Camp Camel: The Heart of Texas

by Eaton, Rosemary

  Gage looked down, “Not exactly, no I’m fine. It’s healing up.” Gage put his hat on the hall hat tree and looked like he had been caught sneaking out cookies before dinner as he took the boy from the sling, “Dad, I don’t guess there is a good way to say this, but meet your grandson. One of them anyway.”

  Mr. Travis rose and walked over to look at the boy, “Not yours. Not a speck of Travis in that boy Gage. What ever whore told you it was yours lied.” Just like that he went back to his chair and had a seat and picked up the letter again trying to read what it said. Mr. Travis looked back up squinting, “Go give the boy back.”

  Gage said, “Can’t. She’s dead.”

  Mr. Travis frowned, “You didn’t strangle her did you?”

  Gage flushed, “No, She just died. All her family died. Measles got them. Sad, very sad, all but the boy. I barely got him out of there in time. He seems fine.”

  Mr. Travis said, “And he would. Wait a week or two and then he could be breaking out too. You must be really itching to bury me. Two children both exposed to measles in a week.”

  Gage smiled, “He’s just a baby. He can’t even talk yet.”

  Mr. Travis asked, “Just what are you going to do with him. You can’t drag a baby around a battlefield or take him off on one of those top secret PIU missions now can you?”

  Gage looked down at Cole, “His name is Cole, after Grandfather. Thought it fit with his hair dark like that. Green eyes too.”

  Mr. Travis leaned back, “Gage, just how are you going to feed that baby? Wouldn’t it be better to find him a couple to adopt him? He needs a full time Mom.”

  Gage swallowed, “Maybe. I thought maybe he could stay here for a while.”

  Mr. Travis shook his head, “Oh, no you don’t. Don’t you even think about leaving without this child. No more dump and runs.”

  Gage said, “I’m not running. I’m back. I’m going to help. Don’t worry, he won’t be here forever. I just need a little help tonight. It’s not safe out there. You know what’s going on don’t you?”

  Mr. Travis said, “I heard rumors Sparrow Hawk is leaving. So, did she give him his bastard?”

  Gage said, “Jenny, you mean your daughter Jenny? The one you turned down when Dallas asked you to take her in? Yes, she gave him her baby and it died. You know, she has four more boys. I’m going to get to know them before they’re gone. I could arrange for you to meet them if you wanted to go with me. Mom’s met the two older boys. They’re good boys.”

  Mr. Travis picked up the letter, “Good kids? They are Comanches. What you think, he’s just going to invite me to be his guest after he raped my child?”

  Gage replied, “Maybe if they’re alive tomorrow, he might just do that. Especially if you let them go through the ranch.”

  Mr. Travis smirked, “And there is the real reason you’re here. You want me to give HIM safe passage through my ranch. The man who’s kept your sister hostage for half her life, raped her who knows how many times, made her do things I am not going to even think about with you and damned both your souls to hell if you believe your mother. For God’s sake Gage, what on God’s green earth makes you want to do anything besides kill the man?”

  Gage said, “I have my reasons. Good reasons. You just have to trust me on that.”

  Mr. Travis said, “You’re putting us right in the middle of an Indian power struggle.”

  Gage said, “Only if there’s anyone left to fight him. Dallas is working on that and Sparrow Hawk has committed braves to fight with us. Seems his first wife and brother tried a little power play and it failed partly thanks to Jenny. All we have to do is help him clean up the strays and then get him out before he changes his mind.”

  Mr. Travis asked, “What do you mean thanks to Jenny? I thought she was at the fort?”

  Gage said, “It’s complicated, but let’s just say on the way back from fulfilling her part of the treaty, we ran into some problems. Mouse Dog and Red Eagle tried to kill us and planned to spring a trap on Sparrow Hawk. Jenny helped kill Mouse Dog and saved the Major’s wife and child. She scalped them. Just like she was taking her vengeance on all the years they held her, she took their scalps off like she used to skin squirrels with a bowie knife Dad.”

  Mr. Travis’ mind went back to before she was taken. “She always had a knack for the knife. You didn’t make her kill them all did you?”

