Bryan worked his way down to the cave and called out, “Jenny, can you send JC out? They’re gone. Come on now, you’re scaring his Mama.”
Gage had walked down, “So how do you get that beast to move? I’d kick it, but one of us needs to ride it back to the fort and get help before our friends decide to see if Bryan scalped Lacy or just finished what that brave started and left her for them.” Gage looked at Lacy’s torn skirt, “Travers maybe you should check her over. He seemed like he was, you know.”
Lacy swallowed, “Gage Travis when did you get to be a real ass hole? My son is in there somewhere. Don’t talk like that in front of him or he’ll repeat it to Dallas. Neither of you say anything EVER! He doesn’t need to know. I don’t want Dallas to know. Promise me. And if there are any rumors, it won’t just be your balls.”
Gage held his hands up in self defense, “Not me, Lacy. Not a word. I’ll skin Travers myself if he opens his mouth.”
Bryan was pulling the edges of her skirt up, “Here now, let me just make sure you’re not cut.”
Lacy slapped his hand away, “NO. Don’t touch me Bryan. That filthy man whore did his business and it’s still, my God, I can’t tell him. I just can’t.”
Gage said under his breath, “I think I heard they use willow bark.”
Bryan asked, “Are you with child, Dallas’ child Lacy. You’re acting like well like your upset more than normal.”
Lacy was wiping her tears, “No, at least I don’t think so. It’s just I never thought I’d have to choose like that.”
Bryan kept his voice calm and low, “I’ll fix you some nice tea when we get back. Help you relax. Yes that’s all you need. Some strong willow bark tea will flush anything he left right out. You’re not killing anything, just keeping any of his seed from planting. Think of it like that Lacy. Not that I think he did, but I think it’s better safe than sorry.”
Gage added, “A buck that age, well he wouldn’t last long with blood in his eyes and lust on his mind. Can’t really take long if you don’t want an arrow in your back or the other man’s knife slitting your throat. Don’t take it personal Lacy, they don’t look at it like that. You were just something for him to brag about around the campfire. Like how he looked at Jenny. They treat women and children like animals or property. That’s how it was so easy for him to send her into another man’s bed. They don’t care if someone else gets them with child as long as it’s another son or some girl who has resistance to measles. Still his property. Isn’t that right Bryan?”
Well that put the target on Bryan’s back. Was that what Gage had done? Sent him into Sparrow Hawk’s camp knowing he intended for him to share his ‘Aah Haa’ one way or another with the other men’s wives? Bryan’s eyes blinked as he thought back to Jenny running out with her honey pot and what the braves smeared on there own manhood. That was not whipped cream. Cream maybe, but did he just father his own tribe of half-breeds? My God, Lacy wasn’t the only one who didn’t want anyone talking about what happened. Bryan swallowed, “Yes, Gage is right.” Bryan looked at Gage as his head tilted and he considered finding a prickly pear and beating him senseless with it.
Lacy was about to take it very personal and dispatch Gage on the spot if he didn’t shut up. Then Gage changed the subject on her and took her in a totally different way than the brave had. Gage said, “Darling, I think you just lost your son. Jenny there is one crazy woman who doesn’t know where she belongs. Travers just gave his wife of how many days to me after your husband gave her to him. So now she finds herself owned by her brother who she thinks will kill her at the first opportunity.” Gage admitted to Lacy, “I tried once. Almost did it too the first time I saw her in a tent full of Indian women who been offered up like desert to some poor smuck drunk with peyote and liquor.” Gage didn’t say that smuck was himself, but that was a conversation Gage wasn’t talking about in front of Lacy either now.
Bryan said, “What? Now now why would she think I gave her away?”
Lacy asked, “What exactly did you say to her Bryan?” Bryan looked at Lacy’s accusing eyes.
Gage wasn’t waiting for Bryan to figure it out. He answered Lacy with, “You take her Gage.” She might or might not consider him her man after he practically threw her at me.”
Bryan said, “I don’t know what happened to you at Cotton Plant, but it must have affected your senses. I think she knows you weren’t trying to hurt her.”
Gage pulled up his sleeve. There were bite marks. Human bite marks on his arm where Jenny or someone had took a hunk out of him, “Really. So maybe she turned cannibal?”
