Chapter VII. San Jacinto Day

by Andy Adams

　　A few days later, when Uncle Lance returned from San Antonio, we had aconfidential talk, and he decided not to send me with the McLeod checkto the San Miguel. He had reasons of his own, and I was dispatched tothe Frio instead, while to Enrique fell the pleasant task of a similarerrand to Santa Maria. In order to grind an axe, Glenn Gallup was sentdown to Wilson's with the settlement for the Ramirena cattle, whichUncle Lance made the occasion of a jovial expression of his theory oflove-making. "Don't waste any words with old man Nate," said he, as hehanded Glenn the check; "but build right up to Miss Jule. Holy snakes,boy, if I was your age I would make her dizzy with a big talk. Tellher you're thinking of quitting Las Palomas and driving a trail herdyourself next year. Tell it big and scary. Make her eyes fairly bulgeout, and when you can't think of anything else, tell her she's pretty."I spent a day or two at the Booth ranch, and on my return found the LasPalomas outfit in the saddle working our horse stock. Yearly we made upnew manadas from the two-year-old fillies. There were enough youngmares to form twelve bands of about twenty-five head each. In selectingthese we were governed by standard colors, bays, browns, grays, blacks,and sorrels forming separate manadas, while all mongrel colors wentinto two bands by themselves. In the latter class there was a tendencyfor the colors of the old Spanish stock,--coyotes, and other hybridmixtures,--after being dormant for generations, to crop out again. Inbreaking these fillies into new bands, we added a stallion a year ortwo older and of acceptable color, and they were placed in charge of atrusty vaquero, whose duty was to herd them for the first month afterbeing formed. The Mexican in charge usually took the band round thecircuit of the various ranchitas, corralling his charge at night,drifting at will, so that by the end of the month old associations wouldbe severed, and from that time the stallion could be depended on asherdsman.In gathering the fillies, we also cut out all the geldings three yearsold and upward to break for saddle purposes. There were fully twohundred of these, and the month of April was spent in saddle-breakingthis number. They were a fine lot of young horses, and under the mastereye of two perfect horsemen, our segundo and employer, every horse wasbroken with intelligence and humanity. Since the day of their brandingas colts these geldings had never felt the touch of a human hand; and itrequired more than ordinary patience to overcome their fear, bring themto a condition of submission, and make serviceable ranch horses out ofthem. The most difficult matter was in overcoming their fear. It wasalso necessary to show the mastery of man over the animal, though thisprocess was tempered with humanity. We had several circular, sandycorrals into which the horse to be broken was admitted for the firstsaddling. As he ran round, a lasso skillfully thrown encircled his frontfeet and he came down on his side. One fore foot was strapped up, ahackamore or bitless bridle was adjusted in place, and he was allowedto arise. After this, all depended on the patience and firmness of thehandler. Some horses yielded to kind advances and accepted the saddlewithin half an hour, not even offering to pitch, while others repelledevery kindness and fought for hours. But in handling the gelding ofspirit, we could always count on the help of an extra saddler.While this work was being done, the herd of geldings was held close athand. After the first riding, four horses were the daily allowance ofeach rider. With the amount of help available, this allowed twelve tofifteen horses to the man, so that every animal was ridden once in threeor four days. Rather than corral, we night-herded, penning them by dawnand riding our first horse before sun-up. As they gradually yielded, weincreased our number to six a day and finally before the breakingwas over to eight. When the work was finally over they were cut intoremudas of fifty horses each, furnished a gentle bell mare, whenpossible with a young colt by her side, and were turned over to asimilar treatment as was given the fillies in forming manadas. Thusthe different remudas at Las Palomas always took the name of the bellmare, and when we were at work, it was only necessary for us to hobblethe princess at night to insure the presence of her band in the morning.When this month's work was two thirds over, we enjoyed a holiday. Allgood Texans, whether by birth or adoption, celebrate the twenty-first ofApril,--San Jacinto Day. National holidays may not always he observedin sparsely settled communities, but this event will remain a greatanniversary until the sons and daughters of the Lone Star State losetheir patriotism or forget the