Chapter 6 [Later that Day—About Thirty Miles Down the Trail]
The traveling party pressed along the woodland trail. Awe came at the sight of majestic redwoods and pines reaching for the sky. Snow-capped peaks caught the eye. Streams and rivers provided plentiful water. The deer peeked out of the trees and loped out of view. With only a short stop to refill their canteens and eat, they made good time down the winding double goat path.
Blue glanced down into a gorge. Anxiety's butterflies banged against his stomach. Although not as high as other passes in that area, he bit his lip.
His horse grunted underneath him.
"Yeah I know. Sorry. Heights just get me uneasy." Blue apologized.
"Hey, Blue, you okay?" Sam rode up behind him.
"Yeah. Just a little uneasy." Blue glanced down into the expanse below. His face paled a little more.
Sam shrugged. "It'll be okay if you stop looking down there. You just focus on the center of the trail. It's just like the trails in Arizona."
"These are higher, Sam. Blue is right. Necesitamos andar con precaución. ¿Si?" Pedro chimed in from the rear. He glanced down. A whistle escaped his lips.
Sam frowned. "You ain't helping."
"He's got a point though, Sam." Blue forced himself to follow Sam's advice. "If we step off, it's sure a long way down."
"Just relax. We ain't going to let anything happen. I don't want to deal with your Pa if it does." Sam sighed. "Hey, Mano, Buck! Maybe you can ask if there's something along the coast?"
"I believe I understand Mercedes' plan, Compadres." Manolito turned to look at them. "We should not be seen in the pueblos. I do not wish to meet any soldados before Los Angeles."
"We got the better weapons, Mano," Buck pointed out.
"They will know these lands better than we do, Amigo," Manolito disagreed.
"Besides if you harm anyone, who knows what effect that will have on history?" She guided her horse from the trail into a meadow. "I believe this will be a good point to rest. We've gone thirty miles. The sun sets."
"Yeah." Buck tied her horse and his to a tree. "We got to find water though. I want to get the canteens refilled. Then we can eat."
"I'll get wood for a fire in a minute, Uncle Buck." Blue rushed toward the surrounding woods.
Pedro shook his head. He pulled up on the reins. "We get watch, Sam?"
"Sure seems that way. At least we can get some sleep tonight." Sam grabbed his rifle. Admiration coaxed a nod from him. "This sure is pretty here."
Now that his boots stood in mid meadow, Blue could look around. "This is like those mountains we went into to save Victoria."
"Si. We are farther north but they are the same." Manolito nodded at the view. "You feel better now?"
"Yeah. Sorry. Guess the last time my mind was on Victoria and Pa," Blue apologized.
"It is all right. You are keeping up. We all have things to deal with." Manolito motioned toward the woods. "Let us see what we can find for branches. Vamanos. Buck?"
"Yeah. I got you." Buck collected the other canteens. He disappeared into the trees.
"So you think we're heading in the right direction?" Blue looked around.
Manolito nodded. "We head south, Amigo. That is the right direction. It is just over 300 miles between San Jose and Los Angeles. It may be longer by these trails. I understand her plan. It is a good one."
"I guess. I still wish we could head down the coast." Blue bent over. He picked up some dried branches from the ground. "We just get an armful apiece?"
"For starters. I understand why we do not. Si the coastal route is easier. It has more people on it. We would go through Monterrey and Santa Barbara. We would need to take care. This is…¿Como se dice?...safer for us. She is who she say she is." He nodded.
"Yeah? And how do you know that? We just met her," Blue challenged.
"¡Amigo! ¡Por favor! I had a dream. Let us say I know." Manolito filled the crook of his arm with branches.
"A dream about a woman. Now there's a surprise, Romeo." Blue coughed.
"¡Ay! Give me strength!" Manolito led them back toward the camp. There they found Buck stoning a circle. "I thought you look for water?"
"I changed my mind." Buck shrugged. "'Sides we can get a fire going that much sooner."
"We brought lot of wood for that, Uncle Buck!" Blue dropped his armful about ten feet away.
"You both did good, Blue Boy. We did all right." Buck rubbed his forehead. "Thirty miles in this country ain't nothin' to sneeze at."
Mercedes cut at her meat. "We make good time." She put her hand over her eyes. "Four more days, the trail goes down toward the coast. We will take that."
"Thought we couldn't risk being seen?" Blue scratched his head.
"We will be south of Monterrey. It is the only way to get to Los Angeles. There are a few villages. We can ride away from them. If we find anyone, keep your weapons from being seen."
"I'd say we might hunt some deer or something. Our meat ain't gonna last forever." Buck looked at the smaller yet still substantial piece of beef.
"Sam and I…we can do that." Pedro took his gun. He motioned Sam to follow.
"I'll fetch that water." Buck took the canteens. "Hey, Mano. Want to lend a hand?"
"Why not? The woods they are scenic. I would enjoy the sounds of a stream." Manolito took a rifle and a few of the canteens. "Vamanos." He led them into the woods.
"Guess that leaves me on watch." Blue kept his pistol ready. His eyes scanned the clearing's edge for any sign of trouble.
"We should be safe here." She checked the sky for rain clouds. "A fire would be nice."
"I'm on it." He checked the area within the stones for grass. He broke off some kindling. "Let's see if this works." He struck a match and lit the wood. "That's good. Glad that didn't change."
