Bryan said, “Some say it sailed there on a very high tide then got stuck in the lake when the tide went down.”
Jenny said, “You are pulling my leg. High tide from ocean and it end up in desert?”
Bryan said, The Gulf of California. It sailed up the Gulf into the desert. Some say it was Cavendish’s ship full of pirate plunder and others say it was a a Spanish ship like Columbus came over in. Then there are a few that says it’s a Viking ship with metal shields and ores.”
Jenny asked, “Why people not know if they see it? I would know if I saw it. Viking long and narrow. Columbus sail ocean blue with ships taller and fatter with tall masts. Santa Maria? Was that not one of their names?”
Bryan asked, “You studied world history?”
Jenny said, “I learn some things. Father always like books about lost treasure and adventure. He had a map he found that marked the trail the Conquistadors took. I thought it would be fun to travel West to where they started once.”
Bryan smiled, “And of course rocks, you certainly know your rocks. Did you study anything about deep sea treasures like coral, pearls, large sea shells you can blow like a horn?”
Jenny thought, “Mother had necklace of small pink twigs. She called it coral.”
Bryan said, “Yes, sounds like coral. Did your Mother own a pearl necklace? You know those white bobbles that shimmer. They not hard like stones, they grow in oysters in the ocean or mollusk in fresh water. Some are round and some are more oddly shaped. They can come in different colors like pink or black too.”
Jenny hesitated. She knew the bobble and there was one in her haversack, but it brought back to mind more than her Mother’s string of fresh water pearls.
Bryan noticed. He’d touched a nerve, but maybe he could get her to tell him more if he came back to them instead of asking so directly. Bryan asked, “No matter, you’ll see some once we get to the coast some day. The ocean is beautiful and you can walk on the beach and pick up sea shells. In some places the water is blue green and so clear you can see the fish swim below you and the coral can be beautiful. Sunsets and the moon rising can be very dramatic.”
Jenny quizzed, “Like from top of hills here? You see large moon when full?”
Bryan said, “Yes, but even larger when it’s reflected on the ocean. It looks like you could reach out and touch it.”
Jenny reflected, “Once saw mirage in desert of water hole. Thought I could reach out and touch it, but just sand and more sand.” Jenny changed the subject, “Father say there are lakes up North that are as wide as the ocean. Is that true?”
Bryan replied, “The Great Lakes that border the Northern States and Canada. Yes, some have waves like an ocean and look as big from the shore, but they’re not really oceans. Explorers tried to find a way to the Pacific Ocean that way once, but it didn’t go all the way West. Men are always trying to find better ways to get across the country. Take the trails that some of the men who were stationed right here mapped out. Why we’re even traveling on one now toward El Paso. If you keep going it leads through the New Mexico territory, and even all the way to Fort Yuma. Camels help explore that. Did you know some of those camels even stayed in California after making that trip?”
Jenny said, “Yes, heard stories of camels crossing desert, before I saw one.”
Bryan said, “You did? Tell me about it.”
Jenny said, “Comanche and other tribes talk about strange new animal that men ride through territory. Horses did not like the smell of them and they decided to watch and figure out what new beast Rangers have along with strange dressed men who guide them.
Bryan said, “Yes, I heard there was a group that went down to the Rio Grande on camels and ran into some Indians and proved the camels very well suited to the rough terrain compared to horses and mules. They could run faster and longer than the Indian ponies.”
Jenny nodded, “I see. So we not use wagon once get to Rio Grand?”
Bryan said, “I wouldn’t say not use, but that’s where we could use some camels too. We could leave the wagon at the fort while we go through Mexico. I figure my ribs and your wounds should be much better by then. I can show you how to ride. We can sleep out under the stars at night if it’s warm, or put up a tent in the cooler mountains in Arizona.”
Jenny asked pensively, “If we don’t stop before at that perfect place to raise a million children then we trade wokwave for next part of trip and look for bobble that looks like one in pouch. We keep food, get army tent at fort in El Paso if blue coats not already there and take camels, sextant, and father’s treasure map west on same road as this other army?”
Bryan swallowed, “What map?”
