Chapter 4 Arrow Valley
Ben Snow wiped the sweat from his forehead, sat on the saddle and arched his body, looking down at the quiet and peaceful valley in front of him.In another year, in another era, this place might be arable land, or a good eastern grassland.It might become a town or the birthplace of an empire.But now, there are only fortresses here, pale in the morning light, as if in a deep sleep.
Arrowhead is a picturesque and generous place that cuts across the valley like a thorn of wood.The people working here are like ants, coming in and out from the gate of the city, performing their duties in their paradise.
Ben sighed, and urged the horse up a grassy path that led into the valley.This is what he was looking for.A small dot that can only be found on the latest maps drawn.It may have been a city under construction, or it may have been simply Fort Arrowhead, an outpost set up to resist the Indians.
They spotted him from a great distance, a dozen rifles gleaming in the morning sun, moving with his horse.He couldn't blame them for being cautious.From that distance he could be white as well as Indian.As he approached, the rifles on some of the wooden fences disappeared.An officer and two soldiers appeared at the city gate and motioned him to stop.
"Stop and explain why you are here," ordered the officer.
Ben stopped his horse immediately, and kept smiling, "My name is Ben Snow, and I'm here to meet your commander."
"What's the matter?" the officer asked suspiciously.
"About the Indians." This sentence is succinct.
"Come down and lead your horse." Ben obeyed, following the man into the paddock and across a meadow.The grass was brown with dust, and he knew that Fort Arrowhead hadn't been built long enough—at least not long enough to crush the grass underfoot.The uninvited visitor was surrounded by a crowded crowd, most of them were soldiers - he was also surprised by the number of women in the castle.The cries of children in the distance told him that they had obviously moved here with their families.Although it is also very dangerous here, it may be much safer than in the dark wild forest, where any rock or bush may hide an enemy holding a flaming bow and arrow.
At this moment, the officer stopped, and in front of him was a long wooden house with a flag fluttering in the wind. "Wait here," he said, motioning to the two soldiers to look at Ben.He went into the house, spoke to someone he couldn't see, and walked back to the door, beckoning Ben to go in.
The commander of Fort Arrowhead was Colonel Knox, a tall, lanky man with a white beard who reminded Ben of General Custer.He spoke little, preferring to give a monosyllabic reply after a long lecture.Ben had heard of him, because a soldier like Colonel Knox carried a legend wherever he went.A year after graduating from West Point, he fought in the Civil War at Bull Creek and marched across the South with General Sherman.In the 1970s, he went west to fight the Indians alongside other war-trained soldiers.He was promoted to captain under General Custer, and he missed the Battle of the Little Bighorn on leave back to Chicago.From there, he quickly rose to the rank of major and then colonel, leading a revenge raid.He drove the Indians off his land and left the West bloody for many years.
The Indians hated Colonel Knox.Rumor has it that he doesn't hate Indians, but that doesn't change the status quo at Fort Arrowhead.Knox believed that he was just fulfilling a fighter's duty to the country loyally, but the Indians who now surrounded the canyon in the dark didn't think so.To them, Knox was another Custer—a man killed in battle or stabbed in his sleep.Knox is the current commander of Fort Arrowhead, which is why the outpost was chosen for the attack.They all knew that the raid was coming, ranging from days to hours.
"Colonel Knox, my name is Ben Snow..."
He looked up and nodded, "I heard about you. What's the matter?"
"May I speak to you alone, sir?"
Knox waved the other officers out and repeated, "What is it?"
"Sir, I got a piece of news by chance, which may be very important to you..."
"What?" the colonel grunted.
"Someone at Fort Arrowhead is in league with the Indians."
If Knox was expected to be surprised by his statement, he was about to be disappointed.The tall man didn't even blink his eyes after hearing this, "It's very interesting. Who?"
"I don't know that, sir, but it may well be one of your officers. I found tracks on the hill yesterday. Two Indians met a man--a man on a shoed horse. I Followed the footsteps to the fort. Because you have strict security measures, I think only officers should travel alone."
