“Maybe the Comanches won’t bother us,” Jane said. “They’ve kept their distance so far.”
“They’d rather not tangle with a group as big as ours if they can avoid it,” Whipple said. “But once they realize that we intend t’ stay here, they’ll be comin’ t’ discourage us.” He pointed at a connecting valley. “The land beyond opens onto a grassy plain about eight miles that a-way. I don’t know how far west it goes but all the herd animals use it. When the buffalo are migratin’, y’ can hardly see from one side t’other of the herd. The Comanches can’t risk losin’ that huntin’ ground. They’ll fight t’ the death t’ protect it.”
Thomas leaned on his saddle horn. “What shall we call it?”
“Van Buskirk Ranch, of course,” Jane replied.
“Too long.”
“Ah. I like that.”
“Like what?” Thomas asked.
“Too Long Ranch. It sounds kind of oriental.”
“That’s stupid, Jane.”
“How about Two Alone Ranch then?”
“Two alone,” he repeated. “I like that.”
November 1, 1829
Two Alone Ranch, Coahuila, Mexican Province of Tejas
When the stockade was completed in October, Thomas had decided to cut out the older cows and drive them to the market in San Felipe de Austin. A month and a half later, he returned with eleven cowhands, a mason, two carpenters, a blacksmith, two cooks, six fugitive slaves and eight women.
“Those women are whores, Thomas,” Jane insisted.
He chuckled. “That must be why they wanted to come back with me even though I wouldn’t agree to pay them.”
“It’s not funny. Your sister and her baby will be here in the spring. Other families will be following soon. We can’t have those kinds of women here.”
“Every one of them can load and shoot.” He handed her a roll of money.
She counted it quickly. “Is this all?”
“Yes; after I paid the Mexican tax collector at the stockyard.”
“How much was the tax?”
“Fifty percent.”
“What?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t want to start a fight with the Mexican army so I paid.”
“With all the extra men to keep off the Comanches we just can’t make it on half the market price, Thomas.”
“I know. Next year when we’re ready for roundup we’ll drive them to New Orleans.”
“New Orleans? Do you know how far that is?”
“Not exactly but that doesn’t matter. If other ranchers are doing it, we can too.”
“What about the eight women you brought back from San Felipe?”
“They can come to New Orleans too, if they want.”
“That isn’t what I meant.”
“I know.”
“Where are they going to live?”
“They have tents.”
“No. I won’t have it.”
“Okay. Then you go tell them.”
“Fine.”
He waited. “Well? Are you going to tell them?”
“Later.”
He laughed.
December 25, 1829
Two Alone Ranch, Coahuila, Mexican Province of Tejas
“Merry Christmas,” Jane said, raising her glass. “God bless us every one.”
“Hear, hear,” a chorus of voices replied.
They were all assembled in the long house which served as a mess hall and meeting place. Jane, Thomas, Miguel, who was the honcho of vaqueros, and Captains Whipple and Lagrange of the Texas Rangers were standing at the head table with glasses held high while a hundred eighty men and eight women joined the toast.
“You should make a speech, Thomas,” Jane said.
“They hear enough from me every day,” he replied sitting down. “Let them eat and enjoy themselves.”
The Comanches, who were always watching from some distant ridge, had made no offensive moves against the herd, the stockade or scouts. But no one expected the peace to last.
May 30, 1830
Anahuac Presidio, Coahuila, Mexican Province of Tejas
Colonel Juan Davis Bradburn was seated behind his desk when an angry Thomas Van Buskirk was ushered in. “What is the meaning of this?” Thomas demanded in Spanish.
“Meaning of what?” Bradburn asked in American accented English.
“My sister, her infant child and my father-in-law arrived at Galveston this morning from New Jersey,” Thomas said, switching to English, “but your soldiers have refused to let them pass up the river.”
“Perhaps you are unaware of the Law of April 6th.”
“I’ve never heard of any such law. What is it?”
“President Anastasio Bustamante has issued a prohibition against further immigration to Texas from the United States.”
“Surely that can’t apply to families of those of us who are already here.”
“An exception might be made for legal settlers, but a legal settler, you are not.” He raised his hand to stop Thomas from replying. “However because I served with your father in New Orleans I will, for the time being, turn a blind eye on your illegal encroachment.”
“Thank you,” Thomas said, trying to control his temper.
“However,” Bradburn began with an unfriendly smile, “your newly arrived family must return to the United States immediately.”
Thomas shook his head. “That’s not going to happen.”
“You have no choice.”
“I have a hundred and fifty armed men. They give me several choices.”
“Are you threatening me?” Bradburn started to get to his feet.
“Yes.” Thomas drew his pistol. “You will sign an order permitting my party to proceed up the Trinity.”
“You can’t get away with this.” Bradburn sat back down. “I have a garrison of three hundred in this fort.”
“Horseshit. You have a hundred fifty, with perhaps twenty muskets and a few pistols.” Thomas aimed the pistol at Bradburn’s head. “When I kill you the shot will be the signal for my men to annihilate the garrison and burn the town.”
“You sir, are a brigand,” Bradburn spluttered.
