{"id":1413,"date":"2014-04-20T10:54:26","date_gmt":"2014-04-20T14:54:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1413"},"modified":"2025-02-18T19:13:29","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T00:13:29","slug":"spirit-canyon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1413","title":{"rendered":"Spirit Canyon (by Belle)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0<\/strong>The brothers are pursued into Spirit Canyon where they face a powerful and unpredictable foe.<\/p>\n

Rating k+ \u00a0(8,820 words)<\/p>\n

Spirit Canyon<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

June 20, 1860<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

They\u2019re bickerin\u2019 again. Naw, scratch that. They\u2019re still<\/em> bickerin.\u2019<\/p>\n

The sounds of them two goin\u2019 at each other is like the sound of crickets at night\u2014it\u2019s just always there. I can\u2019t say I even hear their noise most of the time.\u00a0\u00a0 I notice mostly when it\u2019s missin.\u2019<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a fine summer day. We\u2019re lucky\u2014the days have been gettin\u2019 longer, and that means we can get a lot closer to home before it gets full dark. I say that part out loud, and Adam decides to jump in with a little lecture on the summer solstice and eclipses. I see our kid brother pullin\u2019 faces behind Adam\u2019s back. If our eldest brother sees him, Little Joe is liable to get swatted clean out of the saddle<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t need Adam to tell me about the seasons. I know as well as him, better probably, that tomorrow will be the longest day of the year. I don\u2019t need the almanac to tell me neither. I learned to pay attention to what was goin\u2019 on around me from the time I was little.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve spent a week gettin\u2019 our business done in Lake\u2019s Crossing. Pa\u2019s had it in mind for a while that Little Joe will eventually take responsibility for developin\u2019 the horse business. With all the mess lookin\u2019 to happen back east and with the Indians out here, the Army should be a first-rate customer for all of the horses we can find and break.<\/p>\n

Of course, Little Joe believes that he knows all about horses and how to run this operation. The way the rest of us sees it, he has a way to go. Pa sent the three of us with a string of horses to sell at Lake\u2019s Crossing so that Adam and me could give Joe a lesson in the business end.<\/p>\n

I gotta hand it to the boy. He worked real hard to get those horses ready to go. Not only that, he worked hard and behaved himself on the trail to Lake\u2019s Crossing. Hardly a cross word out of his mouth the whole trip up, and for Joe that\u2019s sayin\u2019 somethin.\u2019 He kept his mouth closed and his ears open while Adam negotiated with the buyers, and he minded us more than he\u2019s done in years. When we walked away from the corral with all that money in our pockets, Adam told me that maybe Joe had finally grown up.<\/p>\n

We shoulda seen it coming. See, Adam keeps his mind on the job; work is work, and you don\u2019t fool around while you got business to attend to. He gets serious and stays serious. That ain\u2019t Joe\u2019s way; he likes to have some fun while he works.\u00a0\u00a0 When he gets too buttoned up, that fun is gonna leak out somehow, and it won\u2019t necessarily be a pretty sight.<\/p>\n

That corral was the last time we saw \u201call-business Joe,\u201d and a little while later \u201cnothing-but-hijinx Joe\u201d showed up. All of Joe\u2019s tomfoolery shot out of him like one of those geysers. And most of that tomfoolery was aimed right at Adam.<\/p>\n

For example, at the hotel, I don\u2019t know how Joe managed his pranks considerin\u2019 we didn\u2019t even share a room with Adam, but he made sure that Adam\u2019s bed was short-sheeted every night we stayed in town. Not only that but a little gal Adam had been flirtin\u2019 with somehow got the impression my eldest brother had left a pitiful crippled wife and a passel of young\u2019uns back home. She pinned his ears back somethin\u2019 awful when Adam tried to pick up the conversation with her. And here on the trail back? The boy\u2019s put everything but socks in Adam\u2019s boots. I\u2019ll admit I\u2019ve laughed nearly as hard as Joe has over these shenanigans, but the difference between me and Joe is\u00a0I know when to quit.<\/p>\n

Joe even managed to start a ruckus with a crowd of fellers in a saloon we left a while back. Of course, he didn\u2019t mean to bother anyone\u00a0‘cept Adam, but one of his pranks went sour and ended in spilt drinks, a busted-up card game and a little brawl that we had to haul him out of. When we rode outta there today, those fellers looked like they wanted to tear us up ten ways from Sunday.<\/p>\n

That town\u2019s a dry, dusty coupla hours behind us now. We\u2019re takin\u2019 it easy for the horses, and I\u2019m tryin\u2019 to enjoy the scenery. It would be a heck of a lot easier if Joe wasn\u2019t chatterin\u2019 away like he does. Every now and then he stops talkin\u2019 just long enough to try to knock one of our hats off. Mostly he\u2019s tellin\u2019 us how he would have whupped those fellers in the saloon if we hadn\u2019t saved them from him. Adam is lookin\u2019 at Joe like he can understand those fellers\u2019 point of view. His patience is worn clean out.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoy, one of these days, I might just shoot you to put you out of my misery.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe cackles at the idea. Of course, he don\u2019t look a bit concerned. We both know better. That\u2019s just the way Adam talks sometimes. Joe knows Adam will take a few pokes at him when he needs it, but mostly Adam keeps Joe from getting\u2019 hurt or worse.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, you wouldn\u2019t do that, elder brother. I\u2019m the one who makes sure things don\u2019t get too dull for ya. Besides, what would Pa say if you brought me home tied over my horse?\u201d<\/p>\n

That kid\u2019ll say anything sometimes. I don\u2019t like the way this talk is headed, and I let them both know it. They hush, and we let the horses breathe while we drink the warm water in our canteens and decide where and when we\u2019ll make camp. The sun\u2019s way down, and shadows are gatherin.\u2019 It\u2019ll be dark soon, and I don\u2019t cotton to havin\u2019 Chubb stick a foot in a gopher hole.<\/p>\n

