El Dorado Elementary School Lancaster California Student Authoring Project Treasure at El Dorado

Treasure at El Dorado

By Mr. Neely and his 5th Grade Class (See the Character List Below)

           The Double D ranch came into view as the riders reached the edge of the rock-strewn mesa that overlooked the oldest cattle ranch in the canyon. The sturdy old hacienda they saw below them had been built by the first member of the Duncan family to enter Pondera Canyon. The operation was now in the capable hands of Doug Duncan. He kept the fences mended and the buildings in good repair. Cattle filled the pens. Cowhands could be seen sitting on the corral fences counting them and gauchos maneuvered their caballos skillfully as they brought in more stock. Some noticed the riders up on the mesa as they stood out against the evening sky. 

          Leading the riders was old Howard Horn, a tough hombre who had spent many of his working years in the saddle. He stood up in his stirrups as Whiskers, his beautiful red-haired horse, came to a halt. He turned slowly to look back over the group and as he did, you could hear the creaking of leather. All of the riders accompanying him waited to see if he would speak. He didn’t. He just looked them over with his wise old cowboy eyes. Then, carefully easing himself back down in his hand-tooled saddle, he flicked the reins and proceeded down the trail in the arroyo toward the entrance to the property.

          The riders, all residents of El Dorado, followed close behind the Colonel, for that is how they referred to their leader. It had been his rank in the war and they called him that out of respect and admiration. They were a mixed group of young men and women from their frontier town on the edge of civilization. Only a few miles further on were the badlands and unsettled areas where wild bronchos and wilder men lived by their own rules well beyond the law.

          Some of the worst characters in the territory had staked out part of Escondido Canyon less than twenty miles north of the Duncan spread. It was no accident that the Colonel and his posse were there. The men up in Escondido Canyon were no good and the posse from El Dorado was headed their way to clean them out and put an end to their lawlessness and trouble-making.

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When the posse reached the bottom of the Arroyo the dry creek bed  widened out and the single column of riders fanned out to approach the entrance gate to the property side by side. There were twenty five of them and they made an impressive picture lined up that way. Their horses pranced ahead until the Colonel raised his right hand slightly. On that signal, they stopped abruptly and created a rising cloud of red dust that continued in front of them before beginning to settle to the dry soil beneath them.

          As soon as the noise of the group stopped, the clomping sound of an approaching rider could be heard. Racing toward them at breakneck speed was the foreman and ramrod of the estancia. Russell Brown had been running the day to day business of the ranch for several years now. The hands all called him “Brownie.”  This time Brownie put on quite a show as he came to a sliding stop in the center of the path that led through the front gate. His horse came in sliding with his hind legs low and head rearing. A new dust cloud enveloped the group and several members of the posse coughed uncontrollably for a few moments.

          “Hey Colonel!”, Brownie shouted. “Good to see you all.”

          The Colonel looked like he was going to speak but instead just raised his right hand to the brim of his sombrero and pulled on it slightly in a quiet salute. He wasn’t known for wasting words.

          Brownie returned the gesture and pulled his wide-brimmed hat off and swung it in a circle over his head indicating the group should follow him. He swung his pinto pony around in a tight whirl and trotted off down the rutted path toward the house.

          Colonel Horn made a circling movement of his right index finger and the entire group formed up behind him as he proceeded after Brownie.

          It was obvious such a large group would be unable to tie up and dismount at the small hitching rail in front of the residence so they all swung off to the right toward the nearest corral and tied up along the top railing there. They each dismounted and began tending to their mounts.

          Saddle bags and saddles were thrown on top of the top rail. They each

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          The first posse member to get his horse into the remuda corral was Jabari Hoskins. He threw the wooden bolt on the corral gate and hot-footed it towards the back porch of the hacienda. That was where the gauchos and cowhands of the Double D were gathering to pick up their evening grub. The smell of hot, hearty home cookin’ was all around.

