up under guard and they assumed they were people the bandits had captured for slaves.
They carefully backed away from the ridge and returned to their own camp. As soon as a cold breakfast had been eaten, Shaman Tonho called all the Captains together and he reported what he and young Tonho had seen. They hashed out a plan of attack, they would strike the enemy at first light the next day.
Shaman Tonho wanted Tonho Bennett to remain behind and he refused, he shouted "TEAMSTERS AND BOYS, COME TO ME!" He organized the teamsters and their helpers into another company of Warriors and quietly told them what he planned. Shaman Tonho knew the boy was up to something, but he kept his peace and watched the 10-year-old boy grow from a child into a leader.
Chapter 3 - THE BATTLE BEGINS
In the chill of the desert predawn, the Army of Arizona gathered and ate their rations cold.
Shaman Tonho asked the Great Spirit's Blessing on what they were about to do and the Army mounted up.
Shaman Tonho watched as his young nephew mounted his pony and went to the front of a group of boys who had been the Teamsters. They were all mounted on the horses that had pulled the wagons and were armed with a multitude of different rifles, but each carried bandoliers of ammunition on their shoulders and they were the largest company in the entire Army!
Shaman Tonho silently raised his rifle and waved the army forward.
Young Tonho raised his rifle and quietly said to his followers, "FOLLOW ME!"
The army moved out at a thunderous pace, intending to catch the bandit rabble unawares.
They did.
It was a rout; many of the bandits threw down their weapons and ran for their lives.
The youngsters of Tonho Bennett's Company smashed into the headquarters hovels of the bandit force, capturing many of the leaders while they were struggling to pull on their trousers.
Young Tonho glared at the leaders they had captured and told them that if they so much as sneezed, they were dead!
One leader did not believe a bunch of boys, led by a small boy, would dare shoot him, he started for his own horse. Young Tonho Bennett warned him once and then shot him through the forehead!
The majority of the bandits escaped, along with a few of their leaders. The gaggle of bandits the Boy Warriors, their own name for themselves, had captured, were marched at gunpoint to the top of the hill, where Shaman Tonho and the Company Captains were gathered.
Tonho Bennett rode up to face his Uncle and saluted, "Sir, Cadet Captain Bennett reporting sir. We have taken a number of bandit leaders prisoner, how do you wish us to dispose of them, SIR?"
Shaman Tonho replied, "They shall hang, bring them for judgement."
Cadet Captain Tonho Bennett again saluted and returned to his troops and they marched the captives up the hill to where the Leaders of the Arizona Army were waiting.
First Lieutenant Toby John Bennett was not sure whether he should congratulate his son or spank him, but either way, he felt great pride in his only son.
The bandit leaders were hanged from the limbs of the nearby desert cottonwood trees and left as a warning to others.
All those held captive by the bandits were released and sent with an escort back to the Ranch, where they could recuperate.
For the rest of the campaign, Cadet Captain Tonho O'Brian Bennett commanded the Boy Warriors. The Boy Warriors would become the Cadet Regiment of the Army of Arizona and its first Commanding Officer, Tonho O'Brian Bennett would go on to become the Commanding General of the Army of Arizona.
It took them many months to chase down all the bandits, they roamed far into Mexico in pursuit. They chased the rag-tag bandits as far as the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico and decided to push the Arizona border to those mountains. This included many of Shaman Tonho's people, who had withstood centuries of abuse by the bandits and Mexicans.
As the Army traversed the area, the Indian and Mexican people begged and pleaded to be included as part of Arizona.
Chapter 4 - NEW LANDS, NEW TIMES
It had not been his intention to conquer territory; Shaman Tonho was confronted with a quandary when the people and the Tribal Elders came to him with their request to be included in the state of Arizona.
He sent a messenger back to the Capital, requesting instructions, Governor Haden sent back to do what he thought best.
Young Cadet Captain Tonho Bennett already knew what was best for the people of the area, he set his teenage Warriors to digging new wells and building homes and schools for the people.
They might be only teen boys, but they could teach other boys how to read and write English, do arithmetic and play baseball. Children were lined up for classes before the teenage carpenters had finished pounding nails!
Every village they came to, the first question the people asked was, "Where are the Boy Warriors?"