Jenny opened her pouch and pulled out the black pearl Dallas had shown Bryan, “One black pearl from this ship you mention full of pearls. I guess he think we need to see one so we know what to pick up. Two pads of wokwave. That must be to poison blue coats if we see them before we find our own. One nice ruby. Not sure if that for me to look at or you to trade. One poor emerald broke and cracked. Pretty sure that one is for me since not worth anything, but still pretty green. One silver dollar coin. Maybe that to make them think we not Rebels? It has old country name on it. Father’s old Conquistador map with letter X on spot.” Jenny added, “Then there is bag that did not make it into Major’s pack that you wave off when I ask about it.”
Bryan stopped the wagon, “Show me.”
Jenny pulled out the small leather pouch and loosened the leather that held it closed, “It was under bench. Remember I held this up and you were shaking head no.”
Like a man who had lost his way, Bryan wasn’t admitting he didn’t remember her showing him the pouch. He was sure she had, but he had been shaking off Dallas not paying attention to what she was doing. Bryan fingered the stones and a smile crept up on his lips, “Or, we could just find some place where I could practice medicine, you could keep my home and we could grow old together.”
Jenny wrapped her hand around Bryan’s waist, “I think we get old together. I can keep mouth shut and wear scarf until hair grows or forever if need be Bryan. Do we have to take Priest?”
Bryan chuckled, “Maybe, maybe not. I need to think about what is best not just for us.” Bryan was quiet for a while. Jenny let him mull over what to do as long as he wanted keeping her mouth shut. Finally Bryan said, “Well much of the West is desert. We might find some of that Aloe Vera cactus you keep bragging about, but not a lot of shade. You’d need a better hat, one with a wide brim to keep the sun off your face and neck.”
Jenny nodded, “Yes, not much to eat or shade, but many cactus. Some make jelly from cactus too. Tribes on Colorado like to trade, but they get mad if you leave before they have all they want from you. Priest found out that hard way. Rangers did not like being chased through those places. Easy to get lost. Many in Priest’s group die. Too proud to let camel find water for them or eat their poop. But maybe they should not have eaten so much of what they went to trade. I think they a little crazy when Mojave find them and then not enough wokwave left to trade. MacLeod offer the Knife to them then I had to spit on War Chief’s wife and we fight to prove if I better than his. Big cat fight, but soon everyone knocking heads. Good thing McCloud good head knocker.”
Bryan looked a little shocked as she related what she remembered of that trip. He asked quickly, “So you could find enough wokwave to trade for food and supplies?”
Jenny said, “Yes, that not hard. There is much at fort in tunnel below camel stalls to outside. They could use that now or we could take with us.” Bryan turned the wagon around and started heading back to Camp Verde. Jenny asked, “We forget something?”
Bryan asked, “Yes, forgot something important. It won’t take that long. So, how about snow. Have you ever seen snow Jenny?”
Jenny said, “What is that?”
Bryan said, “The air gets so cold the water turns into white flakes. Everything turns white and it slick like ice.”
Jenny asked, “
What’s ice?”
Bryan replied, “Frozen water. The water turns solid and it’s slick. Easy to fall on.”
Jenny frowned, “Like mossy rocks slick?”
Bryan nodded, “That’s close, but worse.”
Jenny said, “So Gage see snow when he fight in Judsonia?”
Bryan said, “Cotton Plant, he fought at Cotton Plant.”
Jenny asked, “He fought cotton? The white balls that make clothes?”
Bryan replied, “No, the place was called Cotton Plant.”
Jenny asked, “So there was much cotton where he fought?”
Bryan answered, “Well, more like a swamp, but my father’s farm had cotton and some of the plantations had cotton close to the swamp, and of course we have lots of cotton here in Texas that gets sent South to Mexico to be shipped.”
Jenny said, “This very confusing. Seems like they should have called the place Swamp if there were no cotton plants in Cotton Plant. And was there frozen water in the swamp so horses break legs and people slip and slide? Maybe they should send some of that to desert to cool it off.”
Bryan chuckled, “It would melt before it got there. They’re a long way apart, but no it was hot in the swamp too.”