  Gage looked at his arm, “No, I got my share. But if Jenny and Travers hadn’t be there, it could have gone a lot worse.”

  Mr. Travis saw the knife wound on his arm, “You did get hurt. Gage, when are you going to admit you can’t do it all. Now that you’re back, are you bound and determined to use that stone out there? What did I do to deserve the two of you.”

  Gage looked down on the boy, “No, not so determined now. I’ve come to grips with some of my ghosts. Maybe if you weren’t so determine to keep her buried, we wouldn’t be in this mess tonight. She could have waited out her time in a bed instead of being dragged around the country like a piece of livestock. She got that stubborn streak from you Dad. Her kids look like us.”

  Mr. Travis asked, “They look white?”

  Gage looked at the boy in his arms, “I think at least one is. I think it was me. Looks just like me. The next older one has brown hair, and looks a lot like her. That might be Bo Callahan’s. He could have been in their camp when he was here. I see parts of him in Peekwi. Good hunter, fisher, responsible kid. He didn’t get that from me. That one wasn’t me Dad. Itsee, that’s the oldest, pretty sure he’s Sparrow Hawk’s kid. Crafty, smart, a real little genius. Then Paaka, he’s got my smile, Jenny’s smile, but probably Sparrow Hawks too. I don’t think his first wife resented her until after the second boy. Then she did what she could to make Jenny’s life a living hell and tried real hard to get her killed. She might die tonight. Don’t you think you could try to help save her boys?”

  Mr. Travis looked at Gage, “What do you mean die tonight?”

  Gage said, “He’s getting older, braves that are younger in their prime may challenge him when he tells them what his treaty said. Loser’s family could die. I need to leave. I promised Sparrow Hawk I’d be waiting in case they get to walk out. Jenny’s a guest in his camp. New treaty required them to exchange guests. I’m the other one. We are their assurance Dallas won’t just walk in and start shooting.”

  Mr. Travis said, “That doesn’t make sense, why are you here then?”

  Gage said, “The boy. I knew his mother Jade when I was in Arkansas. She was a captive in Red Eagle’s camp. Sparrow Hawk’s tribe can’t take him. He’s white, Dad. It was bring him or let them kill him.”

  Mr. Travis muttered, “And what about that boy you claim is yours and looks like you son? You plan to grab him too and Duke Callahan’s grandson? What’s wrong with you Gage, you can’t save them all to make up for what you imagined happened to those boys that day. They were caught red handed with money off those men. You’re just lucky Anderson sent you North before someone higher got a whiff of those accusations. That letter says your not regular army no more, you’ve been given a medical discharge and might need help.” Mr. Travis called out, “Anna! Bring your sewing kit and alcohol. And get Sonya. The boy brought us another babe to mess with. And get him some red meat to eat. He looks like bats have been sucking at his blood.”

  Gage responded, “So now I’m the prodigal son?

  Mr. Travis replied, “Well, you have been missing for a while now boy. It’s good to know there was a good reason for that, but if you ever let me think you died like that again and don’t get word to me so I can come get you, I’ll show your behind the backside of my boot, and you know I can too.”

  Gage said, “I love you too old man. I really have something I have to do so don’t kill a steer or anything. If things go wrong for him tonight, you’ll let them pass through the ranch?”

  Mr. Travis asked, “Is my daughter going to be with them?”

  Gage took a breath, “Maybe, if she’s st
ill alive. She’ll try to walk them out if she can. He trained her for this and it’s her sons whose lives hang in the balance.” Mr. Travis was taking it in. His son was stark raving crazy. Maybe he should go along with Gage’s tale long enough to secure the boy from hurting himself.

  Mr. Travis cussed, “Stubborn beyond belief. Well, maybe we better get some help. I’m not letting who ever kills the bastard take off with my cattle. Just let them try to follow them and they’ll find out what a father thinks of losing a daughter.”

  Gage turned handing the baby over and started to go for his hat when his father hit him on the head with his cane. Gage turned just in time for the next blow, “No, Dad Jenny…” He fell at Mr. Travis’ feet. Anna came in shaking her head, “Aye, what you do to Mr. Gage’s head!”

