a colt prance in the corral. “Jah, those things were bad, but not so bad as seeing Miriam in her Mexican wedding dress. That hit her mighty hard.”
“It’s a terrible shame,” Levi said quietly, staring at the ground as if he couldn’t bear to intrude on his father-in-law by looking at him just now. “That Miriam was a fine girl.”
Rachel dropped the last dress into the basket, picked it up and headed silently for the house, but she’d been wounded by that one word, uncontested by her father.
Was . As if Miriam were dead.
Chapter 10
O n Wednesday afternoon Caleb brought the harrow up to the barn and was putting away the draft horses when he heard hoofbeats. Four soldiers on horseback escorted a wagon into the backyard and hailed him as he came out of the barn.
Captain Soto dismounted, shook hands and greeted him like an old friend.
“ Buenos días , Señor Bender. I trust everyone is well?”
Caleb nodded, a little suspiciously. The knot in the pit of his stomach was the same one he always got when bandits came around. “Sí,” he said, rather tersely. “What can we do for you?”
Might as well get to the point. He was not inclined to engage in small talk with this man.
Smiling, the captain waved vaguely toward the wagon. “We are trying to get settled into our new headquarters, my amigo, and things are going very well except that we have found some necessary items in short supply, so we have come to purchase what we need from the local campesinos. What better way to establish a bond between my men and the people we have come to serve, no?”
Caleb nodded slowly, one eyebrow creeping up. “What do you need?”
“Only a few sacks of grain to feed our horses, señor, and perhaps a few ears of corn. Oh, and we will need to purchase six saddle horses—broken, of course.”
“I don’t have six saddle horses to sell.”
Soto laughed. “No, Señor Bender, I can see that, but there are other settlers here.”
Caleb eyed the other three soldiers, all mounted on pinto ponies.
“But you got the bandits’ horses, didn’t you?” He’d seen soldiers corralling the ragged ponies on the outskirts of town as the remainder of the bandits were led away on foot.
“Sí, this is true. We have rounded up all of their ponies, but there are seventy men left in my command. There were seventy-five, but some of my brave men died protecting you from the bandidos. If we are to defend your valley properly my men will need mounts, and we are short six horses. I will buy that one.” He pointed to Caleb’s best buggy horse, a standard-bred gelding that stood staring at him over the pasture fence.
“He’s not for sale.”
Captain Soto glanced over his shoulder, then leaned a bit closer and spoke in a low conspiratorial tone, as if sharing a secret he didn’t want his men to hear.
“Señor Bender, you must understand my position. I am a company commander in the Mexican National Army, and I have the authority to take whatever I need. Now, I offer to pay you out of kindness, because I don’t wish to be a burden to the yanqui campesinos.” Then his head tilted and he shrugged. “But if you dishonor me in front of my men . . .”
Caleb was no fool. He could see where this was going.
“All right,” he said. “I’ll sell you the horse.”
Soto grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. “ Muy bueno! I will pay you a hundred pesos. Corporal, fetch this fine animal from the pasture and put my saddle on him.”
“A hundred pesos?” Caleb said, perhaps too indignantly for his own good. “He’s worth at least twice that.”
Now Soto’s smile turned condescending, as though he were talking to a child. “Perhaps in America, but this is Mexico, and things are different here. A hundred pesos is a whole month’s pay for a peon or a soldier. But if this paltry sum offends your dignity I can always keep the money.”
Caleb glared at the little captain, but he knew from experience it was useless to argue
“It’s a terrible shame,” Levi said quietly, staring at the ground as if he couldn’t bear to intrude on his father-in-law by looking at him just now. “That Miriam was a fine girl.”
Rachel dropped the last dress into the basket, picked it up and headed silently for the house, but she’d been wounded by that one word, uncontested by her father.
Was . As if Miriam were dead.
Chapter 10
O n Wednesday afternoon Caleb brought the harrow up to the barn and was putting away the draft horses when he heard hoofbeats. Four soldiers on horseback escorted a wagon into the backyard and hailed him as he came out of the barn.
Captain Soto dismounted, shook hands and greeted him like an old friend.
“ Buenos días , Señor Bender. I trust everyone is well?”
Caleb nodded, a little suspiciously. The knot in the pit of his stomach was the same one he always got when bandits came around. “Sí,” he said, rather tersely. “What can we do for you?”
Might as well get to the point. He was not inclined to engage in small talk with this man.
Smiling, the captain waved vaguely toward the wagon. “We are trying to get settled into our new headquarters, my amigo, and things are going very well except that we have found some necessary items in short supply, so we have come to purchase what we need from the local campesinos. What better way to establish a bond between my men and the people we have come to serve, no?”
Caleb nodded slowly, one eyebrow creeping up. “What do you need?”
“Only a few sacks of grain to feed our horses, señor, and perhaps a few ears of corn. Oh, and we will need to purchase six saddle horses—broken, of course.”
“I don’t have six saddle horses to sell.”
Soto laughed. “No, Señor Bender, I can see that, but there are other settlers here.”
Caleb eyed the other three soldiers, all mounted on pinto ponies.
“But you got the bandits’ horses, didn’t you?” He’d seen soldiers corralling the ragged ponies on the outskirts of town as the remainder of the bandits were led away on foot.
“Sí, this is true. We have rounded up all of their ponies, but there are seventy men left in my command. There were seventy-five, but some of my brave men died protecting you from the bandidos. If we are to defend your valley properly my men will need mounts, and we are short six horses. I will buy that one.” He pointed to Caleb’s best buggy horse, a standard-bred gelding that stood staring at him over the pasture fence.
“He’s not for sale.”
Captain Soto glanced over his shoulder, then leaned a bit closer and spoke in a low conspiratorial tone, as if sharing a secret he didn’t want his men to hear.
“Señor Bender, you must understand my position. I am a company commander in the Mexican National Army, and I have the authority to take whatever I need. Now, I offer to pay you out of kindness, because I don’t wish to be a burden to the yanqui campesinos.” Then his head tilted and he shrugged. “But if you dishonor me in front of my men . . .”
Caleb was no fool. He could see where this was going.
“All right,” he said. “I’ll sell you the horse.”
Soto grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. “ Muy bueno! I will pay you a hundred pesos. Corporal, fetch this fine animal from the pasture and put my saddle on him.”
“A hundred pesos?” Caleb said, perhaps too indignantly for his own good. “He’s worth at least twice that.”
Now Soto’s smile turned condescending, as though he were talking to a child. “Perhaps in America, but this is Mexico, and things are different here. A hundred pesos is a whole month’s pay for a peon or a soldier. But if this paltry sum offends your dignity I can always keep the money.”
Caleb glared at the little captain, but he knew from experience it was useless to argue
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