Escape From Gold Mountain Page 11
“Don’t go far, Miss Ling, but take some extra time if you want. I’ll wait for you on the other side of these rocks.”
The breeze had died down, which turned the day pleasantly warm. Luke moved to the opposite side of the boulder from where he left Loi. He jerked down the bandanna covering his face before he removed his hat and jacket and tossed them on the knee-high rock next to him. He propped his Winchester repeater against the smooth, hard rock surface of the boulder which was still cool from the rain. He leaned back. He closed his eyes and turned his face to the sun that had moved far enough across the sky that the tree branches around him no longer shaded the spot where he stood. He slowed his breathing and relaxed his muscles in an effort to feel at peace and one with the world around him.
Peace eluded Luke. He suspected his sense of unrest stemmed from the decisions he had made this past month—first, for getting tangled up with Tex and Charley. Second, for not cutting his losses and breaking away from them.
Luke realized if he had been smart, once he knew Charley and Tex were rustling cattle, he should have gone straight to the Caldwell Ranch, confessed, and thrown himself on their mercy. After meeting most of the men who worked for the ranch and gaining a sense of the nature of their bosses, he suspected things would have turned out better for him if he had. However, without a prior knowledge of the Caldwell brothers and their attitudes, as far as he knew, they could have been the type to immediately string him up and ask questions later.
Agitated, the horse bugled again, and she slamming against her restraints. Luke opened his eyes and pushed himself away from the rock. He stared at the animal without seeing. His senses focused on the greater world around him. Something was not right, but it had nothing to do with his regrets over his personal failings. Nor was it caused by man. The horse would not act this way if Tex, Charley, or other men approached the cabin.
Luke fingered his knife and tomahawk. If there were still snakes out this late in the year, the horse would be able to handle them. However, whatever distressed his horse might be bigger than a snake.
Luke grabbed up his Winchester and started across the clearing, intent on identifying the culprit panicking his horse. He took no more than a few steps before Loi’s scream froze him in place. Fearful of what he might find, he turned and ran toward the spot where he had left her.
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Chapter 21
~o0o~
L uke found Loi with her back pressed against the largest boulder as her fingers clawed at the stony surface. She used her foot to feel her way in the direction of the cabin. Her eyes wide with terror, she focused her gaze on something in the meadow below her.
Upon seeing Luke, she pointed towards the far side of the meadow. Next, she struggled to quickly slide the blindfold over her eyes. “I no look, Shorty. Bear. Take Ling Loi house, please.”
Luke grabbed Loi’s shoulder with one arm as he searched in the direction she had pointed. At the bottom of the hill, in the same section of meadow where he had intended to hobble his horse to graze, a brown-colored bear prowled. It sniffed the air as it traveled along the edge of the stream.
Luke knew about bears. Where he had come from, many young boys proved their bravery and earned their manhood by hunting down and killing bears. He had heard multiple stories about the traits and the dangers bears posed. He had faced one himself while still in Minnesota.
However, this predator was not like the black bears he knew back home. Although black bears could be any color from black to golden brown, this one, medium brown in color, possessed different characteristics. It carried itself differently, with shoulders higher than its hind legs. A distinct hump rose at the back of its neck.
Luke suspected he was looking at a grizzly bear. He had once seen a newspaper illustration of one. The great hulking beasts at one time had roamed throughout California. These days, they were mostly gone from populated regions. Although hunted until very few remained in the state, the few that did exist had abandoned their native valley habitat to the west where they had thrived earlier in the century. They now roamed high in the sparsely-inhabited Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Grizzlies were reputed to be an aggressive species. Unlike black bears that avoided contact with humans, attempts to drive grizzlies away with shouts or gunfire tended to incite rather than deter them. They attack rather than flee.
To prepare for hibernation, this bear had probably followed the creek in hope of finding pools deep enough to hold fish. Along the way, it probably stripped off any berries still clinging to bushes this late in the year. Luke suspected that, although the bear could not reach the half of a chicken he had hung high in a tree, the scent might have drawn the grizzly. If so, it would not be easily detracted from its goal.
