Enchanted Ecstasy (19 page)

The enemy had turned to engage his men in the middle of a long, narrow canyon, and if they had gotten the reinforcements they expected, victory would have been sure and swift, for they would have caught Kane's men and Mangas's warriors in the middle of the two forces. As it was, Kane was still outnumbered, but they now stood a chance, and if Mangas could come in time, they could turn the tide of battle.

Kane threw his empty rifle to the ground and drew out his pistol, as there was no time to reload. Soon the pistol was empty also, and he threw it down. He wrapped his hand around his saber and spurred his mount into action. With a powerful thrust he felt his saber enter the body of an advancing Arapaho.

The Arapaho were a brave and fierce adversary, and at the moment it seemed they were winning. Kane was relieved when he realized that Mangas and his warriors had joined him. It soon became apparent that the tide of battle was turning in their favor as the United States Cavalry and the Jojoba fought side by side.

They forced the enemy backwards until they had them trapped against a cliff. The enemy, seeing they were beaten, renewed their efforts.

Kane felt a stinging sensation on his temple as blood and sweat blinded him. He wiped it away with his sleeve, only to have it return. Out of the corner of his eye, Kane saw Mangas being dragged from his horse by two Arapaho. Kane jumped from his horse and grabbed one of the men around the neck and wrestled him to the ground. The two men rolled on amid flying horses' hooves and whizzing bullets. Kane could feel the Indian's strength slipping away as he wrestled a knife from his hand. With a powerful thrust Kane drove the knife into the now helpless enemy. Turning to Mangas, he saw that two more Arapaho had Mangas pinned to the ground, so he leaped across the space that divided them and grabbed one of the Indians in an arm lock. Applying pressure, he felt the man go limp.

Kane did not see the Indian who aimed a rifle at him, but at that moment he turned, and the bullet that had been aimed at his heart entered his chest. He didn't even feel the bullet that entered his leg. He felt a weakness wash over him, and he felt pain so intense that he cried out. He felt himself falling, and he called out for Maleaha. Then all went black and he knew nothing more.

Kane was not aware that they had won the battle against the Arapaho nor did he know that Mangas knelt over him, binding his wounds and trying to stop the flow of blood. Mangas examined his head wound and saw it was no more than a scratch, but the wound in his chest could be fatal. The wound to his leg was bleeding badly, and Mangas bound it tightly.

Seeing the danger to the man who had just saved his life, Mangas mounted his horse with Kane in his arms and urged his mount forward, racing against time, knowing that if Kane was going to survive he must get him to the fort.

In the two days it took Mangas to reach the fort he stopped only long enough to tend Kane's wounds and to change horses at a ranch. It had been under the cover of night when Mangas snuck into the barn and exchanged his horse for one of the unsuspecting rancher's. On he rode, not even stopping to rest, and when dark descended on them, still he rode.

Kane regained consciousness only twice, and Mangas could tell he did not know where he was or what had happened to him. Determined to save the life of the man who had saved his and who Maleaha loved, he raced on through the night and into the next day.

It was a startled sentry who opened the gate to the tall, fierce-looking Indian who carried a wounded cavalry officer upon his horse.

As Mangas rode through the gates of the fort, he was immediately surrounded by blue uniforms. Mangas looked around the group of soldiers, but could see no one who seemed to be in charge. Then he spotted Colonel Johnson, who was rushing across the compound buttoning the brass buttons to his blue uniform.

Mangas spoke directly to him. "I have brought Kane to you. He is gravely wounded. Care for him, for he is a very brave man. I owe him my life, and without him we would not have won a victory against the Arapaho."

Colonel Johnson ordered two men to carry Kane to the infirmary, then turned his attention to the Indian who looked back at him with dark, unreadable eyes.

"You are Mangas," The colonel said, in awed voice, for there was no mistaking the tall Indian. He could be none other than the chief of the Jojoba tribe.

Mangas nodded and spun his horse around.

"You say you won against the Arapaho?"

"They will not trouble you again. Take care of Kane, I would not like for him to die." Mangas rode out of the gates of the fort and was soon lost in a cloud of dust, while the soldiers and their commander stared after him.

Colonel Johnson watched until the chief of the Jojoba disappeared behind a hill, then he turned to face his men and ordered them to carry on. There was a frown on his face as he made his way to the infirmary.

Word was spreading quickly about the victory against the Arapahos and how the mighty chief had himself delivered the gravely wounded Major Kanen Benedict to the fort.

