Camp Camel: The Heart of Texas

by Eaton, Rosemary

  Gage wasn’t in any condition to walk out and he knew it. There was the wound taking it’s own good time to clot, and he could feel how light headed he still was. This might be it. Gage called out, “Travers you know I owe you an apology. You came through today. Even Jenny. I wasn’t too sure at first who she intended to kill, but the Knife came through didn’t she? I guess it was lucky for Lacy you got her to talk. She sure got his attention didn’t she?”

  Bryan said, “Yes she did alright. How is it she can say sorry so easy and it took dozens of tries to say Bryan or Gage?”

  Gage said, “Sarrie means dog. Familiar name, different meaning.”

  Bryan grimaced, “She called me a dog?”

  Gage chuckled, “Better than Mouse Dog. That was that brave’s name that was all over Lacy.” Gage went on as if it had been nothing what Mouse Dog had done or tried to do, “Dogs can be protectors. Maybe she meant it in a good way. I guess she hasn’t completely forgot who she was. She always had a sense of humor. I should have given her a chance. Tell her I forgive her, alright? It wasn’t her fault.” Bryan didn’t interrupt Gage, just let him have his say.

  Bryan called out to Gage, “I’ll tell her, but I think she’d rather hear that from you face to face. But since we’re all going to church, in case I don’t see Dallas tell him I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have used Lacy like I did. He was right. It wasn’t fair to make her wait when there wasn’t any chance for us.”

  Lacy was frowning, “Seems to me that was more for me than Dallas, Bryan. So you never once thought about it but you made me think you did. Not even Susan was that cold. She kissed me you know. Right there in front of Dallas and he just grinned like it was funny. I guess that’s why what Jenny was doing upset me so much. All I could do was see Susan’s face and Dallas grinning like he was enjoying watching and then.”

  Gage coughed, “Lordy. Lacy, I’m not quiet sure what to think of that. You and Jenny and you and Susan?”

  Lacy replied, “That wasn’t meant for your ears Gage. How can I even tell who’s listening. I can’t even see the end of my nose in here.”

  Gage answered, “Even more reason to not say anything you don’t want someone else to hear Lacy. That was enough to make my cheeks blush so red, I think it drained the rest of my body.”

  Bryan asked, “Speaking of draining, how’s the arm? Has it stopped bleeding yet?”

  Gage felt the wet bandage, “Still wet. Looks like I might be giving Lacy another chance to bury me if this keeps up. Take me home this time Lacy. Both Jenny and I already have a stone just waiting for the body to show up. Kind of funny don’t you think? By the time the army gets my paperwork right, I’ll be dead again.”

  Lacy replied, “Well shoot, damned, you two sound like we’re all dying. Well I’m not ready to die today. Gage Travis, You tell Daisy to go home and let her have her head and hang on for dear life. You fall off and we are dead. She’ll find her way home. And just in case you are a real ghost, you can’t leave until we’re all safe. Don’t go toward the light or tunnel or any dead relatives, alright?”

  Gage chuckled, “Well if you insist Lacy. I guess I can’t go until I scare Stuart at least once can I?”

  Lacy grinned, “Now that’s the Gage I know. You got at least one more wedding as best man in store. I figured Dallas has had the same last name for almost a year and he’s never taken me out to the Sanders ranch so what’s the odds, there’s another name coming out soon?”

  Gage said, “You always were too smart for him. You should have married me Lacy. I didn’t even use an alias. Just dare the bastards to try to kill me and be done with it.” Lacy thought that sounded a lot like Mrs. Tyler’s description of the Comanche. Maybe Gage had a death wish too.

  Bryan said, “Maybe we forget about a fire for now. Smoke would advertise where we are.” Bryan heard foot steps approaching and turned, “Jenny? Is that you?”

  There was the sound of feet coming toward them, “Unc Bryan! Look what I have!”

  Lacy called out, “JC where are you?”

  JC called out, “Mommy?”

  Bryan said, “Over hear JC, don’t run, just follow our voice.”

  Lacy wrapped her hands around JC and lifted him up as she hugged him. Bryan had them both wrapped up in his arms squeezing both of them like he hadn’t seen them in years. JC said, “Unc Bryan cry?”

