Camp Camel: The Heart of Texas

by Eaton, Rosemary

  Lacy swallowed, “Why would you say that?”

  Mrs. Tyler said, “Because she is Comanche. That’s all the reason needed. They live for war. There is no reasoning with them. You make one treaty and they make war on someone else. It is a game. A deadly game to take their enemy’s woman, children, and property. The only thing their men fear is growing old. How do you reason with someone who wants to die?”

  Lacy asked, “Can you keep JC today too?”

  Mrs. Tyler replied, “No Mamacita. There are too many things my man expects me to do today to chase the boy too. I keep little girl for you so you can make up with the Major. He has many burdens on his shoulders. Go ride with him. Fix him a good steak with potatoes. Make love to him. That always makes men feel better then ask him to send Captain Travers to some other place for your children’s sake.”

  Lacy replied, “Maybe I should talk to Bryan. I’m pretty sure no one told him. Shoot, no wonder no one sponsored her.”

  Wokwave

  Bryan laid on the cool rocks and let the cold water splash him. Yes it did help. He closed his eyes and just took in the moment. An hour later Bryan awoke to the sound of several braves diving into the deep pool and coming up nude on the rock by him. There were his new friends Eagle Feather and Wolf along with Sparrow Hawk and others he hadn’t met yet. Sparrow Hawk pointed to the older man whose skin showed he was at least sixty years old. His face was wrinkled and deeply tanned and his hair was gray with a few auburn strands left from his original color. Sparrow Hawk said, “Red Cedar, my father and Shaman of our village.”

  Bryan lowered his eyes and nodded to the man, “I’m honored.” How interesting. Sparrow Hawk might be a mixed-breed with a red headed ancestor up the line.

  Back in the camp Itsee ducked his head into the teepee. He face was red as he looked on the sight of she who was his mother as her eyes found his and the tears fell from her eyes. Jenny held out her hands and the young boy frowned, “Here, water for your journey. I think I will not see you again in this life.” With that Itsee gave her the white man’s canteen filled with spring water and left. Each child in turn entered her teepee and gave her one item she would need soon and left with the greeting that they would not see her again and wished her a safe journey. Then there was silence and Jenny wept as she packed her journey bag. There would be nothing but this for them to throw into her grave pit. There would be no one to weep for her but Bryan. No women to mourn her loss or cut their arms. Jenny closed her eyes. So high one minute and so low the next. It must be her time. Her body was changing quickly as was her mind.

  Red Cedar nodded and approached Bryan to where he could examine the new comer. Red Cedar looked at his hair, turned his face to him and opened his mouth inspecting his teeth like one would look at a horse you were about to buy. He pinched his skin and watched the blood rise to the surface then disappear. He looked at the underside of his elbows and how easy it was to see his veins and frowned a little at that. This would make it easy for an enemy to find a vein, but he felt better when he saw the tan of Bryan’s face, neck, and hands. He could tan well, so if his sons would tan like Oaui and Wasapi tanned all would be well. The Shaman examined his feet then took his own hand and cupped Bryan’s loins. Bryan stayed perfectly still holding his expressing neutral as Red Cedar moved behind him and patted his butt cheeks. Apparently he approved. Red Cedar smiled, “Yes, he will father strong and swift children. Strong hips, good teeth and feet. Hair like raven, eyes like bark make good match.”

  Bryan was thankful it was the old prune that had his loins in his hand. Bryan just kept his eyes on the shrivelled items in front of his face. Even though he knew most men no matter their skin color were basically the same, it was a comfort to see he compared favorably to the Comanche braves. They weren’t so different. Just as the white man came in different sizes and shapes, so did they.

  Red Cedar leaned down and put his fingers in a bowl of red paint and smeared it over Bryan’s face from the middle of his nose to the bottom of his chin. Then the Shaman put his fingers in a bowl of black paint and covered Bryan’s brow and put a long strip above the red paint right below his eyes and one strip down from the middle of his lip to the bottom of his chin. Red Cedar backed up and inspected his work and nodded, “Wokwave keep this face.” Red Cedar put both of his hands on Bryan’s shoulders and muttered something that sounded like a prayer, then he felt them push on his shoulders and say the word Wokwave. This must mean he had been named and accepted.

