Camp Camel: The Heart of Texas

by Eaton, Rosemary

  Bryan was cussing at Gage as he stopped and dismounted. Jenny went to her knees and covered her head expecting to be beaten. She kept her eyes on the ground and her hands out in front of her.

  Gage stopped, “Now you did it. See, she expects you to beat her. She won’t move until your punish her for not walking.”

  Bryan tried to take her hands but Jenny didn’t move. She was shaking. Bryan cussed again, “Damned your hide Gage. What if she goes into labor out here.”

  Gage laughed, “Well, when the sun comes up, that might be a problem. But her kind, they go to places like this or that cave you were so determined to extract my sister from. She was probably in there to have her baby. Not like a lot of nasty animals would venture in with all those bats would they?”

  Bryan coughed, “Not very healthy. Too much bat dung. The child could get pneumonia.”

  Gage looked around, “Not very healthy out here either. We need to move on. Get back on your camel and keep moving. She’ll get up. She thought you wanted to whip her when you stopped.”

  Bryan knelt down and took her hands, “Jenny I’m not unhappy with you. I just don’t want the baby to come too soon. Your bother is an ass hole. You know that? If you feel like walking, then you can ride for a bit and I’ll walk.”

  Gage coughed, “That’s worse. You’re shaming her telling her she’s making you walk while she rides. Get on that horse Travers before I just shoot it. Then you can walk all you want, but a man doesn’t walk when there is a horse. Be her man. You act like that around Sparrow Hawk and he’ll make an example of you, not just scalp you.”

  Jenny was getting up and trying to put herself in front of Bryan. Bryan took her arm firmly, “NO. This is my fight. You’re my woman Jenny.” Bryan dragged Gage off his horse and they rolled as Bryan came to his feet with his fist up, “Fight me like a man Gage.”

  Gage stood up, “You think you can take me?”

  Bryan said, “In a fair fight, yes I do. I was the local boxing champ in Searcy three years straight.”

  Gage said, “Is that right, then how about we don’t fight fair. Gage threw dust in Bryan’s eyes and lunged for him.”

  The two men were going after each other tooth and nail. Bryan bit Gage on the leg as Gage took his nails to Bryan’s neck. Jenny back up and took the reins of the horses and watched. For her to stop it would shame one or the other. She felt mixed emotions. There was pride that Bryan fought for her. There was pride that Gage knew his place and didn’t let something called rules make him an easy target of her husband. She planted herself on the ground and clapped when each of them got in a blow or strike at the other. Bryan was holding his own. He had gotten several right jabs to Gage’s lips. Gage had squeezed his chest hard like a bear. Bryan was considering whether he was coming out of this without a broken rib or two, but kept moving. He’d seen Gage fight at the Richardson farm when the men needed something to release the tension and provide some entertainment. He had felt sorry for the other man. Gage rarely lost and usually gave a pretty good beating to his opponent in the process. He was as rough as the scrub brush and cactus they were avoiding. He wasn’t going to be able to take much more. Then Bryan bolted behind the cactus, wrapped his hand in his scarf quickly and grabbed a cactus pad over the cladode where there wasn’t any spines and yanked it off and proceed to attack Gage with part of the pad of a prickly pear cactus.

  Gage hunkered down like a boy taking a whipping and yelled out, “Enough! You have me.” Both men collapsed to their knees taking deep breaths. They hadn’t noticed that they had gained an audience. Sparrow Hawk and five warriors were standing with Jenny watching them beat themselves to a pulp.

  Bryan was the first to notice as he whispered to Gage, “We have company.”

  Jenny was on her feet. She bowed down to Sparrow Hawk as a sign of respect, then moved over between Gage and Bryan and took both hands and placed them in one another.

  Gage whispered back, “You won, you get up first old man, then just go along with what ever I say.”

  Bryan muttered, “Not so old I didn’t whip you,” as he got to his feet. He looked at Jenny with her eyes on the ground, then looked over at the man who definitely must be Sparrow Hawk. He was dark headed, his skin was well tanned and appeared in his mid to late thirties. Not that much older than himself, but Bryan doubted he could take him in the same fight he just finished even if he cheated. The man was one healthy looking Indian full of muscle and quite handsome. In another time, Bryan would have liked to got to know him better, but right now the scalps that still hung from his belt had his full attention.

