“Don’t go get yourself too drunk, Bass,” Graham warned. “Need to have you ready to kick and gouge, soon enough.”
“Damn,” Scratch muttered. “Here I come to this here
“Plenty of time for fun afore the fighting starts,” Caleb explained.
Bass inquired, “Why there gotta be any fighting anyways?”
“That soldier bunch been wanting to trim our feathers ever since we caught up to them Comanch’,” Hatcher declared. “Ain’t no stopping what’s been coming ever since that morning up in the mountains.”
“’Sides, Scratch,” Elbridge said, “it ain’t a real fandango less’n there’s some head-banging on them greasers.”
“Man can’t come and have himself a drink and a dance?”
Caleb shook his head, grinning. “Not when there’s more fellers here than there is wimmens!”
“Ye figger on dancing with their women,” Hatcher explained, “ye best be ready to put yer fists to work.”
“They don’t like me dancing with their gals, eh?”
“You’ll get a whirl or two in,” Kinkead stated. “But they don’t put up with us dancing with their women for long at all.”
“I was looking forward to some likker and a dance with a soft-feeling gal or two,” Bass grumped. “Might as well be spending this night in some Injun camp since’t I can’t enjoy my likker and my dancin’ neither … ’thout some Mex soldiers wanting to put their thumbs in my eyes, or stomp on my shins!”
“Matthew, go take ye a look around the room,” Jack instructed as he put a fraternal hand on Bass’s shoulder. “See if’n ye can spot a likely gal for Titus to dance with afore the fighting starts.”
“And once the fighting starts,” Scratch kept on muttering with deep disappointment, “then all the rest of my fun’s run dry too.”
“I’ll be back straight’way,” Kinkead declared as he steered Rosa away into the bustling room.
As he sipped on his clay cup of liquor, Bass looked over the growing crowd, beginning to notice how the men and women openly flirted with one another. While the more demure and younger women stayed behind their wide fans kept fluttering before their eyes, most of the older females boldly began conversations with the men passing by them. Much the same with the rougher sex, anxious and unsure young men scrunched up against a wall, perhaps talking only with male friends as they furtively eyed the young women, mortally afraid to chance striking up a chat with one of the black-eyed beauties.
As his eyes bounced over this group and that, Scratch groaned, “What you go and do that for, Jack?”
Hatcher asked, “Do what?”
“Send Kinkead off to go find me a gal—”
“Ain’t you gonna dance tonight?”
He finally turned to look at Hatcher. “I am.”
“Eegod! Won’t it feel good to have your arms round one of ’em for that dancing?” Jack inquired.
“Damn fine,” Bass replied.
“Then it’s settled: we’ll find you a likely gal for dancing,” Jack explained. “And maybeso … a li’l courting too when the night grows old.”
“Courting? I ain’t in no mood for courting one of these here women!” Scratch bellowed a little too loudly. Then, realizing his transgression, more quietly he said to the others, “I ain’t like Matthew there. I don’t aim to get married off to no gal—Injun or Mex.”
“Dancing … even courting don’t mean you’re getting yourself married, Scratch!” Caleb guffawed.
And Isaac declared, “But some sweet courting talk just might get you bedded down with some soft-skinned gal!”
“Just like you got yourself a warm one to sleep with while you was healing up with the Snakes,” Solomon declared.
“Hush!” Jack declared, waving his arms suddenly.
At the center of the long room Governor Mirabal stepped atop the low platform in front of the musicians, bowed gracefully in his velvet uniform trimmed with silver braid, the crowded room applauding politely, then began to speak. As Kinkead hurried back to the group, Hatcher asked him to translate.
“He’s saying he’s proud to have everyone as a guest in his home,” Matthew explained as the governor turned, holding out his arm. “Says that this is a special night for celebration … his wife and oldest daughter are back under their roof … not again to have to worry about Comanches.”
“T-that’s them?” Rufus Graham asked as the woman and her daughter glided up to the low platform in their wide-hooped dresses, both of vivid color, the long lace of their mantillas spilling from the tall bone combs fastened at their crowns, hair ironed into tight ringlets around both faces.
“Damn if them women don’t shine!” Hatcher exclaimed.
Caleb declared, “I can’t believe it’s the same two we brung back from the mountains!”
“Can’t be,” Scratch agreed. “They don’t look a thing like the two what Matthew here said was relations of that governor.”
“It’s them,” Kinkead testified. “You niggers don’t recollect them two been yanked out’n their homes afore sunup by the Comanche … and now you see ’em in all their finest glory.”
“Damn if them women don’t shine!” Hatcher marveled again.
“You said that awready once’t!” Wood cried. Then, as he peered over at Hatcher, he added, “Lookee there, boys! Mad Jack’s got him pup-dog eyes for them gals.”
“Shut that bunghole of your’n!” Hatcher snapped, then turned to Kinkead. “What else is he saying now, Matthew?”
Just then the governor motioned off to the far side of the room, waving up the sergeant of that detail of soldiers who had followed the trappers along the Comanche trail.
“Telling everyone how much a hero they were to ride after the Injuns what took the cattle and sheep, what took the women and children of our valley,” Kinkead translated.
The new lieutenant stood on the floor just in front of the governor as the official continued speaking.
“He wants the rest of the soldiers to come up so everyone can know who were heroes after their captain was killed in the fight with the Injuns.”
The seven uniformed soldiers came out of the crowd, joined by at least a dozen more men dressed in their finest civilian clothing, resplendent in braid, silver conchos, and ornamental buttons from ankle clear up to collarbone.
“That ain’t all of ’em is it?” Isaac asked in a whisper.
“I figger some of ’em still covering guard watch, maybe,” Jack replied. “They ain’t all here.”
“Hol’t on!” Kinkead blurted, waving both his arms in a downward motion to quiet the others.
Hatcher asked, “What’s he saying?”
“I’d tell you if I could hear!” Then Matthew moved forward a step, cocking his ear as the governor’s eyes scanned the crowd. “Jack—he’s saying he wants you and me to come up there with them soldiers.”
“Me?”
Kinkead nodded, starting off with Rosa beneath one arm, his huge hand snatching hold of Hatcher’s sleeve and tugging him along. “Governor wants all of us.”
“Why, goddammit?”
Matthew grinned. “He says we’re the heroes what brung his family back to him. We’re the heroes he says kept the soldiers from getting all killed by the Injuns.”
“C’mon!” Hatcher growled with a sharp gesture of his head. “If’n I’m going up there, rest of you are too!”
“Likely he’s got that right,” Solomon said.
“Got what right?” Bass asked.
Fish replied, “When he says them soldiers get killed if’n we hadn’t come along.”
The group shyly followed Matthew and Rosa to the front of the low platform, where Rosa slipped out from beneath her husband’s arm and joined the front row of spectators who were applauding with their approval. Most everyone in the room smiled enthusiastically as the eight Americans strung themselves out at one side of the platform … everyone but the soldiers and those in attendance who hated every gringo, no matter what they had