Colonel Knox cleared his throat, "That makes sense, thank you." He turned his gaze to the papers on his desk again, as if Ben had only told him the current time.
"But sir..."
"That's it, Snow."
Ben turned and walked out.In this way, this trip to the valley can be said to have returned without success.The man behind the desk was not at all interested in the betrayal of one of the officers.He looked up at the sky, cursing the dark clouds on the distant mountaintops that heralded the coming storm.
"Are you done?" asked a voice, which he saw was the officer who had gone out to meet him.
"I think so."
"Your name is Ben Snow, eh?"
"That's the name."
"Heard about you, from some folks on the frontier. You're a quick shooter."
"I rarely use a gun," Ben said honestly. "I don't think a dispute can be settled with a fist that can be settled with a gun."
The officer just smiled, "They said you killed two people at the border, with your gun."
Ben frowned at the man, ignoring his last words. "I don't know your name yet, Captain."
The officer bowed slightly, "Captain Roberts, sir. I am happy to serve you."
"Nice to meet you, Captain. But, I think I've got to hit the road now, before the storm hits."
"Would you be kind enough to wait a moment, Mr. Snow?" He grabbed Ben's shoulder. "Someone wants to see you."
"Want to see me?" Ben followed him across the central courtyard to a house at the other end.Could it be that there are old friends he met in those chaotic and ignorant years?
"In here." Captain Robles opened the door and said.It was clearly an officer's quarters, belonging to Robles or someone else.
Ben entered the room, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness, and finally made out the vague shape of a young woman.It took him less than a second to dodge the bullet from the revolver in the woman's hand.
She would have shot if Robles hadn't jumped at her and held her arm. "Anita, you crazy idiot!" he roared. "You'll call in the whole garrison!"
Captain Robles snatched the gun from her and rushed out of the house to see if anyone was attracted by the sound of the gun.Ben got up from the ground, carefully studying the woman who had tried to kill him just now.She was about his age—thirty or thirty-one—and had eyes full of weariness that reflected the hardships of living west of the Mississippi.
"Why am I honored?" he asked softly.
"I...you don't look like him..." Her face was full of confusion and disbelief.
"Like who?"
"Billy the Kid," she answered softly, "I heard he wasn't dead. I heard... you are Billy the Kid, crawled out of the grave..."
Ben sighed and sat down.It's the same no matter where you go.It's all the same gossip. "Do I look like Billy the Kid?" he asked her.
"No, not very much. Your...faces are exactly the same, but you are taller and stronger than him."
"You know him?"
She nodded.The nod was so subtle that he hardly noticed it. "Nine years ago, just before he died. In a small town in New Mexico..."
"You thought I was him. You thought he was alive."
The nod was firmer this time, "They say he's still alive. They say he's at the border, under the alias of Ben Snow. It's you."
"It just proves that you can't quite believe what you hear," he paused, looking at her more closely. "Are you Mrs. Robles?"
"Yes," she answered, "it's been three years now. He's a good man, but he doesn't understand me."
"Does Billy understand you?"
The eyes flickered a few times and closed. "Sometimes. It was a long time ago." Eyes opened. "Why did you come to Arrowhead, Mr. Snow?"
"I'm afraid it's a waste of time. I got some information by chance and thought your commander would be interested. I was wrong."
The door behind him swung open, and Captain Robles returned.His face was pale and his voice trembled. "My God, Anita—the savages came in and killed Colonel Knox..."
Ben wasn't as surprised as he should have been at what he said.
The Navajo cavalry were on the hill, ready to go, and it was not impossible that one of them managed to get over the walls of Fort Arrowhead and kill a man they hated so much.
"How?" Ben asked a timely question.
"An arrow. Through his throat. The guards at the door heard nothing. Major Stuart just spotted him."
"Who's in charge now?"
Roberts thought for a while, "Why——Stuart is the second commander."
"I want to see him—now." They hurried away, leaving Anita Robles alone in the small dark room of her house.Outside, the distant sounds of children playing could still be heard - but Ben noticed another sound, or lack thereof.He had only left the main command building not long ago, but now it was like a magnet, silently attracting the crowd.A dozen uniformed officers gathered together, and they talked numbly, as if they knew nothing about the dead.