Jenny looked at Bryan, “I am confused. It is all a mystery to me. I do not understand where frozen water is.”
Bryan gave her a squeeze, “We’ll work on it. It will get better Jenny.”
Jenny muttered, “What will you have to say to me if it ever does. It is all it will get better Jenny.”
Bryan said, “That is where the sextant comes in. You can use it to find your place when you’re lost.”
Jenny replied, “Never had that problem. Just look down and there are my feet.”
Bryan grinned, “No, when I say find your place, I’m talking about where on a map you’re located.”
Jenny said, “Like map in pouch? You can find where we are on it from this sextant? How long you think it take to get out of Texas?”
Bryan replied, “About two weeks if we’re lucky.”
Jenny asked, “Snow, desert, and two weeks to get out of Texas would put us where on your map?”
Bryan almost answered and stopped, “Hum, you should say that like What place has snow, is surrounded by desert, and in a direction that would take at least two weeks to leave Texas. Try that Jenny.”
Jenny frowned, “Too long to remember.”
Bryan said, “It is too long to remember Bryan. Can you say that in shorter sentences?”
Jenny turned to Bryan, “So you not know where that is or you tell me. I fool you. I know what snow is, but never see it up close. Only from distance. This is not right time of year. Maybe we see snow on way back or you take me north. I hear they have white frozen flakes in Kentucky. Or maybe big lake called Tahoe east of your California. It in mountains that have white tops. Is white tops same as snow?”
Bryan’s eyes glimmered, “You lied to me?”
Jenny said, “Just small white lie. Have to practice if we fool blue coats. Do not want them to know when I lie or not like Major’s wife or we are in much trouble.”
Bryan swallowed, “You noticed that did you? Well, how about I tell you another story. This one is about Helen of Troy. She was so beautiful she launched a thousand ships.”
Jenny looked amazed, “How she do that? We could not launch even one!”
Bryan grinned like a Cheshire cat, “Would that have been filled with pearls?”
Jenny’s mouth gaped open, “Hum, why you want to see that? It rise, it sink. It rise again, and sink again. Even camels not drink water around that ship.”
Bryan said, “Salt water. Not fresh. So how about we mosey by on our way to the ocean?”
Jenny said, “What mean mosey?”
Bryan said, “Check it out casually. No gut busting rush or foolish risks to get there, but someone saw it rise again and was trying to bribe one of the camel drivers to steal Daisy and take him.”
Jenny looked at the black pearl in her pouch and Bryan, “Daisy? That not good for her. We buy her Bryan. Not let him have her.”
Bryan said, “And what would we be buying her with Jenny. That camel costs a lot of money.”
Jenny pulled out the black pearl, “How about this? They want more so maybe it worth Daisy?”
Bryan looked and tried to hide his grin, “Ah hum. She’s worth more.”
Jenny pulled out the other pouch, “One of these?” She held up a nice ruby.
Bryan asked, “And when they ask how we got that, exactly what do you think MacLeod will say? He’ll hang us both.”
Jenny asked, “Should we bury these so he can’t see them? No one know we have these Bryan, but if he comes, we both hang like he watch Indian boys hang for white men’s murder by soldiers? I never forget his eyes and voice. He hunted boys down when ranchers complain their money stolen and men murdered.”
Bryan swallowed, “When?”
Jenny said, “Many months ago. Soldiers hang men and blame Indian boys. Itsee try to tell Friar they were innocent, but no one help.”
Bryan took a deep breath, “Well first things first, you show me the place at the fort alright? I think they might need to gather up that wokwave before someone else finds it in their water. Plus, that tunnel could be used to sneak prisoners out or Indians back in.”
Jenny said, “Don’t know why you say that. Sons not sneak in, they walk in. I not craw out that hole, they hide me in wagon.”
Bryan asked, “And the wokwave. I suppose they didn’t use that on us.”
Jenny said, “Not from there. They have their own from Red Cedar.”
Bryan asked, “So, how exactly did you learn about this tunnel if the boys didn’t use it or tell you what was in that jar?”
