The Treasures of Darkness Vol. 2: Land of Purple Shadows

dawn?

Chapter One Honeymoon

It was a perfect, magic, airport day. She felt like a giant when she was carried on the shoulders of her big bear of a Granddad. The last glider had touched down like a feather and they were headed to the sky blue stand for ice cold root beer; her favorite. Calistoga was a sleepy little town that always felt hot and dull to seven-year-old Erica where the most exciting thing was a trip to Hanleys Liquor Store for the newest super hero comic and whatever Bemaw was cooking in the kitchen. Sickly for much of her little life, her favorite things were stories. TV stories, comic stories, old radio and best, best of all… Granddad’s stories.

Northern Nevada c. 1920’s

Paul and Tootse had been married a bit over a year and it had been a full year of fun, lovin’ and a whole lot of hand to mouth living. Tall and lean, Paul looked a little stringy but was strong and could work with the best of men. He had sandy hair and a sense of humor that was always dancing about his brilliant blue eyes. Tootse was short with an athletic build. She had dark bobbed hair framing her sweet face and cherry lips that Paul could not kiss enough. They had married in the spring and had Tootse kept her job as post mistress of Winnemucca while Paul studied and picked up odd jobs here and there.

They continued living for a while in the boarding house but there was just no regular work for Paul and he was not a man to be ‘kept’ by his wife. Tootse left her position and gladly set out down the trail with Paul, although sad to leave their Basque friends behind. It was especially hard to leave Bao, the little Chinese girl they had befriended.

Paul went back to some of the ranches and picked up a little work here and there but beef prices were down. Mines were petering out and the ‘quick buck’ crowd became the ‘get out crowd’. Many who had come from greener lands just couldn’t take root in Nevada’s high and dry. Less people, less profit, less places to sell beef.

Paul was happy when he got steady work back among his buckaroo friends at the 27 Ranch. Life in the west always seemed harder than in ‘civilization’ but here a man could have his pride and his freedom. He was definitely no cowhand but he still ascribed to buckaroo etiquette. Don’t ask what the day’s work is. Never ride in front of the boss and never get between him and the cows. Many of the boys rode twenty miles before starting a full day’s work.

That summer Paul mostly dug holes and strung wire. It was hard, dirty work but the payoff was seeing Tootse each night in their little shack behind the school. She’d cook grits and sometimes ham and in the evenings, they’d play cards or take walks. Each very content with the other’s company and not needing much more than that. Tootse helped in the ranch kitchen with the Chinese cook, Ah Sim and by summer’s end had made friends with just about everybody- as usual.

When Fall came, she taught school in the small one room school house that served the local ranches. Pay was usually not in dollars but eggs, chicken, jam and canned vegetables. Tradition held that a married woman wasn’t allowed to teach school but Tootse was sort of unofficial and times were changing. Everyone in the area appreciated her firm discipline and loving heart. Run on donations, no two books in the school were the same but children learned. While visiting kin in Tennessee she had heard a Cherokee teacher say, The best school is a log where one wants to learn and one wants to teach. That stuck with her. The older ones learned to teach the younger ones. No twelve-year-old wanted to look dumber than the little kids so they were careful in their studies.

She was a true school mamma. The head of the school board, Tom Ford, said in his opening speech of the school year. I never knew a country teacher that wasn’t willing to join wholeheartedly in any project from cremating a bull to helping neighbors with potatoes. Theresa Thompson has already shown she’s that kind of neighbor and we’re glad to have you at our school There was applause followed by prayer. Paul puffed up with pride, let out a whoop. Tootse just smiled and everybody headed to the potluck table.

Even winter had its joys. Snow packed roads made travel fairly easy so there were all night dances. Ladies made their favorite cakes and cowboys became troubadours. Lots of match making happened in the winter leading to many spring weddings. Paul liked dancing but he loved to eat. At every opportunity, he begged Tootse to make her brandy cake, and she did. He gained a little weight that first year. It was good to have a little fat and be truly happy for the first time in his life.

The most exciting thing that winter were the chariot races; farmers versus ranchers; two fast horses pulling a two-wheel buggy. Betting was heavy and it looked like the entire county had turned out even with the temperature in single digits. Twenty years ago, farmers versus ranchers might have ended in some shooting but as the county grew, neighbors realized they needed one another. The annual chariot race was all about good natured bragging rights and some cold hard cash.

The horses shook their heads anxious to go. At the sound of the shot, the horses ran throwing up clouds of snow behind them. And then, it was over. The quarter mile was in and done in under thirty seconds. Ranchers got the trophy but nobody really cared as everyone headed inside to eat and dance and sing. Tootse and Paul both loved this community that shared life to the fullest together.

It was a peaceful honeymoon time for them. When spring came late, as usual, the mud season came. Snow turned to cold slush and where the earth was soft calves got stuck. Ranches hired extra riders early in the season to find and extricate the calves for the early round up. Paul could ride fair enough and didn’t mind the long hours alone. He sure did mind being away from Tootse though. He couldn’t go an hour without aching for her. Paul missed holding her in the nights and waking up with her each morning. He turned his attention to the meal, music and stories that were peppering the lengthening shadows around the canvas chuck-wagon.

The buckaroos had all gathered for the night, as they had each night of round-up for the last forty years. The cowboys changed but life on the range was timeless.

Shirley, Waltzy and Bowlegged Ed were swapping stories, chewing tobacco and ribbing the cook. Horses stood placidly in their rope corral and the smell of Dutch oven biscuits made Paul forget about Tootse for a little bit. Fresh coffee in a blue enamel cup burned his fingers as he listened in on the youngsters.