Bryan kicked Daisy, “MOVE MAMA so I can get in there you hear me!” Daisy growled and rose to her feet. Lacy was pulling her away from the cave as Bryan got down and crawled in.
Gage looked at Lacy, “I guess that means he’s not riding back.”
Lacy looked at Gage, “I liked you a lot more when you were nice Gage. I think Bryan’s right. Did you take grape shot to the head or something?”
Gage wasn’t laughing, “Something like that Lacy. I like me a lot more before Cotton Plant too. Those were the good times before I saw exactly how low men would get to survive one more day in hell. I’m not sure I was such a good person before, but I think the devil kept my soul and just sent this body back.” Gage tried to see if he could tell where Bryan was at, “Travers? You fall to your death yet?” Maybe you should have taken a torch?”
Bryan cursed, “Damned bat shit, God, Shit!” There was the sound of a body tumbling down into a hole and hitting the bottom. Bryan called out, “Jenny? Hell, how can you see anything down here. JC?”
There was the faint sound of “Unc Bryan help!” Bryan picked up something on the floor and there was a tapping on the ground as he made his way forward through another small entrance, then Bryan said, “MY GOD.”
Lacy called down, “Bryan wait, I’m coming too.”
Bryan called back, “Wait Lacy, don’t you leave that camel. Don’t let Gage have Daisy or we’re going to die here like them.” There in front of Bryan was an open cavern with the floor lined with the bones of at least a dozen men covered in Spanish armor. Each man’s legs were broken as if someone didn’t want them to leave or they had fallen trying to get out. There were small rays of light filtering in from holes in the stones of the ceiling with sand piles under them a good thirty feet down and what looked like a very old rope with knots tied in it. There were sounds of feet softly running deeper into the cavern, but which opening did she go through? There were at least three to choose from.
Lacy asked, “What? Who? What’s wrong Bryan? Can you see JC?”
Bryan was trying to yank on the rope to see if it would break off in his hands. Well, he didn’t see any other way down. Bryan carefully grabbed the rope and started to descend into the main cavern. Lacy was starting to panic. She handed Gage Daisy’s reins and got down on her knees. Gage said, “Wait, I’ll go. You stay with the camel.”
It was too late, she was working her way through bat shit then down the side of the hole clasping the hand holds as she made it to the ledge and saw the rope Bryan was descending and started down. Bryan felt the rope tense up in his hand and looked up to see Lacy coming down. Bryan called out, “LACY DON’T.” Bryan was about ten feet from the bottom when he heard the sound of hemp stretching and then it broke and he dropped to the floor and Lacy landed on top of him. She had the remains of the rope ladder in her hands. Lacy looked up at the ledge and let out her own curse, “Damned her hide to hell and back. Now what?”
Gage shook his head, “You didn’t.”
Bryan called out, “Gage we can’t come back up. The ladder’s rotten and it broke. You know I didn’t mean that about you being a bastard don’t you? Please tell me you can ride that camel.”
Gage called out, “Maybe there is something you can use to build a fire or make a torch Travers. There is going to be more than bats down there. Watch your feet for snakes. Poisonous snakes.” Follow her tracks man and mark the w
alls with something like your war paint that we can follow or you could follow back.”
Lacy called out, “Don’t worry Gage. Look for my blood on the walls. I think I lost an inch of skin on the way down off my entire backside you, you, Texan! You couldn’t have left a good rope hanging. Some one might have moved these men to a descent cemetery like we buried you in! God Dam your bones, you should have stayed dead! Do you know what I had to do to get your body and knife back. Of course you don’t because you were off somewhere else while Dallas was making me keep Bryan from taking his leg off and asking me every ten minutes if you were alright!”
Gage swallowed, “Maybe she is about to start her courses Bryan. Sure does seem to need some of that tea to me. I don’t remember Private Luellen being nearly this emotional. You think the baby did that or was it the peyote? Better hope it’s the baby or she might bleed to death too. I don’t think my cut is clotting. Shouldn’t it have clotted by now?”
Bryan was trying to tell Lacy to stop. Finally he took her by her shoulders and yelled, “God Damned it Lacy stop your raving. It’s not helping matters.” Bryan was trying to keep up with what Gage was saying, “Gage what did you say? You’re blood’s not clotting? Shit. Is the cut deep?”
