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.

The author’s language and style of writing is lively and sensory.

The story tells of a family’s adventure and their experience of the San Antonio Fiesta. Solde adidas zx flux The story is told in both English and in Spanish. College Football Jerseys This bilingual approach makes it a fine book for ESL students or for students wanting to learn some Spanish in the context of dialogue. nike air max heren The story is followed by a Fact File, a list of sources one can consult for more information on the Fiesta, and a glossary of Spanish terms used. Canotta Portland Trail Blazers McClure’s beautiful artwork follows and illustrates the narrative well.

With this book, Sosa, a Dallas educator, has proven she knows how to create a good story and communicate it effectively to both children and adults. adidas scarpe bianche This story will take you into the San Antonio Fiesta.

At the Scottish Festival in Batesville Arkansas this past weekend, cheap albion gold I entered a Celtic poetry contest and won second place with my song/poem, buy bns gold “Gwenllian: The Last Princess of Wales.” In this post, buy albion gold I thought I’d post some information about the song. Canotte Atlanta Hawks HERE is the link to iTunes to purchase the song: Below is a YouTube video that will allow you to hear the song: Here are the lyrics:

Gwenllian: The Last Princess of Wales

by Rickey Pittman, nike air max 2017 pas cher cheap albion silver Bard of the South

Taken from her cradle By bloody English hands, buy albion silver After Longshanks killed her father Llewellyn’s final stand Now a cradle in Snowdonia Rocks empty in the night And a little girl is crying From hunger and from fright. Chaussures Nike I hear a ghostly lullaby In this castle’s lonely halls, Justin Blackmon – Oklahoma State Cowboys And whispers of a princess Who few can now recall. Her mother died in childbirth Now her father dead in war,

To a monastery banished She’s held behind locked doors In silent meditation, buy albion gold And worn beads in her hand, nike mercurial junior She passes lonely hours An exile from her land. Baskets Under Armour In a monastery lonely Where stone walls are so cold A princess prays there weeping, cheap albion gold She’s 55 years old. She never learned her language, Solde Adidas She never knew her name Never knew a lover’s kiss Never knew who was to blame. CHORUS: Gwenllian, Wales last princess, albion silver Wales story must be told, albion gold Follow her sad footprints,

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.

