Three Toes took the moment to share his admiration for Captain Dunn. Within hearing of the other Comanche, he briefly shared the strong medicine that the Texas Ranger had shown, including respecting the dead Comanche, setting a successful trap to catch Three Toes, and calling the snake to strike Strong. He especially embellished the story of the rattlesnake, describing how Luke had summoned a snake that had no rattles to warn the victim. He told them that Luke controlled the snake with his mind. “Ghost-Who-Rides is strong medicine. He is a friend, and I have promised his safety among the Comanche. He is not to be harmed by our people.”
The Comanche were impressed with Three Toes’ tale and promised to keep his word for Luke’s protection.
The Comanche passed the old burned-out mail station on their way back to the village. No one was around, but a new structure was already being constructed nearby. The mails would continue despite the Comanche attacks.
Three Toes took careful note. The white man was ever encroaching on the land of his ancestors. He knew from first-hand experience that not all the Anglos were honorable. Just as the Penateka Comanche traditionally did battle with surrounding tribes, so they would continue to take on the white men and the Mexicans.
He wondered about the black men that he’d occasionally see. Some appeared to be free, but many were apparently slaves. He hadn’t fully figured out how the white man thought. Of course, the Comanche enslaved captive women, so he could understand them in that context. Having slaves certainly eased the workload, though getting them to accept their fate was a challenge. While the Comanche simply disfigured their woman captives, the white man was more inclined to use whips and chains. He guessed that both ways were effective. At least the Comanche had no need for keeping male captives.
The chief also knew that the white men and the Mexicans both worshipped some sort of Great Spirit, but the meaning of that escaped him as well. He understood that they practiced a variety of rituals, but he’d seen little or none of it. The closest he’d actually gotten was when they’d get on their knees and plead with their Great Spirit for mercy when faced with Three Toes’ knife. He resolved to learn more so as to better understand these interlopers to the Comanche way. It led him to wonder what Luke Dunn’s feelings might be. Did he practice any of the rituals of his fellow white men? More important, he wondered whether the white man’s Great Spirit was the same as the one he meditated to? After all, how many could there be?
FIFTEEN
The Unexpected
The drovers had the cattle settled down for the night. They posted a watch. No reason to believe they couldn’t get this herd to market with little or no trouble.
The sun rose to reveal a clear day on the south Texas prairie. The Nueces Strip was displayed in all its boundless beauty.
Cookie began fixing victuals for the men before they headed back on the trail north. They hoped to reach the Shawnee Trail in about four days.
***
Carlos Perez was feeling especially grouchy. As he aged, the ground made for an ever-less-pleasant bed. At only thirty-five years old, this was already a sad state of affairs.
The Caballeros Negros broke camp and resumed their journey eastward. Imagine their surprise when, having gone but five or six miles, they found themselves closing on a large herd of cattle. Hiders’ heaven loomed before them. Were there enough hides to tempt them to delay their travels?
Perez gazed longingly at the herd. The drovers had not yet seen the hiders. But, if he attacked, he’d be stuck with cattle that would further slow his travel.
Perez’ contemplations were rudely interrupted by a single shot from the direction of the drovers’ camp. One of his Caballeros Negros dropped from the saddle. Half his head had been blown away. Perez turned his horse away from the herd. “Rapido, vamos!”
Whoever was shooting had a buffalo gun, knew how to use it, and had no love for heavily armed Mexicans looking like they were up to no good. The .50 caliber Sharps was the weapon of choice for buffalo hunters and had a devastating effect on human targets. The shooter had made Perez’s choice for him. They’d give the drovers and their cattle herd a wide berth. Perez rightly figured it would be better to live and fight another day. Besides, he’d likely as not stolen some of their cattle at one time or another.
***
Sound carries a long way on the broad expanses of the Nueces Strip prairie. Luke heard the faint sound of the Sharps off in the distance. It was from the direction of the drovers they’d seen the day before. He picked up their pace. Whatever had been targeted might not be something or someone he wanted to encounter.
