Camp Camel: The Heart of Texas

by Eaton, Rosemary

  Corporal Gibbons confirmed, “That he did Sir. That man has no heart or soul if you ask me. Strange for someone who claims he was a Priest at one time too. Made her shiver and shake then let her loose to find those cactus plants. Used it to control her until she used it on us and the camels found their own cactus. Then I thought we’d all die for sure.”

  Bryan’s brow went into a frown as he considered Jenny feeding wokwave to a camel and drugging a detachment of Calvary in the middle of the dessert. Bryan noticed she was looking straight at him watching his reaction closely and he turned his comment to Corporal Gibbon’s improved hearing changing the topic, “You’re hearing better now?” All of a sudden he was a lot less worried about Bo Callahan and what Gage might have done with Jenny as much as dragging out old charges of murder that might be still outstanding against this ‘M’.” Maybe he should wait and address this with Gage. What ever differences Gage and Jenny had seemed to be behind them. But maybe not MacLeod.

  Corporal Gibbons smiled, “Yes, Sir. Just like you said, it seems to have come back. Maybe we should just take this back before that beast gets too heavy. Seems to me if Daisy goes, all of us but you go too. Wouldn’t due with those ribs for you to try to pull us all out. Plus I think your coffee has worn off. She’s looking a little like she might be remembering that ship and how she and Bo were sent for the pearls if you ask me. She might just dive into the sand head first trying to get that last chest.”

  A wry smile passed over Bryan’s face as he waved his hand in front of Jenny’s eyes. She didn’t flinch, but there was the look of fear in her eyes like one Bryan had never seen. She was in there somewhere, but Corporal Gibbons was right. The peyote had her mind. Bryan sighed, “Let’s go unload and check these out.” They went back to the wagon and Bryan laid out the stones on the tail and sorted through for those of value and toss the rest over to the side. Stones and jewelry went into the wagon bed and the coins, gold, and silver were packed in tarps in manageable sizes.

  Bryan made sure everyone stopped and drank plenty of water. Bryan found his chloroform, doused a rag and came up behind her and and put her to sleep. With Corporal Gibbon’s help they moved her to the back of the wagon where she could sleep off the peyote trance. Bryan noticed her arm was still weeping and he applied some of the same poultice Jenny had put on Gage to the wound and re-wrapped it then tied her hands and feet where she couldn’t leave or reach anything sharp.

  The Corporal looked at her, “You think she’ll ever be free of it?”

  Bryan answered, “I hope so. Maybe she needs to move away from the Southwest. No cactus like that in Arkansas.”

  Corporal Gibbons replied, “No, but plenty of blue coats from what I heard.”

  Bryan agreed, “That there is. I’m afraid it’s going to fall this time, but there are places they might not care so much about in the mountains and forest.” Bryan and the Corporal continued their quest for treasure on the east side of the ravine. It gave him time to talk more about the men in the recovery team, mining, Kentucky, and how he ended up back in Texas and the CSA given his home state was neutral. Bryan intentionally stayed out of earshot of Jenny as the Corporal gave him an update on Morgan’s one thousand mile trek across Tennessee and Kentucky and the search for some squaw called She Who Cries Weather amongst the Cherokee by both North and South.

  Corporal Gibbons asked, “You ever notice the weather changes when her emotions change? Twisters, rainbows, rain or dust storms and such?”

  Bryan chuckled, “Only the weather in her eyes, thank goodness. The Knife able to control weather, that would be pretty scary.” Bryan asked casually, “Did she seem to do that when you traveled with her?”

  Corporal Gibbons said, “She never talked and he hid her face so it was pretty hard to tell what she was feeling until the peyote wore off. Then you could see it in her eyes as you said. It wasn’t until McCloud, I mean Captain Travis tried to wean her that all hell broke loose. That ship just sunk right in front of us like God was mad at us for being there. Then the dust storms came, those big ones that cover up the trail and bury people and animals. We lost half the men who went with us too.”

  Bryan asked, “She killed them?”

  Corporal Gibbons said, “Why no Sir. If it hadn’t been for her, we’d all have died. There wasn’t no food, least not for us. Just that cactus MacLeod was collecting left. That was some night for sure when MacLeod left half of us with Sergeant McCloud and he left to find the Mojave. Those were the ones that didn’t come back, except for him. He came back after we got the treasure.”

