Private White looked at his Major, “Sir, your instructions. Sergeant Cook asked me to bring you back or your orders. He’s out ranked Sir.”
Dallas found his own camel, “Private White, make sure the supplies are loaded and bring them back to the fort. Private Marrow can take my place on the caravan to Mexico. Tell Captain Stratton to take charge for me. This matter requires my personal attention back at Camp Verde!” With that Dallas left walking his camel through the same path of destruction Private White had traversed in the opposite direction until he cleared the main street then proceeded to travel double time back to Camp Verde.
Dallas swallowed as the words rang in his ears, “Your wife was taken by the squaw and called out in her excitement that she was mightily pleased Sir. Then she took Captain Travers multiple times and then he took her. The devil in is our fort and you’re needed before the Mexicans burn her at the stake and them along with her. They were making the evil eye at her and I heard their grumbling as they past the den of the green eyed monster in our mist. We barred his windows and put a lock on the outside of his door when he insisted on your wife bathing her Sir.” Then Private White muttered his final message in Dallas’ ear, “I would marry her Sir, if you thought it would help the scandal.”
Dallas had thought Bryan the perfect sponsor. She needed a doctor to manage her pregnancy and if by some terrible sense of fate something happened to the Hardgrove child, Albert Pike would have to do the same to that baby. Nasty business, but better than an all out war. It was Sparrow Hawk’s child after all. He put all thoughts of it being Gage’s nephew or Bo’s son or God forbid a baby girl that he was forced to hand over to Albert Pike. Maybe if he just killed the man, it would be better for all. Dallas doubted any of the other Comanche felt an obligation to retrieve the child or her, at least he hoped they didn’t.
After Private White’s admission, he almost wished he had sponsored her himself. The thought of watching Lacy with her and Bryan with her, a threesome, well that was getting a rise and Dallas realized he was jealous of Bryan. He would kill the man if he watched Lacy and Jenny. What did White say? His mind was racing almost as fast as the camel was running at his urging now. She took Lacy in the bath, they bathed together naked. Dallas could picture the soap and rag and imagined Jenny hands running over every detail of his wife like she tried to do to him. He could still taste the sweet milk from Lacy’s breast on his lips as he had taken hold of her breast the night before inspired by Jenny’s light touch on his own breast as he tried to explain he wasn’t her husband. Somewhere in his mind Dallas was reliving his own pleasures and finding Jenny taking his place. Dallas was trying to think about anything else, “Bryan, she did what and how many times to him before he returned the favor? Bryan asking to marry a woman. My God, how good was she to convert him?” The camel was starting to slow. Suddenly Dallas realized hours had past, not just minutes and there was the fort as the sun was in mid-sky now. Green eyed monster indeed. He knew if he looked in his shaving mirror right now, his eyes would be green as the new budding grass.
There in front of Bryan’s office was a mob. Sergeant Cook stood in the door and he could hear Bryan and Lacy calling for help. Someone had erected a pole with firewood at the base and there were people calling for the Sergeant to hand over the Squaw along with Captain Travers and Mrs. Sanders. Mrs. Tyler was holding Brianna and JC back on the porch of his home. Dallas drew his pistol and fired in the air as he dismounted and barked out, “YOU WILL RETURN TO YOUR DUTIES OR YOU’LL FIND YOURSELF IN THE GUARD HOUSE IMMEDIATELY!” The crowd scattered. Apparently burning the squaw wasn’t worth losing their source of income or a court martial but if he hadn’t returned what might he have found?
Dallas turned to the Sergeant, “Sergeant Cook, what is the meaning of this.”
The Sergeant looked at the Major, “No idea what you mean Sir. I was saving her by risking my life protecting them from the mob.”
Dallas frowned, “Just how did a mob come to be?”
The Sergeant swallowed, “Well, now that might be best asked of your wife Sir. I didn’t say a word. Not one word to tell them what happened here Sir. Your wife she demanded I let the Captain and his captive out this morning and I told her I’d sent for you to straighten out a small matter that concerned her and the squaw’s honor and she took exception and then it started.” The Sergeant looked down, “I’m sure she will give you her version of that, but that’s what happened Major.”