I lift my hat off my sweaty forehead and scrub off some of the sweat with my sleeve. I hear somethin\u2019\u2014a little like thunder. Nope, it\u2019s worse than rain. Some riders are comin\u2019 fast. There\u2019s a cloud of dust on the trail behind us, and somehow I get the feelin\u2019 no one\u2019s comin\u2019 to invite us to a party. Leastways, not a party the three of us would enjoy.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like the trouble you started is following you home,\u201d Adam snarls at Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat trouble? We don\u2019t know those guys have anything to do with us.\u201d Joe\u2019s got a point. Unfortunately, it\u2019s Adam\u2019s point that gets proved when those riders decide to take some shots at us.<\/p>\n

This spot ain\u2019t no place to make a stand. There\u2019s no cover, and it won\u2019t be long before we\u2019re close enough for those wild shots to be a whole lot more dangerous. We have to decide now what to do. We could ride hard and hope to outrun them. That wouldn\u2019t be a bad idea if it wasn\u2019t half dark. The problem is that a fall from a gallopin\u2019 horse could be just as rough as taking a bullet from one of those yahoos.<\/p>\n

As usual, Adam makes the decision. He\u2019s been sizing up where we are and where we can get to fast. He jerks his head the direction he wants us to go and shouts \u201cSpirit Canyon.\u201d We turn our horses and kick \u2018em to gallop.<\/p>\n

I hate Spirit Canyon.<\/p>\n

XXXXXXXXXX<\/p>\n

Folks around these parts are familiar with Spirit Canyon. It ain\u2019t that far from the Virginia City road. The canyon is about a mile long with a spring located about dead center. The interestin\u2019 part of the place is that it is chock full of pictures of animals and people scratched on the flat fronts of big ol\u2019 red rocks. I don\u2019t mean just a few pictures. I mean hundreds, maybe thousands of these drawings all lined up and down that canyon.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been in the canyon a few times mainly when I used it for a shortcut or when I needed the water. During the day, it\u2019s a mighty impressive place. The last time I was there, the sky was as blue as the lake and those red rocks with all those pictures stood forth against the blue sky in a way that would make any man stop and stare. Adam thinks those pictures were made by Indians dead and gone long before the Paiutes come to live around here. He keeps sayin\u2019 that he wants to go there and survey the canyon to maybe sketch the place like folks do when they travel to see the pyramids in Egypt.<\/p>\n

Adam never seems to pick up on what\u2019s in that canyon aside from those drawings and the spring.<\/p>\n

When Adam\u2019s actin\u2019 smug, he tells me I\u2019m too old for ghost stories. When I\u2019m feelin\u2019 ornery, I poke him in the jaw for actin\u2019 smug. Adam\u2019s trouble is that he don\u2019t believe in stuff he can\u2019t see and measure. When I\u2019m in that canyon, I know somethin\u2019 else is in there, too. And that somethin\u2019 else isn\u2019t the run of the mill critters we know. When I\u2019m there, I can feel a hot, sour breath on the back of my neck. Sometimes I can hear a whisper of a growl in my ear from a voice that ain\u2019t really there. Somethin\u2019 in that place believes I don\u2019t belong there. I show respect when I\u2019m in that canyon, and I watch my step.<\/p>\n

I ain\u2019t never been in that canyon at night. I sure wouldn\u2019t go there tonight if we didn\u2019t have to. But Adam\u2019s right. It\u2019s a good place to hole up in. Those rocks lean against each leaving plenty of space for a man to squeeze into. The rocks are piled high enough for us to climb and keep a good eye on whoever is followin.\u2019 And if those men don\u2019t follow us through, we can come out the other side and take the trail home to the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n

XXXXXXXXXXX<\/p>\n

It\u2019s dark, and the early stars are shinin\u2019 on the horizon when we approach Spirit Canyon. We can\u2019t see the crowd of riders behind us, but they can\u2019t be but a few miles back. We slow up at the canyon entrance.\u00a0\u00a0 We don\u2019t even get a few yards into that canyon before our horses seem to lose their minds. Sport is pawin\u2019 the air and twistin\u2019 around. Adam jumps off. He tries to hold Sport\u2019s rein while he grabs for his rifle and canteen. Cochise is actin\u2019 just as crazy, and Joe jumps down to hold her head and whisper into her ear. It don\u2019t do no good. Cochise is pullin\u2019 at the bridle, and Joe can barely hang on. Even Chubb, the easygoin\u2019est horse you could ever find is dancin\u2019 and shufflin\u2019 like he\u2019s walkin\u2019 over hot coals. I give up and get down too. I barely hit the ground next to him before all three horses break away from us and run away from that canyon faster than I have ever seen them run. It\u2019s the craziest thing\u2014I never seen those animals act that way.<\/p>\n

\u201cForget them!\u201d Adam is shouting and gesturing for us to head into the canyon. He\u2019s got his rifle and canteen along with his sidearm. I\u2019ve got my canteen and sidearm; my rifle is still in the scabbard tied to my gear. Joe, of course, didn\u2019t think of grabbing anything when he climbed off Cochise. He\u2019s only wearing his pistol- didn\u2019t grab a canteen, a rifle, didn\u2019t even grab hold of his jacket. The two of them start running toward those rocks.<\/p>\n

There are times, mostly in the mountains, when I\u2019ve walked between trees or shrubs and didn\u2019t know until too late that an orb spider had spun a big ol\u2019 web across the path. The web\u2019ll cling to my face and body, and there seems no way to get loose from it. I\u2019ll just stand there for a minute pawing at the air and wipin\u2019 at my arms and face tryin\u2019 to get shed of that cloying veil.<\/p>\n

Well, as I run into that canyon, somehow it feels the same way.\u00a0\u00a0 Of course, no spider can actually spin a web that wide. But as I rush through the entrance, I feel somethin\u2019 like a curtain brush against me, and I start brushin\u2019 away at the feelin\u2019 trying to get loose of whatever\u2019s clingin\u2019 to me.<\/p>\n

That ain\u2019t the worst of it. The ground under my feet is movin.\u2019 It ain\u2019t an earthquake. I\u2019ve experienced earthquakes. This feels like the time I was on the river pushin\u2019 at logs jammed up against the bank. I\u2019d balance on a log that\u2019d roll one direction while I felt the current of the water under the log pullin\u2019 in another direction. Another reason this ain\u2019t no earthquake; there ain\u2019t no rumble like what comes with an earthquake. Instead, there\u2019s dead silence while the ground ripples under me. Not only that, I seem to be the only one feelin\u2019 the ground move. Adam and Joe don\u2019t even seem to notice what\u2019s happening for the minute or so it takes for that ripplin\u2019 to stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with you, Hoss? We need to get a move on.\u201d Joe looks at me like he thinks I\u2019ve gone plumb crazy. What\u2019s wrong with me is bein\u2019 in this canyon, but there ain\u2019t no need to waste words on these brothers of mine.<\/p>\n

\u201cListen, you two,\u201d Adam calls us together. \u201cThey have to be right behind us. We\u2019ll split up. Find someplace to hide; make it somewhere we can watch who comes through. With any luck, there won\u2019t be any trouble after all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYep, until we have to go to the trouble of finding our horses,\u201d Joe mutters.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst things first, Joe. Come on.\u201d Adam grabs Joe\u2019s arm and pulls him away.<\/p>\n

The two of them head over to where them big stones covered with pictures of birds, animals, and shapes are jumbled up together. I watch Joe climb up on top of some of those rocks and head out of sight. Adam moves slower; he\u2019s a little more cautious, and he looks over his shoulder a lot. I stay on the other side of the canyon opposite most of them picture rocks.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a full moon climbing the sky, and it throws silvery light and deep shadows across those rocks and the cliff rising behind them. I should be grateful for the light, but somethin\u2019 about this moonlight makes these pictures seem to dance and shimmer.<\/p>\n

I crouch behind a boulder and get quiet. Lots of folks don\u2019t think about the best way to move around in the dark. You can see a lot more than you think if you let your eyes adjust to the surroundings. You can hear a lot, too. I don\u2019t know if sounds travel better at night or not. But it always seems to me that small sounds feel a whole lot bigger in the dark.<\/p>\n

I can hear Joe scrabblin\u2019 around on top of those rocks. That boy loves to run and climb, but it would be easy for him to catch a boot heel in a hole and bust an ankle. He needs to watch what he\u2019s doin. I can hear Adam, too. He moves soft, but he\u2019s draggin\u2019 his feet just enough to make a little scufflin\u2019 noise. I expect he\u2019s checkin\u2019 out crannies and crevices of these rocks for critters that he would just as soon not share a hidin\u2019 spot with.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s somethin\u2019 else now, too. It ain\u2019t that crowd of yahoos we figure are after us. I hear a low growl, and it sounds like it\u2019s comin\u2019 from somethin\u2019 big. I cock my head around and listen hard. I\u2019m tryin\u2019 to figure out which direction that growl\u2019s comin\u2019 from. The problem is the noise seems to come from all around us.<\/p>\n

I peer into the moonlight and search for somethin\u2019, anythin\u2019 that could be hidin\u2019 in those shadows. For just a minute, I think I see a wolf crouching on top of a rock. But that can\u2019t be a wolf, can it? If it is<\/em> a wolf, it\u2019s the biggest darn wolf I ever seen. It\u2019s almost man-size in height, and I glimpse yellow eyes glowin\u2019 in the dark. Then, suddenly whatever I see, it don\u2019t look like a wolf at all. It looks more like a man with bright yellow eyes standin\u2019 tall and broad. When I blink, whatever I saw is gone.<\/p>\n

A coyote yips and howls in the direction Joe took off. Dang, I hope he\u2019s bein\u2019 careful. Most coyotes would just as soon stay away from humans. If this critter is close, could be \u2018cause it\u2019s sick.<\/p>\n

I can barely see Adam moving down the canyon away from the end we came in on. Wearing all black clothes like he does makes him seem to melt into the shadows. I expect that my big white hat and white shirt are a mite easier to see in the moonlight. I take care to cling to the shadows myself.<\/p>\n

Still no sign of anyone else. I can\u2019t hear no horses either. That seems odd to me. Those jaspers weren\u2019t that far away, and I should be able to hear them. They must\u2019ve slowed down so as to\u00a0sneak up on us.<\/p>\n

I see Adam has decided to climb up on some rocks where he can get a better look at the place. He sets himself down in a shadowy spot with his back against some rock. If he\u2019s feelin\u2019 like I am, his nerves are stretched, and he\u2019s ready to react instantly to whatever comes his way.<\/p>\n

I look up at that big ol\u2019 full moon. What the . . . ? It\u2019s changin\u2019 color. Instead of the silvery white it has been, the moon\u2019s glow is slowly turnin\u2019 blood red. What was Adam yammerin\u2019 about earlier? Oh, yeah, the almanac predicted an eclipse. I shake my head. Why not? On top of everythin\u2019 else, we got an eclipse tonight.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a quiet night, but now nothin\u2019 seems to be standin\u2019 still. The ripples I felt under my feet earlier seemed to have moved into the air. I see shadows shift and move. Sometimes, I think I see a critter. Sometimes, I almost think I see a man. The goose bumps are risin\u2019 on my arms, and the back of my neck is a little clammy.\u00a0\u00a0 I\u2019m just about willin\u2019 to face those fellers out in the open after all.<\/p>\n

When Adam cracks off a rifle shot behind me, I\u2019m so startled that my heart skips beatin.\u2019 I take a moment to catch myself, and then I hear it. It\u2019s a long deep cry of despair and regret. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever heard this sound before, but I\u2019d know it anywhere. My brother Adam is cryin.\u2019<\/p>\n

XXXXXXXXXX<\/p>\n

I forget all about watchin\u2019 out for those fellers chasin\u2019 us. I head toward the sounds I hear Adam makin.\u2019 I shout for him to hold on. I tell him I\u2019m comin.\u2019 I don\u2019t see no sign of Joe, and he doesn\u2019t answer when I call.<\/p>\n

When I come up on Adam, he\u2019s on his knees with his rifle on the ground beside him. He\u2019s got his face in his hands, and he\u2019s rockin\u2019 back and forth in torment.\u00a0\u00a0 I start talkin\u2019 easy to him. I sure don\u2019t want to startle him. A good-sized coyote skitters past us, and I wonder if the coyote attacked my brother.<\/p>\n

