The High Chaparral Episode: Ten Little Indians

One of the outstanding episodes of the television western series "The High Chaparral" * was an episode called, "Ten Little Indians," a fictional story using the real Apache leader Geronimo. In these times now, decades removed from the time the episode was filmed, it seems to fit with our nation's troubled and exploited questions about helping people who might be a bit different from us in some ways, even children, in danger and in need. Many Americans seem to have been appalled by the revelation that many children, perhaps numbering in the thousands, have been taken from their parents at the southern border. I can't help but wonder how many supporters of such a policy call themselves "Christians." You can be a hater or you can be a Christian, but you can't be both at the same time. This has nothing to do with my personal beliefs about religion, but rather it is about one of the main principles of Christianity. Anyway, the episode shows what Americans do. These aren't cringing Americans who are having their fears exploited by a self centered pompous ass, but they are Americans who have questions, and they are Americans who rise to the principles and ideals of the nation and what it has represented for so long to people looking for a better life, and to people in desperate need. These Americans in the story fed and clothed the children, they did not put them in cages. 

Buck (played by Cameron Mitchell) and Blue (played by Mark Slade) come across two Apache boys. We're never told their ages, but maybe the oldest is about 10 or 12. Their camp has been attacked by an enemy tribe, the Pima, and the adults have all been killed. Buck and Blue feed the two boys and then the two men set off for home, only to notice that the two boys are following them on horseback. During an attack by some Pima warriors, the boys disappear. The attack is broken up by Buck and Blue and the guys set off again, only to notice the horse is again following behind, but it now holds FOUR Apache boys. When the group arrives at the High Chaparral ranch, Big John (played by Leif Erickson) hears Buck's story, but he is concerned that the Apaches in the area will track the young boys to the ranch and that this could then cause trouble. John's wife, Victoria (played by Linda Cristal), persuades John to let her feed and take care of the children for a couple of days, until they are strong enough to travel back to their home area. The oldest boy makes the sign of the cross to Big John, and a translation by ranch hand Vaquero (played by Rodolfo Acosta) brings some laughter from the other assembled ranch hands and Cannon family members, as the boy thinks Big John is really John the Apostle, because he is willing to help feed and care for children.

The ranch takes on new life and purpose as the ranch hands are happy to have the children around. Then, as Victoria is outside, she discovers two new Apache children hiding by the house; this time, two girls, the youngest of which takes a liking to Big John, whose rough and tumble exterior cannot compete with the personality of his little admirer, who tugs not only at his pant leg, but at his heart. Vaquero finds out that the oldest boy is named "Choddi" (played by Armando Islas), AND that he is the grandson of none other than Geronimo. Now Big John is really worried, because he believes the Pima will attack so they can get hold of Geronimo's grandson, but that Geronimo will attack because he doesn't know the circumstances as to why his grandson and the other children are at the ranch. John decides to go and find Geronimo the next day, but that night Choddi uses a lantern to signal someone outside the ranch, only to be stopped by Big John. You have to pay close attention to keep count of the children, but we see the two girls are sleeping separately, and then we see the four boys. By morning, Manolito (played by Henry Darrow) counts the boys and there are six boys; thus EIGHT children. Then the ranch hands see and hear a little Apache child crying. Buck and Blue go to the rescue, only to find another girl collapsed on the ground with the smaller child, now making for a total of TEN.

John and the men go out to find Geronimo, who is not hard to find, if you get my drift. Geronimo thinks there is some trick afoot, because Big John is not asking for any ransom for his grandson or the other children. John convinces Geronimo to come to the ranch and get the children himself. When they all arrive, the children have disappeared, prompting the suspicious Geronimo to give Big John a few hours to get the children and return them to him and his band of warriors.

John and the men find the children hiding in some brush outside the ranch (the implication "seems" to be that Choddi wanted everyone safe, if the Pima returned). With John and the whole ranch staff gathered around, Choddi utters a sentence in ENGLISH! John tells him that he is not an apostle, but just a man trying to do the best he can for all involved. Choddi says that John may not be a holy man, but that he is a good man. He tells how he and some other Apache children had their parents killed when they were small, and that they were taken in by Catholic clergy, which is how Choddi and some of the others learned about John the Apostle. They then later returned to their Apache people. In a touching moment, Choddi tells how the padres who helped him explained how a man must take responsibility for those entrusted to his care. Choddi says that the parents of all of these children had been killed and that he is all they have. Even though he is still young, he is trying to be a man and fulfill his responsibility by seeing that these children are cared for. John tells Choddi that he will be a great Apache chief one day. One of the men calls out that Geronimo is coming, but it turns out to be a group of Pima moving in to attack. Victoria takes the other children inside, but Choddi stays outside and even alerts Big John to a Pima who has gotten inside the ranch yard. Now on the other side of the ranch appears Geronimo and his warriors. They charge forward and Choddi opens the gate to let them get through to the Pima, who flee at the sight of the Apaches.

Geronimo gets his grandson and the other children, but it is something of a time of mixed emotions for the people of the High Chaparral, who have taken the children into their hearts, and who will miss them. 

* For more general information about the television series "The High Chaparral," here is the link:   http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-high-chaparral-excellent-western.html

Photo is from the 2018 Shout Factory The High Chaparral Season Two DVD set 

WORD HISTORY:
Apostle-This is actually a prefixed word, with a prefix that is also part of the word "apology," a word of Greek derivation that was borrowed by Latin, that passed it on to Latin-based French, and English then borrowed it. This prefix is also distantly related through Indo European to English "of" and to "off," both words from the Germanic roots of English. The prefix goes back to Indo European "apo," which had the notion of, "away, away from," which gave Ancient Greek "apo," with the meaning "from, of, off." The main body of "apostle" is distantly related to English "stall" (place for animals), a word from the Germanic roots of English. It goes back to Indo European "stel," which had the notion, "to place, to put, to set," and this gave transliterated Ancient Greek "stellein," which meant, "to send;" from the idea of, "to place or put something somewhere." Together Greek had transliterated "apóstolos," meaning, "someone who is sent out or sent forth;" thus, "a messenger, a representative." Latin borrowed the word as "apostolus," and this was borrowed by Old English (Anglo-Saxon) as "apostol." Later (1500s?) the spelling was influenced by French "apostle." Long associated with Christianity and the 12 disciples, "apostle" also later broadened in meaning beyond religion to, "someone advocating a particular political or governing belief or set of beliefs."