          Hoskins was the town newspaper editor. He had a knack for finding out the least detail about everything and everyone in El Dorado. The town paper was called The Daily Bonanza but seldom had more than four pages to it. Still – folks read it as much for entertainment as for the news. Jabari kept the gossip lively and the paper sort of spiced up the otherwise mostly uneventful days of the El Dorado townsfolk.

Jabari’s office was just south of the Marshal’s jailhouse on Main Street. He lived upstairs with his elderly Aunt Juanita. She was getting old and had trouble doing little everyday things. Jabari took care of her and made sure she had whatever she needed. She was lucky to have someone like him to look out for her in her old age. Folks respected Jabari for that. Morning, noon, and evening he could be seen bringing a plate for her from

Heidi’s Place. He could have cooked for her at home but Heidi’s had the best grub in town and he knew Juanita was more likely to eat what Heidi had fixed up for her rather than any thing he could rustle up in his little kitchen.

          Cade Short, Jabari’s assistant at the paper, had stayed behind and had promised to look after Juanita while Jabari was out gallivanting around chasing bad guys with the Colonel. Cade did most of the typesetting at the Daily Bonanza while Jabari was out gathering the latest news. Cade lived just outside of El Dorado’s northeast corner where the Fresno Trail split off from Front Street. He’d lived there for several years after buying out old Doc Holloman when he retired and moved to Flagstaff.

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          Cade ran a few head of cattle on his place and always seemed ready to help people out if they needed it. It wasn’t unusual for him to bring a basket of fresh eggs to the Martin family’s place up on the Arroyo Seco. Mr. Martin had been bushwhacked and murdered by several of the bandidos from Escondido Canyon a few months back. That was part of the reason Colonel Horn had helped organize the posse that was at the Double D.  

          The widow Lucilla Martin was a mess. She tried her best to keep up a brave front but she would sometimes just begin sobbing without any warning. It was hard for folks to see her so distraught over her loss. The frontier was a hard enough place when all was well but, a woman and two kids without a breadwinner was really testing fate. Mr. Martin had been a tireless worker and supplied most of the town with milk, butter, buttermilk, and cheese. He also did odd jobs for people when Ernesto Buckmaster, El Dorado’s carpenter, was tied up with bigger projects.

          Lucilla had two strong boys but they were still too young to carry the responsibilities their father had. Percy Martin left some big boots to fill. His boys, Randy aged 10 and Charley at 13, worked alongside Lucilla from sun up to sundown. They were all three looking pretty worn out and were just making ends meet financially. That’s why Cade and many of the town’s folk would stop by and help out or drop something off for them. What had happened to them could’ve happened to anyone in El Dorado.

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Cade was on his way to Heidi’s Café to get breakfast for Juanita. He had no intention of stopping at the Martin’s except to drop off a calico bandana with about a dozen eggs in it. He figured the three of them would be out back in the barn doing the morning milking so he just hopped over the low, white picket fence that surrounded the dirt square that passed for a front yard. He walked up to the small front porch and carefully placed the bundle of eggs next to the door. He turned quickly and headed away.

          “Cade Short!”

          Cade stopped in his tracks and almost lost his balance he was so startled. “ Mornin’, Mam”, he said as he slowly turned.

          “Do you mean to tell me you were goin’ to just drop off them eggs and skedaddle without so much as a simple howdy do?”, Lucinda said with a smile.

          “Well, matter of fact, I was.”, blurted Cade. He knew he was wrong to think it, but he couldn’t help noticing how pretty Lucinda always looked. He’d only seen her a few times around town before the murder and had never spoken to her until - after.

          “Well, if you have pressin’ matters to tend to I guess ‘Hello Mam’ will just have to do. Won’t it?”, she scolded.

          “Sorry, Mam, but Miss Heidi’s holdin’ a plate for Jabari’s Aunt Juanita and Juanita gets to frettin’ if  I don’t get it there on time.”, Cade said apologetically.

          “Well, alright then. You head out. One of the boys’ll drop off some fresh buttermilk at the paper later. Just our way of sayin’ thanks.” She waved him away and went back inside. The door didn’t hang quite right and there was a solid thump as she adjusted it and closed it.

