It didn't take long before Cat became a favorite among Matt's friends. People were stopping by the Marshal's office just to play with her. Even people who had never gone to the Marshal's office before would stop by just to see Cat and play with her. Whenever he was in town, Festus would take her for rides on his mule. Quint would often close the Blacksmith shop for an hour to take her riding and would let her play in the shop while he worked. Doc often went to the general store and bought hair ribbons and other things for Cat. Sometimes he would take her out riding in his buggy and let her hold the ends of the reins. Burke would stop by Matt's office with sweets for her and sometimes took her over to the freight office and let her climb on some of the crates. For Cat's second birthday, Kitty opened the Long Branch late in order to have a birthday party for her. She received many presents of clothing, dolls and doll things but her favorite present was a rocking horse John Tanner made for her. Once she climbed on board, it was almost impossible to get her off.
Matt watched his niece running around at her party, playing with the Tanner children and riding her new rocking horse. "Now I know why Hoss calls her Wild Cat," he laughed. "She doesn't stop going from the moment she wakes up until the moment she goes to sleep. John, I can't thank you enough for that baby corral. It has been a life saver. I was letting her run around in my office one day last week with the door open and took my eyes off of her for just a moment when she ran out the door and into the street. If Quint hadn't been coming out of the Long Branch, seen and grabbed her, she would have been run over by the stage. She isn't afraid of anything."
Shortly after her fourth birthday, Cat had what was to be the first of many adventures in her life. Matt needed to go to Arizona to testify at a trial and decided to take Cat with him. Since he wasn't bringing a prisoner back with him, he decided to take Cat to see his brother. Rip hadn't seen his niece since her baptism and this would be an excellent time for them to get to know each other. Cat enjoyed the stage and train ride and couldn't stop looking out of the windows at everything they passed. When they got to the fort, Rip greeted his brother warmly and hugged his niece who promptly took his hat off his head and placed it on her own, causing both men to burst out laughing. Rip introduced Matt and Cat to some of the men in the fort and his commanding officer, who fell in love with the 4 year old wearing his Lieutenant's hat and readily gave permission for them to stay in married officer's quarters for the duration of their stay.
At first, Cat was content to wander around the fort and watch the men working and drilling, but she soon grew tired of being cooped up inside its four walls. One day while Matt was at the trial, somebody left the side gate to the fort open. Nobody was watching Cat, so she walked out of the gate and into the Arizona wilderness. She walked for about an hour when she came across a small band of Apaches. There were two chiefs and eight warriors, including a boy who was about fourteen. When they spotted her, one of the warriors wanted to kill her, but she walked up to the younger of the two chiefs and said, "I like your horse. I want to go for a ride." Her boldness caused all of the men to laugh and the chief picked her up and took her for a ride. When they returned to the rest of the band, Cat announced that she was hungry, so some of the men caught some rabbits and cooked them for everyone. Cat watched the men very carefully as they prepared the rabbits to cook. After everyone had eaten, the elder chief asked her what her name was and where she came from. She replied, "My name is Catherine but everyone just calls me Wild Cat. I came from the fort where I was visiting my uncle who is in the Army."
Upon hearing her name, the elder chief told his companions, "We will take her with us and teach her to be an Apache. There is a legend my grandfather spoke of that says, 'A white child with an Indian name will help to bring peace between white and red men.' I do not know if this is the child my grandfather spoke of but I will adopt her. She will be known as the granddaughter of Cochise."
After hearing the elder chief's statement, the younger chief said, "I also will adopt her. She will be known as the daughter of Geronimo. Let us take our new daughter and granddaughter back to the village and introduce her to the rest of our people."
