Bailey Jordan, the Saga Continues

By Jennifer Joseph and Darrel Day

Bailey Jordan-Wellmark wore many hats, but only one felt right on her head. It fit well with her jeans, her boots and her double holster, filled with her pistols. She knew long ago where her heart truly was. She longed for the open prairie and the feel of the wind on her face as she rode her horse. When opportunity knocked, she answered the door. Once again, she rode to save a life. A kidnapped waitress, a stolen house-hand and a lying Indian Princess, set the scene for disaster and possible war between the Chiricahua Nation and the town of Uncomphage. Bailey would find herself kidnapped and placed in the center of it all. Follow her as she again blazes new trails across the Arizona Territory. She will do it of course, as only Bailey Jordan Extraordinaire can do it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jennifer Joseph
• Release date: Aug 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005803353

Book preview

Prologue

Changes often occur as we sleep the night or day away. Time does not cease to move forward simply because one is not awake to watch it go by. Not everything changes or ages the same. Although faces and surroundings may appear to change or not to change, all of God’s creations, age.

In the town of Uncomphage, time had passed, and people had aged. The once bare, uncovered wood of the buildings, now had color, bringing the town to life. Red and blue and brown decorated the town. Streetlamps, once filled with wicks, oil and fire, were replaced with coal infused lighting. Better lighting had not been far away from the expanding town. As the turn of the century approached quickly, electricity came to life. In 1895, a successful power and light company established itself in the Arizona Territories, bringing with it, more people and more jobs. Uncomphage lit up like a town yearning to become, a city.

The 1890’s had exploded into being, with many famous deaths being written by growing newspapers and storytellers. Before the turn of the century in 1889, Belle Starr, known for running with outlaws such as the James and the Younger gang, was murdered on her way home from a dance.

Greater tragedies were passed from town to town. At the end of 1890, more than two-hundred men, women and children were killed at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. The U.S. 7th Calvary were attempting to confiscate the Sioux Nation’s weapons.

Fear set into towns throughout the west, including Uncomphage. Closer than South Dakota, killings were happening often. Bisbee had endured the massacre of their general store. A band of Cochise County Cowboys robbed the store, believing they would have a haul of money to take. A mistake in delivery dates left them with an extremely small take. Leaving behind the death of four people, including a lawman and a pregnant woman, the men were caught and hanged for their crimes. Bailey had been very relieved to find that her brother Alex, had been out of Bisbee when the killing occurred. That told her he was not the lawman who had been killed.

Although fear set into many people’s minds, it did not stop time from moving on. It had been nearly four years since James Wilshire and his grandson had come to Uncomphage. He had come meaning to kill a woman who had once been his wife. That woman was Gretchen Hately, Ben Wellmark’s grandmother. After killing Gretchen, he kidnapped Ben and Bailey’s baby daughter and a motel keeper named Ellie Canestor. The grave markers and the memories are a constant reminder of the death he left behind. Ellie and a barmaid named Penny, sacrificed their lives to save baby Sarah.

Katelyn and Alex had remained together, but neither was ready to be married. Judge Farley, or Jackson, as he preferred to be called, settled down on a small acreage outside of town. He made certain there was a nice stream running through the land so he could fish.

Jess and Annie were the proud parents of three children now. Two boys and a girl kept them both extremely busy. Wade and Julie continued their relationship and acquired an acreage that bordered Ben’s property.

Books were found lying on tables and benches from time to time. Percy Gifford had story after story to tell. He seemed to especially enjoy telling the old west what Bailey Wellmark-Jordan was doing with her life. And one person in particular had read the stories as soon as they were printed. She Snarled and spat every time she read them.

Momma, why do you make a face each time you read a story?

Lupita gently touched her daughter’s face. She smiled and looked at Rory.

So big, you are getting, my baby girl. One day, when you are older, you will hear the stories I have to tell. You will learn more and more about your grandfather, and how much he truly loved us.

Do you mean before the mean lady took him away from us?

Yes, little girl, before she lied and allowed your grandfather to be killed. But today is not the day you will learn of her. Mama is going to be gone for a short time. I will leave you with our friend, Carlotta. You like her and I trust her.

Where are you going, Mama?

I am going to see an old friend. I will be back in a few days.

Lupita waited until Carlotta arrived. After a short talk, Lupita hugged Rory and left the house. She rode her horse into the darkened desert. The ride to Bisbee would be long.

Chapter 1

Killing wasn’t the only thing flourishing in the Arizona territories. The copper mines were growing deeper and deeper. A vein of copper had been found just outside of the Uncomphage lines. The land was owned by several families residing in the town.