Dallas looked at the door and the new bolt on the outside, “Just when did Doctor Travers’ door get locked from the outside?”
The Sergeant said, “When he didn’t return the hostage to the camel pen Sir. We had to secure her.”
Dallas looked at the newly installed bars, “Those too were to secure one very pregnant squaw.”
The Sergeant took exception, “She killed a rattler with her feet Sir. Most dangerous, pregnant or not. The Captain he tried to cover for her, but that knife wasn’t his.”
Dallas’ voice was creeping up in volume, “Rattle snake? Why would she need to kill a snake?”
Bryan yelled out, “Dallas! Major Sanders, let us out. Someone tried to kill us and now, my God, they’re trying to burn us at the stake.”
Lacy yelled, “Dallas! Help! Don’t come in, they’ll lock you in too. They’re all crazy!”
The Sergeant just looked straight faced and said, “Sir, I think she drugged both of them with snake venom. That snake’s head is still in his pie pan.”
Dallas looked at the stake in the middle of the yard, “And that was for what Sergeant?”
The Sergeant said, “Wedding shivaree. Captain Travers said to send for the Preacher, he wanted to marry the squaw. Preacher should be here any time Sir. Plus if you didn’t come back, I thought it might scare them enough they would stop buggering each other. Not proper for them to involve a married woman, Sir.” As if on cue, a supply wagon arrived with Private White and a Preacher rode up just behind him.
Dallas addressed Bryan, “You want to marry her? That’s not needed Bryan. You can sponsor her without being married. She could be your ward.”
The Sergeant looked at Dallas with disapproval, “No Sir, he took that woman. He needs to marry her. Maybe heathens go around with multiple wives and those Mormons, but we’re not Mormons or heathens here. He buggered her, he need to wed her good and proper or she needs to be wed to someone!”
Right then Private White got out of the supply wagon raising his hand to get the Major’s attention, “I will Sir. I’ll marry her ruined or not.”
Dallas held his hand up, “First things first Private. I have a question out to the Captain. He has her sponsorship papers.”
Bryan replied, “For God sake Dallas get in here so we can talk.”
Jenny looked at Bryan. The man who gave her a name and claimed her was having second and maybe third thoughts. His face was red and so was the other woman’s face. Jenny had been kind and given them comfort and now that it was time for him to claim her in public the man was what? Her eyes met Bryan’s and then Lacy’s for the briefest time and she turned them to the floor. She saw it in his eyes. He loved her. She loved him. They were embarrassed at what they had shared with her. If they could have distanced themselves, they would have been so far from here that the hawks would not have ever saw them from the sky.
Bryan looked at Lacy, “I’m sorry Lacy. I don’t know what happened last night. It felt like I was drugged and the more her hands touched me, the deeper I fell into this sense of utter joy.”
Lacy glared and said with soft tones away from the door, “I know it felt good. I can understand you giving in to her, but to marry her? Are you sure? I never thought you’d consider that now. Maybe she did drug you.” Then Lacy back up looking at Jenny, “Shoot, she drugged me too! We’d be dead if there weren’t bars on the windows last night! I bet she would have drown us or smothered us in our sleep.”
Jenny swallowed and backed up away from Lacy and Bryan. She looked down at the dress
and started to unbutton it to where she could pull it from her shoulders and return to the woman in front of her. Just as it slipped from her shoulders revealing her nude body, the door swung open and there was Dallas staring at Bryan, Lacy, and Jenny’s body displayed for all three of them to see with her baby bump swollen out from her breasts. She was the image of motherhood. A woman in full glory of the time just before birth. Not the least bit sexual as those parts were hidden below the beauty of the baby bump but still what was she doing undressed? Dallas quickly moved finding her buckskin realizing Jenny didn’t want anywhere near the white woman’s clothes as if it would bite her. As he reached over, he saw the snake’s severed head and fangs in the pan and carefully avoided touching anything those fangs might have touched.