In the mean time, nobody at the fort noticed that Cat was missing. Everybody thought she was with someone else. Several hours later, Matt returned to the fort and began looking for his niece. When she couldn't be found, he and Rip began to panic. It was obvious that she had gotten out of the fort but they couldn't figure out how. Finally, a young boy told them that he had seen the side gate open on his way to school and reported it to the Sergeant who closed it. Now that they knew how she got out of the fort, they had to try and find her. She had been gone all day and it would be dark in a few hours. The Colonel allowed Rip to ask for volunteers to help look for cat and soon a dozen men, including Matt rode out of the fort to look for the missing child. They found the remains of the fire where Cat and the Apaches had eaten but since it had been extinguished hours ago and was cold, there was no way to tell how long ago it had been built. The men searched until almost dark and returned to the fort where the Colonel gladly gave his permission for a larger group to search for her the next day, which they did with no luck. They searched for three days and found no sign of the missing child. Matt told Rip that since he was supposed to be watching her, he needed to let the rest of the family know that Cat was missing. He also said that as much as he hated to, he needed to return to Dodge. Rip reluctantly sent the telegrams, which received angry replies from Ben and Victoria. Hoss and Heath wired that they would come and help search but Rip replied that he didn't need them yet. Every patrol that went out would also search for the missing girl. Matt reluctantly returned to Dodge with a heavy heart, extremely worried about his niece.
Meanwhile, Cat was teaching the Apaches why she was called Wild Cat. When the small band of men returned to their village with her, the women tried to put her in a dress which she immediately pulled off. She said she was the daughter and granddaughter of chiefs and was going to be a warrior so she wanted trousers. The chiefs just laughed when they saw the women chasing the girl through the village and told them to give her what she wanted. At the adoption ceremony, she was given a pony and the next day they taught her how to ride it. Once she mastered the art of bareback riding, there was no stopping her. She was on the pony's back all the time and didn't even want to get off to eat or sleep. The chiefs just laughed at her and told her that warriors needed to eat and sleep and their horses also needed to eat and sleep.
Several months later, the same band of men went on a hunting trip and left Cat back in the village. That didn't set well with her, so she got on her pony and rode out after the men. Her adopted father and grandfather scolded her but she just threw her hair back and said that if she was going to be a warrior, she needed to know everything, including how to hunt. The men just laughed at her and allowed her to stay with them. A little while later, a rattlesnake scared the 14 year old boy's horse which threw and injured him. There was a cabin nearby so they took the boy there. They were just going to carry him in when Cat told them, "You have to knock before going into somebody else's house." So they knocked on the door and a young woman answered.
She was frightened at first when she saw the men but one of them said to her, "Please do not be afraid. We are not going to hurt you. The boy was thrown from his horse and we hoped you could help him."
"Of course I'll try and help him. Bring him in and lay him on the bed near the fireplace." The woman examined the boy and told the men that she needed some herbs, which they went and found for her. She crushed the herbs and made them into a tea which she gave the boy. "He needs to sleep for a while, but I think he's going to be fine."
While the boy was sleeping, Cat told her new grandfather, "We should tell my uncle at the fort that I'm ok. He will be worried about me."
So the chief asked the woman if she could write. When she said that she could, he asked her to please write a note that said, "The child called Wild Cat is alive and healthy. She will be returned to you when the time is right." The woman wrote the note, one of the men took it and rode close to the fort where he tied it to an arrow and shot it into one of the gates.
At first when the arrow struck the fort gate, the soldiers thought they were under attack but soon realized that they were mistaken. A soldier retrieved the arrow and attached note from the gate. When he read the note, he immediately took it to Rip. Rip was extremely glad to learn that his niece was alive and well and sent telegrams to the rest of the family informing them of the note's contents.
When the woman's husband returned home, he was surprised to see his home full of Apaches and a white girl dressed in buckskins. His wife explained about the boy being thrown from his horse and her husband assured their guests that they would never refuse help to anyone, no matter whom they were, and that they were welcome in his house any time. He brought in more wood for the fire and helped his wife prepare supper for their guests. Shortly after supper, the boy woke up and the woman fed him some soup and he went back to sleep. She told the men that he needed to rest for several days and they should come back in two days to get him. Before leaving, Cochise asked the couple's name and the man replied, "Michael and Elizabeth Walker."