Lacy shut up shocked that Bryan hand shook her like a ragged doll after what she had just been through. Bryan took a breath, “Itsee said that coin was cursed and he was right! Now I know it’s been a very bad day for all of us, but I need you to try to stay calm and let me think.” Bryan took a breath, “I’m sorry Lacy. You have no idea what the last twenty four hours have been like. You’re not likely to get with child while nursing so just try to wipe it off. I’ll give you something that will help bring on your courses and that will be that.”
Lacy’s lip was quivering, “I don’t have courses while I nurse. You know that don’t you. A doctor should know that.”
Bryan replied, “Well maybe you need to stop nursing and just go through one. Jenny could be your wet nurse if you let her suckle your baby.”
Lacy looked at Bryan like he’d failed her, “Now you want to give Lu to her? You know the real reason I’m here Bryan? Mrs. Tyler told me they are going to kill her and anyone they found with her. It’s all some game to them to get us to fight. Don’t you think it strange that no one would take her? They took those boys, but the locals knew. They knew who she was and what she was.” There it was out. Surely he’d see this marriage was doomed to fail. Then Lacy asked, “Why did you take it. Couldn’t you have just told Itsee to throw it away if he didn’t want it? And who in the hell is Itsee anyway?”
Bryan replied, “Itsee is John’s Comanche name. Paaka is Paul.”
Lacy shook her head, “Too many names. Juan, John, Itsee, shoot it’s as bad as Dallas. Maybe that’s where he got the idea from Bryan. It’s the Comanche’s fault. It’s all their fault.”
Gage called out, “And she’s getting further away while you talk Lacy. Look around. Use your heads.”
Bryan replied, “Gage, I’m not completely stupid. I know to mark our trail. I’ve got a flint, but not sure what will burn down here. I think there must be a water source, it’s damp. Maybe they had torches Lacy. Try to look, but careful about anything you pick up, alright?”
Lacy said, “You sure you want my help? Maybe your squaw could build a fire for us.” Lacy started to touch the ghosts then jumped as a bat flew out of an open mouth.
Bryan ducked when he heard the wings, then looked up at where they had come from, “We’re not getting out of here without a rope or ladder of some kind. It’s a good thirty feet from the top. Maybe we can build something to let me push you up or maybe there are hand holds in the rock. They might not have used rope when these gentlemen found this cave.” Bryan tried to push on a large rock. It wasn’t moving. He moved over to the wall and found a hand hold and started to climb.
Gage called down, “And they might have fallen trying to use those hand holds where that rope was hanging. I don’t think they let one man go and break everyone’s legs. That would take a hell of a lot of loyalty for them to commit mass suicide don’t your think? They probably broke their legs one at a time trying to get out Bryan.” Bryan was looking for the next hand hold and when he tried to pull up on it, it came out of the rock and he dropped to the floor. He felt his ankle turn and yelped, then called back up, “Any of those Indian ponies hang around? Maybe they had rope we could use?”
Gage said, “Not likely. The Comanche take their horses very seriously. Maybe I could strip their clothes and tie them together, but I’d rather not have a bunch of naked dead men lying about if Red Eagle comes back.”
Lacy said, “Bryan, I’m scared. What if we don’t find her or Gage can’t get Daisy to leave. We’re going to die here aren’t we?”
Bryan addressed Lacy, “Think about it. Gage and his sister used to play here. It can’t be that bad. Jenny probably knows exactly how we can get out. We just need to find her, soon. She isn’t well.”
Lacy said, “Well there is something we all agree on. She’s crazy.”
Jenny held her hand over JC’s mouth in the shadows moving away from the main cavern rocking him softly trying to reassure him he was safe but needed to be very quiet. Her eyes watched the floor for snakes and signs of bats dung. She could hear Bryan and Lacy’s voices. There was Gage’s voice, but further away. The sister who wasn’t his sister or wife was still upset with her. They talked too loud. The men who hunted them would find them if they kept talking. She needed to put distance between them. She would take him to the room where the chest was. He could play there and not be heard. She would protect him better this time. She would not make the mistake of leaving the lower parts of the cave too soon. Jenny feet moved softly over the cave floor putting more distance between her and the outside world.