  Mr. Travis said, “Tell Diego to put him in that back in his room and board up the windows a lot better this time and bolt the door from the outside. You stitch him up before he wakes. Poor boy is still trying to save her.”

  Anna asked, “So what of this one?”

  Mr. Travis said, “Too dangerous to travel tonight. I’ll have to report him to the fort once we know it’s safe to move about. Maybe they have a record of who he is.”

  Dallas looked down on the village. It was too quiet. There was a dog or two roaming from teepee to teepee and a few smoldering fires, but there was no sign of men, women, or children. Their horses were missing, no goats, cattle, nothing but the dogs. It was as if they had packed up, but left their homes. Then he heard something. A baby crying from inside one of the teepees. Dallas motioned to Captain Bowman, “Too quiet. Spread out. Bugler play something lively for me. Not a charge or one of our signals, but something that would get their attention for sure.”

  The bugler played ‘Dixie’ and they waited. Still the only sound was that of a crying baby some where in the village. Dallas said, “Alright, leave half a dozen to be ready to stampede the herd, and the rest are searching every teepee for what happened to these people. Could be they already packed up, but that baby tells me something happened to them.”

  The men searched the village hut by hut. They were empty except for one that looked like it belonged to Red Eagle. There in a cradle board was a baby letting her displeasure with being left unattended known. On the floor was what looked like it could have been her mother with her throat cut along with a another squaw, two teenage sons and younger brother. Red Eagle’s family. In the middle of the teepee was a message left for the CSA chief. There over their bodies was a broken arrow and a drawing of the Texas flag drawn on the dirt.

  Sergeant Major Vincent told the Major, “They give up. They want peace. Who ever took over, took the life of Red Eagle’s family except for the girl. The girl was not a threat.”

  Dallas asked, “Their homes, why didn’t they take them?”

  Sergeant Major Vincent replied, “Property like that goes to the victor. They wouldn’t want you chasing them for the teepees. They packed up their food, and enough to get them by, but these belong to you as does the girl. Major, not sure how you’re going to break this to your wife, but maybe you got a new daughter?”

  Dallas looked at the squalling girl, “Nope. She can’t be more than four months old. I already got one that keeps Lacy out of my bed. Not me.”

  Sergeant Major Vincent said, “Don’t look at me, I took Jake. Surely that counts for something.”

  Dallas looked at the little girl, “Does she look white?”

  Captain Bowman came into the teepee and cussed, “Holy cow, you’d think we were back in the middle ages. Slaughter the loser’s family?” Captain Bowman took one look at the little girl, “White, she’s white. They couldn’t take her. Crap, now what are we doing with her. Sir. I found one goat out back.”

  Dallas said, Pack those blankets, someone check for something we could use to feed her and I sure hope that goat is a Nanny or someone will have to milk one of those long horn cows. I think we better go find them before some unfriendly tribe takes them in. We’ll push them back up North toward Sparrow Hawk’s camp. Pack up those teepees. They’re going to need them back. We can gift them to Sparrow Hawk along with these cattle. That should help smooth over things.”

  It didn’t take but an hour for the troops to catch up with the remains of the village walking North with their remaining ponies loaded with the remains of their lives. Dallas rode up with his flag of truce. After giving Lizard, their new war chief a choice of joining with Sparrow Hawk in his trip North or being escorted by the army to be conscripted by Albert Pike, Lizard said he was of like mind with Sparrow Hawk. He wanted nothing to do with the white man’s war, but he would go into the western regions of the Indian territory away from the whites.

  One peace pipe later, they were on the move again. Dallas was feeling pretty good about things as they headed North. He might get home sooner than he had hoped and it looked like they had squashed the uprising and should be able to get Sparrow Hawk back on track moving North. Then he had the feeling of something just wasn’t right. It was way too easy.

  Lizard had a wry grin on his face as he told another brave, “White man takes us right to his camp. It is a good day to avenge our brothers is it not.”

  Sonya looked at the little boy, “You need your Mamacita. What was Mr. Travis thinking. Surely Mr. Gage knows where she is.” Cole tried to push the bottle of cow’s milk away. He was having nothing to do with it. His little hands reached out for her breasts. Sonya shook her head, “Sorry little muchacho, no milk. It is this nasty cow’s milk for you tonight.”