I crouch next to Adam and lay my hand on his shoulder. He jerks and looks up at me. His face is a pure mask of sorrow. He grabs my shirt, and I hold onto him and beg him to tell me what happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you see it, Hoss? That huge wolf? I could feel it behind me. I could hear it growl. I saw it. I knew I was going to have to shoot it. But . . . I didn\u2019t see him . . . I would never have shot if I\u2019d seen him . . . I don\u2019t know what got it into me . . . I just wanted to kill that wolf. And now he\u2019s dead.\u201d Adam\u2019s got his face back in his hands, and he\u2019s sobbing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho\u2019s dead, Adam. The wolf?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not the wolf!\u201d Adam is shoutin\u2019 at me. He\u2019s actin\u2019 like he can\u2019t believe I\u2019m so thick headed. \u201cJoe\u2019s dead! I shot him! I shot at the wolf, but Joe came around the rock, and I shot Joe instead.\u201d<\/p>\n

I fall hard on my backside. Adam shot Joe?! That can\u2019t be. I don\u2019t see no sign of Joe. I start talkin\u2019 gentle and soothin\u2019 again.<\/p>\n

\u201cHold on, there, brother. Where did this happen? Where did ya see Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gestures wildly to his right. He points at the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s there! He\u2019s right there! He\u2019s dead, and I killed him. How I am going to face Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

I already know that Joe ain\u2019t on the ground beside us, but I get up and take a good look around where Adam is gesturin\u2019. I don\u2019t see anything that points to Joe\u2014no blood, no boot marks, just coyote tracks. I call for Joe again, but he still don\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cListen here, Adam. I think this moonlight is playin\u2019 tricks on you. Joe ain\u2019t here. You didn\u2019t shoot him. You didn\u2019t kill him.\u201d I grab the canteen Adam has hung around his shoulder, and I make him take some of the water. He drinks a little, but he don\u2019t pay no attention to what I say. He just keeps on sobbin\u2019 that he shot at the wolf and killed our baby brother instead.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re in a pickle now. There ain\u2019t no doubt about it. Somethin\u2019s got a hold of Adam\u2019s mind; Joe ain\u2019t nowhere to be seen; and we may still have those fellers comin\u2019 for us. One thing for sure, I\u2019m gettin\u2019 the two of us off these rocks and back down on the ground.<\/p>\n

I pull at my oldest brother. I put his arm around my shoulder and catch him around the waist. I have to drag him away from the spot where he\u2019s so certain that Joe lies dead. Adam\u2019s talkin\u2019 clean out of his head the whole time and fightin\u2019 to stay up on that rock. I strong arm him down to the canyon floor and ease him to ground.<\/p>\n

There it is again. The ground is moving and rippling under my feet. Suddenly, I hear the sounds of those men chasing us. I hear horses protestin\u2019 and fightin\u2019 their riders. Riders are shoutin\u2019 and cussin.\u2019\u00a0\u00a0 They\u2019re here; those yahoos are in the canyon with us. I push Adam behind some rocks on the other side of the canyon as far away from those picture rocks as I can get him quick. I squat down next to him, hand him his canteen, and tell him to stay put, to stay hidden. If he hears me, he don\u2019t act like he cares. But he does settle down where I put him.<\/p>\n

I gotta find Joe. No more splittin\u2019 up. We\u2019re all stayin\u2019 together until we get out of here. I don\u2019t dare shout for Joe. I\u2019m gonna have to leave Adam and go find the ornery runt. Crouching down again next to Adam, I get my face close to his. He still won\u2019t look at me. I shake his shoulder a little and catch his face between my hands. His cheeks are wet with tears, and he\u2019s moaning. I ain\u2019t never seen him like this, and it scares me somethin\u2019 fierce. I shush him a little and use my handkerchief to wipe his face. I press the hankie into his hand and tell him I gonna go get Joe. I don\u2019t think he even notices.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be back, brother. I\u2019m gonna see what\u2019s goin\u2019 on, and I\u2019ll find Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

XXXXXXXXXX<\/p>\n

When I straighten up, I look back toward the mouth of the canyon where we came in and where those shouts are comin\u2019 from. Nothin\u2019 looks right to me. This canyon ain\u2019t but about a mile long. A good runner, like Joe, could rush from end to end in less than ten minutes. But the ruckus I\u2019m hearin\u2019 now seems a whole lot further away. I can\u2019t understand it; I should be able to see somethin\u2019 happening. Nothin. I don\u2019t see \u2018em, and their voices sound like they\u2019re a long way off. Somehow, this canyon looks like it grew.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I head down the canyon in the direction I last saw Little Joe. Stayin\u2019 in the shadows, I look over my shoulder a lot. Finally, I see a skinny fellow coming toward me. He\u2019s staggerin\u2019 like he\u2019s come a long way. I\u2019m not sure at first, but it\u2019s Joe. He\u2019s weaving and stumblin\u2019 down the hillside. He don\u2019t see me, and he don\u2019t even act like he knows where he\u2019s at. He falls hard and rolls down the side of the hill. I start to run toward him, and he lifts his head off the ground. Joe ain\u2019t lookin\u2019 at me; he spies that spring. He starts crawlin\u2019 painfully toward it like the thought of water is the only thing on his mind. Before he gets to the water, his body jerks as though somethin\u2019 has grabbed him. He rolls onto his back, and his arms pin themselves to his sides and his ankles slam together. He lays there gaspin\u2019 until I finally reach him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with you, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n

What in blazes has he done to himself? His clothes are filthy and stiff with dried sweat. His face is hot and dry, and he flinches back from my hand on his cheek like my touch hurts him. He acts like he\u2019s tied, hand and foot, but there\u2019s no rope on him. I pull at his hands and feet to force them apart. Then, I scoop my arm under his shoulders and hold the canteen to his mouth. He drinks like he hasn\u2019t had water in days.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo hot . . . so thirsty . . . lost . . .\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Lost?! <\/em>This canyon is a good place to hide in, but it ain\u2019t the kind of place someone is liable to get lost in. It ain\u2019t hot here either, and I can\u2019t imagine what happened to him in a few minutes time to get him into a state like this. I let him drink and hold him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened, Joe?\u201d I\u2019d love a chance to make some sense of this. He starts to whisper some story that I can\u2019t make out. The only clear thing I can hear him say is \u201cwolf.\u201d<\/p>\n

