Jim Bowie

by Robert E. Hollmann

  Butch dropped the ear and hung his head.

  “I want to sit next to you. She always gets to sit next to you.”

  The old dog shook his head. “If you two are going to fight, I’m going to take a nap.” He stretched out in the shade.

  “No, Grampa,” Butch said. “We’ll be good. Tell us the story.”

  Princess curled up next to the old dog. “Yes, Grampa. We want to hear the story.”

  The old dog raised his head. “Well, all right. But any more fighting and that’s the end of the story.”

  Butch lay down next to Princess. The old dog scratched his ear with a hind foot.

  “Now, where was I? Oh, yes. Jim and I headed for Texas. I tell you I had no idea how big Texas was. We walked for days. The grass on the prairie came up to the belly of Jim’s horse. Most of the time it was over my head. Sometimes we would flush a rabbit and I would chase him, but those Texas rabbits are fast. I never caught one. Along the trail we met up with a man named Isaac Donoho. He and Jim became friends and he rode with us.

  One evening just about sunset, we saw a campfire glowing in the distance. We headed toward the fire and came upon three men cooking supper. The cooking meat sure smelled good. As we got near the camp Jim called out, “Hello. We’d like to come into your camp.”

  The men reached for their rifles, and Jim and Isaac held out their hands to show they were friendly.

  “Hold it right there,” one of the men around the campfire said.

  “It’s all right, friend,” Jim said. “We’re traveling through Texas and would like to spend the night here if you don’t mind. This is Isaac Donoho. My name is Jim Bowie.”

  The men looked at each other. The one who had spoken walked up to Jim and said, “Jim Bowie? The knife fighter? I heard of him. If you are really Jim Bowie, let me see that knife.”

  Jim smiled and slowly pulled his knife from the scabbard. He turned it so the handle was pointing toward the man and handed it to him.

  “Here you go. Be careful. It’s mighty sharp.”

  The man took the knife and held it carefully. He turned to his friends.

  “I’ve never seen a knife like this. I think this is the best knife I’ve ever seen. I guess you really are Jim Bowie. You and your friend are welcome to have some supper and stay here tonight.”

  “Thank you,” Jim said as he stepped down from his horse. “That food smells mighty good.”

  “We found a small herd of buffalo. Nothing better than roast buffalo.” The man walked over and sat by the fire. “My name’s Turner. This here is Johnson and Smith. We’re headed to San Felipe. We’re going to see Mr. Austin.”

  “Stephen F. Austin?” Jim asked.

  Turner nodded. “The very same. He’s the man to see about getting some land grants. There’s a lot of land available in Texas.”

  Jim poured himself a cup of coffee. “Sure is. We’ve been riding for days, and it looks like we’ll be riding for several more days.”

  Turner cut a slice of meat from the roasting buffalo. “Where are you heading?”

  Jim blew on the hot coffee. “No place special. We’re just looking over the country. We want to get some land and we’re searching for a good spot.”

  Turner took a bite of the meat. “Why don’t you ride with us to meet Austin? He knows where all the best land is. He could probably help you get a grant. He’s in good with the government of Mexico.”

  Jim looked over at his friend. “What do you think, Isaac? Should we go meet Mr. Austin?”

  Isaac shrugged. “I don’t think it could hurt anything. We don’t really have any plans. He might get us lined up with some good land.”

  Jim took a sip of the coffee. “All right then, Turner. We’ll ride with you to see Mr. Austin. Now if you don’t mind, I think I’ll try some of that buffalo.”

  Jim pulled his knife and cut a large slice of the roasting meat. The fat dripped into the fire and sent sparks dancing in the dark sky. The smell of the meat was wonderful. I was hungry. I looked around at the men, but they were eating and talking. It was plain that no one was going to give me anything to eat. I walked over to the meat and stuck out my tongue. I licked the meat. It sure tasted good. Just then the fire sparked and some sparks landed on my tongue. I yelped and ran away from the fire, looking for some water to cool my tongue. As I ran into the darkness I could hear Jim and the others laughing. I found a small puddle of water and lapped it with my burning tongue.