Jenny looked at Bryan accusingly, “You try to blame me and sons for doing what?” Jenny shut up. She wasn’t saying another word.
Bryan looked frustrated, “I just want to understand how you learned about it before they say Sparrow Hawk dug it out and go after him and the boys Jenny!”
Jenny said, “I dug it with my bare hands. They can blame me if they want to hang someone. But you will have to find it first. I will not tell you now. Never again I talk to you Bryan. YOU HAVE MADE THIS THE WORST DAY OF FOREVER!” Jenny looked at Bryan like he was the Major’s Knife. Yes, second husband was his Knife and he had trapped her into a hanging offense. Now it made sense why Major push them together and why he wanted her to talk. She was a bigger fool then when she defended Bo from Gage and then Bo told her in no uncertain terms that he would kill her if she tried to hurt his friend. She was nothing more than an old foolish woman. No wonder Sparrow Hawk wanted nothing more to do with her. Well, he wouldn’t have to worry much longer. MacLeod would be there waiting with his horse hair rope and his book that said her God was a man.
There up ahead was the entrance to Camp Verde. Bryan cursed three ways to Sunday as he slapped the reigns of his team.
The Price of Lies
Dallas returned from meeting with Bryan and Jenny and turned over the gems to the quartermaster to be sent to Richmond. He looked toward his home. This wasn’t going to be as easy as he made it out to Bryan. There was a part of him that wished he had taken Jenny up on her offer to go with Lacy to Delight. For all that he disliked about Bryan, he was good with the children and Lacy. He had told her to pack before he left. Now he just needed to get them on the stage and headed north.
Lacy had the children and her bags packed standing on the porch. She was in a dark gray and green calico dress looking out over the yard wondering if she would ever see it again. There was Dallas. He had that look. The one that said he was about to lie through his teeth rather than tell her the truth. He didn’t have a lot of time to explain why he wanted them packed before he left, he just said to pack all their clothes separately, what she needed to feed Brianna, and be ready before he got back.
Dallas walked up on the steps and looked over the bags checking to make sure she had everything
like he asked. JC’s clothes in one bag, Brianna’s in another, and hers and his in separate bags. Personal objects were packed and the rest were left in place.
Lacy had an uneasy feeling the MacLeod was indeed of higher rank and the guard was being changed out. That was it, he had been transferred or demoted to some God awful place like the swamps south of New Orleans or sent to defend Vicksburg with her Father and brother. All the sudden Searcy didn’t look so bad. At least she’d have family to help with the children. Lacy felt like Mrs. Crockett the night she left to join her husband Colonel Robert Crockett in Tennessee, but in her case she was leaving for parts unknown. Hopefully Dallas wouldn’t be far behind her. Lacy asked, “You’re going to tell me where we’re going aren’t you?”
Dallas looked her in the eyes, “Yes. But just wanted to make sure everything is here first. There isn’t much time Lacy. The stage will be here shortly.”
Lacy said, “Stage. Well, I guess that explains why none of the furniture is going.”
Dallas replied, “It’s better. You’ll be there quicker.”
Lacy looked at him, “You’re sending me away with two small children. Couldn’t you come and help get us settled? Where are we going Dallas?”
Dallas saw the Southern Stage approaching, “Delight. You’re going to Delight.”
Lacy said, “We’re going with Bryan and Jenny?”
Dallas said, “No, they gave him new orders. You can stay in the hunting cabin. Your Dad’s going to meet you Lacy. He’s been transferred temporarily to Delight. I thought, well I thought you should see him and Tommy while they’re this close. He should see his granddaughter don’t you think?”
Lacy hugged Dallas, “Oh Dallas. I thought, well I thought wrong. You’re joining them in Delight? They’re going to fund the lumber mill like we talked about aren’t they?”
Dallas pulled her back, “Not exactly. Bo and Victoria are back and she wants to take JC to visit Anna Maria.”
Lacy felt like a cold bucket of water had been thrown in her face, “What? You’re taking him with Victoria without me? You’re taking my son and leaving?”
Camp Camel: The Heart of Texas Page 51