  Corporal Gibbons looked like he was in his own peyote stupor and said, “That’s when the Sergeant decided we needed a sober guide and her being Injun showed her this map and she lead us right to that ship. Sitting as pretty as you please on solid ground. He sent young Bo and her into the hold and everything was fine until it wasn’t. The ground shifted and that boat sank with them still in it. Then it rose, shifted, and started to go down again when she pulled young Bo to safety and we grabbed him, but her foot was still caught in the rigging and she went down again. We thought she died, nobody could hold their breath that long and we couldn’t dig up a sign of that ship.

  Bryan asked, “Well, what happened? Don’t stop there.”

  Corporal Gibbons related his story as he thought back to how it happened, “She showed up three days later in the middle of a clear hot as hell day while we were trying to find any shade we could hide under next to a cactus. That’s when the dust storm came up on us like Hell have no fury like a woman scorned. Right there in the middle of that she whacked off a cactus pad and beat McCloud’s backside like she was his Mam and he’d done something mighty wrong. He slapped her face and her scarf came off then he stopped in his tracks not three feet away from her. There he was looking at the Knife. There wasn’t but a few of us that could see the fight you understand, the wind and sand was fierce. Guess that’s when he first knew this was no camel maid, but the very woman he’d been hunting for years. He was sworn to kill her. I thought he was going to kill her right then but the boy stepped between them and he hit Bo hard enough to kill him. She covered his body and he kicked her and she got back up with Bo’s knife in her hand and dared him to come close with blood in her eyes. Well, we couldn’t let him kill the boy, so we snuck up and dragged Bo back. Then Bo came to and drew his own knife calling out behind her. He wasn’t letting her kill McCloud either so there she stood between the two of them. Bo called out the man’s real name and she looked at McCloud then back to Bo like he torn her heart out and threw her knife in the sand covering her face and that’s when I hit her and knocked her out before she changed her mind. She spent the rest of the trip with her hands tied and tethered to the camels. Then he sent her back to the Indians.”

  Bryan asked, “And MacLeod? What about him? Did you go back?”

  Corporal Gibbons replied, “Yep, we went back. Turned out they had killed everyone but MacLeod, and McCloud offered the Knife to their chief in exchange for our chief. He looked at her bruises from where McCloud kicked her an turned him down. Then the Knife spit in their chief’s face and well, we were in the middle of it then. Their Chief’s wife came up and spit at MacLeod and the two of them got into a cat fight while we went at each other fighting for our lives.”

  Bryan was grinning, “Did she win?”

  Corporal Gibbons looked at Bryan like he had missed the point, “Sparrow Hawk won. He got wokwave and black pearls, his enemy weakened using our blood, and we paid him to take her back. Nothing happens in her life that he doesn’t want. Captain Travis had it right the first time. She will never be white. It’s too late.”

  Bryan sighed and held his hand up that he’d heard enough, “I see. I understand how you feel Corporal, but she’s not the same person that went with you.”

  Corporal Gibbons replied, “He said you wouldn’t believe him Sir. But I swear, it all happened. You need to understand how that man thinks.”

  Bryan paused, “I’m more concer
ned with how Lieutenant MacLeod thinks at the moment Corporal. He seems to think the Knife wants him dead from the way he treated her.”

  Corporal Gibbons retorted, “Maybe he’s not the only one she wants. Anderson was on that trip and he’s dead enough. Didn’t you hear her say the words before those bats swarmed us, like she knew what was coming?”

  Bryan countered, “Don’t you dare try to blame Anderson’s death on her. He shot her for God sake. The man was a bigot and a fool.”

  Corporal Gibbons took a breath, “She said not to lie Sir. I just told you like I saw it. Not debating your opinion of Private Anderson. But I’ve watched her work and seen it first hand how chaos just follows the Knife looking like it’s all an accident, but a very happy accident that usually benefit’s Sparrow Hawk. Captain Travis asked me to tell you. He was afraid, if he tried, you wouldn’t believe him. He has his reasons. You just have to trust me on that.”

