The Knight´s Legacy

Territory of Chubut- Patagonia

HEADWATERS OF THE RÍO SENGUER

TERRITORY OF CHUBUT

ARGENTINE PATAGONIA

JANUARY 1886

Juan Murray Thomas gathered his men around the flag planted in the center of the vivaq. Colonel Fontana, head of the unit, had departed in one of his trips in search of fossils, mineral specimens and vegetables accompanied by a local guide, and in his absence it was Thomas who remained in command, although he had no actual military rank. He addressed the troop in his correct but laborious Spanish, even knowing that he should after translate part of the instructions to some Welsh members.

“Evans, we are short of meat. As you are the best shooter go with another man you choose and get some edible prey. Near the river it will more likely to get it than  in all the way that we did through the steppe. Calvo and Davies you go find a good place to establish a stable camp. And you Thomas.” He then told Tomás Williams. “Ride behind those hills and find out what is there on the other side. Don't stay away too long and don´t go too far, since you don't know the terrain.”

When he heard him Williams, the youngest member of the  Company, born in Argentina of Welsh parents, felt a sudden enthusiasm for the task which had been assigned since it was the first time they assigned him for patrolling unaccompanied.

“Sir, can I carry one of the Remingtons?”

“Well, if I give you one and man task  you can surely carry a weapon suitable for men.”  agreed Thomas.

After a brief breakfast consisting of charque -that meat dried to the sol consumed at the Argentine countryside- and a mate infusion the men who have had assigned tasks left to comply with them. Thomas rode on his horse, an old zaino belonging to his family and loaded the rifle along with a good amount of ammunition and some supplies. Carrying the Remington with him was a source of pride as well as a responsibility so the boy was excited by this sort of initiation.

He rode sparingly since the beginning knowing that the journey would be long and perhaps hard. Slowly ascended by bare hills, taking his horse to the step and perking his view  trying to discern the distinctive features of the landscape. When he reached the top of the first hill he stopped and looked all round about. The infinite landscape of the southern steppe through which the Company had come only crossed by the meandering course of the river which they had followed up to there startled him once again. The boy was born in those endless extensions that may look monotonous at times but that generate in their children an exultant sense of freedom, a spontaneous joy that at his young age was not yet darkened by concerns.

He continued into the hills, gentle but of increasing height. The vegetation was still sparse and scattered among the rough stones, and the only fauna was represented by some large-sized birds planning high in the sky.

“Condors.” Tomás told himself observing their flight with a mixture of admiration and shock. Indeed right from the steppe area close to the mountains appear the huge Andean prey birds eager to detect from great height their victims in the austral summer, never too abundant in the Patagonian desert.

After a couple of hours riding the young man approached an elevation higher than the contour, eager to get a wide view of the lands stretching west of the hills top. The last stretch was particularly hard for the horse because of the steep slope and the loose stones that impeded the passage so that Thomas had to focus on spurring the animal and guiding it through the windings of the slope. He was therefore not prepared for the show that unfolded before his eyes across the top. The panorama, appearing suddenly momentarily cut his breath and filled his soul with joy. At the front and at the foot of the hill on whose summit was a beautiful lake of brilliant turquoise waters and generous dimensions that filled his retina for several seconds. Screening with the left hand over his eyes so as to avoid or mitigate the effects of dazzling sun slowly advancing in its march to the west, he saw on the opposite shore of the lake a forest of cypress and ñires, the first trees he saw since he arrived at the steppe with his peers. He found that the forest extended over hills and valleys as far as the eye could reach. In the background, wrapped between shreds of clouds high snowy peaks gleamed in the sunlight, still high in the long summer day on these southern latitudes. Thomas remained ecstatic a long time at the prospect until the reflection of the sun on one of the snowy peaks of the horizon woke him up. He spurred his horse down to the lake, to which the animal willingly agreed sniffing the water always scarce in the previous days. The way down to the water mirror bristled with loose rocks and thorny bushes, so man and beast walked carefully.