"That is why we are up here, Blue." She considered the colored phosphorus tipped matches. "I have never seen such fire sticks. Muy interesante."
"Why's that?" He frowned. "You ain't never seen matches before? Huh." He set sticks on the fire.
"These are a later invention. You rub them against something. They spark and burn?" She sniffed the tips and made a face. "This chemical is what burns. I do not know what it is. The smell…" She batted the air in front of her face.
"It's sulfur." He turned to her. "Guess we all help each other with what we know?"
She nodded. "¡Exactamente! Give yourself a chance, Blue. My parents…they would not believe I am cooking and using my hands."
He shook his head. "They sound like Victoria's parents or the…other…Mercedes' parents. I'm sure glad for your help."
"They are aristocracy. I am as well. I ran from that life." She bowed her head. "I wanted to see the world. I lost Alejandro. I found my husband." Tears ran down her cheeks.
"It's going to be all right." He handed her a handkerchief. "We saved Mercedes. Hey in the process, I ran into Penny again…she's my wife."
"Gracias." Respect lit up in her eyes. "She is fortunate to have two such chances."
"Maybe you'll get a second chance too?" He put some bigger sticks on the fire.
A shot echoed from the woods.
"Now what?" He jumped to his feet. His pistol came out of its holster.
Buck ran out toward camp. Excitement lent speed to his pace. "Hey, Blue Boy! Give me a hand! I got us a deer!"
"Venison?" Blue's mouth watered. "YAHOO! Ain't had that since we left Missouri! Mercedes going to be all right? I just remember what you said yesterday."
"I will be good. I have not had venison. I would like to try it." She motioned toward the woods. "Gracias for the fire, Blue."
"You two have a nice talk too?" Buck teased his nephew.
"Hey! We were talking about sharing what we know. I was just telling her to keep her chin up is all." Blue narrowed his eyes. Annoyance flickered therein.
"He understands. He made me feel better." She rooted through her saddlebag. "Perhaps you might use these?" She took out a brown accordion envelope.
"What's this?" Blue opened it. He found several sheets of paper, three pencils and a piece of charcoal inside. "You kidding me?" A big grin spread across his face.
"Perhaps you might draw these scenes? You can share those in Arizona when you return. Yes?" She pointed to his own horse. "Just bring the meat first."
"Yeah." Buck arched an eyebrow. "You draw, Blue Boy? Seriously?"
"Yeah I do. I just don't do it in front of everyone. I don't want to get laughed at." Blue stuffed the gift in his saddlebag. "Come on. That deer ain't getting lighter." He nodded to her. "Thanks, Ma 'am." He tipped his hat.
"Just follow me, Little Blue Boy." Buck still tried to digest that latest revelation.
So much we have to discover about each other. So much we can do to help one another as well. Gracias, Blue. She set the beef slices to the side and waited.
[Later that Evening]
Venison's tang tempted the travelers' palates. Mercedes and Pedro enjoyed it for the first time. The others reacquainted themselves with it. The group relaxed s little more. Sam kept the watch.
Blue sketched his companions. His eye watched interactions, gestures and moods. Pencil and Charcoal took turns on the first page. He let the others do as they will. Sure wish I had colored chalk. I could get that sunset! He finished with a drawing of Buck. Then he slipped it back into the folder and that into the saddle bag. He grabbed his rifle. "Hey, Uncle Buck?"
"Yeah, Blue?" Buck sipped from his coffee cup. "What's on your mind?"
"We buried the guts and stuff. Right?" Blue's fingers slid along his pistol's handle.
Buck nodded. "You and me…we covered that stuff good. Relax. We made sure no wolves will smell it."
"I'm going to give Sam a break. Be back." Blue walked toward the foreman.
Buck shook his head. What's going on with him? He glanced around the perimeter. "I can't figure that little boy out."
"¿Que pasa?" Manolito rubbed his chin.
"I can't figure Blue Boy out. Ever since Mercedes gave him that paper and them pencils, he's been real edgy. Now he's thinking about that deer. I know we buried it deep enough. I know better than to leave guts and blood where wolves can find it." Buck shook his head. "Least he's paying attention."
"Si, Compadre. He is. That is a good thing out here. The venison's scent…it will carry through the woods. We should take care." Manolito checked his pistol and then his rifle. "I do wish we had more bullets. We have to save these for Los Angeles."
"Aw man! You have got to be kidding me! You mean we could have wolves?" Buck slapped the ground next to himself.
"And that is a surprise, Señor Buck? They live in places like this. We do have coyotes around High Chaparral," Pedro chimed in.
"Yeah but we sure don't see a lot of 'em. We also have more ammo to deal with 'em too." Buck grunted to himself. Paranoia put him on high alert. "Maybe we'd best be moving on again."
"I would not wish to be in the woods at night," Manolito disagreed. He motioned to Mercedes.
"¿Si, Manolo?" She joined them by the fire. "What is it, Señores?"
"You would not know if there are wolves up here?" Manolito put forward.
"There are. Blue and Sam keep watch. We should leave at first light." She glanced about. "We are in their place. Buenas noches." She covered herself with the blanket.
"She's sure calm about them critters." Buck frowned.
"Perhaps she has that insight? I would think she does. We should take her advice, Amigos. We rest. Each takes his turn on watch. We leave early." Manolito pulled his blanket around himself and dozed off.
"I do not think I will sleep," Pedro complained.
Buck shook his head. It'd be a long night….