  As the cool water poured over my tongue I heard Jim say, “I think old Gator’s going to think he’s better off with an alligator chasing him than a fire burning his tongue.”

  The men were still laughing as I slunk back toward the camp. I was determined to get some of that meat, and this time I would watch out for the fire.

  Chapter Five

  I TROTTED ALONGSIDE THE HORSES as they walked down the dusty street of San Felipe. The town didn’t look like much. There were a few wooden buildings lining the dirt street. A dog came running at me, barking and showing his teeth. Jim swerved his horse toward the dog and it ran away. Jim looked down at me and smiled.

  “You sure have a way of making friends fast, Gator.”

  I looked up at Jim and wagged my tail. He was always looking after me, but someday I was going to show him that I could take care of myself.

  “Which building is Austin in, Turner?” Jim asked.

  Turner took off his hat and scratched his head.

  “I’m not sure.” He saw a woman walking down the street and called to her. “Excuse me, Ma’am. Do you know where I might find Mr. Stephen Austin?”

  The woman studied the men for a few moments. Then she pointed to a building at the end of the street.

  “He’s in there,” she said.

  “Many thanks,” Turner said as he replaced his hat. The men rode down the street and tied their horses in front of the building. I followed the men through the door. There was a small desk in the room, and a man was busy writing at the desk. He looked up as we entered the room.

  “What can I do for you fellows?” he asked.

  Jim walked over to him and extended his hand.

  “Would you be Mr. Stephen Austin?”

  The man took Jim’s hand. “I would.”

  “My name’s Jim Bowie. My friends and I would like a word with you if you have the time.”

  Austin stood up.

  “Jim Bowie. I’ve heard of you, sir. Your reputation and that knife of yours are well known around here. We’ve heard about the fight you had at the Sandbar. I wonder if you would let me see your knife?”

  Jim took his knife from its scabbard and handed it to Austin. Austin waved it through the air a few times and then handed it back to Jim.

  “A truly amazing knife.” Austin sat down. “Now what can I do for you gentlemen?”

  Jim sat in a chair across from Austin. I walked over and lay down in a corner of the room. The other men stood near the doorway.

  “Well, Mr. Austin.” Jim looked back at his friends. “We were wanting to find a good place to set up a home. We thought you might be able to tell us where we could find some good land. “

  Austin rubbed his chin.

  “Well, land is not as easy to find as it used to be. There’s some trouble with the government of Mexico. I think they’re getting worried about all the new settlers coming to Texas from the United States. They’re not as willing to give out grants as they once were.”

  Austin searched the papers on his desk. He pulled out a clean sheet and began to write. For several moments there was no sound in the room except the scratching of the pen on the paper. Austin finished his writing and looked up at Jim.

  “This is a letter that will introduce you to two very important men in San Antonio: Mr. Juan De Veramendi and Mr. Juan Seguin. Mr. Seguin’s father, Don Erasmo Seguin, is a strong supporter of the new settlers. I think these men can help you find some good land.”

  Jim took the paper from Austin.

  “Thank you, sir. Y
ou said that the government of Mexico wasn’t happy with the new settlers. Do you expect trouble?”

  Austin leaned back in his chair and sighed.

  “I’m afraid that there will be. There are some people here who want us to separate from Mexico. These men are causing trouble and I’m afraid that Mexico will send an army to stop the troublemakers.”

  “You don’t want to separate from Mexico?” Jim asked.

  “I don’t think we could win a war with Mexico. They’re too strong and we’re not organized. Too many people want to be the leaders. One of the worst is a young man from South Carolina named William Travis. He and his friends stir up trouble whenever they can. It’s not good for Texas.”

  Jim stood up. “Well, Mr. Austin, I didn’t come to Texas to get in a fight. I just want to find a place and settle down. Thank you for your letter. I guess we’ll go find these men.”

  Austin stood up and shook Jim’s hand.

  “Well, if trouble does come, I’m glad to know we have Jim Bowie on our side.”

  I followed Jim and the others outside. They mounted their horses and rode out of town. Turner rode up beside Jim.

  “What do you think about the trouble with Mexico?”

  Jim looked out across the open prairie.