Major Stewart was smaller than everyone around him, giving the impression of a Napoleon in his later years.At this point, the cloak of leadership suddenly fell on his shoulders, and he appeared calm and efficient, giving orders in a dull and rigid voice like everyone else.
"Major Stewart? My name is Ben Snow. I want to speak to you, sir."
"Snow, Snow?" he repeated, as if searching his memory for something about the name. "Can't you see I'm busy, man?"
"I'm afraid it's about Colonel Knox, sir. And the Navajos."
"Then... come in." He ushered him into the office, carefully averting his eyes from the twisted corpse behind the desk.Ben watched, Colonel Knox's body, with a Navajo arrow piercing his neck from the left side.The arrow was stabbing downwards, and it should have been shot from above. Ben's eyes moved involuntarily to the ceiling of the small room. His line of sight only intersected with the brown beams of the solid wooden roof, without any holes.
"I spoke to the Colonel once I got here," Ben began when they were alone with the body in the room, "and I told him I found some horseshoe prints in the I met with two Navajos. There was something interesting—mysterious—about the whole thing. I knew right away that this wasn’t some kind of peace talk or armistice. Somebody—as he was acting alone, probably an officer—had met up with the Indians, for reasons I can only guess at."
"Did you tell the Colonel this?" asked Stuart, eyebrows knitting together on his broad forehead.
"I told him."
"Do you really believe this?"
"I believe there are five hundred Navajo warriors waiting on the hillside right now. Maybe they're waiting for a signal."
Major Stuart pondered for a while, and then replied: "Do you understand the situation here? Do you know that they are coming for him?" He gestured to the corpse that was close to them.
"I've heard his story," Ben admitted. "He's an old Indian hero."
"Have you ever fought an Indian yourself?"
"I was in the unit at Wounded Knee earlier this year."
Disgust flashed on Stewart's face. "I'm talking about fighting them, not killing them. Indians are people, just like us. There are ways to deal with them."
The corners of Ben's mouth turned up, with a half-smile, "As far as our current situation is concerned, how do you think we should deal with it?"
After a moment of thought, Major Stuart replied, "You and I can go out of the castle and tell them that the colonel is dead. Maybe we can stop the attack. If necessary, we can even hand over the body."
"Don't you think they don't know?"
He shook his head. "I'd bet my life that no Navajos got into the outpost. Someone or something else killed Colonel Knox."
"You think that will make the Indians withdraw? Do you think we can get within a mile of them without getting hurt?"
"I think they'll respect the truce flag, Mr. Snow."
"Why me? Why did you choose me for this important task?"
"Two reasons. This will allow you to get out of here safely, and it will also give me a trusted helper. If your words are true, then anyone under my command may be a traitor."
Yes, it makes sense.Ben could see no reason to refuse.He didn't trust the Navajos who were watching outside.But being in Fort Arrowhead with an unknown traitor, an Indian murderer, and a woman who tried to kill him was nowhere near safe. "Okay," he decided, "when shall we go?"
"Now. They're not going to wait all day on the hill..."
They rode out of the town and into the valley, and Major Stuart held up a white flag to show that their approach was in good faith.For the first half hour they saw no one, and their conversations were limited to speculations about the dark clouds overhead.
But then Stewart turned to Ben. "I noticed you still had the gun. Maybe you should take it off."
"I feel more secure with it," Ben told him. "If you know Indians better, you'll carry a weapon with you."
"Don't bring it with the armistice flag, the gun will spoil the atmosphere."
"That's right."
"Some say you look like Billy the Kid," said the major casually.
Ben stared straight ahead. "Billy's been dead for nine years, and I can't stop the rumors. Talk to Captain Robles' wife, she knows Billy well."
"Oh?"
"Anyway, the person we want to meet is there," Ben said, gesturing to the rocky cliff ahead.A party of Navajo scouts appeared behind the ridge, maybe nine or ten of them.They just watched and waited, neither interrogated nor stopped them.
