Time Heals

             Time Heals

Suzanne Marsh

The blast of a Colt .45 awakened Jed Thompson. The Second Rebellion was finally over except for men like Jed. Jed was the quickest draw this side of the Pecos. Texas back then was booming with men returning or hiding in Texas. Jed Thompson was just one of many gunslingers. He quickly pulled on his boots heading in the direction of sound of the Colt .45 something he could never mistaken; not since the war. His ears were finely attuned to sounds. He had fought for Texas; the South. He peeked through the branches watching some poor fool trying to keep from getting his foot shot off. He stared at the scene for a moment; quietly, moving very slow snuck up to the fellow doing the shooting. He gave him a right smart wack at the back of his neck...he would be out for several hours.

The object of the dance was a very petite young man with startling blue eyes:

“Hey thanks Mister. Where ya goin?”

“I am bound fer the Texas plains. Where you bound Yank?”

“Look Mister that is all behind us now. I could sure use some help getting to my Father’s

ranch in Red Gate, Texas.”

“Boy you are goin in the wrong direction. Red Gate is down near the Rio Grande.”

“I just got off the damn train not more than a mile ago.”

“Look, I don’t need no body taggin along with me. I got places to see and things to do.”

“Can’t you help me get to Red Gate?”

“Well, I reckon I could go down that way fer a spell.”

They both rode off into the night. The duo stopped in San Antonio for a few days. They rode past the ruins of the Alamo. Jed, removed his stetson as he rode by; the boy, who Jed learned was a Yank by the name of Tom Curry:

“Hey, Jed why you takin your stetson off?”

“That Tom is the Alamo; one hundred and eighty nine men gave their lives to free

Texas from Mexico. Men, the likes of Jim Bowie, David Crockett and William Travis.”

Tom bowed his head as they rode by; he had never heard about the Alamo.

“When did that happen?”

“Boy, it was afore you was born; 1836 we declared our independence.”

“How long you figure before we get to Red Gate?”

“About a month if we are lucky. I am gonna try my hand at ranchin, maybe we could

work together.”

“My Pa don’t even know I’m alive Jed. I was wounded at Gettysburg.”

“You was at Gettysburg?”

“Yes, I was. Were you?”

“Hell yeah I was with the seventh Texas under General John Bell Hood. We fought

a good hard fight but you Yanks out numbered us.”

“Tom, you ain’t gonna start talkin about the war and how y’all was defeated us are ya?”

“No, Jed I suppose not.”

“You suppose right.”

Time seemed to stand still as Jed stopped suddenly, his horse Will snorting. Tom had no idea what was happening as Jed slid out of his saddle, motioned Tom to get down. Quickly they moved toward brush where Jed hoped the Apaches would not see them. The cloud of dust encircled the brush; all the two could do was wait to see what the Apaches would do. They could ride on but somehow that seemed unlikely. Suddenly Jed and Tom found rifles in their faces. The Apaches motioned them toward their waiting mounts.

The Apache Camp was a bee hive of activity as the war party rode in with their captives. A tall round faced man came out of a tent with different types of markings on it. Jed then realized:

“Victorio, is that you?”

“Jed my brother; come we talk. Bring young one with you.”

Tom watched as the two men walked beside each other; he trailed behind not wishing to intrude.

“Jed, my brother, it has been many moons.”

“Yes, my brother Victorio, I have been fighting in war for many moons. I hear, that. Why you here?”

“I am takin the little feller to Red Gate his Pa has a ranch there.”

Tom was beyond shocked and surprised that the two men knew each other and were brothers?

Tom cleared this throat reminding the two men they were not alone:

“Jed, is Victorio really your brother?”

“Yes, Tom he is my blood brother. We have the scares on our wrists to prove it.”

“Yes, we share blood. You have no idea about Tejas do you?”

“No, I lived with my Ma in Boston until the war broke out. I enlisted, was wounded.”

Victorio smiled as they continued to walk.

“Jed, my brother, you and young one must leave tonight. There is much trouble with the white

eyes.”

“Victorio, are the soldiers still trying to resettle the Lipan Apache?”

“No my brother it is worse; the women and children are starving. We are a warrior nation

we are not women and children. Mexico will welcome us for a short while...then there

will be another war between the white eyes and the Lipan Apache. This war will last

many moons.”

“Victorio, you can’t mean that.”

Just then, Tom spoke:

“Victorio, maybe I can help. My Father is Thomas Curry a senator here in Texas. If he could speak to the legislature perhaps a war can be avoided.”

“Young one, the Lipan Apache does not seek war but it is thrust upon us.”

“Victorio, Jed and I fought on opposite sides in the War between the States. I wore a

blue uniform, Jed wore gray. But your war does not have to happen. The war made me

realize that fighting is not an answer. All war really is; is man’s inhumanity to man.”

“Young one, you will go, speak with your Father, see if maybe he can help.

We no want war again. To many die when we go to war. I will give you two

full moons, then we go on war path.”

“Victorio that is more than we have the right to ask but thank you for allowing me to try.”

“Young one you say you were wounded where is wound?”

“Yes, a mini ball went straight through my leg busted the bone. I lost the leg.

“It gives much pain?”

“Yes it does. Victorio, do you have wounds?”

“Yes young one; both those that can be seen and those that can not.”

Tom, thought about what Victorio had just said. That was the first time the war and wound made any sense to him. Victorio understood what it meant to go to war. To loose friends and warriors to horrible deaths. Tom saw Victorio’s point of view. Tom saddled his horse as Jed and Victorio watched him gallop toward Red Gate Texas. Both men wondered if Tom would return.