  The old man stepped back and took a seat further back in the recess and painted his own face. He had a smile on his face when he sat and made a quick nod to Bryan. Bryan imitated his gesture. That had been Gage’s advice on the trail. If in doubt, try to do like they did or say something similar if addressed. Never mind if they can’t understand the words. It’s the tone of your voice and expressions they’re looking at.

  Each brave in turn dipped his fingers into the war paint and designed their own face. There were no mirrors used. Each seemed to understand exactly what their war face looked like. Sparrow Hawks looked like the wings of a hawk with his nose and mouth yellow like the a sharp beak ready to rip out your throat. Bryan thought what it must have been like for Jenny the first time she saw him with his face painted. Bryan thought he might choose to cut his own throat too rather than have that sharp pointed beak rip through your flesh.

  Another brave brought out a bucket and sliced up the plant it contained while still another built a campfire in a small fire pit. It was occurring to Bryan that he wished he had eaten more of the jerky. While the honey was good, if there was drinking involved, it wouldn’t take much for him to get drunk. He really hadn’t eaten since this morning and he was feeling parched after an afternoon of lovemaking to Jenny and the nap. The bucket had been passed to Red Cedar first. He took a slice and ate showing Bryan that it was good. Next Sparrow Hawk took the bucket and took a slice passing the bucket to his left and so the bucket made the circle of men until it came to Bryan. He looked down. It was cactus. Thin slices of cactus. His lips curled up and he said, “This is Wokwave?”

  Sparrow Hawk laughed, “Yes you call it cactus, eat Wokwave. You use cactus to beat down Gage. You picked your name.” Sparrow’s Hawk’s lips curled up as Bryan realized the irony in what he said. Yes he had picked a cactus pad right off of the prickly pear and used it as a weapon in the fight.

  Red Cedar pointed to the wokwave in Bryan’s hand, “It will sustain you when there is no food and you need courage to bring out the Comanche in you. It has healing powers. Powerful dreams and visions to guide you through your journey.”

  Wolf grinned, “You thought we eat your body Wokwave?”

  Eagle Feather eyebrow rose, “We eat wokwave plant, not you. Not cannibal” There was a nervous laugh by the rest of the braves as if they knew some cannibals.

  Bryan smiled, “Never occurred to me that you would. Just wanted to make sure this was wokwave.” Bryan took a piece and took a bite and passed the bucket to the left. Well Bryan knew if the sunlight hadn’t faded away, his face would have been beet red. He didn’t know how to tell them he didn’t think they were cannibals. That was probably the less embarrassing explanation that might come to mind when his new friends said they planned to eat wokwave tonight. Between them smearing their loins with what looked like whipped cream to him, and his own over excited libido, he wasn’t sure if the Comanche liked men as well as women. Bryan nibbled the cactus pad in his hand and it was half gone before Sparrow Hawk reached over and pulled his hand from his mouth.

  Sparrow Hawk smiled and said gently like the voice of a lover, “Not so much so fast Wokwave. Enjoy the journey.” Were their eyes all staring at him? Bryan looked at Cedar Hill, that was his name wasn’t it? Cedar something. Cedar Stick, Cedar Root, no that’s not it. Maybe he should ask Let me Fuck You to Hell and Back. His lips were juicy. Bryan swore he could see the man’s breath and each breath was full of colored air.

  Bryan nodded and took his fingers and touched
Sparrow Hawks lips. Bryan took his finger into his mouth suggestively and sucked the cactus juice off making a sucking sound. There was a snicker as another man took another bite of his own wokwave pad and closed his eyes smiling. He giggled and before Bryan knew it everyone but Red What’s His Name was laughing.

  Red Cedar was deep into a trance with his hands folded quietly on his lap ignoring the younger men. The Shaman was chanting softly trying not to crack a grin.

  Bryan remembered he should imitate what he saw and started blubbering the words to some song. How did that go? The Battle Hymn of the Republic was one of the few good things the North had come up with worth remembering. Oh yes he remembered. Bryan started singing, “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” Bryan stopped. He couldn’t get the image out of his mind of him taking Jenny this afternoon. God had blessed him with her and yet, there was Sparrow Hawk’s nipples rising in front of him as if he found the sound of his voice arousing. Bryan had to fight the urge to push him to the ground and do what? Get scalped? What was he thinking. Bryan’s life would last about as long as it took for him to touch the man. If the others thought he approached their Chief without Sparrow Hawk approaching him first, they would skin him alive.