          Cade took the last two steps to the gate but hopped over it instead of opening and closing it. There was a little extra spring in his step as he made his way west on Front Street. He could see the Marshal, Storm Lydon, sitting there rocked back in his chair. From his position Marshal Lydon could see east down Front Street and south to where Main Street turned into

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the Phoenix Trail and met up with Carla’s Way.

“Mornin’ Marshal.”, Cade said,  as he approached the corner.

          “Hey there, Cade.”, Marshal Lyndon replied. “You stop by to see Lucinda?” Storm queried.

          “Now Marshal. Taint nothin’ such.”, said Cade, embarrassed. “I jes dropped off a passel of eggs for the boys. Now, that’s all t’was.”, he said a little too loudly.

          “Right. Don’t pay me no mind. Getting’ as nosey as the newspaper man I guess. Tain’t none of my business any way. You fixin’ to feed old Juanita?”, he asked.

          “Well, yes I am, sir.”, Cade answered. “She gets right feisty if I’m more than a minute or two late.”, Cade explained.

          “That’s the sworn truth, Cade.”, Marshal Lyndon laughed. ‘I recon you better move likety split or she’ll be a hollerin’!”, the Marshal chuckled.

          Cade went around the corner and continued to Heidi’s.

Cade went around the corner on his way to Miss Heidi’s.

When he turned the corner he could see down the boardwalk that fronted the clapboard wooden buildings on El Dorado’s Main Street. Miss Heidi’s Restaurant had four, white-painted,  wooden chairs sitting out front where the men would sometimes sit after a meal and smoke a cigar while the women chatted over tea or coffee. He could see the chairs clearly several buildings away.

          He couldn’t resist looking through the window of the Marshal’s office. It was just curiosity. He saw old Mike, the hermit from up at the Ensenada Mine, bent over a broom moving floor dirt into a dust pan. Old Mike would come into town and sweep out the jail or the salon for a few pennies when he needed a little change for something. He didn’t speak much and some folks thought he might be a little deaf.

          Old Mike didn’t notice Cade or the shadow he cast through the wavy  glass of the window. Cade could see the cots where Marshal Lyndon and Marlon, his deputy, slept when they took their turns at night duty. He noted that Marlon’s saddle bags and rifle were not in their usual places at the head of his cot. His bed roll was also missing. Marlon was with the posse.

          Cade had known Marlon Matthews since the day he rode into El Dorado four years back. Marlon had a lot of experience on the trail and knew cowboyin’ front and back. But Marlon wasn’t a typical cowhand type. He’d served with the Buffalo Soldiers out of Fort Riley in Kansas after the war. Marlon had a toughness about him that demanded respect. He was fair but deadly with the Henry rifle he carried. He was a fair hand with his 44 caliber Remington pistol as well. Seemed natural he’d throw in with Marshall Lydon. The two of them sure kept things quiet in town and the area around it.

          The killin’ of Mr. Martin had been a rare disturbance of the town’s peace. Colonel Horn didn’t usually take matters into his own hands much anymore, but Percy Martin had been the Colonel’s sidekick for years. They’d served together at the Battle of Gettysburg under General Robert E. Lee. They came out West together after the surrender. They’d married the Thomas sisters. They weren’t blood kin but were mighty close to it. Those bandidos that bushwhacked Percy didn’t know they were signing their own death warrants. The old Colonel never quit on a thing. He wouldn’t quit on them.

          It suddenly dawned on Cade that he’d been standing there peering in the Marshal’s window while he daydreamed. His eye focused to see old Mike’s big nose pressed up against the glass on the other side. Cade jumped back a step.

          Tickled, Old Mike let out an uncharacteristic “Hee hee hee!” Then he made a bug-eyed expression to show his delight at the young man’s surprise.

          Cade turned abruptly and clopped on down the boardwalk hurriedly.

He didn’t like being the object of the old man’s amusement. He had to watch his step because some of the boards were a little loose. He stumbled a couple of times.

