Chapter 3- The Rescue
The stranger sets up quickly in bed and shouts for his wife Sandy. Blinking, trying to clear the blurred vision, he slowly begins to look around at his surroundings. Slowly this stranger from the desert realizes that he was dreaming. No longer was he leading his small ox drawn cart with his family on board. No longer could he see his wife smiling at him while h leaded the oxen team over the sand dunes. Instead he is in a large tent, all four side open revealing trees, grass, the sounds of birds singing and just beyond the trees he believe he could see a large body of water.
A tall, slender woman is walking toward him speaking in a gentle voice, saying, it is ok sir, you are among friends.”
Where am I? This stranger from the desert asks, rubbing his forehead, trying to gather his thoughts. He continues asking “how did I get here?” Where are my clothes?”
Mingo answers softly as she gently tries to push the man back down onto his back, “my son and some of his friends rescued you yesterday in the desert. They brought you here so that you may continue to recover from the heat of the desert. Several men of this village left before sunrise to find the two women you had mentioned and even called for while you were asleep. “
The strangler slowly lies back onto the earth mattress with a soft groan. He closes his eyes and trying to remember the faces of his rescuers. They appeared to be facts that wavered and swam as though they were faces looking into a pool of clear water, being disturbed by a small pebble, causing the water ripple, first going outward than returning back to the center.
Mingo continues as she offers him some broth stock to drink, “as I said my husband, our son, and several other men left early this morning to find your wife and the other woman. They are to bring them to be with you.”
The stranger looks at Mingo in puzzlement and asks “how do you know about women?” Not remembering that he had called for them when he woke up. He sets up and continues “the women? The one woman is my wife, Sandy, and the other is our daughter Liz-bath. She is only eight years old. I’m sorry he says as he looks down continuing “my name is Carlos.”
Mingo gently pushes Carlos back onto his back. She says in a gentle but firm voice, “Now lay still you are still weak, you must get your rest. Beside two of our best trackers went with the rescue party.” Mingo says to reassure Carlos and continues “they will find your family and bring them back here to be with you.” She than pulls the light blanket backs over Carlos’ half naked body before she left the tent.
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It took the rescue party a greater part of the morning, almost six hours, to enter the outer fringes of the desert. The rescue party consisting of two trackers, one of the Ageless Grandfathers, Tong, Thirsty Horse and seven other men. Each is riding a horse, with two more horses in tow. One of the horses is to be used as a replacement mount when needed and the other a packhorse. They are not sure how long they would be out in the desert, so each man dresses in his desert garb consisting of a long loss fitting robe, and a large brim straw hat; something like a sombrero, to protect him from the blazing hot, sun. A long scarf was also used to keep the sand out of the nose and mouth. Each man had a long javelin, with a long, forearm length, flint tip. The Ancient One believes that this stranger was in the desert alone for about six to seven days by the way he looked. On horseback it may take three to four days before they may be able to find the women, hopefully alive.
Because of the desert winds and shifting sand, the strangers’ tracks will be hard to find and follow. The best that the rescue party could hope for is to pick up a footprint every now and then, if the man walked in a straight path.
On the fourth day, by mid-morning, the desert winds had started to gather strength, picking up sand. The rescue party almost past the over turned cart if it was not for a sharp crack and a loud pop of a canvases that had came loose from its tie down and post. The over turned cart is half way down a forty foot sand dune. Sand had drifted almost over the cart, which made it almost invisible. The rescue party turned toward the sound and soon gaze at the over turned cart and its cargo spilled on to the ground.
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Sandy has been watching the horizon all morning for any sign of her husband and the rescue party coming back for her and their child. The heat of the sun is so intense that it causes the sand to glow a bright white and the heat waves that is rising from the blistering sand is causing the very air to shimmer. This shimmering look like there is a very large body of water replacing the sand dooms. It looks so inviting, just to go and take a dip, swims in that cool, refreshing water. She looks hard into the Latin Heat rising up from the hot sand. There appears to be people coming out of the mirage. They seem to be iridescent along with the rising heat, as if they are ghosts coming out of the mirage. “Liz-Beth, Liz-Beth come here.” Sandy yells at her daughter. She does not recognize the riders, and she does not see her husband riding among them.