While the men were talking, Elizabeth took Cat aside and asked if she was a prisoner. Cat just laughed and said, "No. I found them when I was out walking and they adopted me. Cochise adopted me as his granddaughter and Geronimo adopted me as his daughter. I am going to be a warrior when I grow up. I have an uncle who is a soldier at the fort, an uncle who is the Marshal in Dodge City, an uncle who has a big ranch in Virginia City and an aunt who has a big ranch in California."
"Where are your parents?"
"My father was killed in the war and my grandfather made my mother go away without me. I live with my uncle in Dodge City. I was visiting my uncle at the fort when I got bored and went for a walk. That's when I found them," she said pointing to the Apaches. "That's Little Bear on the bed. He's my friend. He taught me how to ride my pony. Is he going to be ok?"
"Yes, he's going to be fine. He just needs to sleep for a few days so his body can heal itself. Do you want to go back to your uncle at the fort?"
"My new grandfather said that he will take me back after he finishes teaching me how to be an Apache. I hope it takes a long time. I like being with them. They don't treat me like a baby. I'm going to be five soon and I'm not a baby any more!"
Elizabeth laughed, "No you're not. You're a pretty little girl who should not be treated like a baby any more. The problem is that parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles don't want babies to grow up. They want them to stay babies forever so they don't feel like they're getting older."
The men finished talking and the two chiefs rose to leave. Cochise called his new granddaughter, "Wild Cat, let's go. We need to go back to the Village."
"We can't leave Little Bear. His momma will miss him."
"He needs to stay here for a while. We will come back to get him in two days." Although Cat wanted to stay with Little Bear, she reluctantly followed the men out of the house and went back to the village with them. When they reached the village, Little Bear's mother was understandably upset that her son was not with the rest of the men. They told her what happened and assured her that the boy was being well taken care of and would return home in two days.
Two days later, the two chiefs along with the other men and Cat returned to the Walker house to see if Little Bear was ready to return home. On the way, they killed a deer as a gift for the Walkers for their kindness toward them and for taking care of Little Bear. When they reached the cabin, they found both Michael and Elizabeth waiting for them. Little Bear was completely healed and was showing his gratitude by bringing firewood into the house for the Walkers. His father dismounted, ran to his son, gave him a big hug and thanked Michael and Elizabeth profusely. He also gave them the deer he had killed. While he was talking with the Walkers, Cat turned to her adopted grandfather and said, "Grandfather, these people took good care of Little Bear and made him well again. Can we do something for them so everyone will know that they are good people and friends to the Apaches?"
"You are a good, thoughtful child Wild Cat. Yes, we will do something for them." Cochise turned to the other men and said something to them. Three of them hurried to find some stones, which they piled up in a pyramid shape near the farm gate. "Those stones will tell all who see them that these are good people and friends to the Apache. No Indian will ever harm them."
"Thank you Grandfather. Little Bear is my friend and these people were nice to him."
Before the small band returned to their village, Little Bear decided to take a good look at Cat's pony to see if she was taking care of him the right way. When the chiefs decided to adopt her, he had appointed himself her teacher and found that she was a willing pupil. It didn't take more than two days before she mastered riding a pony bareback and even though she was only four, her skill using a bow and arrow was equal to that of a six year old. After inspecting the pony, Little Bear told Cat, "He is getting fat. You are feeding him too much."
"I have to feed him a lot," she replied. "If I don't, he won't grow up to be a big, strong stallion."
Little Bear just laughed at his friend and pupil. "He is as big as he is going to get. He is a small pony for a small child. When you are bigger, you will get a bigger pony. Now, stop feeding him so much or he will get sick." Cat looked at her grandfather and father for help and they told her that Little Bear was right.