Ben had been given the deed to fifty acres north of his homestead by Gretchen. He had never taken the time to look at it before. When he did, he realized he had decisions to make. With the property came a corner of the copper mine. Though he had no desire to mine the shaft himself, he had a few people he thought might be interested in doing so. He was willing to split the earnings, fifty/fifty. If the money was good from the mine, he might even consider no longer being a lawman.

Ben decided to get a bite to eat while visiting with some friends. As he was walking out the door, he heard Josie call out his name.

Did you want me to put together a meal, sheriff?

Thank you, but I think I will drop by the restaurant and grab a bite to eat. Jess will be there with Annie so I can catch up with him at the same time.

The judge was up and out early. The babies are still asleep. I don’t think the roosters have even crowed.

She reached out to open the kitchen curtain.

I think she had an early trial she wanted to prepare for this morning.

Ben watched as Josie tugged at her sleeves. She tried desperately to make certain the cuffs were pulled down to her wrists. He looked away to give her a moment to relax. As she held tight to the sleeve, she began to open the window. It was after all, a beautiful day. Ben moved beside her and opened the window for her. He stood silent as her face turned red. She stuttered as she began to speak.

I… I am…s-s-s-s-so sorry Sheriff. I wou-u-u-uld have got it even…tu-aly.

Ben smiled an understanding smile at her. He pulled a chair out for her to sit on. Before she could decline, Ben motioned for her to sit.

Please sit down for a moment, Josie. I want to talk to you about something.

Have I done something wrong, Sheriff?

First of all, I would like you to start calling me Ben or Mr. Wellmark. There is no reason to refer to me as sheriff when we are here at the home. Secondly, I notice you pulling down your sleeves a great deal. I understand you do not want folks to see your scars. We are not just folks, Josie. We want you to feel like family here.

Sir, that scar and my gimpy leg, are a constant reminder of what the Navajo did to me while I was held captive. For six years, they used me as a slave. They did things to me I’ll never tell anyone. When they finished with me, I was traded.

Josie, you don’t have to tell me about this. I really just wanted you to know that the scars and limp do not bother Bailey nor I.

I want you to know so you can understand me, Sir.

Please, continue.

When I was given to the Chiricahua’s… traded off for two horses and a bundle of blankets; I knew I wanted to be back with my own people. Although the Chiricahua’s were a kinder, softer people, they still saw me as no more than a slave to release their seed into. I made the choice to run. I would either escape or die trying. I waited until darkness and then, I ran. You see, I didn’t have this gimpy leg, yet.

When you were found, you were with an Apache tribe that had recently settled into the territory. You must have escaped the Chiricahua tribe.

I did escape them, only to be captured by a tribe who hated white people. When they found me running, they took me to their village. After they used me to initiate some young bucks, they prepared to kill me in a most unpleasant way. They broke my leg in three places, to assure I would not run or fight them. They prepared stakes to tie me to so they could watch me die a slow death. I closed my eyes and at only fourteen years old; I prayed for death to come swiftly.

Ben sat listening to Josie tell her story. He held in the anger and sadness he felt while she spoke. How he wished he could have saved this young lady from her suffering. When he thought she was finished with at least the torture, Josie continued.

The chief’s daughter suddenly called out to her father. Coming of age was a celebration for the young girls in the tribe. She asked for her father to have mercy on me, asking him if she could have me as her personal slave.

Josie, I am sure this is hard for you to tell. Stop if you need to. I will understand if you do.

I need to tell my story to someone, Sir.

I won’t interrupt you again.

Danita’s father agreed to allow me to be her slave. Thinking I might run again, an insane thought with my leg broken, her father brought me to the killing stump. Mostly, white captives were beat there until they were dead. A part of me wished I had been one of those prisoners. Stretching my arm out, he cut me from my wrist to my elbow. He then pushed twine inside the cut and wrapped it tightly. Danita was instructed to watch the wound until it healed.

Your skin healed over the twine, didn’t it?

The wound served two purposes. Danita was to tie a rope through the end that hung at my wrist. I could only remove the rope when I was inside our teepee. Her father told her if he ever saw the rope missing, he would kill me, violently. He knew his tribe were the only people that put ropes inside their enemies’ arms, allowed them to heal, only to be hanged by the ropes until they died. If any other tribes were to find me, they would not come near me for fear Na-Co-Chin, Danita’s father, would retaliate and kill their entire tribe. After a few months, the wounds healed over, and I began to walk again.

Were you treated decently by Danita?

She was as good to me as she could be. The chief watched me closely. Danita would leave after we ate our evening meal some nights. I knew on those nights, I would have young bucks come in and rape me. These were members of the tribe that had somehow impressed the chief. I was their prize. Both myself and Danita knew if we came against her father, I would die, and she would anger her father. I would close my eyes and wait until it was over.