"What now?" asked Major Stuart.
"They've got a commander around for sure," said Ben, "and if they don't kill us, they'll probably take us to him." As they spoke, the Indians rode in a circle, as if waiting Surround them at the behest of an invisible commander.
"They got us," Stewart said.
"At least we're alive. You with the white flag, I with the pistol."
Then the Indian circle came to a standstill, and a Navajo warrior, the like of whom Ben had never seen before, came riding down a narrow stream.The man was tall, over six feet, with white hair despite his youth.He was riding a horse, as if he was a god in Greek mythology, with a girdle tied on his forehead and a feather stuck in it.But the most astonishing thing was that he didn't carry any weapon on him, and the closer he got, he didn't even have a knife on him.
"My name is Ben Xiong," he said, "these are my people."
"Are you a Navajo?" Major Stewart asked.
He proudly shook his head, "I'm from the north. I once fought against your Colonel Knox in the Battle of the Plains. He killed many warriors."
"Colonel Knox is dead," Ben told him, "by a Navajo arrow less than an hour ago."
Ben Xiong blinked, but there was no other expression on his face. "Is that true?" he asked Stuart.
"It's true. If the safety of the people in the castle can be guaranteed, we can hand over the corpse."
Ben Xiong closed his eyes, then opened them, "No, one life is not enough to pay for my dead clansmen. Someone promised me the lives of a hundred people."
"Promise?" Stuart couldn't help but said, "Who promised you?"
"Someone promised me." Ben Xiong repeated, unwilling to say more.
"And what about women and children?"
"We will not harm them if possible."
"Damn you," roared the major, "we'll meet you at the gate with bullets and swords."
The Indians' circle narrowed, and one of them was at the ready.The other also took up his rifle.
"Remember," Ben said to Running Bear, "we came under the truce flag."
The Indian nodded slowly. "You come with your body and you leave with your body. I hope you will reach the fort in time. Go now and get ready for battle." His tone was menacing, and Ben's hairs stood on end.The encirclement gave them a way out, and he rode away.
"Come on, Major. Let's get out of here."
Stewart's feet were rooted, and he remained motionless. "Give me your gun," he said, "and I'll settle this war now." He threw the truce flag to the ground.
Ben couldn't stand it.He slapped Stewart's horse, and rushed out of the encirclement as a forward.He heard the sound of running bears behind him, giving some ancient orders.
An arrow shot out and stuck in the ground, just a few feet from Ben's galloping horse, and another whistled past his ear. "We've got to go to war now," he called back to Stewart.
"Anyway, I'm going to die under the arrows of the Navajo sooner or later."
"Where are the bullets?"
"If they were to raid Arrowhead, they wouldn't risk making a fuss. With bows and arrows, they could get into the valley unnoticed."
Ben drew his pistol and twisted his body in the saddle, but there was no ideal firing position.The running bear fighters were all around them, but they were all out of pistol range.He regretted that he had not brought a rifle.
"Well, at least I can fire a few empty shots," he said.
"Save your bullets, we'll need them."
At this time, their horses were sweating and exhausted, but they were still galloping with dust.And all around them, Indian cavalry poured into the valley like the first thaw of spring.A soldier's naked body, painted and glistening, approached, within a hundred feet of them, raising his bow quietly and defiantly.Ben swung back on his saddle and shot the Indian dead.
"Where did you learn this skill?" Stuart said out of breath, a little behind.
"When people think you're the ghost of Billy the Kid, that's what you have to do."
Ahead, about two miles down the valley, the walls of Fort Arrowhead suddenly came into view.They might be able to escape back, he thought.At this time, arrows surged in the sky, falling like a midsummer rainstorm.
"Stuart!"
Behind him, the major's horse fell to the ground.As soon as Stewart staggered to his feet, a painted fighter caught up.Ben turned his horse's head, and just as the Indian's feathered spear was about to penetrate Stuart's body, he fired twice.At such a distance, he is absolutely perfect.Under the impact of the bullet, the Indian's head seemed to be blown to pieces.