  Bryan whipped away his sniffles, “Just happy your safe JC. I don’t know what I would have done if you or Mommy had been hurt.”

  Jenny tried to use her signs, but no one saw her hands or even her. Well apparently there were times she needed a voice and now in the darkness of the cavern was one of them. There were too many words she wanted to say to this girl like little prick not nothing and yes you could grow a baby while still nursing and what did Gage know how Indian men thought of Aah Ha or how it felt for a strange man to use you like a hole in a log forcing his body in yours. It was very personal. People think they die say things they don’t really mean, good and bad for fear of ghosts. Then they get well, they say what they mean again. She was sad for Lacy’s troubles. Maybe she had given her own man his clothes, weapons, and property and left. Was that why she wanted Gage to see her take a new name? Gage said she should take him instead of this Major, but it sound like Gage hurt. He needed help. Jenny felt tired, her breasts were starting to get their milk and there was no child to drain her. Perhaps she needed to sit for a while, but maybe not. Maybe it was time to leave. Where was the rope?

  JC handed Lacy a coin. Lacy felt the metal. It was large and heavy and asked, “What’s this? Is this gold?”

  Bryan took the coin and bit down on it then replied, “Spanish gold.”

  Gage called down, “Jenny you found the chest?”

  Jenny looked up at the wall where the rope was and saw only the top part. She was crawling on her knees trying to find where the rest had gone. She raised her head and said, “Yesss.” Bryan and Lacy jumped and JC cried out. Apparently no one knew she was there. Jenny said, “Ssarre.”

  Gage smiled, “Good girl.” Gage was deep in his own thoughts and he was feeling a little light headed. The cut on his arm hurt.

  Bryan asked, “Gage you still there?” Jenny was still trying to find the remains of their rope.

  Gage said, “Yes. Just thinking. I might be able to walk back to the ranch. Maybe it would be better than risking the ride to the fort. I’m a little light headed.”

  Jenny said, “Naooh.” Lacy jumped again.

  Lacy said, “She could have scalped me twice and I’d never know she was there. Bryan make her stand up and stay still.”

  Bryan asked Gage, “How long to walk?”

  Gage said, “Two hours maybe three if I don’t get stopped or faint. How long to the fort on the camel?”

  Jenny found the rope and yelled out, “Aaah HA!”

  Bryan grinned, “Not just this minute Jenny. We’ve got to figure out how to get help. Stand up will you and be still. You’re scaring the crap out of Lacy and JC.” Jenny got to her feet winding the rope up in her hands.

  Lacy said, “About three hours depending on how fasts she goes.”

  Gage asked, “What were you doing with a child three to four hours out of the fort Lacy?”

  Lacy bit down on her lip, “Trying to get my head straight. We had a fight. Dallas said Bryan and Jenny were on your ranch. I was coming to visit.” Lacy took a breath, “I needed to get away.”

  Gage asked, “And Dallas? Did he need to get away to?”

  Lacy said, “Might have. Don’t know. I didn’t wait around to see. He was saying something about Anna Maria and I told him he could just take Lu and go visit her for the next eighteen years or so.”

  Bryan said, “You fought over me didn’t you?”

  Lacy said, “Well, not only you. We fought over us and why he can’t make up with this Dad. Here we are just a few hours away and our children don’t even know their Grandparents at all. They can’t be that bad. My Dad would give his right arm to be that
close and get to see these kids. We haven’t even planned a trip home since Lu came. My father can’t just leave his post. They’re sending him East next month. No more small battles. They’re getting ready to make a stand at Vicksburg, Gage. There will be heavy artillery and troops moving in the open fields. This isn’t bushwhacking where there’s some tree or cover either. He might die.”

  Gage called down ignoring all the drama in Lacy’s life. She wasn’t really talking to him as much as Bryan anyway, “Lacy, what if I put a note on Daisy and sent her off. You think she’d go home?”

  Jenny thought to herself, “Fat chance. The beast is here to stay. Shoot her Gage. We could eat her.”

  Lacy said, “She might if Jenny wasn’t inside. She has this obsession with Jenny. Thinks of her as her lost baby.”