How long did you stay with the Chiricahua’s? You were not with them when you were plucked from the Apache tribe you were found with.

"I tried to stay as close to the days and months passing as possible. One night, in what I thought had been three years after I was traded, one of the bucks came into the teepee. Placing his hand over my mouth, he whispered for me to be silent. Expecting to be taken roughly, as it was when one of them told me to be silent, I tried to roll onto my back. He held me in place and told me to just listen to him.

"I have spoken to an ash {meaning friend in Apache} from another village. He told me they are leaving soon to settle farther west. It angers me to see what is done to you. In two days, when the night is filled with darkness, I will take you to his village. I will leave signs showing you to have run to the east. My ash does not fear your chief and says he will take you on their journey. I have given his people items they asked for."

I asked him why he did this for me.

"A wasicu once saved me from drowning in the great river. I promised him I would repay a white man one day. You, are my repayment, Onawa."

"Onawa is my Indian name. It means wide awake because they said I was always trying to run away at dark. Kuruk told me to feign sickness so none of the men would want to be with me that night. Two nights later, during a horrible storm, I felt a hand touch my leg. I slipped out into the pouring rain, following Kuruk to the already moving Apache tribe. I melded into the women and never looked back. The rain pounded us the entire time we walked. I was thankful because the rain would keep Danita’s people from searching for me too quickly. I was only with the Apache Nation for a short time. They were good to me while I was with them.

One day, there was panic in the village. The chief motioned for the villagers to remain calm. When I saw soldiers come down from the Chiricahua Mountaintops, I thought they were going to kill all of us. The chief seemed to know the captain of the soldiers. The captain explained he only wanted the white women freed. He promised he would look the other way if the chief agreed to release me."

Were you the only white woman in their group?

I am sure there were others at one time, but I was the only one that night. They took me away and I never heard if the Chiricahua’s searched for me. I no longer cared. A very kind, caring doctor and his wife took me in at Fort Apache. The doctor cut my arms again, removing the twine from each one. For nearly one year, they cared for me and watched me heal.

Why did you leave the fort, Josie?

The United States was talking of shutting it down. The doctor and his wife, Abagail, were going to go to California to live. They asked me to go with them, but I declined. Somewhere out here, I have kin. They weren’t all killed by the wars.

Perhaps I can help you search. I am thinking of no longer being a sheriff. I will decide soon what I want to do.

You didn’t ask, but the reason I struggle to keep my sleeves pulled down is because of the nightmares I have. I sleep in your guest house instead of a room inside this house for a reason.

I hear your reason many nights when I am outside walking. Bailey has heard you crying out too.

Yes, she has come inside to calm me and comfort me many, many times. The things that were done to me for so long, simply do not disappear into the past. I see them every night. I would wake the babies if I slept in your house. I still fear that one day, Na-Co-Chin will find me and kill me. He is one of the chiefs that have never been captured. I have a friend who keeps records of the Apache and Chiricahua tribe people who are killed or brought into the reservation. She sends messages to me from time to time. Clara makes certain no one else sees the messages except me, her and Peyton. They are good people.

Josie, we would know if the chief were inside Uncomphage. You do not need to be afraid here.

Until you live among them, sheriff, you have no imagination how quietly they can move. They could be standing in front of you in the darkness and you might never see the end coming. Even the lightning causes me to hide my face. Each time it lit up the sky on the night I escaped, I swore I saw Na-Co-Chin’s face in front of me. I hate the storms and I am thankful for them. But I do believe one day, the chief will find me and kill me.

Ben looked at Josie, saddened by this young girl’s story. No one should ever have endured the torture she had known. He would make it a personal goal to try and find at least one family member of hers. Joselyn Lorraine Ardent would not spend her life with no kin knowing she was a free woman now. As he gathered his things, he heard a soft voice behind him.

Morning, Father. Are you goin’ to work?

Ben turned and smiled as he stared down at little Sarah’s smiling face. Holding her hand was her brother, Bradley. Picking them both up, he hugged them tight.

I am going out and Josie is going to make you two a nice breakfast. You be good and mother and I will be home later.

Ben walked out to the stable to get his horse. He could not shake the story Josie had told him. It would no doubt haunt him the rest of the day. He rode into Uncomphage and watched the town waking up. There was so much more activity with the vein of copper that had been discovered. Sadly, along with more bodies, came more violence and an increase in stealing. Ben walked past the recently erected courthouse that also served as city hall on one side. He heard his name called out.

Ben, you need to come sit and have coffee with me. I have a proposal for you.

Ben turned and saw Wade walking towards him.

I was heading over to the restaurant for some breakfast, Wade.

Suddenly the door of the courthouse burst open. A man waving a pistol, was screaming out.

"I would have kilt