Picture of Front Street 

              Main Street                                  

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          As Cade passed the Newspaper Office he absentmindedly checked the door handle to reassure himself that he’d locked it when he finished work and went home the evening before. The old wood and metal printing press took up almost half the space in the room. It sat right in the middle of the floor. Cade and Jabari had desks near the front windows where they could write by using natural light. That saved money on lamp oil and was a lot easier on the eyes. The door was secure and Cade moved on.

          He approached the first white chair and stepped around it. Everything about Miss Heidi’s Place was perfect. Even the boardwalk out front was made of better wood than that to be found in front of other businesses around town. If anyone tracked mud there, it didn’t remain for long. The brass doorknob on the entry door was bright and shiny. The window glass in the door was clean and the curtains appeared freshly laundered.

          As Cade pushed through the front door the aroma of fresh biscuits and bacon washed over him. He was practically drooling by the time he’d crossed the room and arrived at the kitchen door.

Calico Cloth Patterns

          He saw Aunt Juanita’s tray covered with a calico cloth on the counter. He also noticed a separate plate covered up next to the tray. That would be his breakfast. Miss Heidi was far more than just a great cook. She was a fine lady who insisted on best behavior by all the men in town – and got it. Some said she was sweet on Bobby Martindale. He ran a spread up toward Flagstaff. It seemed like he never missed a Sunday lunch at Miss Heidi’s. Took him several hours ride just to get there. She always had something special waiting for him and he had to be the best fed man in the territory.

          Just as Cade was about to raise the corner of the cloth covering his plate he hear the door knob turn and Miss Heidi pushed open the back door and entered with a small side of salt pork in her left hand. She’d been out to the smoke house out back and smell uncharacteristically of meaty smoke. The pungent fragrance of smoked ham just added to Cade’s appetite.

          Heidi looked up as she entered and registered a slight surprise at Cade’s presence in her kitchen. Her expression turned to a frown when she saw the small amount of fresh mud near Cade’s boot on her immaculate

floor.

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          “Cade”, Heidi frowned. “Are you tracking mud into my clean kitchen?”, She asked.

          Cade froze where he was and looked down at his feet. He looked back up at Heidi with an expression of innocence. He quickly leaned to his left with his hand on the door frame and lifted up his right well worn brown boot. Nothing there. Putting his right foot down he took a hard swallow and raised the left one expecting it to be the culprit. Nothing there either. Cade let out a long sigh and relaxed his shoulders. He was innocent.

          Both Cade and Heidi then looked closer at the “mud” and realized it was something else and there was a slight trail of moist impressions heading into the dining room. Heidi headed that way like she was about to wrestle a grizzly bear. Cade followed. Wouldn’t want to miss this.

          “Xzea Bradford!”, Heidi said loudly. She stood there next to the big dining table  with her shoulders hunched forward and her hands on her hips.

          Xzea had started to bring a fork-full of steak and eggs to his mouth, but stopped halfway – frozen. He gulped hard and turn slowly to look at his accuser. Then, he cocked his head slightly to the left and looked down. His eyes widened. There was no way to hide his guilt. He could see the trail and only then realized that he had tracked in a small amount of horse “pudding” on his left boot when he came in.

          “Oh golly, Miss Heidi”, he stammered. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea I was trackin’. I’m always so careful. Guess I just forgot this once.”

          Heidi softened her glare. She liked Xzea and knew he’d never make a deliberate mess. Besides, he and Patrick were two of her best customers. They always came in for a hearty breakfast after they got the stagecoach and team harnessed up and ready to make the days run to Flagstaff.

          “Well, I’m gonna let you off this time Xzea”, she stated. “But you get

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right back out that door and scrape that “puddin’” off your boot.”, she ordered.

          Xzea jumped up and carefully walked to the front door of the café. He put his weight on the heel of his left boot. It looked pretty funny with Xzea waddling like a duck to the door and Cade turned away so Xzea wouldn’t see him chuckle. 

          All this time Patrick just kept on pounding down his grub. It was good and he was plenty hungry. He knew all they’d have for lunch was a swig of canteen water and some tasty but tough beef jerky Miss Heidi furnished them. They’d stay over in Flagstaff and then return in the morning. It would be a long, hard day’s drive and a tough night sleeping in the livery in Flagstaff.