The twelve riders continue to come closer and closer there are many more horses in tow. Sandy grabs her husband’s javelin and tells her daughter to set behind her as she gently pushes her. She whispers to Li-Beth that “no man will get you as long as mommy can help it.” The riders finally stop in front of the shelter and dismounts. An old man leads some of the party to the edge of the tarp and set down crossing his legs. Some of the mean unloaded a large bundle and unrolled it. Slowly they started to erect a large covering over the overturned cart providing shade. A gentle breeze started to fill the tent making the stifling air a little more bearable to breathe. One of the men hands the very old man a leather bag and in turn he offers it to the woman, saying, “please have some water with me,” he then takes a drink from the bag. Handing it to the woman and then continues “your husband has sent us to find you and to escort you back to him.”
The woman glares at the old man and demands in a harsh voice, “where is my husband?”
The Ancient One considers the question and in a calm voice, he replies, “he is at our camp. He had traveled so far and almost perished from the heat and lack of water. He had told us there are two women he had to leave behind, in order to find help. The one woman he called Sandy and the other he called Liz-Bath”.
Though she wanted to believe this old man she also doubts him as well. She than ask, “what is my husband’s name? Did he say?”
“He said his name was Garlos or Carlos. His voice was weak and his throat was parched.”
Sandy slowly lowers her javelin, keeping it ready, if she must use it. She accepts the offer of fresh water for her and her daughter. Liz-Bath slowly crawls out from behind her mother and takes a long drink from the leather bag as well.
The old man looks around at the “campsite” and notices the extremely old figurines called something like “G-No Mes,” the protectors of treasures, or something like that. It did not matter this was one those times that a man’s treasures are very well protected. Finally the Ageless Grandfather says “we will be leaving by nightfall. It will be cooler and the journey will be quicker. In three or four days you will be with your husband.”
Sandy asks, “what about our stuff?”
“Most are replaceable,” replies the old man and he continues “we will take your G-No Mes if you wish.”
Sandy bows her head toward the old man in reverence and whispers “we do thank you, Sir.”
As evening approach the men disassembles the campsite. It takes them about thirty to forty-five minutes to break camp and pack everything that may be needed, including the G-No Mes. They cover many miles each night, Little Liz-Bath would stretch out on the back one of the packhorses and wold soon be fast asleep from the gentle rocking of the packhorse.
Early on the fourth morning the Ageless Grandfather says to Sandy, “we will not stop for camp today. By mid-morning we should be at your new home and in your husband’s arms.”
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Carlos is standing beside the trail that leads in and out of the large camp. For three days he stood watch, looking for any sign of the rescue party’s safe return with his family. For most of the morning he and Todd, one of the Ageless Grandfathers, watch the trail. The birds are a little louder than normal as they flutter from tree to tree. Suddenly Todd whispers, “listen!”
Carlos stand erect, straining hard to hear what the very hard old man had heard. There at first there is nothing, than a soft snap of a tree limb, and then a child’s giggle.
Todd holds on to Carlos’ arm and commands in a stern voice, “wait!”
Suddenly a brown and white horse comes into view, than a coal black horse with an old man setting on it and in front of him is a little girl. She looks up at what the old man is pointing at and she shouts “DADDY.” Within a few minutes the family is rejoined together and embracing each other.
For the remainder of the day there is a festive atmosphere. Hunters are starting to come back from the hunt with deer, turkey and rabbit. The scouting party that left in search of where the excess water from the Great Lake was going has just returned with such wonderful news.
This evening there will be very little sleep for almost everyone, with plenty of food to eat and water to drink, and so much news to be shared around the fire. Through everything that has been happening during the day, another baby is given birth. What is it? A boy? A girl? We must wait and see.
To be continued...Stay Tuned for Chapter Four!
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