Chapter One: A Comanche Moon The 23^rd Texas Cavalry bivouacked along El Camino Real, near the banks of the Red River outside Natchitoches. It was an old road, haunted by the ghosts of French and Spanish soldiers and traders who had long ago trod upon its wagon rutted clay. Many obedient soldiers or greed-driven adventurers had died along that road, from disease or from the arrows of savages. As the curtain of this Louisiana night fell, campfires and candle lanterns flickered, speckling the sloping ground like sad giant fireflies. cheap albion gold Gray plumes of smoke spiraled and swirled into the darkness. Those soldiers without duties were settling in for the night, attending to gear or cooking what food they had. These soldiers had fought every day since the Red River campaign had begun, and all were weary. Some had already collapsed in sleep. Micah and Elbert sat near their own small fire, their eyes fixed on the flames. Shaking himself from his reverie, Micah set a tin coffeepot on the fire, then untied and opened a small sack of coffee taken from the black-tarred haversack of a dead Yankee. With his Bowie knife, he split the end of a stick and slipped it over the lip of a tin plate. He poured the beans into the plate and roasted them, stirring them with a wooden spoon and shaking them back and forth. When the beans began to crackle and reached the dark color he liked, Micah poured the beans back into the sack and pounded them with the Bowie’s pommel. He dumped the grounds into the coffeepot’s boiling water and set it back on the coals. After the coffee boiled again, Micah set it aside to let the grounds settle. A few minutes later, he filled their tin cups, and they slowly and deliberately sipped the brew. After pouring a second cup, Elbert reached for a hunk of salt-cured bacon wrapped in cheesecloth, and they cut and speared hunks with Yankee bayonets and held the meat over the flames. Sergeant Adams, the quartermaster, had issued the Texans a canvas tent, but it lay on the ground where it had been dropped. There would be no rain, so Micah and Elbert would sleep that night as they had when they were Texas Rangers on patrol—their blankets spread on the ground under a naked sky, their heads resting on their saddles. Weapons, tacking and accoutrements of all sorts were stacked and piled about them, recent spoils of war cast aside by the Federal soldiers in another panicked retreat after the company of Texas cavalrymen had broken their battle line at Mansfield. The Federal commanders had clung to the established belief that lines of infantry could repel attacking cavalry.

The Yankee commanders learned they were wrong. One of the many harsh lessons of war tutored to the men on both sides in this campaign. In the most recent battle, after secessionist artillery had softened the Federals, the 23^rd attacked the Yankee flank head-on, but then Comanche style, suddenly wheeled to the side. Some cavalrymen clung to the side of their horse and aimed their firearms over the saddle as they had seen the savages do. The wild riders from Texas emptied their buckshot-laden double-barreled shotguns and the rain of lead tore great holes in the blue formation. Now, only a few feet away from the infantrymen, the riders hung the short empty shotguns on saddle horns and drew revolvers from saddle holsters. Spurring and quirting their mustangs, they whooped and roared like berserk Norsemen as they plunged their horses into the Federals and their pistols spewed death. When the saddle guns were empty, they drew the smaller caliber pistols they wore high on their waist. The Texan’s pistols were a collage of Colts—five-pound Patersons, Walkers, Dragoon and Navy models, pistols that the Rangers or their fathers had used to kill Comanches and Kiowas and Mexican bandits in former years. The Federal men who remained standing suddenly realized their vulnerability. Nike Jordan 11 Future Their line broke and they ran for their lives, sprinting into the woods behind them toward a creek as Rebel horses trod corpse, wounded and fleeing. Many Federals tossed their Springfield muskets into the creek so they could claw their way up the steep bank. Plunging into briar thickets, they cast aside their belts, cartridge boxes and canteens. Scratched and bleeding, the Yankees fled till they could no longer hear the demonic caterwauls of the hellhounds in pursuit. Two Louisiana soldiers herded another group of Yankee prisoners past Micah’s fire. The men in blue, wearied from battle or flight, trudged along slowly with downcast countenance. “Damn,” Elbert said. “We sure captured a passel of prisoners today. Wonder what they’ll do with them all?” “Send them to Camp Ford at Tyler to be with the others, I reckon,” Micah replied. Micah looked up at the full moon. During his three years with the Texas 23^rd he had watched the moon wax and wane, much like the Confederate armies he had fought with. It hung in the sky like a harbinger of death. He had listened to the Louisiana soldiers talk of the moon’s beauty, heard one quote a poem about it, but Micah hated the moon. The full moon was a reminder, a terror. In his mind, he saw his house in Jack County bathed in its blue light, Erin inside sewing or reading or cleaning. He saw his twins, Skye and Benjamin, playing together near the fireplace. Outside, this same Comanche moon would be illuminating the garden, the neglected fields, and the surrounding buttes. He tried not to imagine dark savage eyes in the darkness spying on his family. Micah said, “I know a tracker by the name of Chicolithe. He works at Camp Ford tracking down escaped prisoners. He said he saw a Comanche outside of Tyler once.” “I wondered how long you could go without talking about Comanches or Kiowas,” Elbert said. buy albion gold “You’re eaten up with worry, and you ain’t going to rest until I’m the same way.” He tossed his cup’s coffee grounds into the fire and it made an angry hissing noise. Micah saw Isaac, a cavalryman in the 2^nd Partisan Rangers, walking to them. “Micah, Elbert,” Isaac said. buy albion gold He sat at their fire. Chicago Bulls

“Coffee, Isaac?” Micah asked. “I’ll take a spot. Thank you kindly.” Micah filled his own cup and handed it to him. “I heard they’re thinking of making your unit dismounted cavalry.” “Much obliged for the coffee,” Isaac said. nike tn requin He sat down on a log. “They’s talk of sending our horses home, but that’s all it is so far. Listen. adidas zx 750 donna I brung some news. Comanches and Kiowas have been coming down the corridor something fierce. Burning, raping, stealing children, killing. Jacksboro’s become a ghost town. cheap albion gold None of the ranches can keep cattle. The Indians have been selling them to the Yankees in Indian territory or to the Comancheros.” “Any folks we know hurt?” Elbert asked. “Yep.” “Well, who, dammit!” Micah said. “Well, in Parker County—William Youngblood and John Killen were killed. fjällräven kånken big Hugh Blackwell, well, they kilt him, took his little boy, then took the Sullivan girl. John Reasnor, he’s dead. You know that Mrs. Brown who lived on Grindstone Creek? The Indians killed her, took her twins . . cheap albion silver .” Micah’s stomach rolled when he heard the word twin. “I’d just as soon not hear any more. I reckon we get the idea.” The four sat together, lost in silence, in the swirl of thoughts that chased thoughts, thoughts that churned their insides. Instead of feeling their earlier patriotism for the war, an unspoken but poignant guilt filled them. Elbert lived in Parker County, where nine companies of eighty men each had left with the start of the war. Jack County, Micah’s home, had actually voted against secession, but experienced a similar loss of men and they joined the Confederate Army in droves—though some in Jacksoboro, like Micah’s friend Frederick, had signed on with the Union. As Micah understood the war and its issues, Lincoln and the North resembled England and Longshanks too much to claim his loyalty. Micah picked up the coffeepot and emptied the grounds into the fire. “You don’t bring us the best of news, Isaac.” Micah stuffed the coffeepot into his saddlebag that rested on top of his saddle. “Damn this war,” Elbert said. “Damn this Comanche moon. And damn me for not being in Texas with my family.” Isaac stood up and looked west. “When my enlistment time is up, I’m going home. This here campaign has gone better than most, but I still wonder if Generals Taylor and Smith know what they’re doing. I hear General Taylor is most unhappy with Kirby Smith. albion gold Guess they don’t see things eye to eye. Goodnight to you, Micah, Elbert. I need to find a couple of other boys from our area and let them know what I’ve heard.” “Much obliged for the news, Isaac,” Micah said. Isaac nodded and walked toward the fire of Company F, about fifty yards away. Elbert cut a sliver from a tobacco plug, chewed it, and spat a stream of the brown juice into the fire. “You’re thinking the same thing I’m thinking, ain’t you, Micah.” Micah didn’t answer right away. Isaac’s silhouette was visible in the light of Company F’s fire. He listened to Isaac’s voice relate the same and other stories. He would likely spend much of the night going from fire to fire. He knew Isaac wouldn’t think it right to not tell what he knew. Jordan 4 Sale “You know I am.” “Isaac’s likely to have half of the Twenty-third leaving for Texas if he keeps talking. The Comanche and Kiowa were making things bad even before we left, Micah. It was insane for us to join up and leave our homes undefended.” “We were told they’d be plenty of men to watch the area. Elbert.” “They sure changed their minds on that one. Ain’t no men there hardly.

