Red River Rifles (Wilderness Dawning—the Texas Wyllie Brothers Series Book 1)

by Dorothy Wiley

  Samuel slowed his horse as soon as he caught the first glimpse of the Spanish soldiers, riding two across in the distance. Motioning to Old Bill to follow him, he ducked Samson into a stand of pines. The soft needles would soften the sound of their horses’ hooves and the thick pine boughs would provide cover. He suspected the captain would have some of his men keeping an eye on the trail behind them to determine if they were being followed. If he and Old Bill were spotted, it would almost certainly mean the soldiers would be ordered to fire upon them. With twenty rifle shots to two, their odds would be exceedingly poor. And he didn’t want his father and brothers to come racing to their rescue only to face certain peril.

  For now, all he could do was stay well-hidden and follow them as he waited for the right moment to take action. Baldy was right, timing was everything. Especially with an enemy.

  Louisa and Baldy rode directly behind Capitán Fernández. Louisa’s yellow hair glistened in the sun, and she held her head high. He couldn’t see Baldy’s face, but he suspected the doctor’s normally kind eyes would be sending daggers into Fernández’s back.

  They trailed behind the troops all day, their journey becoming more hazardous every mile they advanced. Fugitives, highwaymen, cowardly deserters, ruffians, and Indians roamed the desolate land. The soldiers stopped only twice to water their horses and relieve themselves.

  At dusk, when they reached a nicely flowing creek, Fernández finally held an arm up and yelled, “Alto.” The Capitán dismounted and then, smiling warmly, helped Louisa down.

  The sight of another man touching his wife made Samuel’s blood boil. The man would pay dearly.

  As soon as she was on her feet, Louisa yanked her hands out of the Capitán’s and snarled something at him.

  “I’ll be back shortly,” Old Bill whispered.

  “Hurry,” Samuel hissed through gritted teeth.

  In the twilight, he watched the soldiers make camp, taking careful note of their layout. Several soldiers quickly threw up a large tent that a pack mule had carried on its back. The soldiers made Baldy and Louisa sit near the tent. Baldy moved slower than normal but otherwise appeared to be all right.

  Samuel carefully surveyed the woods surrounding the tent. A dense stand of pines grew to the rear of the tent.

  The soldiers soon had their horses watered, unsaddled, and tied. Wood was gathered and two cook fires started. After spreading their bedrolls out, several men began cooking while others passed out jugs of whiskey as night fell.

  Louisa’s beautiful face glowed in the light of the fire’s flames, but she appeared nervous, her eyes darting between one soldier or another. When the Capitán passed by her, Louisa opened her mouth to speak to him but then stopped. She must have realized that without a translator it was pointless for her or Baldy to try to argue with Fernández.

  As the soldiers settled in, many of them walked past Louisa and glanced down at her with lecherous eyes. Undoubtedly, they were hoping their leader would toss Louisa to them when he finished with her. Samuel’s jaw clenched.

  It wasn’t long before his father rode up beside him. The others stayed back a bit further.

  “What’s your plan?” his father asked, speaking softly.

  “They cut the ropes off of both Louisa and Baldy and gave them water. So their hands and feet are free. Fernández just went inside the tent. The reprobate probably wants to freshen up before he brings Louisa in there. The men seem to be relaxed. Most of them have set aside their rifles and removed the straps that hold their pistols and swords. They are already passing around jugs of whiskey.”

  “All that is favorable for us.”

  “I think the six of us need to encircle the camp. We’ll wait until Fernández takes Louisa inside his tent. I’m certain that’s his intention. When he shoves her inside, we’ll fire our rifles at his men, and then attack, pistols drawn, with the force of the Almighty. Then I’ll kill Fernández.”

  His father sighed. “It’s a good plan. But…”

  “What is it?” Samuel asked. “Are you worried about bringing the force of Spain’s army down on us if we kill Spanish soldiers? I thought about that. But I think Long was right about one thing. The Spaniards are losing control of Texas. With high-handed acts like this—taking a man’s wife and arresting an innocent preacher—their days in Texas are numbered. And now, with their empire facing Napoleon and uprisings in Mexico, they are withdrawing troops back to Mexico and Spain.”

  “All true, but if Mexico takes control of Texas, I’m not sure that we’ll be any better off. It may be even worse. But that’s another battle to fight another day. Let’s just get on with this battle. I don’t think we have any choice in the matter, we have to fight them.”

  Samuel nodded. “Agreed.”

  “Give me Baldy’s weapons. I’ll toss them to him. Then I’ll use my second pistol to take a shot at Fernández in case you miss the Capitán.”

  “I won’t miss.”

  “Good. Let’s tell the others what your plan is.”

  They both slowly and quietly turned their mounts around and rode back to the others. In a hushed voice, Samuel explained the situation and his plan. Lastly, he said, “Be sure none of your shots are aimed toward the tent. I don’t want Louisa or Baldy accidentally shot in all the commotion.”

  Everyone nodded their understanding.

  “Our rifle shots should take down six,” Samuel said. “That leaves fourteen men. When Fernández comes running out, I’ll kill him. So we’ll have thirteen others to kill or take prisoner with our pistols. Old Bill, shout the Spanish word for surrender as we ride in with our pistols. Hopefully, some or all will simply drop their weapons and hold up their hands and we’ll be able to spare their lives.”

  “Don’t count on that,” Old Bill said.

  “If they don’t yield, we’ll have to shoot them. Don’t hesitate. They brought this on themselves by abducting my wife and our friend,” Samuel said.

  “Indeed. We are well within our rights to fight them,” Steve said with the confidence of youth.

  Samuel worried the most about his youngest brother. To his knowledge, Steve had never been in a serious fight before, much less one of this magnitude. “Steve, be careful. Don’t take any chances. Promise me you won’t!”

  His brother, soon to be a man, drew himself up with determination and dignity. “I promise. And you watch your back.”

  “Yup, Samuel,” Cornelius said. “Your hide’s pretty darn thick, but lead balls won’t glance off you just ‘cause you’re the oldest.”

  “Let’s quit jawing and get on with this business,” Thomas said.

  “I’d recommend buck and ball,” their father said. Buck and ball combined a rifle ball with three or six buckshot.

  Samuel drew out his rifle and loaded it with loose buck. The others did the same. It would make their rifle shots even more lethal and give them a greater chance of hitting their targets.

  “All right,” he said. “I’ll take a position behind and slightly to the right of the tent, so I can shoot Fernández when he comes out without risking shooting Louisa. The rest of you quietly spread out around the camp, staying far enough away so we don’t alert them. Dismount so your rifle shot will be more accurate.”

  “How will we know when to fire our rifles?” Cornelius asked.

  “Keep your eyes on the tent. Fernández is not going to let a beautiful woman sit outside his tent without violating her. When you see him dragging Louisa into his tent,” Samuel said, “count to ten, then fire your rifle at the soldier closest to you. Then mount up and charge in on your horse, pistols drawn.”

  “The sound of six Red River rifles firing at once should startle the beans out of them,” Cornelius said.

  Samuel gave him a half grin. “Let’s hope so.”

  With a faith that allowed him to not fear dying and a conviction that they would succeed, Samuel wound Samson through the woods toward the Capitán’s tent.

  Chapter 26

  Louisa could
not believe she was once again paying for her father’s sins. It was his greed and arrogance that brought these Spanish soldiers down upon her. And his foolishness. Her father had unwisely allied himself to a man these soldiers considered a traitor. Even in death, her father caused her pain. Yet again, she would be subjected to the whims of a man.

  She had thought she was helping the situation by offering to help the doctor and extending an invitation to the Capitán and his men to stay for a good meal. She believed it would be a peaceful solution. But Fernández repaid her kindness with treachery. And from the looks the Capitán gave her, the worst was yet to come.

  And poor Dr. Grant. A man of God whose only crime was to try to cure body and soul of his fellow man. Baldy was the kindest, most helpful man she’d ever met. The doctor had become so important to her brother. Adam nearly worshipped the man. Her brother was probably crying right now. And poor Melly must be sick with worry.

  “Are you all right?” she whispered to Baldy. The doctor had taken quite a beating.

  “Some bruised ribs and a few painful spots,” he said, keeping his voice low. “Nothing that won’t heal.”

  She had no doubt Samuel and the others would come for her and Baldy. How many would die in the battle with these soldiers? They would be hopelessly outnumbered. She glanced over at the sharp bayonet on the rifle of the soldier closest to her. The deadly point sparkled in the firelight. Her breath froze, and a chill made her shiver despite the fire’s warmth. Would that blade draw the blood of one of the family she’d grown to love? A whimper escaped her throat at the thought.

  Baldy leaned closer and whispered, “Don’t look at that. Look to the heavens. With God’s help, it won’t matter that Samuel and the others are outnumbered. You must believe that God will guide their every shot. Have no doubt. He will see justice done. He always does.”

  Louisa gave him a single nod. She reached deep inside and drew on her recently reawakened faith reminding herself that with God all things are possible. “I will believe,” she whispered back.

  “Good, that’s all God asks of you.”

  “What should I do if that Capitán drags me into that tent before they get here?”

  “They’re already here.”

  Her eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, but they’re staying well outside the circle of the encampment. I caught a flash of Samson’s red coat in the pines. Then he disappeared. They’ve probably been following us all day.”

  “Why doesn’t the Capitán seem worried and watchful? None of his men are paying attention to the forest.”

  “Arrogance and perhaps stupidity. They think their numbers will protect them.”

  Louisa had to agree. Fernández didn’t seem like a particularly smart man. His family must have purchased his post, or he’d known someone he could bribe to secure him the rank of Capitán. Or perhaps he’d found favor with his superiors by bringing them captured women like her.

  “When the fighting starts, Louisa, lay down on the ground, wherever you are, here or in the tent. And stay down until the fighting is over.”

  “You too. Please don’t let them hurt you. Adam has grown to love you. He needs you.”

  Baldy appeared thoughtful. “You know, I need him too. So does Melly.”

  The soldier closest to them glanced over at her. He was the same one that had been leering at Louisa every now and then. This time his eyes did not focus on Louisa’s face.

  Embarrassment and anger made her face feel flushed. She narrowed her eyes and glared at the man.

  Baldy leaned even closer to her. “I have a knife in my boot meant for that one.”

  “He deserves punishment for what he did to you.” The soldier was one of the two men who beat Baldy so viciously.

  The soldier glared back at them. “Silencio!” Then the man took a long swig of the whiskey jug and handed it to another soldier.

  They spoke no more and listened to the Capitán puttering around in his tent behind them. An oil lamp cast a sliver of light between the tent’s front flaps.

  A soldier soon brought a platter into the tent that held a jug and two pewter goblets. He left the platter and then returned to the other soldiers.

  Louisa glanced behind her and could see the Capitán’s shadow against the tent’s canvas as he poured the jug.

  Another man soon brought in a platter heaped with food.

  She heard Baldy’s stomach growl. They hadn’t eaten all day, but Louisa’s stomach only knotted further. Every minute brought her closer to being violated. A silent scream filled her throat.

  The thought of a man other than Samuel touching her filled her with disgust. For Adam’s sake, she had never fought back against her father’s punishments, but now she intended to defend herself. Her fists clenched as she resolved to fight Fernández with all she had and then some.

  She steeled herself for the inevitable. As soon as the Capitán finished his meal, the vile man would likely come for her. Her skin crawled at the thought of his touch. It made her wish Samuel would hurry and that he and the others could rescue them before the Capitán attacked her.

  Just as quickly, she dreaded the violence and danger that was to come.