During the next two days Kane slipped in and out of consciousness. The bullet had passed through his leg, saving the doctor the trouble of having to remove it. But the one in Kane's chest had gone deep. It had not struck any vital organs, but he had lost a great deal of blood, and there was always the fear of infection.

On the third day Kane awoke and looked about him. By now many others who had been wounded in the battle with the Arapaho had been brought to the fort, and they occupied every available bed. Kane, seeing that he was back at the fort, could not remember how he had gotten there. He was in agonizing pain and would feel hot and then cold, and at the moment he did not care if he lived or died.

That night Kane became delirious from his fever and the doctor tried to make some sense out of his rambling speech.

"Maleaha, Maleaha, it was not a real marriage. I want you to…be mine forever…Maleaha, I love you. Maleaha. Maleaha." He called out to the woman many times, and the doctor shook his head sadly, thinking the woman Kane called for must live far away in Boston.

Late the next afternoon Kane's fever had subsided, and the doctor felt confident he would live. Kane tried to sit up, but the pain was so intense it ripped through his chest, and he fell back on the pillow gasping for breath.

"I would not try to sit up just yet, Major," the doctor scolded. "You have been very ill, and your body needs time to heal before you try to resume your usual activities."

"What happened? How did I get here?"

The doctor pulled up a chair and sat down beside Kane. "As to what happened, we are still receiving firsthand accounts of the battle. And as for how you got here, Man-gas brought you here himself.''

"I do not remember anything past the battle."

"You are a hero, Major." The doctor felt his forehead, and seeing it was cool, stood up. "If you feel up to it, the colonel wanted to talk to you as soon as you regained consciousness. I am sure he can tell you all you wish to know."

Later, Colonel Johnson sat down beside Kane and inquired about how he was feeling.

"Sir, can you tell me about the outcome of the battle? Did we win?"

"The Arapaho were beaten. The few who survived turned tail and ran for Colorado. I do not think we will have any more trouble out of them."

"The doctor said that Mangas brought me here."

' 'That is correct, and he told me if it had not been for you the battle would have been lost. We all owe you a great debt, my boy."

' 'I keep trying to remember what happened, but it is all so unclear."

Colonel Johnson stood up. "You should not dwell on it. Just rest and try to recover your strength.'' The colonel smiled. "I have a surprise for you. You have a visitor."

Kane closed his eyes as the colonel departed. Maleaha had come to see him, he thought. He hated for her to see him like this, with bandages on his head, chest, and leg, but it did not really matter. All that really counted was that she had heard of his wounds and had come to see him. Now he could tell her that he loved her, and ask her to marry him.

14

Kane watched the door of the infirmary as he waited impatiently for Maleaha to enter. Today would be the day he would clear up all the misunderstandings between them.

He saw the tall man who entered and frowned. He felt no joy as he watched his father approach his bed.

"What are you doing here, Eli? Aren't you a long way from home?"

Eli inclined his head. "I expected a better welcome from you than that, Kane. I have been weeks on the road, riding in foul-smelling coaches. I have braved heat, rough roads, flies, and mosquitoes. The least you could do was act as though you were glad to see me."

Eli Benedict was still a very handsome man, and Kane looked very like his father. Kane felt resentment that his father had come to New Mexico. There was no sign of affection on his father's face. His eyes were gray, like Kane's, but they had a hardness about them. Eli seated himself in a chair and waited for his son to speak.

"I didn't ask you to come here, Eli," Kane told him resentfully. He had no desire to see him, nor did he feel up to the accusations and arguments he knew would be forthcoming.

Eli leaned forward. "I might have known you would not have changed. You never cared about anyone but yourself, Kane. I do not know why I even bother with you."

"Why
do
you bother?"

"I had hoped by now you would see the folly of your ways and agree to return to Boston with me."

"Not hardly, Eli."

The older man leaned back and let his eyes skim the infirmary, where there were a dozen or more soldiers occupying the other beds in the long, narrow room. Casualties of their encounter with the Arapaho.

Eli had been pleased with the praise Colonel Johnson bestowed on his son. He was always impressed by what people thought, and he found a certain pride in having his son hailed as a hero.

"The doctor tells me you are recovering nicely, Kane."

"So it would seem," Kane answered him dully.

"I hoped after you had sufficiently mended, you would agree to return home with me."

Kane looked at the ceiling. "How do you propose that I do that? The cavalry takes a dim view of a soldier's deserting his post."

Eli smiled. "As you know, I am not without influence. I have friends in Washington. How do you suppose you ended up in this hellhole in the first place?"

Kane looked at his father, hoping he had misunderstood him. "What are you saying?"