I hate like the devil being away from my family. Makes me want to quit soldiering and go home.” Elbert spat again into the fire. “I been dreaming crazy, Micah, and worrying so that I can’t sleep.” “Well, hell, let’s go home. Air Jordan 12 Retro Other rangers have been drifting away. We might as well go too. I’d rather risk hanging for deserting than to put my wife and little ones into the hands of the Comanches.” Micah spread out his bedding and stretched out on the ground. He rested his head on his hands behind his head. “Better get some sleep, Elbert. We’ll talk about what we’re going to do tomorrow. I’m supposed to see the captain first thing in the morning.” “Why?” “I don’t know. Goedkoop Nike Air Max 2016 I do know that every time an officer wants to see you it’s generally because you did something he’s unhappy with or he’s got something he wants you to do.” Micah closed his eyes and listened to the snores and coughs of men, and looked up at the Comanche moon until he slipped into sleep. He rose at first light and found the captain sitting outside his tent on a canvass stool, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He was reading a book. “Where’s Elbert?” the captain asked. “Still asleep.” “Did Isaac come by your camp last night?” “Yes, sir.” The captain turned a page in his book, never lifting his eyes from the page. “Are you a reading man, Micah?” “Not much. My wife reads a good bit.” He held up the book. “Macaria. A wonderful piece of literature. Notice the pages. I do believe the leaves are made of wallpaper.” “Sometimes we have to make do with what we got,” Micah said. “Yes, a good book. ray ban femme pas cher Pure propaganda though. Chris Snee Nike Air Max 2016 Italia Every idea the South has espoused to justify this conflict, every rumor that has been spread or whispered about us in the north is addressed in its pages. Yes, it’s propaganda, but effective propaganda. So effective that the Yankees have banned the book. Like our black servants, this book is now what they classify as contraband. They’ve ordered it to be burned whenever it’s captured.” “Yankees seem to be fond of burning things.” “It’s a savage man who doesn’t respect a book,” the captain said. “My father told me of a shield he took off a dead Comanche. He said it had been stuffed with the pages of some book called Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire.” “Interesting choice the warrior made. Kanken Big Baratas A barbarian trying to protect himself with the words of civilized people. Back to the Yankees. Would you destroy a book, Micah, just because you disagree with what it says?” “I never thought much about books. Never had any of my own, and I’ve only seen a few.” “I’ve always been fond of Ms. Nike Air Presto albion silver Evans’ writing. Ever since I discovered Inez: A Tale of the Alamo. In Macaria, Miss Augusta Jane Evans argues that women should be more independent and serve the war effort just like the men do.” “Makes sense,” Micah said. “It does if you’re talking about spoiled, pampered, soft plantation belles. I don’t think she knows many frontier women. She sure doesn’t know how hard life already is for them. I never realized how tough our Texan women were until I came here. And I also didn’t realize until recently how wrong it was for us to leave them. We should have known that the savages would take advantage of our absence.” Micah squatted down and stabbed the ground with his Bowie knife. “What’s on your mind, Captain?” “I was ordered to choose some men to escort some newly captured Federal soldiers to Camp Ford at Tyler. I chose you and Elbert. After you deposit the prisoners, I’m giving you a furlough.” “Sir?” “I want you to go back to Jack County and check on our families. With any luck, the war will be over before you have to return to duty. I hear it’s not going well at all in the East.” “How long is the furlough?” “Usual furlough is thirty days, but since each of you recruited someone, I can extend it to forty days.” “What if I don’t come back in time?” “I’ll report you as captured.” “I’m much obliged, Captain,” Micah said. adidas messi astro “I’ll stay if you want me to.” “No, I don’t want you to stay. My motives aren’t entirely pure. Los Angeles Lakers

I want you to check on my family now and then and help them any way you can. I’m also going to send my servant, Ezekiel, with you. He can cook for you on the way. You’ll have twenty or more prisoners, so you’ll have your hands full with guard duty. Ezekiel’s a crack shot and a good hunter. buy albion silver He’ll keep you supplied with fresh meat. Go to the quartermaster and tell him to find Ezekiel a captured rifle and a brace of pistols.” “Yes, sir. Why did you choose us?” “After what Isaac told us, I was half afraid you would desert and go back anyway.” “You were right about that.” Captain Allison handed Micah a slip of paper. “Here are your orders and notice of furlough. Try not to lose your orders or your prisoners.” He stood and held out his hand. “I’d let all the men go if I could, would go myself, but a captain can’t hardly leave his unit, can he? Wouldn’t be proper. So, I’m counting on you, Micah. God bless.” Micah stood, saluted him, then shook the captain’s hand, and walked back to his camp. Elbert was still asleep. adidas yeezy boost 550 męskie Micah kicked the mound of blankets covering him. “Get up, Elbert. Gather your gear. We’ve been given orders.” “Where are we going?” “Texas.

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Chapter Four: The Sign of the Snake

As they left Shreveport in the predawn darkness, small specks of light from fireplaces, candles, and lanterns, sparked, sprouted, and glittered in houses and stores behind them. Micah, Elbert and Ezekiel rode behind the Federal soldiers who shuffled and stumbled forward on the rutted Shreveport Road they would follow to Jefferson, then to Marshal, and then to Tyler. The waning moon hung low in the horizon. Nike SB Check Mockingbirds fussed and sang, and a woodpecker hammered out secret bird-heart desires on a clapboard house. new balance u420 femme rose “My head’s about to split open,” Elbert said. Canotte Atlanta Hawks “I came back to the saloon, but you were gone. Did that little songbird find you?” “Ain’t nothin’ to talk about there.” “She sure was a pretty thing. I’m trying to conjure up the face of the woman I was with, but I can’t seem to do it.” “I saw her. She was as ugly as a fencepost.” “You did no such thing. God almighty, what a night. air max pas cher homme I do love to visit the sporting women.” One of the prisoners said, “It’s too dark to even see good yet. It’s bad enough to be prisoners of war without having to get up so early.” “There’s enough moonlight to see the road. Just stay on it,” Micah said. “I think this here mule’s moon blind. She keeps trying to stray off the road.” Ezekiel jerked the rope leading the mule. “Come on, jenny. Don’t you be ornery.” He pulled again at the mule. Micah slowed his horse so he could ride beside Ezekiel. “You gentlemen had a late night,” Ezekiel said. “You’re sporting a new rifle, I see.” “Yeah, a man gave it to me last night.” Micah saw Ezekiel’s white teeth in a smile. “You don’t ever seem to have a bad disposition, Ezekiel.” “It don’t help nothin’ to be worrying all the time. Besides, I’ve got a lot to smile about. I’m in good health, the captain’s well, and I’m going home to Texas. I’ll see my wife and young’uns, and life will be fine.” An hour out of Shreveport, the sun rose and the heavy dew glistened in the morning light. Horses and men exuded clouds of frosty breath, and wordless they trudged on. They passed fallow fields and meadows starting to fill with bluebonnets and prairie fire paintbrush. “Nothing’s as beautiful as a Texas morning,” Ezekiel said. “Wish the captain could see this morning with us. Sacramento Kings