Chapter Eleven: First day Home

“Juanito,” Veronica whispered. “Wake, hijo.” Juan opened his eyes. cheap albion silver At first he seemed bewildered, then his eyes changed into the eyes of yesterday’s little boy, one smitten by a memory. “Buenos dias,” he said. “¿Esta mañana?” She pulled him to her and kissed him on the crown of his head. “Yes, my little one. Rise and go with Miguel to gather eggs. buy albion gold Vaya con Miguel para huevos. Miguel, speak to him in English and in Spanish. He must learn to speak English if he is to be a rancher here someday. Put him into some of your clothes. It is cold, so let him wear two shirts until I can make him a jacket.” “Donde esta mis padres?” “Sus padres han pasado al próximo mundo.” “Con los angeles?” “Si. Con los angeles. Está bien, Juanito. albion gold Está bien.” Miguel helped Juan into the shirts and then into a pair of pants. He cinched the britches up and tied the waist with a piece of string. “I will make you suspenders tomorrow, but for now the string will do for a belt. Ven, mi nuevo hermano. Tenemos trabajar. We must visit the chickens. Papá is already outside working. Then we will have breakfast.” Juan smiled and nodded. “Si! Estoy listo.” Miguel took him by the hand and led him outside. * * * Micah slept better and in a deeper sleep than he had expected. He woke to the smell of coffee and biscuits. He sat up, swung his feet to the floor, and said, “Mornin’, Erin. I sure ain’t used to anyone cookin’ for me. You should have woke me. albion silver I would have helped you.” “Don’t talk foolishness,” Erin said. “I could feel it in your body that you’re bone-weary. buy albion gold I’ve looked forward to making your breakfast again for a long time. After all, I’ve got to get your strength up for all those chores I got lined up for you to do.” “I’ll get to them soon enough. I guess you heard of the Ranger unit being formed to go after the Comanches that raided some families along the Brazos.” “Yes, and by the way you ask it, I guess I should expect you to go with them.” “Ramon will be by directly. We’re going out to see my parents’ graves, and then into town to talk to the unit leader. You can’t tell—I may not like him and may turn around come back home.” “You and I both know you’ll go out looking for the Indians. You just can’t help yourself when it comes to doing the right thing—or starting a fight.” “Daddy’s awake!” Skye said. “We can go down now.” The twins clambered down the ladder and both of them made their way to Micah. He clutched them to himself and felt his heart crack. How on earth have I made it without seeing them? he asked himself. Ramon arrived at Micah’s house not long after breakfast. He embraced kissed Erin and the twins, and said, “I have gifts for the twins.” Skye and Benjamin hurried over to him. Skye spoke first. “Since my brother’s a donkey, I bet you brought him some oats!” Erin thumped Skye’s head. “That meanness of yours is getting tiresome, little girl.” “For you, Benjamin.” Ramon held out a small burlap sack. “Pecans.” Then he held out a small silver mirror. cheap albion gold “For you, Skye. But you must share it with your mother. I’ve engraved both of your names on the back.” Skye too the mirror by the handle and held it up to study her reflection. She turned the mirror over and whispered the inscription Ramon had made: To Erin and Skye “I’ll never part with it, Mr. Chavez. Never.” Ramon patted each twin on the head. “You are loved like my own children, hijos.” Micah kissed Erin and the twins. “Say a prayer for your daddy.” Outside, Ramon handed Micah a sack of corn. “For your horse. We’ll probably be gone several days.” “Colbert is used to eating grass, but I don’t reckon he’ll mind some grain. Likely it will spoil him though.” “You weren’t given grain for your horse during the war?” “We got some now and then, but we always ate it ourselves. Once or twice, when there weren’t no grain for the horses, we had to eat the horses too.” Micah rode with Ramon to his parents’ place. The cabin his father had worked so hard to construct had burned to the ground, and the stone chimney stood like a hollow tombstone over the blackened ground and charcoal timbers. He remembered seeing the many houses in Louisiana that General Banks’ men had burned as they retreated in disgrace down the Red River. Under a juniper tree, rose a flat piece of carved sandstone that marked his little brother’s grave. Micah didn’t read the engraved words on the stone, but he knew them by heart: BENJAMIN WARREN EVANS BELOVED SON

OF RACHEL AND JOHN EVANS FEBRUARY 1856-1860

Next to his brother’s grave stood the sandstone tombstones that marked the graves of his father and mother. They dismounted and tied their horses to the juniper. cheap albion gold Micah spat. “The place is in rough shape. The land looks empty without the house.” “It is not the land that is empty, hijo, but your heart. The land and spring are still good and they are yours. It will be a good place to raise a family. buy albion silver It is better land than where you and Erin now live. I will help you rebuild the cabin if you want.” Micah said. “Pa always said he would never leave here.” “It broke my heart to bury my friend. I have dug many graves in Texas, but I never thought one would be his. I hope you don’t mind, but I brought a priest here after you went to war and asked him to give their bodies a blessing.” Micah nodded. “That’s alright. They were Methodists, but I reckon they are mighty pleased.” Micah knelt and touched each mound of earth, then each gravestone. “It ain’t right that there’s so much death in this place.” Ramon placed a hand on his shoulder. “No, it is not right. The Comanches do not fight with honor, nor with mercy. We should go now, hijo,” Ramon said. “After this Ranger expedition, I have work that must be done and I know you do too.” “Ain’t no shortage of work, that’s for sure.” Micah studied the charred timbers of the house, the graves, and the desolation of the sight dug in his heart like a knife. “I’m glad you both died quickly, and without violence,” he whispered.

