Young Ole Devil (Ole Devil Hardin: Book One)

iv In addition to withdrawing, Houston had wanted to adopt what would one day become known as a ‘scorched earth’ policy. He had sound reasons for such a measure. By burning their homes, crops and other foodstuffs which they could not carry with them, the Texians would have left their enemies with a difficult supply problem which would increase, rather than diminish, the further Santa Anna advanced beyond the Rio Grande. Despite having this explained to them, there had been such strenuous opposition and refusal that Houston had been compelled to drop the proposal.

v Another reason for the nickname had arisen out of the fact that other men before the old timer in the cantina had commented upon him being a ‘lil ole devil’ in a fight.

vi What happened to the knife after the Alamo is told in The Quest for Bowie’s Blade.

vii Until the visits by Commodore Perry U.S.N.’s flotilla in 1853-54, there was little contact between Japan and the United States of America.

viii In the game of faro, the first card of the deck is called the ‘soda’ and the last is the ‘hock’

ix Joseph ‘Old Joe’ Manton, gunsmith of London, England, an early maker of percussion-fired weapons.

x Jonathan Browning, gunsmith father of master firearms’ designer, John Moses Browning. John Moses appears in Calamity Spells Trouble.

xi The Texians had suggested that, after annexation, in view of the vast area of land which would be involved, Texas could be divided into three or four separate States.

xii Creole; a Mexican of pure Spanish blood.

xiii The wakizashi was traditionally carried thrust through the girdle, but Tommy Okasi had had his fitted with belt slings since arriving in the United States.

xiv Due to its Mexican connotations, Texians rarely used the word ‘cinch’.

xv A more detailed description of the ‘high cavalry twist’ draw is given in Slip Gun.

xvi A description of Occidental archery techniques is given in Bunduku.

xvii The majority of ‘Kentucky’ rifles were made in Pennsylvania.

xviii Despite the difficulty of transporting it with the magazine in position, Jonathan Browning had produced a comparatively simple repeating rifle that was capable of a continuous fire unequalled by contemporary weapons. For all its advantages, it never achieved the fame which it deserved. During the period when he was manufacturing it, between 1834 and 1842, he lacked the facilities for large-scale production. In later years he would have been able to do so, but the development of metallic cartridges and more compact, if less simple to construct, repeating arms had rendered it obsolete.

xix Knobhead: derogatory name for a mule.

xx Cargador: second-in-command and assistant pack-master.

xxi Grulla: a bluish-grey horse much the same color as a sandhill crane.

xxii The formation and organization of a mule train, including the function of the bell-mare is given in detail in Get Urrea!

xxiii The investigation was successful. On being told about the spy and asked if he had seen anything suspicious, First Sergeant Gladbeck remembered finding Juglares in the wine cellar and realized that it was directly beneath the General’s office. Comparing the time at which Gladbeck had met the major domo with the information given in Ole Devil’s report, Houston deduced that Juglares must be their man. So a trap had been laid. Calling Colonels Bowie and Travis in for a conference, Houston made sure that the major domo heard it would be one of considerable importance. He had been caught on top of the wine-rack and met the appropriate end for a spy.

xxiv Aparejo: type of packsaddle used for carrying heavy or awkwardly shaped loads.

xxv The full story of why Ole Devil had to leave Louisiana may be told one day.

xxvi As the use of a saddle boot as a means of carrying a rifle was not yet widely practiced, Grivaljo had not noticed the Browning.

xxvii Carronade: a short-barreled, large caliber, compact cannon with a limited range used as a broadside weapon on some classes of warship.

xxviii The damage had gone unnoticed and unsuspected until late that afternoon. On running into a squall, the Destructor brig’s violent motions had completed the work which had been done by Tommy Okasi’s saw. First one of the carronades, then the others in rapid succession, broke free. Careering about the heeling deck, the angle of which had altered with sudden and unexpected speed as the weight upon it kept shifting, the guns created havoc and chaos. In addition to killing and injuring several members of the crew, one of them collided with and brought down the forward mast.

No fool, Lieutenant Givaljo realized that he had been tricked and drew fairly accurate conclusions as to why it had been done. However, in view of the fact that considerable damage had been inflicted upon the brig - not the least of which was the loss overboard of all the broadsides’ armament - he had accepted that it would be impossible for him to return in the hope of intercepting the ship which he suspected the Texians were awaiting at Santa Cristobal Bay.

Being aware of what his fate would be when his superiors heard of what had happened, Grivaljo took the battered brig into a small, deserted bay on the coast of Texas under the pretence of making sufficient repairs to let them reach Matamoros. While the work was being carried out, he deserted and, later, surrendered to the garrison at a Texian town. On discovering that he had gone, the rest of the crew followed his example.

xxix Before their conduct had made the United States too hot to hold them and they had fled to Texas, Madeline and her husband - whose full name was Randolph Galsworthy Buttolph - had operated a high-class combined brothel and gambling house in New York. While there, Madeline had earned a well-deserved reputation for being able to quell - by physical means if necessary - the toughest and most recalcitrant of their female employees or competitors.

xxx The self-defense system known as yawara had its origins in Okinawa over a thousand years ago. Having been forbidden by the invaders who had conquered their home land to own or carry weapons of any kind, the Okinawans had developed and perfected the use of the innocuous-looking kongo stick which became known as the ‘six inches of death’ because of its lethal capabilities. It was so simple to manufacture that, if one had to be discarded for any reason, there would be no difficulty in replacing it. The kongo’s small size made concealment easy and carrying had been no problem.