I surely hope he manages to come home soon.” The day turned hot, and the travelers stopped midday. One of the Federals left the road and ducked behind some bushes to empty his bowels. When he violently began cursing, Micah walked to his horse and pulled his shotgun from its scabbard. The prisoner staggered from the bushes with his pants still halfway up his legs. “Jesus Christ, I’ve been snakebit!” “Sit yourself down and let me have a look,” Micah said. The snake had struck his thigh, just above the top of his boot. “Durn if it didn’t catch a vein. That means the poison will spread fast.” Micah cut a leather thong from his Bowie sheath and pitched the knife and thong to one of the prisoners. Bo Scarbrough Jersey “See if you can’t get the poison out.” “How do I do that?” the prisoner said. “Lord have mercy, you are an ignorant one. adidas zx flux leopard print Bind his legs above the bite. CORTEZ Then slice the marks and suck the poison out.” The man’s knee had already swelled. Air Jordan 3 Retro “Durn, his knee’s already swolled up like a melon,” one of the prisoners said. “And it’s turning black.” “Don’t this beat all,” Elbert said. “Getting snakebit this time of year. I thought they’d still be denned up. What are we going to do with him? You don’t reckon he’ll die on us do you?” “I don’t know,” Micah said. “I don’t know what else we can do to help him besides try to get some of the poison out.” The snakebit soldier’s eyes were dilated. Beads of cold sweat dripped from his face. “I don’t feel so good,” he said. He turned to the side and puked. “I need to stand up.” He rose, but staggered as he tried to walk. One of the Yankees caught him before he could fall and helped lower him back to the ground. “Keep him sitting down till we get him tended to,” Micah said. nike pas cher “He needs a poultice,” Ezekiel said. “That always works better than trying to suck the poison out. I’ll fix him one. With the bite that high on his leg, I think he’s done for anyway, but you can’t never tell.” “I suppose so, Ezekiel,” Micah said. Micah heard the rattle of the snake in the bushes. He rode over to it and killed it with the shotgun. Nike Air Huarache damskie One of the Federal soldiers picked it up by the tail and raised it till its head came off the ground. “Lord, what a snake. Must be six feet long.” Ezekiel found some prickly pear and pulled up two stalks of a peculiar plant. He brushed the dirt from the roots, snapped off the stalks and handed the roots to the Federal soldier. “You best chew on this,” he said. “It’s snakeroot. I call it, Black Sampson flower. Comanches use it for snakebite. nike air max 90 hombre Works better as a tea, but I ain’t got time to make no tea. air max 1 femme The poultice will keep it from swelling so.” Ezekiel opened a pocketknife and began to skin the pears. “Now move aside so I can apply this dressing.” Ezekiel pressed the poultice to the bite. NIKE AIR MORE UPTEMPO