About a week later, before anyone else was awake, Cat took her bow and arrows, caught her pony and decided to go hunting by herself. She reasoned that if she was going to be a warrior, it was time she started acting like one and went hunting. She was determined to show everyone that she wasn't a baby and could do anything Little Bear did. So, early one morning, she gathered her things and crawled out under a side of the teepee so she wouldn't wake her adopted parents and went hunting. When Geronimo and his wife awoke and couldn't find Cat, they started searching everywhere for her. Little Bear told them that her pony was missing and he was going to look for her. Geronimo and some of the other men joined him. They searched for hours but could not find the missing girl. About two hours after the men returned to the village, Cat came riding in carrying six rabbits she had killed and gave them to Little Bear. "I am almost ready to be a warrior. I can ride and I can hunt but I don't know how to fix what I kill. You need to teach me how to do it."
"First I will take you to your parents and grandparents. They have been very worried about you and need to know that you are back and safe."
Little Bear took Cat to her family where she was given a good scolding. "You must never leave the village alone," Cochise told her. "There are many things out there you don't know about and some of them can kill you."
"I am not afraid Grandfather. I am almost a warrior and can take care of myself."
"You are not a warrior!" Geronimo yelled. "You are a four old child and I need to know where you are all the time. You will never leave this village again without someone else with you. We spent hours searching for you and worrying about you. Tomorrow when we go hunting, you will stay here and help your mother."
"I will not stay here and help mother! I am a warrior and I will go hunting with you!"
"You will do as you are told and stay here with your mother! You will not ride your pony again until I say you can!"
Cat pouted and stomped her feet. "I will not stay here! I am a warrior and I will go hunting whenever I want to!"
"If you disobey me, I will give your pony to another child and you will not have him any more!"
That made Cat very sad. She loved her pony and didn't want to lose him. "I will stay here tomorrow and after that I will go hunting again. Now I need to find Little Bear so he can teach me how to fix the rabbits I killed." She turned her back on the two chiefs and stomped off.
The men just laughed. "Now I know why the whites call her Wild Cat," said Geronimo. "It will be interesting to see what she is like when she is older. Her white family will have a very hard time controlling her."
Cochise laughed. "You are correct. She will be a handful when she grows up. It is almost time for her to go back. We will keep her for a little while longer and when she has learned as much as we can teach her for now, we will take her back."
"Yes, she will need to go back soon, but we still have a lot to teach her. One thing she needs to learn is discipline. She needs to learn when it is safe for her to go off alone and when it is not. She also needs to learn to listen to her elders and learn from their wisdom. I did not like threatening to take her pony away but it was the only way I could make her mind."
"I understand. She is very headstrong and will need a firm hand as she grows older. Otherwise she will be uncontrollable. We will do what we can while she is with us. After that, it will be up to her white family to teach her. Now, let us go and see what Little Bear is teaching our little Wild Cat."
While the two men were busy talking, Cat was busy telling all of her troubles to Little Bear. "It's not fair. I don't want to stay here with mother tomorrow. I want to go hunting with you. Father was wrong to say he would take my pony away if I did not stay here."
"No, Wild Cat, he was not wrong. You are still young and have a lot to learn. What would you have done if a rattlesnake had frightened your pony and he threw you? What would you have done if a cougar had jumped out of a tree at you? You are not yet skilled enough with a bow and arrow to kill a cougar. Your father and grandfather are correct. There are many things that you do not know yet and some of them could hurt or kill you. That is why they do not want you riding out alone. I am fourteen and still do not ride very far alone. As you grow older, stronger and wiser, you will be allowed to ride alone. Now watch and learn as I show you how to fix these rabbits. I will teach you how to dry the skins and your mother can teach you how to make things with them. Take the time while you are not allowed to ride to learn from your mother. She knows many things that you will need to know as you grow older. There is more to being a warrior than hunting and fighting. Every warrior knows how to clean and cook what they kill. They also know how to make their own clothes. When we are altogether in the village, the women do the cooking and sewing but when the men are out hunting or with war parties, they have to cook their own food and sew their own clothes. Now, promise me that you will never ride off alone again. If you want to go hunting and I am not busy, I will go with you but you must not go alone. When you are allowed to leave the village, I will teach you how to fish, but just like with hunting, you must not go alone."