But the major fell too, the spear grazed his body, piercing his flesh, blood gushing from his side. "Quick!" Ben yelled, pulling him up.The two of them finally got on a horse and ran towards the depths of the valley.The rain of arrows followed closely like a shadow.
Stuart, who was sitting behind him, let out a muffled grunt—I knew the arrow had hit the target. "Hold on," he said, "it's not far away."
The gates of the fort opened before them, and the roar of rifles answered the hail of enemy arrows.They escaped at last.
Seeing Robles and the other captains come galloping, Ben slid off his horse.They helped Stewart down, trying to avoid the pool of blood dripping from under his torn military uniform.With an arrow still lodged in his back, Ben pulled it out, spurting another spurt of blood.
"He won't last long," said Captain Robles.
"Bandage him," Ben said. "He's still alive. Who's the next commander?"
"I think it's me," Robles told him.
"Climb up the fort wall, then, and keep your eyes peeled, you've never seen so many Indians. They're coming like hell, and there's no stopping them."
For a moment, Robles looked timid.Afterwards, he ran to issue orders to guard the fortress.The women took over the care of the wounded major, and Ben watched Anita unroll a clean roll of bandages for him.He was a little surprised to see her come out of the room during the day with the other women.
"Mrs. Robles..."
She raised her head and looked at him, "I'm glad you're back."
Overhead, an arrow pierced the air and landed safely on the tin roof. "Everyone, take cover," someone yelled, "they're coming."
Ben helped her pull cover, and suddenly there was commotion and mania in the air.Two men hurriedly carried the injured major into the house.
"Oh my God!" Mrs. Robles gasped beside him. "Are they going to kill us all?"
He didn't answer.On the wall, a soldier staggered back and died.The rain of arrows continued, and at this point the Indians also took up rifles, risking their ammunition reserves.
"Your husband is in command now," Ben said. "He'll fight them off."
"Because it's him," she gasped, "he won't. He likes them more than white people. He..."
Ben froze.Her words woke him up, and he stood up.Of course!Captain Robles... "Where are you going?"
"I'll be back," he said aloud, "stay under cover."
He ran, sharp arrows piercing the ground around him.I saw that some Indians had already attacked the top of the city wall, fighting hand-to-hand with the resisters with bare hands.And Ben ran straight ahead and broke into the command room.
Captain Robles was alone in the room, sitting motionless in the colonel's old chair.
"While your people are out there dying, I'm here to find you," Ben said.
"What's the matter, Snow? What are you doing here?"
"You're a traitor to the fort, Robles. You rode out of the fort yesterday, and met Running Bear. I followed the trails here, reported the colonel, and you had to kill him. That arrow wasn't a Navajo bow at all. Shot, you stabbed him like a dagger. That's why you ran out of the room after your wife tried to kill me. That's when you did it - minutes before Stewart found the body You eavesdropped on my conversation with the colonel and tried to kill me. You knew Anita would kill me."
Captain Robles stood up from behind his desk and aimed his military revolver at Ben's chest. "Now, it doesn't matter what you know. Running Bear has knocked on the gate. In an hour, Arrowhead Castle will be in his pocket."
"Why?" Ben asked him. "Why?"
"Because I love Indians, and because I hate every guy in that outfit, and because I want to be God for once."
"Put the gun down, Robles."
"Oh no! You can't talk to me like that. Nobody can."
The door behind him opened, and a sergeant rushed in, "Captain—they launched the final onslaught. What shall we do?"
"What should we do?" Robles shook his pistol and aimed at the two of them, "We surrender. Send an order to surrender."
"But the captain..."
"This is an order, Sergeant. Surrender!"
Ben was about to draw his gun when the captain's weapon was aimed at him again. "Don't move, Snow. You have to listen to me today."
So when the sergeant handed down the order to surrender, they stood deadlocked like this.Gradually, the gunfire outside the wall weakened, and the city gate was suddenly opened with a bang.Fort Arrowhead became the possession of Ben Xiong.
