“That clears your name. There’s nothing to stop you going back to Louisiana.”
Beauregard Rassendyll’s words still seemed to be keeping time with the big line backed dun gelding’s two-beat gait— wherein the off fore and near hind and the near fore and off hind alternately struck the ground at the same time—and Ole Devil Hardin tried to shake them from his thoughts as he rode “posting the trot” ix into an area of woodland some five miles southwest of Santa Cristobal Bay. They had been so perturbing that, wanting to consider them without distraction, he had left Diamond-Hitch Brindley, Mannen Blaze and the supercargo to attend to the consignment of Caplock rifles while he, ostensibly, made the rounds of the pickets.
While Rassendyll’s news had been very welcome in one respect, from another it had presented its recipient with the making of a very difficult decision.
From the beginning of the affair that had caused Ole Devil to come to Texas, but he could have proved that he was innocent of Saul Beaucoup’s murder but for one vitally important detail. He had had a perfect alibi, except that he could only use it by besmirching the honor of the woman he loved and creating a situation which could have had grave repercussions throughout the whole State of Louisiana.
Not that Melissa Comforth would have objected, or refused to help Ole Devil. In fact, she had begged him to ignore the consequences and allow her to do so. Despite the precarious nature of his position, he had declined to accept her suggestion. He had appreciated the ramifications of permitting her to compromise herself. They went far beyond the disastrous effect which such an action would have had upon her social standing and future.
As was frequently done by upper class Southrons, Melissa’s parents had arranged what they considered to be a suitable and mutually advantageous marriage for her. Apart from one factor, she would have been content to conform with their wishes. The man in question was Kerry Vanderlyne, whom she had known since they were children. He was handsome and, while there had been no romantic feeling between them, she had always been on the best of terms with him. Unfortunately, shortly before their betrothal was announced, she had met and fallen in love with his best friend —Jackson Baines Hardin.
Hoping to find some way of resolving the situation without hurting or embarrassing Vanderlyne, of whom they were both fond, Melissa and Ole Devil had met secretly to discuss it in an unoccupied cabin on the boundary separating her parents’ and his uncle’s plantations. Caught by an unexpected and violent thunderstorm, they were compelled to spend the night there. Although Melissa had contrived to return home the following morning without anybody discovering what had happened, a serious complication had arisen.
During the night, a wealthy Iberville Parish x bully and trouble-causer, Saul Beaucoup, had been murdered in Crown Bayou.
In spite of his family’s social prominence, Kerry Vanderlyne, having become interested in law enforcement, was serving as town constable and deputy sheriff in Crown Bayou. So it had fallen upon him to conduct the investigation. All the available evidence had suggested that Ole Devil was the culprit. There was known to be ill will between him and Beaucoup and a sword belonging to him was buried in the other’s back. What was more, while unable to make a positive identification, a witness claimed to have seen a man answering to Ole Devil’s general description hurrying away from the scene of the crime at about eleven o’clock the previous evening.
When questioned by Vanderlyne, Ole Devil had stated he was innocent. The sword was one of half a dozen he had brought with him and had been in the salle de armes at the Blaze plantation from where it could easily have been removed without the loss being noticed. However, he had refused to account for his movements at the time that the murder was being committed.
There had been excellent reasons for Ole Devil’s reticence and refusal to let Melissa speak on his behalf. When her parents heard what had happened, they would never forgive him even if he married her. Nor, no matter how Vanderlyne accepted the loss of his fiancée, would the rest of his kin. As the two families formed a powerful support for the Hardin, Fog and Blaze clan in the state’s affairs, he had no desire to bring such an advantageous alliance to an end if it could be avoided.
Although convinced of Ole Devil’s innocence, Vanderlyne had been forced to take him into custody. Failure to have done so would have been contrary to the oath the young man had sworn on becoming a peace officer. In addition, it would have antagonized the Beaucoup family and their friends who were hinting that justice would not be done. So a refusal would have embroiled the citizens of Crown Bayou and the parish seat, Plaguemine, in the controversy. With so many influential people involved, most of Louisiana’s population would probably have taken sides. Once that had happened, a feud of statewide proportions and costing many lives was almost certain to have developed.
Being an intelligent girl, Melissa had not blamed Vanderlyne for arresting Ole Devil. She had also understood the latter’s reason for insisting that she did not become involved, even to prove his innocence. Yet, with so much of the evidence suggesting that he was guilty, she was determined to save him. Taking Mannen Blaze into her confidence, she had found that he was willing to help her. However, neither of them had been able to decide what to do. The arrival of one of Melissa’s cousins had provided them with a solution. Telling Rezin Pleasant Bowie xi the full story, she had obtained his support. A shrewd man, he had produced a plan. Aided by Mannen, he had broken Ole Devil out of jail. No suspicion of his part had fallen upon Bowie. The cousins had fled to Texas, joining others of their kin who had already settled there and were taking an active interest in that area of Mexico’s affairs. xii
While the Beaucoup faction had been furious when they heard of the escape and had offered a large reward for the capture of Ole Devil and Mannen, nothing worse had happened. Tactfully, as the bounty said “Alive Only,” the Hardin, Fog and Blaze clan had not protested at its issue. So, having no desire to antagonize such a powerful confederation, the Beaucoups had announced publicly that they accepted that the jail-delivery had been engineered by the two young men without the knowledge, authority or assistance of their family. With an apology from Ole Devil’s and Mannen’s fathers, made without any admission that the former might have been guilty, the affair had been allowed to come to a peaceful end. xiii
As Vanderlyne had been handling a matter of law enforcement on the Beaucoups’ behalf some distance from Crown Bayou at the time of the escape, one of the factors which Bowie had taken into consideration, his career as a peace officer, had not suffered on account of it. Not only was he retained in office—much to the annoyance of his father, who did not approve of him carrying out such work—but two years later he had been elected sheriff of Iberville Parish. He had continued to search for the truth about the killing, believing that—in spite of Ole Devil’s escape and flight—some other person was responsible.
The discovery that he had finally been proven innocent was a great relief to Ole Devil. Not only had his conscience been troubled by his having escaped from jail, although he had had more than his own welfare in mind when agreeing, but he had hated the stigma which he felt his actions had put upon his name. On learning of the price which had been put on his head by the Beaucoups, he had adopted the hornlike style for his hair and cultivated the mustache and beard. He had always been aware of his features’ somewhat Mephistophelian characteristics. So he had sought to emphasize them in spite of warnings from others of his family that they would draw attention and remind people of his nickname. It had not been a mere act of braggadocio, but was a subconscious wish to prove that—although he might have “gone to Texas” xiv —he had no reason to conceal his true identity.
However, the rest of Rassendyll’s news had caused the young Texian considerable mental turmoil and heart-searching.
Being aware of the consequences if he should return to Louisiana with the murder charge still hanging over him and having had no hope that his name would be cleared by the discovery of the real culprit’s identity, Ole Devil had reconciled himself to making his home in Texas. Nor was there any chance of Melissa joining him. They had decided that at their last meeting, on the road west out of Crown Bayou just after he had made his escape from the town’s jail. For her to have followed him would have meant the end of her engagement with Vanderlyne and the creation of the dissension between their respective families which they were trying to prevent. So they had put their duty to their kinfolk before their love for each other and had parted. Nor had they made any attempt to communicate and he had heard little about her until Rassendyll’s arrival.
While far from being promiscuous, having accepted that Melissa was in all probability lost to him, Ole Devil had not entirely shunned contact with members of the opposite sex since settling in Texas. Nor had the opportunity to meet them been lacking. Despite knowing why he had been compelled to leave Louisiana, or at least such of the facts as had been made public, he was still considered an eligible bachelor by virtue of his influential connections. More than one family had sought to interest him in its unmarried daughters, cousins or nieces. However, not one of the young ladies with whom he had become acquainted had drawn even close to replacing Melissa in his affections. What was more, according to the supercargo’s story, there was a chance that she reciprocated his feelings.
Although Melissa and Vanderlyne were still engaged, it had been announced that they did not intend to marry until he was in a position to support her in something close to the manner to which she was accustomed. The reason for the delay was that he had become estranged from his father by his insistence on remaining a peace officer and refusing to accept financial assistance from her parents. He had been so successful during his period in the capacity of sheriff of Iberville Parish that he was to be appointed U.S. Marshal for the State of Louisiana. Such an important post had brought a reconciliation with his father and would also allow him to take Melissa for his bride.
The date set for Vanderlyne’s appointment was March 31st!
Everybody who knew the couple was expecting that their wedding would follow shortly, probably before the end of April!
With his innocence established, Ole Devil was free to return to Louisiana and renew his relationship with the only woman he had ever loved. However, apart from any other consideration, he would have to leave Texas as soon as possible if he wanted to arrive before she was lost to him forever by becoming Vanderlyne’s wife.
Unfortunately, Ole Devil had appreciated that there were a number of obstacles in the path of his desire. One of the most important was the realization that he now owed an additional debt to Vanderlyne. Thinking about his and Mannen’s flight, he had always suspected the peace officer had failed to act with his usual diligence and efficiency when organizing the pursuit after the jail-delivery. Now it was clear that he had continued to devote time and effort to clearing his friend’s name.
Such an obligation was not to be taken lightly by a man of Ole Devil’s character, background and upbringing.
What was more, there were others to whom the young Texian was under a debt of gratitude.
The Bowie family had a claim upon Ole Devil for the part one of them had played in his escape. Not only had Rezin Pleasant Bowie planned how it was to be done, he had risked his liberty and reputation by helping Mannen Blaze to implement the far from danger-free scheme.
