by Caryl McAdoo
For certain, he was about the handsomest man she’d ever seen with his dark, wavy hair and his baritone voice; like liquid velvet. She did remember that his blue eyes could melt her with a glance.
Charley had his daddy’s eyes and hair.
Why could she see parts of him but not the whole? Didn’t matter. She married him and would always be his wife in the eyes of God. And when she got home to him, she would be different, give him more respect.
He’d be so surprised. Little Charley was his son, no matter where he was born or who claimed him. Bless the Lord for that. Bold Eagle wouldn’t let her go otherwise.
The morning dragged on, and then it dawned on her: if she was leaving, she must see the first wife. She eased up next to her and asked in a low voice. “Mother, have you brewed your tea?”
She shook her head. “I see you no more after this day.”
Sassy knew the old woman hated her, but not until now had she known exactly how much. Harsh words tried to get past her lips, but she held them unspoken.
No need to cause any ripples now, not when she was so close to freedom. She went back to her chores. What difference did it make anyway? The Lord wouldn’t let her get pregnant right when He was about to answer her prayers and let her go home at last.
Her son ran in and grabbed her hand. “Father says come, now! Hurry!” He tugged her all the way outside then toward where Bold Eagle sat.
Charley loved these new men. They had so many wonderful things to trade. He couldn’t wait until they were gone to see what his father would give him. He’d spotted a short knife that would be perfect. He would love it.
He tugged harder on his mother’s hand. “Hurry!”
She picked him up. He wiggled, but she wouldn’t let him loose. “Put me down!” he demanded in the people’s tongue.
“Be still, Charley. And do not tell me what to do.”
English! Why did she always have to talk in the strange tongue? He was too big for her to be carrying him around like a papoose. He kicked her side. “Put me down, Mother!”
She stopped and swatted his leg. “Charles Nathanial Nightengale, Junior, do not kick me. Do you understand?”
He hated it when she called him that. One day, he would earn a great warrior’s name, and it would be the end of that ugly white name. He frowned.
If he wanted to run and watch his father bargain with the whites, he’d better appease her. He leaned over and spoke her English into her ear. “Please, Mama. Me hear trades.”
“That’s better.”
“Please, hurry.”
She shifted his weight, but did not return him to the ground. “We’ll be there soon enough, Son. I want our visitors to know that I am your mother.” She cuddled his head to hers.
He hated when she treated him like a baby. For some reason, she seemed especially happy this morning. “Because you are so handsome, and I am so proud of my son!”
She stood at the edge of the gathering of his people who watched the trade goings-on, but soon snaked her way to the front row, still carrying him in her arms.
He liked that he could understand most of what was being said. Sometimes the agents, as they called themselves, said big words that he didn’t know. And sometimes, when they spoke his people’s tongue, they sounded so funny he wanted to laugh. But he knew his father would send him away if he made any noise.
Swift Arrow sat cross-legged beside his father. He wanted to go and stand between them, show everyone that he was the son of Bold Eagle, but his mother held him tight.
He couldn’t stand it if she hit him again here in front of all his people and the white men. None of the other mothers did such a thing to their sons.
The older agent placed a folded blanket on the ground next to a rifle and two knives. One was the knife Charley had spotted earlier.
Trade, trade, trade, Father. Do it. Make the trade. He willed it so in his head, stared at the long gun a moment, thinking how it would be to shoot it, but he knew his father wouldn’t give it to him. The man put another knife down, then smiled.
Bold Eagle waved it all away. “Not enough. She my beloved third wife.”
Charley stared at the white man, waiting to see what he would add. Then it hit him. His father said third wife. That was his mother! Was Bold Eagle trading his mother to these men?
No! Who was going to take care of him? His father’s other wives didn’t love him at all. Don’t do it, Father. No trade! No trade!
Again he willed it in his head, only this time, for his father to wave it all away. Jump up, Father! Leave! Tell them no trade!