          Xzea and Patrick weren’t the type that would waste hard earned money on a hotel room. Besides, they liked to be where they could keep an eye on their team of horses and their tack (harnesses and equipment). Xzea always had his sturdy old twelve gauge coach gun with him when they traveled. When they were out on the trail either he or Patrick would always stay with the coach. They usually carried payroll or cash money in it’s strongbox.

          Just as Xzea got back to the table, Patrick loudly pushed his chair back and away from the table.

          “Well, Miss Heidi”, he offered. “Those were mighty fine vittles! I guess it’s about time we headed out.”

          Xzea looked up startled. He wasn’t quite all the way down in his chair. Patrick just smiled at him, enjoying his little joke. Xzea went back to eating and Patrick stood there finishing his coffee as Xzea choked down what was left of his meal.

          Just then they all turned toward the front window as a rider slid up to the hitching post out front. His horse was covered in whitish lather. This couldn’t be good news.

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          It was Noah. He looked all busted up. Must have somehow been thrown from his horse but that was unlikely because Noah was one of the best riders in the territory. 

          Patrick was the first to get out the front door and he hopped off the boardwalk out front and grabbed the panicked horse’s reigns. Xzea and Cade were right behind him and Xzea caught Noah as he both slipped and fell out of his saddle. That’s when Cade saw the bullet hole.

          There were two wounds. One was in the horse’s neck and the other was in his left rump. Heidi realized that Noah must have been bushwhacked just like Mr. Martin. His horse probably reared up when it got hit and threw him. Only someone like Noah would be able to remount and escape.

          “Bring him in!”, Heidi shouted. “I’ll go get Meagan and Karen.”

          Meagan was the town midwife and Karen had taken over her late husband’s barber shop. He’d caught pneumonia after swimming in

Horn’s Pond at the end-of summer picnic a few years back. She seemed to have a knack for cutting hair and pulling teeth. She and Meagan did most of the doctoring in El Dorado. The nearest real doctor was a day away in Flagstaff.

          Patrick and Xzea took Noah’s arms and Cade grabbed his boots. They lugged him into the café and laid him on the cot in the spare bedroom next to the kitchen. Sometimes Gennay would stay over and sleep there on special days when there was extra cooking to be done.

          Noah was a mess. He had deep scratches on the right side of his face and his right eye was almost swollen shut. He was breathing shallow and grunting with each breath. His left leg was turned kind of funny and he grimaced when Cade touched his knee.

          “Oh my Lord!”, exclaimed Karen as she burst into the room slightly out of breath. “What on earth has happened to Noah?”, she asked of no one in particular.

          “Appears he’s taken a hard fall Mrs. Smith”, explained Cade.

          “Is Meagan comin’?”, she questioned. She knew Heidi was getting Meagan but she felt unsure of herself in life or death situations like these without Meagan’s steady presence.

          “Patrick. I know you and Xzea have to go and there isn’t much you can do here anyway. So, you two get going and we’ll just do the best we can here. If we need the doc from Flagstaff we’ll have Dejuan send a telegram and you can bring him back tomorrow.”, Karen ordered.

          Karen was a cautious person and always seemed to be able to come up with a plan of action when one was needed. It had been her idea to form a posse to clean out the banditos in Escondido Canyon. Her one peculiarity was her boots. She always wore a pair of fine boots from a leather shop in
Cincinnati, Ohio.   

          “We’re here.” Said Meagan breathlessly as she bent over and held her right side. “Heidi’s right behind me. What have we got?”, she inquired.

          “Looks like Noah has taken a bad fall.”, explained Karen.

          “Bang!” There was a moment of stunned silence and then – another loud – “bang!”

          You could hear the echoes of the pistol shots bouncing off of Mt. Bonnie. They reverberated down El Dorado’s Main Street.