“What’s your hurry, Captain?”
“Just a hunch, Miss Scarlett. This is rough country.”
“Indeed,” she agreed. “So what drives you to roam the prairie mostly alone searching out lawbreakers?”
No one had asked Luke that question before, and he hadn’t given it much thought.
“Where are you from? Your voice doesn’t sound much like a Texan.”
Now, he had two questions to deal with. He wasn’t done thinking about the first. “Born in Ireland, Miss Scarlett. County Kildare. Came here a couple years ago to escape trouble from the British.” He was still pondering the answer to the first question. He wasn’t prone to lengthy answers. “I guess the open spaces give me a sense of freedom. Upholding the law and protecting folks gives me a purpose. It’s about justice. Yeah, that’s what drives me.”
Scarlett thought on that. She rather admired Luke for his answer. She could tell that he was earnestly committed to protecting her, so it lent credence to his reasoning. “Do you have a woman?”
Luke wasn’t sure he appreciated her prying. Her question was quite personal. “Nope.” He said it with a finality that indicated he was done with such prying. He made a loud chucking sound and gave the big grey stallion a slight kick of his heel to put a few feet of distance between himself and Scarlett.
Scarlett smiled to herself. She’d chew on that for a while. She had the protection of a Texas Ranger for the present.
***
Cav decided to turn slightly to the northeast. He’d heard about Nuecestown and thought to rest there before moving on to Corpus Christi. He also figured he might learn something useful about opportunities in the city before venturing into it.
Half a day later, he found himself riding into the sleepy town. It still benefited from the commerce generated by Colonel Kinney’s ferry crossing. He’d passed numerous farms and ranches and liked what appeared to be a settled family atmosphere. He had no appreciation for the sorts of threats places like Nuecestown periodically endured from Indians and desperadoes, other than himself. He noted the small general store, a sheriff’s office, a town livery with a respectable stable and corral, and what appeared to be a boarding house.
The sign on Doc’s place caught his eye. Someone was sitting on its front steps. Actually, the person was more lounging than sitting. Upon closer inspection, the man had considerable facial stubble and disheveled clothing.
He pulled up in front of Doc’s place. “Excuse me, sir. I’m passing through. Y’all have any sort of rooming house? Perhaps a saloon?”
Doc looked up at the man through his rheumy eyes. “Nope.” And he went to sleep and began snoring.
Cav was none too happy. He thought of dismounting and shaking an answer out of the old drunk. Thinking better of that and not wanting to stir up any trouble, he crossed the street to the sheriff’s office. He dismounted and knocked on the door.
“Sorry, young man. The sheriff is in Corpus Christi today.” Bernice seemed to invariably be the eyes of Nuecestown. She’d seen him ride in and simply bided her time until Cav drew close enough that she could talk without raising her voice.
Cav smiled at this apparently sweet elderly lady. “Do you…?”
Bernice interrupted. “Agatha and I run a boarding house around the corner. Can you pay?”
It was a rather presumptive question, but he took it in good spirit. “Yes, ma�
��am.”
“You can call me Bernice. Now, go check your horse at the livery, then git back here so we can feed you.”
Cav did as he was told. Far as he could tell, Bernice ran the town. There was no sense messing with her. “Yes, Miss Bernice. Oh, my name is Cav.” He’d long ago stopped using the given name that was on the wanted poster.
Cav was feted with one of Bernice’s overcooked pot roasts. He could endure her cooking, especially if she had information about Corpus Christi that he could use.
“Thanks for the fine dinner, Miss Bernice.” He sought to ingratiate himself only so far as necessary. “I’m headed to Corpus and would be deeply appreciative if you know of labor opportunities for a strong, motivated person such as myself.”
It was about this time that Bernice thought this man had a familiar face. She couldn’t remember where she’d seen it. “What sort of work are you looking for, Cav?”
“I’ve got a few talents.” He didn’t want to share his abilities at card playing and killing. “I’d like to be involved in commerce.”