Robles waved his gun, motioning Ben out of the room.Ben saw the Navajo fighters pour in through the open gate, shouting victory with impudence.Walking among them on horseback was the victorious, muscular running bear, with white hair fluttering behind him. Although he didn't carry any weapons, he was the strongest among them.
"Welcome, Running Bear." Robles shouted standing on the steps in front of the house, "I keep my promise and deliver Fort Arrowhead to you." Before the words fell, there were angry whispers from the crowd, but Ben Xiong's army has taken control of the situation.Arrows and rifles were aimed at every man and woman.
The Navajo leader made a gesture, and a soldier walked up behind Ben, drew his bow, and stood ready. "Now," said Ben Xiong, "one rash move will kill you. Bows and arrows are still very powerful at a range of six inches."
"No matter the distance, the power is not small," Ben agreed, "but I don't think you want to kill me."
Ben Xiong urged the horse to approach, "Don't kill you? All adult white people here will die. You are one of them."
"To keep them alive, I'd fight you," Ben said, "just you and me. If I win, let everyone go." It was a risky move, but he reckoned the odds of winning with a knife were 100%. Fifty percent, it would be better with a gun.
But Ben Xiong shook his head, "I don't have a weapon. I don't fight with others."
"So when your subordinates are torturing and killing, you just stand by and watch?"
"No torture. They die quickly, we try not to make them suffer too much, I'm not a savage."
"If you won't fight me, let me fight your friend Robles," said Ben.
The officer took a step back, "No! Don't listen to him, Ben Xiong. Kill him!"
"Okay." Ben Xiong suddenly agreed, gesturing to the soldiers behind him.
I can't hide what should come, I thought.The tense back is ready for the arrow bite.However, there was a gunshot that followed, and the Indian fell, and his arrow swished and stuck in the ground.
Everyone turned in unison to see Anita Robles standing in front of a window of the house, holding a pistol in both hands.Ben guessed that she had tried to kill him, and now she saved his life, so it was not worth the debt.
But just then, a Navajo fighter raised his rifle and pointed it at Anita by the window.Ben sprang to his feet, spanning ten feet to get between them, when Robles let out a yell.
"No!" he yelled, "Don't kill Anita!" He fired twice with the army pistol still in his hand.The Indian's rifle landed and fell backwards.But before his body touched the ground, five arrows were fired, hitting Robles' chest and back.He twisted his body and reached out to grab them, his face full of astonishment.Ben looked away immediately, because he didn't want to see this man die.
The Indian took Anita to her husband's body and stood quietly watching her weep on top of him.Ben Xiong just sat motionless on the horseback.It was only when a fighter aimed a knife at Anita that he raised a hand, stopping him. "We've killed her husband," he said, "enough."
And so they stood, Ben and Running Bear facing each other, with the weeping woman and the dead traitor between them, and two hundred soldiers and four hundred Indians waited for orders.That means their life or death.
"What now?" Ben finally asked.
Ben Xiong spoke. "Take me to see Colonel Knox's body," he said.
Ben led him into the house, followed by two armed fighters.In the inner room, they saw the colonel's body lying on the floor, covered with a blanket. "Here," said Ben softly, "Captain Robles killed him."
Ben Xiong bent down, raised the eyelids of the dead man, and stared into those dull eyes for a long time. "That's right," he said at last, "that's right."
Then he turned and left, his long white hair hanging down his back.He rolled onto his tall horse and gave a few brief orders to the fighters.He finally turned to face Ben and walked up the steps. "We'll meet again," he said.It's not a threat, it's a promise from one warrior to another.
Then they departed, riding out of the gates of Castle Arrowhead, like a sudden wind from the west.Just as they were gone, a drizzle fell from the dark clouds over the valley.Soldiers everywhere picked up their weapons and bandaged their wounds.
Ben Snow and Anita tend to the wounded Major Stewart.At this time, too, plans were being made to bury her husband's body in a cemetery outside the city walls.
In the rain, peace enveloped the valley...
Notes:
Notes: