Chapter Twenty

 

 

The garden began producing a lot of fresh vegetables and the women got busy canning them for the winter. All during the summer everyone at the fort ate well. There was cabbage, carrots, celery, bell peppers, onions, many fresh and wonderful vegetables and the soldiers took turns helping the women till the soil and keep the gardens free of bugs and animals. One of them built a scarecrow. It dawned on a couple of the women to start a small orchard of apples and pears. This turned out well, and everyone helped pick them for pies.

A smokehouse was built, and the men also hunted in their leisure time. Wild hog, deer, an occasional Longhorn would wander about the place and be butchered.

Bread was needed in large quantities and a bakehouse was made just for baking. The women took turns running it too and encouraged the men to worry about other things.

The doctor asked several of the women to help him when raids or injuries occurred. The women were eager to help as it kept them busy.

The New Mexico enlistment hadn't worked as well as planned and the Confederates didn't seem happy, especially the officers. Many supply wagons had been raided by the Mescalero's Apaches both in Texas and in New Mexico territory.

It was a brisk early morning in June when Jennifer heard a strange sound coming from the Limpia Creek. Wandering toward the sound, she felt like investigating it. When she spied the animal, she shrieked. She'd never seen anything like it in her life. It was huge, with long legs and a big hump on his back. It made another gosh-awful sound and spit white foam from its mouth.

Jennifer was petrified. She clung to a nearby cottonwood and watched as the animal drank it's fill of water. From the distance, the animal looked huge, and out of place.

Others came out to see what was causing the stir, but none of the women knew what it was. They all gaped at the animal in horror.

"I've never seen anything like it," Victoria gasped.

"Neither have I." Jennifer caught her hand to her chest.

"Is he ferocious?" One lady asked.

Finally, Hans came out and when he saw the women shrieking and their mouths hanging open, he laughed.

"I see you met my friend."

"Friend?" Victoria gasped.

"Why sure, that's just "Snoz."

"Snoz?" everyone repeated. "But…what is it?"

Hans went toward the animal and pet him. "It's a camel." He turned to look at the women who looked petrified. "Not to worry. It was brought over as an experiment by order of Jefferson Davis himself from the middle east, used to scout out the territory between Texas and Mexico to see how well it would do on our deserts and prairies. It was an experiment. Way before its time, it would seem. They were quite successful. It can go miles and miles without water, and it can carry so much too."

"How come we've never seen anything like that before?" Katherine wanted to know.

"Well, we've only had them out here about five years and most of them have been auctioned off to private citizens." Hans explained. "But some of us, seeing as how they are very useful at times, decided to purchase them and keep them here. I encouraged General Seawell to purchase one and use it on our Trans Pecos area. He agreed. He was quite taken with the animal when he realized they could go so long without water. He left it here, as it would do little good where he was going. So, Ft Davis inherited Snoz."

"Are they dangerous?"

"Not at tall, unless of course they blow snot on you." Hans laughed. "They have some peculiar habits, but they are quite loveable and like being around people.

"Oh my God!" another woman shrieked.

"They aren't the most pleasant animals, but they sure get the job done." Hans laughed, catching the reins on the animal. "Come on now boy, I've got to put you up."

"Where does he stay?" Jennifer asked.

"In the far corner of the back acreage. Can't keep him around horses, scares them to death."

"I've no wonder." Victoria nodded.

"Why, he wouldn't hurt a fly."

"He stinks to high heaven." Another lady shouted.

"Well," Hans turned to the ladies and smiled, "That's why he's kept away from people most of the time. But they are a good animal for packing across the desert. Yes, another unfortunate thing about him." Hans laughed, "Come on boy, let's get back to your barn. And despite how he looks and smells, he likes people. I often find him here at the creek."

"How many of them do you have?"

"Only this one. Colonel Seawell bought it, but it's sort of become my obligation to take care of him. He likes me."

"You and the Colonel bought it?" Victoria screamed.

"Of course, he's one in a million. And he's a dandy ride too." Hans assured her. "Once you learn how. Only animal I know that will bow down to let you get on him."

"Where's he from?" Jennifer asked.

"Most of them are from Egypt, Turkey, the middle eastern countries where there are a lot of deserts across the sea." Hans smiled. Just then Snoz made a sound and all the ladies backed up.

"Would you ride him for us?" Victoria asked.

"Sure, why not." Hans laughed. He went straight up to Snoz and Snoz bowed down on his belly, so Hans could get on. He got up on his hump and rode around the parade grounds. Some of the settlers came out to watch, the kids were fascinated with him, and Hans gave a couple of them a ride on him.

"They should have kept them all here, they are a hardy animal." Hans defended.

The Captain came out and smiled, "Hans I see you are exercising Snoz."

"Yes sir." Hans nodded. "He doesn't get out much." The Captain informed them.

"Why didn't the army keep them?" Jennifer wanted to know.

"I don't know, but that was why it was so important to have one, it might be the last we see of them." Hans explained.

"We didn't keep them because the war broke out and we have other things to worry about." The Captain explained.

"It sure would scare the enemy away." Katherine chuckled.

"Yeah, the Indians think of them as sacred animals. Catholic priests claim the wise men rode them to meet Jesus." Quirt told them.

"Then they've been around a long time?" Jennifer felt breathless.

"Yeah, a very long time. They are good animals. We should have kept them all. It's one thing Jeff Davis was right about." Quirt murmured and walked off.

The Captain overheard him, "In my quarters, scout."

Quirt winked at Jennifer and followed the Captain inside.

"Something wrong?"

"Yes scout, there is. I'm giving you a choice. You can sit in jail or sign up for the Confederacy."

"What?" Quirt's frown mirrored his distaste for the man.

"I heard that remark. You are aware that Jeff Davis is our President, aren't you?"

"He's the President of the Confederacy yes."

"And is he your President?" The Captain asked.

"What are you really asking me, sir?" Quirt faced him now.

"You've repeatedly made remarks about the south with disdain. So that the women could hear you."

"So…."

"Are you aware I could hang you?" The Captain asked.

Quirt flopped down in the chair now, "I've done nothing for you to accuse me."

"Then you will either sign up as a Confederate, or I'll throw you in jail for treason and hang you."

"You're serious?"

"Yes, very serious. I should have done it from the start."

Quirt sat facing him now, his face a turmoil of emotions. "I'm a southerner, a Texan, isn't that enough? I hire out as a scout. I wasn't a Union soldier either."

"I'm afraid it isn't enough. The south needs you. Now, which will it be?"

"Do I really have a choice?" He looked at him sarcastically.

"Not much, no. If you are truly a southerner and a Texan, you won't mind signing up." The Captain assured him.

"Can I think this over?"

The Captain eyed his impertinence. "Sure, two weeks in jail should help you decide."

Quirt sighed aloud, then shrugged. "Thanks."

The Captain called two soldiers into his office.

"Put this man in a cell. He's to remain there for two weeks while he decides just which side he's on." The Captain told them.

The men looked a bit startled, but they obeyed the command.

As they locked him up, they looked apologetic at him, "Sorry, sir."

"Not your fault."

Quirt leaned on the bars gripping them, as his anger festered. He knew it would come to this, but he stubbornly refused to choose a side. Now, he had little choice.

As the days passed and none of the women saw him, Jennifer asked Sylvia to inquire where Quirt had gone.

That same afternoon Sylvia came back to her in a huff.

"He's in jail!"

"Jail. Why, what did he do?"

"They expect him to join the Confederacy or hang." Sylvia told her.

"Are you serious, after all this time?"

"That's what they said."

"Let's go, we're going to talk to the Captain." Jennifer insisted. She got Victoria, Essie, and Katherine to go with them. They stormed into the office and demanded to know what right they had locking Quirt Noble up.

The Captain eyed the women with a scowl. "Ladies, he's either a Confederate or a Yankee, and we're about to find out which."

"But why, why now?" Jennifer asked. "As I understand it, he hired on as a scout and that is still permissible, even in times of war. He's done everything you ask him."

"He's been making lewd remarks about the Confederate President, Jefferson Davis, that is reason enough. I'm afraid I have every right to lock him up, not only that, if he doesn't sign, I plan on hanging him, as a traitor."

"You can't be serious!" Victoria objected vehemently.

"But I am madam. I realize you are ladies and don't understand the meaning of a war, but you are either one or the other."

"When you sent him out to make a truce with the Indians, he did so. But you turned around and broke the truce two days later. He did as you asked. He accomplished that goal. You didn't even tell him you were going to raid that village, did you?"

"Madam," He stared at Jennifer. "I would not push me. I know where you are from, I could easily arrest you as a Yankee sympathizer."

Victoria and Katherine both objected.

"We did not come here, to cause problems for the war. We were sent here, before the war started. The President of the United States sent us here. If you arrest her, you'll have to arrest the lot of us."

"Don't tempt me."

"You've had nothing but contempt for us since you got here. Why?" Sylvia asked, her brows meeting at her nose now.

"It was an asinine thing for the government to do at the time, knowing full well how close the war was. We've been forced to put up with you, until we can figure out what to do with you." He shouted. "It should never have been our responsibility."

"But you haven't figured out what to do with us, have you sir?"

"No, I haven't. Short of sending you home in the middle of the war, what else can I do?" He argued.

"We've not caused any problems for your war, Captain, in fact, it was we who sewed your very pants for you, cooked your meals, did your laundry without pay I might add. I think we've more than done our duty sir." Victoria stood magnificently in front of the man her head back, her shoulder back, and her mouth set in a grim line.

"So, you have, dismissed!" he ordered them.

"We are not your soldier's sir, we are ladies." Katherine reminded him.

"Then perhaps you should leave before I forget that."

"We're not leaving until you apologize to Jennifer, she's done nothing but help around here and it's time you men appreciated it." Victoria instructed him.

Rolling his eyes and fisting his fist, he cringed, "Very well!" he shouted. "I'm sorry, now get out, all of you before I make good on my promise."

The women left, chattering among themselves.

"Dear God, I'm not sure Quirt will sign up." Jennifer cried.

"They'll hang him if he doesn't." Sylvia told her. "The Corporal told me."

Everyone gasped.

The war had come to them now.