“There’s plenty of that, young man.” Then it struck her. This man’s sketch was on a wanted poster in Sheriff Whelan’s office. She’d need to be careful.
Cav noticed a very faint expression of recognition in Bernice’s face. He wouldn’t want to stay in Nuecestown very long. In a bigger city like Corpus with its couple of hundred residents or so, he might hide from his reputation.
“I expect I ought to be grabbing some shut-eye, Miss Bernice, ma’am. I plan to travel to Corpus tomorrow.” He pushed back his chair.
“You do that, young man. Have a sound sleep.” Inside, she was praying that Whelan returned sooner rather than later.
The bed was likely the most comfortable Cav had ever slept in. He’d been in some comfortable beds, but not for sleep. He awakened to shards of sunlight streaking in through the room’s lone window. He pulled himself up and out of bed to look out onto the street. He was anxious to see this Nuecestown in daylight.
His eyes grew wide. Standing hitched in front of the Doc’s place was a big grey stallion. Next to it was a smaller horse with a woman’s embroidered bag hanging from the saddle horn.
Back in Laredo, he’d heard rumors of some lawman that rode a horse like that. Whoever rode those horses apparently had business with the doctor. He decided it might be a good course of action to avoid any possible trouble. He could stay hiding in his room or sneak over to the livery and quietly walk his horse out of town. He also considered the possibility of the local sheriff returning to the town. It was a dilemma for sure.
***
“Doc, good to see you.” Luke and Scarlett had let themselves in, as the door was ajar.
Doc was lying on top of his de facto operating table just about passed out from the whiskey. “Huh?”
“Just wanted you to check out my hand. It feels good…a little tender in parts.”
Doc shook the cobwebs out. “Damn, Luke. It ain’t been that long.” Then he realized there was a young woman with Luke. “Pardon, ma’am. I didn’t notice you standing there all quiet-like.”
“Don’t mind me, Doc. I’m headed to Corpus Christi soon as we can get back on the trail.”
“Well, you don’t have but another twenty miles to go, young lady.” He gave her the once over. He figured the men of Corpus would likely chew her up and spit her out. “Not too safe for a young woman traveling alone, ma’am. It’s rough country.”
They were interrupted by a noise outside as a rickety old wagon pulled up at the general store across the way. As fate would have it, Elisa had come early to town to get some supplies.
As she climbed from the wagon, she spied the big grey stallion. Her heart went wild, and she could scarcely breathe. Simultaneously, Cav stepped out of Bernice’s boarding house, and Luke and Scarlett walked from Doc’s place.
Elisa saw her one true love standing across the street with another woman. Luke barely noticed Elisa, but he recognized Cav as a wanted man despite his having ditched the black clothing and mustache. Scarlett beheld the very love of her life sneaking out to run away. Cav spied Scarlett but gave her not even a second thought, as though she was naught but another prostitute.
Naturally, Bernice and Agatha were taking this all in. Bernice sensed a strong dynamic at work but couldn’t quite make it all out. She certainly was aware that emotions were running high. It was as though time had frozen for just a split second.
Then, the clock restarted.
Elisa ran back into the general store in tears. Scarlett began to cross the street toward Cav, who was on the move toward the stable. Luke was torn between trying to figure out what upset Elisa, whom he’d just noticed, and pursuing the fugitive. Fortunately, no guns had yet been drawn.
Luke tripped over Scarlett, enabling Cav to get to the livery stable, throw a saddle hurriedly on his horse, dash out the back door, jump a fence, and gallop away.
Scarlett strove to get out from under Luke. “What are you doing, you damned cowboy! My man is leaving!”
Luke got up and dusted himself off. He didn’t have to be hit by a log up the side of his head to figure out most things. He quickly did the math for the love equation between Scarlett and Cav. But it seemed that Cav either didn’t know or didn’t care.
“Damn, Miss Scarlett! You in love with that killer?”
She gave Luke a damn-right look and mounted her horse, determined to follow Cav’s dust.
