Base camp was approximately 15 miles south-east of Tortilla
Flats, which sat along the Apache Trail. We had planned well for the
expedition; arriving in late summer and waiting out the heat. We spent a few
weeks in town gaining information with the locals and purchasing supplies. We
were subject to numerous methods of persuasion from those who claimed we were
in over our heads and should call off the voyage before it began. The albino and
I were not deterred. This was not our first encounter with uncertainty or
danger.
It’s not that we were ignorant of the dangers we faced, but
we managed our risks with a strict code of conduct. Our code included three simple rules and they
were doctrine to us; (1) stay focused, (2) don’t get distracted, and (3) be
prepared for anything.I broke all three rules on our first day in town. My breaking of the rules was not intentional by any means, but I knew I had upset the albino. He chastised me more than once, but I was blind to the danger I was placing us in.
We came into town at dusk on the back of a dusty, old wagon
driven by a kind man we had met along the trail. His name was Ricardo, but he
said we could call him Abuelo. Our horses walked slowly behind the creaking wagon,
their reigns in our hands. The wagon had bounced back and forth repeatedly
during the long, slow ascension into the dusty and dry mountains. When we
entered the small town Abuelo stopped the wagon in front of a wooden building. The
boards that made up the walls had dried and warped in the unforgiving sun. Across the street a young boy called to Abuelo,
who climbed from the wagon and crossed the street.
We jumped down from the back of the wagon and led our horses
to a trough filled with water so warm it would have made a better bath than a
drink. The horses sipped slowly from the trough as we observed what we could
see of the small, desert town. A few people had gathered in front of a nearby
stucco building to talk with Abuelo. From what I had gathered in speaking to
him he came to town once a week to sell supplies and take gold back down to the
Pinal valley. We crossed the street to join the crowd of people and fell in
behind Abuelo. I tipped my wide brimmed hot low over my eyes to avoid the rays
of the setting sun. When I looked up again I saw something that took my breath
away. She stood in the doorway of the stucco building, the light shining through her long, blond hair. She wore a white dress that reached to her ankles and fitted snuggly around her waist. A small, gold necklace hung around her neck. I stood spellbound and motionless. In all of our adventures together I had never encountered anything like her before. I looked to my feet and saw rules one, two, and three lay as casualties on a bloody battlefield.
Someone was calling my name and I felt a strong nudge in my
ribs. I looked to my right and saw Abuelo and the albino staring at me. Abuelo
motioned to the girl in the door and said, “Anything you need Ruby can help you
get.” He smiled knowingly. The albino glared at me though his almond shaped
eyes.
The rest of the evening went by in a flash of dust and hot
air. The albino and I set up camp just
outside of town. We thought it was best to have a place where we wouldn’t be
disturbed by the local population. They knew we planned on hiking through the
Superstitions, but we felt it was imperative to hide our true motives. As a
cover we explained to those who asked that we were geographic surveyors on
commission from the Federal Government. Being out of town gave us a little more
freedom to plan our expedition without interference from nosey locals. We were headed in search of the mountainous province
once owned by the Peralta family of Mexico; a site that according to legend was
rich in lost gold.
…… …… ……
Dawn came early the next morning and with it a quickly rising external temperature. The albino and I agreed we would need to purchase a few more canteens before we headed into the hills. The heat was something we had anticipated, but we had underestimated the intensity with which it would beat down upon us. As we wrapped up our sleeping rolls in the morning I mentioned to the albino that we may need to stay nearby the town for a few extra weeks to let the heat subside before our trip. He looked at me with a frustrated glare. He was anxious to get started as it was, and he knew that I may have had another motive for staying in town longer. He shook his head in disagreement.
A short walk brought us back to town and we sought out a
place where the horses could have food and water for the day, as well as some
much needed shade. A young boy at the stables told us that we could keep our
horses there for a small fee each day. We agreed with the boy and let him know we
would return in the evening. The albino expressed a concern that the horses may
not receive all of the attention they would need. I did my best to emphasize to
the young boy that they needed to have available food and water throughout the
day. He seemed disinterested in the conversation until he caught the albino’s penetrating
glare, at which point he shook his head in understanding.
