Chapter 13

I was surprised the next morning when Miguel, Maco, Jesus, and Lupe joined us for breakfast. It turned out they always joined the Hacienda for breakfast, before leaving for Las Cruces. Alejandro watched with interest as Miguel and Maco greeted Anna. He seemed relieved that we were indeed cousins of all the Garcias.

As we were preparing to leave, I told Alejandro to help protect his sister and the Hacienda while we were gone and got a grave nod in return. I gave Anna a big hug and kiss. As I mounted, she grinned and told me to stay out of trouble. Anna gave Raul and Raphael a quick hug and told them she hoped to see them again soon.

With a final wave we rode down the slope to join the five empty wagons. The river was still higher than usual, but crossing didn’t present any problems and we were soon on the Camino Real. Miguel, Maco, and their teams had left the Hacienda fifteen minutes before we did so I knew they were out screening us as we rode.

We rode through the pleasant sunny morning arriving at the stables just after lunch time. Mr. Mendoza came out to greet us with a big smile on his face, giving me a big hug and back slap in greeting. Raising a questioning eyebrow, he asked where Anna was.

Looking at him in sympathy, I answered his question. “Although she didn’t want to, she decided to stay at the Hacienda to nurse two of the cousins whose family were killed during the storm. She sends her love and promises to see you soon.”

He nodded before turning to greet Yolanda, Tom, Raul, and Raphael with hugs before turning to greet Jesus and Lupe while adding, “The area out back is all set up and six families are already here waiting for you.”

“Thank you, Sir,” I replied with a smile of gratitude. “I have some things to talk with you about later this afternoon but first we all need a good lunch.”

With a grin he waved us over towards the restaurant before turning to give the stable boys directions on taking care of the mule teams and wagons. We all walked into the restaurant and were met by Maria who gave me, Yolanda, Tom, Raul, and Raphael a hug and cheek kiss in greeting, before telling us to find seats. She’d have coffee and lunch brought out right away. She looked for Anna and I repeated what I’d told Mr. Mendoza. Mrs. Mendoza and Yolanda’s mother came out of the kitchen and greeted the five of us with hugs and kisses as well before disappearing back into the kitchen.

Over lunch I apologized to Tom and Yolanda after telling them that greeting the arrivals and processing them was going to be up to them and the others for the most part, as I needed to find Juan and Jorge and get them to meet with me and Mr. Mendoza. They both nodded telling me they’d expected as much from our earlier conversations and had Jesus and Lupe ready to help.

After a leisurely lunch and a final cup of coffee, I left them to track down Juan and Jorge. I found them both in Juan’s office at the adobe yard and we greeted each other with handshakes and back slaps. They were both full of questions about the Santa Fe trip as well as the Estancia since neither had been there in over four months.

I answered all of their questions about the trip and told them they’d just have to come to Tom and Yolanda’s wedding to find out how things were going on the Estancia. When they’d finally run out of questions, I asked them if they could meet with Mr. Mendoza and me at the restaurant at three that afternoon, to talk about an issue I was having.

They both agreed, and I left to find Mr. Mendoza. As I expected he, Raul, and Raphael were at the table behind the stable repairing worn tack. I sat down at the table and told him it was good to be back. He nodded and asked what was on my mind. I asked him if he could meet with Juan, Jorge, and me at three in the restaurant, and he assured me he’d be there. I decided to take the opportunity for a much-needed haircut and shave before the meeting, so I got up and told them I had a few errands to run and I’d see Mr. Mendoza at the restaurant.

On the way back from the barber I stopped at the blacksmith and asked him to make two more branding irons and I’d pick them up tomorrow afternoon. He agreed, and I paid him before going back to the restaurant to wait for the others to arrive. Maria met me at the door and waved to my normal table telling me she’d bring me some coffee.

I stopped her, saying, “I’m meeting your father, Juan, and Jorge here so bring enough for four, please.”

She laughed as she walked back into the kitchen saying that some things never changed.