          Cade had put down the dying horse. He approached the door to the little bedroom with a tired, sad look on his face. It had had to be done. He didn’t like destroying animals – especially a fine mount like Noah’s. But, it wouldn’t get easier if he waited, and the animal would just suffer more anyway.

          Heidi slowly closed the door as Meagan and Karen went to work trying to fix up Noah. Together, they had lots of experience with such things and Noah was in good hands. Heidi got busy tearing up a sheet for bandages.

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          Patrick and Xzea went out the way Heidi had come in. The back door lead to the boardwalk that ran north and south from the Alley to Front Street. They paseed the smoke house and its tantalizing smells. They worked their way between buildings until the reached the boardwalk and turned north. The  bank was on their left and the stage office on the right. The back end of gthe stagecoach coulb be seen at the end of the alley. It moved back and forth slightly as the team of horses shifted in their harness.

            Patrick clomped up the boardwalk to the corner and almost tripped over Xzea who was also making the corner. Oscar was standing next to the lead mare on the stage team holding her reins.

            Patrick said, "Be right out, Oscar.", as he headed into through the stage office door.

            Xzea went ahead and mounted the coach. He stepped up on the spokes of the front wheel and then used the handle of the hand brake to get up into to the driver's box. He pushed the bag of vittles Miss Heidi had provided for lunch up under the squeaky wooden seat.

            His coach gun was lying on the floor of the box wrapped in a saddle blanket. He reached down and retrieved the blanket and the weapon. He placed the blanket on the hard boards that formed the driver's seat and examined the short-barrelled shotgun. It was a beat up old thing but it was all business.

Why they carried shotguns. They fired many lead balls at once.

           He turned the lock on the top of the weapon just behind the twin hammers and it broke open revealing the two large shotgun shells held by the chambers. He placed his left hand under the foregrip and raised it to close the action. Ready to go, he thought. He checked his vest pockets to mske sure he had the twenty shells he always carried on a run. They were all there. He settled back on the seat and propped his feet on the front rail. He pulled the brim of his sombrero down over his eyes and figured he's just relax while waiting for Patrick.

            Patrick noisily emerged from the office door and banged a corner of the strong box against the door frame. He was followed closely by Elizabeth. Her late husband had owned the business and she had taken it over. She was having trouble carrying her end of the heavy box. Its large lock clunked with each step. They worked their way down the wooden steps to the unpaved dirt the was Front street. Patrick managed to get it uip high enough for the , now awake, Xzea to reach down and grab it. Patrick gave a big push and Xzea pulled with all his strength. The box went up and over t he side of the driver's box and Xzea pushed it into its protected spot under the seat.

            Patrick moved left around the rear of the coach checking the equipment and fittings as he went. He grabbed the right rear wheel and shook it as hard as he could to make sure that Gabriel., the town blacksmith,  had fixed the wobble Patrick had reported when he'd arrived the day before. The wheel was nice and tight on its axle and Patrick thought to himself that Gabriel was a fair wheelwright too.

            Oscar began bringing the reins around in front of the team and to the left side of the coach to hand to Patrick. Patrick climbed up into the box and reached down. Oscar transferred the reins to him and, with on look around to make sure he was clear, Patrick reached for the whip and drew it back and then forward with a loud "CRACK!".

            The two lead horse reared up and the back pair seemed to vibrate as they jumped into a fast trot and the old stage coach jingled and creaked its way east up Front Street toward the Flagstaff Trail. Xzea sat alertly with the coach gun cradled in his right elbow pointing away from Patrick. They were on their way.

              Elizabeth had watched all this from the stretch of boardwalk in front of the stage office. It was a scene she had witnessed many times before. She always worried about Patrick and Xzea when they left. She saw that Oscar was already across the street doing something to the front gate to the livery stable.

              She stood there for a few more minutes with her hand on the pole that supported the overhanging roof. El Dorado wasn't a town that people hurried in but she did have lots of paperwork to go through. She was good with numbers and sometimes the banker, Jose Marisco would have her go over the banks books to make sure the figures were right.

