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soon be naked,” Ellis said one morning as they accompanied Luciano to the plaza. “They give us barely enough to keep from starving. If Luciano didn’t bargain for us, we’d likely starve anyway.” Men in sandals, white cotton shirts, and trousers, and women in black dresses were already bringing chickens, fruit, and bread to sell.
    â€œI wonder if there’s any work for a gunsmith here,” Duncan said. “My father taught me to repair guns, and all you Beans are gunsmiths. Of course, we’d have to have tools.” Luciano listened but said nothing.
    â€œI’ve repaired plenty of guns,” Ellis observed. “I’d rather make hats, or something like that, but I don’t know how.” They bought some bread and fruit, then sat on a low stone wall and watched the girls. Luciano left them.
    He returned at noon. “I’ve been talking to some merchants,” he said. “Rafael Nunez will sell you the tools you need on credit,” he told Duncan. “Manuel Moreno will supply you with material for making hats,” he said to Ellis, who shrugged. “He also knows two good hatters who’d like to work for an Americano.” Ellis smiled.
    Both got to work right away. With a vise, hammer, files, and other tools, Duncan soon had all the business he could handle. Ellis’ hats were soon in demand—none but the Americano’s sombreros would do. They bought clothing, ate well, and soon repaid their debts. When Ellis made the last payment, Moreno invited him to his home for dinner.
    The Morenos lived in a spacious, well-furnished house of adobe, with a patio and large yard filled with fruit trees and grape vines. Moreno served wine, then his wife and two young daughters joined them for dinner. Ellis admired the attractive Señora Moreno but didn’t know how to behave in the presence of ladies of her class. He tried to remain silent, but she wouldn’t allow it. “Tell me how you came to be in Texas,” she said, and little by little drew from him the story of their misadventures. “You are all innocent!” she exclaimed indignantly. “They have no right to hold you!”
    When they had finished dinner, she and the girls—Ellis guessed them to be ten and twelve—withdrew, while Ellis and Moreno smoked cigars and talked.
    â€œSpanish officials are slow to act on matters of this sort,” Moreno told him. “You could be here the rest of your life. You already speak Spanish well. I advise you to join the church, marry, and settle down. You won’t become rich, but you can live comfortably.”
    â€œI hadn’t thought of that,” Ellis replied. “I figured one day they’ll get tired of holding us and let us go.”
    â€œThat’s possible but unlikely. Everyone believed Nolan was invading Texas, and some still think he was. I’m afraid you’ll be here for a long time. Better think about what I said.”
    â€œI will,” Ellis assured him. He and Duncan, along with House and Danlin, soon began the process of preparing themselves for entering the church. None of them was ready to abandon hope of being freed one day, so they declined to consider marriage.
    â€œWe need to save as much money as we can,” Ellis told Duncan.“One day we’ll surely have a chance to leave here, but we won’t get far without dinero. ” That’s not what we did in Tennessee, he thought. No one ever tried to save money. We spent it as fast as we made it and didn’t worry about tomorrow. But now it’s different.
    Late one day in January 1804, Fero, Cooley, Pierce, and the others who’d moved to San Carlos or elsewhere appeared at the barracks in Chihuahua, escorted by soldiers. “Does anyone know what this is all about?” Cooley asked. No one did.
    At mid-morning the next day, an officer and a few soldiers marched the whole group into the city. “Can you