Mr. Mendoza must have seen me pass the stables because he came into the restaurant a few minutes later and sat down across from me. We spent a few minutes talking about the Santa Fe trip, the storm killing the northern Garcia family, and the two kids Anna was taking care of, as well as Raul and Rafael’s trip to the Estancia. His biggest questions though were about Raul and Raphael. I explained that we’d stayed with Raul and his family while we were in El Paso at the end of our trip and had offered them jobs. We invited them to the Estancia to look things over for a few days.

“They haven’t said one way or the other if they were interested in the jobs and they’re going back to El Paso from here. Anna says she doesn’t know them well enough to read them and I certainly don’t either. I can tell you that not knowing what their plans are at this point, is disconcerting,” I said.

“What jobs, specifically, did you offer them and what are the responsibilities that go with those jobs?” he asked.

I gave him the rundown including responsibilities and pay.

“I don’t know what their final answer is going to be either, Pablo,” he said after a moment of thought. “I know they were both impressed with what they saw, but they also said they don’t know if they will fit in well with everyone, there.”

Now I was confused. “I’m not sure what they’re concerned about but it’s their decision to make. I just wish they’d end the suspense and let us know one way or the other.”

He nodded and said he’d see if he could get them to talk more about their concerns before they left and let me know.

Juan and Jorge came in just then and we waved them over to the table with Maria following close behind with fresh coffee for everyone. Once we’d greeted each other and settled in with our coffee I told them I needed their help in finding the right men for a job I had. This piqued their curiosity, as I’d intended.

“I need two men with strong personalities, a well-developed sense of fairness, who are good with a gun, willing to fight if needed, and can work on their own without supervision. I also prefer that they both be Hispanos,” I finished quietly.

They all looked at each other for a moment. “I know four or five men like that and I’m sure these two know others as well,” Mr. Mendoza said with both Juan and Jorge nodding in agreement. “We need to know the specific job though before we can make a recommendation.”

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out two Deputy US Marshal badges and put them on the table. All three stared at the two badges with interest, and then looked back up at me. Reaching back into my pocket as they watched, I pulled out the US Marshal badge and pinned it to my coat.

I told them the story about my appointment, the area it covered, and that I had no interest at all in riding all over southern New Mexico Territory looking for fugitives. I explained my plan of opening an office in Mesilla near the courthouse, if I could find an empty office or house, and letting the two Deputies handle the day to day activities from there.

“I want the head Deputy to be Hispano,” I explained. “If at all possible, I’d like both of them to be Hispano as a way of making a public statement, since most of the people in southern New Mexico are Hispanos.”

I didn’t bring up the information network Anna and I wanted to establish, and the Deputy’s unofficial role in that network. I would wait until I actually hired them to discuss that possibility. Sooner, rather than later, I was going to have to bring it up with the Mendozas as well as both Ortega brothers, but I wanted Anna with me when that happened.

I sat back and watched them think about what I’d said and who they knew that might fit the job. Eventually, Mr. Mendoza said he knew two men who might be what I needed but he needed to get word to them and have them come in to meet with me. Juan said he knew one person who might work out; but again, he needed to get word to them, and have them come in to meet me. Jorge shrugged, smiled, and said he must know a better class of people since he couldn’t think of anyone he knew that would be good for the job.

We all laughed at him and Juan said that meant he knew a worse class of people. We talked for a few more minutes before agreeing that I would come back in a week to talk to the three men if they were interested. Meanwhile, Jorge would go to Mesilla with me tomorrow to look for an office, since he had the best contacts in Mesilla of the three. We broke up a few minutes later and as they were leaving, I took the badge off my coat and put it and the two from the table back in my pocket.

Dinner that night was enchiladas in my honor. I didn’t get to enjoy them as much as I’d have liked, because I was too busy telling everyone about our trip to Santa Fe. The fight with the two Navajos had them spell bound, but their fears were calmed once I explained that Anna had recovered from her wounds without any consequences.

