1882: Custer in Chains Read Free Page B

fled to Europe. Neither George nor Libbie would mind rubbing France’s nose in the dirt, but, again, would the French oblige by starting a conflict that the U.S. could win? Probably not, they concluded. The French had their own internal conflicts tormenting them. Their Third Republic had begun with a massive bloodbath.
    Germany was a newly created nation dominated by the always belligerent Prussians. She was still trying to get organized, although she might be a possible combatant in the future. But Germany too was doubtless already too strong for America to fight after she’d defeated both France and Austria. Also understood was the fact that Germany and the United States were almost half a world away and couldn’t reach each other.
    Italy, an equally new nation, was immersed in internal problems and was also far, far away.
    They decided that the Ottomans would make marvelous enemies and not just because they were Moslems who’d abused Americans decades earlier. But they too were far away and doubtless cared nothing about starting a war with the United States. Ottoman ships in the Mediterranean had captured American merchantmen and held their crews as hostages, but that was in the past.
    The lands of Asia were already being carved up by the Great Powers. Perhaps the U.S. could slice off a piece of China or Japan, but for what purpose? No, Asia was out.
    “Russia?” he asked. “Maybe we could get them to attack us because they want Alaska back.”
    “I don’t think so, George. And besides, they are almost our allies.”
    He laughed. “You’re right, and who would ever want Alaska returned to them?”
    Libbie smiled like a cat. “That leaves Spain.”
    “Yes,” he said thoughtfully, “Spain. Her remaining possessions in the Caribbean are close by and always on the verge of exploding. The Spanish are corrupt and keep slaves, even though they’ve begun to abolish slavery. We can provoke something and a war can easily follow. The Spanish are nothing militarily and we’ll have an easy victory.”
    She pulled the nightgown over her head and watched him revel in the sight of her naked body. Even though it was mid-morning, the servants knew enough not to enter without being invited. She saw that he was aroused again and it pleased her. Controlling him with her sex was so easy. It was even better because she truly loved him and wanted him to be a great man.
    She ran her hand down his chest and belly and began to stroke him. “First, George, you will finish what you are obviously about to start and then we’ll go about provoking Spain. When we’re done with Spain you will have become one of America’s great presidents.”
    Custer laughed and pulled her body to him. What a hell of a woman, he thought. I am the luckiest man in the world.
    * * *
    The Eldorado was a decrepit wooden steamship of about fifteen hundred tons and she was stuffed with military supplies for the insurgents fighting Spanish oppression in Cuba. At least that’s what journalist James Kendrick had written in his notebook. Unfortunately, he hadn’t gotten much farther in his writing because he didn’t quite believe it. The peasant revolution in Cuba was in a quiet phase, so why the rush to arm a population that wasn’t doing anything? There had been a long revolutionary war in Cuba that was now quiet, with both sides suffering from severe exhaustion.
    Along with the guns and ammunition, about a hundred men, mostly Americans, were coming along as volunteers. To do what, Kendrick wondered. At the moment, that question was a minor concern. A Spanish gunboat was approaching them and gaining quickly. The Eldorado ’s captain had his ship fleeing as fast as it could, but it was a sick turtle racing against a rabbit. Kendrick thought that was clever and wrote it down.
    Worse, the crew and passengers had nothing but rifles and sidearms to protect themselves and those they’d taken from the ship’s hold. They’d been disgusted and dismayed to find