A multitude of thoughts chased each other through Luke’s mind. If he ran towards the cabin with Loi, the movement of fleeing prey would attract the bear and could prompt it to attack. In spite of their awkward-appearing bulk, bears ran faster than humans. They could outrun and bring down a horse.
“Shorty, take Ling Loi house!”
The panic in her voice shook Luke to his core, but he knew he dared not do what she demanded. Tex’s cabin smelled of food. Although the log walls were sturdy enough, if the bear wanted in, neither the door nor the roof were strong enough to keep it out. In addition, even if they made it inside and barricaded the door, their flight would draw the grizzly to his mare trapped in the pole barn, an easy target for the hulking predator.
The grizzly reared up on its hind legs and roared. In addition to the scent of meat and the panicked bugling of the horse, it had spotted the pair at the top of the hill.
“Climb up the tree, Loi. It’s the only way.”
“No! House, Shorty.”
“The bear will outrun us and tear the house down. Up the tree. Now!”
“Aaaiiee! Gau ming ah! (Save me!)”
Luke cringed at her cry of distress. As much as he realized that the condition of her feet would make it difficult for her to climb, he knew he must force her up the tree. He started up the rocks and tugged her along, catching her when her feet slipped from beneath her. He pushed her to the closest tree with branches he thought could bear their weight and grabbed her at the waist to lift her up. Loi reached for the branches above her and began to pull herself up. Luke followed close behind her and bit back the frustration he felt at her not being able to move faster. He prepared to catch her if she slipped.
“Move over to the next tree.”
Luke recalled hearing that grizzlies, unlike the smaller black bears, were poor tree-climbers. Still, if he and Loi could climb the tumble of boulders to reach the bottom branches of the Jeffrey pines, so could the grizzly. They must move far enough away from the rocks so if it followed, it could not cuff them with its deadly claws.
While steadying Loi as she slowly made her way up the tree, branch by branch, Luke glanced back. The grizzly, momentarily distracted, paced around the tree containing the sack of chicken meat. It once again stood on its hind legs and stretched its front paws in an effort to capture it. The rope that secured the cache remained mere inches beyond the outstretched claws. The bellow of frustration that followed sent Luke’s horse snorting and stomping in terror, which drew the bear’s attention. The behemoth dropped to all fours and issued an aggressive growl. It pawed the ground, first with one front paw, then the other, each time sending large divots of soil and grass flying behind him.
Loi cried out in terror as her foot slipped and sent her body crashing against the trunk. She struggled to regain her footing. Luke turned towards her and circled her waist with his arm to steady her. “You’re doing good, Miss Ling. Keep climbing. We must go up.”
Tamping down his annoyance at trying to hang onto his rifle as he helped Loi and climb himself, Luke turned back towards the bear. It appeared to focus its eyes on the two humans climbing the tree. Luke wondered if grizzlies had better vision than black
bears. Even if this one did not see them well, Luke knew it could make out movement in the trees. Its sense of smell and hearing would guide it to its target. At the moment, he suspected its target was him and Ling Loi.
The bear charged up the hill. Luke knew he and Loi were not high up enough to escape if the bear made it to the top of the boulders. He must act quickly.
“Up, Loi. Keep climbing up.”
Grimacing, Luke released Loi. His back turned to the trunk, he circled one arm around a narrow tree limb for balance. In one fluid motion he transferred his gun to his left hand while the right pulled the tomahawk from his belt loop and sent it flying just as the grizzly started climbing towards the pair. As it landed between the eyes of the beast, Luke heard the thud. Stunned, but not mortally wounded, the grizzly slid back until it tumbled on the ground at the base of the boulders. With a deafening roar, it pawed its head and dislodged the weapon. Blood flooded into the animal’s face. Luke glanced back long enough to see the bear vigorously shake its head in an effort to fling its eyes clear.