Our meeting with Josefa and Kit Carson was well received, as was the story about the bear attack. It was late when we broke up and trooped across the courtyard to bed. I was given the bed in Anna’s old room to sleep in and was thankful I didn’t have to face the hayloft.

Jorge and I met for breakfast in the restaurant with Tom and Yolanda joining us. Jorge and I left a short time later for the five-mile ride to Mesilla. We were in no real hurry as it was still early morning, so we let the horses set their own pace on the road. To my surprise we had to use a ferry to cross the Rio Grande. I’d completely forgotten that at this point in time Mesilla was actually on the other side of the Rio Grande. The Rio Grande was also wider and deeper than I was used to and couldn’t be safely forded for miles in either direction, so the ferry was the only option.

We arrived at the Mesilla plaza mid-morning and hitched the horses outside the courthouse. It was interesting to see how little things had changed between now and the last time I’d been here in 2015. While looking around, I took out my US Marshal badge and pinned it to my coat, then looked at Jorge telling him it was his show as I didn’t know my way around.

With a laugh, he led me inside the courthouse, where we talked to a clerk who perked up when he found out I was the new US Marshal. He said that all the offices in the small courthouse were occupied and wished us luck in finding an empty building to use, anywhere nearby. We walked back outside and toured the buildings along the plaza as well as those for two streets over in all directions.

All the buildings looked occupied and I was beginning to think I was going to have to rethink my plans when Jorge led me across the plaza to the church. We eventually tracked down the priest and asked for his help in finding a building or office on the plaza or nearby to house the new US Marshal’s office.

The Padre thought for a minute and then gave us a big grin. “I might have just the place for you.”

Leading us out the front of the church he turned left walking to the edge of the plaza before stopping and pointing to a slightly dilapidated adobe house on the corner across the street.

“That house belonged to the old church caretaker. He died a couple of years ago leaving it to the church. The new caretaker already has a house in Mesilla, so we’ve been using this one as a storage area until the diocese decided what to do with it. I just received a letter last month telling me that the decision of what to do with the house is mine to make. I can’t think of a better use for it than to be the office for the new US Marshal.”

Jorge asked if we could see the inside and the priest obligingly led us over and into the house. It was a large single room house twice the size of my original adobe home. It would be more than adequate as a combination office and rooms for the Deputies. I liked it and asked Jorge if he could design a new interior with a kitchen, two bedrooms, and a front office.

He said he could easily do that, and it could be built-out quickly without any problems. I turned to the priest and asked him how much he wanted for the house. He thought for a minute and threw out a number that even I knew was high. I looked at Jorge and he laughed.

He knew I was lousy at negotiating prices, so he stepped in and took over the process. I looked around at all the junk stored in the house and wondered where it had all come from. Jorge and the priest finally settled on a price of fifty-five dollars and I quickly agreed.

The priest went back to the church for the deed while we looked around a little more. The yard out in back of the house was about the same size as the house with nothing but an outhouse and dirt. Jorge said there was a stable nearby on the next block where the Deputy’s horses could be kept.

The priest finally returned apologizing for keeping us saying he had a hard time remembering where he’d put the deed but had finally found it. The three of us walked to the courthouse where I paid the priest, he signed the deed over to me, and the clerk recorded the deed in my name, stamped the transfer, and handed me back the deed. I thanked the priest for all his help before he left to go back to the church.

As he was leaving, he assured us that he would have the house cleaned out by the weekend. Jorge and I walked back down to the house and he asked me if there were any changes I wanted to make to the outside.

After a few minutes of looking at the house I finally said, “I would like the front corner of the house chopped off for the office entrance door with a wooden porch running the length of the chopped off section and an awning over the whole area. I also would like the door flanked by windows if possible so anybody in the office could see out to the plaza. I think that outhouse needs to be torn down and the back of the house walled in with a paved courtyard and built in planters filled with roses where the Deputies can relax in the evening. A new more permanent outhouse needs to be built in one corner of the courtyard.”

