The following story comes from La Relación by Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. First submitted as an official report to King Charles V of Spain in 1537, it recounts events from Cabeza de Vaca’s journey through Texas between 1528 and 1536.
The story begins in late summer. Members of the Karankawa and Coahuiltecan tribes of the Texas coast were gathered around a campfire. The flickering light illuminated happy faces; life was easy. They had spent the day gorging on prickly pear fruit—which they called tuna—and now enjoyed small talk, while children danced and young boys wrestled in the dirt. Laughter echoed up and down the small arroyo where they had taken shelter.
As night fell, elders began retiring to their wickiups—curved, grass-enclosed huts that served as homes. The surrounding fields hummed with the steady chirp of crickets.
Suddenly, everything changed.
Stay Tuned! The ending will be on next issue