Louisiana sugar-planter — a belle — a beauty of more than provincial repute — who could, by simply saying yes, have had for a husband the richest and noblest in the land — why she should have fixed her fancy, or even permitted her thoughts to stray, upon a poor horse-hunter of Texas, was a mystery that even her own intellect — by no means a weak one — was unable to fathom.
Perhaps she had not yet gone so far as to fix her fancy upon him. She did not think so herself. Had she thought so, and reflected upon it, perhaps she would have recoiled from the contemplation of certain consequences, that could not have failed to present themselves to her mind.
She was but conscious of having conceived some strange interest in a strange individual — one who had presented himself in a fashion that favoured fanciful reflections — one who differed essentially from the common-place types introduced to her in the world of social distinctions.
She was conscious, too, that this interest — originating in a word, a glance, a gesture — listened to, or observed, amid the ashes of a burnt prairie — instead of subsiding, had ever since been upon the increase!
It was not diminished when Maurice the mustanger came riding back across the plain, with the wild mare between his legs — no more wild — no longer desiring to destroy him — but with lowered crest and mien submissive, acknowledging to all the world that she had found her master!
Without acknowledging it to the world, or even to herself, the young Creole was inspired with a similar reflection.
“Miss Poindexter!” said the mustanger, gliding to the ground, and without making any acknowledgment to the plaudits that were showered upon him — “may I ask you to step up to her, throw this lazo over her neck, and lead her to the stable? By so doing, she will regard you as her tamer; and ever after submit to your will, if you but exhibit the sign that first deprived her of her liberty.”
A prude would have paltered with the proposal — a coquette would have declined it — a timid girl have shrunk back.
Not so Louise Poindexter — a descendant of one of the filles-à-la-casette. Without a moment’s hesitation — without the slightest show of prudery or fear — she stepped forth from the aristocratic circle; as instructed, took hold of the horsehair rope; whisked it across the neck of the tamed mustang; and led the captive off towards the caballeriza of Casa del Corvo.
As she did so, the mustanger’s words were ringing in her ears, and echoing through her heart with a strange foreboding weird signification.
“She will regard you as her tamer; and ever after submit to your will, if you but exhibit the sign that first deprived her of her liberty.”
Chapter Thirteen. A Prairie Pic-Nic
The first rays from a rosy aurora, saluting the flag of Fort Inge, fell with a more subdued light upon an assemblage of objects occupying the parade-ground below — in front of the “officers’ quarters.”
A small sumpter-waggon stood in the centre of the group; having attached to it a double span of tight little Mexican mules, whose quick impatient “stomping,” tails spitefully whisked, and ears at intervals turning awry, told that they had been for some time in harness, and were impatient to move off — warning the bystanders, as well, against a too close approximation to their heels.
Literally speaking, there were no bystanders — if we except a man of colossal size, in blanket coat, and slouch felt hat; who, despite the obscure light straggling around his shoulders, could be identified as Zeb Stump, the hunter.
He was not standing either, but seated astride his “ole maar,” that showed less anxiety to be off than either the Mexican mules or her own master.
The other forms around the vehicle were all in motion — quick, hurried, occasionally confused — hither and thither, from the waggon to the door of the quarters, and back again from the house to the vehicle.
There were half a score of them, or thereabouts; varied in costume as in the colour of their skins. Most were soldiers, in fatigue dress, though of different arms of the service. Two would be taken to be mess-cooks; and two or three more, officers’ servants, who had been detailed from the ranks.
A more legitimate specimen of this profession appeared in the person of a well-dressed darkie, who moved about the ground in a very authoritative manner; deriving his importance, from his office of valet de tout to the major in command of the cantonment. A sergeant, as shown by his three-barred chevron, was in charge of the mixed party, directing their movements; the object of which was to load the waggon with eatables and drinkables — in short, the paraphernalia of a pic-nic.
That it was intended to be upon a grand scale, was testified by the amplitude and variety of the impedimenta. There were hampers and baskets of all shapes and sizes, including the well known parallelopipedon, enclosing its twelve necks of shining silver-lead; while the tin canisters, painted Spanish brown, along with the universal sardine-case, proclaimed the presence of many luxuries not indigenous to Texas.
However delicate and extensive the stock of provisions, there was one in the party of purveyors who did not appear to think it complete. The dissatisfied Lucullus was Zeb Stump.
“Lookee hyur, surgint,” said he, addressing himself confidentially to the individual in charge, “I hain’t seed neery smell o’ corn put inter the veehicle as yit; an’, I reck’n, thet out on the purayra, thur’ll be some folks ud prefar a leetle corn to any o’ thet theer furrin French stuff. Sham-pain, ye call it, I b’lieve.”
“Prefer corn to champagne! The horses you mean?”
“Hosses be durned. I ain’t talkin’ ’bout hoss corn. I mean M’nongaheela.”
“Oh — ah — I comprehend. You’re right about that, Mr Stump. The whisky mustn’t be forgotten, Pomp. I think I saw a jar inside, that’s intended to go?”
“Yaw — yaw, sagint,” responded the dark-skinned domestic; “dar am dat same wesicle. Hya it is!” he added, lugging a large jar into the light, and swinging it up into the waggon.
Old Zeb appearing to think the packing now complete, showed signs of impatience to be off.
“Ain’t ye riddy, surgint?” he inquired, shifting restlessly in his stirrups.
“Not quite, Mr Stump. The cook tells me the chickens want another turn upon the spit, before we can take ’em along.”
“Durn the chickens, an the cook too! What air any dung-hill fowl to compare wi’ a wild turkey o’ the purayra; an how am I to shoot one, arter the sun hev clomb ten mile up the sky? The major sayed I war to git him a gobbler, whativer shed happen. ’Tain’t so durnation eezy to kill turkey gobbler arter sun-up, wi’ a clamjamferry like this comin’ clost upon a fellur’s heels? Ye mustn’t surpose, surgint, that thet ere bird air as big a fool as the sodger o’ a fort. Of all the cunnin’ critters as ferquents these hyur purayras, a turkey air the cunninest; an to git helf way roun’ one o’ ’em, ye must be up along wi’ the sun; and preehap a leetle urlier.”
“True, Mr Stump. I know the major wants a wild turkey. He told me so; and expects you to procure one on the way.”
“No doubt he do; an preehap expex me likeways to purvid him wi’ a baffler’s tongue, an hump — seein’ as thur ain’t sech a anymal on the purayras o’ South Texas — nor hain’t a been for good twenty yurs past —