Bryan said a little softer, “She might not be the only one. I don’t know why in the hell I thought admitting to Sparrow Hawk that I thought Wasapi or Peekwi might be white was a good idea. This might be my fault.”
Lacy thought about how Gage had been acting, and their own lives in the last couple days. Things were out of whack in her world. Things that made sense one minute turned into colors and whirls the next. Lacy whispered, “She’s white so why couldn’t they look white? Bryan did you hit your head. Are you sure you’re feeling alright. You know how that works, you taught me about skin colors in the eighth grade.”
Bryan confessed to Lacy as his mind went back and analyzed how the wokwave had affected him and Jenny, “It’s the peyote. I ate a lot of peyote when they named me and made me Comanche Lacy. I wasn’t sure what to expect, then I didn’t want to stop. It makes you think you can do anything and I pretty much did exactly what he wanted. If Jenny hadn’t gone into labor, I would have gifted her right back to the big man.”
Gage sighed, “Well, that was the idea. So what happened?”
Bryan caught Gage’s tone of voice and almost asked what he meant and then thought better of it. Bryan said, “She went into labor and left to have Chibitty. I let her go. I should have tried to stop the labor, but I didn’t.”
Gage said softly, “He would have killed you if you’d given her anything to keep that baby from coming. He wouldn’t have believed you Bryan. So Sparrow Hawk spent the night in your tent waiting on the baby to be born and Jenny went out to have the baby. Then what?”
Bryan continued his story, “We passed out. When I woke up, I went out to check on her and she was screaming out.”
Gage sucked in air, “She screamed? Jenny. Jesus. The Knife screamed? She’s never screamed.”
Bryan thought about that, “Water didn’t break and the baby shifted. It couldn’t pass. She was bleeding out. I think the boys gave her too much peyote. It takes your mind into your fears or unresolved issues.” Bryan paused then it occurred to him, “That’s it Lacy. Gage said she was showing him the cave the day Sparrow Hawk took her. She’s trying to re-live that day and save Gage by staying in the cave. She thinks JC is Gage.”
> Lacy mouth was hanging open. It was a good thing it was too dark for Bryan to see her face. What had Bryan said? Jenny trying to re-live the day she cut her own throat and thinking her son was Gage? If that was meant to comfort her, it didn’t. Now the question was how sane was Gage? It couldn’t be a good thing to find his long dead sister like that involved up to her chin in Comanche men. Had she been violated that day in front of Gage? She could see it clearly in her mind, Jenny screaming out begging for her brother’s life like she screamed and begged.
Lacy’s father had gone after Bryan with his bare hands, she could certainly see Gage riled beyond reason. Then there was this cave and the Spanish gold hidden in a cave dangerous enough to kill you. Maybe not with burning water or gas, but rotten ladders, crumbling hand holds, snake bites, Indians wanting to scalp you, mysterious long dead bones of Spanish Conquistadors, and perhaps starvation or death from lack of water. Way to many ways to die for her to feel comfortable about Jenny taking JC on some trek down memory lane. What if she cut her throat again. What if she decided to kill JC rather than let either of them get captured? Back in her head she could hear Dallas say, “When the crazy has worn off.” Well it hadn’t worn off yet. Not for any of them.
Gage swallowed down his own bile. Travers said it to his face. Paaka had told them Peekwi and Wasapi looked like him and Travers had rubbed it in the Chief’s face expecting him to let them leave. Damned, that’s what they were. Maybe they were cursed too. Sparrow Hawk might consider Travers implying they needed to be released going back on Gage’s own word in the agreement they made. Travers might be right about Red Eagle’s band finding them like that. It was probably Bryan and Jenny or maybe even him too the braves wanted to kill. Lacy and JC were just a bonus. If he wanted to keep his sons, eliminating any people who knew how they might or might not have been conceived seemed like a good idea. Shoot, maybe the measles had been on purpose. How many squaws or braves that knew about his first visit died with the pox. Plus, having your competition do the dirty work to eliminate them was even smarter. No retribution from the Great White Chief. He was seen moving North like a good little Indian. Well, not so little, but a good Indian.
Camp Camel: The Heart of Texas Page 19
