From Book 2
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the Government, Officers and Soldiers, I present to you, BRIGADIER GENERAL TOBY JOHN BENNETT!" The crowd went wild and the Cadets broke ranks to shake his hand. General Bennett was still protesting when Cadet Colonel Ortega led him to a line of tables under the trees, where the Cadets had set up a reception to the man that each and every one of them loved. All the Cabinet Officers congratulated him and the Governor asked, "Well General, are you ready to consolidate our two Mexican Counties of Arizona?"
Chapter 1 - TIME OF THE SHAMAN
Tonho O'Brian had waited patiently while his state settled its differences with Mexico and its bandits, as they absorbed two new counties in what had been, Old Mexico and while it established its Armed Forces.
He was proud of his nephew, Toby John, who at such a young age was appointed General and given overall command of the Army of Arizona. It was the only organized military force west of the Mississippi River and was far more competent than the pitiful attempts by the struggling national Government, now headquartered in Denver.
Much of the eastern part of the continent was radioactive rubble and it would be many years before it could be made safe for human habitation.
He was again, dreaming of gathering all those in need of spiritual redemption and retreating to the mountains of his father, the first Tonho. He had located his Father's spiritual retreat and had communed with the Great Spirit in that place.
Peace had been established and his nephew was determined to keep it that way, perhaps now was the time. He fasted and prayed for guidance from the Great Spirit and he believed he had his answer. His Father's spirit called to him, it was time to return to the remote mountains of the Pozo Redondo.
He sent out the call, the great drum at Kingdom Ranch sent the message to all who wanted to hear it. People began to gather under the shady sycamore trees of the Ranch and they waited for him to guide them into the mountain wilderness.
On the third day after the Great Drum had sounded the call, Tonho began his trek, approximately eight hundred people of all races followed him. It was going to be a long walk and he arranged his route to follow the few creeks and springs that had water.
The folk at the Ranch packed wagons of food and supplies and sent them along with the walkers and General Bennett sent Company A to guard them and provide any help the people needed.
They were not headed to a new home; it was merely a retreat, a renewal of spirit.
They arrived at the ancient camping grounds of Tonho's people and began to set up tents and shelters. The soldiers helped them and, by nightfall, there was a small village there, once again.
Each night, Tonho led them in prayers to The Great Spirit, asking that they be renewed and made one with him. There was no suffering, no fasting nor deprivation of any type.
The young people had their own campfire and Tonho would sit with them first, before sitting with the adults.
Each group would ask him questions and he would answer or lead them to an answer. This went on for several weeks and Tonho could see his people changing, there was less anxiety and stress among the adults and the children, while still boisterous, had stopped their squabbles and treated each other with dignity and courtesy.
At the end of the third week, he announced that the retreat would end in two days. The adults accepted his decision, knowing that they had changed and could better accept their lives now.
The children, however, were disappointed as they had hoped the retreat would last longer. They could sense orders of magnitude change in themselves.
The appointed day arrived and everyone packed up their few belongings and stowed them in the now-empty wagons. They began the long trek back to Kingdom Ranch, a changed people.
Shaman Tonho would hold these retreats for the next several years, each one larger than the previous one.
Finally, he remained there in the Pozo Redondo Mountains, he was nearing sixty years of age and his hair was streaked with gray. He never married and, like his other father before him, the first Tonho, he mourned the death of Patrick O'Brian and remained loyal to him to his dying day.
The annual retreat he had established became an annual event, even after his death and it was a tribute to the foresight of that great man that there was never a problem between the races of people living in Arizona again.
The State of Arizona established a holiday honoring Shaman Tonho, a week that all people slowed down and contemplated their actions of the prior year. It became a week when families renewed their love for each other, new families were created and old animosities were laid to rest.
It became known as Shaman's Week.
Chapter 2 - A TRADITION CONTINUES
The next several years saw the state of Arizona become the premier state of the union of states that remained of the old United States of America. Its industry supplied most of the other states and its Army was the most powerful, led by an energetic General, Brigadier General Toby John Bennett. He and his troops had pacified all of the new territories that had been carved out of Mexico.
Those areas had become lush farms and productive mines, turning out copper, iron and precious metals.
The Bandit problem remained controlled, those who still pursued that occupation, so feared General Bennett and his troopers, they remained on their own side of the border rather than face certain hanging.
The Arizona Army had but one punishment for those found guilty of banditry, HANGING. There would be no plea bargaining, no extenuating circumstances and no second chances.
After the first flurry of "ornamentation" hanging from the desert sycamore trees, travel across the two southern territories was safer than many areas of the states further north.