“Indeed. Sign the order and live or don’t sign and die.” Thomas cocked the pistol. “Those are your choices.”
June 2, 1830
Two Alone Ranch, Coahuila, Mexican Province of Tejas
Thomas shook hands with Captains Whipple and Lagrange then closed the door to his incomplete office. “I’m afraid I’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest.” He sat down at the table and waited for the two Rangers to take a seat. “The Mexican government’s stopped American immigration into Texas. They’re building a new fort on the bluff over the Trinity River to collect taxes on imports and to prevent immigrants from the United States.”
“How did y’ get yer sister and yer father-in-law past it?” Whipple asked.
“I bluffed,” Thomas said. “That’s the hornet’s nest I stirred up.”
“What exactly do you mean by bluffed, sir?” Lagrange asked.
“The fort’s commanded by a Colonel Juan Davis Bradburn,” Thomas said. “He’s a former American citizen.”
“I knew him as John Bradburn at New Orleans,” Lagrange said.
“What happened?” Whipple asked, annoyed by the superfluous comments. “A fight?”
Thomas shook his head. “I just threatened to kill him and all his men and he let me through.”
Whipple laughed.
“It may not be so funny when the whole Mexican army shows up,” Thomas replied. “You men need to pull out and get as far away from here as you can as soon as you can.”
“We’ve got orders to protect the settlers here and neutralize the Indians,” Lagrange answered.
Whipple nodded agreement. “You gettin’ into a tussle with some tax collector don’t change that, Tom.”
“I don’t want to involve anyone else in my fight.”
“It ain’t just your fight,” Whipple said. “T
here’s maybe fifty families up here now.”
“That many?” Thomas asked in surprise.
“Most are small farms,” Lagrange said.
“Bradburn mentioned that my ranch is illegal and he implied that the Mexican government wasn’t going to let me stay.”
“This is our post,” Lagrange said emphatically. “We’ll defend it and any settlers against any threats.”
“Right,” Whipple agreed. “If Bradburn or any other turncoat bastard comes here to do our people wrong, we kill ‘em. Simple as that.”
June 16, 1830
Two Alone Ranch, Coahuila, Mexican Province of Tejas
“Come in.” Anna, wearing a cut off chemise, was on her bed reading.
Jane came in and closed the door. “How did you know who it was?”
“Who what was?” Anna asked.
“How did you know it was me when I knocked?”
Anna looked puzzled. “I didn’t. What are you talking about?”
“You’re nearly naked,” Jane said, pointing at Anna’s bare legs.
“I’m nearly cool too. How do you stand it in that dress? It must be a hundred.”
“What if it had been Charlie or Josiah?” Jane asked, ignoring Anna’s comments.
“Josiah would have leered and Charlie would have blushed,” Anna said. “Neither would have made a move. Damn them both.”
Jane pulled out the desk chair and sat down. “What’s the matter, Anna?”
“The matter?” Anna closed her book and sat up. “The matter is that I need a man.”
Jane opened her mouth as if to say something but changed her mind and closed it.
“What? No outrage? No accusations? No remonstrations against my flagging morality? ”
Jane shrugged. “I know how you feel but I don’t have any advice.”
“I’d slip out into the barn with one of the vaqueros but there’s no way to keep a secret here.”
“I’m afraid that’s true. If you want a man for your bed you’ll just have to marry him.”
“Any suggestions?”
“Charlie’s the obvious choice. He’s educated and good looking.”
“He’s also oblivious to women.”
Jane shook her head. “He’s a regular visitor to Tent City.”
“Really?” Anna giggled. “How do you know?”
“Let’s just say I heard it from the horse’s mouth.”
Jane giggled. “Which horse?”
“I’d rather not say. But she described Charlie as a man of great appetite and skill.”
“Skill?”
Jane shrugged. “Her words.”
“Hmm. That sounds promising but, unfortunately, Charlie hardly even looks at me.”
“You’re Tom’s sister and therefore off limits. You’ll have to show him that you’re not.” Jane walked to the window and looked out.
“What’s all the noise about?” Anna got up and joined her.
“They’re closing the gates. Get dressed.”
“Where’s Quincy?” Anna hurried to her closet and stepped into a pair of trousers.
“Downstairs, with my father. I’ll take him to the cellar.”
~
“How many?” Thomas asked as he reached the upper platform of the main guard tower.
Whipple lowered the binoculars then handed them to Thomas. “A regiment at least. He might be holdin’ some back beyond the ridge.”
Thomas swept the binoculars along the Mexican troops that were facing the stockade. “Any cannon?”
“Not that I saw.”
Thomas stopped scanning and focused on Colonel Juan Davis Bradburn who was on the ridge with a sizeable entourage of mounted men. “Giving myself up may be our best option.”
“We can whip these bastards, Tom,” Whipple argued.
“I know we can. But if we do we’ll be facing the entire Mexican army next month and we can’t whip them.”
Whipple leaned out of the window to look down at the gate. “Ah shit.”
“What?” Thomas looked down as Anna, who had come out of the door in the gate, strode up the hill toward the ridge where the Mexican command was watching. “Ah shit.”
