ENDING OF PREVIOUS POST:

"Grandfather, you're telling me Gunter's in Texas because a band of raiding Comanches rescued him? And the Chief's name was Buffalo Hump?" Soni's eyebrows rose.

"That's not what I said. I said they killed the men in the posse. They probably didn't know Gunter existed or they would have killed him too." Kuruk winked at Jim as his eyes twinkled. "When Soni's not around, I'll tell you his actual name. It's not fit for mixed company."

TODAY'S POST:

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
PART ONE

Soni held up two discolored land deeds. "These show that Gunter and Dieter were in Texas in 1833 and each bought 250,000 acres land. If I add that together, I'm still 125,000 acres short. How did my ancestors get all the land plus extra? What happened to Gunter?"

Jim released a deep breath. "You have a good point. We have three years between the time Gunter arrived in Texas and the two buying the land. Kuruk, any insight?"

The elderly Lipan Apache chief stood. "I need dessert before I continue the story." He left the den.

"Nobody said anything about dessert." Jim followed.

"Men!" Soni sat and reread the land deeds. Why haven't I found any deeds for the extra acres? She went to the safe and searched the files. There has to be something acknowledging those extra acres. She found a yellowed envelope and placed it on the desk. My ancestors saved some strange things.

The two men returned each with a three large slices of apple pie piled with vanilla ice cream. Jim carried two plates and handed one to Soni. "Your grandfather assures me this story gets better and better."

"I see you did more searching. Did you find anything?" asked Kuruk.

"Nothing, really." She took a bite. "This is really good."

"I hope so." Kuruk set his plate on the desk and adjusted himself in the chair. "Nobody really knows what Gunter did for those three years. He was sixteen years old when he arrived. I'm sure he had to find a job."

"Texas wanted to be free from Mexico. Could he have been party to any of that?" Soni scooped a large bite of pie. "Grandfather, I knew you could cook, but I didn't know apple pie was one of your specialties."

"Apple pie has always been my favorite. You're right about Gunter. In April of 1830 Mexico passed a law that decreed the end of colonization of Texas by foreigners and ended slavery." Kuruk took a bite of pie. "This is pretty good." He grinned. "A group of Texan volunteers and Mexicans skirmished at Velasco in June 1832. Those Texans didn't have a lot of support and were labeled as adventurers and radicals. Folklore says Gunter was part of that group."

"Makes sense. Teenage males are notorious for being thrill seekers." Jim nodded. "But we still don't have Dieter and family in Texas."

"We're getting close." Kuruk set his plate on the desk. "Texas had more Americans in it than Mexicans. The concerned Mexican government attempted to tighten control over Texas immigration. They sent troops, who policed the border, closed the seaports, occupied towns, and levied taxes on imported goods."

"That didn't last long, did it?" asked Soni.

"No. The troops were withdrawn later in 1832. Santa Anna had led a rebellion against Bustamante and started a small civil war. Many Anglo settlers sided with Santa Anna and followed General Jose Antonio Mexia. He was in charge of the Anglos against Bustamante."

"Let me guess, Gunter was involved in this too," interrupted Jim.

"He was. To make a long story short; he was one of the fifty-five delegates that went to the Convention of 1832 in San Felipe. These delegates drafted three petitions to the Mexican congress. They wanted annulment of the colonization law of 1830, which prohibited foreign settlement as well as customs reform, recognition of squatters as valid immigrants, and a separate state for Texas. So, with the belief their petitions would be approved by Santa Anna, especially since they helped him overthrow Bustamante, Gunter sent for his brother."