  Well that sobered him up some. Bryan looked at his fellow wokwave eaters. There was one with his hands out and eyes closed singing. Another was yelping like a war party at the top of his lungs. One had pulled out a drum and was beating on the skin to the rhythm of Bryan’s heart beat. The man controlled his heart. Bryan felt as if the brave stopped his heart would do the same. Bryan took another bite and beat his hands against the rocks adding his noise to the drums.

  Wolf was on his feet and dancing in a circle around them. When he walked behind Bryan the water of the falls fell on his face and body. His skin shone in the fire light as the drops fell like huge circles at his feet. Wolf took a feather from his hair and wove it into Bryan’s back locks using strands of dried cactus to create a short braid. Bryan rose and put his hand to his mouth and made a whooping sound and stared up at the water. The drops fell toward him in circles of colors bouncing off his war paint and exploding into babies, lots of red skinned babies. He was hugging one after the other. He was a Daddy to a nation of Comanche warriors. Wolf was laughing, he had made a full circle while Wokwave was drowning in in the falls. Wolf pushed him out of the water and Bryan’s feet moved and picked up the rhythm of the drum and his heart as his feet made circles twirling and moving around the seated men.

  Eagle Feather was up flapping his arms as if in flight. He jumped the fire pit dropping bits of gun powder which caused the fire to flame up. Bryan’s eyes tried to focus. He’d seen this. Where had he seen this. Suddenly Gage was in front of him laughing at them. Bryan reached down and took a pinch of gun powder and jumped over the fire pit dropping the powder below him and the fire flashed. Gage had been here. He had ate wokwave like he was eating wokwave. Gage had felt invincible like Bryan now felt invincible. The world was a wonderful place.

  Bryan wanted to share this with Lacy. What he would have given to have her see this with him. Dallas well, he might not approve but Lacy would understand how he felt. She always understood until he married Jenny. Bryan stopped dancing and felt the breath leave him. Somehow that thought had sucked all the air from his lungs. Lacy wanted all his air. There was Jenny blowing air into his lungs as fast as she could to keep him alive and Lacy sucking it out just as fast. He would have to choose one or he would suffocate. JC was yelling, ” My Mommy Unc Bryan.” JC clung to Dallas as he rode off with the children yelling back, “I cast you off! The children are mine Lacy.” Dallas had Sparrow Hawk’s war bonnet on his head. Jenny was trembling looking in Bryan’s eyes and turning away as he took Lacy to bed and made love to her.

  Gage was laughing in his face, “Wouldn’t take a sister would you Bryan? Now you see how easy it is. Her next son is your bastard like Wasapi is mine old man. Judge not least ye be judged yourself.”

  Eagle Feather touched his arm and offered a drink of some sweet liqueur and Bryan drank deeply until the brave pulled it back and shook his head like he was instructing a young boy taking his first drink of whiskey.

  His eyes met Sparrow Hawks. Bryan thought he saw tears in his eyes or was that just the war paint starting to run from the sweat. No the stuff seemed to be thick enough that he wasn’t sure how long it might take to remove it from his face. Sparrow Hawk looked down like he had lost the only person who mattered to him. He cried out in pain. Bryan rose and moved closer to the man and put his hands on his and held his hand rubbing his fingers like he saw him do with Jenny. He said nothing, but Sparrow Hawk’s eyes said more about how hard it was for him to give up Jenny. Bryan pulled at him until Sparrow Hawk rose. Bryan was drunk with peyote and liqueur. Bryan said, “My woman, your woman. Let’s go.” They stumbled up the hill. Sparrow Hawk’s eyes were bright with expectation and they both stumbled through the teepee flap. Jenny looked at the two men. Bryan’s face and Sparrow Hawk’s covered with war paint. A feather plaided into Bryan’s hair with dried cactus skin. Bryan was pushing Sparrow Hawk toward her, “Yours tonight.”

  Sparrow Hawk looked at Jenny with soft eyes and started to reach for her then stopped.