Cat promised that she would not go riding off alone any more and watched as Little Bear skinned one rabbit. Then he gave her his knife and held her hand as he showed her how to do three more of them. He watched as she did the last two, offering advice and praise. When all six had been skinned, he showed her how to stretch the skins. Once that had been done, he told her to take the rabbits to her mother and ask to learn how to cook them. The two chiefs watched, amazed as Cat did as she was told without arguing. They asked Little Bear how he got her to do what she was told without arguing. He told them that they were friends and instead of yelling at her, he talked to her like a friend and explained that there were many things that she needed to learn before she could become a warrior.
Cat took the rabbits to her Apache mother and asked to be shown how to cook them. The woman was surprised at her adopted daughter's request but gladly showed her how to make a stew from them. Cat watched and helped her Apache mother make supper for their small family. When it was finished, there was more than enough for three people, so Cat was told to go and ask Little Bear and his parents to join them as he had shown her how to clean the rabbits. Little Bear's parents gladly accepted the invitation and the six of them enjoyed the meal together. During the meal, Little Bear poked Cat and she asked, "Mother, tomorrow will you please teach me how to make something from the rabbit skins?" The woman was shocked at the request from her adopted daughter but gladly agreed.
The next day the men went hunting and Cat stayed behind with her Apache mother. "Bring the rabbit pelts and I will teach you how to make mittens and a hat to keep you warm this winter," the woman told the girl. When Cat returned with the rabbit pelts, the woman told her, "Bring me a large piece of doe skin." Cat did as she was told and the woman showed her how to measure enough of it and the rabbit skins to make a pair of mittens and a hat. Then she showed cat how to cut the doe and rabbit skins, how to sew the rabbit skins inside the doe skin and then sew the pieces together and attach strips of doe skin to the hat to tie it under her chin.
When the men and Little Bear returned from hunting, Cat ran to greet them and showed them the hat and mittens she had made with the help of her adopted mother. They received great praise from Little Bear, his father, Geronimo and Cochise. The men had killed several deer and had brought them back to the village where they would be dressed and prepared to eat. Cat wanted to help dress the deer but Little Bear gently told her that she could watch, but she was still too small to help. Cat didn't like being told that she was too small to help but watched the men and asked questions while they worked. The men gladly answered her questions and showed her how to stretch the deer hides so that they would dry. Then Geronimo cut off a large piece of meat, handed it to Cat and told her to take it to her mother, which she did. That night, Cat learned how to roast deer meat and vegetables.
From then on, as long as Cat lived with the Apaches, whenever she disobeyed and balked at having to stay in the village instead of going hunting, Geronimo threatened to take her pony away and she reluctantly stayed in the village.
The next day, Geronimo rode alone to the Walker house and spoke with them. He asked Elizabeth to write another note to let the soldiers know that Cat was alive and well and would be returned to them soon. Elizabeth said that instead of writing another note, she would go to the fort in the morning and tell the soldiers that she had seen Cat, who was indeed alive and healthy and would be returning to them soon. Shortly after breakfast the next morning, Elizabeth saddled her horse and rode to the fort. As she approached the fort, the soldier on guard duty called the Corporal to let him know that a rider was approaching the fort. The Corporal went out, greeted Elizabeth and asked how he could help her. "I need to speak with the man who is the uncle of a girl called Wild Cat," she replied. "I have a message for him about his niece."
The Corporal led Elizabeth's horse into the fort and over to Rip's office. He helped her dismount and escorted her up the stairs where he knocked on the office door. Rip opened the door and the Corporal said, "Lieutenant, this is Mrs. Walker and she has news of your niece."
Rip was extremely happy to hear the Corporal's news, thanked him and invited Elizabeth into his office. "Please sit down Mrs. Walker. My name is Rip Masters and I am very anxious to hear anything you can tell me about my niece. I have been searching for Cat as much as I can ever since she disappeared from here."