blessings of liberty. As Shepherd's Ferrywas centrally located, it became by common consent the meeting-point forour local celebration. Residents from the Frio and San Miguel and as farsouth on the home river as Lagarto, including the villagers of Oakville,usually lent their presence on this occasion. The white element of LasPalomas was present without an exception. As usual, Miss Jean went byambulance, starting the afternoon before and spending the night at aranch above the ferry. Those remaining made a daybreak start, reachingShepherd's by ten in the morning.While on the way from the ranch to the ferry, I was visited with somemisgivings as to whether Esther McLeod had yet returned from SanAntonio. At the delivery of San Miguel's cattle at Las Palomas, MissJean had been very attentive to Tony Hunter, Esther's brother-in-law,and through him she learned that Esther's school closed for the summervacation on the fifteenth of April, and that within a week afterward shewas expected at home. Shortly after our reaching the ferry, a numberof vehicles drove in from Oakville. One of these conveyances was anelaborate six-horse stage, owned by Bethel & Oxenford, star route mailcontractors between San Antonio and Brownsville, Texas. Seated by youngOxenford's side in the driver's box sat Esther McLeod, while inside thecoach was her sister, Mrs. Martin, with the senior member of the firm,his wife, and several other invited guests. I had heard something of thegallantry of young Jack Oxenford, who was the nephew of a carpet-bagmember of Congress, and prided himself on being the best whip in thecountry. In the latter field I would gladly have yielded him all honors,but his attentions to Esther were altogether too marked to please eitherme or my employer. I am free to admit that I was troubled by this turnof affairs. The junior mail contractor made up in egotism what he lackedin appearance, and no doubt had money to burn, as star route mailcontracting was profitable those days, while I had nothing but mymonthly wages. To make matters more embarrassing, a blind man could haveread Mrs. Martin's approval of young Oxenford.The programme for the forenoon was brief--a few patriotic songs and anoration by a young lawyer who had come up from Corpus Christi for theoccasion. After listening to the opening song, my employer and I tooka stroll down by the river, as we were too absorbed in the newcomplications to pay proper attention to the young orator."Tom," said Uncle Lance, as we strolled away from the grove, "we are upagainst the real thing now. I know young Oxenford, and he's a dangerousfellow to have for a rival, if he really is one. You can't tell muchabout a Yankee, though, for he's usually egotistical enough to thinkthat every girl in the country is breaking her neck to win him. Theworst of it is, this young fellow is rich--he's got dead oodles of moneyand he's making more every hour out of his mail contracts. One goodthing is, we understand the situation, and all's fair in love and war.You can see, though, that Mrs. Martin has dealt herself a hand in thegame. By the dough on her fingers she proposes to have a fist in thepie. Well, now, son, we'll give them a run for their money or break atug in the effort. Tom, just you play to my lead to-day and we'll seewho holds the high cards or knows best how to play them. If I can cuthim off, that'll be your chance to sail in and do a little close-herdingyourself."We loitered along the river bank until the oration was concluded, myemployer giving me quite an interesting account of my rival. It seemsthat young Oxenford belonged to a family then notoriously prominentin politics. He had inherited quite a sum of money, and, through theinfluence of his congressional uncle, had been fortunate enough toform a partnership with Bethel, a man who knew all the ropes in mailcontracting. The senior member of the firm knew how to shake the tree,while the financial resources of the junior member and the politicalinfluence of his uncle made him a valuable man in gathering the plums ontheir large field of star route contracts. Had not exposure interrupted,they were due to have made a large fortune out of the government.On our return to the picnic grounds, the assembly was dispersing forluncheon. Miss Jean had ably provided for the occasion, and on reachingour ambulance on the outer edge of the grove, Tiburcio had coffee allready and the boys from the home ranch began to straggle in for dinner.Miss Jean had prevailed on Tony Hunter and his wife, who had come downon horseback from the San Miguel, to take luncheon with us, and from thehearty greetings which Uncle Lance extended to the guests of hissister, I could see that the owner and mistress of Las Palomas werediplomatically dividing the house of McLeod. I followed suit, makingmyself agreeable to