  “I don’t know right now. Maybe these two gentlemen will know more. One thing I do know: If the Mexican government starts trouble, I’ll sic ol’ Gator on ’em.”

  Chapter Six

  The streets of San Antonio were alive with activity as we searched for the home of Juan Veramendi. I had to dodge horses and wagons as we rode down the street. Jim saw a man he knew and called to him.

  “Hey, Ben. I thought they’d have run you out of Texas by now.”

  The man smiled as he walked over to Jim. He shook Jim’s hand.

  “Now why would they want to do that? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Jim. Heard a lot about you. I think your knife is more famous than you are.”

  Jim turned to his friends.

  “This is Ben Milam. I’ve known him for some time.”

  Jim looked down the street. “Ben, can you tell us where Juan Veramendi lives? Stephen Austin told us to look him up. We also need to find a man named Juan Seguin.”

  “Well, you’re in luck. Both of those gentlemen are at the Veramendi house right now. I just left them.” Milam looked around the street to make sure no one was listening. “I’m glad you’re here, Jim. I think there’s trouble coming, and we can use a man like you.”

  “I didn’t come here to get in a fight, Ben. I could have stayed home and had all the fighting I wanted. We’re interested in finding some land and starting a ranch.”

  I walked over to Milam. He reached down and scratched my ears.

  “This mutt yours?” he asked.

  Jim nodded. “His name’s Gator. I don’t think he’s good for much except alligator bait.”

  I licked Milam’s hand. He looked down at my face.

  “Jim, I don’t believe you. If you thought that, you wouldn’t let him follow you all over Texas.”

  “Well, do you know where the Veramendi house is?”

  Milam nodded.

  “Go down the street to the church. Take the street to the right. It’s the big house on the corner. When you get through there, come find me and we’ll talk about old times.”

  Jim turned his horse in the direction indicated by Milam.

  “Thanks, Ben. I’ll find you later.”

  Shortly, Jim tied his horse in front of a large house and walked up to the front door. I stood beside him as he knocked. Soon a servant opened the door and asked what Jim wanted. Jim pulled the letter from Austin out of his pocket.

  “I have a letter from Mr. Stephen Austin, introducing me to Mr. Juan Veramendi. I heard that Mr. Juan Seguin was here. I was hoping to speak with him too.”

  The servant took the letter and walked back into the house. Shortly he came back and said, “Mr. Veramendi will see you.”

  Jim turned to his friends. “Go find us a place to stay. I’ll meet you at the cantina later.”

  Nobody stopped me, so I followed Jim into the house. The thick adobe walls made it cool inside. We followed the servant into a large room. Two men were sitting around a big table talking. The men got to their feet as we entered the room. The servant bowed to the men and said. “This is Mr. Jim Bowie.”

  The servant left the room as the two men walked over to Jim and shook his hand.

  “Mr. Bowie. Welcome to my home. I am Juan Veramendi, and this is Juan Seguin.”

  “Just call me Jim. Thanks for seeing me, Mr. Veramendi.”

  “What can we do for you, Jim?”

  The men sat down around the table.

  “My friends and I are looking for some good land to start a ranch. Mr. Austin said you might be able to help us find that land.”

  “There’s some very nice land in Texas.” Veramendi looked at Juan Seguin. “But, I’m afraid that there’s a problem with the government in Mexico. They’re worried about all the settlers from the United States coming to Texas. They think that the settlers want to take Texas away from Mexico and join the United States. They’re not willing to give land to new settlers because of this.”

  Jim sat back in his chair.

  “Mr. Veramendi, I didn’t come to take Texas away from anybody. I only want a chance to start a new life.”

  Veramendi smiled. “I understand. I didn’t mean that you couldn’t get some land. Only that it will take some work.”

  Just then a small dog came running into the room. He was barking and showing his teeth to me. I jumped up from where I was lying and charged at the dog. He turned and ran yelping toward the door. Suddenly a woman stepped into the doorway and picked up the dog. I stopped at her feet.

  “Chico. You should not be coming into this room while these men are talking.”

  I looked at her face and then back at Jim. I could tell he thought the same thing that I did. This was the most beautiful woman we had ever seen.

