The Two Sams Read online

John asked if the Bents would go with em to the Gila? “We sure will” answered William, “We been gonna go down in that country for sometime. Looks like it’s a good time to go now.”

  John told them “We pull out in first thing in the morn-n.”

  In two days of travel the party hit the head waters of the Gila. The river was teeming with beaver and muskrat. All the men gave a big war hoop as they had hit the biggest pot of gold they could ever have dreamed of. All the country they were in was New Mexico Territory. It would be death to gringos if caught by the Mexican army.

  The party stayed on the Gila for most of two years. They never saw any sign of the Mexican Army. Sam learned to trap and cure the pelts. His biggest job was hunting and cooking for the men.

  They sent pack trains north and east with mules loaded with as much as they could carry. On each return trip, more mules were purchased, more pelts were sent.

  In the spring of the second year the group felt they must move to more lucrative country, the trapping became slow on the Gila.

  The party headed north. Sam and three others were to scout ahead and leave signs so the others could follow. In two days they came to a dark deep black canyon. On the other side they moved thru heavy forest of pine trees. No sign of the Indians. Moving north by northwest a large plains was encountered. Moving into the plain a large party of painted savages came out of the trees to the west. Their Horses were painted white and red .They looked menacing. The trappers moved into a small clump of aspen trees and hurriedly threw up breast works of pack saddles and logs.

  Soon the warriors came from the trees and started to attack. War hoops filled the mountain meadow. The trappers with two rifles apiece and a pistol stopped the attackers in their tracks. The rifles with their long range, dropped eight braves. The warriors returned to the trees. Soon the Indians tried again. With only bows and arrows and a few lances. Eight more braves were sent to the happy hunting grounds. The warriors again retreated back to the trees. Soon the Indians came on foot too pickup the dead. The trappers held their fire and watched as the Braves carried their dead back into the trees.

  Darkness fell. Back in the trees the trappers could see fires were started and could hear the Indians singing, dancing and beating on drums. They sang death songs and yelled war chants late into the night.

  As the morning light came, the Warriors massed for a big attack, just as the rest of the trapper party came into the meadow. They saw what was going on and set up on the flank of the attackers and sent a hail of lead into the massed Indian warriors. The four in the aspen trees sent their volley of lead at the mounted braves, the Indians again retreated back into the trees. The party joined the four in the aspens. Tom Fitzpatrick told them, “The warriors are Tanto Apaches. A different tribe from Victoria’s in the south. His tribe is Mescalero Apaches. These are said to be mountain Apaches. Few if any had ever seen a white man. I hope they’ll give in and let us alone.”

  Darkness fell there was no sign of the Indians. Next morning Sam and Tom crossed the plain to check on the warriors. None were there. They had vanished into the forest. They had taken they’re dead with them.

  The party loaded the mules and horses and turned to the northwest. Sam and the three again were sent out to scout the trail ahead. Late the next day the four came upon the biggest canyon Sam had ever seen. A river ran in the bottom. They stood at a point where the canyon made a turn to the west from the north. The men were in awe of such a sight. It was absolutely magnificent. No one had any idea of such a place. It must be a mile across. They all agreed the main party must turn in a north east direction.

  Sam was sent back to tell of their find. All agreed to go have a look see. The entire party camped on the edge of this canyon. They stayed for two days just to marvel at such a sight.

  They turned away from the canyon and headed northeast across a vast open country. Another tribe of Indians scouted, watched and followed the trappers. Never moved to stop or interfere with their travel. Tom said these Indians were Navajos.

  The party after days of travel found them in the high rocky mountains. Streams were teeming with beaver. The trappers stayed the summer and into the fall. When the snow came, they moved to a valley location and prepared for the winter. They built log cabins and smoked all the meat they could. The snow stayed on the ground until late spring.

  The Bent brothers talked all winter of starting a trading post. They took their leave and went east to find a proper location.

  Charles and William had asked Sam, “Come with us, we like your company. You’re free to do your own mind.”