"Your niece is alive and well Lieutenant. I have seen and spoken with her several times. She is healthy and happy. She was adopted by two Apache chiefs as their daughter and granddaughter and has become great friends with a fourteen year old boy I nursed back to health after he was thrown from his horse. She is a bright, active girl who says she likes living with the Apaches because they don't treat her like a baby. They gave her a pony and she rides very well. She has also learned how to use a bow and arrows and how to hunt. Ever since I nursed the boy back to health, they occasionally bring a deer they have killed, to my husband and I. The last time they came with a deer, your niece was with them and gave me some rabbits she had killed. She says that she is going to be a warrior when she grows up, seems to always want to get her own way and does not like to be told no."
Rip laughed out loud when he heard that last statement. "That describes Cat to a tee. She has always been headstrong and does not like it when she does not get her own way. Her older cousin was the one who started calling her Wild Cat. He said that she is as wild as the West Texas wind and harder to tame.
"The only one who seems to be able to get her to listen is the boy they call Little Bear. Cat seems to look up to him as an older brother and he treats and talks to her as a friend and a brother. She is also a thoughtful child. When they returned to get Little Bear after he recovered from his fall, she asked the chief she calls Grandfather to do something nice for my husband and I because we had been kind to Little Bear. They piled some stones up near the gate to our farm and said they meant we were friends and would never be harmed. I was asked to tell you that your niece will be returning to you soon. Her adopted father says she will not want to come back to you but it is necessary. He said that he will send word with me when it is time for her to come back and ask you to meet him. He seems to be an honorable man Lieutenant and loves your niece as a father loves a child. You need not fear for her safety while she is with them. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to return home. I have many things to do before my husband comes in from working the farm. I will bring you news of your niece when I have something to tell you." Elizabeth rose to go and Rip got up and escorted her to the door.
When they got outside, he told the soldier holding her horse to find the Corporal and tell him that he was needed. When the Corporal arrived, Rip instructed him to take two men and escort Elizabeth back to her farm. "That isn't necessary Lieutenant. The Apaches won't hurt me."
"I know that the Apaches won't hurt you, but there are other things out there that will hurt you. These men will see you safely back to your farm and will ensure that you are not bothered by any wild animals on the journey there." Rip shook Elizabeth's hand, thanked her profusely for her news and helped her mount her horse. "Please do let me know when you have more news of Cat. I love her very much and miss her terribly." Elizabeth promised and rode off with her escort.
It was getting close to Cat's birthday and a few weeks later, her adopted father and grandfather told her it was almost time for her to go back to her white family. She had learned almost everything they could teach her for the time being and now it was time for her to go and learn from her white family again. Cat did not want to leave the Apaches but Cochise told her, "If you are the child the legend spoke of, you must learn to live in both the white man's and red man's world. Otherwise you will not be able to fulfill your destiny. You will always be my granddaughter and I will always be your grandfather. Little Bear will always be your friend and brother. We are your family now and nothing will ever change that. You will come back every year and we will teach you more of what it means to be an Apache so that if you are the child the legend speaks of, you will eventually be able to fulfill your destiny."
Cat wasn't happy about what she was being told she had to do, but she did not argue any more. Several days later, Geronimo rode to the Walker farm and asked Elizabeth if she would go to the fort and ask Wild Cat's uncle to please meet him and Cochise in three days at a nearby lake. They needed to talk to him about his niece who would be returning to him shortly and he would come to no harm. Elizabeth promised to go to the fort the next morning and after breakfast; she rode to the fort and asked to speak with Rip. When she gave him her message, he readily agreed to meet the men at the lake in two days. Elizabeth rode back to her farm where she found Little Bear waiting for her. She told him that Wild Cat's uncle had agreed to meet her adopted father and grandfather at the lake in two days and he rode back to the village with the news.
