“I sure am glad that it is all over now.”
“What? Yore trial?”
“No, the war.”
Daniel and Jack left on the following morning having been delayed over-long in Vermilionville. Daniel had stopped his leisurely pace and now tried to cover the maximum distance in every day. A process which Jack did not much enjoy but it did teach him a great deal about horse riding.
They reached Houston after several days of really hard riding only a day behind the original travel schedule that Daniel had set for himself. Living costs had sky-rocketed in the South since the end of the war and Daniel was running low on pocket money so he went looking for a poker game and found it in a room behind a saloon. This game was run by an elderly professional gambler who kept the game running and provided all the facilities in exchange for ten percent of the winners’ takings. No spectators were allowed and only players that could display three hundred dollars in cash money were admitted.
Daniel did not have three hundred dollars in cash money and his bank was closed at that time of day. In any event, even had he arrived earlier in the day the bank would still have to cable for confirmation of his funds.
Daniel waited outside the poker room up at the drinking bar where he was expected to buy a drink. He used some of his cash money to buy an over-expensive drink and was sipping this like a humming bird when a shapely woman approached him.
“Buy a girl a drink, mister? Or come upstairs if you feel inclined.” She was attractive without being particularly pretty.
Daniel seemed to ignore her and rapped on the counter for another. The bartender pushed another whisky in front of him and Daniel paid again.
He picked up the whisky and handed it to the girl.
“Hey, thanks but I woulda preferred it if you had got me what I wanted.”
“I don’t like paying high prices for sarsaparilla under the pretext that it is whisky.”
She sipped at the raw liquor. “Agh!” she said. “Damn stuff tastes like kerosene. What are you hanging around here for? You don’t look the type that would go short of women and the way you are sipping that drink you ain’t a drinker. So why?”
“I don’t have enough cash money to get into the poker game.” He told her bluntly.
“Why’re you so anxious to get into the game? Are you any good?”
“Sure, I’m good! If I was not I would hang onto the two fifty that I already got.”
“So you are fifty bucks short?”
“Yes, my bank won’t open until tomorrow but I want to be on my way by then.”
“What percentage of your winnings do I get if I spot you the fifty?”
“None, but what I will do is treble your money whether I win or not.”
“That sounds like a deal. I lend you fifty and you give it back to me with another hundred and fifty after the game?” She hiked up her skirt and scrabbled underneath coming up with a fifty. “I’m Mabel, I’ll be waitin’ right here so don’t try dodge out on me.”
Daniel took the fifty and went into the game.
Since he was not allowed to spectate, he started very slowly while he watched the cards. He folded almost every time, seeing his money gradually diminish but not willing to risk more until he had some feeling for the cards.
The dealer was the poker school owner and when Daniel looked at his cards he knew this was it. He was showing an Ace and a ten and he knew before he looked that the hidden cards were King, Queen and Jack just from the sequence of the cards around him. He also knew that he only had two challengers but the trick would be to keep them in the game to the end otherwise the pot would be miniscule.
He looked faintly fed-up when he raised the edges of his hidden cards to check what he already knew. He knew that at least one of his challengers had noticed his deliberate expression. He followed the betting and left the raising to the two hotshots who believed that they had the game in the bag. Daniel could see that the man with the four eights was puzzled that he had not folded but it did not stop him from raising again. The other player, the one with three kings and two Jacks was beginning to doubt himself but he had come this far so it was too late to back down now. Daniel threw in the rest of his money and waited for the call. When it came the tension in the room was like the beginning of a thunder storm. The challengers flipped their cards and waited for him to follow. When he turned them over everyone in the room sighed: Royal Flush, the stuff of a gambler’s dreams.
Daniel raked in one thousand two hundred dollars as seven pairs of greedy eyes followed his actions.
“Hell, man, who would think that the scaredy-cat player would pull in the big one.” The four-eights man said disgustedly as he pushed away from the table.
Daniel paid up his ten percent and said goodnight.
As he opened the door he saw Mabel watching everyone that came out of the room.
“Hey, handsome are you cleaned out?”
He shook his head and walked over to her and handed her two hundred dollars.
“Just as I said: win or lose, you get paid.”
“It’s a business doing pleasure with you, handsome. Let’s do this again sometime.”
Daniel smiled at her and waved as he left the saloon.
Jack was leaning with his back against the building wall waiting. Chinese have a lot of patience.
“Very well Jack what do we need?”
“Rice and horse feed maybe a sack of flour, Daniel. I have most of everything else.”
“Have you got coffee?”
“I have Chinese green tea, we don’t need coffee at these prices.”
“I guess that I am getting used to your tea it beats acorn coffee into a cocked hat.”
They rode out of town to their campsite. Daniel had tired of explaining that Jack was not a mulatto. It was easier to fend for themselves after years of living army-style.
They made excellent time from Houston to Waco arriving exactly on Daniel’s original schedule.
