Antebellum BK 1 (4 page)

“
Don’t give that old Tory too much credit. He bought Sally because of her knowledge of herbal medicines and then he set her free after he’d patented many of her concoctions.”

“
And her descendants took your last name as their own.”

“
Yes. That is, I suppose so. I never thought about it.”

“
Is Abe an employee?”

“
No, no. Whatever he does here he does voluntarily.” She looked thoughtful. “Or perhaps he does get paid something. I’ll have to check on that. In any event, he doesn’t need the money. My great-grandfather deeded the house that Abe lives in, the farm and all the land on New York Bay to Sally and her family. Although it’s small, I think the farm produces a very good income for the three of them.”

“
That was a mighty generous gift of your great-grandfather. That land on the Bay is worth a fortune.”

Anna shrugged. “Our cemetery would be much larger and our family would be much smaller without Sally.”

The women reached the main house, climbed the steps and sat down in side-by-side rocking chairs on the front porch.

Nancy reached over and took Anna’s hand. “I’m sorry about your father. I’ll miss him.”

“
I will too,” Anna blinked away tears. “With Father dead and Mother staying in Mexico, who am I going to fight with?”

Nancy chuckled. “You always find someone to fight with, Anna. If you’d been born male you would have surely gone for a soldier.”

Anna looked toward the graveyard. “Nancy. Do you think we should ask Abe and Ginger to come with us?”

“
Where? To the Seneca Falls Convention?”

“
Yes. They might like to meet Frederick Douglass.”

“
I thought you weren’t going.”

Anna made a face. “If I go.”

Nancy shrugged. “Ask them and see what they say. And Ginger’s son Samuel too.”

“
Umm. Yes. I forget that he’s a grown man.”

“
You
are
aware that men won’t be invited during the first day, aren’t you?”

“
What do you mean?”

“
Just what I said. No men during the first session on the first day.”

“
That’s stupid.” Anna shook her head.

“
Stupid or not, that’s the way it is.”

“
In that case, I’m not going.”

“
Well I am,” Nancy huffed. “And I’ll ask Abe, Ginger and Samuel if they want to go with me.”

June 3, 1848

Camp Crawford, Laredo, Texas

T
exas Ranger Captain Josiah Whipple walked in to his commanding officer’s office and waved a handwritten page at him. “This ain’t a legal order, Major, and I damn sure ain’t gonna obey it.”

“
We can’t just let the entire population of Laredo move across the river to start a new town in Mexico, Captain,” the Major replied.

“
It ain’t the whole population; it’s seventeen families. And we got no legal right to stop ‘em from movin’ wherever they wants to go. We just fought a war to guarantee freedom to these folks. Now yer askin’ me to take it away.”

“
When approved, the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo will cede Laredo to the United States.”

“
And in a local referendum, the citizens of Laredo voted ten to one in favor of returnin’ it to Mexico.”

“
Their petition was denied,” the Major shouted.

“
Yup, and they know that too. That’s how-come they’re movin’ across the river.”

“
They had better not try it.”

“
They’re halfway across already, haulin’ all their worldly possessions. They’s even takin’ the bones of their ancestors from the graveyard so as they can rest in Mexico.”

“
Then get out there and stop them.”

“
Guess you wasn’t listenin’ when I said we ain’t got a legal right to do that.”

“
You’ll either stop them from crossing the river, or I’ll have your badge.”

“
You got it.” Whipple tossed the orders on the Major’s desk then added his badge and credentials. “This here pistol’s mine. Walker his-self give it to me.”

The Major’s confidence was ebbing. “Without that badge you have no legal means of bringing Lucky Billy Van to justice for murdering your partner.”

“
Well now, that there’s a horse of a different color, Major. For the killin’ of Charlie Lagrange, I want revenge. I ain’t interested in no justice.”

“
Kill Billy Van and you’ll be an outlaw too.”

“
Billy Van’s in Mexico. I’ll do my best to kill the bastard over there, but if I miss and he comes back to U.S. territory, I’ll get me a Federal Marshal’s badge and kill him here.” He started for the door.

“
Now you hold it right there.” The Major unsnapped the cover on his holster but before he could draw his pistol, he was looking into bore of Whipple’s Walker Colt.

“
Make up yer mind, Major. Live or die.”

The Major put his hands on his desk.

“
Good decision.” Whipple stalked out, holstered his pistol, slammed the door, mounted his horse and turned south toward Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, in pursuit of William Van Buskirk. Neither the Major nor any Texas Rangers tried to impede him or the citizens of Laredo in exodus.

June 6, 1848

Two Alone Ranch, Texas

M
arina Van Buskirk was riding on the front seat of a wagon beside her son, Thomas. Behind them, a train of animals, mounted men and horse-drawn conveyances stretched across the plain to the horizon, raising a towering cloud of dust. “That looks like a town over there by Comanche Peak.” Marina pointed ahead.

“
It is,” Thomas replied. “Buildings and tents have been springing up around the trading post like weeds around a waterhole.”

“
Isn’t that your land?”

Thomas shrugged. “It was. The State of Texas says that all this is Comanche land now.”