XXXXXXXXXX<\/p>\n

As soon as I can wrest the canteen from him, I haul Joe to his feet and drag him at a trot back to the spot I left Adam. I lay the kid on the ground next to my older brother and try to get Adam to look at Joe and realize the boy ain\u2019t dead. Nothin\u2019 doin. Adam is still caught up in whatever nightmare has hold of him, and Joe lies next to him not makin\u2019 a sound. I need to get my brothers to some help.<\/p>\n

Durned if I don\u2019t hear the sound of gunfire comin\u2019 from behind us. Maybe those yahoos managed to hang on to their mounts. I could borrow a couple of horses and get us out of here. I look down at my brothers.\u00a0I hate to leave them here. I surely do. But I can\u2019t do much by myself to help them. I turn away and head toward the sounds.<\/p>\n

Somethin\u2019 hurtles past me hittin\u2019 me in the legs. It looks like that same coyote I been seein\u2019 boundin\u2019 down the trail before me. It came down from those picture rocks, and it\u2019s runnin\u2019 toward the sounds, too.<\/p>\n

The light in the canyon seems different now. The moon is gettin\u2019 darker and redder with each passing second. The silvery light that made all them pictures shimmer and move earlier is gone. Now, as the moon loses light, these pictures are gatherin\u2019 light. Some of them drawings look like they\u2019re etched with embers. The outlines of the birds and turtles and stick men start to glow dimly like they\u2019re being painted with fire.<\/p>\n

I hustle through that canyon trying not to look at those rocks. Ahead of me, I can just see a gang of men. It looks like it was those fellers we left in the saloon after all. They don\u2019t notice me. They\u2019re too busy arguing and fighting among themselves. They\u2019re cussin\u2019 and pushin\u2019 at each. Now that I can hear \u2018em more clear, they sound drunk and scared. One of \u2018em yelps and points up at the top of the rocks in front of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, there\u2019s that kid.\u201d I follow the path of his arm and just about fall over in surprise. Up there, on the rocks is Joe. He\u2019s standing there grinnin\u2019 at them with his arms crossed over his chest. I know I left him back yonder on the ground sicker than a dog. Yet, there he stands up on those rocks hale and hearty with a nasty glint in his eye.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s somethin\u2019 about that glint in his eye that makes my blood run cold. His eyes shine yellow in the dark like when you catch sight of some critter\u2019s eyes, maybe a coyote, reflecting back firelight. Whatever that is up there, it ain\u2019t my brother.<\/p>\n

Quicker than you can catch your breath, those hombres grab their weapons and start firing at what they see. Gunshots ricochet off the rock, but nothin\u2019 seems to hit what they\u2019re aimin\u2019 at. The man they think is Joe has disappeared. I catch sight of a coyote\u2019s tawny coat as it sprints away from the gunfire.<\/p>\n

Now, these fellers are confused. One of them is a big feller with a face full of scraggly beard and a gut straining at the flannel shirt buttoned over it. Someone gives him a shove and tells him to check out the rocks. That \u2018un don\u2019t want to do it, but he gives in. The big guy climbs those rocks, but he does it slow and careful. He ain\u2019t a kid no more.\u00a0He reaches the spot where the man that looked like Joe stood. I can see him lookin\u2019 around all confused then he yells down that there ain\u2019t no one there.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s somethin\u2019 movin\u2019 behind the man\u2014a flash of tawny brown. Maybe the coyote is back. Now I\u2019m sure it\u2019s the critter, and it\u2019s gone for that jasper\u2019s throat. The coyote has to be sick, rabid maybe.<\/p>\n

All of a sudden, it looks like that feller is fightin\u2019 another man, a kid with curly brown hair wearing a grey shirt and tan pants. Those boys watchin\u2019 start yellin\u2019 that the kid is back, and someone needs to shoot him. They don\u2019t have a lick of sense. It sounds like all of them start shootin\u2019 at once, and they don\u2019t stop \u2018til their buddy falls off that rock and lands at their feet full of the lead they just filled him with.<\/p>\n

That shuts \u2018em up for a minute. They cast their eyes up on that rock looking for \u201cJoe.\u201d But, he ain\u2019t there. He was never there. And they can\u2019t figure it out. Finally, one of the men, with more than a passing resemblance to the dead man, steps up to the feller they shot. He leans over him and puts his head on his chest. It ain\u2019t no use. It\u2019s clear to everyone the man\u2019s dead.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou skunk,\u201d The fellow leaning over the corpse looks up at one of his buddies. \u201cYou killed my brother. You wanted him dead since that girl in Placerville.\u201d He draws his gun and points it at the man he just accused.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Tom . . . this was all just an accident. We all saw that kid up there. He must have been the one that shot Dusty.\u201d The guy is backing up toward the rocks trying to get some distance between them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was you,\u201d the dead man\u2019s brother ain\u2019t lettin\u2019 up. \u201cYou shot him in cold blood. You must\u2019ve planned this. You led us into this hell hole so that you could get back at Dusty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tom has his target backed right up against one of them picture rocks. I hadn\u2019t been payin\u2019 attention, but all these pictures around us are glowing so bright now the images seem to leap off the rocks and hover in mid air. Tom raises his arm and shoots his man in the face.<\/p>\n

No one says a word. The boys are in shock. Those pictures that I saw floatin\u2019 in air are quivering now and buzzin\u2019 like angry bees.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m hearin\u2019 that growl again. It\u2019s comin\u2019 from everywhere and nowhere. These men hear it, too, and it makes \u2018em panic. They all draw their guns and circle around tryin\u2019 to find this monster. I ease myself even further back away from this gang.\u00a0\u00a0 They haven\u2019t seen me yet, and I aim to keep it that way.<\/p>\n

Horses or no horses, I ain\u2019t waitin\u2019 no more. I\u2019m gonna go back up the canyon trail toward my brothers. Somethin\u2019 else is fixin\u2019 to happen here, and I don\u2019t want to be caught up in it.<\/p>\n

XXXXXXXXXXX<\/p>\n

The buzzin\u2019 is so loud I put my hands over my ears. The hairs on my neck and arms are standin\u2019 up, and my skin is tinglin\u2019 like lightning has struck. I turn on my heel to hightail it back to my brothers.<\/p>\n