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            Back at the Double D, the members of the posse were all out under Brownies' watchful eye rounding an extra set of mounts to add to the remuda. The remuda was the bunch of horses they would pull fresh mounts from as the took turns running down the bandidos up in Escondido Canyon. The terrain up there was rugged and in addition to wearing out the horses it would cause injuries to some. The bandidos would have no chance to find fresh mounts so the posse would have a big advantage over them. The posse would be able to run them down. That's why the Colonel had brought them there.

            Colonel Horn had spent the night as a guest of Doug Duncan at the hacienda. They'd enjoyed a leisurely brakfast and were sitting at a round table on the back patio drinking a cup of Glenda's coffee. Glenda Lee was Doug's sister-in-law. She'd come out a few years back and taken over running the hacienda. What a change that had been. Everything was clean and in its place these days. Doug had obviously added a few pounds. With Brownie running most of the ranch's business and Glenda supervising the kitchen old Doug just wasn't getting exercise he was used to. The two hadn't seen eachother for quite a spell, so they passed the best part of the morning catching up on each other's business.

            By mid-morning the members of the posse were beginning to return with the extra mounts they had rounded up. Suddenly Brownie noticed one of the animals was carrying a saddle but no rider. He blew out a long breath of air because he knew this could only mean trouble. He spurred his horse and  pushed his way into the herd.

          Each time his mount would seem to be blocked he would dig in his spurs again and the powerful morgan horse would surge forward again. Before he reached the empty-saddled horse he recognized the the silver conchos that decorated the rig. It was Marlon's. The deputy was down somewhere. As he came up next to the horse he noticed a damaged area on the horn. It had been caused by a bullet. There was no sign of blood but the bullet hole changed everything. Marlon hadn't just been thrown from his mount. He'd been bushwhacked like Percy Martin.

            Brownie came trotting up to the veranda of the patio at the back of the hacienda where Colonel Horn and Doug Duncan were sitting. They both pushed back their chairs and rose together when they caught sight of Marlon's mount with an empty saddle. Brownie reined back his horse and dismounted with the smooth grace of an experienced rider. He pulled Marlon's horse up to the hitching post and took a couple of wraps with the reins around the thick horizontal pole. Colonel Horn had already noticed the damaged horn and was inspecting it carefully. Doug Duncan checked the rig to make sure there was no sign of blood. He wiped his hands carefully over the animals rump. No. No sign of blood. Marlon might not be injured. It was a long shot but it was a possibility.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------   Looking up Escondido Canyon

The Majestic Opera House wasn't very big but it was quite unique. It could only seat fifty or so citizen's, however it was the center of culture and entertainment in El Dorado. Carla Morgan had opened it a few years back when her favorite aunt, who resided in El Dorado, became ill and needed her assistance. Carla gave up a busy career on the stage in Kansas City. She packed up lock, stock and barrel and moved to tiny El Dorado. She used her savings to build the Majestic. It was the finest building in the town, or in any where in the territory. It seemed out of place but was an attraction that marked El Dorado as special. Carla put on wonderful musical and theatrical productions.

Carla wasn't alone. She had plenty of help. Her main assistant was Melody Plaistowe who managed the Majestic for Carla and kept everything organized and in top shape. Elizabeth Potts helped out and played the piano and organ for the shows. Angel Cooper and Brittnee Aimes were actresses and dancers who had come from Kansas City to help Carla. All four of the women lived at Carla's house next to the Majestic. Carla's house was the center of social activity in the town. One of her best friend's was Brezhanae Harper, the parson's wife. The five ladies were always busy with some kind of project. They also played most of the parts in Carla's productions. The church choir often sang the background music on the stage. In fact, it sometimes seemed there were more townfolk on the stage than in the audience.

With the posse out of town looking for the desperados hiding out in Escondido Canyon, Carla's house was unusually busy. All of the wives and other town women had gathered  together there. Carla was busy doing what she did best - entertaining.

Brezhanae, a natural leader and community pillar, was there. She taught Sunday school and led most of the women's related activities at the El Dorado House of Worship. Her husband, Parson Harper, was home preparing his sermon and lessons for the coming day of worship. Most of the residents attended his services and Brezhanae was always there at his side or, if not, running things.