Hey Emmet got some gum? a mischievous young voice poked at his friend. Disgusted, a slightly older cowhand spit. Start that up again and I swear, by all that’s holy, I will pick you up and sit you down in the nearest prickly pear patch I can find! Clyde replied Let’s tell the boys again about that dance you went to last month with that old cow girl. Emmet gave up with a disgusted grunt and let Clyde keep on. Now I had told you friend that too much moonshine were not good for you.

Many of the young buckaroos nodded in mock, solemn agreement. Warming up, Clyde turned to face his audience who were all clustered up around the campfire. So it was right after a light snow and we seen cow tracks wandering off but they just didn’t look quite right. We figured she was crippled or something. Any way, we head out and these tracks end at some old shack covered up in sage next to a little creek. Now I don’t want to get shot so I ‘hello’ the camp. Emmet busts out For gosh sakes Clyde get on with it!

Paul suspected Clyde didn’t mind the notoriety of getting his story told again and smiled into his coffee. Well we poke our nose into that cabin and sure as shoot if there’s not a pair of shoes with hooves attached hanging on a peg. And we see between the cracks in the cabin down a gully, a little steam coming of the creek. We go check it out and there is a little still just bubbling away using that hot spring to cook the moonshine. Never saw such a thing. Emmet added Pretty dang clever to walk around in those cow hooves too. The cowboys all nodded. Now me, Clyde took off his hat with his most pious look and said I was raised by a Christian grandmother and promised her I would never touch a drop.

At that, the boys laughed until they about choked, but Clyde just looked hurt as put his hat back on. But Emmet, well he goes out and shouts to the hills that he might be interested in doing some business if there was any white lightening to be had. And sure as shoot, out of the gully comes the proprietor and his three legged dog. Not sure which one was more mangy but Clyde here cuts the deal and he goes off with a quart of hot liquor.

Pausing to drink his coffee and shovel in a spoonful of beans Clyde continued. Well Sir, most of you were all there when we went to town that Saturday night for the dance. Emmett got a head start on moonshine before time but figured the fumes on his breath might scare off a girl so he packs in a wad of gum. Turning to Emmet Clyde was still in awe, I do not know how you got all that gum in your mouth without choking let alone got that girl to dance with you.

Emmet jabbed back, Just the best looking fella of this crowd I guess. Booing and hissing happened on cue from all the hands. Clyde raised his hand to silence the cat calls. And all that beautiful, long blonde hair she had. You boys remember? More cat calls followed. But by the end of that little dance you had got all that hair into all your gum. Boy! I thought she was about to have a kitten when she stormed out. Paul and all the boys applauded the well told story that would probably be told around a hundred different campfires in the years to come.

Paul wasn’t out on the range too long. With summer the regular hands were enough and his job was cut but he was happy, knowing he was going home to Tootse. It was a beautiful late spring day when he rode into the ranch to pick up his wages. The fresh smell of sweetbriar roses reminded him of Tootse as he picked up the pace. He arrived to bad news when he went to collect his wages. Pinky the ranch boss said. Sorry to let you go but this will be your last paycheck from the 27 Ranch. Hell, it will be the last paycheck for most of us. We are bust and that’s the short of it. Reckon that’ll shut down the school too, at least for now. Paul nodded disappointed but he understood and they shook hands like men. See ya boss See ya Pinky. and that was that. He still had Tootse, and it was spring. He’d pick up work somewhere.

She was there waiting for him at and he swept her into his arms. He felt tears on her face. Worried, he backed away to look at her, Tootse was definitely not a crier. She held a letter up to him. Paul it’s Bao. Paul waited to hear it all, never one to borrow trouble. Ah Sim got this letter from Winnemucca about her.

The Chinese community was very close but Paul was always surprised how fast news could spread. She’s thirteen now, almost fourteen and her Grandfather has just died. He wasn’t hardly cold when she was taken. Ah Sim saw a truck driving away with her from the church! That was a week ago. A cook for the rectory out there was friends of old Low and got this letter to Ah Sim. She cried some more as she thought about Bao.

Paul knew what she was thinking. It was what he was thinking. Young girls were often married or sold as slaves if there were no male relatives to look after them. Paul wasted no time. Pack up girl, we gotta go! She packed and Paul went to borrow a horse.

With Tootse, a canteen, one bedroll and a shared carpet bag they rode off double mounted the twenty plus miles to Winnemucca, leaving everything else behind Tootse figured they’d get Bao back pretty quick and settle back down into the sweet little life they were building together. Paul didn’t tell Tootse they wouldn’t be returning, she had enough on her mind. He said his goodbye to the 27 Ranch waving to the cheerful iron cowboy weather vane that pointed west into the wind. Arriving well after dark, they wasted no time making inquires at the bar and boarding house. Paul loved the industry, ingenuity and wit of the Chinese but some of their customs he just could not hold to and selling folks was one of them.

They paid fifty cents to board the horse at the stable and another two bits so they could sleep there as well. Besides cheap accommodations, stables were always a hub for information and with an outhouse out back, all the necessaries were taken care of. Tucking Tootse into the hay like a little chick, Paul went outside to roll a cigarette and think, Tootse already softly snoring out of exhaustion. He thought about going to the sheriff but a raid would just drive the kidnappers more deeply into hiding. The Chinese had made it a real art to shake their head in mock sympathy pretending to know nothing about anything. Given the