  Gage came to with his hands tied to the bed posts. He could hear Cole. The colic was back. There was the sound of women walking the halls and his Dad cussing that he was never getting any sleep. Gage called out, “Someone let me out of here. NOW! You can’t hold me like this. You have no right!”

  Gage was rubbing the ropes against the bed posts as fast has his arms would move. This would take forever. Gage looked down and grinned, they had left his boots on. Gage took the iron posts in his hands swung his legs up above his head until he caught the edges of his boot between the ropes and ran the rope over the sharp steel tips until it frayed then yanked. After fifteen minutes the rope broke between his hands. With a few more good yanks he had one hand free and quickly untied the other. He scooted the bed over and lifted the loose boards up and crawled under the house. Once he had his bed back over his escape hole, he put the board back in place and crawled on his belly until he reached the back porch. He could hear Sonya rocking the boy above him trying to console the boy.

  Gage smiled, “Well at least he had a good set of lungs. That might help distract them long enough for him to run for the stables. Gage took a pebble and threw it out over to the side of the yard toward his tombstone. Sonya stopped talking and looked out trying to see what caused the noise. Gage threw another stone and hit Jenny’s grave marker.

  Sonya shivered from head to foot and crossed herself. She muttered to the little boy, “The ghosts are out tonight and restless muchacho. I should put you in there with Mr. Gage. When he tires of your squalling, then maybe he tell us where your Mamacita is.” Sonya walked back into the house headed for Gage’s room as Gage scooted out and ran for the barn. There was a scream from inside the house as Sonya discovered Gage’s bedroom empty.

  Anna shook her head, “Now who will tell his father he’s gone again.”

  The fires burned high in Sparrow Hawk’s village. Jenny guided the young wives in preparing the feast Sparrow Hawk had requested and by the time the dancing and drums had stopped, the food was ready. The women prepared platters and put them out in front of the men and retired back from the light of the bomb fire in the center of village. Huutsuu and Pihi went to their place behind Sparrow Hawk, while Jenny attended Peekwi and Wasapi further back. As Jenny suspected, Sparrow Hawk introduced his new brides and their brothers. Then he announced his son Itsee was to take Mua, daughter of Turtle as his first wife tonight and Paaka was to take Umaaru, daughter of Snake, as his first
wife when he was of age. Jenny was mentally trying to keep up with who Sparrow Hawk had made alliances with and who was still possible threats. Who was she kidding. Everyone was a threat when the war chief started looking older.

  Jenny could hear the words as Itsee pledged his body and blood to his wife Mua. He would have his own teepee. Her son who wasn’t old enough to fight was expected to take the girl to bed tonight. Of course the wokwave bread would stir his blood and it would not be a problem other than how quick it might be over. They seemed way to young, but the boy knew what was expected and if she was honest, he was probably a willing participant in this game. His heart might want Pihi, but his body wouldn’t care once he found himself inside her. Jenny looked on as she realized that his chest had filled out and his body showed the changes of a boy turning into a young man. Her son was no longer the young innocent boy. At least Paaka was only a promise of a future marriage.

  Sparrow Hawk was speaking. He was telling them the terms of their treaty and how they would build a great tribe in the western Indian Territory. They would parley with the remains of Red Eagle’s tribe. This brought a stir of emotions from the men. Some expressed concerns about letting any of the men from Red Eagle’s tribe inside their village. They were not convinced there should be any mercy considering this was not a just and honorable warfare, but treachery and plots by Red Eagle and even those who were considered his family. If Mouse Dog could be turned to act without any honor, then surely their men had no honor.

  Sparrow Hawk listened and replied, “You may be right my brother. We will not close our eyes on these new comers, but the white man thinks he knows our minds better than we do. We are required to offer peace. If they walk in and choose to dishonor themselves to their word, they will be dealt with as those who dishonored themselves today. Their women will surely say we gave them a new tribe and they choose death. We will have many new wives and children to build a strong nation from our seed.”