I come face to face with Joe.<\/p>\n

He musta followed me tryin\u2019 to help. He looks even worse than when I left him. He reaches a hand out to me and then crumples to the ground without makin\u2019 a sound. Lyin\u2019 there with his left arm thrown over his head, he looks like he\u2019s sleepin\u2019 on the settee. I ain\u2019t sure he\u2019s still breathin,\u2019 and I scramble down next to him as quick as I can to check. Before I can touch him, I see that his eyes are open just a little and glowin\u2019 yellow. His lip is curled in a dog snarl.<\/p>\n

I back away from him a few yards and watch. That buzz in my ears is louder than ever, but it ain\u2019t loud enough to drown out the sound of my heart thumpin\u2019 in my chest. I want to touch Joe so bad, it\u2019s all I can do to stay clear. I sneak a look at the darkenin\u2019 moon, and when I look back, Joe\u2019s gone.<\/p>\n

I put my hands on my knees to take a few shuddering breaths. How are we gonna get outta this?<\/p>\n

\u201cDear God, let me get to my brothers. Help me get us out of here.\u201d \u00a0<\/em>I say it over and over in my head and out loud. I get up on my feet, and I keep repeatin\u2019 those words. I want to sing it like a hymn. I just might try doin\u2019 that.<\/p>\n

\u201cDear God, let me get to my brothers. Help me get us out of here.\u201d \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m runnin\u2019 up that canyon trail. The moon is full of blood and dark smudges. The pictures are alive \u2013 birds, animals, men, and shapes of all kinds are hangin\u2019 in the air and twistin\u2019 in some kind of demon dance. Fascinated by it all for a minute, I stop to watch. When I start to move again, Adam\u2019s standin\u2019 on the trail.<\/p>\n

He sure looks better than when I left him. Not a trace of tears, no sorrow. He\u2019s standin\u2019 tall and his eyes are burnin\u2019 a hole through me. His body is quiverin\u2019 with tension, and his right hand is hoverin\u2019 over the pistol in his holster. The buzzin\u2019 sound that had quieted to a soft drone is risin\u2019 again. I feel as angry as I ever felt in my life lookin\u2019 over at my brother facin\u2019 me down. I ain\u2019t no gunslinger. But right now, I can picture puttin\u2019 a real tight shot group in the middle of his chest. My hand is movin\u2019 toward my pistol, and I flex my fingers a little in anticipation. When I hear the growl, it sorta wakes me up.<\/p>\n

\u201cDear God, let me get to my brothers. Help me get us out of here.\u201d \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

This ain\u2019t Adam. I shake my head and relax my hands and arms. I concentrate real hard on breathing steady and look at the thing in front of me in the eye. It ain\u2019t spoke; maybe it can\u2019t speak. But I believe I can wait it out.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam\u2019s\u201d hand moves toward his pistol. He smirks at me a little and raises that sarcastic eyebrow of his. \u00a0He gestures at my hip, inviting me to take a shot. I shake my head. I ain\u2019t playin\u2019 this game. He shrugs, it\u2019s as if he\u2019s sayin’\u2014\u201cIt\u2019s your funeral.\u201d But he still don\u2019t make a sound. I stand still with the cold sweat tracing rivers down my back. \u201cAdam\u201d raises the gun and aims right at my chest. I\u2019d like to keep my eyes open, but I can\u2019t bear to watch what I know is gonna happen. I close my eyes and hear him shoot me. I can\u2019t help but flinch at the sound. I can even smell the gun smoke.\u00a0When I open my eyes, I look down at my shirt front and watch bloody wounds bloom and then fade on my chest. I blink again even though I don\u2019t want to.\u00a0\u00a0 As soon as my eyes close, \u201cAdam\u201d melts into the shadows.<\/p>\n

I gotta find my brothers right now and get us out of here.<\/p>\n

XXXXXXXXXXX<\/p>\n

I run. I run as fast as I can back to the spot I left them. Whatever I hear or think I hear, I don\u2019t pay it no mind. Whatever I see or think I see in the corner of my eye, I ignore.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m runnin\u2019 so hard, I have to skid to a clumsy halt in the gravelly soil when I reach my brothers.<\/p>\n

I touch Adam first. His face is clammy with sweat, and he\u2019s breathin\u2019 hard. He\u2019s still mutterin\u2019 about shootin\u2019 Joe, and he don\u2019t recognize me or pay attention when I talk to him. I\u2019m sure he\u2019s in shock, but I can\u2019t stop now to tend to him. We gotta move on outta here.<\/p>\n

Even while I turn to see about Joe, I keep my hand on Adam just to make sure I don\u2019t lose him. Joe hasn\u2019t stirred from where I left him. I kneel down and touch his face. His skin is hot and dry. His pulse is weak. Whatever is in this canyon is killin\u2019 my brothers, and I\u2019m not sure what to do anymore.<\/p>\n

\u201cDear God, help me get us out of here.\u201d \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

This time when I hear the wolf growl, I spot it right away. The biggest darn black wolf I\u2019ve ever seen or imagined is yards in front of us. It\u2019s an animal from a nightmare. I\u2019m sure it can rip out our throats before I\u2019ll ever get off a shot. Worse, I ain\u2019t at all sure that a bullet will do it any harm. The wolf\u2019s sittin\u2019 on its haunches, its head trackin\u2019 my every movement, and if a critter can glare that\u2019s what it\u2019s doin\u2019 now.\u00a0Practically at its feet, the coyote that\u2019s been at the heart of the trouble all along is cowering. We look at each other . . . this wolf and me. I don\u2019t know what possesses me, but I start to talk to it.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, we never intended to come in here tonight. We were chased, and this seemed to be the best idea.\u201d The wolf doesn\u2019t appear to be acceptin\u2019 my reasoning. Its lips are starting to curl into a snarl. I try again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is your place, anyone can see that. We weren\u2019t invited, and I get that we aren\u2019t welcome. I\u2019m sorry about that. \u00a0All I want to do is leave right now with my brothers and never come back.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 The wolf glares at me again with those yellow eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cDear God, help me get us out of here.\u201d \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