  Sam thanked them and said, “I owe my life to you, I’ll always be in your debt, I would like to stay and trap in these mountains.”

  Sam and the others heard later the brothers had settled on the Santa Fe Trail along the Arkansas River and married Indian women.

  A new trapper joined the party, a man most of the older men knew. All the men seemed to be happy to have the new comer with them. John introduced him to Sam. “Jim Bridger, most call him Old Gabe. You’ll soon know why he’s called that.”

  Sam soon found Old Gabe was a tall tale teller and a run away talker. Sam found the man to be friendly and a desirable companion. Fact is Sam and Old Gabe became fast friends. Old Gabe had just come from St Lu. Jake Hawkin had sent Sam a new rifle as the word had drifted back of his ordeal, this rifle was the new type cap lock. All the men had to look her over. Some didn’t like it, until Old Gabe showed how it worked. Didn’t need a primer pan or flint? With the caps the gun was always ready to fire. “Just hammer her back and let her go.” Everyone said it was just a great idea.

  Old Gabe had been in these mountains for some time before and knew the Indian tribes well, he had lived with some. “We can get along with all except the Blackfeet. They’re the ornery, meanest, doggone fightenest bunch he ever ran into. They fight all the other tribes. I don’t think they like themselves. Be on guard for them all the time.” He told Sam and the others.

  John Colter bids the men goodbye and decides to go farming in the Missouri country. He dies before Sam can see him again. People and things change rapidly even in the mountains.

  The American fur company is established and Mexico gets its independence from Spain and opens its streams and rivers to American trappers.

  General Ashley sets up the first rendezvous on the Green river for all the trappers. Sam and his party attend and it’s fun and games. Business is conducted and the General buys all the furs the trappers have. The General sets up the next rendezvous for the following year. Sam had made more than five hundred dollars for his share for the entire year.

  All the next years, the party Sam is with having the best trapping there ever could be, it’s the high mark of the fur trade. Most of the Indian tribes trade with the trappers, many trappers take Indian Squaws for wife’s. By now Sam is feeling he should return home to see his Ma and Pa and at the rendezvous he tells Old Gabe his plans to go home.

  “How long you’s was gone from home?”

  Sam tells him, “Best part of ten years.”

  Gabe tries to tell him, “Nutt-n gon-a be the same. Some times it’s best not to get your hopes up, it ain’t gonn-a be like it was when you’s left.”

  “I hope it will be better,” Sam said with hope in his voice. Sam’s mind is made up to go home.

  Chapter 2

  The Farmer

  Sam sold his extra ponies. Kept the two best, one to ride, the other to pack. Sold his traps and rigging’s he wouldn’t need any longer. After selling his pelts and skins, he pocketed one thousand dollars in gold Coin.

  Sam said goodbye to Old Gabe. “I’m gonna miss you Gabe. You have been a good friend. I’ll always remember you, the rest of my life.” Old Gabe tried to hide the tear in his eye. He brushed it away with his left hand.

  Sam had never seen him with a tear before. They gave a big hug to each other. Gabe slapped him on the back. “Get the hell on the trail, you’s a loosen daylight.”

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p; Sam mounted and with the pack horse in tow, turned his face east. It was a long ride out of the mountains. Out on the plains he could make better time. Small villages, houses, and farms began to appear where there hadn’t been anything before. “Looks like farmers are taken over the whole prairie,” he said to himself. At one farm he stopped to talk. He was told emigrants were coming by the thousands from Europe to take the land the government was making available for homesteading.

  Most of the homes were made from the prairie sod. Cut into square blocks and stacked like brick. The roofs were covered with prairie grass. Some had dug into the ground like a prairie dog. He saw men digging water wells and some were putting up wind mills. It all looked strange to Sam. The whole country had changed.

  When he rode into St Louis, the town had grown to be a city. It truly had become the gate way to the west. He never thought it would look this way. The whole town had changed.