“
What? You have a grant from Stephen Austin, don’t you?”

“
Yes. But the State says it’s not legal.”

“
So what are you going to do?”

“
Wait and see what happens.”

“
That’s awful. After all the blood, sweat and tears you’ve put into this place.”

“
It’s not as bad as it sounds. No matter what the State decides about the land, they have to pay us market value for the improvements, and we still have our cattle.”

“
Where will you go if they take the land?”

“
Josiah Whipple sold me six hundred and forty acres by the old Waco Indian camp.”

“
Is that enough land for your herds?”

“
No, but Josiah’s land straddles the only decent ford across the Brazos and there are two free-flowing artesian wells, so it’s a perfect place for a town.”

“
So you’ll sell your cattle to become a businessman?”

He smiled. “I came to Texas to be a surveyor. The cattle business just happened.”

“
When will you know?”

“
About this land? Jesse Chisholm’s been hired to bring all the tribes together for a council at Comanche Peak next May. That won’t be the last of it, but we should know for sure what the State’s position is gonna be after that.”

“
Who is Jesse Chisholm?”

“
A friend of Sam Houston’s. He owns a string of trading posts between San Antonio and the Missouri River.”

“
Ah.” She nodded. “Now I remember. Another of Sam’s wild-eyed schemes. The mythical Chisholm Trail.”

“
It may not be a myth for much longer,” Tom said. “The price of cattle in St. Louis is three times the price in Texas. Now, with the war over, the price here is gonna drop like a rock and every rancher in Texas will be headed for Missouri to sell their beeves.”

“
My advice is not to invest any money in Sam’s Chisholm Trail.”

“
Yes, Mother.” He grinned.

Marina made a face. “Does your wife know about your father?”

Thomas turned to look at her. “Yes. I told you that I sent a message to Jane from Mexico City. She knows you’re coming, and I’ll bet she even remembers your name.”

“
Don’t start in on me again, Thomas. I’m not going senile. I just have trouble with names sometimes.”

“
What if you’re wrong? What if your memory’s really failing and you don’t realize it? What’ll happen to you if you’re all alone in Mexico and you suddenly forget who you are and where you’re from?”

“
I’ll have my name and a map to your ranch tattooed across my chest. How’s that?”

“
I’m serious, Mother.”

“
So am I, Thomas. I’m a grown woman and if I decide to jump off a cliff it’s nobody’s business but my own.”

He shook his head, then stood up and shaded his eyes. “I can see the stockade. Almost home. Thank God.” He whooped.

~

The Two Alone Ranch headquarters was a twenty-six acre collection of houses, barns, corrals, a church, a school and numerous tents surrounded by a ten-foot tall, octagon shaped stockade. Towers at each point and at each inset of the stockade fence could provide cover fire along the nearly ten mile length of wall. Unlike a rectangular fort, there were no dead-spots. Over the years, the stockade had proven to be impervious to numerous attacks from Comanches, Kiowa and Lipan Apaches.

In the living room of the main ranch house, Jane Van Buskirk paced nervously. “She’s never said an unkind word to me, but there’s no warmth in the woman. She’s cold as ice.”

Jane’s father, Paul Van Winkler, lowered the book he was reading to look at her. “Marina’s had a difficult life.”

“
I know, I know. But when Tom and I got married, I thought... Never mind.”

“
You thought you’d regain a mother,” Paul finished for her.

“
No.” Jane glared at him for a moment, then dropped her eyes. “Yes. Maybe I hoped… I don’t know.”

Paul put his book aside, got up and walked to look out of the big window toward the distant silhouette of Comanche Peak. “I know how lonely it is for you since Anna left you here with only prostitutes and saloon girls for female company. With a little effort on your part, maybe Jack’s new wife could become a friend to replace Anna.”

“
Clementine is just another whore,” Jane shot back. “I cannot believe that my straight-laced brother would marry a woman like that.”

“
You’re not being fair, Jane. Clementine came to Texas when she a child and went to work as a saloon girl to survive,” Paul replied.

“
There are other jobs for girls.”

“
You shouldn’t be so judgmental. This is a hard land. You’ve had it easy, compared to what she went through.”

“
I know,” Jane protested. “I’m no snob, Dad. It’s just… I don’t know. So different, I suppose.”

“
You mean that it’s not New York.” He turned to face her. “If the State of Texas annexes this ranch it might be a better idea for you and Tom to go home rather than trying to start a new town.”

“
Tom already bought a section of land on the Brazos from Josiah – without consulting me,” she replied peevishly.

“
He failed to consult you only because he thought that he knew your feelings. You need to tell him. He can’t read your mind.”

She ran her hands through her hair. “Complaining to him just seems selfish. Everyone else loves it here.”

“
Anna didn’t. That’s why she went home when Charlie was killed.” He turned back toward the window. “Your sons don’t really love it here either, Jane.”

“
Of course they do.”

He shook his head. “How could they love it when they have nothing to compare it to?”

She considered his words for a few moments, then nodded. “I was thinking that I might make the trip with Pea when he starts West Point. Maybe I’ll take Johnny along. He’d be happy to see Quincy.”