The wound inflicted by the tomahawk did not buy Luke much time. He and Loi barely climbed up one more row of branches before the grizzly once again tackled the boulder.
Luke twisted on his perch, brought his rifle around to his right hand, racked a bullet into the chamber, and jammed the weapon into his shoulder. He pressed the trigger just as the grizzly, partway up the boulders, surged towards the pair in the trees. The bullet tore into the animal’s mouth. Luke could not tell if it exited the back of the head, or if it lodged inside. With a gurgling growl, the beast lunged from side-to-side, obviously seriously wounded. Still the grizzly clawed the rocky slope.
The rifle’s report prompted Loi to cry out and throw her body against the tree trunk, which sent the entire tree into a spiraling dance. Luke tightened his grip on the trunk as he ratcheted the lever and sent another bullet in the chamber.
For Loi’s sake, as well as his and his horse’s, he willed the tree to cease its sway long enough for him to aim another clear shot at the grizzly before it came at them again. Although they no longer climbed in the pine closest to the boulders, they remained within the bear’s reach if it managed to reach the pinnacle of stone and rose to its full height. Luke doubted they would survive a direct attack without serious injury.
Luke slowed his breathing as the movement of the tree faded to a gentle sway. He centered the grizzly’s head in his sites. As the bear made one final attempt to jump to the top of the boulders, Luke squeezed the trigger.
The second shot finished off the grizzly. The hulking animal slid down the hard, rounded surface and tumbled into a heap at the base. Luke racked another bullet in the chamber and waited for any sign of movement. He refused to be caught off-guard in case the bear had more fight left in him.
As Luke stared at the still form of the grizzly, he once more grew aware of the world around him. The horse still snorted its unease. The small animal noises remained absent. Birds—those that still remained in the area rather than having flown south for the winter— had yet to resume chirping. Luke felt and heard a gentle breeze dance through the needles of the Jeffrey and Ponderosa Pines. The same wind sent the yellow leaves of the aspens dancing and chattering.
Luke next focused on the sobs of the woman above him, the one whose thigh pressed into his shoulder. He looked up to see Loi still clinging to the tree trunk, her face turned away from the gruesome sight below them. “Miss Ling, everything is all right now. The bear is dead. We can climb down now.”
“Maybe bear not dead. Ling Loi stay in tree.”
“I’ll go down by myself and check to be sure the bear is dead.”
“No! No go. Ling Loi fall.”
Luke searched for a place to secure his rifle. He settled on the loops of the horse hobbles he had tucked into his belt. Keeping his arms around Loi, he climbed up until he stood even with her. “Ling Loi, look at me. You’re safe now.”
Placing one arm around the tree trunk, Luke used his other hand to coax her to turn towards him. The next thing he knew, with her one hand still wrapped around the tree, she clutched the front of his shirt with the other. She buried her face into his shoulder. Luke circled his arm around her back and pulled her into an embrace, almost as much to comfort himself as to assure her. Loi’s hand released his shirt and reached around his torso, clinging to him. He held her close while her body shook with sobs.
Luke waited for Loi’s trembling to subside. “Miss Ling, are you all right now?”
“Feet hurt very bad.”
Luke leaned away and looked down. The narrow branch she stood on had wedged itself in crook of her boots created by the heels. With her misshapen arches, he suspected her feet were under a terrible strain. “Here. We will find you a strong branch to sit on. You stay in the tree while I make sure the bear is dead. Afterward, I’ll help you down.”
Luke guided her to a sturdy limb and eased her into a sitting position. After making sure she still held the tree trunk with a secure grip, he braced her feet on another branch for balance.
The motion of her free hand brushing away tears caught Luke’s attention. He stood and looked into Loi’s face, seeing it fully up close for the first time. He studied her eyelids rimmed red from crying. Her skin like satin flowed smoothly over her fine bones. Her dark hair had escaped the combs she used to hold her chignon in place at the nap of her neck.