Elizabeth Potts, the sister of Dulce O'Reilly, was there with Dulce. The two were practically inseparable. Dulce's husband of many years had died from heart failure and during his last months Elizabeth, a widow herself, had moved in to assist Dulce with the enormous amount of care required by the dying husband. After his death, Elizabeth stayed on as Dulce's companion. Dulce's husband had belonged to a wealthy eastern family and the two of them were well taken care of financially. For this reason, they spent most of their time helping others and performing various needed commnunity services. Elizabeth played the piano and organ beautifully and was a mainstay of the Majestic.

Angel Cooper had arrived in El Dorado shortly after Carla. They were close friends and had worked together frequently in Kansas City. It seemed there was no part that Angel couldn't play in the productions at the Majestic. She often helped Kathy Stuart, the school marm, with classes at the El Dorado School. Angel was very well read and could fascinate the children with her interpretations of Shakespear.

Brittnee Aimes was another story. She spent as much time as she could in El Dorado, but was more and more frequently pulled away to perform at the Kansas City Light Opera. She was in El Dorado for a few dayus but had to be back in Kansas City that weekend in order to prepare for a new show. She was becoming quite and attraction on her own in the big city. There was even talk of her performing in New York. Moving on can be a lonely business but working in New York was an opportunity that would be very hard to turn down.

One of those rare women who had been given a chance to attend college, Dulce O'Reilly was a graduate of an outstanding women's college in Massachusetts. That is where she met her husband. He was a trained mining engineer and had come to El Dorado years before to open the Ensenada Mine. He and Dulce were happy in El Dorado and had remained after the mine closed. He had gone out prospecting every day until his health failed. Dulce now lived in her home with her sister, Elizabeth.

Melody Plaistowe had been raised in a circus family. She came from a long line of outstanding performers in high wire and trapeze acts. She had been involved in show business her entire life and managing the Majestic Opera House was a natural thing for her to do. She was happy there and took her work very seriously. Everyone benefitted from her attention to detail and perfectionist attitude.

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List of Students and their chosen characters/occupations

1.     Rudy - Gunsmith

2.     Angel    Singer Dancer at the Majestic

3.     Brittnee    Singer Dancer at the Majestic

4.     Melody    Majestic Manager

5.     Gabriel    Blacksmiith

6.     Regan    Midwife/home remedies

7.     Brezhanae    Preacher's wife (Preacher is not student character)

8.     Drew    Manager of Waterworks

9.     Karen    Widow/Barber/Dentist

10.   Dejuan    Telegrapher

11.   Jose  F.  Butcher

12.   Xzea    Stagecoach Shotgun/Bouncer at saloon

13.   Patrick    Stagecoach Driver Operator

14.   Oscar    Livery Stable operator/Tracker

15.   Noah    Tailor/Undertaker (moved away)

16.   Elizabeth    Rich Widow

17.   Gennay    Widow/Storekeeper (Long absence)

18.   Ilyah    Seamstress

19.   Crista    Laundry owner/operator

20.   Jabari    Editor Daily Bonanza Paper

21.   Heidi    Restuarant owner/operator

22.   Dulce    Rich widow

23.   Marlon    Deputy Marshal (prolonged abscence)

24.   Jane'    Boarding house owner/operator

25.   Kathy    School Marm

26.   Ernesto    Carpenter

27.  Jose G.   Banker

28.  Cade   Assistant at Daily Bonanza 

-------Bold Type: Character Introduced in Story

Other Characters: (School Staff Members)

1.     Howard Horn - Mayor of El Dorado

2.     Douglas Duncan - Owner Operator of Double D Ranch

3.     Russell Brown - Ramrod/foreman of Double D Ranch

4.     Storm Lydon - Marshal of El Dorado

5.     Carla Morgan - Lillie Langtree type character - Famous Actress and performer

6.     Jim York - Circuit Judge

7.     Connie Oakes - Governor's Wife

7.     Miss Bonnie - Mt Bonnie 

More to follow

Cemetery Hill