Mrs. Hunter, who was but very few years the elder ofEsther. Having spent a couple of nights at their ranch, and feeling acertain comradeship with her husband, I decided before dinner wasover that I had a friend and ally in Tony's wife. There was somethingromantic about the young matron, as any one could see, and since thesisters favored each other in many ways, I had hopes that Esther mightnot overvalue Jack Oxenford's money.After luncheon, as we were on our way to the dancing arbor, we met theOakville party with Esther in tow. I was introduced to Mrs. Martin, who,in turn, made me acquainted with her friends, including her sister,perfectly unconscious that we were already more than mere acquaintances.From the demure manner of Esther, who accepted the introduction as amatter of course, I surmised she was concealing our acquaintance fromher sister and my rival. We had hardly reached the arbor before UncleLance created a diversion and interested the mail contractors with aglowing yarn about a fine lot of young mules he had at the ranch, largeenough for stage purposes. There was some doubt expressed by the stagemen as to their size and weight, when my employer invited them tothe outskirts of the grove, where he would show them a sample in ourambulance team. So he led them away, and I saw that the time had come toplay to my employer's lead. The music striking up, I claimed Esther forthe first dance, leaving Mrs. Martin, for the time being, in charge ofher sister and Miss Jean. Before the first waltz ended I caught sightof all three of the ladies mingling in the dance. It was a source of nosmall satisfaction to me to see my two best friends, Deweese and Gallup,dancing with the married sisters, while Miss Jean was giving her wholeattention to her partner, Tony Hunter. With the entire Las Palomas crowdpulling strings in my interest, and Father, in the absence of Oxenford,becoming extremely gracious, I grew bold and threw out my chest like thebrisket on a beef steer.I permitted no one to separate me from Esther. We started the seconddance together, but no sooner did I see her sister, Mrs. Martin, whirlby us in the polka with Dan Happersett, than I suggested that we dropout and take a stroll. She consented, and we were soon out of sight,wandering in a labyrinth of lover's lanes which abounded throughout thislive-oak grove. On reaching the outskirts of the picnic grounds, we cameto an extensive opening in which our saddle horses were picketed. Ata glance Esther recognized Wolf, the horse I had ridden the Christmasbefore when passing their ranch. Being a favorite saddle horse of theold ranchero, he was reserved for special occasions, and Uncle Lance hadridden him down to Shepherd's on this holiday. Like a bird freed from acage, the ranch girl took to the horses and insisted on a little ride.Since her proposal alone prevented my making a similar suggestion,I allowed myself to be won over, but came near getting caught inprotesting. "But you told me at the ranch that Wolf was one of ten inyour Las Palomas mount," she poutingly protested."He is," I insisted, "but I have loaned him to Uncle Lance for the day.""Throw the saddle on him then--I'll tell Mr. Lovelace when we returnthat I borrowed his horse when he wasn't looking."Had she killed the horse, I felt sure that the apology would have beenaccepted; so, throwing saddles on the black and my own mount, we weresoon scampering down the river. The inconvenience of a man's saddle, orthe total absence of any, was a negligible incident to this daughter ofthe plains. A mile down the river, we halted and watered the horses.Then, crossing the stream, we spent about an hour circling slowly abouton the surrounding uplands, never being over a mile from the picnicgrounds. It was late for the first flora of the season, but there wasstill an abundance of blue bonnets. Dismounting, we gathered andwove wreaths for our horses' necks, and wandered picking the Mexicanstrawberries which grew plentifully on every hand.But this was all preliminary to the main question. When it came up fordiscussion, this one of Quirk's boys made the talk of his life in behalfof Thomas Moore. Nor was it in vain. When Esther apologized for therudeness her mother had shown me at her home, that afforded me theopening for which I was longing. We were sitting on a grassy hummock,weaving garlands, when I replied to the apology by declaring myintention of marrying her, with or without her mother's consent.Unconventional as the declaration was, to my surprise she showed neitheroffense nor wonderment. Dropping the flowers with which we were working,she avoided my gaze, and, turning slightly from me, began watching ourhorses, which had strayed away some distance. But I gave her littletime for meditation, and when I aroused her from her reverie, she rose,saying, "We'd