  He rode thru the town and to the rear of the Hawkin gun shop. Knocking on the back door, it was answered by Jake Hawkin who recognized him right away. Anyone would have thought Sam was his son, the way he carried on. All the men in the shop came to welcome him. Jake had become one of Sam’s best friends. He thanked Jake for sending a new rifle by Old Gabe. He told him it saved his life too many times to count. “I’ll keep the rifle until my dying days.”

  Jake asked all about the mountains and trapping. “I’ve seen places I never thought existed.” He told of the New Mexico country, the Apache Indians and his capture by them, How he was saved. “The rifle you gave me saved my life. The Apache chief liked it so much he let me live. He said I must be a great warrior to have such a fine piece.” Jake smiled and told Sam, “I hoped it would do good by you’s.”

  Then Sam told him of the Gila wilderness. “It’s a great place. Hot as hades in the summer but nice and warm all winter.” He had to tell of the big canyon he had seen. “It’s miles across and it’s so deep, if you throw a rock in it you will never hear it hit. A river runs in the bottom. The colors in that canyon, I ain’t never seen before. Jake I tell ya, it’s worth the trip just to look at it.”

  He then talked about his time in the Rocky Mountains. “There’s forest that it takes days to ride thru. Valleys with clear cold streams are every where. It is a wonderful place to be.”

  He told of the men he had worked and lived with for so long . “I’ll never have such fine men around me again. They’re true friends. I’ll always remember them.”

  Sam told Jake he was going home to see his folks. Jake tried to tell him, his home won’t be the same. “Time waits for no man. Nothing will be the same.”

  Sam stayed in town a few more days while he sold his horses, tack and camp gear. He would never part with his Hawkin rifle. With his war bag in hand, he paid for a ticket on a paddle wheeler going south down the Mississippi and got off at Memphis. Then he walked and hitched rides all the way back to the Tennessee Valley. Along the way he stayed in several towns at night. Cross roads that became towns while he was away. It was great to get a hot bath, a hair cut and shave.

  Arriving home he found his Pa and Ma had passed on to their reward several years ago. His older brother David had married and had sole possession of the farm. Not being welcomed with open arms, Sam was hesitant to stay, but his brother talked him into spending the winter.

  His brother’s wife didn’t cotton to him at all. She made it plain he was not welcome every time she spoke to him alone. His stories had his brother hanging on every word. She may have been afraid her husband was getting the itch to go see the west.

  In the spring Sam said his goodbyes and went back to Memphis. There he got a job as roustabout again, loading river boats on the docks.

  During this time he had the good fortune to meet a beautiful southern belle, Elizabeth Moore. Her Pa owned the dock Sam worked on. He fell head over heels in love with her. She being only 16, her Pa didn’t approve of any relationship with a man so much older. Sam was twenty-six years old.

  Sam and Liz as he called her, became lovers. They would meet down on a path by the river. Liz fell for Sam and against her parent’s wishes she wanted to get hitched, but the only way was to elope with him .They did in the late summer. They went west into Arkansas, were married by a justice of the peace in a small town.

  They moved on to Fort Smith. Sam found a job in a livery stable. Not satisfied with this work, Liz and he decided they wanted to try to buy a farm. Having heard farms were selling cheap down south in Louisiana, Sam and Liz traveled south into the Red River country south of Shreveport. They found just what they were looking for.

  With 1,000 dollars in a gold coin from his trapping. He made a deal for a farm that had been abandoned by two brothers, whose Pa had died. Wanting no part of farming the brothers were more than willing to sell the farm cheaply.

  The property was in bad repair. Sam and Liz were delighted with what they had purchased. The house was a two story structure, half rock half wood. From a back porch that covered the back of the house a large kitchen was entered. It consisted of a large fire place and a stair way to the upper rooms. An open door way led to the parlor. Off the parlor to the right was a large bedroom. Up stairs was a long room having been used as bedrooms. The house was well furnished.

  The place suited Liz just fine. Left of the porch and a few feet out, an old well still had water. Under the porch a cistern could be seen through the cracks in the floor. Back from the house a few hundred feet stood the best structure on the place. A large half rocks, half wood beautiful built barn. There were well-built wood pens on both sides of the barn. On behind the barn a few hundred feet nestled in a group of trees was a small cabin built of logs in bad need of repair.