Her son put his arms around her neck and hugged her tight. Sassy knew it must frighten him that his father was trading her. She patted his back. “It is alright, son. This is a morning of rejoicing.”
Levi Baylor carried a big basket of parched corn from the wagon and placed it beside the other stuff. When he glanced up, he stared right at her, and one corner of his mouth pulled back slightly.
He had recognized her! She wanted to run to him and hug his neck, but kept her place. If Bold Eagle discovered she knew the ranger, he might ask too much, so much the agents could never pay it.
She smiled at her childhood friend, though. He wouldn’t leave her now that he knew. Her heart could barely contain her joy!
Bold Eagle noticed the slight exchange between the young ranger and his third wife and then looked back at the agent. “No, not enough.” He motioned for Red Rose; she walked forward carrying the boy.
Without looking at him or anyone, she kneeled beside him then sat on her feet clutching the boy. He took her braid and showed it to the older man. “Her hair of fire alone is worth all these trinkets you offer.”
The younger man jabbered in their stupid tongue to his white chief. The old one shrugged and held his hands out. “What else? What more do you want?”
The other interpreted, but Bold Eagle had gotten the message. “Two mules, the paint horse, and the pistol that one hides in his back.” He nodded toward the ranger who had smiled at his wife.
The interpreter repeated what he said, then the two retreated to confer with the ranger that the others called Sarge. Real quick, two of their four mules and a paint horse stood beside the agents.
Sarge strolled in, pulled his pistol from his waistband behind his back, then laid it down with the other goods. “Deal.”
Bold Eagle stood. He should have asked for more. “Deal.”
He glanced at Swift Arrow who started gathering the trade goods. He took the lead rope to the paint and walked away. If Buffalo Hump hadn’t insisted, Bold Eagle would have preferred to keep Red Rose and her son, but a time of peace would be welcomed.
Charley couldn’t believe his father had traded his mother away. She stood, and he wiggled hard, but she wouldn’t let him go. He held his hand out over her shoulder. “Father!”
Bold Eagle kept walking. He didn’t even turn around. All of his people looked at the ground, and none would see him. Their eyes were blind and their ears deaf.
“Father! Save me!”
“Hush, Charley. You are going with me. Ranger Baylor is taking us home.”
He struggled. “No!” He screamed in the Comanche tongue and kicked as hard as he could. “No! Me home now! Put me down! Put me down now!”
She swatted his leg, embarrassed him in front of all. He would not stand for this. He kicked again and screamed. “Father! Me stay with you! Me stay with my people!”
“Hush, Charley! Hush now! We’re going home.”
Tears welled then flowed down his cheeks. He hated crying. None of the other boys cried. They said he was weak because of his pale skin and his sky-colored eyes that rained all the time.
He screamed again, but all the people were gone, disappeared into their teepees. He laid his head on his mother’s shoulder and sobbed.
Why? Why would his father trade her? Let her take him away? She did not even fight. She should let him stay with his father.
Levi didn’t mind the
mules so much, but he hated parting with the paint. He and the old boy had been through it all together. He and Wallace watched the village while the other four rangers broke camp.
His friend eased up next to him. “What you thinking now, Sarge?”
“Bold Eagle wasn’t happy about giving up Sassy and the boy.”
“How you figure? He made out like the bandit he is.”
“No, I saw the disappointment in his eyes when I said deal.”
“You sure it wasn’t because he thought he could have gotten more? You didn’t even make a counter offer. Marched in and gave him your pistol and horse like they weren’t nothing.”
Levi shrugged. Compared to what he thought was going to happen, the horse and gun sure mounted to little of nothing. “I thought about haggling, but I didn’t want to give him a chance to change his mind.”
A wail pulled them both around. The boy wiggled and squirmed in his mother’s arms.
“Well, now that you bought the little wild man, what are you going to do with him?”
