I Fought a Good Fight: A History of the Lipan Apaches

15. Spy vs. Spy

143 15 CHAPTER Spy vs. Spy I had treated him with the greatest sincerity and generosity of which I was capable . . . To this he responds by becoming the worst enemy of the Provinces and seducing the Lipanes to declare themselves a scourge as well. — Ugalde, 17891 The Mescaleros, who had lived at peace near Santa Rosa and the Presidio del Norte, abruptly broke their peace on April 8, 1788. Picax-andé distanced himself, literally. He and the Lipans were hungry and had gone buffalo hunting, he said in a message to Ugalde, “but not without praying to God for your health.” He knew of the destruction caused by the Mescaleros and, as Ugalde’s friend, was prepared to punish them, he said. Ugalde declared unforgiving war on the Mescaleros but rejected help from the Comanches and Taovayas out of respect for the Lipiyans and looked to Picax-andé for help. He demurred; his people were sick, his horses were in poor condition, and they lacked necessities, or so he said.2 When he met with Ugalde in December, Picax-andé attempted to mediate differences and began by relaying Mescalero grievances: They were incensed that their relatives, even captains, were still captives despite the peace, and they were blamed unjustly for raids by the Gile- ños. Ugalde wouldn’t hear it. Exaggerations, he sputtered. He would make war on the Mescaleros again, and he expected Picax-andé to join him. “He should have wanted to join us in the attack on the Mescaleros to assist his people,” Ugalde said, but Picax-andé was cool to the idea. 144 I FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT “He said he only came in obedience to my call and had to return to his rancheria immediately and to those of the Lipanes.” Suspicious, Ugalde ordered Alferez Casimiro Valdés to escort Picax-andé back to his ranchería, ostensibly as protection but in reality to spy. Picax-andé accepted reluctantly.3 On January 3, 1789, they rode out. Picax-andé’s camp of 273 tipis and 157 wickiups was at the confluence of the Rio San Rodrigo, San Antonio, and Rio Grande, a good place to fatten horses, hunt deer, and gather berries, prickly pear tunas and nuts. As they approached, he ordered a smoke signal to let his people know he was arriving, and they all came out to meet him. Picax-andé dismounted and smoked the pipe three times, the custom before speaking to his people. He described the fine reception he was given by his friend Ugalde and exhorted the people to recognize him as their captain. When he said Valdés was a supporter, the people cheered and embraced Valdés. If it sounded like a political speech, it was. It took a great deal of persuasion to keep Apaches united. The sprawling camp glowed with evening fires. Valdés retired to a comfortable tent decorated with skins that had been prepared for him. The next morning, the chief invited Valdés to stay awhile. Just the night before, he said, two Mescalero captains happened to arrive for a visit. One was the brother of his wife and the other was a new captain he liked. They were north on the Pecos during the recent troubles. Picaxand é hoped Valdés would let them enter in peace. If Valdés understood Apache ways, he would have recognized in that instant why Picax-andé would never attack the Mescaleros: His wife was Mescalero, and he was obligated to her people, which meant he was balanced precariously between his relatives and the Spanish. That morning Picax-andé told his people the commanding general was very angry with the Mescaleros who had violated the peace and would punish them harshly. Picax-andé’s guests were his brother-in-law Alegre and a greatly esteemed young man the Spaniards called Zanagate. The interpreter, who had been a captive of the Mescaleros, told Valdés that other Spy vs. Spy 145 Mescaleros were slipping into the more distant tents and rancherías. There were eighteen tents of Mescaleros and a third captain who had broken the peace in Santa Rosa. They were present to do their own spying; they wanted to gauge the Spanish friendship for the chief. In mid-afternoon Alegre and Zanagate told Valdés that on Picax-and é’s orders they would join the other Mescaleros who were keeping peace in Santa Rosa...