Texas by the tail

Author:Jim Thompson
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Mystery & Detective - General, Romance, Detective and mystery stories, Fiction - Psychological Suspense, Espionage, Mystery & Detective, Texas - Fiction, Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945), 20th Century American Novel And Short Story, Psychological, Romance: Historical, General, Romance - Historical, Historical, General & Literary Fiction, Modern fiction, Intrigue, Texas, Fiction
ISBN: 9780679740117
Publisher: Vintage Books
Published: 1994-10-04T23:21:53.828000+00:00

13

Many Texas fortunes are old to the point of antiquity, their origins dating back to the copquistadores and huge Spanish land-grants. The founders were cattle-raisers—beef cattle; so also were their descendants, even to the present day. The discovery of oil was looked upon as a by no means lucky accident. It was "stinky stuff," something that spoiled water for the cattle and "messed up" the grazing. Since it was there, it had to be accepted, along with the millions it represented. But their attitude toward it was one of polite disdain. It was "upstart," you know. An infringement upon the civilization of a highly select group, whose forefathers had been living in elegance for centuries.

One has never been properly snubbed until he has come up against these "quality" Texans. Or perhaps snubbed is the wrong word, since one cannot very well be snubbed by a person who does not recognize his existence. Nor can one hardly take offense when that same person may be honestly puzzled at the mention of the Cabots and Lodges.

Who are they, anyway? Easterners?

Oh.

That is one kind of big-money Texan, the "old" money rooted inexorably in cattle. And generally speaking, he tries to live up to the superiority with which he has cloaked himself. His conduct is impeccable. He is a loyal friend, a generous enemy. He shuns ostentation. He is gallant with ladies, a gentleman with men. As good a man in private as he is in public.

All of which is by way of saying that Winfield Lord, Jr., was not that kind of Texan. Nor did he belong to the oilmoney group. In fact, the Lords fitted into none of the established categories, although they were a qualified amalgamation of several.

They were an old family. (The first had been white-trash scum from English prisons.)

They were pioneers. (They had been sneak-thieving camp followers when the Five Civilized Tribes were herded up the Trail of Tears.)

Their wealth had originated in cattle. (Acquired through murder.)

Arriving in what is now Oklahoma, the Lords were successively banished or chased from each of the Tribes' five autonomous Nations. Until, in about 1845, they arrived in the land of the Osages. The Osages were not a Nation, since they were not considered civilized. The government of the United States saw to it that they stayed within their own boundaries, but otherwise they were pretty much free to do as they pleased.

It shortly pleased them to spread-eagle four of the Lords on their backs, prop open their mouths with sticks and pour water down them until they were drowned.

The experience apparently had a wholesome effect on the remaining members of the clan. Fleeing into West Texas, they seem to have committed no outrages for almost a generation. Then, the Civil War broke out, and the Lords reverted to type.

While every able-bodied neighbor galloped away to support the cause of the Stars and Bars, the Lords moved in on their virtually defenseless holdings, inevitably finding other renegades to help them, then killing them off as soon as their work was done.

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