Conclusion

Manolito grunted. Slumber had eased every pain and muscle. A smile creased his face. He dreamt that a whole herd of the finest livestock just happened to wander onto the rancho. He sold some and kept some of course. The rancho continued to grow and prosper….

…and then Catastrophe struck….

A tremendous storm darkened the dreamscape's skies. Wind howled. Lightning crackled. Thunder boomed. The buildings melted away like so much sand before that onslaught. The cattle bayed and mooed before rushing back into the woods. The ranch hands were nowhere to be found.

Then soldados marched over the hill and down the dirt road. They wore the King of Spain's uniforms. Their boots crushed whatever crops remained from Onslaught's devastation. They pointed rifle and flintlock pistols.

"Come, Mercedes! ¡Vamanos!" He squeezed for her hand. He raised an eyebrow. "Mercedes?" He turned to find that she too had disappeared.

"MERCEDES!"

Shock opened his eyes wide. His head pounded. Liquor's odor stabbed at his nostrils. His toes pulled at the blanket. Chill dimpled his skin and brought shivers. Instead of his pajamas, he wore a ragged white top with several patches in it. His gray pants sported frayed spots. He rubbed his forehead. "No! No! NO!"

The room seemed familiar. White wash dulled the walls. Scuffs and Booze stained the floorboards. Cold and spits of Snow piled through open holes in the structure. Two whiskey bottles stood half-full on a small table in the corner.

Disbelief numbed his mind. ¿Dónde estamos?" He glanced at the other side of the bed. "Mercedita despierta."

A grunt more like a man's pierced the blanket. He felt a hand that was definitely not Mercedes' grabbing at the mattress. "Mmm…Penny? You hear that?"

Manolito jumped out of the bed. He narrowed his eyes. "Blue?" He ripped the blanket away from the bed. "What is the meaning of this?"

Blue clenched his teeth. "Penny, what the heck? Why'd you…?" He half-opened his eyes. Upon seeing Mano standing there, he moved back in a hurry. "WHOA!" He bounced from the bed and hit the floor. "Manolito, what are you doing there?"

Manolito rolled his eyes. "I believe I asked first, Compadre." He smirked. "Perhaps you should watch your landings?"

"Yeah well you try finding someone other than your wife with you in bed!" Blue retorted. Then he scratched his head. "Wait. Guess you did."

"We both did." Manolito offered his hand. "Let's start by getting you back on your feet." He pulled his nephew off of the floor. "Do you know where we are?"

Blue scratched his head. "I ain't got the slightest!" He found himself dressed in a deerskin shirt and dark pants. "Why am I dressed like Reno? Where's Penny?" He looked about the area. Then he rushed to the window.

"Perhaps we should find out?" Hunger jabbed at Manolito's stomach. "And maybe get some breakfast?"

"Hey, Mano. Come here!" Blue motioned with his finger.

"Now what? Blue, we can look later! We need breakfast, Amigo!" Manolito complained.

"We're in Sonora. How'd that happen?" Blue pointed to the window.

"Sonora?" Manolito frowned. "I think you hit your head too hard, Blue. There is no way we could be there. No way."

Blue motioned toward the window. "Just look." He shook his head. "Pa and Uncle Buck are gonna have a fit! Penny and Mercedes won't know…." Panic bleached his face. "They could be hurt or worse! Manolito, we…."

Manolito curled his lip further. He put his hand up to cut off further histrionics. "Let me see what you saw first. Then we shall search for the ladies. ¿Si?" He pushed past Blue and put his nose against the window.

Peons in white strained with overfilled hay carts. Wizened elderly men and women begged passersby. Soldados identical to the ones in his dream drilled in the plaza's midst. "¡Madre de Dios! ¿Que es? ¿Como esta pasando esto?"

"I sure don't know! Those guys don't like ruales or federales!" Blue rushed over to the door. He flung it open. "PENNY! MERCEDES!"