He nodded and said he could design all that, but it would take longer. I shrugged and told him we’d work around the construction. We looked around before finding the water pump to one side of the house just outside the back door and I told Jorge we needed to move the pump inside to the kitchen area. That led us back inside where we settled on a simple floor plan for an office big enough for two desks, visitor’s chairs, and two filing cabinets along with a large kitchen and two bedrooms. I also thought a wooden floor installed over the current dirt floor would be needed. Jorge asked what color I wanted the exterior and interior. I grinned and told him the exterior should be Anna’s favorite rose color and the interior should be white.

When we were done, we walked back outside, and I asked Jorge if there was a furniture maker in town. He said there were a couple and asked what I needed. I told him two desks, two filing cabinets, a gun rack, four comfortable visitors chairs, a dining room table with chairs, kitchen cabinets, and a kitchen counter to start with. “I think I know a place. I’ve only been there once, and I think it’s just down the street,” Jorge said.

He led me down a couple of side streets to a large building with rolling doors that were rolled aside. Inside he introduced me to the owner, and we found everything we were looking for except the gun rack which would have to be custom built.

Over our lunch in a small cantina which proved to be very good but not quite up to Mrs. Mendoza’s standards, I asked Jorge if Juan would be interested in not only providing the building supplies but building the courtyard and interior as well.

It turned out that Juan had branched out to actual construction while Anna and I had been gone, along with expanding his range of building supplies. Jorge said some of the folks in Mesilla might not be happy to have someone from Las Cruces doing the building, but Juan would probably hire folks from Mesilla to do most of it, anyway.

We left the cantina and walked back to the courthouse where we mounted our horses for the short ride to Fort Fillmore. I was making good my promise to visit cousin George, while Jorge needed to see Colonel Miles to close out the work he’d been doing for him.

The ride out to the fort was fruitless, for both of us, as George was out on patrol, and Colonel Miles was away at Fort Bliss, near El Paso. As we rode back to Las Cruces, we discussed the timing for the plans. As usual, Jorge would work quickly and promised the plans during my visit next week.

It was late afternoon by the time we made it back to Juan’s adobe yard. Juan was elated at my offer to have him make the modifications I wanted, especially after Jorge quickly sketched the house and yard before and after. The after image included a walled paved courtyard with planters and the new outhouse. Juan was extremely excited and agreed to add an itemized material list with Jorge’s drawings next week. I thanked Jorge for all his help today and told them both I’d see them next week.

The courtyard between the Mendoza’s house and restaurant was all set up for tomorrow morning, so I went back to the stables and found Mr. Mendoza at his usual spot. I was surprised to see Raul and Raphael sitting at the table with him helping him repair more tack. Tom was also there, sitting with his back against the stable enjoying the male companionship.

I greeted everyone, and at their questions, told them about today’s trip and the success we’d had. Mr. Mendoza told me that one of the men he thought would be good for the job had come into town this morning for supplies and told him he wasn’t interested in the Deputy job. He went on to tell me that the other man he was recommending lived closer to El Paso. One of his freight drivers was hand delivering a letter to him on his way to El Paso, so he should either be here Monday if he was interested or reply by letter by then if he wasn’t.

I thanked him, and then asked Tom how his day had gone. He told me they were all set for tomorrow and that seventeen families had arrived so far. We were all set for supper in the courtyard if the rain held off.

The rain did hold off, and everyone was in place when the Mendoza ladies told us they were ready to start bringing supper out. I got everyone’s attention and gave them the standard welcoming speech, what would be expected of them if they stayed on the Estancia, and what they would get in return. There weren’t any questions, so I nodded to Maria to have the ladies start bringing out supper.

As we all expected Jesus and Lupe finished their supper and were immediately swamped with questions. This continued throughout the evening, until all the questions had been answered. I thanked them both for spending their time with the new arrivals and they both laughed telling me they enjoyed it as all the questions made them think. I went to bed that night tired, but happy with the results of the day.