In its descent Thomas distinguished some movement among some bushes close to the lakeside and forced his horse to go in that direction as he pulled the rifle from its holster. This precaution proved providential in view of what immediately was to happen. The movements, of unknown origin, raised powder so it did not allow him to distinguish what was happening, but slowly the young discerned the figure of a puma, the great American feline struggling with something that certainly was his prey. Thomas had just spotted pumas once in his life, and at great distances. Thinking that the victim was a deer of some sort the boy raised his rifle hoping for a suitable angle to rein the horse, aim and fire. Suddenly he realized that the victim assailed by the cougar was a human being, apparently an Indian. There was no time to lose! One more minute and the man would be victim of the fierce tusks. Tomás stopped completely the horse, brought the gun to his shoulder rapidly took aim and pulled the trigger all without thinking. The recoil of the rifle almost sent him down from his horse but he could rebuild their situation. A chilling roar followed the action accompanied by groans. The boy loaded cautiously the rifle before approaching, because wounded are often doubly dangerous beasts. When the dust settled saw the puma still moving so fired a second time, hitting the heart and killing the beast. Near the body of the puma the human figure was motionless and without sounds. Thomas approached with caution, finding that indeed was an Indian. He rested his rifle on his forearm, ready for any contingency. He dismounted and knelt a foot away from the fallen. He was face down, covered in blood and with his bare tattered clothes. The young man came back with caution, unsure what to do but trying not to worsen his injuries. As he saw his face he checked with regret that it was a boy, almost a child. Reassured about the possibility of being attacked put his ear on the chest of the man down perceiving relieved a slight beat. Still confused  after meditating his steps and remember instructions received in the management of injuries Tomás carried the Indian to the lakeshore, performed a tourniquet on a deep bleeding wound in the arm using a piece of cloth he had for mixed-use, and washed injuries to prevent infection from the claws and teeth of the puma. When he felt that his situation was stabilized, covered him the wounded with his blanket, mounted his horse and started back to vivaq of the Company of Riflemen of Chubut. The day was full of emotions and events and the boy could barely contain his eagerness to tell his teammates what he had seen and acted.

Arriving Tomás found that Colonel Fontana was back. When the youth exposed his story to the sentinel they took him immediately to the military, whom  he had to explain his findings including the issue of Indian boy. He spoke to Fontana with respect to this remarkable man inspired, but safely.

“Did you find a suitable site to establish a base camp?”

“Yes, my Colonel, on the shores of the lake there is a small elevated plateau, with trees around to protect us from the midday sun. The space is sufficient for our tents. In addition there is enough grass for the horses.”

“Good observer! I am pleased with your progress and will tell your father about them when we come back.”

Tomás cracked down a skip; a recommendation from the Colonel Fontana for a young person was not to take on deaf ears. The military was a man respected by his subordinates and by all those who knew him, for his leader -hard but humanitarian- qualities, and was deemed a good connoisseur of men. Colonel retired and Tomás met with his comrades, who offered him to drink and eat as he was somewhat dehydrated by the prolonged exposure to the relentless summer sun.

Rushed to help the wounded Indian they raised the vivaq in the evening and made their way to the Lake following the indications of the young. Arriving at the selected site to set up camp on the shore of the Lake, they found the Indian boy still alive yet but dam high fevers, so the company health responsible devoted him to the cure of wounds.

“He has an opportunity to live.” The paramedic informed Fontana. “Let´s wait and see how the infection of his wounds evolves. Having cleaned them immediately surely prevented a greater infection. In addition, the tourniquet was fairly well applied, I see that my instructions during the course of first aid were not in vain.”

The Colonel gave instructions to forward the news to the young Williams, who ultimately was responsible for the Indian to be alive.

Fontana delegated in Tomás the establishment of a camp to spend several days and recover the strength of men and beasts after the grueling journey through the desert, given the favorable circumstance of having good-quality and abundant fresh water.