“She’s damn near neked on top,” Whipple gasped.
Thomas walked to the back of the platform and looked down into the stockade. “Somebody better explain to me what just happened,” he bellowed.
“I’m coming.” Jane was running down from the house.
Thomas walked back to the front of the tower and watched his sister as she drew closer to the Mexican commanders. “How far are they?”
Whipple shrugged. “Five hundred yards at least. We’ve got two buffalo rifles that might make that range but there’s too many Mess-kins up there for two rifles.”
“Go set them up. If anyone puts a hand on my sister, kill him and we’ll take whatever happens next as it happens.”
Whipple walked to the ladder but had to wait for Jane to climb up before he could climb down. “What the hell is Anna wearin’?” he demanded of Jane as he helped her onto the platform. “She looked plumb neked.”
“Get your mind on business and off my sister’s tits, Josiah,” Thomas snarled.
Whipple grumbled something and slid down the ladder.
Jane took the binoculars from Thomas and focused them on Anna who had nearly reached Bradburn. “I tried but I couldn’t stop her, Tom.”
“What does she think she’ll accomplish?”
“She thinks she’ll keep you from surrendering.” Jane lowered the glasses and looked at her husband. “That is what you were planning to do, is it not?”
“How is she going to accomplish that?” he asked, ignoring her question.
“I have no idea. That’s all she told me.”
“You should have stopped her.”
“I told you that I tried,” Jane said shrilly.
“You didn’t try hard enough,” Tom snapped.
“I ripped off her blouse and had her by the hair,” Jane sobbed. “But she punched me and knocked me down the cellar stairs.” She showed him her bruising cheek. “I hit my head and by the time I managed to get back to the top of the stairs she was gone.”
Thomas smiled, touched her cheek tenderly and took the glasses back from Jane. “I apologize. Whatever happens isn’t your fault.” He watched as Bradburn dismounted and walked toward Anna.
Jane looked down into the compound. “Josiah. Open the gun ports and show them the cannons.”
Thomas turned to look at her. “I’ll give the orders, Jane.”
“Then give some.” Jane took the glasses from him.
“I have.”
“What orders have you given?”
“To shoot anyone that touches Anna.”
“To shoot them with what?”
“Buffalo guns.”
“How many do we have?”
“Two.”
“They have five hundred men out there, Thomas.”
“I’m well aware of that, Jane. But our standard rifles won’t reach that far and our cannons don’t have the precision to pick off Bradburn and leave Anna unharmed so the two buffalo rifles are all we have at the moment.”
Jane shaded her eyes. “What’s she pointing at?”
Thomas swiveled the binoculars to his right and scanned the horizon. “Comanches.”
“How many?”
“Four hundred. Maybe more. It must be Buffalo Hump.”
“Are you sure they’re Comanches? Buffalo Hump doesn’t have half that many warriors.”
“I’m sure. He’s bluffing with women and children on horseback to make his force look bigger.”
Jane was watching Anna. “Your sister’s bluffing too. She’s telling the Mexicans that the Comanches are here to reinforce us.”
“She might be telling the truth,” Thomas said, still watching the Indians. “We have an unwritten truce with Buffalo Hump and as long as we’re here he’s safe from the Mexican government.”
“It worked,” Ja
ne gasped.
Thomas turned back toward the Mexicans and saw Anna walking in the direction of the stockade as Bradburn began to move his forces off the ridge. “Ha. My sister’s a Van Buskirk after all. Bless her heart.”
“You bless her heart,” Jane grumbled, “I’m going to kick her butt.”
August 23, 1830
Two Alone Ranch, Coahuila, Mexican Province of Tejas
Anna, with Quincy on her hip, waved goodbye to Jane and Thomas then waited until they disappeared into the huge dust cloud that the herd was creating before turning back to re-enter the stockade.
“There’s no need to look so blue, Miss Anna,” Ranger Captain Charles Lagrange said. He signaled the men to close the gates.
“I beg to differ, Captain,” Anna said. “Anticipating sixty days of solitary confinement is good reason to be blue.”
“With so many gone on the cattle drive, we really don’t have much choice but to stay inside the stockade,” Lagrange said defensively. “Unless we want to be scalped by Indians or killed by Mexicans, that is.”
“I don’t understand why my brother has chosen to take his cattle all the way to New Orleans,” Anna complained. “Especially if it’s illegal.”
“Illegal under Mexican law,” Lagrange replied.
“Aren’t you, as a Texas Ranger, a representative of Mexican law?”
“No, of course not.” He gave her a quizzical look. “Why would you think that?”
“I don’t think anything. I was only asking a question.”
“Well any fool should have seen that we didn’t back Colonel Bradburn when he came here last June.”
“I saw that you didn’t back me either.”
“Oh now, Miss Anna, that’s not fair. Nobody knew what you were doing and the Rangers are obligated to defend the Texians in the fort.”
“What exactly is a Texian?”
“An American settler in Texas.”
“So the Texas Rangers are here in support of the Texians against the Mexicans?”
Home of the Brave Page 14