I walked outside the next morning, after my exercises, and immediately became concerned. Large, angry, dark, rain clouds covered the sky in every direction for as far as I could see. We were in for one heck of a storm, a gully washer the old timers would have called it, and I knew this was going to spoil our travel plans for the next few days.

Mr. Mendoza had the same concerns and was already rearranging the animals in the stables and consolidating them all towards the back, while at the same time having all the normal stable equipment put in the tack rooms or stacked high along one wall. We talked for a few minutes and he had the stable boys go over to the camp and tell everyone to start bringing their families inside the stable as well as whatever they didn’t want to get wet.

There wasn’t enough room for the wagons and carts, but he thought the stable would hold most of the people and some of their belongings. I went over to the restaurant and found that Tom and Yolanda had seen the sky and had already started people taking everything from the courtyard to the stable.

I went out looking for Miguel or Maco and found them both looking worriedly at the sky. I told them to get the other cousins and bring them inside the stables until the storm was over. They nodded and headed off out into the desert.

I found Tom out behind the stable watching the clouds. It was already noticeably cooler, and I was really starting to get worried. All the families were inside the stable sitting at the tables with the adults wearing concerned looks.

“Tom, please take the cousins, when they get here, down to Mrs. Amador’s store and buy all the wool blankets she has. I’m hoping for at least eighty of them. Please let her know I’ll be along in a few minutes to pay for them.”

At his nod I went back inside the stables and stood on a table giving a loud whistle to get everyone’s attention.

When I had it, I motioned outside to the sky and said, “Well, folks; man plans, and God laughs.” That broke through their concern and smiles broke out among the adults. “Obviously this changes our plans a little. We’re probably going to be stuck here for two or three days depending on how much rain we get and how bad the river floods. While we are here, we’ll be providing meals since we can’t have cooking fires in the stables.” They all understood that bit of caution. “The older children can play and sleep up in the hayloft. I can tell you from personal experience it’s a comfortable place to stay.” That got them to laughing even more. “Finally, we will start processing each family after we bring breakfast out and continue throughout the day until we’re done. I know it’s not going to be very comfortable, but we’ll make it as pleasant as we can.”

I got down off the table and walked over to Mrs. Amador’s store, passing Tom and the cousins, who were all loaded down with stacks of blankets on their way back to the stables. I walked into the store and Mrs. Amador looked up and pointed to a stack of blankets on the counter telling me that was all she had.

I asked her how much I owed her and then stopped her when she started to reply. I asked her if she had any guitars for sale. She told me she had a brand new one as well as a couple of used ones I could look at. The brand new one was a twelve string while the used ones were six strings. I added the twelve string to the pile of blankets. After paying her for everything; I slung the guitar over my back, picked up the blankets and walked back to the stables.

I got back to the stables just as Tom, Miguel, and Maco were bringing burlap bags full of breakfast sandwiches into the stable from the restaurant. Tom yelled out that breakfast was here, while dumping the individually wrapped sandwiches out onto a table. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at the piles of butcher paper wrapped packages on the table.

No one moved, so I walked over and put my pile of blankets down on a table. I went over to the sandwiches, picked one up and unwrapped it. I held the sandwich up for everyone to see.

“This is an egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich, perfect for days like today!” I took a healthy bite and looked around as I chewed.

That started a flood of people as they each came up to take one and try it. I told Tom and the cousins to make sure they got one before they were all gone, and Tom laughed telling me there were three more burlap bags full over at the restaurant. I looked down at the rapidly dwindling pile of sandwiches and told him we’d better go get them then. He laughed and he and Maco walked out to get the rest.

I was at the back of the stables looking up at the clouds wondering when it was going to start raining, when Jesus and Lupe came up to let me know that almost everyone was done eating and we could start processing them anytime I wanted. I nodded and started to go back inside, when Jesus asked me where these people were going to stay during the rainy season as they wouldn’t be able to build houses until it was over.

