LLM PArt 1 Chapter 13

13.

Lance in his latest disguise as the bespectacled medicine salesman strolled the street while tugging his horse. He had one of this spare white shirt over his dark pants. He arrived soon after the morning sun and made his way to the hotel there. The town was filled with personnel in uniforms or all sorts but there were few town folks around and even the Sheriff office’s door was left open but there were no officers there. Most of the stores were closed or shuttered shut. He tried to book a room but the hotel was fully occupied.

“I am sorry, Mr Jones but we are full occupied.” The hotel receptionist told him. “With the train in the town and the Armies having their meet here, we are out of rooms.”

“I’ll be darned. I lost my bags in the hills running from the Indians and now you tell me I can’t get a room.” Lance huff and groaned on his reply and then proceeded to the saloon. Once he stepped in, he was looking at the different uniforms of the gathered there. There were the blue uniform of the Army and there were the colors of the French and Prussian. They were all wearing gun belts with the guns. There were the Corsairs there too. The place was no different from the last one and the ones before it. There was a similar décor to all of them. He stepped out and looked for another place to rest. He saw the hardware store and walked towards it.

“How can I help you, Sir?” The lady asked from behind the counter. The store was like any but its shelves were close to 

empty. Every nails and hammer to the long handles picks were missing.

“I doubt so. Your store looked empty ….” Lance replied but he was cut off by her.

“I am closing the store so you best leave.” The lady told him. Lance was to leave when he noticed the crosses on the ceiling. “Please leave.”

Lance left the store and took to the next street. He can across the wooden barricade with the wires on the street. It was to close that part of the town. He noticed there were guards there and the ones behind the barricades were the colored folks and natives. He stepped closer but was stopped by the guard there.

“Step back, Sir. This area is off limits.” Lance looked at the guard. He was dressed in the Army uniform with the gun belt and the Navy Colt. On the shoulders were the Lieutenant pips there. He was wearing a Army issued hat and have a grim look on the face.

“Eddie Lawrence. I was thinking if I can sell them some of my medicine. It’s potent and….” Lance introduced his pseudo but the Lieutenant had him chased off. He retraced his steps and then saw a familiar face behind the barricade.

It was Tonto.

Tonto turned away from the barricade. He moved to the row of houses there which was used to intern the people there. He saw the few Native Indians; they were Apaches and Pauites with some Navajo. On the side line were the Mexicans and there were the colored ones. He had sneak in last night and stayed on the street with his ears listening to the chats. He was looking for the one called the Indian Chief. He walked to the rear of the houses and then kept to the rear vegetable gardens. He was looking for a particular house. He found it but they found him too.

“You are not of one of us.” The figure standing there was a colored man dressed in the workman overall with an oversized wrench in his hands. He was not alone for he had four others behind but not all of them were colored. Two were white and one was a Navajo.

“Are the welcoming committee for me to report to?” Tonto smiled. “My name is Gabriel Stone. I have just returned from England. How are you?”

Tonto handed out his right hand towards the man with the wrench. The colored man gripped the wrench as if he was going to swing it but Tonto have his hidden dagger in his left hand from under the shirt out. He grabbed the wrench with his right hand and pushed his left hand out. His dagger was at the colored man’s throat then.

“Move and you die.”

The man did not and neither did his friends.

“Don’t kill him, Dark Clouds.” Tonto heard the voice. He recognized it. It was someone from his past. It was an elder from his clan. His name was Red Horse. The man dressed in the buckskin was aged and hobbled on the good left leg with the walking stick.

“We can talk inside.” Tonto was led into the nearby house with the herbs garden. It was the one that was different from the others. Soon Tonto was to talk and then the one named Dark Clouds had wished he had come earlier. .

“How many of you can fight?” Tonto asked the old man. “How much weapons have you.”

Only two dozen men stood there with Red Horse. It was a rag tag army and only a few had their gun belts and no rifles. The others were holding sticks and even a shovel. Tonto looked away to the other side of the town hoping that his partner will have better luck.