  Gage rose first to one knee, then bowed to Sparrow Hawk, “Mighty Chief. I’ve returned as I told Itsee I would with the one that was your wife and their mother. Her name is now Jenny Travers, this one’s wife. He has claimed my sister and beaten me today for the right to be your guest while waiting on the one with no face.”

  Bryan eyebrow rose as Gage nudged him indicating Bryan should say something back. Jenny’s eyes were on Chief Sparrow Hawk. Bryan sure hoped that wasn’t regret he saw in them, then Bryan came back to the present and realized she was telling him to speak to the Chief not Gage. Bryan lowered his eyes and tried to sound like Gage had, “Mighty Chief. I accept the blood of his blood as my woman to bear my sons. I thank you for her gift and your patience with my Chief who didn’t understand the wisdom of her staying close until her time to deliver the child without a face. I offer myself as a hostage for the boy called Jake which surely is a pain being so young as all boys can be at that age. I will stay with your village and live with my wife learning more of your customs so I will not treat her wrong or shame her or the people she loves. Let her blood take Jake back to his family who misses him though I don’t know why.”

  Chief Sparrow Hawk smiled, then a squaw carried the ill begotten son of immigrants from the shadows and handed the boy to Gage who turned up his noise and held him out at a distance. The Chief took Jenny’s hand. Bryan thought Sparrow Hawk’s hand lingered too long to suit him, but he keep looking down, straight at the man’s hands as he gently rubbed her fingers and squeezed them. Sparrow Hawk waited, then finally he released her hand and spoke, “Your chief say my son look like Jake when we trade. Take the clothes off and you will look close to see there are no marks that the boy did not do to himself despite the times he tempted me. He is soiled like we found him.” Sparrow Hawk had felt his own green eyed monster and had tried to tempt this man who took his place. Then Sparrow Hawk saw something else. Was the man looking at him like he was meat? Ah, now he understood why Itsee had to use wokwave to tempt him.

  Bryan couldn’t help it. He chuckled at Sparrow Hawk’s description of Jake, then straightened up and took Jake from Gage without a fight on Gage’s part, put him down on the sand and undressed the boy like he had done to JC so many times. He wiped the soil off him stood him up wide eyed staring back at Bryan while muttering to the boy in soft tones, “There now Jake. Isn’t that better. Did you have an adventure with Jenny’s friends? Why yes you did and you are very lucky Chief Sparrow Hawk didn’t spank you like you deserved too. But see he’s a better man than Gage over there. You do that to him on the way back and he’ll make you walk and carry his pack.”

  The men in the circle nodded and agreed to what Bryan was recommending. It was apparent the boy had been every much the terror and disgusting creature Itsee and Paaka mentioned. Bryan kept smiling and handed the naked boy to Gage, “Naked, just like a new born baby Gage. Hope you brought nappies.”

  Gage smiled, “Well, I guess I better ride back before the sun tans his hide there. Wouldn’t want him sunburned now would we.” As if on queue Jake made pee pee. Gage quickly turned him away from Sparrow Hawk and the warriors, “Shit! How much pee can you hold boy!”

  Little Jake held out his arms as far as they would stretch and said his first words since being captured, “Long Stream. They call me Long Stream.”

  Gage kept Long Stream as far away as his arms would reach and gave the
Chief a bow, “I guess this means you agree with what I suggested and the man called Bryan has consent to be your hostage until you reach Indian Territory and your child is born.”

  Chief Sparrow Hawk said, “We have talked amongst ourselves and it will be so. The camel will be our hostage, not her man. He is our guest as you were our guest one called Gage. We choose him to be Comanche until the White Chief makes us put him aside.”