Before Levi could answer, the boy wiggled free and ran toward the village. Levi cut him off, but the little guy dodged one way then shot the other. He dove and caught him by a chubby leg.
The boy spit at him and bared his teeth, then rattled off a string of Comanche.
Levi stood and pulled the wiggling boy to his chest. “Be still.”
“No! Me down! Now!” The boy spoke in English, then reared back his little fist and hit Levi square in the nose.
Sassy ran up and took her son. “Oh, Levi, you’re bleeding. Charley! Tell Sergeant Baylor you’re sorry.”
“No, let me down.”
She swatted his leg, and the boy screamed in Comanche. She raised her hand again.
Levi touched her forearm. “Hold on.” He glanced at the village. Other than a couple of dogs walking about, nothing moved. “Let’s don’t give Bold Eagle any reason to alter his decision.”
“You’re right.” She turned and walked toward the wagon, her arms wrapped around the boy. “I’ve never been so happy to see anyone as I was you! Thank you!”
Other than a few screaming fits from little Charley, Levi got his detail on the trail without a hitch. He walked next to the agents’ wagon. Once the village fell from view, he relaxed a bit.
After another hour or so, he fell back from the wagon and called Wallace over.
He gave him a nod. “Looks like we did it.”
“So far, but Austin’s a right far piece.”
Wallace smiled. “Not much of a hill though for steppers like us.”
“How about you and Smitty go find us some supper?”
“We could do that.”
Levi glanced at the sun. “We should make that clump of live oaks we camped at the last night on our way in without much trouble.”
“I’ll be the one there napping by the cook fire.”
Levi waved him away, and then watched as he and Smith rode ahead.
A twinge of regret gnawed at the bad feeling that hadn’t completely vanished. He’d just sent two guns riding off. He told himself he was being an old maid worrywart, but without much conviction.
He looked behind him and studied the horizon. Nothing, but that didn’t mean they weren’t out there. The Comanche could track a lizard over a hundred mile of flat rock and never be seen.
Chapter
Four
Finally, Charley stopped wiggling; Sassy gave him a minute, and then leaned over her son. His lids hung half open with glazed eyes. As she watched, they closed, and his breathing deepened.
She hated it that he’d chosen Bold Eagle over her, and she hated to admit it, but she’d had a little remorse herself. If she’d met the man first under different circumstances….
That thought wasn’t worth the thinking. She shook it away. He was a brute who killed human beings without a thought or any regret.
No way would her Charles murder anyone; much too much a gentleman for such barbaric actions. She chuckled to herself. Bold Eagle would call him – she searched her memory but couldn’t find the Comanche word for fop; maybe worse.
Most certainly, there would be no contest if her husbands were ever to fight over her. She let that scene play out in her mind’s eye for a while then told herself to think on something else.
She’d miss her only friend, Honey Badger; maybe they would meet again. While she remembered the kind woman and wondered who would be her friend now, Levi caught up to the agents’ wagon she and her son and the other women rode in.
She held her hand over the wagon’s side. “Thank you, thank you, Levi.”
He smiled. “No thanks needed; only doing my job.”
“You didn’t have to give up your horse and pistol.”
“Horses are cheap, and I’ve had my eye on this new Colt anyway.”
He walked closer, and she patted his shoulder. “How’s your nose?”
He rubbed the bottom of it with a finger. “Never been hit so hard in all my days.”
She laughed.
“Well, now, there was this one time Bitty Beck cold-cocked me when I was ten and she was what? Five or six I suppose.”
“How is Rebecca? Is she married?”
For the next few minutes, he caught her up on his family’s goings on. It pained her a bit that her friend hadn’t found anyone to love yet. Already at twenty-one years old, she might not; but it thrilled her that Sue and Henry were still as much in love and so happy with more baby girls.
“That’s what I know, but it’s been a spell since I’ve been home, almost two years. Everything may have changed.” He chuckled. “Uncle Henry’s been wanting to move south for a while since you’ve been gone. Man, it’s been five years since Bitty Beck’s letter telling me you’d gone missing.”
