The Apache Wars Saga #5 by Len Levinson

Author:Len Levinson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: native american, us cavalry, zane grey, louis lamour, american southwest, western series, ebooks westerns, johnny d boggs, apache warriors
Publisher: Piccadilly

NATHANIAL FELT NOSTALGIC for the Army as he and Gloria rode toward Fort Thorn’s schoolhouse, their conveyance a wagon and two workhorses. Nathanial held the reins, and Gloria sat pertly beside him, hands folded in her lap, like a lady. Never had Gloria been in an Army camp, and she liked the cleanliness, orderliness, the feeling of safety that comes from knowing an Army is available to protect a little girl.

The dragoons were in garrison—cleaning weapons, caring for horses, and performing the janitorial work that was so much a part of every soldier’s day. Nathanial found the adobe shack behind the supply room, looked through the window, and saw a tall, gangly woman in a floor-length dark brown dress, with her back to a wall, lecturing fourteen students, three of whom were Indians.

“Guess we’d better come back some other time,” said Nathanial. “Let’s go to the sutler’s store until class is out.”

“Do they have ice cream?”

“Doubtful, but candy might be possible, and I can get a drink.”

He lifted her into the air, dropped her onto the seat, and was about to board himself, when he saw a sergeant running toward him. “Well, I’ll be damned,” said Nathanial.

The sergeant had a lumpy nose and large ears, vaguely resembling a muscular leprechaun with red side-whiskers. He came to a halt in front of Nathanial. “I heer’d you was here, and yer uglier’n ever.”

Nathanial held out his hand. “Sergeant Duffy, how good to see you. And please don’t salute, because I’m not in the Army anymore. I’m a damned civilian.”

“You’ll be back,” said Sergeant Duffy. “And who is this little angel?”

“My name is Gloria.” She held up the clown. “And this is Gerhardt.”

“He looks like one of the men in my company.” Sergeant Duffy turned to Nathanial. “Gold pros-pectin’?”

“You’re looking at the new assistant to Dr. Steck.”

“He’s the biggest clown in New Mexico Territory.”

Gloria replied, “I thought Dr. Steck was nice.” Sergeant Duffy reminded her of Five Points.

“Everybody’s nice to cute little gals,” replied Sergeant Duffy, “even me, but that man wouldn’t know a bull’s ass from a banjo, and now you’re a-gonna team up with ’im?”

“The killing must stop,” said Nathanial. “I’m convinced of it.”

Sergeant Duffy chortled. “All you have to do is convince the Apaches.”

“And the white people, and the Mexicans.”

“It’s been my ’sperience that the onliest way to convince an Apache of anythin’ is plant a bullet ’twixt his eyes. That’s how I’ve stayed alive.” He glanced at Gloria. “Apaches love little white girls. How’d you like to be a slave of the Apaches?”

“They’ll have to kill me first,” she said with determination.

Sergeant Duffy laughed. “I should have you in my company. You’ve got more sand than most of my ’cruits.”

The schoolhouse door opened, children spilled outside, and Gloria evaluated them coldly. They don’t look any smarter than I, she tried to convince herself. Then the schoolmarm appeared with her horsey face, a slightly off-kilter mouth, and an upturned nose, but she had a friendly smile and long legs; Nathanial always had been partial to long-legged women.

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