I breathe my prayer again under my breath and decide to take a chance.<\/p>\n

I grab Adam around his upper arm and drag him to his feet. I make sure his canteen\u00a0is looped\u00a0around him.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, Adam, stand here for me for just a bit,\u201d I\u2019m beggin\u2019 him. I need him to walk if he can \u2018cause I see I\u2019m gonna have to carry Joe. I take hold of the boy and drape him over my shoulder, his limp arms bumpin\u2019 my back. I get a quick memory of totin\u2019 him to bed like this when he was a little kid. The thought makes me chuckle and sorta sob at the same time. I stand up and grab hold of Adam\u2019s arm and give him a tug. I\u2019m gonna walk us out.<\/p>\n

The wolf and coyote are still there on the rock. But it\u2019s like seein\u2019 them through a campfire now. Their bodies are flickerin\u2019 and changin\u2019 behind tongues of fire. They\u2019re animals one moment and men the next moment. When the strange fire dies down they\u2019re animals again.<\/p>\n

That wolf raises his massive head and looks me in the eye. Then it turns and gazes up the canyon. When I follow what it\u2019s lookin\u2019 at, I want to weep with relief. Our horses. All three of our horses are standin\u2019 quiet just a few yards from us. I can\u2019t say I\u2019m convinced this ain\u2019t another trick, but I\u2019m gonna go with it just the same.<\/p>\n

I haul Adam alongside me as best I can totin\u2019 Joe over my shoulder. Adam\u2019s not resistin\u2019 me exactly, but he ain\u2019t helpin\u2019 none either. Thanks heavens, the horses are quiet. I don\u2019t know what I\u2019d do if they spooked now. I push Adam toward Sport and talk him into mountin\u2019 up. Adam\u2019s clumsy, and even though he gets his foot in the stirrup, he needs me to give him a push into the saddle. I take his reins and walk over to Cochise grabbin\u2019 her reins and tie them to Sport\u2019s gear. I try to figure how to get Joe up on Chubb without lettin\u2019 loose of the other horses. I end up loopin\u2019 Sport\u2019s reins around my holster.\u00a0\u00a0 Somehow, I throw Joe across the saddle and let him go limp over Chubb\u2019s neck. I mount up quick behind him then grab Sport\u2019s reins. Putting my arm around Joe\u2019s waist, I pull my little brother close. I\u2019m scared to look back and more scared not to look. The wolf and coyote are there on the rocks watching us. They don\u2019t make any move toward us, and I take that as a sign.<\/p>\n

I kick Chubb in the sides and move us as fast as I know how out of the canyon.<\/p>\n

XXXXXXXXXXX<\/p>\n

The curtain we pass through at the end of the canyon feels more like the brush of willow branches than the sticky spider\u2019s web I felt at the other side. The farther we get from Spirit Canyon, the better I feel. By the time we\u2019ve gone a mile, a crushin\u2019 weight I didn\u2019t realize I\u2019d been carryin\u2019 seems to melt from my shoulders. I remember to whisper my gratitude skyward.<\/p>\n

The light\u2019s better outside of that canyon. The moon\u2019s not lookin\u2019 so blood splashed now; pretty soon the eclipse will be over. The air is sweet and fresh. The only sounds now are the nighttime noises that I\u2019ve known since childhood; the sounds that seep through my window at home and lull me to sleep.<\/p>\n

I wonder what\u2019s goin\u2019 to happen or maybe has already happened to those men who followed us. I feel bad for \u2018em, but Heaven help me, I don\u2019t feel bad enough to go back and look for \u2018em.<\/p>\n

My brothers aren\u2019t doin\u2019 as well as I hoped. I was countin\u2019 on them perkin\u2019 up once we got shed of that place, but it looks like I\u2019m gonna be disappointed. Maybe a coupla miles from the canyon, I decide to stop and find a likely place to rest and doctor up Adam and Joe.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever built a fire quicker. I settle Adam first. Sport\u2019s blanket gets tucked around my eldest brother, and I prop his feet up on the saddle. His skin\u2019s still clammy, and he\u2019s shiverin\u2019, but he looks like he\u2019s gonna sleep. I scoop Joe up and scootch close enough to Adam to keep a hand on him. Layin\u2019 Joe against my chest, I take a good look at his face. He\u2019s still mighty flushed, and his skin is hot and dry. Even his lips are cracked and bloody like he\u2019s been bakin\u2019 in the desert sun. I take the canteen and dribble water down his throat, stoppin\u2019 every now and then to spread some water across his face and neck.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t understand it. I was sure that once we got outta there, both of them would snap out of whatever it was that grabbed hold of them. That ain\u2019t happened yet. Maybe even if a man can escape Spirit Canyon, he can\u2019t escape completely. Don\u2019t matter. I keep takin\u2019 care of them all night long, watchin\u2019 and hopin\u2019 for the best. When I see the first pink threads of dawn on the horizon, I don\u2019t believe I ever saw a more beautiful sight.<\/p>\n

XXXXXXXXXXX<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss?\u201d<\/p>\n

The voice in my ear is a tad gentler than the tug I feel on my arm. When I manage to pry my eyes open, I see Adam\u2019s face hoverin\u2019 over me blockin\u2019 out the morning sun. I blink a couple of times and try real hard to remember where I\u2019m at. Everything that happened to us rushes back to me, and I grab Adam by the arm and pull myself up to sit.<\/p>\n

\u201cLong night, brother?\u201d Adam asks me. He looks mighty happy to see me awake. I gotta say I feel the same way about him.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me take a look at you!\u201d I hold onto him even though he\u2019s tryin\u2019 to pull away from me. I study his face. He\u2019s well again. The choking feeling in my throat eases up a bit until I remember that I had been holding onto Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s Joe?\u201d I don\u2019t see him nowhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe\u2019s fine. He\u2019s tryin\u2019 to scare up some game for a late breakfast. Look, I\u2019m sorry for waking you. I\u2019m sure you needed the rest. We just thought that if we could get a move on soon we\u2019d be able to make the ranch in time for supper.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t tell you how good that idea sounds to me, Adam.\u201d He offers me a canteen, and I take a long swig before layin\u2019 it aside. I scrub my gritty eyes with the heel of my hand before I put both hands on my lower back. With most of the night spent sittin\u2019 with my back against my saddle, I can sure feel it now.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were sick.\u201d Adam says it like it\u2019s a fact, but he makes it sound like a question.<\/p>\n