  Gage didn’t linger or turn back to say good-bye to Jenny or Bryan. He put the boy on his lap and rode off toward the Travis ranch. He wouldn’t go back and risk his horse crossing the ravine or any extra surprises that Sparrow Hawk might be planning for them. The boys knew he had claimed there was measles on their ranch. He just needed to get there before Bryan did anything that made them think twice about who’s ‘Aah Ha’ they wanted. Boy was Travers in for a surprise. He’d never say ‘Aah Ha’ again the same way. He heard Bryan comment when he noticed the direction Gage was headed, “He’s taking that boy home to his ranch. He planned this didn’t he?”

  Sparrow Hawk put his arm around Bryan’s back, “You fight good. Must remember what you did with prickly pear. That one is no easy man to take down. Your Comanche name will be Wokwave in honor of your victory. Tomorrow you eat wokwave with us as your journey begins as Comanche.”

  Jenny smiled. It was a great honor for him to say so. Sparrow Hawk kept walking leading Bryan with one hand and his camel with the other. Jenny walked about ten paces behind the camel and five behind what must be Sparrow Hawk’s new second wife Onaabi who lost her husband to measles. Onaabi held the reins to Sparrow Hawks horse as she rode her own. She would be mother to her two younger boys. It would be her face and her back that they remembered in their old age. She would not be allowed to touch or hug them. She must not make them cry or cry herself in front of them. To do so would say what their father did was wrong. This was harder than she had imagined it would be. It was beyond pain the first time. She had delayed putting her husband’s clothes and possessions away from her and her son had to do it for her after she was taken. The thought of leaving them again was beyond what her heart could stand. There before her was her past and her future. She must concentrate on the future to get through this night. She must not dishonor Bryan after such kind words claiming her for his woman before Sparrow Hawk. She was his now as the closest thing to family she had as a Comanche approved of him taking her. The man who she belonged to was now about to be her husband’s brother as the Knife passed once more between the world of white and Indian. She would be his until the gourd of fate once more dipped into the well and she had no choice but to drink of the water offered.

  Bryan didn’t turn. He realized what Gage had done for him. Maybe he beat him and maybe he let him, but it was important for Sparrow Hawk to see him as strong, smart, and willing to fight for someone he treasured. Only then might he let her walk away. Only when Sparrow Hawk was sure he would not dishonor her and understood her sacrifice for Sparrow Hawk’s people could there be peace. There were parts of what Sparrow Hawk said that he was wondering exactly what was expected of him. They chose him to be Comanche as if they had a choice between him and someone else. Maybe they were just figuratively referring to him being chosen. There would be some ceremony tomorrow to mark the beginning of his journey and he hoped that ever wokwave was, it wasn’t still alive when he ate it. He had heard one mountain man tell him of a man hanging from some pole or rope attached to his nipples waiting for a vision to occur. Bryan had begun to consider a night with a teepee full of women might be the least of his problems.

  Even though it was late, there were braves scattered around the perimeter of the camp like guards on the fort walls. They were the eyes ensuring that there were no one entering or exiting the camp without them knowing. Sparrow Hawk pointed out his guards, “You safe. No worry about bears or wolves.” What Bryan thought he meant was, “Try to escape and I’ll shoot your ass. I have you well guarded white man.” Then he pointed to a teepee, “Yours. You rest. No scalp you tonight Wokwave.”

  Bryan replied, “That’s good to know Sparrow Hawk. I not scalp you either tonight.”

  Sparrow Hawk grinned as he punched Bryan in the ribs, “Tomorrow another day, maybe then.” The men parted as Bryan walked through the flap. There was a small fire burning in a fire pit. A clay jar of water, and a few strips of jerky left for them to eat. Jenny ducked into the teepee and looked around. She found the buffalo skin and laid it out for Bryan to sit on and offered him meat and water.

  Bryan pushed the food toward her, “Would you like some?”

  Jenny pushed the food back to him and motioned for him to eat.

  Bryan looked at the jerky and took a piece then broke off some. He chewed it smiling and nodding like it was the best meat he had eaten. In truth it wasn’t bad, but his stomach was still in this throat. He handed part of the stick to her and steadied his voice into his school room authoritative base tone and said, “Eat.” He keep it simple and direct. There was no do you want to about it. Jenny took the piece from his hand and nodded. After he drank all he wanted, she poured water into a bowl and cleaned his face and hands where his knuckles were skinned or his or Gage’s blood had dried. She had him lay down and put his head in her lap and used her hands to rub his temples, check his hair for crawlers, and make the tension in his neck and shoulders disappear.