Being members of the Hardin, Fog and Blaze clan had done much to smooth the two young fugitives’ path across Louisiana, as had the money and other aids to the flight which had been supplied without question when Mannen had requested them. Other kinsmen, accepting Ole Devil’s word that he was innocent, had helped the cousins to establish themselves in Texas. He knew and shared their sentiments on the matter of breaking free from the tyrannical yoke of Presidente Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and had committed himself, without pressure from them to do so, to the cause. Bearing the latter point in mind, Ole Devil had his well-developed sense of duty to contend with. He was all too aware of how badly the hurriedly formed, greatly outnumbered Army of the Republic of Texas needed every man. Harassed by internal friction as much as from the enemy, Major General Samuel Houston could ill afford to lose the services of a loyal, disciplined and competent officer, which Ole Devil knew he had proved himself to be.
In addition, there was Melissa’s feelings for Ole Devil to consider. While the delay in the marriage might have been at her instigation and caused by the hope that circumstances might allow him to return and resume their love affair, it could also be for the reason given by Rassendyll. It was in keeping with Vanderlyne’s character that he would want to support his wife and by his own efforts rather than relying upon the bounty of his, or her, parents, and yet refuse to allow her standards of living to be lowered to any great extent.
So, in spite of his assumption that he could go back and take up where he had left off with Melissa, Ole Devil was realistic enough to concede that he might be wrong. In the years which had elapsed since his departure, she could have changed her attitude toward him. It was possible that she had come to love Vanderlyne and put Ole Devil from her thoughts as being unattainable. If he returned, he might stir up an emotional conflict which would be better avoided.
What was more, a successful resumption of their love affair would produce the friction between their respective families which Ole Devil’s refusal to allow Melissa to prove his innocence in the first place had been intended to avert. The need to prevent it was even greater now than it had been when the incident occurred. The Comforths and Vanderlynes were backing the Hardins, Fogs and Blazes in the bitter controversy over whether the United States Congress should continue to allow support to be given to the Texians in their struggle for independence.
The continuation of the powerful alliance between the families would be of far greater importance in the future. Many prominent Texians, Ole Devil’s kin among them, accepted that the forming of an independent Republic was only a short-term policy. However, their ambition to see Texas become a part of the United States did not meet with complete approval in that country. The anti-slavery lobby was utterly, almost rabidly, opposed to what threatened to be the creation of further “Slave-States.” xv Others could not see any profit in the acquisition of such a vast, thinly populated, and, as far as they could tell, unproductive wilderness; particularly when obtaining it would antagonize and probably have an adverse effect upon trade with Mexico.
Taking all the facts into consideration, Ole Devil realized that his decision could have far-reaching effects. If Melissa was being forced against her wishes into an unwanted marriage with a man she hated, he would not have hesitated to return and take her regardless of the consequences. However, he knew that such was not the case. She had always felt warmth and affection, if not love, for Vanderlyne. In fact, her only misgivings over her feelings toward Ole Devil had been caused by a wish to avoid hurting her fiancé.
Being an intelligent young man, with a well-developed sense of responsibility, Ole Devil had known at the bottom of his heart from the moment he had heard Rassendyll’s news that there was only one course he could take with honor. He must continue to adhere to the arrangement which Melissa and he had made that night on the outskirts of Crown Bayou.
There could be no going back!
Knowing it had been one thing, accepting it was less easy!
Although Ole Devil was normally too well adjusted to be plagued by self-doubts, the receipt of the news and the understanding of its implications had been a traumatic experience. So much so that he had felt an irresistible desire to be alone and give the matter his undivided attention. Certainly the noise and activity on the beach at Santa Cristobal Bay had been too distracting and disturbing for him to concentrate upon the various conflicting issues which were involved. Knowing that he could count upon Mannen, Di Brindley and Rassendyll as on himself, he had collected the gelding and, ostensibly, set off to inspect the pickets whom he had positioned earlier that morning.
None of the men Ole Devil had visited so far had had anything to report. However, in spite of approaching the most distant of the remaining pickets and knowing that it was the direction from which an enemy force might be expected to come, his emotional condition was making him far less alert and watchful than would normally have been the case.
An excellent horseman, the young Texian guided his horse through the woodland with hardly any need for conscious thought. He was following a trail which had been made either by wild animals or free-ranging longhorn cattle. Being well trained, the gelding kept far enough away from the trees to save him from banging his legs against the trunks or being swept from the saddle by low hanging branches.
Approaching a massive old cottonwood tree, the dun saw nothing to prevent it passing underneath the lowest branches. They were high enough for there to be no danger of them touching its rider. Still engrossed in his thoughts, Ole Devil was giving little attention to his surroundings. So the man who, having been concealed by the thick foliage, dropped off an overhanging limb took him completely unawares.
Before the Texian could react, he was being half knocked and half dragged from his low homed, double girthed “slick fork” saddle. xvi Trying to struggle, his head struck the tree’s trunk a glancing blow. For a brief instant, it seemed that bright lights were exploding inside his head. Then everything went black.