"Merely that I had you transferred to the New Mexico territory, hoping that if you got a taste of life in this uncivilized land you would gladly return home and take up your rightful place as head of Benedict Shipping."

Kane laughed deeply, and the sound startled his father. He had thought his son might be angry, and he did not understand his reaction. "I should have seen your fine hand in this, Eli, it just never occurred to me that you would go to such lengths to punish me. I am afraid you have outsmarted yourself this time, however."

"What do you mean?"

"I find that I like it here, and I have decided to make it my permanent home."

Eli stood up, "What's to like? I have never seen such a desolate country in all my life. There is nothing to recommend this place when one has been raised to expect the finer things in life."

"Do not judge me by your standards, Eli. I find the life you lead boring and useless. For the first time in my life I am my own man, doing what / want to do, and not what you expect from me."

Eli's eyes narrowed. "If you are talking about your military career, that is over. I have your discharge papers with me right this minute." To prove his point, he withdrew an envelope from his breast pocket and handed it to Kane.

Kane tried to sit up, but pain shot through his body, and he was forced to lie back weakly. "You have no right to do this," he said between gritted teeth.

' T have every right! You are my son, and I want you to come home."

Kane felt too weak to argue with him at the moment. The pain he was experiencing overwhelmed even his anger. All he wanted to do was sleep and forget everything, but he had not reckoned with his father's ability to have the last word.

"You will be released from the cavalry the day you are dismissed from the hospital. What do you intend to do then, Kane? You will be forced to look elsewhere for a career, and I think you will come home with me."

Kane was aware that his father had left, but he did not open his eyes. He wanted to sleep. Tomorrow would be soon enough to face his father and decide what to do about his future.

Maleaha sat down slowly on the settee. She had just returned from Albuquerque, where she and Betsy had been visiting Betsy's grandmother. When her friend had asked Maleaha to accompany her to Albuquerque, she had readily agreed, wanting to get away, and hoping she could forget about Kanen Benedict, at least for a while. There had been no good in trying to fool herself. Maleaha would never forget Kane. All day her mind was on the danger he would be in when he met and engaged the Arapaho in battle. At night she remembered lying in his arms while he made love to her.

Maleaha removed her bonnet. It had been five weeks since she had ridden away from the Jojoba village. Surely there would be some word of the battle by now, she thought as she stood up. She would find Lamas and ask him.

"Ah, Señorita Maleaha, you have come home at last,' Margaretta said, placing a vase of brightly colored flowers on the side table.

"Yes, I decided to come home early, Margaretta. Would you have Lamas come to the house?"

"He is not here. He has gone to the camp of the Jojoba."

"Has there been any word of battle? Did Mangas find the Arapaho?" Maleaha asked tensely.

"
Sí
". There was a great battle, and that is all anyone talks about. There were many dead and wounded. They say the Arapaho will not soon return to New Mexico."

Maleaha held her breath. Her hand went to her heart, trying to still its tremendous beating. "Were there many soldiers slain?"

"
Sí
"

"Have you heard any word about Major Benedict?"

"
Sí
. He was gravely wounded, but I believe he is recovered by now."

"How do you know this, Margaretta?" Maleaha asked, feeling tremendous fear for the man she loved.

"He is a hero! All of Santa Fe talks about his bravery. They also say his father is at the fort, and they say the major will go home with him, to marry some woman who is waiting for him. At least this is the story that is being circulated."

Maleaha felt as if her heart had just shattered in a million pieces. "Margaretta, are you sure he is well and out of danger?"

"That is what they say, señorita."

Maleaha retied the ribbon on her bonnet. "I will go to the fort and see for myself if he is recovered," she said trying to hold on to her composure. How was it possible to hurt so much and still be able to act as if nothing was amiss. On the ride to the fort she did not cry, after all, she was half-Indian, she told herself, and Indians did not give in to the weakness of tears. She supposed she had become more white than Indian lately, for she had cried many times in the last weeks.

Maleaha dismounted and tied her horse up at the hitching post. Seeing the guard on duty, she walked over to him and inquired where she could find Major Benedict.

The guard smiled at her. "The major is a fortunate man, Miss Deveraux. He has had his share of beautiful ladies inquiring about his health."

"Yes, I'm sure he has," she said, masking her displeasure at his observation. It didn't please her in the least that Kane had had other lady callers. "Could you just tell me where I can find him?" she asked impatiently.