better go back--they'll miss us if we stay too long."Before complying with her wish, I urged an answer; but she, artfullyavoiding my question, insisted on our immediate return. Being in aquandary as to what to say or do, I went after the horses, which was asimple proposition. On my return, while we were adjusting the garlandsabout the necks of our mounts, I again urged her for an answer, but invain. We stood for a moment between the two horses, and as I lowered myhand on my knee to afford her a stepping-stone in mounting, I thoughtshe did not offer to mount with the same alacrity as she had donebefore. Something flashed through my addled mind, and, withdrawing thehand proffered as a mounting block, I clasped the demure maiden closelyin my arms. What transpired has no witnesses save two saddle horses,and as Wolf usually kept an eye on his rider in mounting, I dropped thereins and gave him his freedom rather than endure his scrutiny. When wewere finally aroused from this delicious trance, the horses had strayedaway fully fifty yards, but I had received a favorable answer, breathedin a voice so low and tender that it haunts me yet.As we rode along, returning to the grove, Esther requested that ourbetrothal be kept a profound secret. No doubt she had good reasons, andit was quite possible that there then existed some complications whichshe wished to conceal, though I avoided all mention of any possiblerival. Since she was not due to return to her school before September,there seemed ample time to carry out our intentions of marrying. But aswe jogged along, she informed me that after spending a few weeks withher sister in Oakville, it was her intention to return to the San Miguelfor the summer. To allay her mother's distrust, it would be better forme not to call at the ranch. But this was easily compensated for whenshe suggested making several visits during the season with the Vauxgirls, chums of hers, who lived on the Frio about thirty miles due northof Las Palomas. This was fortunate, since the Vaux ranch and ours wereon the most friendly terms.We returned by the route by which we had left the grounds. I repicketedthe horses and we were soon mingling again with the revelers, havingbeen absent little over an hour. No one seemed to have taken any noticeof our absence. Mrs. Martin, I rejoiced to see, was still in tow of hersister and Miss Jean, and from the circle of Las Palomas courtiers whosurrounded the ladies, I felt sure they had given her no opportunityeven to miss her younger sister. Uncle Lance was the only member of ourcompany absent, but I gave myself no uneasiness about him, since themail contractors were both likewise missing. Rejoining our friends andassuming a nonchalant air, I flattered myself that my disguise wasperfect.During the remainder of the afternoon, in view of the possibility thatEsther might take her sister, Mrs. Martin, into our secret and win heras an ally, I cultivated that lady's acquaintance, dancing with her andleaving nothing undone to foster her friendship. Near the middle of theafternoon, as the three sisters, Miss Jean, and I were indulging inlight refreshment at a booth some distance from the dancing arbor, Isighted my employer, Dan Happersett, and the two stage men returningfrom the store. They passed near, not observing us, and from the defianttones of Uncle Lance's voice, I knew they had been tampering with the'private stock' of the merchant at Shepherd's. "Why, gentlemen," saidhe, "that ambulance team is no exception to the quality of mules I'mraising at Las Palomas. Drive up some time and spend a few days and takea look at the stock we're breeding. If you will, and I don't show youfifty mules fourteen and a half hands or better, I'll round up fivehundred head and let you pick fifty as a pelon for your time andtrouble. Why, gentlemen, Las Palomas has sold mules to the government."On the return of our party to the arbor, Happersett claimed a dance withEsther, thus freeing me. Uncle Lance was standing some little distanceaway, still entertaining the mail contractors, and I edged near enoughto notice Oxenford's florid face and leery eye. But on my employer'scatching sight of me, he excused himself to the stage men, and taking myarm led me off. Together we promenaded out of sight of the crowd. "Howdo you like my style of a man herder?" inquired the old matchmaker, oncewe were out of hearing. "Why, Tom, I'd have held those mail thievesuntil dark, if Dan hadn't drifted in and given me the wink. Shepherdkicked like a bay steer on letting me have a second quart bottle, but ittook that to put the right glaze in the young Yank's eye. Oh, I had himgoing south all right! But tell me, how did you and Esther make it?"We had reached a secluded spot, and, seating ourselves on an old fallentree trunk, I told of my success, even