Meanwhile, Luke had lost the advantage. He watched Scarlett ride off after Cav. Behind him, he heard a rough laugh. “Damn, son, that was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.”
“What do you mean?” he demanded.
“You don’t know, do you?” Doc would have shaken his head, but it would have made his headache worse. “That little girl in the general store has been waiting for you to return, and you show up with another woman. Are you that dense?”
Luke looked quizzically at Doc, then his eyes opened wider in recognition of what Doc said. He turned, crossed the street, and strode up the steps and into the general store. Cav and Scarlett would have to wait. They weren’t going to be that hard to catch up with anyway.
***
Perez scanned Nuecestown from a distance. He and his Caballeros Negros stood clustered on a rise overlooking the town. He was close enough to have seen Cav and Scarlett leave. He’d caught sight of Luke but lost track of him. Wherever Luke had gone, he was hidden from Perez’s view.
He wanted to catch the Ranger on the open trail, not in some flea-bit Tejano town. It was time to wait. Patience wasn’t exactly his forte, but he didn’t want to be foolhardy. All his prey were now within easy reach.
“Vamos a acampar aquí esta noche, Caballeros.” He was in high spirits as he ordered his Caballeros Negros to make camp for the night. They would be fresh in the morning and be able to think more clearly about the work at hand.
SIXTEEN
Trouble This Way Comes
For whatever reason, Luke recalled a piece of advice his father had given him back in Ireland: live the journey, for every destination offers a doorway to the next. As he passed through the general store doorway, he sensed that he was about to begin a new life journey.
“Elisa?” he called softly. “Elisa, it’s not what you think.”
She looked at him through tear-reddened eyes. The hurt was deep. “What do I think, you…you?”
“It was my job to give her protection. I just learned that she’s running after that fugitive that just escaped.” He moved toward her.
She pulled back.
Luke stood before her, all six-foot-three of handsome, well-muscled manhood within her reach.
She was only stubborn for a moment. She looked up at him, into the eyes filled with heartfelt caring. He was irresistible. “I’ve missed you.” Catching him totally off guard, she buried herself in his arms.
Bernice had just entered through the back door of the store, drew up in surprise, and clapped with glee.
The blushing couple broke free.
“I’ve been thinking of you ever since I left Nuecestown, Elisa Corrigan.” Luke paid Bernice no never-mind.
She laughed and her eyes brightened. No more tears. She had her man. “Do you believe in leprechauns?”
“Methinks not. They’re supposed to be devious little mythical creatures.”
“Come on, you two. I’ll whip up some breakfast.” Bernice, sporting an ear-to-ear grin, headed toward her boarding house.
Carlos Perez watched from afar as Luke walked Elisa to a house near the general store. He’d already decided not to rush his vengeance, as that could land him in trouble. Having lost one man to the drovers, he was inclined to be a bit more cautious.
***
The fire crackled and smoke billowed from the Comanche council fire. Three Toes, who had already shown his undying appreciation for his three wives by sharing himself with them soon after his return, had regaled the assembled Comanche with his exploits with Ghost-Who-Rides. Everyone was duly impressed. Three Toes was even awarded two feathers for his war bonnet. His stature as chief had risen. Long Feathers was also rewarded. There was much discussion of the Comanche future.
Three Toes shared his concerns about the future of the Penateka Comanche. The white settlers were expanding their territorial reach, and the U.S. Cavalry was beginning to win pitched battles with both Comanche and their erstwhile allies, the Kiowa. He knew that, soon enough, they might be joining Buffalo Hump at the government camp in the place called Oklahoma, though Camp Cooper up on the Brazos River was more likely. No longer was there talk of a sweeping offensive like Buffalo Hump had led years earlier. The days of the Penateka anywhere near the Nueces Strip were all but ended. He’d heard rumors that the government in Austin was going to organize the Texas Rangers again. He didn’t want to have the Comanche experience what the Lipan Apache had endured.
Nueces Justice Page 12