“One of you Yankee gentlemen give me some cloth.” One handed him a scarf, and Ezekiel bound the poultice to the bite. “He won’t be able to walk, Mr. Evans,” Ezekiel said. Micah pointed to one of the Federal soldiers and pitched him his knife. “You take my Bowie and go to that thicket yonder and cut a couple of poles. We’ll have to make a skid for your friend to ride on.” “We don’t have a horse to hook the litter to, Micah,” Elbert said. “His friends can drag him along. He shouldn’t have let himself get bit.” Micah said. “He’ll slow us down,” Elbert said. “That can’t be helped, I guess.” Micah watched the Yankee turn to his side and puke again. “He sure is sick.” The two Federals returned with two pine trees. Micah directed two Yankees to remove their canvas suspenders and used them to lash the poles in a V shape to a supporting mesquite branch bar that extended out enough for each of them to put an end on their shoulders. Micah stretched the soldier’s blanket across the poles and tied it down. The travois would have worked better with a horse, but Micah had no intention of walking, and he didn’t think the moon-blind mule could have handled the extra load. “Keep him propped up. You don’t want the poison to get to his heart easy,” Micah said. “Get him on the skid and let’s be on our way.” None of the soldiers moved. Micah spat. “It don’t matter to me. I’d just as soon leave him here. If there’s a leader in this sorry bunch, why don’t he tell two men to do it. It’s not a hard decision. I think even you Yankees can figure out some sort of rotation system for dragging him along. Hell, don’t the man have a friend here?” “Come on, Bartholomew,” one said. “Let’s you and me take the first shift.” The pair laid him on the stretcher, and then each grabbed an end of the sidebar and hoisted him up. “Would you really have left him here?” the one called Bartholomew asked. new balance 530 homme encap “One less Yankee to fool with don’t bother me none. You two go in front.” That night they camped by a creek. Ezekiel took Micah’s shotgun and returned with four jackrabbits that he boiled. When they were done, he added some flour and dried wild onions. As Ezekiel filled their tin cups, Micah said to the prisoners, “You boys best enjoy this stew. I’m not sure you’ll be getting much fresh meat where you’re going.” After the Federals had lain down for the night, Micah, Elbert, and Ezekiel sat together by the fire. The snakebit soldier moaned. “He has fever,” Ezekiel said. “I think his leg is infected.” “Might be,” Elbert said. “I’m sure there’s a doctor at Camp Ford. He can be tended to there. Be a shame if he lost his leg thought, just from being careless about where he shat.” Ezekiel drew slowly from his clay pipe and blew out a cloud of smoke. “The Captain always said that when a man is on death’s doorstep, he best watch where he puts his feet.” They rose at sunrise and gave the Yankees hardtack and water for breakfast. solde adidas chaussures pas cher Micah, Elbert, and Ezekiel had the same, but with coffee. After walking for two hours, they came upon a wagon had broken down in the road. It was loaded to overflowing with chests, boxes, and burlap sacks. A woman and two young girls sat in the shade of a nearby oak. A large black woman hovered behind them. A black man squatted on the road with a wrench and a wagon wheel. He looked up at Micah, took off his hat and wiped his forehead with a sleeve. “You folks alright?” Micah asked. “Broke another spoke on this wheel is all. I’ll have it fixed directly.” Micah rode over to the women. “Ladies,” he said. “Can we be of assistance?” The two girls smiled and tittered behind their fans. One woman said, “No, thank you. It’s just a spoke on the wagon. AIR FOOTSCAPE Daniel has already repaired this wheel three times. I suppose I should buy another wheel when we reach Jefferson.” “Where you folks from?” Micah said. “I am Kate Stone from the Brokenburn Plantation and traveling to Tyler.” She sighed. Nike Air Max 2016 Heren grijs “I have family there. I regret leaving our home, but between the Yankee bummers and jayhawkers, it was no longer safe in Madison Parish. I’ve never seen the like of thieves and lawless men. Negroes are running wild too. Zapatillas Yeezy 350 Boost I have my daughters to think of. We live in desperate times, sir.” The woman eyed the Federal soldiers. “They are your prisoners?” “Yes, ma’am.” “Good.” “The only Yankees you’ll see in this part of Texas will be prisoners. Dexter McCluster Titans Jerseys We’re going to Tyler ourselves. You’re welcome to travel with us.” “Thank you, but no. I don’t think I could stand the sight of those blue uniforms. Our journey has been difficult enough. Daniel will repair this wheel and we’ll be on our way soon enough. We’ll likely meet up with others coming this way.” Micah’s caravan moved on. They made camp just outside of Jefferson. Ezekiel boiled white beans for their supper. The prisoners laid down in a row along the road and went to sleep quickly. Ezekiel set another pot of beans on the fire to soak and simmer for their breakfast. “I’ll get us some fresh meat soon. I don’t care much for these white beans, so we might as well let these Yankees eat them up.” Micah cut a sliver of tobacco and chewed it slowly, then spat a stream into the fire. “How about some coffee, Ezekiel?” “We’re running low on coffee, Mr. Evans. We need to save it for the morning.” Micah nodded. “I suppose you’re right.” “I can ride into Jefferson and get some,” Elbert said. ROSHE LD-1000 QS “You just want to go and get drunk,” Micah said. “It entered my mind that I might find us some whiskey while I was there.” “You got any money left?” Micah said. “No.” “Get a dollar or two out of my saddlebag. adidas zx Get us as much coffee as you can and get yourself a drink too if you have any left.” Elbert returned close to midnight. He was singing “Rose of Alabamy.” Micah watched him wobble unsteadily as he unsaddled his horse and hobbled her for the night. “I take it you found you some whiskey. You find some coffee too?” “It’s in my saddlebag. Found a pound, but the price was dear. Didn’t leave me much to drink on. You want me to take over guard duty?” “Naw. You ain’t in no condition to guard anyone. I’ll take your watch tonight. You can take mine tomorrow.” “You’re a true friend, Micah.” “Go on to sleep, you drunken fool.” Micah thought about tying up the prisoners so he could sleep too, but he decided to just forego sleep tonight. He looked up at the stars and listened to the coyotes cutting up nearby. He said a prayer to whatever god was listening that Erin and the twins would be safe. He fed the fire a mesquite stick, stared at the flames, then the embers, then dropped in another stick. He did this throughout the night. At first light, Ezekiel rose and set the coffeepot on the coals. Micah opened his watch and saw that it was just shy of four. Ezekiel sat down next to him. “As soon as you and I have some coffee, Mister Evans, I’ll wake them all up and we’ll eat those beans that been simmering all night.” The coffeepot lid began to bounce from the boiling water. With a rag on his hand, Ezekiel picked it up by the handle, set it on the ground, threw in a handful of coffee, then returned it to the fire. Micah went to the mule’s pack and dug around until he found three tin cups. Fjällräven Kånken Ryggsäck Sverige “You make good coffee, Ezekiel.” “I do, for a fact. The Captain likes his coffee, but he don’t want no camp coffee like most soldiers drink—so strong it will float a horseshoe or even dissolve it. He wants some flavor with it, and a little milk and sugar when we could find it. Back in Louisiana, I was talking with a Negro cook who had been out east, with the armies fightin’ with Robert E. Lee. He said they didn’t have no coffee at all, other than some sweet potato coffee.” Ezekiel shook his head. “That sure would be hard on the Captain. He enjoys his books and he enjoys his coffee.” “It’s probably hard on him to not have you with him now,” Micah said. “No, sir. The Captain’s a tough man. He can get by without a manservant, but he couldn’t keep on living and worrying about our families so. He’ll sleep better knowing I’m back where I can help them and protect them.” After Elbert drank a cup of coffee, he walked over to the row of sleeping Federals and called for them to get up. They rose and filed by the fire with their tin cups for the bean breakfast. Nike Air Max Très pas cher Nike Archive 83.M One Federal remained on the ground. Cursing, Elbert walked over and jerked off the sleeping man’s blanket. The snakebit soldier had died during the night. His mouth had frozen into a jester’s smile. His skin was splotched in places where the blood had pooled, and his arms and torso had twisted in a bizarre pose of rigor mortis. His sunken eyes were open, so Elbert thought he must have passed on while still awake. Elbert shook out the blanket. Just as he was about to drape it over the dead soldier’s face, a pair of rattlesnakes crawled out from between the soldier’s legs and slithered into the dark. “Don’t that beat all I ever saw,” Elbert said. “What’s wrong, Elbert?” Micah called out. “The snakebit boy died on us, Micah. And then I saw the durndest thing. air max chaussures Two more rattlesnakes bedded up with him last night. Snakes sure seem to take a liking to this fellow.” “Two more what?” Micah said. “I didn’t quite hear you.” Elbert made the hand sign of the Comanche. “Snakes.

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For some years now, I’ve taught college level freshman composition. All Black Jordan Shoes Since I received my M.A. in English from Abilene Christian University, I’ve seen many changes. albion silver I waded my way into the computer age, perhaps a bit slower than others, I’ve seen the Internet go from mail exchanges with limited and inconsistent knowledge in sites to its present status where knowledge can be instant, and one can find virtually any information he or she wants or needs and can find answers to most any question or problem and discover how to do, make, or analyze anything desired. Fjallraven Kanken Mini In the past, finding and obtaining sources or copies of specific valuable information might require two weeks or more, now can be obtained in just a few minutes or days at most. One would think students today would appreciate this quick and easy access to unbelievable knowledge. Here is their chance to become experts in almost any field of study. asics femme pas cher Yet, for so many students, that hasn’t happened. Because it so so easy to obtain so much information, every semester I find several students who plagiarize, using the Internet not to increase their knowledge and develop their own creative skills and thinking, but as a quick and easy tool tool to avoid their own work and thought and get a grade. buy albion gold The Internet feeds their laziness and apathy.

Every semester, I catch them, often right after we have just studied plagiarism. buy albion gold Many colleges these days allow students caught plagiarizing to redo the work. I don’t think that would have happened a few years ago. cheap albion silver I remember any plagiarizing being ruthlessly punished. Indiana Pacers

I don’t mind them using sources, in fact I encourage it, but I want them to go to the trouble to give proper credit to their sources by quotation, paraphrase and summary and to do so in good form. new balance 1500 bordeaux femme (One college I work with uses MLA, another APA). Do they really think I won’t catch them? I once taught a high school theatre class in Dallas that was assigned to write a short one-act play. UA ClutchFit Drive 2 One student I liked turned in a brilliant short play. cheap albion gold I loved it! I took the precaution of googling a few sentences and found he had turned in an award-winning play in its entirety. Because the boy’s parents pitched such a fit, the school would not let me fail him, so he turned in another, but it was poorly written, and since Dallas at that time would not allow you to give a grade lower than 50, he passed the class.

To emphasize the seriousness of plagiarism, I use a case study, perhaps spurred on by the recent movie version of Roots. Not long after Haley’s book was published, Haley was taken to court. Scarpe adidas Ultra Boost

Nike KD Trey 5 III It seems Alex Haley plagiarized his supposed family history from white author Harold Courlander’s novel, The African. Haley admitted his plagiarism and was found guilty of this plagiarism and paid a $600,000 settlement to Courlander. Nike Sneakers A black journalist, Stanley Crouch, wrote a scathing expose of Haley in this article, The ‘Roots’ of huckster Haley’s Great Fraud, published in the Jewish World Review. I hope you will read it. Air Jordan Pas cher Here’s the website where you can read Crouch’s thoughts: http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/crouch011802.asp

The reaction of my students to the news and evidence that the Pulitzer Prize winning Roots, the supposed nonfiction book, was plagiarized in large parts from a fictional novel varied from heartbreak, to disgust, to denial. Air Jordan 9 (IX) buy albion silver Some students rationalized that the book did so much good in the country that the issue of plagiarism shouldn’t be pushed against Haley and it happened so long ago that it should be dropped. It is this last example of rationalization that both angers and frightens me. This must be an example of the end justifies the means mentality–probably the same mentality they have when they steal words from others that they give to me as their own. cheap albion gold Perhaps, they’ve worked all day, are tired, the paper is due soon, so they slop through it, looking for an easy and quick way to get the assignment done and copy the work of others, often errors and all. I try to take my students through stages of writing that will help them avoid the temptation to plagiarize. Kånken Laptop 15 Nebraska Cornhuskers For example, I instruct them to not use sources at all for their first draft, but I can be sure that Ask.com or Wikipedia will be in some of those first drafts–and without even giving that credit.

What can I do with students who refuse to study, to think on their own, to thoughtfully read something, to memorize and follow proven steps, patterns and methods I present that will help them be good writers? A line from the Three Stooges comes to mind. Curly once said, “I’m trying to think, but nothing happens.” Bless their hearts! They have no idea of the good writings they can create if they will only dig deep into themselves, be observant and pay Father Time his dues.

I believe that freshman composition is designed to prepare students to write essays for their future classes, using a varieties of strategies. I do have many students who excel, who are driven to learn, who appreciate the college experience, and who love to read and write. NIKE AIR MAX TAILWIND 8

However, they live and work in an apathetic generation who may never know what good original writing is and how it is produced.

Here’s a funny poem I wrote in 1995. AIR PRESTO Flyknit Ultra

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I Get the Dumb Ass

I get the dumb ass now and then, Just to prove that I still can, I’ll bite on trees, max the MasterCard, Stick my fingers in the fan. ADIDAS ULTRA BOOST

buy albion gold I get the dumb ass now and then, Just to prove that I’m alive, I’ll drink all day and work all night, And somehow still survive. adidas sale uk albion silver I get the dumb ass easily Most any time or place, With my weakness for the wilder side, The flirting eye and face. ROSHE RUN cheap albion gold I get the dumb ass day or night, When it’s more than I can stand, I’ll give the finger to the rednecks From my psychedelic van. Nike Solarsoft albion gold I’ll charge a bull, jump off cliffs, Slam dance into walls, Piss on your shoes, Start pit bull petting zoos, It’s not trouble for me at all. Air Jordan 7 (VII) buy albion silver Read a dumb ass history, I’ll be on every page, Yelling out obscenities, Like a madman in a cage. new balance 999 homme noir cheap albion gold I hear that it’s contagious, So you better stay away, Or soon you’ll be a dumb ass too, And an awful price you’ll pay. Nike Air Bw

There’s no cure for my condition, And I always make it worse, And with these dumb ass thoughts in mind, I’ll leave you with my verse.

Chapter Eight: Skye The twins chased each other around the junipers in front of the house. Benjamin said, “I don’t want to be the mule.” “You’re the mule.” Skye raised her stick again and grabbed the back of his collar.

“Go on, mule.” He raised his leg and kicked back at her. albion gold “Hee haw!” Then he ran. She chased him. He scooped up a pebble and threw it at her. “Mama, Benjamin’s throwing rocks at me again!” Erin stepped outside. Out of habit, she fixed her eyes on the twins, then counted their cows and horses. buy albion silver “Benjamin! You quit tormenting your sister.” Skye grinned at Benjamin. “I got you in trouble. I hope you get a whippin’. If I was Mama, I’d whip you every day. You’re still a donkey. My brother, the donkey!” “Skye, get the bucket and you and your brother pull some turnips for supper.” “Yes, ma’am.” While the twins were in the garden, Erin milked their cow. buy albion gold Her uncle’s almanac said the moon would be full tonight. cheap albion silver She reminded herself to check the shotgun to make sure it was primed and loaded. She swung the gate shut and looped the rawhide thong over its post, making her way to the house with the milk. Skye walked to her with her bucket of greens. cheap albion gold “Mama, is this enough turnips?” “That will be plenty for us.” “When’s daddy coming home?” “I don’t know, darling. I hope soon. Go play with your brother while I fix our supper.” Skye asked the same question every day. Benjamin set a row of bois d’arc apples on a large flat rock and was knocking them off with rocks. “That’s six dead Yankees. You want to play, Skye?” Skye studied the strewn apples and the one remaining on the top. “You sure can’t throw a rock worth a durn.” She picked up a rock, bounced it in her hand, then hurled it so hard that its point buried itself in the green apple. It rolled off, bleeding white juice. She dusted her hands and said, “That’s how you throw a rock, Benjamin.” “That ain’t nothin’. Just a lucky throw. You’re just a girl. Chicago Bulls What do you know?” “Mi hermano, el gusano!” “Mama! Skye called me a worm!” Benjamin went on to play soldiers under the walnut tree. He gathered hulls into two piles, and laid them out in battle lines. The round ones were one army, and the flat ones another. Benjamin looked over at Skye. “Bruja!” “I might really be a witch, Benjamin. And you best not forget it.” She wiggled her fingers at him. cheap albion gold “I might really turn you into a donkey or a worm!” Benjamin ignored her and returned his thoughts to his walnut soldiers.

Skye circled him, playing her own war game. In this imaginary world, she was Sgathaich, warrior-priestess queen of the Isle of Skye.

buy albion gold She acted out the stories her mother told her at night—of Sgathaich building Dunscaith Castle with the help of a witch in a single night, training Cu Chulain in the arts of war in her military academy, predicting the future for pilgrims who had come to her from Ireland and Gaul. “I am Skye MacDonald!” she cried. Nike Air Max 1 Pas Cher “That’s Mama’s family!” Benjamin said. “We’re Evans!” “You hush.

I can use Mama’s last name if I want to.” She ran to Epona, her white mare, and stroked her neck. Adidas buty dziecięce Jumping, she wrapped her arms around the horse’s neck and pulled herself up in one fluid motion. Epona tossed her head and neighed. albion silver When her mother called her for dinner, Skye nodded to her imaginary students, and left her stone castle with its seven ramparts and pits of snakes and beaked toads, and jumped twice crossing the imaginary magical bridge leading to Dunscaith that threw off any who required more than two strides. Nike Internationalist At the cabin, she noticed their dog was looking at the treeline, growling, and pawing the ground.

Here is chapter thirteen of my western novel, The Month the Babies Cry. Chapter Thirteen Ramon and the Tonkawas dismounted at a sandy area near a creek. The Tonks squatted, and Ramon knelt on one knee and together they studied the ground and talked quietly in Spanish. “What’s wrong Ramon?” Micah asked “The group we’re following has been joined with another. We’re not following a dozen anymore.” “How many?” “Maybe fifty. They’re pushing along a good-sized herd of cattle too.” Micah felt their pace to be too slow, but knew since their grain supply was limited, he knew they must allow the horses to forage on the way. The Minutemen moved northwest, circling back toward the Trinity, following the tracks of the unshod Indian horses now mingled with those of shod stolen horses. After they crossed Lost Creek again, another twenty horse tracks merged in with the war party, then a few miles later, another group of horses before the trail turned north. The horse prints were spaced closely together, indicating the riders were moving along leisurely. Now and then they would see a scrap of cloth or an odd object taken from a ranch. “Ramon, what do you reckon they’re thinking? They sure ain’t in no hurry to get where they’re going.” “Their numbers make them arrogant. They know that most of the fighting men left years ago. They think this is their land again. If they knew that there are only a couple of experienced Indian fighters in this bunch, they’d be attacking us now. Take a look at this bug of ragamuffins—mostly boys, old men, men from the war who are still stove up from their wounds. Would you be very worried if you were a Comanche? They are farmers, not Rangers. ” Ramon raised his arm and pointed. “Look.” Micah saw a lone wagon. “This is close to where I found Juan. Must be his parents’ wagon.” He spurred his horse and rode over. The wagon was more like a cart, in the style of the old Comancheros—a single axle with two giant, solid cottonwood wheels. Some trash and scraps were strewn on the ground, but everything of substance had been taken by the Comanches. The two oxen pulling the cart were dead on the ground. Indians had killed, skinned, and butchered them. A few bones lay scattered about a fire. A scalped Mexican man and a woman lay close together, their sun-blackened bodies naked, bristling with arrows, mutilated. Micah noticed how close their hands were to each other, almost as if they had flicked fingers in one last pitiful, painful moment. “We should stop and bury them,” Ramon said. buy albion gold “Their skin is turning black. We might not have another chance to bury them—pigs and buzzards will have eaten them before we can get back to them.” “I’ll stay behind and bury them. You need to go on with the others and find the Comanches. I’ll catch up when I’m done. Even with the Tonkawas, I’m half-afraid this bunch of peckerwoods couldn’t follow a trail.” Micah stepped off his horse and tied it to the cart. He took the militia’s shovel from one of the pack mules, found a sandy area, and started digging. “We can’t stop, Evans,” Captain Howard said. “We’re too close to them and I don’t want to lose them.” “Well, Captain, you and the boys go on and I’ll catch up when I’m done. nike air max femme pas cher I ain’t gonna mutiny on you. It’s just that I was the one who found their son alive, and I just don’t think it would be right for me to not bury them.” “Alright. Hurry up with it and catch up. Troop, let’s move on and see if we can find these Comanches before dark.” “Yes, Captain,” Ramón said. “They have circled south now, instead of going out to the plains. cheap albion gold That means they’re not finished raiding yet.” Micah watched the Rangers move on. He dug down in the sandy soil till he hit rock, then after he yanked the arrows from their bodies, he dragged the couple over and laid them together into the three-foot-deep hole. He covered them with dirt and rocks, then he cut and trimmed two mesquite limbs and fashioned a crude cross that he hammered into the ground between them with a stone. Studying the cross a minute, he yanked the cross from the ground. The Comanches had been known to dig up the graves of Texans. Someday he might be able to come back and mark it properly. albion silver “I’ve got to go now,” he said to them. “I’ve never been good at talking with the dead, but I found your boy, and me and Chavez will take care of him the best we can. I’ll find these Indians and make things right. I reckon you’re Catholic, so if I ever run into a priest, I’ll send him your way. Other than that, I don’t know what else I can do for you.” He mounted his horse and held him to a steady gait so that he could catch up with the militia. As Micah neared them, he saw that they had stopped. On the horizon, Micah saw why–a line of Comanche horsemen faced them. Micah joined the militia. “What do you think, Ramon?” Captain Howard asked. “I reckon they want to fight. Being we’ve only got twenty men, they think they’ve got an advantage. They might be giving us a chance to run.” “If we had any sense,” Micah said, “we would run, but in the war I lost all the sense my father put in me. We can whip them, but they’re likely to bloody us if it turns bad.” “How many are there?” Captain Howard asked as he lowered his binoculars. Micah counted horses, though he knew Howard had already counted them. He had fought under officers like this before. Howard was either scared shitless or double-checking himself. Micah thought the latter. “I count about forty. From the tracks, Ramon said there were close to fifty, so maybe the others are around somewhere too, or up ahead pushing the stolen stock along.” “ Forty. That’s what I counted.” Micah pulled out his Whitworth rifle and used the scope to look the Indians over. “Well, it looks like they’re putting on paint now. Probably giving each other courage talks until we get closer. They’re looking for a fight, but then we are too. I guess that’s the calling of being a Ranger.” He took another look through the scope. They were shaking their shields and the constant movement of the feathers fastened to the edges of the shields bewildered his eye. The captain handed Chavez his binoculars. “Take a look, Ramon.” Ramon raised the binoculars and studied the Comanches. “They have fought before. Did you see their shields, Micah? Bear teeth, scalps, and horsetails are hanging from most of them. albion gold Means they are seasoned warriors. They will be tough.” “How many did you say there are?” the Smith boy asked. Micah heard the nervousness in the boy’s voice. “About twenty,” the captain said. He leaned his arm on the pommel of his saddle and spat. “Sure looks like a bunch of them. Maybe we should make a run for it,” Smith said. “No,” Ramon said. He drew out his rifle from its scabbard. “We had better get ready to fight, hijo. Our horses are tired, so we couldn’t outrun them. We’d have to turn and fight them anyway. Let’s do it now and get it over with.” The Indians slowly started toward them, some of the riders veering toward the left flank. “They’re wanting to circle us,” Ramon said. buy albion silver “I see it,” Micah said. “My father said that the Comanches were the best horsemen in Texas, and that until his units learned their tactics, they gave them fits.” “Christ, There’s too many of them for us to fight,” another Ranger said. “Well, let’s see if we can even the odds a little.” Micah slipped off his horse and laid the barrel across the saddle. “Ramon, grab his reins so he don’t jump on me. Steady, Colbert,” he said. “You done this before. Angel Pagan Jersey Let’s see if we can slow them down a bit.” “Don’t waste your bullet,” Captain said. “They’re too far away.” “I’d guess they’re about five hundred yards.” Micah sighted down the brass four-power scope, squeezed off a shot knocked one from his horse. “I’ll be damned,” Captain Howard said. “That must be a half-mile away. I never seen a gun that could shoot that far before.” “It’s a Whitworth. Made in England. A friend gave it to me.” The Comanches hesitated, puzzled by the fact they had lost a man at this great a distance. Micah knew the man had fallen off his horse before they heard the shot. He tore open another cartridge with his teeth, squeezed the powder and hexagonal .45 caliber bolt into the barrel, pressed in the cartridge wadding, and rammed it down. He fitted a cap, took aim and dropped another. The Indians whooped, quirted their horses, and rode toward them furiously. “I was hoping they’d turn and run,” Micah said. “I guess they do want a fight.” He loaded, aimed, and a third rider fell. “I can get one more before they reach us. Captain, you reckon your boys can shoot some of them when they get inside a hundred yards?” “Dismount, men! Take cover if you can find it. Smith, Evans, Fogle—you hold the horses. Pass on your rifles when the other men fire. Steady, men. Take careful aim.” Captain Parker pulled his two-band Enfield from its sheath. “You’re sure taking your time loading, Micah.” “Can’t load this rifle in a hurry. Captain, I say we should use our rifles till they get close, then mount our horses, charge them, and finish them off with our pistols.” “That’s pretty big talk for a runt like yourself,” one Ranger said. “You can chase them if you want, but I ain’t gonna take an arrow,” one Ranger said. “I hear the Comanches poison’em with dead skunks. I’m doin’ what the captain said and get to a safer piece of ground where I can shoot and have some cover besides these scrubby mesquite trees.” Micah knew the man had fought with a Missouri Yankee infantry unit, but then deserted. “If you didn’t come out to fight Indians, you should have stayed at the house,” Micah said. “But if you want to go hide in the rocks, go on.

Quit yakking and get that Springfield to working.” Micah had dropped his fourth one when the Captain ordered the men to fire. Micah cursed. Only two Comanches went down. buy albion gold He had also heard a rifle misfire. “Captain, your men don’t even know how to check their rifles before a firefight?” He loaded, sighted, and dropped another. The Rangers had not finished reloading when the Comanches let loose their first volley of arrows. One ranger caught an arrow in his right shoulder. “God damn it! God damn it!” he said. The Comanches were now close enough that Micah could see their faces and hear the thunder of the unshod hooves on the hard clay ground and a steady shower of arrows descended upon them. One Comanche, a sixteen-foot hooked lance in one hand, and a pistol in the other, was almost upon them, showing off by falling to one side of his horse’s flank and then swinging over the horse’s back to the other. Micah sensed the Indian’s timing, and fired the Whitworth for the fifth time, and he could tell by the sound that the bullet had struck flesh even before the Comanche crumpled to the ground. Clemson Tigers Micah slung his Whitworth onto his back, mounted his horse, and pulled the shotgun from its sheath. “Let’s go boys. Better get on your horses. You don’t want to get caught on foot out here in the open.” “Micah,” Ramon said. “I’ll ride toward the ones circling left of us, you go to the right of the rest. Entiende?” “Yeah, you want to bunch them up.” Micah turned his horse and rode behind the unit so that he could face the lead riders who were trying to get behind them, knowing the unit couldn’t afford to let the wheeling mass of warriors encircle them completely. Each barrel of the shotgun took an Indian down, and he clubbed another off his horse with the, then slid it back into its sheath. Pulling a pistol from the saddle holster, he reined in his horse, and shot another. The Indian managed to stay on his horse, slapping at his buckskin shirt that had burst into flame. Another dropped down on the side of his horse as he rode by. Since Micah didn’t have a clear shot at the Indian, he shot the horse down, then another horse racing by with only a hand and foot of its rider in sight. One of his bullets hit the shield of another, and Micah knew the .36 bullet had deflected. “Damn it,” he said. He lowered his aim from the shield and put two bullets into the Comanche’s leg and watched that horse go down with its wounded rider. A group of warriors swarmed toward him, and Micah instinctively spurred his horse and turned him so that he could not get caught in the middle of them. He heard the strained breathing of his horse, and Ramon’s booming .44’s. chaussures nike air max pas cher He sighted Ramon in the melee, and headed toward him. The big pistol bucked in Ramon’s hand, and Micah saw him unhorse two warriors.

“Micah, cover me while I reload my pistolas,” he said. Micah pulled his horse in between Ramon and the Indians. “Who’s got the mules?” Micah shouted. “The Smith boy and Jacob.” Ramon broke open his revolver and replaced his cylinder. “Can you see the others? They’re not trying to run, are they?” “No, but every man but the Captain looks like he could shit in their pants.” Micah shoved the spent pistol into its holster and withdrew his second. cheap albion gold “The Comanches will get tired of losing warriors and run directly.” “Not that one yonder. Spear carrier. I shot his horse down, but he didn’t run. Pinned his war bonnet to the ground. Must be seeking a big coup. The only way he’ll move is if one of his own comes and removes the spear.” “I’ll fetch him.” Micah spurred his horse toward the bow-wielding Comanche fifty yards ahead of him who had pinned his bonnet sash to the ground with his own lance. Micah rode directly toward him, hoping that an arrow wouldn’t get him before he could drop him with the pistol. You want to die, Micah thought. Well, your friends are going to miss you. Micah shot him three times, then when the man crumbled, the others in the band circled away, working together in pairs to pick up their dead. Micah saw them herding some Ranger horses with them. nike air max 1 og colorways Just out of spite, Micah dismounted, loaded the Whitworth, and planted a bullet in a warrior’s spine. The warrior’s horse was herded into the bunch with the stolen Ranger horses. This time none came back to pick up the dead warrior. Micah loaded it again, then pulled out his shotgun and loaded it. Micah bit his tongue to keep from cussing. The Rangers in the unit had emptied their rifles and pistols, but as far as Micah could tell, he and Ramon had killed eight, while the rest of the unit had only killed three. “That’s some rifle you got. You ever shoot Yanks with it?” O’Connor said. “Yes, a few. The dead Yankees were my gift to the Confederacy.” Micah saw Ramon ride over to the Comanche he had shot in the leg. “Watch him, Ramon, he could be playing possum. I only hit him in the leg.” Ramon shot the Comanche in the head, then did the same to the two others the Comanches had failed to recover. Then, uttering oaths in Spanish, he shot each again in his ritual of death, a red baptismal sprinkling of the Texas earth, seeing in their dead bodies the ghosts of others. Nike Air Max 95 damskie Ramon searched the Comanches, taking their weapons, amulets and pouches. He lifted one by the hair and pulled out his Bowie. The captain saw him and shouted, “Chavez! Leave him be. We’ll have none of that.” Chavez hesitated, then slipped the knife into its sheath and dropped the Comanche’s head to the ground. He started walking back toward his horse, then turned back and began kicking the dead warrior, hooking kick after kick into the corpse. “That Mexican sure don’t like Comanches none,” one Ranger said. “They ain’t ever give him a reason to like them much,” Micah replied. The Captain shouted, “You peckerwoods clean and reload your rifles and pistols if you ain’t done it already!” A couple of younger minutemen began doing so. Micah shook his head. “Damn youngsters ain’t got no cause to be out on an expedition like this, Captain.” “They got to learn sometime,” Howard replied. “My father always said that experience isn’t the best teacher—but you can count on her being the hardest teacher.” “Your father was right, but sometimes there just ain’t no other way to teach a man something. If a man’s able to live through it, it can be a good thing.” The Rangers regrouped under the mesquite scrub. Since the sun was going down, they pitched camp. The unit had two men severely wounded and one dead—the Smith boy who had stayed to hold the horses. A Comanche had ridden directly to the horses, hoping to spook them and leave the rangers on foot. He had clubbed the Smith boy with a sling club. The captain had ridden over in time to shoot the Comanche before he could cut the mules loose or kill Jacob who was trying to reload his pistol with his one good hand. The Rangers also had two horses and their pack mule killed in the line of duty. After they tended to the wounded and buried the Smith boy, the captain said a few words in the mule’s honor. “Our dear Jenny will be sorely missed. Amen. Now, if you boys are ready to eat, let’s get her skinned out and have supper.”   * * * After they ate, Micah unfastened the tin cup hanging from his haversack and filled it with water from his canteen. He fastened a swab to his ramrod, dipped it and the water, and swabbed out the Whiteforth’s barrel, then oiled the gun. After the rifle, he cleaned the shotgun and pistols. Ramon sat down beside him with his guns. Micah passed him the small corked bottle of oil. “I see you have not forgotten to quickly clean your weapons.” “Better twenty minutes now, then two hours later.” Captain Howard walked over to them. “Micah and Ramon, I’m giving you sentry duty for the second watch of the night.” “Si, mi capitán,” Micah said. After Howard moved on, Micah asked Ramon, “You reckon the Comanches will be back?” Ramon blew into an empty pistol cylinder, looked through it, then deliberately loaded it. “They may not be done with us yet, hijo. There’s still more of them than us. We shamed them. Their leader will want to return and teach us a lesson. Such pride makes them dangerous, but it also makes them predictable. We will kill more of them tonight.” Micah was ordered to patrol on foot the camp’s perimeter. Ramon wrapped himself in a blanket and stationed himself under a mesquite where he could watch the line of hobbled and staked-out horses and mules. Micah slowly and quietly prowled the camp’s perimeter, his shotgun cradled in his arm. Coyotes carried on in the distance, and the sound of the horses grazing mingled with the snores and coughs of the sleeping rangers. Every hour he circled back to Ramon, stopping when he neared him and signaling with a short whistle. After his third trip around the camp, he sat down next to Ramon. “Captain says we have to go back to Jacksboro,” Ramon said. “With two men wounded, and four of the men on foot, he says we can’t do much more good out here.” “How in hell did the Comanches get so many of our horses?” “They must have got them when they killed Smith.” “I think some of us ought to go on and hunt the rest down. Let the ones who couldn’t hold on to their horses walk on back.” “The War changed you, Micah. Your fierceness can be a good quality. But when los indios are gone, what will you do with that fierceness?” “What did you do with it? I remember how you and Pa used to talk about the Indians.” Ramon’s eyes fixed in dark aperture on a point in the darkness. He touched Micah’s arm and pointed. Micah saw the man-shadow, crouching and slowly creeping their way. He was nearly to the horses. Ramon slipped his pistol from its holster and motioned for Micah to circle toward the right and that he would go straight ahead. Micah readied the shotgun and slipped from tree to tree, hoping that the Indian would make the mistake of stepping into a moonlit area. Ramon’s pistol barked and a body thudded to the ground. cheap albion silver Micah heard moccasin-clad feet trotting through the brush, and a spectre passed by him. Micah raised and cocked the shotgun. The spectre stopped and searched for the sound. Micah fired his shotgun. The shadow reeled in a death-dance and fell. Micah slipped into the shadow of another mesquite and waited. The camp had come to life. Canotta Golden State Warriors Men shouted in confusion. “Be quiet, damn you,” the captain’s shouted. “Take a position and be still, you idiots! Sentries! Chavez!” Ramon’s voice called out. “We are here, Capitain. Did you get the second one, Micah?” “Yeah, he’s down. Were there any more?” “I only saw the two.” “Captain,” Micah said, “send a couple of men out to watch the horses while Ramon and I slip around and see what we can find. They probably came on foot, but they may have horses nearby.” “Are you sure you got them?” one of the Rangers called out. “He’s sure, you idgit,” the captain said, “or he wouldn’t have answered anything at all.” When he woke the next morning, Micah poured himself a cup of coffee. He looked toward the horses and through blurred eyes and saw Ramon standing over the two dead Comanches. Ramon’s fingers briefly touched the handle of his large Bowie, and he muttered words Micah couldn’t make out, words with memories and rage buried deep inside them. He gulped down the hot coffee, refilled the tin cup and carried it to Ramon. “Thought you might like a cup of this coffee. Sure beats that sweet potato coffee I had to drink sometimes in Louisiana. Everything alright, Ramon?” Ramon took the cup, blew across the lip, and carefully sipped at the coffee. “Esta bien, Micah. Two lodges will now be without warriors. Their families will be hungry. Do you know what the Comanches call this time of year, Micah?” It was late February. “No, I don’t.” “They call it, turuetuu nahweetuu tsihasuatuu. In Spanish, it would be, El mes cuando los niños llorar para comida, the month the babies cry. Many nights, I have heard these babies, Anglo and Tejano babies, crying.