Every time he left Fort Florence, it was a battle with both his sons, Claw and Willow, to stay at home and attend school.
Claw was turning sixteen and was in High School. His grades made his papa proud and he was anxiously pacing the floor of their living room, waiting for Papa General to get home.
Claw heard his Father ride up and hand the reins of the huge palomino to his orderly. He heard his Father's heavy footsteps as he came up the steps to the porch, so he hurried and made himself ready.
Toby John opened the front door and stepped into the room, there stood his oldest son, standing at attention in the middle of the room, wearing the uniform of an Arizona Cadet with the small gold "pips" of a Cadet Second Lieutenant on his shoulders.
Off to the side, his other son, Willow, was jumping up and down and clapping his little hands in glee.
Toby could only say, "Uuuh how, wwwho......"
Toby's Father, Governor Tonho Bennett stepped from behind the door and said, "Second Lieutenant Claw Toby Bennett Commands First Platoon, Florence High School Cadets!" He continued, "He scored highest in all his tests and the Command Competition!"
Claw Bennett saluted his Father and said, "Second Lieutenant Claw Bennett and Florence First Cadet Platoon, reporting for duty, SIR!" He handed his Father his orders, attaching him and his Cadets to Company C as scouts and observers. It was for three months of summer training, while the rest of the Army was operating in Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah putting down bandits and cattle thieves.
Toby had to sit down, he just wasn't ready to have a soldier son! He looked at his own father, Tonho, and suddenly realized what his father had gone through when he had insisted on joining the Army Scouts.
Toby's Orderly, Corporal Dean Jarvis announced that supper was ready and they all sat down while Maria Little Horse served them.
All during the meal, Claw worried that his Papa was angry and even little Willow was subdued. After the meal, Toby and his Father went into the study and closed the door. Claw paced the living room floor, fearing his Papa's anger.
Suddenly, the study door opened and Toby called Lieutenant Claw Bennett to join them. Claw closed the door after himself and Willow ran to listen at the door, his eyes growing wide and a huge smile on his face.
Inside the room, Toby told Claw to sit down. The fact that his Grandfather was smiling did much to lessen Claw's fears. Toby John spread out a map of Baja on the desk and motioned Claw to come closer.
Toby showed his son, Claw, the long narrow peninsula that was Baja California. He said, "Lt. Bennett, this land of Baja is home to fishermen and a few farmers. I want you to take your Cadets and assume command of Company C. You are to map the peninsula and make contact with as many of the villages and ranches as you can. Carry the word of our Arizona to them and invite them to join us. In the larger villages, leave a Sergeant or a Corporal and a squad of soldiers to keep the peace, make them part of our state."
So it was that a young Cadet Second Lieutenant led Scout Company C overland to begin their trek south through the Baja Peninsula.
The first village they came to was Durango, where there were a few farmers trying to scratch out a living for their families in the dry parched land. They neither welcomed nor objected to Lt. Claw and his soldiers, they expected to be robbed and molested, it had been a way of life since before the collapse.
Claw looked around and saw only one well in the center of the village. He went over to get a drink of water and found only damp mud at the bottom of the well.
He ordered the "pounder" to be unloaded from the wagon. He had wondered why his father had equipped a Scout Company with a well drilling machine, now he marveled at his father's foresight!
The "pounder" was driven by a small gasoline engine and the Scouts erected the derrick over the well. As the iron drill began pounding the well deeper, the villagers gathered to watch. The small children were not afraid of the soldiers and soon, there were boys and girls sitting on a soldier's shoulder. Their heads bobbing up and down as the drill pounded its way down the old well shaft.
By late afternoon, the bail was bringing up muddy water, two days later, the drill was stopped and the well bailed out.
The villagers wanted to collect the muddy water, it was better than anything they had ever drawn from the old well before. Claw stopped them, explaining that they should allow the water to settle before drawing water.
All night long, the soldiers worked in repairing the old pump that had been abandoned long before. The villagers had been drawing water from the well with buckets on long ropes.
The soldiers replaced the leathers and made new pins for the pump shaft. At first light, the soldiers lowered the first section of the pump and casing down the shaft, adding sections until the pump deck was completely submerged in the water standing at the bottom.
While they were waiting, the soldiers had repaired the windmill, replacing missing vanes and greasing the gearhead.
They lifted the windmill assembly to the top of the old tower with ropes and the horses and fit it into place at the top. The windmill began to turn immediately and Claw tripped the latch on the pull shaft.
Within a few seconds, clear fresh water began to flow into the trough at the bottom of the tower!
Not even the oldest villagers could remember there being water in the trough! Supply Sergeant Robert Evans rigged a float on the end of the rope attached to the trip latch and the water started and stopped according to the level in the trough!