Kane limped about the room. The pain in his leg seemed to trouble him more than the pain in his chest now, although the chest wound had been the more serious of the two. Each time he took a step, pain would shoot up his leg, and he gritted his teeth to keep from crying out. The doctor had warned him to stay off his leg until it had more time to heal, but Kane had no time to stay in a sickbed. He had too many things to do.

His father had come to visit him each day, and Kane had suffered his presence with ill grace. Each day Eli would pressure Kane to return to Boston with him, and each day, Kane refused. At first he had been angry with Eli for procuring his release from the cavalry. But he had had a lot of time to think and plan while he had been recuperating. He knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. He had a substantial fortune, which had been left to him by his mother and grandfather. He would buy the land Jonas had told him about, and build a house on it. In time he hoped he could convince Maleaha to marry him. They could build a life together in this wild land that Kane had come to love. For the first time in his life, Kane felt good about himself. He was excited at the thought of Maleaha's becoming his wife. He wanted children by her. He wanted to come home each day knowing she would be waiting for him. If only he could convince her to be his wife. It still bothered him that she hadn't come to see him. Perhaps she was embarrassed about what had happened between them at the Jojoba village. Kane's pride kept him from sending word to her that he wanted to see her. There would be time to talk once he got out of the hospital.

He limped slowly back to his bed, and sat down, cursing the weakness that kept him confined to this room. He was ready to get on with his life, now that he knew what he wanted, now that he had made his mind up about Maleaha and building a ranch. When a Benedict made up his mind to do something, nothing could stand in his way.

Kane saw his father approaching and lay back on the bed.

"I distinctly heard the doctor tell you to stay off your leg until it has healed, Kane. Don't you give a damn that you might cripple yourself for life?"

"Don't you ever tire of badgering me? Why don't you just go home," Kane said, closing his eyes. He did not feel up to another bout with his father. ' 'Why are you still here, Eli?"

His father seated himself in the chair before he spoke. "I would have thought that was obvious. I have no intentions of leaving until you are well enough to travel with me."

Kane sat up slowly. "How many times do I have to tell you I will never go back to Boston. I don't give a damn about your shipping business."

Eli's face became livid. "You are a total waste as a man. If I had any sense, I would leave you to your own destruction. Have you no thought for Lucinda, who has waited patiently all these years for you to grow up? She told me to give you her love, and to say she is still waiting for you."

Kane sighed heavily. Lord, was there no reprieve? Would Eli never leave him in peace? He suddenly decided it was time to tell his father about Maleaha. Perhaps then he would quit trying to pair him with Lucinda.

"I'm sorry you didn't consult me before making this trip, Eli. If you had, I could have told you I already have a wife," Kane said with a self-satisfied look on his face as he saw the color drain from Eli's face. Eli looked as if he were about to suffer an attack of apoplexy "I am no fool, Kane," his father said raising his voice. "If you have a wife, where is she, hiding under the bed?"

Maleaha opened the door to the infirmary hesitantly, observing the many wounded men who occupied the room. Finally she saw Kane, but he hadn't yet seen her, he was talking to someone. Maleaha immediately saw the man's resemblance to Kane and she knew he must be Kane's father. She was undecided about whether to disturb them or not, when Kane's voice carried to her.

"Her name is Maleaha, and she is a half-breed. I was married to her by an Indian chief. Of course the marriage is not a real one. I would like for you to meet her. I doubt that you would approve of her, however. She is nothing like the fair Lucinda, who waits patiently for me in Boston. No, she is nothing like the wife you have chosen for me, but she does have something that draws me to her."

"Another one of your trollops, Kane? God only knows how many women you have bedded, but I thought even you would have drawn the line at an Indian!" his father shouted.

Maleaha didn't stay to hear any more. Tears blinded her as she ran to where she had left her horse. What a fool she had been to come here today. Her vision was blurred as she rode out the gates of the fort and headed for Deveraux Ranch.

What was she to do? In her heart she felt as if she was Kane's true wife. She hated him for the way he had maligned her to his father. What kind of a man was he? "I never want to see you again, Kanen Benedict!" she yelled. "I will hate you forever!" she cried.

Four more weeks passed before Kane was released from the hospital. That same day he was discharged from the cavalry.

He said good-bye to Colonel Johnson and his men with little regret.

The first thing he did was to buy the land Jonas had told him about. It was one hundred and seventy-five thousand acres of prime ranch land. The Pecos River ran right through the heart of the property. There were tall pine trees on the eastern part of the land, and that was where Kane made plans to build a house. He wanted the house to be under construction before he approached Maleaha and asked her to be his wife. If she saw he was serious about settling down, perhaps he could win her.