  Bryan pointed to something shiny, “That I can believe. So where will they send you when you’re done here?”

  Corporal Gibbons grunted, “Where ever they damned well please, just like you Sir. Not likely to see home anytime soon.”

  Finally after a couple hours, they stopped and Bryan cooked up the remainder of the scalped pig and a fresh batch of biscuits which they washed down with some apple cider. Jenny was awakened. She had forgotten everything except Bryan knew she had eaten more wokwave and she needed to help count. They expected her to count. Her legs weren’t that sore, she must have blacked out and gone on a vision quest but she didn’t remember it. It was a black hole in her mind.

  Bryan assured her she had picked up her share. It must have just been another flashback from what ever Red Cedar gave her and it would pass in another couple days. Bryan packed notes with each parcel with a count and short description of what the bundle contained. They keep the counts in each small enough that Corporal Gibbon’s third grade education was sufficient for him to agree to the number each contained.

  Between what Daisy had loaded on her, and the wagon, they were full. Bryan wrote a note for Dallas and stuck it to a Cactus, “Camp Verde or Bust.” The Corporal took the reigns of the wagon and with Daisy tethered to the rear, they headed back. As the sun set on the horizon, their little wagon train rolled into camp. Bryan pointed to the guard house, “I never thought I’d be so glad to see a guard house, but any bed would be welcome tonight.”

  Corporal Gibbons said, “They’re really going to make you sleep with it, day and night?”

  Bryan grinned, “I’m afraid so. You want a cell?”

  Corporal Gibbons shuddered, “No Sir. I’d rather not if it’s all the same.”

  Bryan smiled, “I see. You got your totals for the Lieutenant. Keep those on you until he gets back. That building over there is the barracks, and next door is the mess hall.”

  Corporal Gibbons nodded, “Yes, Sir. Thank you. I’ll just be off then.”

  The guard on duty, Private Collins, saluted, “Sir, what should we do with that?”

  Bryan said, It goes into one of the cells along with what’s in the back of the wagon.”

  The guard peeked in the back, “The woman too?”

  Bryan chuckled, “Yes, the woman too. Let Captain Bowman keep the key at night until the Major gets back or Lieutenant MacLeod. “

  The Private Collins shook his head but didn’t argue, “If you say so Sir. “

  Bryan smiled, “Perfect. I’ll be back shortly. I need to get a few things from my office and let Captain Bowman know what happened.”

  The Private Collins looked at Daisy, “Girl, what ever did you do out there to get thrown in the brig. Well, might as well take you in. No use me having to lift all that.” Daisy made a guttural sound looking back at the wagon and planted her feet and balked. Private Collins, pleaded to no avail.

  Jenny woke up and rubbed her eyes, “Bryan?”

  Private Collins addressed her, “Mam, the Captain said I should escort you and put you in there. Are you able to walk?”

  Jenny gingerly made her way to the buckboard and climbed in the seat, “Help. Legs hurt, Arm hurt.”

  Private Collins looked closer, “Shit, she’s back.”

  Jenny looked at Daisy, “Yes, foul smelling beastie is back.”

  Private Collins lifted Jenny by her waist and set her on the ground, “This way. If you go in there maybe I can get the rest of that back there unpacked, then deal with Daisy.”

  Jenny looked at everything, “You go get help. Too heavy for one person.”

  Private Collins tried to lift a sack, “Oh God, what did they put in there?”

  Jenny said, “Many hours of stooping to pick that up with bad hand. Many Scars leave?”

  Private Collins replied, “That other man? Yes, Captain Travers sent him to the barracks for the night.” Private Collins crossed himself. That man looked white as a lily and here he was Injun too. Now there were two of them here.

  Private Collins escorted her to a large cell with a window facing out into the camel pen with single bed. Private Collin looked back, “Daisy girl? You ready now. Alright in you go.”

  Jenny’s eyes bugged out, “Not right. This not camel pen.”

  Private Collins replied, “Not mine to say, Mam. the Captain he clearly said she had to be locked up along with what you brought back in the wagon and you.”

  Jenny grabbed the rough blanket from the bed and scooted under the bed as Daisy went to her knees growling content to have the load off her legs and Jenny by her side, although trapped under the bed.