Dallas didn’t believe snake venom could account for the behavior the Private and Sergeant had swore happened last night, but at this point the last thing he needed was to add his own not so soon forgotten lust and green monster to those in the room. The room smelled of something odd. Like someone had burned some earthy toned vine or hemp in the fire place. Then he looked closer at the snake head. The color of the head was wrong. That, that was a King snake, not a rattler. He would have laughed except for how odd Lacy was treating Bryan. Jenny was scared to death of both of them like she was sure it was their idea to burn her at that stake in the yard to eliminate any evidence of their own behavior. Jenny was waving some smudge stick in the air like evil spirits were about to consume them then threw the remainder in the smoldering fire as sweat drops dripped off her belly. Why did they need a fire? Oh, the smudge stick and yes, Bryan was making oatmeal. He must have taken upon himself to cook and given what they found in the pen Dallas didn’t blame him. Jenny took her buckskin and nodded to Dallas as she turned her back and dressed as quickly as possible covering up her sweaty body.
Dallas looked at Lacy, “Go home. JC and Brianna need their mother.” Lacy looked at Jenny then back to Bryan thinking about staying, but turned and stormed out. Dallas looked at Bryan trying to keep his cool, “What exactly happened that would cause you to ask for a preacher Bryan. I thought you were a confirmed bachelor.” Dallas didn’t say the other word. He owed Bryan his life on more than one occasion and no matter what his personal preferences were, he wouldn’t openly expose Bryan’s to the ears that were surely trying to pickup on their conversations.
Bryan bit on his lip and looked at Jenny, “I did ask her last night. But she hasn’t consented yet.”
Dallas replied, “I heard you took the woman. If she wasn’t agreeing to that, it’s rape.” Dallas looked at Jenny, “What say you to that Jenny? Did the man rape you?” Then Dallas realized she might not even understand what he asked and phrased it different. Dallas repeated, “Did he lay with you without you wanting him and telling him to leave you?”
Jenny looked up at Major Sanders and pulled the paper from the desk and looked at him questioning what it said. She signaled to Dallas that he didn’t want her, Bryan didn’t want her, and Lacy didn’t want her” Jenny’s eyes looked down and she signaled that she wanted to go home. Bad spirits haunted her and she should leave. Tried to send them away, but made them loco.”
Bryan didn’t catch it all but he caught enough, “I didn’t mean that. It’s just, well you wouldn’t understand. It’s complicated.”
Jenny turned her head like she did understand enough. He didn’t want her he just didn’t want to say it to her face. He was no better than the others.
Dallas looked at him, “She didn’t have to hear you say it. I could feel it and more when I came through that door. What the hell Bryan. Private White has asked for her hand. You don’t have to sponsor her.”
Bryan’s face turned red, “I bet that sniveling coward did. Someone tried to kill us Dallas and it could have been him. There was a rattle snake waiting in my office when I brought her back to check the baby.” Bryan cussed, “Damned, I still need to examine her.” Bryan pulled the knife out of his pocket.
Jenny backed even further away from Bryan keeping her eye on the knife then she thought to herself, “I’m going to die from that knife yet. He’s going to cut my throat for me”
Bryan frowned, “What? You think I’d cut you?” Bryan closed the blade and handed the knife to Dallas, “Even knowing that she was Gage’s sister, he turned her down last night when I gave him the chance to marry her then. He’s not getting at her now. He just wants to …” Bryan stopped before he said it and then continued, “He wants her for the wrong reasons. If someone must marry her, I will. I asked her and I lied about her answer. She didn’t say yes because she can’t talk, but she said yes in every way that counts to me and we consummated the agreement last night on both sides. Let’s just get the paperwork out of the way.”
Dallas shook his head, “Jenny, let me put this differently. Did you indicate to Bryan that you were more than willing to accept this man as yours and start a new life with him? Oh my God, is that what I think?” Dallas looked at the tub and the white sticky mess on the sides and in the sheets of the bed. Dallas swallowed as he asked, “Tell me Lacy wasn’t in the middle of that. Jenny Travis, what did you do with my wife?”
Jenny looked down at the water and back to Dallas and signed, “She want you. Touch for you.”