The Headman was in tears, he told Claw that the villagers had decided to abandon their village and move elsewhere to find water.
The villagers held a festival that evening for the soldiers and they danced until nearly midnight.
As Claw was getting ready for bed, three teen boys stood in front of his tent, in stilted Spanish, they asked if they could become soldiers. Claw remembered his own childhood and replied to them in their own Indian Dialect, "You may come with us only if you have the permission of your parents."
Two of the boys went running off to get their parents, but the third boy looked down at his feet and tears were running down his cheeks. He said, "I got no Mamma or Poppa, they dead, me alone."
Claw grabbed the boy and told him to grab a blanket from the wagon and come join him in his tent.
The next morning, First Sergeant Ferguson called on the troops to fall in, riding on ponies, alongside Lieutenant Claw Bennett were three boys, their bedrolls neatly rolled behind their saddles and each wore a soldier's cap.
One of the boys, Panther, kept his eyes on Lieutenant Claw, he had called the young officer, Papa, and had not been rebuked.
It was a very long ride before they came to another village, however, San Felipe was somewhat larger than Durango and there was a clean water stream cascading down from the hills above the village.
They arrived, dusty and hot, the villagers were cautious and the children hid from the soldiers. Claw recognized the signs from his own childhood, the villagers were afraid. They had been abused by armed men and were expecting it again.
Claw ordered his troops to dismount and set up camp in the village square.
He motioned for Panther to accompany him as he strolled through the village. The two young men smiled at everyone and several young village boys came up to Panther, who was about their age, and asked him if he was a slave. Panther was horrified, he said, loudly, to the boys, "NO, he is my commander and my Papa!"
Claw smiled to himself, and continued walking through the village as more boys collected around Panther, asking him questions. Panther pointed to his cap and proudly said, "I soldier with mi Papa!"
Finally, an old man gathered up his courage and approached Claw, calling himself the Alcalde de San Felipe. Claw bowed to the elderly man and told him that he was an Arizona Soldier, surveying the land of Baja. The Alcalde asked, "La Republica del Norte?"
Claw's poor Spanish was not up to conversing with the man, but his new admirer spoke Claw's Indian dialect, so they were able to converse. He learned the village was regularly raided by banditos, who stole everything of value every time they came through and took their young boys as slaves.
Claw went red in the face with anger at what the Alcalde told him and he turned, shouting for Sergeant Ferguson. He told the First Sergeant, "Detail a sergeant and a squad to remain here in San Felipe, give them plenty of ammunition and put a stop to these raids! We shall remain here for a while and build a small fort to protect these people!"
Claw's young friend and soon-to-be hijo (son) was rapidly translating what the Troop Commander was saying, the old Alcalde had tears running down his weather-beaten cheeks as he hugged Claw, repeating, "Gracias, Capitan, Gracias."
As the soldiers dismounted and started setting their tents up in the village square, teen boys came out from hiding and attached themselves to the soldiers, helping them erect their tents and staking their horses.
By nightfall, there were roving patrols of soldiers, armed to the teeth and ready to battle raiders and bandits.
The next day, soldiers were mixing adobe and setting hand-made bricks out to dry, village boys came to help and the supply of bricks grew rapidly.
Chapter 3 - FORT SAN FELIPE
By the end of the second week, a small fort was starting to take shape in the village square. Claw had appointed Sergeant Tomas Domingo to command the fort, along with his squad of soldiers.
The villagers were amazed that the soldiers unloaded a whole freight wagon of ammunition and guns for the soldiers and then cheered when Sergeant Domingo ordered the Arizona flag to be raised over the new fort.
Claw watched as Sergeant Domingo held his first-morning muster and beside the soldiers, a squad of village teen boys also mustered. Claw whispered to the Sergeant, "You have cadets already, train them and they will assist you in defending this village."
Sergeant Domingo did just that, he dug out some lighter .30-30's for the boys and several crates of ammunition. Little did he realize that his own life would depend upon those same boys in a few short days!
When the fort was completed and manned by the soldiers and their cadets, Claw had his troops mounted and made ready to continue their journey. They would trek many days to the south before they would again encounter human habitation.
The sere, dead land was devoid of people.
Meanwhile, back in San Felipe, the bandits had been watching from the hills above the village, waiting for the soldiers to leave. They did not realize that soldiers had been left at the strange, new building in the village square.
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 supplied 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 Cadets' 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 hanging 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!
TBC
Lieutenant Claw and his troops will continue their way south and find that Baja was bigger than they had supposed. The Cadets would miss a year of school before they returned to Kingdom Ranch.