The town was very small. There was the old, wooden building
that Abuelo had parked the wagon in front of, which turned out to be the local courthouse.
It housed a small courtroom with an adjoining jail. Other than the courthouse
there were only eight or nine buildings scattered throughout the quiet town.
They too were built of wood but seemed to be considerably newer. There was a
small trading post across the street from the courthouse. This was where I had
seen Ruby the night before. Next to the trading post was a two-floor building
with a sign that read, Acampo Lodge. This
appeared to be the local restaurant and hotel. Had it been raining the night
before, we may have stayed in the lodge. Down the street were a few other
buildings that included the local bank and gold exchange, a small doctor’s
office, and a black smith. There was no train station in town, so the only way
in or out was on foot or horseback.The albino and I had made an inventory of our belongings and had decided that we required a few more supplies; these included several more canteens, a few lengths of strong rope, a compass, a current map of the area, and enough food rations to last at least two months. As we entered the trading post I saw Ruby from the corner of my eye. She was sitting behind the counter with a small book in her hands.
Without looking out from behind the book she asked, “Looking
for anything special?”
The albino and I approached the counter. I held the list of
supplies in my hand, but was unable to speak. We hadn’t ever made eye contact
and my nerves had overcome me. I stood in silence trying to find the words to describe
what we had come in search of. The albino looked in my direction and became
visibly annoyed. He quickly grabbed the list from my hands and slammed it down
on the counter with his strong paw. The loud smack of the albino hitting the
table snapped me out of my trance, and Ruby shot forward and set the book down
on the counter with its cover facing up.
Ruby took the list from the counter. Her hands were small
and appeared soft; her nails were painted turquoise green. The skin on her face
was fair but she had a number of small freckles on her cheeks and nose. I
smiled as I watched Ruby read the list, but the albino motioned towards the
book she had been reading. The cover of the book read, Montana Tesoro.
She smiled at the albino and said, “I think I can help you.”
Before I realized what I was saying I had asked, “What’s
that book you’re reading?”
She grabbed the book and slipped it below the counter. “It’s
just a story book my grandfather gave me.”
“What kind of stories?” I asked.
“Local stories; these mountains are full of legends about lost
mines, buried Spanish treasures, and even cities built out of pure gold.”
“Are any of them true?” I asked. The albino was on the edge
of his seat not knowing how far I would be willing to carry the conversation.
“Some people say they are. Some people even come out of the
mountains with gold to trade, but most people who go looking never come back.”
“What happens to them? Do they die?”
“It’s hard to say unless you find their body. Very few
bodies are ever found.” A tear formed in the corner of Ruby’s eye and she wiped
it away quickly, hoping we hadn’t noticed.
“I’m sorry.” I said softly, “We don’t have to talk about it.”
“It’s alright. It’s just that I lost someone dear to me to
the mountains.” She reached below the counter and grabbed the book again. From
within its pages she removed a small faded picture. She set it on the counter,
and the albino and I leaned in to see what it was. The picture was of a young
man in his mid-twenties. He had a tuff of blond hair that protruded from under
a large, brimmed hat. He leaned against a pick axe.
“His name was Pedro but we called him Pete.” She said sadly,
“He hasn’t been seen in over a year.”
“Was he your husband?” I asked quietly; hoping for a
negative response. A small laugh escaped from her throat and she shook her
head.
“No, no. He is my brother.” She said. “I miss him very much.
I would go looking for him myself, but it is far too dangerous; besides my
grandfather needs me to stay here at the trading post. My grandmother is gone,
and there is nobody here to watch the place when my grandfather goes to the
valley.”
“Your grandfather? Abuelo, he’s your grandfather?” I asked.
“Of course”, she said as she smiled. “That is what abuelo
means. His real name is Ricardo.”
“We met him yesterday on our way to town.”
“I know.” She smiled again, “He told me all about you. You’ve
come to survey these mountains and then return east with whatever information
you can gather. How long will you be in the hills?”
I hesitated, not sure of the answer myself. “About two
months I think.”
Ruby leaned forward and looked directly into my eyes. For a
second my heart forgot how to beat.
“Will you do me a
favor?” she asked.
“Anything” I said.
“Will you keep an eye open for my brother?”
I nodded my head and smiled. “I promise.”
To be continued...
