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you have come to a far corner of the mountains. Here, we must protect ourselves .”
    The eyes of Ira and John were full of angst as they watched him unfasten his gun belt and lay it in the wagon on top of his poncho.
    â€œDomingo,” Caleb said, “if you were us, what would you do?”
    â€œIf I were you I would arm myself and do what is necessary to protect my family.” Domingo spoke matter-of-factly, but he could not hide a little smirk—Caleb’s young friend knew what the Amish answer would be.
    It was John who confirmed it. “We cannot do this.”
    Ira’s face flushed red and he jabbed a finger at Domingo. “We will not do this! Better to die once than burn in hell forever.”
    Domingo cocked his head as if something about Ira puzzled him, but he said nothing.
    Caleb sighed. Despite his own misgivings it had become clear that his neighbors would never rest until he made an appeal to the government for help. He laid a calming hand on Ira’s shoulder.
    â€œI believe it is our Christian duty to make peace with all men as far as we are able and trust Gott to protect us, but mebbe there is something more we can do. The hacendado once told me about a man in Monterrey, a Señor Montoya, the government official who decides where to send troops. I did not want to appeal to him, but mebbe if it would help you sleep easier, I suppose it would do no harm to write a letter. Perhaps we can persuade him to send a few troops to Paradise Valley.”
    Domingo shook his head. “It is too easy for a bureaucrat to ignore a letter from a gringo, Herr Bender. He probably will do nothing anyway, but if you want his attention you must go to Monterrey and talk to him yourself.”
    After a lengthy discussion they decided it was best to present a united front; there was strength in numbers. All three of them would go to Monterrey, along with Domingo.

    The trip took a whole week. Driving home, as he came back into Paradise Valley, Caleb could see Mamm from a great distance, watching him from the driveway. Nervous ever since Domingo thwarted the bandit attack on Saltillo Road, she fretted constantly when any of her family was away from home.
    Over supper Caleb told everyone what had happened in Monterrey.
    â€œWe had to wait two whole days just to get in,” he said. “Señor Montoya’s office was in a big fancy building with marble floors and tall columns. After two days waiting, he listened to us for five minutes and then told us he could not help us. He waved his arms and said there is trouble everywhere in Mexico, little uprisings here and there because of rumors about the new government shutting down the Catholic churches. The federales at his disposal are all very busy, and he could not be concerned with a handful of yanqui farmers who were not even born in his country. He also said it costs a lot of money to feed soldiers and buy horses for them. After we left Monterrey on the train going back to Arteaga to get the buggy, Domingo told us that this last thing Señor Montoya said was all that really mattered.”
    Mamm’s head tilted. “You mean about the money?”
    â€œJah. Señor Montoya was hinting that he wanted money for himself. This is how it works with the officials here. If you want something, you have to pay somebody to get it. If you don’t want to pay, then get out of the way because there is always someone else who will pay.”
    Mamm’s face fell then, first into a puzzled frown, and then into a kind of weary acceptance.
    â€œWe don’t have that much money, do we?”
    Caleb shook his head, and the same weary look came into his eyes.
    â€œNo, Mamm,” he said quietly. “We don’t.”

Chapter 9
    B y mid-July Caleb’s corn was in and he needed to make a trip to Saltillo to sell some of it. The new irrigation well across the valley was finished, so John Hershberger went along to buy a windmill.