EAGLE: A Yaqui Warrior's Tale

by Phillip Lee Edwards

DESCRIPTIONMiguel Casado becomes a soldier in the unit commanded by his father, Manuel, who is a Captain in the Yaqui Military Society. Miguel distinguishes himself in several battles with the state militias of the neighboring provinces of Mexico. The governors of the nearby states order to increase production and better feed the cities of their country. Diaz sends troops to forcibly remove the Yaqui from their ancient homeland. After defeating the Yaqui forces, they enslave more than twenty thousand of the people and ship them to the Yucatan as slave labor.Manuel Casado leads his family and two loyal warriors to seek sanctuary in the high mountains of Mexico. While Miguel is seeking his vision for his future as a warrior, bandits massacre Miguel’s family. He buries the victims then tracks down and kills every member of the robber band. After avenging his family, Miguel leaves Mexico and travels to New Mexico where his aunt an d uncle have a rancho where Miguel is warmly received and elects to stay on and live with them. To help make the mortgage payments on the rancho, Miguel takes a job as a scout with the US Cavalry as a scout.When he is discharged at the end of his four year enlistment, Miguel returns to his new home to find that an Apache war party has raided the ranch, tortured and killed everyone there and burned down the buildings. Although he is no longer on the army payroll, he guides a troop of cavalry to the Apache’s camp and the soldiers kill most of the Apaches. The leader and eight warriors escape across the border into Mexico where they ambush the party of Mexican Ambassador Antonio Alvarez killing is two escorts and wounding the Ambassador.The army could not pursue the Apaches into Mexico, so Miguel is alone as he follows them. He finds them besieging the Ambassador and takes the Apaches by surprise. Caught in crossfire between Miguel and the Ambassador, all of the Apaches are killed. Miguel treats Antonio’s wounds and agrees to ride with him during the remainder of his trip home to his rancho. As they ride, t he two men learn more about each other and become friends. Miguel finds yet another new home at, Antonio’s rancho which he has named “Eagles’ Nest.”

60 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 16, 2013