A Preface

Each week, I intend to publish on this blog at least one chapter of my new novel, The Month the Babies Cry. Goedkoop Adidas NEO I’ve researched and worked on it for several years. albion gold When it is complete, I’ll get it into print form, though certainly there will be many revisions by that time. adidas zx flux uomo prezzi cheap albion gold The novel is set in the last two years of the War Between the States. cheap albion gold buy albion gold The point of view is rigidly Southern and Texan. New Balance 420 męskie Texans in the mid-nineteenth century were a tough breed of people, who settled, ranched, farmed, raised families in North and West Texas. buty siatkarskie asics allegro buy albion gold Too many of them died there. albion silver Micah and the other characters of my novel faced extreme difficulties, not only from the war that pulled 90,000 Texans into the Confederate Army, but from the wars with the Comanche and Kiowa. If you stroll through the graveyards of Jack, Wise, Hood and other counties, you will see many tombstones of men, women, and children who were killed by Comanche and Kiowa raiders. Nike Air Max 2016 Heren groen I have studied the Native Americans of Texas extensively and tried to be accurate and fair in presenting them, but the reader will not find the portrait of the media’s Noble Savage in the novel. From the Texan point of view, the Comanches and Kiowa were just savages. Though the early Texans were not without fault and transgression, the hate they felt for the Comanches and Kiowa had some justification. buy albion silver I hope to capture the heart, feelings, and thoughts of these frontier Texans. scarpe adidas italia cheap albion gold I love Texas and am proud to be a native Texan.

My ancestors on my father’s side were some of these early settlers that I chose to write about. Canotte Los Angeles Clippers The title of the novel, The Month the Babies Cry, comes from the Comanche word for February, which according to my research means, “The Month the Babies Cry.” Obviously, this is a hint that some key events happen in February. I hope to also have completed a study guide, a list of resources, and glossary for the novel by the time the complete printed version is published. I want to extend my personal thanks to Billy Dunn, my writing mentor. nike air max 2017 femme noir He is the one who most helped me begin my writing journey many years ago. cheap albion silver Thank you, reader, for beginning this Texas journey with me.

This is my tenth chapter of my western, The Month the Babies Cry.

Chapter Ten: Home

His house was dark. Micah tied his horse to the hitching rail in front and walked up to the door. He knew it would be barred, so he knocked and called out, “Erin! Erin, it’s Micah.”

“Who’s there?” Erin said in a sleepy voice.

“It’s Micah, Erin. For God’s sake open the door and let me see you.”

He heard her strike a Lucifer and saw a glow of light through the window as she lit the candle lantern. Then she withdrew the bar from the door and opened it. She held up the lantern so she could see his face.

She held her hand to her mouth. “Micah. It is you! Oh, Micah.”

Micah filled his eyes with her and entered, took the lantern and set it on the floor. He tossed his hat down to the floor and pulled her to him and kissed her. “I’ve waited a long time for this kiss, Erin.” He could feel the softness of her breasts through her cotton nightshirt.

Erin wrapped her arms around him and sobbed. “Micah, are you home for good? How long can you stay?”

“I just got home, sweetheart. Don’t go and start talking about when I’m going to have to leave. I’m on furlough, so I’ll be here a spell.” Yet, even as he said it, he knew he wasn’t going to go back. “Where are the babies?”

She pointed up to the loft. A little girl’s voice called out, “Mama? Is someone here? Who is it?”

“It’s your father, Skye. Come down and see him.”

“Benjamin, wake up! Daddy’s home!”

Benjamin only mumbled something, and then Micah heard Skye slap him. “I said get up, Benjamin! Come on!”

Skye scampered down the wooden ladder from the loft and ran to Micah. She stood and looked at him, her eyes as blue and intense as her mother’s, evaluating him. “You really my father?”

“Yes, Skye, I am.”

“Say something only my father would know.”

“Your mother would sing to you of the faeries at night.”

“Everyone knows she does that. Say something else.”

He held out his hand. “You and I were the only ones who can go across your magic bridge in two strides. You told me that yourself.”

She smiled. “I knew you were my father all along. I just wanted to hear you talk. Why have you been gone so long? You better not leave us again.”

Micah pulled her to him. “I really don’t know, Skye.”