\u201cYup, you can say that. Do you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not really. I figured it out when I woke up tucked in blankets with my feet elevated. I figured Little Joe must have been even worse off because his head was in your lap.\u201d Adam\u2019s face looks worried and irritated. He don\u2019t like things to be out of his control, and he sure don\u2019t like not knowing what\u2019s happenin\u2019 to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you feel now?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shrugs.\u00a0\u201cNot sick. It\u2019s hard to explain. I feel hollow almost, wrung out, like I\u2019ve gone days without eating but I\u2019m not hungry. I can\u2019t find the right words.\u201d He\u2019s huffy now. Adam can always find the right words.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you remember?\u201d I\u2019m a little scared I asked. I want to know that he\u2019s all right in his mind now, but I\u2019m not real sure I\u2019m ready to relive everything.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d he\u2019s chewing his lower lip as he thinks. \u201cI remember seeing those men coming after us. I remember that we decided to hide out in Spirit Canyon . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou decided.\u201d I grouch at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight.\u00a0And then, I woke up here this morning. Did those fellows catch up with us? Was there a fight?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw. They didn\u2019t catch up to us. You tellin\u2019 me you don\u2019t remember nothin\u2019 else?\u201d I ask him.<\/p>\n

Adam shakes his head. \u201cNot really. Maybe we got into some bad whiskey at that saloon . . . that would explain the nightmares.\u201d He\u2019s talkin\u2019 mostly to himself.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m decidin\u2019 how to tell him what happened when I hear gravel crunch behind us. Little Joe\u2019s comin\u2019 up on us with a couple of rabbits in his hand. He tosses the critters down and plops onto the ground beside me.<\/p>\n

Last night the boy looked plumb awful. I never saw him so sick. This morning, he\u2019s lookin\u2019 his usual jaunty self. I let loose a sigh and rest my head on my arm for a minute. I look up and meet his shinin\u2019 green eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow you doin,\u2019 Punkin?\u201d I ask him. He grins at me and gives my shoulder a shove.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine as frog\u2019s hair,\u201d he tells me. \u201cEspecially this morning when I thought I was waking up in some pretty girl\u2019s lap, and it turned out to be just my big galoot of a brother.\u201d He cackles at his joke, but the look he gives me is grateful, and he throws his arm around my neck.<\/p>\n

Joe dresses out those rabbits right quick and puts them over the fire. Adam has done decided that the two of them got poisoned by the rotgut whiskey they\u2019d been drinkin\u2019 in the saloon. That\u2019s how he explains it to Joe who just shrugs and goes along. Adam won\u2019t say nothin\u2019 more about his nightmares, but I catch him watchin\u2019 Joe and lookin\u2019 upset.<\/p>\n

I ask Joe what he remembers and he can\u2019t go no further than Adam\u2014that them fellers were chasin\u2019 us and we got into the canyon. But his dreams were different and he don\u2019t mind talkin\u2019 about it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t remember much,\u201d Joe says. \u201cYou know how it is when you wake up. The whole dream just dries up and blows away. But there was a horse . . .\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 He stops for a minute while we get over laughin\u2019 at him. Count on Joe. If it ain\u2019t a girl in his dream, then it has to be a horse. \u201cListen, it was a real special horse; I don\u2019t know why. But I had it, and then it was gone, and everything went wrong . . . and that\u2019s all I got.\u201d<\/p>\n

I know then I can\u2019t tell them what happened last night. They wouldn\u2019t believe me. Besides, somewhere in those nightmares, they probably know more than I do about what happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2018ve got a hankering to get home to my bed and some real cooking.\u201d Adam tosses the last of his coffee into the fire, and we break camp. That\u2019s when he notices his rifle is missing.<\/p>\n

He gets real upset and asks me when I seen it last. I pretend I don\u2019t know. But I do, of course. We left the rifle back in that canyon, and I guarantee we ain\u2019t goin\u2019 back for it.<\/p>\n

Adam does his best to argue me into back trackin\u2019 to look for the rifle.\u00a0\u00a0 There\u2019s no way I\u2019m goin\u2019 back, and I tell him so. He calls me a Missouri mule, and I grab his arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook here, Adam, my mind\u2019s made up. Leave the dadburned thing. You\u2019ll get another. We\u2019re goin\u2019 home.\u201d<\/p>\n

He can see that I mean it, and he knows me well enough to give in. We get on our horses and turn toward home. Adam wants to take the usual trail. Joe wants to take a short cut. Their usual noise fills the air around us.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re bickerin\u2019 again. Thank God, they\u2019re still<\/strong> bickerin.<\/em><\/p>\n

The End<\/strong><\/p>\n

Check out the stunning nighttime image of Lagomarsino Canyon<\/a> that inspired this story.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Author\u2019s Notes:<\/em><\/p>\n

Spirit Canyon is my name for a real place: Lagomarsino Canyon. The canyon is known for its petroglyphs (images scratched or carved into rock) and petrographs (images painted onto rock). The nearly 2,000 images found in the canyon have been estimated to be as old as 14,000 years. The purpose of the images is not clear; scholars assume that they had ritual importance.\u00a0 The\u00a0image featured with this story is a picture of part of the canyon.\u00a0 The Paiutes of the era were aware\u00a0of the canyon, but had no idea “who” created the images.<\/em><\/p>\n

The date used in the story is the actual date of a total lunar eclipse preceding the summer solstice by only a few hours. Many cultures associate increased spiritual power around astronomical events. <\/em><\/p>\n

Wolf and Coyote are major features in Paiute (as well as other Native American) mythology.\u00a0\u00a0 Wolf is an authority figure and Coyote is the classic trickster.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0The brothers are pursued into Spirit Canyon where they face a powerful and unpredictable foe.<\/p>\n

Rating k+ \u00a0(8,820 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":1414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,23,29],"tags":[14,17,16],"class_list":["post-1413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actionadventure","category-drama","category-halloween","tag-adam-cartwright","tag-hoss","tag-joe","wpcat-2-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-29-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1491,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Lagomarsino-1NV.jpg?fit=879%2C593&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10754,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=10754","url_meta":{"origin":1413,"position":0},"title":"The Sound and the Fury (by sandspur)","author":"sandspur","date":"March 24, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: It's brother against brother, Cartwright style! 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