  Gage continued, “Maybe I could try to walk to the ranch. Might give us two chances to get help.”

  Jenny said, “HA!” Jenny didn’t know what the other camel’s name was. Bryan just said ‘Ha’ when he wanted him to go. Why couldn’t he send him back?

  JC said, “HA!”

  Lacy said, “Shush JC. Unc Bryan and Gage are planning how to get us out of here.” Jenny thought, Bryan doesn’t remember how well that worked last time. Maybe baby mother should go this time. Maybe I just wait for White Chief to come get his son.”

  Gage continued, “Dallas might have taken a patrol north to check on Sparrow Hawk too. Maybe he’ll see my horse?”

  Jenny was slowly walking along the bottom of the cavern near the rock face throwing small pebbles up to try to measure the height and width of the ledge above her. JC asked, “What’s that?”

  Bryan moved Lacy behind him, “Bats, sounds like bats. Stay low.” The three of them crouched covering their heads.

  Jenny called out to Gage, “Wolf’s puuku.”

  Bryan let out a curse, “Good God Jenny, get back here before they swarm.”

  Gage replied, “Well he probably did. I didn’t see who got him Jenny so you could see that from where you were?”

  Jenny had moved behind the three of them and crouched like she saw Bryan. He must want her to help surround them from what ever threat was coming. Jenny put her hands over Lacy’s head as she answered Gage, “Yes, Wolf!”

  Lacy pushed JC out toward Bryan and came up hitting her noggin against Jenny’s forehead flinging her backwards into the ghosts. Jenny screamed out in Comanche baby mother no, “Onaa pia kee!

  Gage translated, “She didn’t like what ever you did down there Lacy.”

  Bryan looked back, “She said a sentence. Several whole words.”

  Lacy was holding her head, “Comanche words. What did she call me?”

  Gage said, “Baby mother. She said ‘baby mother no’.”

  Gage thought about what he’d do if he was Dallas then said, “Or I guess Dallas could have gone to San Antonio to blow off steam. His Dad is a prick. You don’t want JC to know him anymore than I want to see Jenny go home. You’re not missing out on anything believe me. You know he caused his Mom to kill herself.”

  Lacy asked, “So his last name is really Sanders. It’s not just that he’s not related to them at all?”

  Gage hesitated, “What? You met Bo. He told me you met Callahan so why would you say that?”

  Lacy said, “Dallas just doesn’t seem like he understands to me. Like how the Comanche think, what the locals think will happen next. Thought maybe that meant he didn’t grown up down here.”

  Gage sighed, “Lacy if you’re comparing him to me don’t. Dallas went away to school. I went to the school in my back yard working our ranch until I joined the Rangers. I know the Comanche like he knows oil, rocks, and minerals under the ground. Plus he spent a lot of time in New Mexico.”

  Bryan interrupted the conversation before it went any further. Anna Maria lived in New Mexico. Bryan asked Gage, “Ask Jenny if there is water down here.”

  Gage said, “Jenny Bryan wants to know if you found water. You know she hears don’t you?”

  Jenny said “Haa!”

  Bryan asked, “What did that mean?”

  Gage said, “Yes. So you didn’t figure out what Aah Haa meant?”

  Bryan blushed, “Yes, but I didn’t really think that was two words, but well I guess that makes sense now that I think about it.”

  Jenny asked, “Aah Haa?”

  Bryan said, “Not now.”

  Jenny looked confused. What had she done wrong? One moment he sounded like he wanted her, the next it was not now. Maybe he was making signs with his hands she couldn’t see that would have made his words clearer. Maybe she expected her to wait until they were with Gage. Maybe he wanted Gage like he wanted Sparrow Hawk? He’d given her to Gage. Maybe he wanted her to sleep with Gage again. Oh no. That didn’t work out well, but Bryan probably didn’t know.

  Lacy replied to Gage, “You’d think Bo’s Mom might have changed Dallas’ Dad. People change Gage. Maybe he’s only half a prick now. Shouldn’t Dallas at least let him see his grandchildren once? Your Mom got to see Itsee and Paaka. She wanted to meet them.”