Manolito staggered away from the window. His mind struggled to cope with everything. "BLUE, STOP! ¡POR FAVOR, AMIGO! The yelling it does little to find them." He sucked in a deep breath. "We are the ones who are lost."

"Yeah I'd say so! Them uniforms ain't even from that war that Pa and Uncle Buck fought in!" Blue glanced into the hall. The passage spanned maybe a dozen feet in length. Another closed door stared him in the face. "Maybe they're in there!"

Manolito grabbed for the gun belt. He saw bullets along its length. The holster held an 1870s pistol. "Check for your gun, Blue. We seem to have caught a break, Amigo."

"So I got my gun? Where's Penny?" Blue griped. His face puckered as if he'd eaten a sour apple.

Manolito hissed, "Patience. How are your bullets?"

Blue checked the belt. "I'm full." He looked in the chamber. "I got some there too. Can't believe you ain't more worried about Mercedes!"

Manolito ground his teeth. "I am scared for her! Remember when we chased those banditos to Trails' End! I will be strong for Mercedes! You must be strong!" He grabbed onto Blue's shoulders. "Penny and Mercedes—they count on us! ¿Comprendes?"

"What about Pa and Victoria? And Uncle Buck? And your Pa? What about…?" Blue kept spouting questions. Fear acted much like ice on a sidewalk underfoot.

The door across the hall cracked open. "HEY, BLUE BOY! YOU HUSH UP OVER THERE! SOME OF US ARE TRYIN' TO SLEEP!"

Blue stared. He turned to Manolito. "You hear that?"

"Si, Compadre. I did." Manolito stalked across the hall. He knocked on the door. "BUCK, HEY! GET UP!" He heard a few grumbles through the door.

"What in tarnation is it, Mano? For…?" Blue squinted up and down the hall. "Where are we anyhow?"

"That is the question of the morning it seems. You have not seen Penny or Mercedes?" Manolito looked about the hall.

"Why no! They ain't in here with us. Sam and Pedro are here too. But …?" Buck glanced around again. "HEY! Where are Annie and Jenny?"

"That's what we'd like to know. Seems we're in Mexico, Uncle Buck." Blue stalked back over to the door.

"Mexico?" Buck scratched his head. "Blue Boy, you plumb hit your head or something? There ain't no way that we could be in Nogales much less Mexico!"

"Look out the window, Buck. You will see Blue is right. Something is very strange here, Compadres. Look!" Manolito pointed toward the window in Buck's room.

"I sure don't get this." Buck trudged toward the window. He stepped over Sam and nearly got Pedro's leg.

"¿Que pasa, Mr. Buck?" Pedro griped.

"This sure ain't the bunkhouse, Boys." Sam put his own gun belt on. "Mano, Blue? What is this?"

"We are trying to figure it out as well, Sam." Manolito saw Buck shaking his head. "So you see?"

"This is just plumb loco! I ain't seen soldiers dressed like that since John and I were kids! They ain't American though." Blue rubbed his forehead.

Pedro peered out the window. His eyes went wide. "¡Ay Chihuahua! This is like what Tio Guido used to tell us as niños. He had clothes like that! His Padre served for Spain before independence."

"Before…? Pedro, you're talking about Spanish colonial military. That can't be," Sam countered. He looked out the window as well. "What the Hell?"

"Si. I know. Sam, those soldados are dressed in same way. I do not know. That is what I see." Pedro shrugged.

They heard the sound of someone coming up the stairs. Their hands sat on their pistol's hilts.

Mercedes reached the top of the stairs. Seriousness sagged her facial features. She wore a white dress with blue trim at the neckline. A cameo pinned her collar together.

"Mercedita! What is going on? Are you all right?" Manolito rushed toward her.

"I am now, Manolo Montoya. I will answer your questions. You should know that you all are needed." She glanced toward the window.

The men all looked at each other.

This would sure be a hell of a story for sure….

THE END (for now)