“I remember you calling her that.” Sassy smiled then held her breath a moment. “Any news on my folks?”
“Her letter said your mother never believed you ran off. I did run into Frank a couple of years back, late spring of forty-two; right after the Mexican invasion at San Antonio. He was scouting for the volunteers under Vice President Burleson. Frank’s your second oldest brother, right?”
“Yes. Always the adventurer, wanting to explore new territory. It doesn’t surprise me a bit.”
“Anyway, then I saw him again in Dallas around the new year.”
“Dallas? Where’s that?”
“A new settlement between San Antonio and Clarksville on the Trinity.” He looked off toward the horizon. “We exchanged a howdy; didn’t visit much.”
Were all men that way? What could be more important than catching up with an old friend you hadn’t seen in years?
“He said –” Levi wiped his mouth like he wanted to take away that he’d mentioned anything else.
“What is it? What did he say?”
He looked into her eyes. “Nothing. Isn’t my place, shouldn’t have to say anything. Sorry.”
“Please tell me, Levi. I can handle it, I promise. Not telling me would be worse.”
He grimaced. “Well, your mother was with him. I didn’t see her, but Frank said so.”
Sassy didn’t like hearing that. Her mama was the biggest died-in-the-wool homebody she ever knew. “In Dallas? Did he say why Mama was there?”
He nodded and pursed his lips. “I’m so sorry to bring bad news. Frank said she was living with him now. Your daddy passed the spring before.”
She gasped and covered her mouth.
Her eyes blurred with tears, and she couldn’t keep them from overflowing. She stared at her sleeping boy and went to rocking. Daddy would never see his grandson.
She hugged Charley tighter.
Oh, Lord, why did he have to die?
She hated it that she’d not been there for him – and her mother. She must have been devastated. Poor Mama.
“I’m sorry, Sassy.”
She shook her head and wiped her cheek. “No, I’m glad you told me. I’d have found out sooner or later.” She sniffed
then smiled. “Did you know Daddy’s the one gave me that nickname?”
“I did not.”
“When I was only two, so the story goes. The brothers were taking turns giving me trouble, and I held my ground with my hands on my hips telling each one after the other just how the cow ate the cabbage. Daddy loved telling that story.”
His deep laughter still remained in her memories. He would always live in her heart and memories until she saw him again in heaven. She smiled and cleared her throat. “So where are we headed now? Are y’all going to take each of us home? Who’s first?”
Glancing around at the other ladies in the wagon, she concluded no one tried to hide their eavesdropping. None of the other rangers paid any attention to them, so what did it matter one way or the other?
Sassy rejoiced that she had old ties with Levi and understood why they listened unashamedly. They all wanted to know the answers to her questions.
“Austin’s our first stop.”
“Where’s that?”
“South, between Dallas and San Antonio.”
The youngest of the women sat up straighter. “Mister, my given name be Laura, Laura Langley, and I’s from up there pert near Dallas; s’pose y’all might could drop me off iffin’ you’re going by there on your way?” She looked at her belly and rubbed it. “Sure would be proud to get on home ‘fore this here lil‘un ‘cides he wants out.”
“Sorry, we’ve got to go straight to Austin, ma’am.”
Sassy leaned forward and took the girl’s hand. “It won’t be too much longer. Keep focusing on the fact you’re free and on your way home!” She turned back to him. “So much has changed in five years. There’s so many new places.”
“Texas is growing alright. They’re saying we’re about to be annexed as a full-fledged state of the United States of America, skipping being a territory.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful, isn’t it?”
“I believe most folks think so. Anyway, Austin is about two hundred or so miles due south from Dallas.” He pointed to the ground. “And north of San Antonio by around a hundred and fifty miles. It’s on the Colorado River.” He jacked his thumb up.