  Jenny thought, “That is what Lacy should have done. She should have cut Kahuu’s prick off with her knife and wore it like a scalp. He would have bled to death crying for his manhood.”

  Gage yelled down, “Yea, that worked out real well. The Friar told Dallas when he could steal Jenny from Sparrow Hawk. Ask the Hardgrove family how they feel about my mother getting her grandsons to tell her what Jenny was doing. Sweet old lady, a Nun, and their blood is on her hands as much as mine for not stopping that family when I came across them. They had no business out there.”

  Jenny walked away and picked the rope back up and made a loop at the end.

  Bryan said, “It’s not your fault.”

  Jenny put the rope over her shoulder and started to climb the cliff finding hand grips as she moved up at an angle away from the opening and said, “Haa.”

  Lacy said, “Stop that Jenny. Can’t you see we’re having a conversation here. Just give it a rest will you?” There was the sound of rocks sliding as Gage’s boots walked down the steep slope outside. Lacy asked Bryan, “You think he left?”

  Gage led Bryan’s camel back up to the top and looked around and tied a dead brave across the saddle, and removed anything they could use from the packs. Gage wrote ‘Help Ravine cave’ in blood on the saddle and slapped his rump yelling “Go home you beast. Go back to Camp Verde. Find your herd Beast! The camel made a guttural noise in it’s throat and loped off toward the fort.

  Gage tried to get Daisy up. It was not going to happen until the camel decided she needed food or water. Gage got behind her and lay in the shade she created. He was going to be sick. He looked over at the wound. It hadn’t clotted. Jenny wasn’t the only one suffering from the blood thinning effect. He called out, “Well one camel is headed toward the fort. I sent the bull. Daisy won’t budge.”

  Bryan asked, “You got the canteen, my haversack?”

  Gage replied, “Yes, everything except the saddle and the dead brave I strapped on him and the blood it took to write where we were.”

  Bryan told Gage, “You need to take a drink. You’re still losing blood aren’t you.”

  Gage looked at the blood dripping from his arm, “Ink, makes good ink Travers. That’s all the water we have. I can’t be drinking it all. There may be water down there, but where and what are you going to use to hold it. I’ll see if I can throw it down in a minute. Just give me a minute.”

  Bryan didn’t ask he ordered, “Take a drink now and get out of the sun Gage.”

  There was a rustle in the cave as a couple bats flew out. Gage covered his head and put his face into the camel’s body. Daisy was snapping at the flying rats. Gage felt something wet drip on his shoulder behind him, “God, bat dung?”

  Jenny pushed a little into Gage’s back with her finger tip trying to get room to come out.

  Gage jumped pulling out his bowie knife by reflex and then considered there was no way he co
uld turn in time before that spear was in his back. He would have to try to convince them he gave up, then strike quickly. Gage slowly raised his knife holding the blade to where they’d know it was being offered, not expected to be used. This would hurt but his fingers were tight on the sharp edge of the blade ready to flip it into the uninvited guest the moment they gave him a chance to turn if they didn’t knock it out of his hand first.

  Jenny frowned as she thought, “His knife? Should she speak? Would it scare him too or should she just try to take it from him? What would he do if she backed up? Then she knew. His fingers were tense and poised to strike. Jenny tried to hum the cradle song she sang to him when he couldn’t sleep.

  Gage’s fingers relaxed as he lowered his arm, “Jenny, that’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard.” Gage struggled to his knees and Jenny scooted out quickly catching him in her hands and cradled him in her arms. She looked down at his arm with tears in her eyes and tried hard to make each word right, “Sorry. Bryan say water. You mind Gage.” Jenny propped her brother against the wall of the entrance and held the canteen up to his lips nodding. Gage took two gulps and pushed it away.

  Jenny was up on her feet and before Gage could stop her, she had taken the buckskin shirt off one of the braves cutting away several thin strips of leather. Then she searched through Bryan’s haversack. She pulled out some leaves and chewed them in her mouth redressing Gage’s wound with them pressed along the line of the cut. She wrapped the cut with strips from Daisy’s blanket and held it in place with the straps of buck skin.

  Gage smiled, “Look at you. What you think I’m still five?”