As a native Texan, a children’s author, and a storyteller, I am always impressed when I find a wonderful new (at least to me) children’s book and children’s author. Fjallraven Kanken Sale Classic Rey Antonio and Rey Feo, written by Kena Sosa and illustrated by Jessica McClure, was a serendipitous find for me. Todd Gurley Georgia Football Jerseys The book relates a story of San Antonio’s ten day Fiesta, held since 1891 in April.

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Gwenllian: The Last Princess of Wales

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Chapter Fifteen: Ruthie Taken

As the Ranger caravan plodded slowly back to Jacksboro, they saw a plume of black smoke in the near distance. Mochilas Kanken No.2 albion silver “Smoke signals?” one ranger asked. “No. It’s a house burning, “ Ramon said. “The Garrisons have a place along the Brazos. My guess is that it’s theirs. Captain, we should make sure they are safe.” “Let’s go there and check on them. Maybe they’re just burning brush. We need water anyway.” “They ain’t burning brush this time of year, fool!” Micah said. “The Garrison’s are related to Erin.” As the unit changed directions, using the smoke of the burning Garrison house as a mark, Ramon said, “There will be no one alive when we get there.” “Why’s that?” Captain Howard asked. “We call the Brazos the deadline for good reason. ” “Let’s hope you are wrong.” When the Rangers reached the Garrison farm, they found three charred bodies in the smoking cabin—a man, his wife, and one teenage boy. “Anyone missing?” Captain Howard asked. “They have a daughter too, Ruthie. She’s a little older than the brother.” “Where is she? Is she hiding nearby?” “I am sure they took her captive,” Ramon said. “Aw, hell,” one Ranger said. adidas zx 100 homme “Always a step behind the damn Indians and a dollar short.” “We need to go and fetch her back,” Micah said. “We can’t pursue them with these wounded. We need to get them to a doctor before infection sets in and we lose one,” one of the walking Rangers said. “I think someone should go and get her before she comes to harm,” Micah said. “Well, why don’t you just hop on your horse and skedaddle after them.” “Maybe I can get you a horse while I’m at it. Or maybe Jacob will loan you his and you can ride with me. Nike Air Max 2017 Heren blauw “He ain’t about to take my horse,” Jacob said. “He done traded his off to the Comanches.” Ramon knelt and studied the ground. “This is not the same war party. cheap albion gold There’s only three sets of footprints and the prints are wrong for Comanches—their feet aren’t as stubby as a Comanche’s would be. They put the girl on a horse, and it looks like they took a couple of the Garrison horses. They left early last evening. I think they’re headed toward the Red River. Means they’re probably Kiowa who came down the corridor.” “Any volunteers want to go after them?” Captain Howard asked. “Ramon and I will go,” Micah said. “Ain’t quite got Indian killing out of my system yet.” “Ramon?” the captain asked. “Yes, I will go. This boy is as crazy as his father was. I must stay with him.” “I can kill the lot of them by myself once I find them. Yeezy Boost 350 Donna I only wanted you along so I wouldn’t lose their trail, Ramon.” Captain Howard gathered a few haversacks from the men. buy albion gold “You can take whatever rations we have left. We can limp on back to Jacksboro. After I get these wounded men in and replenish our supplies, we’ll catch up with you.” “We’ll likely be back by then,” Micah said. “Stop at the Red River. We don’t have authority to follow them into Indian Territory.” Micah spat. “No one’s going to care where these Indians die.” “Do you want to take the Tonkawas?” Captain Howard asked. buy albion gold Micah, said, “Naw, I don’t reckon we’ll be eating any of these Kiowas anyways.” Micah and Ramon followed the tracks and soon they were going directly north.

buy albion silver Further on, they found an empty jug, one of them had thrown to the ground, then a torn blue calico dress. “I reckon they’re drunk,” Micah said. cheap albion gold Ramon said, “If they found whiskey, they are. It’s either going to make them careless or real mean.” “Why’d they throw down her dress?” Micah asked. Nike Air Max 1 męskie białe “They stripped her to humiliate her. New Balance 996 hombre It is what they do to female captives.” Ramon dismounted and studied the tracks.

cheap albion silver “One keeps doubling back. buy albion gold albion gold I think they know they’re being followed. We will need to kill him first if we can. He is their eyes and probably the leader. We’ll see if they pick up pace or head to harder ground. If they do, that’s a sign they know we’re coming up behind them.” He removed his felt hat and ran his hand through his black hair while he contemplated the terrain. Air Jordan 14 (XIV) “If they’re as drunk as I think, I’d guess they’ll lay up on the other side of the Red.