“Who’s that?” a voice replied.
“Captain Charles Lagrange, Texas Rangers.”
“Come on in, Charlie. It’s just me. Willard Jones.”
Charlie tied his horse and keeping his back to the wall edged toward the door and looked in. One man was sitting stiff-legged on the earthen floor next to a small fire. Lagrange went through the door fast, checking the corners and then walked toward the fire. “What are you doin’ here all alone, Will?”
Jones turned to look at him. His face was very pale and his lips were blue. “I’m dying.”
Lagrange holstered his pistol and knelt beside the other Ranger. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Gut shot.” He moved his hand and showed Lagrange his blood soaked abdomen.
“Who did it?”
“Bad man name of Lucky Billy Van.”
“I’ve not heard of him.”
“They’s many a poster out.”
Lagrange shrugged. “Whipple and I don’t seem to get regular messages from headquarters. I think they forget us.”
“Yer out there on the edges, alright,” Jones agreed.
“What are you doing up here? I thought you were working the coast.”
“We been workin’ that new town down by Fort Brown and got mixed up with some Mexican bandits called the Red Robbers of the Rio Grande. The leader, Chino Cortina, crossed the river and run back into Mexico but this one, Billy Van, turned north. I tracked him this far but my horse went lame. I decided to hole up here ‘till the hoof mended and then head back south. Been here about a week and a half now.” He grimaced in pain. “Then yesterday,” he said through gritted teeth. “I was out there in the grass, sleepin’ in the sun and Billy Van just rides up and shoots me, then rides off. I wasn’t even wearin’ no gun. How stupid is that?”
“Not so stupid. This place has been safe for years now, since The Wacos left. Who’d expect this man Van to double back after a week and a half?” Lagrange got up and tore some of the rotten wood planks from the collapsed roof and tossed them on the fire. “You say you tracked him up here?”
“Yeah. It was easy. His horse’s right front shoe’s got a notch in it.”
Lagrange nodded. “Anybody else been around here lately?”
“A old Indian come by yesterday after I got shot. He drug me on in here and started the fire, then rode out. Why?”
“I didn’t see any tracks with a notched hoof.”
“Which way did you come?”
“From the bluff where the village used to be.”
“He didn’t come that way. He rode on downriver on the other side then crossed at the bend and come back upriver. Guess he figured that I was watchin’ for him instead of just being a easy target.”
“I’m going outside to look for his trail, Willard. I’ll be right back.”
“Before you go, Charlie. Could you lay me down?”
“Sure, Willard. Sure.”
~
The following morning Charlie Lagrange picked up the track of the notched hoof. “Well,” he said out loud to the trail. “You’ve got a name now. Even if I don’t catch you this time, every Ranger in Texas is gonna be looking for you, Lucky Billy Van, the Ranger killer.”
~
“Good morning, Captain.” Jack Van Buskirk walked toward Josiah Whipple who was saddling his horse.
“Mornin’.”
“Is there some danger about?”
“Not that I know of, but I’m gonna hold the column here ‘till I can check up on some cliffs to the north. It’s right above the ford and a good place for an ambush.”
“I was wondering if you’d like some company today. I feel strong enough to ride.”
“You might want to get used to ridin’ again by stayin’ close to the column when we move out. Comin’ scoutin’ with me might lead to a run-in with some Indians or bandits.”
“Do you have some kind of problem with me?”
“Not a bit. I don’t like you much, but I don’t see that as a problem.”
“Have I done something to offend you?”
“Nope. But you’ve been plenty offensive to Clem and that’s good enough to put you on my shit-list.”
“I don’t like loose women, Captain.”
Whipple turned toward him. “Well I don’t much like you callin’ Clem no loose woman so you best be goin’ on yer way before I forget yer a sick man and whup yer ass.”
“I’ve never been so sick that a rag-picker like you could get the best of me.”
Whipple stepped closer so that he was nose to nose with Jack. “I’m gonna remember you said that.”
Jack pushed him in the chest with both hands and Whipple staggered backward.
“Hold on, hold on.” Clementine ran to get between them. “What’s going on here?” She blocked Whipple, who was trying to get at Jack.
Whipple stopped, looked at her and then went back to finish saddling his horse. “Ain’t nothin’.”
Jack waited a moment then turned and walked away toward the river.
“What was that about?” Clementine asked Whipple.
“I told you it weren’t nothin’,” he replied.
“You told him what I said,” she challenged.
“I never.”
She ran after Jack. “What did he say to you?”
“He said that I’ve been offensive in my behavior to you. If that’s true, I apologize. That was never my intention.”
“Oh.” She looked relieved. “You’re not offensive; you’re just a cold fish.”
He didn’t answer but instead looked toward the north. “What’s so special about some cliffs north of here?”
“The Waco Indians village used it to ambush anyone crossing the river at the ford. If we got in the river and were attacked, we wouldn’t be able to turn around and run. Josiah wants to scout it before we get there.”
“It seems to me that we should be more vigilant if we’re in hostile Indian Territory.”
“The Wacos are gone. They abandoned the village some time ago. Kind of sad, really.” She shook her head. “Josiah’s scouting the route as a matter of prudence. There’s no special threat any more, but the cliffs are still a good spot to mount an ambush.”
“What’s sad about the Indians leaving?”
“It’s a long story.”
“We won’t be going anywhere until Whipple gets back.” He walked toward a huge willow with a nearly horizontal limb that was about waist high. “Why don’t we sit here and you can tell me the story.”
Clementine looked surprised but followed him to the tree, backed up to the limb tried to lift herself up and finally let him boost her onto it. “Thank you. I hope you didn’t hurt yourself.”
“I’m perfectly fit,” he said, boosting himself up to sit beside her. “In fact I think I’ll go back to Mexico after a short visit with my sister, Jane and Paul.”
“Tom said that you were to stay at the ranch.”
“Thomas is my younger brother and I out-rank him. He can suggest what I do but he can’t order me to do anything.”
She decided to change the subject and gestured at the river. “The real name of this river is Brazos De Dios, which means The Arms of God, in English.”
“How do you know so much about local history?”
She shrugged. “In my profession I do more talking than you might imagine.”
He blushed. “You were going to tell me about the Waco Indians.”
“Oh yeah. Well, a few years ago the Mexican military told Stephen Austin to remove the Tawakonis from their settlement along the Navasota River headwaters. Austin made a deal with the Cherokees, but for some reason or other, they attacked and burned out the Wacos instead. Some say that it was with Austin’s blessing. He had some kind of dislike for the Wacos because they worshipped a goddess called Woman-With-The-Powers-In-The Waters. I don’t recall the Indian words, but they’re shorter.” She giggled.
“Why would Austin care about an Indian goddess?”
&n
bsp; She shrugged. “There are all kinds of stories about that but I personally think he just wanted this land.”
“What’s so special about it?”
“Fresh, clean water.” She pointed over her shoulder. “Austin hired a New York company to cap the artesian springs and geysers. That must have cost a lot of money. So I imagine that Austin, or somebody, had big plans for this area.”
“He’s been dead for, what, ten years? It seems like something would have been done by now.”
“I guess it’s still too wild. There was a settlement south of here called Robertson’s Colony but they were wiped out by Indians.”
Jack turned and looked toward the camp for a moment. “We better get back to the others before we create a scandal.” He hopped down from the limb, put his hands around Clementine’s waist and looked into her eyes. “Thank you for telling me.”
~
Josiah Whipple watched a lone rider who was coming toward him for almost a minute, then folded his telescope and kicked his horse. The two met near a small clump of oaks and both dismounted. “You come lookin’ for me, Charlie?” Whipple shook hands with Lagrange.
“No. I had an eye open for you since I knew you were coming this way, but I’m trailing a bad man that burned out the Taylor and the Rubidoux ranches about a week ago.”
“Shit. The Taylors and the Rubidouxs? How bad?”
Lagrange shook his head. “Bad as it gets. Killed ‘em all.”
“No. What about the kids?”
“Killed them too.”
Whipple looked shocked. “What for?”
“Who can guess? This is a real bad man. He killed Willard Jones up at Fort Fisher yesterday. Willard was unarmed and asleep in the grass.”
“And the bastard shot him?”
“Gut shot him.”
“Jesus. You got this bad man’s trail you say?”
“Yeah. His horse has a notched shoe. I think he must be headed for San Antonio.”
“We come from there.” Whipple looked back toward his train. “Can you ride back with me just in case?” He swung onto his saddle.
“Oh hell.” Lagrange caught his horse, mounted and raced out after Whipple.
~
The people on the wagon train saw the two Rangers riding hard toward them and armed themselves.
“Let me have the shotgun,” Jack said.
Clementine gave it to him then scanned the countryside behind Whipple and Lagrange. “They’re not being chased.”
“Not closely anyway,” Jack agreed.
Whipple reined in next to Clementine’s wagon. “Everything okay here?”
She nodded. “Yes. What are you running from?”
He shook his head. “We just got spooked. Charlie’s been chasin’ a bad man and we got to thinkin’ that he might of found y’all.”
“You better go back and tell everybody,” she said. “You just scared the shit out of us all.”
He nodded.
“Josiah,” Charlie said. “I’m gonna get back on his trail before it gets cold.”
“Right.” Whipple shook Charlie’s hand. “Be careful. If you catch up with him, just let him go on into town so you can get some help.”
Charlie nodded, then waved to Clementine, and rode off as Whipple rode back to reassure the others in the train.
“Oh hell,” Clementine said to Jack. “That was your brother-in-law, Captain Charles Lagrange.” She pointed. “I forgot to introduce you to him.”
“I don’t think anyone told me that Anna married a Texas Ranger,” Jack said.
“Anna may have asked them not to. I get the impressions that she’s not very proud of him.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe he’s not intellectual enough for her.”
“Anna’s a snob.”
Clementine laughed.
“What?”
“That’s a word I’d use to describe you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
He thought a moment. “Maybe I am. Help me work on it.”
“How?”
“When I’m being a snob, tell me.”
“Okay.” She looked back. “Here comes Josiah. We’ll be moving out. You better get in back.”
“Can I ride up here with you?”
“I guess so. If you want to.”
“Yes I do.”
“Let’s move ‘em out, Clem,” Whipple shouted as he rode by.
May 10, 1847
Chapultepec, Mexico
Thomas and Yank Van Buskirk were standing at the edge of the dense forest called Bosque de Chapultepec and were looking up at the castle on the hill, two hundred feet above them.
“Stay in the shadows, there’s a lookout in that central tower,” Yank warned.
“El Caballero Alto,” Thomas said.
Yank looked puzzled. “The tall knight? What are you talking about?”
Thomas chuckled. “The name of that watchtower is El Caballero Alto.” He handed Yank his telescope.
“Oh.” Yank took the telescope and scanned the castle from one end to the other. “The other two towers at the front have some other purpose. The one on the right has windows and a parapet at the top but the one on the left has none.”
“We should be able to reach those terraces with ladders that we can carry instead of having to assemble scaling ladders.”
“We don’t know what’s beyond those terraces. Scaling the front to the roof is the only way.”
“We can’t manage scaling ladders by ourselves, Dad.”
“We’re not going to take that castle by ourselves, Thomas.” He gave Thomas back his telescope. “I’m sorry, Son, but it’s impossible.”
“No it isn’t, Dad,” Thomas argued. “It looks harder from here than it really is. The slope from the King’s Mill is gradual enough for horses.”