Tom rode straight for three days; finally he saw the ranch his Father had purchased; he named it the Circle “C”. Tom was so proud of the ranch. He dismounted, limping toward the front door. His step Mother, Martha saw him through the window. She ran quickly to the door. She pulled him inside as she crushed him next her busom:

“We thought you were dead Tom, I have missed you so much.”

“Ma where is Pa I need to talk to him. I don’t have much time.”

“TOM YOU JUST GOT HERE.”

“I know, Ma but I made a promise and I aim to keep it. Where is Pa?”

“Last I knew he was in town. You see Tom, we divorced.”

Tom stared at her as if not comprehending what she was saying. Finally it sunk it:

“Why, I thought you two were happy together.”

“We were Tom but when the war broke out, you left to join the union, he became a

Colonel in the Seventh Texas.”

“I know he was angry with me but I did what I thought was right and so did Pa.”

“Where in town is he living?”

“Linda’s Boarding House.”

“I’ll be back tonight Ma.”

“Just be careful son, Red Gate is not a friendly town.”

Tom located Linda’s Boarding House with no problem, he just hoped that his Pa still had some pull in the Texas Legislature. He did not want to live through the Indian raids again. He also knew that Victorio was an honorable man. He had given his word that the Apache would not attack for at least a month. Hopefully that would be enough time. He noted his Pa still stood tall, with those broad shoulders, his pencil thin mustachio and those blue eyes that could turn him into ice.

“Pa?”

Senator Thomas P. Curry Senior spun around:

“Tommy, my God is it really you?”

“Yep Pa it is me, in the flesh.”

“Son, you did not come here looking for me without a reason.”

“Pa, the Lipan Apaches are planning a final war with the white man over the land they

were promised by the Legislature. I have spoken with Victorio myself. Pa, he is an

honorable man. He doesn’t want war but he can’t let his people starve either. I came

to ask you if you have any pull left to please help.”

The senator realized then that the Civil War had, had a profound effect on his son.

“Son, what happened to you?”

“Pa, I was shot in the leg, the ball broke the bone. They still took my leg. I saw

many a good man die at Gettysburg Pa. I don’t want to see war again either. I

met a Reb on the way here. He saved my life. There was some bushwackers that thought

it would be funny to watch me, with one leg hop around avoiding the bullets they shot at

my foot. Then Jed Thompson rescued me.”

Jed Thompson and Victorio leader of Lipan Apaches sat around the fire with the Medicine Man Geronimo.

“So, my brother, do you think the Young One will be able to help?”

“Yeah Victorio, he lost a leg at Gettysburg, just like I lost my arm...the same place.”

“We are both done fightin. War is cruel Victorio, that is why Tom went to talk

to his Pa.”

“He is good Young One my brother. I do not wish any more battles with the white eyes

but my people starve. We have nothing, no blankets, no food, no milk for our young.

The great white Father wishes for us to stay on reservation. We can not, we are a proud

people, my brother; that is all we have left is our honor.”

Jed felt a tear trickle down his dirty, weather worn face. Jed found himself choking up:

“Victorio, you asked me about the war. It was not like a war between Indians and white men.

This was four long years of a hell I hope I never have to go through again. I watched men

during Georgie Picketts charge being blown up into the air. I saw arms n legs scattered

all over the battlefield. Victorio, please listen to me; avoid a war with the white man

he has many weapons, many guns.”

“My brother I listen to you.”

“Victorio, go over into Mexico for a while, it will be safer and there you can hunt.”

Jed hoped he had convinced his blood brother that war was not an answer to any problem, he also prayed for the first time since he had gone to fight the Yanks; that Tom would be able to get the Texas Legislature to listen to reason.

Senator Thomas P. Curry stood calmly in front of the Texas Legislature, his son Tom by side:

“With you permission I would like my son to speak, if you don’t do anything else please listen

to what the boy has to say.”

Tom stood up, cleared his throat:

“I know Pa went to a great deal of trouble to have all of you present here today. I made it

home minus a leg. That is not the reason I am here today. I am here today because the Lipan

Apache are talking war. Sure we have more than an adequate amount of soldiers here to

protect us. I have spoken to Victorio, he asked me to talk to you fine folks; all he asks is

that his people be fed. That is a basic human need. War won’t help to heal the rift between

the Indians and White settlers but it would go a long way in helping to ease the tensions.

I remember the Indian Wars, the scalpings that I saw as a little boy. You people have the

power to stop it. I must return to Victorio’s camp in less than a week. Please talk among

yourselves. Pass legislation that is worth something to the Lipan Apaches. All our lives

may depend on it. Thank you for hearing me out.”

Tom sat down, he noticed a tear in his Pa’s eye, he did not mention it. Twenty minutes later the legislature reconvened:

“Tom, Senator Curry, we voted yes. Tom, we have food stored a Gonzales warehouse.

You can stop there for supplies for the Lipan Apache. Please tell Victorio that we will

send more, this is just to tide them over. Thank you young man for setting us straight.

I don’t think anyone really wants war, we certainly don’t.”

Tom and his Pa left the rose quartz colored building. Tom waited for his Pa to speak:

“I know you gotta return to the Apache camp, but I want you to know I am very

proud of what you did today son. Perhaps you should think about going into law when

you return.”

“I’ll give it some thought Pa. I gotta go.”

They parted, Tom rode for three days straight. He stumbled into the Apache came exhausted. Jed, found him on the ground asleep. He and Victorio carried Tom to a teepee where several Apache women cared for him. The following morning, Tom rose early. He sought out Victorio:

“Victorio, I brought back as many provisions as the three pack mules could carry.

The legislature by special vote decided to give you food and whatever else your

people need. They don’t want a war with the Apache any more than you want war with

the white man.”

Victorio smiled as he stood:

“Young One what you did took courage. We adopt you into the Lipan Apache tribe your name

is Young One. The Great Spirit will follow you always.”