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09 - Story of Geronimo by Jim Kjelgaard · Story of Geronimo

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  Speaker 1: Chapter nine of the Story of Geronimo. This is a
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All libravox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit libravox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: Reading done by Jules Harrelk. The Story of Geronimo by
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  Speaker 1: Jim Cagilgard, Chapter nine, A wounded Chief. The sorrowful warriors
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  Speaker 1: gathered around their wounded chief, grieving because he was hurt.
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  Speaker 1: They were also worried while Mangus Coloradus led them. Even
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  Speaker 1: though they might suffer temporary defeats, in the end they
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  Speaker 1: always triumphed. What now, Najezi said, we need a medicine man.
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  Speaker 1: I am a medicine man, Geronimo said. Geronimo told the truth.
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  Speaker 1: Following the massacre of Kaskaya. He had taken the training
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  Speaker 1: which he needed in order to become an Apache medicine man.
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  Speaker 1: This he had done in the hope that he might
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  Speaker 1: discover some powerful medicine which would make sure the defeat
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  Speaker 1: of the rur rallies responsible for the massacre. But even
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  Speaker 1: though he had learned all the rituals that an Apache
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  Speaker 1: medicine man must know, he was far too intelligent to
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  Speaker 1: have much faith in them, but others believed in them.
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  Speaker 1: He said again, I am a medicine man. True. Najizi
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  Speaker 1: agreed I had forgotten. Opening his pouch of hodentan or
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  Speaker 1: sacred pallen, Geronimo rubbed a bit on Mangus Coloradus's forehead.
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  Speaker 1: Then he made a cross of hodentan on the chief's breast.
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  Speaker 1: He sprinkled a thin line of the sacred pallen all
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  Speaker 1: around the Memburno leader, and put a touch on the
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  Speaker 1: forehead of every warrior who stood near. Finally, he applied
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  Speaker 1: a pinch to his own forehead and took a bit
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  Speaker 1: in his mouth, And even as he finished, he knew
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  Speaker 1: that the hodentan was not enough. Geronimo was not so
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  Speaker 1: blinded by the ways of the Apaches that he was
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  Speaker 1: unable to see for himself that other people had better ways.
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  Speaker 1: Often he had seen ruralies so badly wounded that he
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  Speaker 1: thought they could never fight again. Yet in a later
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  Speaker 1: skirmish he had fought the same ruralies, and apparently they
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  Speaker 1: were as whole as before. With the rest of the
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  Speaker 1: nearby Membrino braves too stricken to do anything, and no
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  Speaker 1: sub chief near, Geronimo took charge he said, make a litter.
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  Speaker 1: Where do we go with my father? Asked Mangas, son
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  Speaker 1: of Mangus Coloradus, to the Mexican medicine man at Janos,
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  Speaker 1: Geronimo said. Mangus said, the Mexicans are enemies, that I know.
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  Speaker 1: Geronimo grunted. He paid no more attention to Mangus. Though
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  Speaker 1: a brave warrior, the son of Mangus Coloradus lacked the
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  Speaker 1: qualities that made his father great. When he was forced
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  Speaker 1: to make an important decision, Mangus was never able to
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  Speaker 1: decide on the wise course, and always trembled between the two.
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  Speaker 1: Geronimo was not a chief, but the other warriors obeyed
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  Speaker 1: him now because he acted like one. Some went to
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  Speaker 1: fashion a litter of deer skins or deer skin jackets
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  Speaker 1: stretched between cottonwood poles. Some went to rally the rest
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  Speaker 1: of the Membrino warriors. As word reached the followers of
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  Speaker 1: Mangus Colorados, they gathered around their stricken chief. Mangus said,
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  Speaker 1: if all of us depart, the Cheerycacuas alone must battle
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  Speaker 1: the white soldiers. Let them. Geronimo grunted sourly. He could
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  Speaker 1: not know that the Cheddeka Uas were to fight again,
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  Speaker 1: and to be defeated again the next day. Had the
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  Speaker 1: Mimbrino stayed to help, the soldiers might have been defeated then,
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  Speaker 1: at least until the civil war ended and more soldiers came.
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  Speaker 1: The combined Apache forces probably would have retaken all their homeland.
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  Speaker 1: But almost none of the Mimbreno warriors had any thought
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  Speaker 1: for anything save the badly wounded Mangus Coloradus. Under his leadership,
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  Speaker 1: they had become a very powerful tribe. If they were
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  Speaker 1: robbed of his wisdom, who knew what might happen. Stockily
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  Speaker 1: built Victorio, a cold eyed, ferocious membrane sub chief, had
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  Speaker 1: hurried to Mangus Coloradus as soon as he heard of
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  Speaker 1: his wound. Now, he said, I will help carry our leader,
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  Speaker 1: guide us, Geronimo. He picked up one end of the
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  Speaker 1: litter Mangus took the other. Geronimo led the way through
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  Speaker 1: the darkness. He dropped pinches of hodentan as he walked,
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  Speaker 1: for this was supposed to make the wounded Mangus Colorados'
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  Speaker 1: path much easier, But the seventy year old chief was
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  Speaker 1: unable to speak above a whisper during the long and
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  Speaker 1: difficult journey, stopping only to hunt food and for snatches
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  Speaker 1: of sleep. The Membrinos carried him over mountains and across deserts.
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  Speaker 1: At last they were in Mexico, before the gates of
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  Speaker 1: the walled town of Janos. The rollies of the town
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  Speaker 1: came out to meet them. Though they were armed and
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  Speaker 1: in considerable force, the Rallies were afraid. The Membrino braves
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  Speaker 1: were in full strength. They also were fully armed, and
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  Speaker 1: with no women and children to hamper them. Murmuring prayers,
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  Speaker 1: ther Rallies made ready to defend themselves and the townspeople.
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  Speaker 1: But Geronimo stepped up to their captain. We come in peace,
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  Speaker 1: he said, Our chief is wounded, and we bring him
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  Speaker 1: to your medicine man. A sweat of fear bathed the
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  Speaker 1: captain's face, but a gasp of relief escaped his lips.
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  Speaker 1: There was hope. This was no war party. The captain dismounted,
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  Speaker 1: gave his horses reins to a private and walked beside
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  Speaker 1: Geronimo and the two men carrying Mangus Coloradus's litter men,
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  Speaker 1: women and children shrank against houses or scurried away as
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  Speaker 1: the procession made its way to the doctor's house. They
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  Speaker 1: come in peace. Their chief is wounded, and they wish
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  Speaker 1: only to bring him to our doctor. The captain explained
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  Speaker 1: to whoever remained near enough to hear. Those who heard
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  Speaker 1: passed the word to others. Then all the people of
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  Speaker 1: Jano's hurried to the church. Often they had wished that
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  Speaker 1: Mangus Coloradus might die. Now they prayed for his life,
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  Speaker 1: for they feared that if he died, the angered apaches
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  Speaker 1: would kill everybody in Janos. When they reached the doctor's house,
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  Speaker 1: Mangus and Victorio carried Mangus Coloradus in. Most of the
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  Speaker 1: warriors took up positions outside the house so that no
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  Speaker 1: one might come near. The captain of the ruralies and
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  Speaker 1: Geronimo entered with the litter bearers. Geronimo addressed the doctor,
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  Speaker 1: make him well. The doctor was a slender man, not
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  Speaker 1: yet young enough so that his hair was all dark,
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  Speaker 1: but not old enough so that it was all white.
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  Speaker 1: The hard life he had led in Janos had taught
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  Speaker 1: him to fear nothing. Stepping close to the litter he
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  Speaker 1: looked at the wounded chief. Put him on the table.
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  Speaker 1: He said, Mangus and Victorio lifted Mangus Coloradus to a
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  Speaker 1: rude wooden table and stepped back against the wall. Geronimo
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  Speaker 1: watched Mangus Coloradus steadily. There had been times during the
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  Speaker 1: long March when the Membrino's chief's wounds had caused him
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  Speaker 1: to sleep, and times when his mind had wandered. But
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  Speaker 1: he was awake now, and he knew what was taking place.
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  Speaker 1: He was ready to meet this as he had always
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  Speaker 1: met everything else. Whatever came, his eyes would be toward it,
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  Speaker 1: and his heart would be strong. Though outwardly the apaches
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  Speaker 1: showed nothing of what they've thought or felt. Inwardly they
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  Speaker 1: were taught as stretched buckskin. The captain of the Ruralis,
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  Speaker 1: hoping Mangus Coloradus would live, and fearing the consequences if
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  Speaker 1: he died, was staring, gasping, and sweating. The doctor and
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  Speaker 1: the Membrino chief were the only calm people in the room.
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  Speaker 1: The doctor examined the wound, shook his head doubtfully, and
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  Speaker 1: the captain of the Ruralis cried aloud. The doctor looked
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  Speaker 1: sternly at him and said, Captain Ruez, if you cannot
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  Speaker 1: control yourself, be good enough to leave. I'll stay and
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  Speaker 1: I'll be quiet. Captain Rues promised. With a delicate but
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  Speaker 1: firm and sure touch, the doctor slipped a probe into
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  Speaker 1: the bullet wound. Mangus Coloradus did not cry out, but
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  Speaker 1: pain brought a path of sweat to his forehead. Mangus
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  Speaker 1: stepped angrily forward. Animo reached out a hand to stop him.
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  Speaker 1: The doctor again shook his head doubtfully, and Captain Ruez
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  Speaker 1: clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle another cry. Again,
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  Speaker 1: the probe went in, gently but surely. Two hours after
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  Speaker 1: the chief had been laid on the table, the doctor
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  Speaker 1: took the bullet from Mangus Coloradus. He applied a compress
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  Speaker 1: of soothing herbs and held them in place with a bandage.
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  Speaker 1: Then he turned to Geronimo Victorio, Mangus and Captain Ruiz.
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  Speaker 1: He'll live, he said. Thus, the Mimbrino apaches came to
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  Speaker 1: Janice and left without harming a single person. End of
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  Speaker 1: Chapter nine