  Samuel must be waiting for the right moment. Waiting until Fernández and the others were drunk. She’d noticed that all the soldiers were sharing whiskey jugs. The more they drank, the louder their conversations in Spanish became. They seemed to be amused and kept pointing and laughing at her. One even made a lewd gesture that made a hot flush of anger race up her neck as she quickly glanced away.

  While two soldiers prepared food, three others produced harmonicas and started playing. She guessed the tunes were bawdy because the men laughed and guffawed at certain parts as they all sang along.

  Soon, the shirtless Capitán stepped out. For a few minutes, he just stood there, singing and laughing along with his men.

  When the song ended, the Capitán stepped toward Louisa and grasped her wrist. His men all whooped uproariously. Some even clapped and shouted something as the musicians started to play another song.

  “Muy bella dama, eh?” Fernández told his men, holding her hand up and gesturing to her breasts. Then to her horror, Fernández yanked out his knife and sliced through the fabric of her dress between her breasts.

  The soldiers all erupted in vulgar, boorish noises as they ogled her.

  She glanced down at her exposed chest. To her horror, most of her breasts were revealed to the leering men. With her free hand, Louisa hastily pushed the fabric back and held it in place.

  “You bloody bastard,” Baldy spat and stood, fists clenched.

  Eyes bulging and jaw clenched, Fernández shoved his blade against Baldy’s throat drawing a line of bright red beads of blood.

  “Don’t!” Louisa cried and tried to push the man away from Baldy.

  The Capitán ignored her and spoke to Baldy through clenched teeth. “Tu eres el bastardo!” He narrowed his dark eyes and pointed to the ground with his knife.

  Relief filled her when Baldy wisely sank down to the ground.

  Fernández took a step toward the tent entrance and tugged her along.

  She resisted, but his tight grip on her wrist forced her to follow him. As they passed next to Baldy, she glanced down and saw the doctor slip his hand inside his boot.

  Fernández dragged her the remaining distance to the tent and shoved her inside.

  The moment he released her, Louisa whirled around and faced him.

  He pointed first at her and then back at himself. “Eres mío!”

  “No!” The force of her voice surprised even her. “I am not yours!”

  “Sí!” he said with a lascivious smile.

  She didn’t have to protest further. The air erupted with an explosion that sounded like the blast of multiple black-powder rifles being fired at once. The blast shook her and startled, she instinctively dropped to the ground. But her heart lifted with hope.

  Samuel was here!

 
Outside the tent, pandemonium broke out and men started screaming and shouting in Spanish. The Capitán grabbed his rifle and charged out the tent.

  She heard Old Bill shout in a strong voice, “Rendición!”

  “No! Muerte a ellos!” Fernández shouted.

  What did that mean? she wondered. Did Old Bill call in Spanish for them to surrender? Whatever the trapper said, the Capitán had refused. Did he order his men to kill?

  As soon as he’d killed their leader, and fired his two pistols, Samuel raced Samson around the campsite to the other side of the woods and sought out Steve. His brother, pinned down by rifle fire, crouched down behind a tree. Samuel tied Samson and plopped down next to him.

  Beads of sweat covered Steve’s forehead and upper lip. Breathing hard, his brother cleared his throat but didn’t speak.

  “Are you all right?” Samuel asked him.

  Steve nodded. “Yes…I did just as you said. Shot one of the soldiers with my rifle. I didn’t think I could, but I did. But then, when I saw how many of them there were and they started firing back, I spooked. I never fired my pistols. I came back here.”

  “You did well, Steve. I’d much rather have you alive and well than your pistols fired.”

  “The five remaining soldiers have each found cover behind their wagons,” he said, still breathing rapidly. “They’re keeping us all pinned down. We don’t have a shot without exposing ourselves.”

  After their initial shots, the others had been forced to withdraw to the cover of the forest to reload.

  Samuel reloaded his own weapons and then studied the situation. He had to agree. They couldn’t get a good shot at the Spanish soldiers.

  “What are we going to do?” Steve asked.

  “I’ll have to sneak around and come up behind them,” Samuel said.