Young Tonho Bennett was just turning eleven years old and he was commanding a famous Army Company of Teen Soldiers who were bringing thousands of people and their land into the state. The area of the State of Arizona doubled and its wealth was beyond measure. The mines alone created a cash flow that boggled bankers' minds.
They spent the summer consolidating the new lands and setting up governments to guide the new citizens.
The Boy Warriors continued to build schools, medical clinics and youth centers in every village they came to. Their fame went before them, when the Army would arrive at a village, the first question the villagers asked was, "Are the Boy Warriors here yet?"
Local boys would beg and plead to be allowed to join up, and Cadet Captain Tonho Bennett's command grew by two additional Companies. It was becoming the largest unit in the Arizona Army!
Shaman Tonho knew there was no way they could disband that group and he made a special trip to the Capitol to put the case before the State Legislature.
The Boy Warriors became the Arizona Corps of Cadets and was made open to all boys between the ages of 10 years and 21 years of age. There were to be units in every community and be governed by the boys themselves under the leadership of experienced Army personnel.
In many areas, the only organized force was the Corps of Cadets, they performed police and fire protection duties, helped in emergencies and saved lives throughout the enlarged state.
Tonho Bennett remained with the Corps of Cadets as he returned to school. He rose in Command until he was the Cadet Colonel, Commanding as he entered University. All through his four years at the University, his instructors and professors knew that he might be called away at any time, and he was.
There were more bandit raids and the Corps of Cadets was the only organized force to resist them. Floods, fires and other calamities were also eased by the Boy Warriors, a name they clung to despite their official name, The Arizona Corps of Cadets.
Cadet Colonel Bennett was made even more famous when he and his troop of boys rode down the infamous bandit, El Lobo Viejo - The Old Wolf. El Lobo had been notorious for years, mostly keeping his depredations in the countryside still controlled by Mexico. His biggest mistake was to cross the new border to rob and plunder in New Chihuahua.
Cadet Colonel Bennett raced from his class at the University and, an hour later, he was leading 1,000 Cadet Troopers south at a gallop. His four companies of Boy Warriors spread out and encircled the entire area of New Chihuahua.
They began closing in and tightening the circle, there was no way the bandit and his men could escape.
They finally captured the notorious bandit hiding in a hay loft. Colonel Bennett radioed back to the Capitol, asking what they wanted him to do with the bandit.
The Governor replied, "Hang Him!"
Cadet Colonel Tonho O'Brian Bennett did just that and left the body to swing in the wind as a warning to others who might try robbery for a living.
Graduation finally came to Tonho O'Brian Bennett, he was first in his class and he spoke at the ceremonies, "I would reference my famous Uncle, Tohno O'Brian II. We all have goals to meet, some we set upon ourselves, while other goals are set by The Great Spirit of us all. It matters not at all, the name by which we call Him, what matters is that we DO call him. He set my goals when I was a boy. He showed me how to lead other boys, not as a commander, but as a boy among others of my kind. He taught me that leadership means to lead from the front and never, EVER, refuse to do that which I asked of others. I now have before me a command, a goal, if you wish. Let me read to you a line from this letter, TO TAKE COMMAND OF THE ARMY OF ARIZONA IN ALL IT STATIONS, UNITS AND FUNCTIONS.... I have led the Arizona Corp of Cadets since I was eleven years old and now, my goal has been enlarged, but it is the same goal - to take overall command of all our armed forces that defend us from those who would do us hurt. I cannot, and I will not refuse this goal, not because I wish glory and honor, but because I know this is what I was born to do with my life. I have known it since the day I disobeyed my Father and went with my Uncle to fight the bandits. I say to all of you who are graduating with me today, search your souls and find your goals in life, then follow that path until those goals have been realized. What the Great Spirit has set in motion, we mere mortals must not tamper with. How many of you will follow me? How many will join my Army and help make the goals of the Great Spirit come to all our people?"
More than two hundred graduating students stood and pledged themselves to follow Army Colonel Tonho O'Brian Bennett as he assumed command of the Army of Arizona, soon to become the Arizona National Guard.
TBC
The hero of the Bandit War has now graduated from the University and is assuming command of the Arizona NG. Next, we shall watch as his Uncle, the Great Shaman, as he leads his people back to their ancestral home and it becomes a modern city.