  Chapter Seven

  “Who was the beautiful woman?” Princess asked.

  “Be quiet and let him tell the story,” Butch told her.

  “Make me,” Princess said.

  Butch jumped on her and they rolled across the yard, barking and nipping at each other’s ears.

  “You two go fight somewhere else. I’m going to take a nap.”

  The old dog turned away from the puppies. They came running toward him with their tongues hanging out and their ears blowing in the breeze. They skidded to a stop beside the old dog.

  “No. Go on with the story. We’ll be good.”

  The old dog looked off into the distance.

  “I remember it like it was happening now. The lady stood there holding that yapping dog and looking at Jim and me. She smiled and the whole room seemed to light up. Mr. Veramendi walked over to her…”

  “Ursula. This is Mr. Jim Bowie. Mr. Bowie, this is my daughter, Ursula.”

  Jim stood and bowed.

  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Veramendi.”

  “Thank you. Please call me Ursula.”

  She looked down at me and patted my head.

  “Is this your dog?”

  Jim nodded. “Yes. His name is Gator.”

  She held her little dog down next to my face, and he snapped at me. I jumped back and growled. Jim walked over and grabbed me by the skin of my neck. He pulled me away.

  “Gator. You go outside. Right now.”

  I hung my head and started to walk toward the door.

  “No. Mr. Bowie, please. It was Chico’s fault. Gator did nothing wrong.” Two other women walked into the room. Ursula handed her dog to one of them and walked over to me. She knelt down and rubbed my head between my ears. I wagged my tail and licked her hand. Her hand was soft and it felt good on my head.

  Mr. Veramendi pointed to the other women.

  “Mr. Bowie, these are my other daughters, Juana and Gertrudis.” Jim nodded to the w
omen. Ursula stood up. She took her dog from Juana, then turned to Jim.

  “Tonight there’s a party in the town square. You should come. It’ll be fun.”

  “Thank you. I’ll tell my friends. They’d probably like to go to a party after so many nights camping out on the trail.”

  The ladies left and the men sat back at the table.

  Juan Seguin looked at Jim. “I think you’ll like it in Texas. There are many opportunities here.”

  “I think I’ll like it here too,” Jim said as he looked at the door where the ladies had gone. “All I want is an opportunity. If you’ll help me, I think we will all be happy.”

  Mr. Veramendi stood. “Juan, take Jim and show him and his friends where they can stay. Jim, I think you should come to the party tonight. We’ll have a chance to visit about some plans I have.”

  Soon Jim, Juan Seguin, and I were walking into the cantina. We saw our friends sitting at a table and we walked over to them.

  “Howdy, Jim,” Turner said. “We couldn’t find a place to stay so we came on in here.”

  Jim and Juan sat down and I curled up at Jim’s feet.

  “That’s all right. Juan will show us where we can stay. You boys need to clean up. We’ve been invited to a party tonight.”

  “That sounds good to me,” Turner said. “I hope they have some good food. I’m tired of eating the food we had on the trail. Good home cooking would sure hit the spot.”

  “There will be plenty of food,” Juan said. “There will be many people there. It’ll be good for you to meet them.”

  “We look forward to it, Juan,” Jim said. “Come on, boys. Juan is going to get us a place to stay.”

  The men got up to follow Juan. I watched Jim. I could tell he was thinking about what Mr. Veramendi was going to talk to him about. I could also tell he was thinking about Mr. Veramendi’s daughter.

  Chapter Eight

  It was a beautiful night. The moon was full and the stars filled the sky. The plaza was crowded with people, and the sounds of guitars and fiddles floated through the air. The smell of food cooking made my mouth water. Jim and I walked through the crowd of people. We saw Mr. Veramendi sitting at a table, and we walked over to him. Mr. Veramendi smiled as he saw us standing there. “Jim, I’m glad you came. Please sit down.” Jim sat down across from Mr. Veramendi. I started to lie at his feet, but the smell of the food made me walk around to different tables. At each table I would sit and stare at the people sitting there. I would look as hungry as I could until someone would hand me a piece of meat.