to the using of his horse. Neverbefore or since did I see Uncle Lance give way to such a fit of hilarityas he indulged in over the perfect working out of our plans. With hishat he whipped me, the ground, the log on which we sat, while his pealsof laughter rang out like the reports of a rifle. In his fit of ecstasy,tears of joy streaming from his eyes, he kept repeating again and again,"Oh, sister, run quick and tell pa to come!"As we neared the grounds returning, he stopped me and we had a furtherbrief confidential talk together. I was young and egotistical enough tothink that I could defy all the rivals in existence, but he cautionedme, saying: "Hold on, Tom. You're young yet; you know nothing about theweaker sex, absolutely nothing. It's not your fault, but due to yourmere raw youth. Now, listen to me, son: Don't underestimate any rival,particularly if he has gall and money, most of all, money. Humanity isthe same the world over, and while you may not have seen it here amongthe ranches, it is natural for a woman to rave over a man with money,even if he is only a pimply excuse for a creature. Still, I don't seethat we have very much to fear. We can cut old lady McLeod out of thematter entirely. But then there's the girl's sister, Mrs. Martin, andI look for her to cut up shameful when she smells the rat, which she'ssure to do. And then there's her husband to figure on. If the ox knowshis master's crib, it's only reasonable to suppose that Jack Martinknows where his bread and butter comes from. These stage men will stickup for each other like thieves. Now, don't you be too crack sure. Bejust a trifle leary of every one, except, of course, the Las Palomasoutfit."I admit that I did not see clearly the reasoning behind much of thislecture, but I knew better than reject the advice of the old matchmakerwith his sixty odd years of experience. I was still meditating over hisremarks when we rejoined the crowd and were soon separated among thedancers. Several urged me to play the violin; but I was too busy lookingafter my own fences, and declined the invitation. Casting about for theVaux girls, I found the eldest, with whom I had a slight acquaintance,being monopolized by Theodore Quayle and John Cotton, friendly rivalsand favorites of the young lady. On my imploring the favor of a dance,she excused herself, and joined me on a promenade about the grounds,missing one dance entirely. In arranging matters with her to send meword on the arrival of Esther at their ranch, I attempted to make hershow some preference between my two comrades, under the pretense ofknowing which one to bring along, but she only smiled and maintained anadmirable neutrality.After a dance I returned the elder Miss Vaux to the tender care ofJohn Cotton, and caught sight of my employer leaving the arbor for therefreshment booth with a party of women, including Mrs. Martin andEsther McLeod, to whom he was paying the most devoted attention.Witnessing the tireless energy of the old matchmaker, and in a quarterwhere he had little hope of an ally, brought me to thinking that theremight be good cause for alarm in his warnings not to be overconfident.Miss Jean, whom I had not seen since luncheon, aroused me from myreverie, and on her wishing to know my motive for cultivating theacquaintance of Miss Vaux and neglecting my own sweetheart, I told herthe simple truth. "Good idea, Tom," she assented. "I think I'll just askMiss Frances home with me to spend Sunday. Then you can take her acrossto the Frio on horseback, so as not to offend either John or Theodore.What do you think?"I thought it was a good idea, and said so. At least the taking of theyoung lady home would be a pleasanter task for me than breaking horses.But as I expressed myself so, I could not help thinking, seeing MissJean's zeal in the matter, that the matchmaking instinct was equallywell developed on both sides of the Lovelace family.The afternoon was drawing to a close. The festivities would concludeby early sundown. Miss Jean would spend the night again at the halfwayranch, returning to Las Palomas the next morning; we would start on ourreturn with the close of the amusements. Many who lived at a distancehad already started home. It lacked but a few minutes of the closinghour when I sought out Esther for the "Home, Sweet Home" waltz, findingher in company of Oxenford, chaperoned by Mrs. Martin, of which therewas need. My sweetheart excused herself with a poise that made my heartleap, and as we whirled away in the mazes of the final dance, rivals andall else passed into oblivion. Before we could realize the change in themusic, the orchestra had stopped, and struck into "My Country, 'tis ofThee," in which the voice of every patriotic Texan present swelled thechorus until it echoed throughout the grove, befittingly closing SanJacinto Day.