“Giuseppe and the Padre should have the Finca operations building set up for them to stay in by now,” I said with a smile. They looked at me curiously. “The two of them were having five stoves moved from the Finca storage room next to the store, into the main building. They are setting them up so everyone can cook their meals and stay warm at night. They’re also having long simple plank tables built with benches for seating. Everyone will have to use their bedrolls for a while, but it beats sleeping in wet tents.”

They smiled back at me and we went inside to start the processing.

The rain started before we were done with the first family, and it continued the entire day until well after we’d finished with the last family. Miguel, Maco, and the cousins volunteered to bring lunch over, and they were soaking wet and covered in mud by the time they got back. They were all laughing about how slippery the streets were as they stood outside to let the rain wash all the mud off them after they delivered the food.

This time there were two piles of food and as at breakfast I unwrapped a sandwich and held it up telling them it was slices of pork loin with mustard and cheese on bread. I unwrapped one of the fried potato packages and told them it was deep fried potatoes and took a bite. That started the lunch rush and I backed out of the way, keeping hold of my sandwich and fries.

We finished the processing by mid-afternoon, and I walked out the back to watch the rain again. Mr. Mendoza, Raul, and Raphael were sitting at the table just enjoying listening to the rain. I turned to go back inside and found Tom walking towards me. We stood together just inside the stable quietly watching the rain for a few minutes before I told Tom I was going to see what mischief I could get into. He grinned and reminded me that Anna had told me specifically to stay out of trouble when we left.

I went over and picked up the guitar I’d leaned against the wall and half sat half leaned against one of the tabletops. I started a rather long tuning sequence as the strings were brand new and the humidity was making them act a little strange. When I got it tuned up as best I could, I looked up to find myself surrounded by kids of all ages sitting down on the ground looking at me expectantly.

I chuckled to myself at how music seemed to draw the kids in and quiet them down. I asked them if they’d like to hear a song about a rainstorm much worse than this one. They all said yes or nodded their heads, so I sang them “The Unicorn Song”. When I was done with that, I asked them if they knew the song about Old MacDonald the farmer.

Unsurprisingly, none of them did. I told them it was easy to learn, and they had to help me sing it. They all nodded readily, and I started singing “Old MacDonald”. They picked it up after the first verse just like every kid I’d ever known only stopping to see what noise I’d make for the animal I was singing about. We went through cows, sheep, horses, mules, cats, dogs, ducks, chickens, and pigs before I brought it to an end.

They were all laughing and having a good time, the rain didn’t look like it was letting up anytime soon, so I told them they had to help me sing another song and I started singing “The Ants Go Marching By”. “Michael Row Your Boat” was next. To my surprise a few of the kids actually knew that one and started teaching the others the words. We went through it twice before I brought it to a close.

Looking out at the rain I told them there was another one they could help me sing and I taught them the concept of a round. I broke them into three groups and started each group singing “Row Your Boat”. They had fun with that one singing all six verses for fifteen minutes before I called an end to it, encouraging them to try it in smaller groups on their own.

After a few minutes of rest for my fingers and a quick drink of water I sang “16 Tons”. When I was done one of the farmers asked if it was always like this at the Estancia. I grinned, Tom groaned, and I sang “Mi Vida Loca”, which had them all laughing.

I settled down after that and played “Land of Enchantment”. There was some applause and shouts of bravo when I was done, and I waved it all away. The rain had stopped while I was playing, and I told the kids that my fingers were a little sore, and, since the rain had stopped, I was going to go see about supper.

Tom and the cousins joined me in trooping through the mud to the restaurant. Mrs. Mendoza was waiting for us and had slices of pizza piled high on large platters. We each took a platter and carefully walked back to the stable. I was last in line, and Mrs. Mendoza asked if we were coming back for supper.

I walked into the stable carrying the last platter and put it down on the tables. Everyone was staring at the slices of pizza not quite sure what to make of it. I got everyone’s attention as I picked up a slice of pepperoni and explained what it was before taking a big bite. The pizza disappeared fast after that.