“If you look closer you’ll see it’s corduroyed in patches. Half the horses in a mounted cavalry charge would break their legs on that slope. The only way is an infantry charge with one or two mounted officers who can pick their way around the corduroying.”
Thomas looked through his telescope. “You’re right.” He lowered the telescope and looked at Yank. “But even with foot soldiers, a surprise charge would have us inside the guns before they were even manned and loaded. The batteries are the only serious threat.”
“If your plan is to attack from the King’s Mill, why are we looking at the castle from here instead of from the King’s Mill?”
“The buildings at the mill are occupied by Mexican troops right now.”
“Don’t you think they’ll continue to be occupied until we have a signed peace treaty or we blow them out of there?”
“No, I don’t think so. Do you?”
Yank shrugged. “It’s logical. This is the gateway to Mexico City. I can’t imagine them leaving it undefended.”
Thomas looked up at Chapultepec Castle. “All we have to do is get past those damn guns and the rest is easy.”
“Easy?”
“I bribed one of the cadets to get me troop strength and he reported that there are only three hundred men from de Battalion de San Blas under a Lieutenant Colonel named Felipe Xicotencatl. The castle’s regular garrison is a hundred, including the cadets.”
“That was a dangerous thing to do, Thomas. If that cadet tells anyone in authority, Santa Anna might move his whole army here.”
“Good. That would bring General Scott and we could storm the castle with the whole army and get Mother the hell out of there.”
“If Winfield Scott can force Santa Anna to sue for peace before we have to take this castle, your mother will walk out, safe and sound. If we storm the castle she might be executed by the Mexicans or killed in the battle.”
“It could take months, Dad. Years.”
“Months, perhaps, but not years.”
“So you’re willing to let Mother rot in a dungeon for months?”
“She’s not in a dungeon nor is she ro
tting, Thomas. She’s somehow become a confidant to Santa Anna and she supposedly lives like a queen.”
“How do you know that?”
“I don’t know for certain but that’s what the laundresses told me.”
“Why hadn’t you mentioned it to me?”
Yank hesitated. “Because I thought you might rush to judgment.”
“In what way?”
“I don’t know, Thomas,” Yank said in embarrassment. “You might have assumed that your mother had become Santa Anna’s mistress.”
“You have me confused with Jack,” Thomas said. “If Mother became his mistress to stay alive I’d applaud her for it, as I think you would.”
“I apologize then.” Yank looked up at the castle. “Whoa. We’ve been spotted. Let’s go before we have to fight our way out of here.” He started back into the forest.
Thomas joined him. “I don’t think a handful of cadets would be that much trouble.”
“Perhaps not. But the troop assessment you bought from that cadet is pure disinformation. The Lieutenant Colonel Felipe Xicotencatl that he mentioned actually reports to General Nicolas Bravo who has nine-hundred-twenty-two men up there.”
“No. Are you sure?”
Yank took a notebook from his jacket pocket. “Two-hundred-fifty from the Tenth Infantry, a hundred-fifteen from the Queretaro Battalion, two-hundred-seventy-seven from the Mina Battalion, two-hundred-eleven from the Union Battalion, twenty-seven from the Toluca Battalion and forty-two artillerymen of la Patria Battalion manning seven guns. If my arithmetic is correct, that’s nine-hundred-twenty-two men.”
“That little bastard. He fooled me completely.”
“There are also more than two-hundred cadets at the garrison, and, as you mentioned, an unknown force at the King’s Mill. Probably a thousand or two. I think we should get out of here while we still can.”
“I agree. Let’s go.”
May 14, 1847
San Antonio, Texas
Charlie Lagrange dismounted, tied his horse to the hitching rail in front of the saloon and began to methodically examine the right front hooves of all the horses until he found the notched shoe.
“May I help you with something?” The man who had come from the saloon was wearing an eastern suit of clothes with a tricorne hat and two Walker-Colts in cut-down cavalry holsters.
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