If you're not using shaders or multi-texturing, don't bother using the stage
index parameter when texturing an object.
The DBPro help file states the following for the
TEXTURE OBJECT command:
Quote: "
An additional texture stage index can be provided to the command to specify
multi-textures directly, and is required when using shaders that take pixel
data from secondary textures.
"
I believe if you use the texture stage parameter in the way you are and make
it work correctly, you must have the object set up for multi-texturing
outside of DBPro in a Modeller first. Load the object and apply textures/shaders.