Daniel went directly to Widow Watson’s establishment and when he got there he did not recognize it. For one thing, the place had been greatly enlarged and for another the sign in front said ‘Hotel Chamont’.
Daniel went in leaving Jack with the horses.
He did not recognize the lady behind the desk.
“Ma’am, I am looking for Pierre Chamont.”
“Pierre is in the kitchen. Whom shall I say is looking for him?”
“I am Daniel Beauregard, ma’am.”
“Daniel? Good heavens, it is I, Helen Chamont!”
“Helen? Sorry ma’am do I know you?”
“Of course you do, I used to be the Widow Watson. You stayed here with General Robert E Lee.”
Daniel could not get over the change in her, She had put on quite a few pounds and was now heavily pregnant but her face had filled out and she looked years younger.
“Ma’am I would never have recognized you. You look so well.”
“We were so disappointed that we could not get in touch with you. Pierre wanted you to be the best man at our wedding.”
“Ah yes, ma’am, the war kept me away.”
“None of this ma’am business, you are part of the family. My given name is Helen.”
She tugged him by the arm and dragged him into a magnificent kitchen.
Pierre glanced up from his stove and gave a whoop of delight. “Daniel!”
He abandoned his cooking to burn on the stove while he threw his arms around Daniel and hugged him. “Ah, my friend it ‘as been too long, eh? You see already I am married and am about to become a father and where is my best friend? Ah, I am so ‘appy, we must celebrate! Where is the wine ‘Elen?”
“Hang on, Pierre, I want to introduce you to my new cook.”
“A new cook? You too ar
e married?”
“No, no I am not married but my cook is waiting outside with the horses and I must bring him in.”
“Ah ze ‘orses! Our stables are in back. ‘Ave your cook bring zem around zen I shall take ‘im into ze kitchen so I can see what sort of a cook zis is.”
Helen was busy rescuing the hotel from going up in flames by the simple means of dumping the flaming pan into the dishwater.
Jack brought the horses around and stabled them and then was delivered into the merciless hands of Pierre and given a bewildering array of kitchen tasks to complete while Pierre took Daniel out onto the porch to share a bottle of wine.
“Now my friend tell me about ‘ow boring life ‘as been wizout Pierre.”
So Daniel told him.
Chapter Twenty Nine
Dinner that evening was prepared by Jack and was an outstanding success.
“Magnificent my friend! Daniel zis Jack is a jewel you ‘ave ‘ere. In New Orleans we will make such a restaurant togezzer zat all ze world shall come to eat our food, no?”
“Are you thinking of moving to New Orleans, Pierre?” Daniel asked.
“We have been giving it some thought.” Helen answered. “We have been made an excellent offer for the hotel and Pierre has always wanted to move back but property is much more expensive there and I doubt that we can afford the sort of place that Pierre wants.”
“What if I come in as a partner? I would be a silent partner of course.”
“We would need another twenty thousand dollars to be able to manage the move.” Helen said despairingly.
“That’s fine with me, Helen.” Daniel answered. “I collected two salaries during the war.”
“Two salaries? How did you manage that?”
“Pierre will tell you all about it and it is a long story.”
“What sort of return do you expect on your money, Daniel?” Helen was definitely the business brain in that marriage.
“Ten percent would make me very happy.”
“Only payable out of profits, Daniel, not while we are getting set up.”
“I trust Pierre and you Helen. Just transfer ten percent of your profits into my bank account.”
“What about initial losses?”
“Partners share losses too.” Daniel said equably.
“Then it is a deal. Shake on it!” Helen offered him her right hand.
Daniel wrote out the check and handed it to her.
“Wow! Just like that! They must have been paying you well.” She commented as she tucked the check away.
The next negotiation came between Pierre and Jack. Jack was not inclined to abandon Daniel and move to New Orleans but Pierre kept raising his salary offer until Jack could no longer hold out particularly after Daniel had assured him that he would still be working for Daniel indirectly.
“Daniel, I will now be able to have a wife sent out to me from China.” Jack said in excitement.
“Why didn’t you tell me that was what you wanted? I would have given you the money.”
“I knew that, Daniel but our wandering lifestyle was not suited for a wife so it has not been until now that I could think about such a thing.”
“Daniel, why don’t you come with us?” Pierre asked.
“I have had a hankering for a long time to go back to where people are Texicans and Mexicans. Maybe it will fade when I get there but I have to try it. It was the happiest period of my life.”
Daniel stayed for a few more days in Waco and then he set out riding Star and with Japhet Benson’s bay as his packhorse. He called the horse Japhet in memory of his late owner.
His route was due west over some very rough country and headed to Big Spring where water could be found but was in the middle of territory roamed by Comanche and Pawnee Indians. The country was sparsely settled with occasional army forts and attendant settlements. The first town on his route was called Comanche and he arrived there on a hot and dusty day so he pulled up in front of the saloon and went in for a drink and for information on the Indian hotspots.