Micah watched Benjamin climb slowly down the ladder. He came up to them rubbing his eyes.

“Hello, son,” Micah said.

Benjamin stepped up and hugged him. Micah released Erin’s waist and lifted the twins, one in each arm. He kissed them and set them down. “You kids go back to bed. It’s past midnight. We’ll talk more tomorrow. I haven’t seen your mother in a long time, and we need to talk some.” He winked at Erin.

Erin cleared her throat. Skye laughed. She took Benjamin by the hand and said, “Come on, Benjamin, before Daddy finds out you’re really a donkey changeling. I suppose they want to kiss and such and they can’t do that with us here.”

They climbed up the ladder, and Micah went outside to care for his horse.

When he finished, Micah entered and kissed Erin a long time.   As they undressed, he could hear the twins giggling. He stoked the fire with a couple of mesquite logs, banked the coals, blew out the lantern, and lay down with Erin. He and Erin made love and talked, and when Erin slept, he listened to the sound of her breathing as she slumbered.

Then, he listened to the night-sounds of Jack County—the distant coyotes, and a lone unknown winter songbird that shared a familiar, sad Texas melody. Micah thought his parents must have listened to the same song many nights. His parents loved Texas, and never missed much that Texas gave them, finding joy in all her music, even when the melody was a sad one. Sometime before he fell asleep, he remembered that, other than the trapper’s shack, this was the first night he had spent in a house in two years.

A Short Glossary for Bless Me Ultima by Rudolf Anaya

I just completed a wonderful read of Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolf Anaya. As I work extensively in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, presenting my “Songs & Stories of Texas,” I’ve realized how important vocabulary is to students’ studies.  I know that since 1972, the book has been a reading selection for high school (and I would assume junior high) readers. I encourage you to research the awards and recognition this book has earned. To help you and your students with this read, and in case you or some of your students are not bilingual, I selected 33 words that are probably new to many students and teachers. I added simple definitions as the words are  used in the book. Some of the meanings of the Spanish sentences can be determined by context, but some cannot. There are so many good translation tools online that this should not present a problem.  Teachers teaching this book may want to use this list as a quiz, review, or bellringer. I did not list any of the what  might be considered as swear-words or crude language that is used in the book. Students probably already know these words and phrases anyway.  I encourage the teacher/student to use the Internet to find pictures and more details of the words listed here. If you have studied this book extensively and  I am wrong on any of these words, please email at rickeyp at bayou.com and I will make a correction or addition if it is warranted.

adobe – type of clay brick

atole –   hot corn based  beverage

bizcochitos – crisp lard- or butter-based cookie, flavored with cinnamon and anise.

bruja – witch

chicos – dried sweet corn

crudo – hungover

cuentos – songs

curandera – healer

doily – small lace mat placed under plate.

empaniditas – sweet cookies

el encanto – curse

farol – lantern

gabacha – white girl

grillos – crickets

llano – grassy plains

la llorona  – ghostly, weeping woman

manzanilla – chamomile tea

molino – mill

la misa de gallo – midnight mass

mitote – dream,dance

novena – private or public prayers repeated for nine successive days

nopal – prickly pear cactus

pesadilla – nightmare

piñon – a small pine with edible seeds.

oshá – an herb, root used for healing.

ristras – strings of dried chile peppers.

scapular – necklace with religious and personal significance.

vaquero – cowboy

velorio – wake

Virgen de Guadalupe – Mexico’s patron saint, honored on Dec. 12.

yerba del masno – medicinal plant of the Southwest

yerba de la vívora (also víbora) medicinal plant

yucca – a plant of the agave family with stiff swordlike leaves.

Here’s a photo of a scapular: 

*Teachers may use this list freely as long as credit is given to:

Rickey Pittman, Bard of the South,  https:www.bardofthesouth.com.

Now available on Amazon! Order HERE:  Below are some readers’ comments and blurbs about the novel.