  Private Collins locked the door, “I think you’re right about needing help. I’m just going to go get some, then we’ll find a place for the rest of that stuff.”

  Jenny listened for the sounds of Bryan or anyone else who could hear her. After ten minutes she thought she heard foot steps and cried out, “Bryan, help.” Each time she whimpered, Daisy pushed her nose under the bed and tried to make a reassuring growl and the odor of her breath flowed over Jenny like a man’s fart. Jenny pushed one hand out until she felt her muzzle and said, “Sorry. Your legs hurt too?” Daisy made a low guttural sound.” Jenny said, “Men smuck. Bet Bull smuck too. Rest beastie. We sleep now.”

  Private Collin came back with Lieutenant Garret and Private Wells. They emptied the contents of the wagon and then unloaded Daisy. About the time they were finishing, Captain Bowman and Bryan walked in. Bryan looked around, “Where’s Jenny?”

  Private Collins said, “She decided to sleep under the bed.”

  Bryan said, “That bed? The one Daisy has blocked?”

  Private Collins replied, “Yes, Sir. that’s what you wanted wasn’t it? Daisy to guard her like before?”

  Bryan called out, “Jenny, honey you alright?”

  Jenny sniffed and and petted Daisy. Daisy let out a guttural moan of her own.”

  Captain Bowman listened, “I think I heard something.”

  Private Collins said, “You heard Daisy moaning. Poor beast. You might have killed her with all that. What’s she done to be locked up in the guard house anyway on that hard wooden floor?”

  Bryan replied, “I didn’t mean Daisy, just what she had on her.” Bryan tried again, “Jenny? I’m sorry I took so long, but they needed me to look over some of the men they brought back from your Dad’s ranch.” Bryan waited for a reply then gave up and sighed, “Smuck, I’m back to a smuck for sure. Maybe a prick.”

  Captain Bowman grinned, “Welcome to our world. You think we should let him come in?”

  Bryan said, “No way. The man hasn’t got a sympathetic bone in his body.”

  Captain Bowman said, “Says the man she refuses to talk to now.”

  Behind them came the voice of Lieutenant MacLeod, “Well, that’s a start but where are we putting the rest. Is she ready to start counting? The camels go in here?”

  Bryan glared, “NO, not ready. The camels don’t go in here. That’s hard on their knees. We have to get Daisy out now that’s she’s unloaded.”

  L
ieutenant MacLeod said, “But that was a good idea Private. Bring them in to a cell, then unload them. Just need a little more room to get them out. I think we’re going to have to move some of that. Corporal Gibbons did alright, didn’t he?”

  Bryan said, “We all did alright, thank you. It was a team effort.”

  Lieutenant MacLeod asked, “Oh, how much could you have done with your ribs and her arms. Give credit where it’s due Captain. My man collected that.”

  Jenny said, “Prick, him have tiny prick Daisy. Men like that always have tiny prick. Up, get up. We getting out of here.” Daisy struggled to her feet and Jenny crawled out under Daisy’s belly scooting sacks under the bed making a path to the door.

  Private Collins asked, “Should I let Daisy out?”

  Bryan said, “Yes, let her out and make sure she has clean hay to rest on.”

  Jenny stood at her head and called out, “You open door for her now? I take her to pen.”

  The door swung open and Jenny pushed on Daisy’s chest, “Back step back, we run them over if they not move.” The men scattered as Jenny guided Daisy out and then lead her toward the door for the camel pen.

  Lieutenant MacLeod frowned, “She’s not going to mount that is she?”

  Bryan said, “She can’t ride one without help. Besides you ever tried to ride a camel without any saddle or blanket? She’s taking her to her stall in the pen.”

  Lieutenant MacLeod looked at Bryan, “Not what we agreed to Captain.”

  Bryan gave him the finger, “It’s the most secure place we have. That fence is ten feet high. She has an escort. You are a prick you know it.”

  Lieutenant MacLeod asked, “So why is this stuff in here if that’s better?”

  Captain Bowman looked at the Lieutenant, “Lieutenant, the last time I read the manual, Captains are higher in rank than a Lieutenant. Maybe you’re the one that needs to be in the guard house. Private Wells, escort the Lieutenant to an empty cell.”