Bryan chuckled, “Well, I guess that explains her white eyes this morning.” Then Brian frowned, “What did she say? She did that for you? Why would she think she needed to do anything for you Dallas?” There was definitely feelings welling up between the two men. She thought he wanted her to please them and now their chief seemed upset at her. The Medicine man was definitely upset at the chief.
Jenny frowned as she signaled, “You send me to him and his wife.”
Dallas swallowed, “No Jenny. I didn’t send you to anyone. I don’t own you. Lacy is my wife. Like sister to Bryan. Bryan is Medicine man I ask to take care of you while I was gone.”
Jenny signed, “Sister mad. He second husband?”
Bryan’s eyebrows rose, “Second husband? No, not husband. I never, didn’t do it.”
Bryan looked at Dallas, “Let me try. ” Bryan tried to explain, “You don’t really have a say in this Jenny. The state of Texas will hunt Sparrow Hawk down if he doesn’t lead his tribe out of Texas. There is special land north of here for just Indians if they give back white hostages. The treaty the Big White Chief signed says all white hostages must be returned. That’s you. They know you might be upset and confused for a time. That’s where a sponsor helps make sure you don’t get into trouble. Since no family took you in, any man can ask to be your husband and keep you in food and clothes. You understand?”
Jenny signed, “Sparrow Hawk man.”
Dallas replied, “You say that now. But after a while you’ll feel different.”
Jenny looked lost and signed, “You not know my heart.”
Dallas looked frustrated, “This is hopeless. How can I tell her she’s wrong to miss the only family she has known for years.”
Bryan showed Dallas, “I think it’s pretty clear who she is Dallas. She pulled this out of her shoe and gave it to me last night when that snake was about to bite my balls. You sure if you showed this to Mr. Travis it might not change his mind?”
Dallas sighed, “I’m sure. He said he’d shoot her if she came back on his ranch. So I guess this means you’re saying the words for that Preacher out there?”
Bryan said, “Yes. you think Lacy would consider standing up with us?”
Dallas looked at his friend and started laughing as if that was funny. Bryan grinned and laughed as well. All of a sudden things were better between the two as Dallas thought in his mind, “Bryan Travers converted by a squaw. Lacy’s going to have a fit it wasn’t her.” Dallas remembered all too well Lacy telling him she would always love Bryan as her first love, but she knew he wasn’t interested in women and she wouldn’t marry Bryan and take away his chance to be happy. Well it suited him fine that Unc Bryan was getting married. It would solve more than one prob
lem. Even Jenny noticed they treated each other more than friendly like, yes like a second husband. Dallas told Bryan, “Well, only one way to find out. How about we send John to go ask her to come here while I explain to Private White he missed his chance.”
Dallas left the two alone and a loud curse was heard coming from the yard from Private White, “Damned officers get all the bootie around here.”
Dallas told the Preacher, “The bride can’t speak but she can nod Preacher.”
The Preacher asked, “Name?”
Dallas said, “Bride is Jenny May, groom is Bryan, their last name is Travers.”
The Preacher frowned, “Both?”
Dallas said, “His ward. He’s marrying his ward, just baptized yesterday as Jenny May Travers.” Dallas didn’t go into where she came from. That would be apparent soon enough.
Bryan looked at Jenny, “You liked her? More than me?”
Jenny looked down then pushed on Bryan’s chest and pointed to where Lacy went, then pointed at herself and made her hand signal the sign for no. She had asked the same question that Bryan put to her.
Bryan turned her face up to him and said, “You were more than I hoped or ever knew. Hers is a different like. She was special and will always be special like Gage is to you. I put her aside long ago when she took the Major for her man.” Bryan said, “Lacy waited for me to come back for her for four years. But alas I never did. Then one day after the white man’s war started, I came back, but with a man. Jenny, I like men better than most women with the exception of you. I’m afraid I have strange tastes in bed partners, but I never met a woman like you and Lacy is like a sister to me. Never a lover.”
Jenny shook her head and pointed to the glass and made a sign circling her ear and circled her hand pointing in all directions.”
Camp Camel: The Heart of Texas Page 6