Red River Fever by Rickey Pittman

Reviewed by Brandi Atkerson

Durant is a small, close-knit town in the Red River Valley with a serious problem.  Clifton Ray is the local bad boy and the legendary Red River Fever has done its best, or worst, to make him a force to be reckoned with.

At the beginning of the tale Clifton is just your typical hood.  Playing pranks on local businessmen and beating up women are just a couple of the despicable traits of this bundle of bad news.  Once he gets the fever though, things go downhill and quickly.  As the fever rages, Clifton’s pranks and bullying go darker and more violent, turning the fairly quiet town of Durant into a fiery bloodbath.  Murder, malicious mischief, and mayhem ensue as Clifton goes on a killing rampage.  Through it all, Clifton’s nonchalance about his hideous acts make this tale one you don’t want to read on a hot summer evening in the swing on your front porch.

Rickey Pittman brings the passion of his Christian schooling and upbringing into a tale wrought with horror.  With his first novel, Mr. Pittman shows us why he was added to the Louisiana Roster of Artists and won the Ernest Hemmingway Short Story Competition in 1998.   His vivid descriptions and believable characters, combined with the tales passed down from his parents, make “Red River Fever” a frightening roller coaster, with a lead man you’d rather kick than look at.

A must-buy for anyone that enjoys the darker side of history and the legends passed down from father to son, Red River Fever is a novel worth buying for your collection.

Review by B.D.

In Red River Fever, we meet Clifton Ray, a redneck Byronic anti-hero of the Red River Valley. At the beginning of the novel, he is the quintessential small town bad boy – swilling whiskey, fighting in bars, playing pranks, and chasing loose women at the local honky-tonk. The mood and dialogue in the novel is so authentic that it makes us feel as if we were leaning on the bar, observing Clifton Ray and his buddies.

But the Red River Valley, located in the Texoma Region of the country, is anything but quaint. Legend has it that the Valley has been plagued for ages by a supernatural force called by the locals, Red River Fever, an uncontrollable madness that can take possession of a man and drive him to violence and even murder.

There are omens and prophesies of evil throughout the story given by Native Americans, Fundamentalist Christians, and even those closest to Clifton Ray, as they sense the fever building. Clifton Ray, as well as a few other residents of the valley, begin to behave more cruelly and violently. Clifton Ray seems to morally descend from being a prankster, to sadistic, to almost demonic, seemingly possessed by this mythical Red River Fever. The novel is a suspenseful read, as we quickly turn each page, wondering if there will be redemption or destruction for the darkly fascinating Clifton Ray.

One of Rickey Pittman’s mottoes is a quote from Akira Kurosawa: “The role of the artist is to not look away.” *Red River Fever* never looks away. It is a vision of hell where evil is perfectly interpenetrated with ordinary life, while the good is superficial and eccentric. It is Dashiell Hammett’s *Red Harvest* reborn in the American South of the 1970s, a place where the lives of dogs and fish, and finally of men and women, have lost their intrinsic value. Where vitality has become a fever, a disease, and where love itself withers in the heat. Don’t be fooled by its localities of time and place. What Rickey is talking about is the condition of the American soul right now, not some faraway Gothic but what’s right in the mirror, if we dare to open our eyes and not look away–David Lenson, Professor, Comparative Literature, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Some haunting, graphic scenes. The characters really come to life. . . people just like that live in Hebert and Start. A powerful, frightening statement on living in the South.—-Angela Ford, Monroe, Louisiana.

We all know someone like Clifton, more serious about fun than work, but unlike the ones we know, Clifton seems to get meaner with each page of the book. . . Clifton Ray is verbal and mean as an old cur dog, and Pittman is very detailed and descriptive in his writing. I found the book an easy read, and Pittman has a way of communicating the feelings of the lowest gutter rat to the pain and suffering felt by the innocent victims . . .This is Rickey Pittman’s first novel, but I am sure not his last one.  Mickey McLean, Column, “The Edge of the Woods,” Bastrop Daily Enterprise.