  Jenny stood putting the canteen of the water Itsee had brought her over her shoulder. She put her journey bag made of the gifts from her sons on her back. She took Bryan’s hand and put it in Sparrow Hawk’s and clasped her hands over both and shrugged her shoulders as if to say it’s my time. As a wave came upon her she bit her lip looked down and left leaving the two men holding hands. Sparrow Hawk smiled and hugged Bryan so hard he thought his ribs would bust. Sparrow Hawk pulled him down to the pallet and covered him. Sparrow Hawk lay spooning Bryan’s back with his hands over Bryan’s abdomen and manhood stiff between his legs. There was a part of Bryan that wanted to run after her, but his legs wouldn’t move even if he had wanted. Bryan realized he no longer had control of his body or limbs as his desire rose for the man beside him.

  Sparrow Hawk smiled, “Wokwave, you want?”

  Bryan breath went out of him as he sighed, “Yes, I want.” Bryan felt Sparrow Hawks strong hips move as the lust of his unspoken desires in the cave came back. There was a stronger part of him that wanted to be right where he found himself in Sparrow Hawk’s arms spooning and yes right there his prick, Sparrow Hawk’s hand grasping his manhood cupping his balls and shaft as he stimulated him with this own prick as his hips and abdomen butted against the cheeks of his buttocks. Then his hand slid along Bryan’s stiff shaft giving him sweet relief as his seed spilled over Sparrow Hawk’s hand and prick. Sparrow Hawk’s hands quickly moving to grip his hips as Bryan guided him and Sparrow Hawk took his own sweet relief.

  Sparrow Hawk sighed, “Brothers now, white or not I think.”

  Bryan moaned, “Not sure how I’m going to explain this, but I want you both.”

  Sparrow Hawk replied, “Wokwave juice, but not. But still good to blame on mindless lust I think. This wife not care. Sleep now.”

  Bryan closed his eyes and let the world stop turning. What were the odds he would find someone outside of Utah and the Mormons that thought nothing was wrong with taking your happiness where you found it. He was in no pain despite what he suspected was a rather brutal entrance and a long time since he had been subjected to the force of a man’s prick taking it’s pleasure without regard to the occupant on the other side. There was a part of him that wondered if that was how women felt, but the doctor knew better. At least their hole had the possibility of natural lubricant. What had he used? Then Bryan smiled, “Aah Haa.” He’d used Bryan’s own cream. Maybe not as effective as grease, but what was at hand. Maybe he thought it funny or maybe they did that more than he thought. Thoughts of Wolf and Eagle Feather smearing cream on their front suddenly made him wonder if it was their wives they went back to or someone else. With that thought, Bryan surrendered to the wokwave stupor that made his legs and arms feel as if they weighed a ton and slep
t in Sparrow Hawk’s arms.

  Jenny walked out of the village to the spot she would have her baby. It was time. There were no hospitals or mid-wife hovering over her. Just a place she felt relatively safe. It was time for her to let the waves push the one without a face into the light of day. She had what she needed in her pack and took one last sip of the water. The experience of having four other children prepared her for what was to come. If all went well, she would walk back into camp and present the child to Sparrow Hawk. If it didn’t, then she would prayed Bryan found them before the coyote dragged them away or wolves killed her and the child. She had survived four other times. She hoped she would be brave enough not to call out, but this one felt different and her dreams were frightening. She died with the baby still inside. He refused to show his face to a world where his new mother might not care if he lived or died. She might want him dead of the same pox that took her husband because the boy with no face was half white. She had a son. Why would she feed him instead of her own.

  The waves were coming regularly now. She pushed on the top of her stomach. It was hard as a rock as the wave pulsed through her muscles urging the child to be born. There was a part of her that wanted to eat more peyote. She craved more as it disappeared from her body. She must try to be strong. It was not given to her by Bryan as a parting gift to help her pass quickly if it was her day to die.

  The last gift of wokwave was given to Jenny by Itsee and Paaka to ease her pain of separation. She had survived her time in their fort. The peyote water had took the edge off the pain in her heart and joints but it made her mind not care so much if there was pain or what happened.

  For the baby’s sake, she needed a clear mind. Perhaps Bryan didn’t trust her enough not to try and harm herself. She had been trying to die before some other band of Comanche raided the fort and took her as their prize. Bryan probably thought she’d try again or sleep like Sparrow Hawk slept for hours after eating the wokwave and find her child dead at her feet.