To his surprise he found a dice game going and he bought a beer and wandered over to watch the game. Stakes were running high and there were a number of men waiting for a chance around the table.
Daniel found another table and sat playing with his pack of cards while he sipped his beer.
One of the men that had been hoping for a place at the dice game walked over to him with his eyes on the pack of cards.
“Say, stranger, you-all looking fer a game of poker?”
“I would not mind.” Daniel agreed.
The local man turned and called to his friends. “Hey, Jake! Dillon! They’s poker over heah.”
Three other men followed Jake and Dillon over.
“Okay deal us in!” They all clamored at him.
Daniel said. “Men, I know this pack of cards too well. So I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to control this game and deal for it. I won’t play but I want ten percent of every pot. Is that agreed?”
They were all anxious to get into a game so they all agreed. As one said: “Hell, iffen ah lose ah ain’t gonna pay and iffen ah win ah c’n afford to.”
Stakes at this game were much lower than at the dice table but the games moved very smoothly under Daniel’s hand and every man felt that he was getting a fair deal.
By the evening Daniel had pulled in four hundred dollars at absolutely no risk to his own capital. The bartender kept bringing the drinks and he was making a fine profit so when Daniel took a break for dinner and other necessities he returned to the table to find a large grilled steak and hashed potatoes waiting for him. “No charge, sir. Ah’m hoping that you-all stick around heah some.”
“Thank you very much sir. My name is Dan Beauregard and I’m pleased to meet you.”
“Same goes here, Dan, Ah’m Jim Forrester.”
“Jim, I’m headed for El Paso and I’m wondering what the Indian situation is around here.”
“Comanches? Dan, Ah wouldn’t go outta sight of an army fort iffen Ah wus you-all.”
“Are they that bad?”
“They sure are. Horses and cattle is what they is after but they ain’t never gonna miss women and chillun none. Had three cases of women being abducted hereabouts, army went out after ‘em but ain’t found hide nor hair o’ them.”
“Hell, what did their menfolk do?”
“One case the Comanches kilt the husband but the other two cases were a coupla furriners done been took onny yesterday.”
“What are foreigners doing in this part of Texas?”
“Ah sure wisht ah knew! Ah heah tell they wus headed fer Laredo so ah dunno what they’s doin’ up heah. Kinda lorst ah’d say.”
“Wait a minute: two foreign women headed for Laredo? Was one young and beautiful and the other short and about forty speaking Spanish?”
“Ah done seed ‘em over the road gittin’ outta the coach and that sure sounds like ‘em but ah cain’t say what lingo they wus speakin’ seein’ as ah cain’t leave the bar untended.”
“Say, Jim, where do I see the army commander?”
“Over at the fort aways down that road theah but seein’ as it’s dinnertime, Major Younger he’ll be up heah for the same dinner you-all jes’ ett.”
“Major Younger? Would that be Brad Younger?”
“Sure enough, Dan. You-all know him?”
“We served together under Colonel Bridges.”
Daniel had no sooner said those words when Brad Younger strode in and stopped mid-stride.
“Dan? Bless my soul! What in hell are you doing in this godforsaken spot?”
“Nice to see you again Brad! I’m on my way to El Paso.”
“What in hell is in El Paso?”
“It
is where I was born, Brad.”
“You? I thought you were from Boston, Brigadier.”
“No, my mother was English so a lot of people make that mistake. Would you like a beer?”
“No thanks, I’m here for something much stronger. I’ve been chasing a damned Comanche band all day. Never caught the bastards! There is only one way to deal with them when they catch a white woman: trade them for a mess of horses.”
“That’s interesting, Brad.” Daniel said. “How do you find them to trade for a mess of horses?”
“You use a Comanche guide.”
“But didn’t you use a Comanche guide to look for this Comanche band?”
“Sure I did but you have to give him a special incentive to track down his brothers and that is something that the US Army will not allow me to do.”
“What if I took the Comanche guide and paid him his incentive. Would that work?
“Sure that would work Dan but why would you do that?”
“They’ve taken two white women: don’t you and the Army care about that?”
“Sure we do but they aren’t going to hurt them. They keep them captive until they get paid out. Normally we find a relative that is prepared to bail them out and then the whole comic opera plays out. This case is a bit different because they are foreigners and there are no relatives to bail them out. I’ve cabled HQ for instructions. They’ll refer it to the government in Washington who then decides whether or not it will ante up.”
“That could take months!”
“Yep! It always does.”
“Meanwhile those poor women are held captive by savages with whom they cannot communicate, imagining all the terrible things that are likely to happen to them.”
“That’s what happens to people who dare to travel through strange territory inhabited by savages.”
“Well that is why I am prepared to bail them out. How many horses will the Indians want for the two women?”
“You have to haggle but they will probably take ten each.”
“What does the Indian guide want as his incentive?”
“Probably, two bottles of whisky and fifty cents a day as pay.”
The Texican Way Page 22