Two days later, Rip rode out alone and met the two chiefs at the lake. He was suspicious at first but when he realized they were alone and did not mean to harm him, he began to relax. The chiefs greeted him warmly and offered him some of the rabbit they were cooking. He accepted and sat down and began to talk with them. They told him how Cat had found their hunting party and demanded to be taken for a ride and then demanded to be fed when they returned from the ride. Then they told him how she snuck off to go hunting by herself to prove that she was ready to be a warrior. Rip laughed out loud. "Yes, what you describe sounds exactly like something Cat would do. She is not afraid of anything and that worries me because as we all know, there are many things in this world that would harm her. The rest of the family and I hope and pray that she becomes more cautious as she grows older. We love her very much and don't want anything to happen to her."
"We also love her," said Geronimo. I have adopted her as my daughter and Cochise has adopted her as his granddaughter. She is a favorite in our village and we will miss her, but it is almost time for her to return to you. We have taught her almost everything we can for now, but we have a request before we return her to you. We would like her to return to us for two weeks every year so we can teach her more of what she needs to know."
"Why did you decide to adopt her and make her part of your tribe instead of returning her to the fort?" asked Rip.
Cochise replied, "We were going to return her to the fort when she told us her name. Wild Cat. My grandfather spoke of a legend that says, 'A white child with an Indian name will help to bring peace between white and red men.' I do not know if she is the child or not, but I needed to find out. It is still too soon to tell because she is so young, but we will know in time. That is why we would like her to return to us for two weeks every year. If Wild Cat is the child the legend spoke of, she needs to learn to live in both the red and white man's worlds so she can fulfill her destiny."
Rip thought about what he had just been told and replied, "Yes, I agree, she should spend time with you. It is obvious that you love her as much as her family and I do. Even if she is not the child the legend speaks of, it will be good for her to learn from you. I will send a telegram to my brother who is raising her and tell him that she needs to spend time with you as well as her family. I think he will say yes when I tell him it is very important that she do so. She will be starting school soon, so she will only be able to come here when school is not in session. I will send the telegram to my brother as soon as I return to the fort. When I get his reply, I will tell Elizabeth Walker and she can tell you when you visit her and her husband again."
"Thank you Rip Masters. You are an honorable man. If the rest of Wild Cat's white family is as honorable as you are, she is a very fortunate child," said Cochise. "There is one other thing. We gave her a pony and she is very fond of him. We would like her to keep the pony when she returns to your brother's care. I know that she would be very sad if she had to leave him behind."
"I don't think that will be a problem. I will send telegrams and see if some of my nephews will come with me when I take her back to my brother. A pony cannot run behind a stage coach and I cannot take soldiers with me to return my niece to my brother, so some of my nephews will need to help. I do not want to risk her riding off alone and getting lost or hurt."
"Do not worry. We will ask Little Bear to make her promise to stay with you when you take her back to your brother. He is her friend and thinks of her as his sister. He has taught her many things and she listens to him more than she listens to us. Geronimo has to threaten to take her pony away from her in order to get her to stay in the village when she has done something wrong."
"Thank you for that information. My brother will appreciate knowing how to control her. He said he spanked her once and she just laughed at him, so he tries other things like telling her she cannot do something she likes doing. She pouts and stomps her feet, but usually does as she is told so she does not lose a privilege. I wish I could send Little Bear to my brother along with Cat since he seems to be one person she listens to."
Both chiefs laughed. "Even though he is only fourteen, we are thinking of giving Little Bear an eagle feather and making him a chief because he can make Wild Cat listen and do as she is told," said Cochise. "From the way you talk, he may be the only person whom she will listen to."
"There is one other person," said Rip. "My nephew, Joe, is also fourteen and Cat will listen to him. They share a birthday and Joe has always been fond of his younger cousin. She was born on his tenth birthday and they are close. I know that when I send a telegram to my brother in law asking for his two older sons to help take Cat back to Dodge, Joe will want to come along with them. I need to go and send my telegrams to the family. They will be happy to learn that Cat will soon be back with us."