Loi did not have the appearance of either Ojibwa women or white women, yet she did not look foreign or strange to him. Her face enchanted him. He felt drawn to her more than ever.
Luke raised his hand and grazed his fingertips across her cheek. “You’re beautiful, Ling Loi.”
~o0o~
Loi shrank back from Shorty as her mind worked to process the meaning behind his words. Normally, when white men said those words to her, they either taunted her, or played the role of the irresistible lover.
Loi quickly chided herself for such thoughts. Shorty was not a white customer brought to her to pleasure. In the days since she had met him, he had not tried to approach her for sexual favors. He had even spoken against Tex and Boss using her. Could his words be sincere?
With his hat missing and his face fully exposed, Loi’s gaze drank in his features. His skin was white, but his appearance did not frighten her or seem so foreign in the same manner as most Western men. His high cheek bones rounded his face. She had already seen his hair, black like hers, the night he had allowed her to take off her blindfold. Although it was not long enough to be braided into a proper queue, it fell below his shoulders, longer than the style worn by most white men she had seen.
Loi could now see he had not shaved for many days. However, his beard appeared thin and wispy, more like the beards of Chinese men and nothing like the full, bushy moustaches and occasional beards that covered the faces of many white Americans. His eyes, although they did not have the shape of those belonging to a Chinese person, were dark brown, almost black. Unlike most American men, the whites of his eyes barely showed. He appeared…human. Considering he was not Chinese, she found him to be quite…handsome.
Shyness overcame Loi and she lowered her eyes. It had been ingrained in her it was impolite to look directly at a man’s face, let alone to stare at him as long as she had. A Chinese man would have berated her for her rudeness.
However, Shorty said nothing. He merely watched her with a hint of a smile while she studied him. She did not know what she felt about him, but she did not fear him. She no longer felt angry at him. If anything, she felt the first stirrings of love for him.
As soon as Shorty started down the tree towards the bear, Loi scolded herself for yearning for Shorty. Yes, he treated her with kindness and respect. However, even though he saved her from the bear, he offered her little in return for her future. To protect her heart, she steeled herself against the feelings of longing she experienced in his embrace.
“Ling Loi stay in tree tonight. Wait very long time, make sure bear very dead.”
Luke chuckled at Loi’s insistence that she would spend the night in the tree. He knew how difficult it was for her to balance on the branches. Yet, her fear of the bear overrode her discomfort.
“Miss Ling, you cannot spend the night in the tree. You stay up here while I check on the bear, and then I’ll come back up to help you climb down.”
Luke descended the trees and scrambled down the rocks, all the while keeping an eye on the grizzly for any sign of movement. Seeing none, he cautiously stepped around the beast and picked up his tomahawk. He started to wipe the blood from the blade on his pant leg, but glanced up and noticed Loi watching him. Instead, he stepped to a nearby clump of grass to clean it. Weapons in each hand, Luke slowly circled the bear while he looked for signs of breathing or a twitching of muscle. Seeing none, his hatchet raised in one hand and the index finger of his other hand resting on the trigger, he poked the animal with the barrel of his rifle.
The euphoria of having faced danger and overcome it surged through Luke. He looked up at Loi with a grin. “The bear is dead. It’s safe now.”
Luke rejoined Loi in the tree, aware that a whirlwind of desire, regret, and other feelings he chose to not identify, tore through him each time he drew close to her. Or thought of her. Or spoke with her. Turning her so she could see to place her feet and hands, he circled his arm around her waist. He resisted the urge to press his cheek into her back as he helped her climb down. Finally, her feet rested solidly on the top of the largest boulder. From there, he half-supported her, half-carried her down the jumble of stones until they both stood on the ground several feet from the grizzly.
Luke pulled her into an embrace, and Loi made no effort to break free. She peeked around Luke’s shoulder to stare at the carcass.