  Bryan patted the bear skin next to him, “Come.”

  Jenny took her buckskin off and lay next to him. Bryan undressed down to his long johns and curled up and pulled the thin woven blanket over their bodies wrapping his hands around the baby. He paused at the top of her abdomen, slightly pressing down. It wasn’t hard. He felt the baby move, things were as they should be. Bryan kissed her shoulders, “I hope I can make you proud Jenny. He is quite a man for me to try to replace. I see why you might want to stay.”

  Jenny reached up with her hand and turned toward Bryan placing it on his cheek. She smiled. Jenny placed her fingers over his lips then touched hers and scooted into the place between his arm and chest and closed her eyes. Tomorrow would come soon enough. Bryan closed his eyes and drifted off into what seemed like an endless dream.

  Apparently the peyote hadn’t completely worn off. He dreamed of being taken out and given to Gage, like Jake was given to him tonight. Gage undressed him and clean him up making faces that he soiled himself in front of Sparrow Hawk’s women when they came to give themselves to him. There were all these squaws, buck naked in his teepee insisting he give them a baby. They wanted his seed. He tried to explain he couldn’t. Only Jenny. He had so desire in his loins for any of them. Sparrow Hawk, but not them. He wanted Sparrow Hawk to touch him like he touched Jenny. To rub his hands softly over his. It made him stiff to see how tenderly he touched her then Bryan woke in a sweat. He looked around. No bevy of nude women, thank God. Then he realized something touched him and it wasn’t his wife. There were hands on his shoulder pulling at him. Bryan quickly flipped and penned Sparrow Hawk to the floor.

  Sparrow Hawk nodded and rolled him off and pointed to Jenny and rubbed his hand on his stomach, “Soon?”

  Bryan took a breath, “Yes soon, but maybe not tonight. The baby is well.”

  Sparrow Hawk touched Jenny and she turned her face up to him. His hands touched her throat, “Jenny not bound by promise. You are his now. Good wife I will miss you.” With that he rose and left the teepee as silently as he came.

  Bryan looked into her face, “What did he mean? What promise?”

  Jenny touched her throat and made a face with an open mouth and shook her head. She took her hand and drew the letter ‘G’.

  Bryan touched the scar tissue on her neck, “Can you make any sound?”

  Jenny shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t know. She’d been too scared to try and then there was the promise she made. She’d seen other hostages beaten for crying out and talking back. Being silent was being as they expected her to behave. It made her beloved over his first wife and hated by his first wife. The
re were still words in her brain, but they had not come out of her month in a very long time. Her tongue was lazy and it felt strange when she thought about speaking.

  The teacher and doctor in Bryan wouldn’t let him leave the question unsolved. Bryan said, “Repeat what I say. I want to see how deep the cut was and I can’t tell unless you try to make a sound.” Bryan opened his mouth showing her clearly how to form a sound just like he was teaching JC or Brianna. “AAAAAA.”

  Jenny swallowed, but opened her mouth wide and air came out.

  Bryan took his hand and squeezed just under her chin a little, then put her fingers under his and said, “AAAAAA.” Bryan told Jenny to try again.

  Jenny opened her mouth and took her fingers and put them under her chin and blew out air.

  After a few more tries where Bryan made her look at his tongue and feel how his throat felt, there was a very faint sound of “aaaah” escaping Jenny’s throat.

  Bryan nodded, “Good. We’ll work on it Jenny. Not perfect, but I think you will talk again. He knows you have no promise to me and he has no right to hold you to your promise now. I might regret this, but it’s time for you to learn to speak again.”

  The next morning Jenny was up and working on Bryan’s breakfast well before he woke. She had washed her hair and washed off the bat dung. She smelled of honey. She had a cone dripping with honey and sat the bowl in front of Bryan pleased with herself as she tried to say, “AAeh”.