  East of the house, a small orchard with peaches and pear trees. On beyond the orchard, a cow pasture of about thirty acres, well fenced and showing new grass growth.

  The whole place couldn’t have suited them more. A happier couple could not be found in the entire country. Fix up and rebuilding started immediately. The south field was plowed and prepared for planting sugar cane. The southeast field plowed and planted in sugar beets. All together it took several months to get organized and to make plans.

  During this time they met their neighbor to the east. One Bill O’Reilly. A man of some advanced age, who became a very dear and trusted friend. A man who took this couple under his wing. He fell in love with Liz and made no beans about it. He admired Sam and wanted to help the couple all he could.

  His farm was the show place of the whole county. He had untold acres, a beautiful home and many slaves. He had lost his wife to some unknown sickness and had never totally recovered. Liz and Sam gave him a new lease on life. He often sent his darkies over to help, even before he was asked. Sam got a long find with them. Sam tried to hire help, but the only ones he could find and uses were poor white trash or scallywags. They would steal and lay around and get nothing done. He had to try to do something. The farm was starting to do well and it was too much work for just the two of them. What to do was a dilemma .He asked Mr. O’Reilly what they should do. He suggested they should buy some slave help.

  A slave auction was held in Shreveport the first Saturday of every month. Sam objected. He didn’t want to own another person, but O’Reilly convinced him. “It’s not bad if you treat em right.”

  Sam and Liz gave it a lot of talk and finally decided they must buy a man slave. With only five hundred dollars, Sam was gonna try to buy a helper the next auction day.

  Sam and Liz lay awake a long time that night talking about the buying of a slave. Liz asked Sam to try to get a kind and gentle man. “I don’t want no darkie we can’t trust and have to be chasing after all the time.”

  The first Saturday in March, Sam hooked his mules to the spring wagon and drove to Shreveport. A three-hour trip.

  Entering the town of about six thousand people, he passed a feed store, blacksmith shop, hardware store, a tavern and many other small stores. Then he saw the slave auctions big signs that
read SLAVES FOR SALE - CHEAP SLAVES - BEST PRICES WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

  Sam drove onto a wagon yard not far from the auction house. He asked, “How much to care for my rig while I go to the auction?’’

  “Fifty cents,” yelled the owner. Sam paid the man. Then walked the board sidewalk that lead to the auction house.

  Walking along the board sidewalk, he watched the traffic and the people going about. Saying all the time to himself, what am I doing here? When he entered the auction house, he could see a long empty room, with just a counter off to the left side. On thru the building he could see a large door opening into a large walled open area. He walked on in. There was a platform facing about twenty wood benches. A crowd of mostly men filled the benches. Sam moved on down half way and sat on the end of one of the benches. The man next to him spoke up right quick.

  “My name is Henry Stone. Are ya here to get some of them young bucks?”

  “No,” replied Sam, “I’m looking for help for my farm.”

  “These bucks ain’t no good. They’re from some big plantation over in Mississippi. Problem bucks, most have whip marks on em. You’ll be out chasing- em most of the time, if-n you get one. The old ones are all wore out, ain’t a good one in the whole bunch.”

  Sam was looking over at a wire pen that held male slaves, most had chains on their legs and wrists, with a rope around their neck. Stone poked Sam. “Look at them Nigger women. They’re young, real young. Wish I had the money to buy one. A fat chance I’d have, there’s river men here. They’ll pay big bucks for them young gals.” Stone went on and on.

  “How come, they want black girls so bad?”

  “Them river boys, take em up river make whores out of em.”

  “They’re too young for such goings on, why they can’t be more than twelve or thirteen year’s old.” Sam was uncomfortable with Stones words.

  “Where you been man? Them boys up north love that black meat, they’ll pay big money to sleep with a black gal, the younger the better.” Sam was visibly up set.