The three men rose and shook hands. Rip returned to the fort to send his telegrams and the chiefs returned to their village to prepare Cat to return to her family. Rip sent his telegrams and the family was very happy to hear that their little Wild Cat would soon be back with them. Matt wasn't happy about letting her spend two weeks a year with the Apaches but since Rip said it was very important, he gave his permission. When Ben received his telegram, he read it aloud to his sons. Adam and Hoss said that they would leave for Arizona the following day. Joe volunteered to go along too. "Let me go Pa. Cat might not listen to Adam and Hoss, but she'll listen to me. She always has."
"You are not going with your brothers young man. You have almost a month of school left and exams to study for. It is too close to the end of the year for you to miss two weeks of school. Your exams are too important and I do not want you to fail them. Cat will listen to Rip, Adam and Hoss." Joe continued to argue with his father when his brothers stepped in and threatened to dump him in the water trough if he didn't stop. The next morning, a very unhappy, frustrated fourteen year old boy watched his older brothers leave for Arizona. His father had to remind him of the consequences of being late for school before he mounted his horse and started for school.
The day after receiving the replies to his telegrams, Rip rode out to the Walker farm where he was warmly greeted by both of them and invited into the house for some coffee. "Hello Michael. Hello Elizabeth. Would you please give a message to the chiefs for me? Please tell them that my brother said that Cat will be allowed to spend two weeks with them every year and that my nephews will be here in four days. I'm sorry that I can't stay for coffee. This business with my niece has put me behind on my work at the fort. I need to get caught up and try to get ahead before taking her back to my brother in Dodge." The Walkers assured him that they would relay his messages to the chiefs as soon as they saw them, which they did.
The meeting was arranged for Cat to go back to her family and five days later, Rip, Adam, Hoss, and the Walkers met the chiefs, Little Bear and Cat at the lake where Rip and the chiefs had met. They shared a meal and although Cat was glad to see her uncle and cousins, she did not want to go back to Dodge with them. "I am not going back to Uncle Matt," she said. I am going to stay here and become a warrior! I love Uncle Matt but I want to stay here! Besides that, Uncle Matt treats me like a baby sometimes."
Before any of the adults could say anything, Little Bear spoke up. "Wild Cat, we have talked about this. You will come to stay with us every year but now you have to go back to your white family. If you do not go with them, I will take your pony and give him to my little brother. He is almost old enough to ride now. If you run away from your white family, I will not be your friend or brother any more. You must promise to stay with them, especially on the journey to your other uncle. Remember what I told you about there being many things that could hurt or kill you and you are not yet strong enough to kill a cougar or a bear. Your uncle and cousins will protect you, but you must stay with them. Your other uncle will not treat you like a baby if you do not act like one. You are almost five years old and are too big to act like a baby."
Cat was sad at Little Bear's words but promised to stay with her uncle and cousins on the trip to Dodge. Little Bear hugged his friend, put her on his horse and took her for one last ride around the lake. When they returned, he hugged her again, put her on her pony and told her to go with her uncle and cousins, which she did. Once they arrived at the fort, Adam and Hoss tried to watch her every minute, which made her angry. "Stop watching me all the time. I am not a baby. I said I would stay with you and I will. If I don't, Little Bear will be very angry with me. Now, go away and stop watching me!" Cat stormed off toward the stables to see her pony. When Adam tried to follow her, she turned around and kicked him. "I told you to stop watching me. I wish that Little Joe had come instead of you. He wouldn't keep watching me because he knows that I would keep my promise. Now leave me alone!"
Hoss watched the interaction between his brother and their cousin and laughed. "She hasn't changed a bit, has she Adam? She's still our little Wild Cat. When she says to leave her alone, she means it. It's a wonder the Apaches put up with her this long. I'm surprised they didn't take her back to Rip as soon as they found out what a handful she is."
"I don't know Hoss. I guess they had their reasons for keeping her as long as they did. It's too bad we can't take the boy, Little Bear with us on the trip to Dodge. He and Joe seem to be the only ones who can handle her. I hope she doesn't give us too much trouble on the way."
"I don't think she will Adam. She promised the boy in front of everyone that she wouldn't run off. It's going to be an interesting trip. I can't wait to find out what she's learned from the Apaches."