The music in your language is wonderful.  Your use of alliteration, assonance, and consonance gives your words an incredible resonance.  Not many authors can do that without detracting from the story line or trying to cover up for the lack of a story line.  You worked it just right. You also managed to use slang and local dialect without sounding affected.  That is hard to do well; not many authors pull it off successfully.  You did.  The characters were very believable and life-like.  I especially enjoyed the way you pulled it all together at the end with the reference to the “Red River Valley” song.  . .  I like a book that makes me think.—Allison Diffey, Cleveland, MS.

A first novel is always a treat to read . . . I was moved by the descriptions which one can tell came directly from Pittman’s soul. For example, “Something about the house’s condition, like his own, saddened him.” Impressive writing.—Sharon Morrison, Librarian, Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Red River Fever is very interesting. The characters and setting seem so real and intelligently thought out.  That Clifton Ray is a bad boy and all the women love him—reminded me a little bit of my daddy in his younger days. Pittman did an excellent job of capturing the essence of the woman-charming, cocky, good ole boy!  I was thinking, “Yeah, I’ll bet he can’t carry this one off,” because I know that character, but he surely did it, and did it well!” Should be made into a movie. It’s good!—Cyndi  Butler, Dallas, TX.

I just finished reading the book last night. It was great.  It was one of those books that you just can’t put down because you want to know right then and there what is going to happen to these people next. I can’t wait until your next one comes out. You have me hooked now.  Ursula Braxton, Houma, Louisiana.

Overall, the novel left me with somewhat of a haunting feeling. And I like that. It’s not a traditional Hollywood ending (thank you). It reflects the darkest capabilities of humans. They cannot be ignored. Time and time again they have emerged, proving their existence, whether people want to acknowledge them or not. The evils come to the surface. This novel just portrays a fictitious stimulus, almost personifying what many people cannot explain in everyday life. . . this novel inspired thought.-–Regina Phillips, Durant Democrat, Durant, OK.

Pittman has a great talent for making characters come to life. Honestly, I can see so many people I know in these characters.—-Judith McDaniel, Monroe, Louisiana.

Museum of South Texas History Rickey Pittman: “The Bard of the South” Award-winning storyteller set to perform musical show Nov. nike tn noir femme buy albion gold 15 The Museum of South Texas History (“MOSTHistory”), a museum chronicling the heritage of South Texas and Northeastern Mexico, invites the community to enjoy a one-of-a-kind, family-friendly Sunday Speaker Series event featuring Rickey Pittman, “The Bard of the South”, on Sunday, Nov. adidas superstar donna albion silver 15 at 2 p.m. adidas shoes air max pas cher albion gold The award-winning storyteller and folksinger will perform in the MOSTHistory Grand Lobby, sharing a variety of musical numbers from “Songs & Stories of the Rio Grande Valley” that include history and culture of the region. nike pas cher Pittman will also be reading from his latest publication, Rio Grande Valley ABC, and will be available to sign copies that can be purchased in the Museum Store. air jordan xx8 Air Max 2017 Rosso Uomo

UCF Knights Pittman’s newly published book features elements from life in the Rio Grande Valley. basket adidas new balance 993 outlet adidas superstar damskie buy albion silver From historical to natural references, it is clear the RGV is situated in the crossroads between the United States and Mexico. Nike Yeezy 2
cheap albion gold Expect acoustic guitar tunes, fun rhyming and engaging history during this family-friendly event, sure to be a hit with old and young alike. asics sneakers sale Goedkoop Nike Schoenen 2017 nike scarpe italia Sunday Speaker Series is included in the fee for regular admission. ugg classic mini boots South Carolina Gamecocks Jerseys FRIENDS of the Museum are admitted free as a benefit of FRIENDship. new balance 990 Nike SB Stefan Janoski cheap albion silver This program is made possible with generous support from the Carmen C. nike internationalist Goedkoop Adidas Superstar Adidas buty męskie cheap albion gold Guerra Endowment. chaussure air jordan Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie Canotte Golden State Warriors Mrs. nike air max 1 og homme Fjallraven Kanken 7L buy albion gold Guerra was deeply committed to supporting educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley.