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Bootleg Gold
by Dennis Whatiskiss |
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| Big John rode up fast and came to a quick halt. He was covered in
dust and his horse was well lathered. Obviously agitated, he
dismounted as his wife, Victoria, ran from the ranch-house,
followed by Vaquero. The other ranch hands began to mill around
Big John and his horse. |
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"My husband, you
have returned safely." Victoria said, reaching out to brush the dust from her husband's shirt, "I hope you found my father
in good spirits and that he treated you well during your
visit." |
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Big John spoke with a
determined and firm voice, "Don Sebastian treated me well
alright, but I wouldn't say he was in good spirits. He
was hopping mad when he heard about what's been going on.
The good news is that Rancho Montoya will back us up on
this. And Chiopana is gathering the tribes.
They will all stand and fight with us." |
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| Buck stepped forward . . ."Big John, I don't know about this copywrit,
copyright, or copyrighten stuff but dang it John, they be our
words
and pictures they be takin'. They’s stealing from us sure as
sure and
. . . well, it just ain’t right, John." |
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| “Besides that”, responded John, “it’s against the law now, even
out here in the territories.” |
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Manolito, trying to
overcome the lingering effects of a good time in Tucson, emerged from the house.
He had heard the
word "legs" and was interested in seeing what female had caused
such a commotion in the yard!! Not seeing any female, other than
Victoria, Manolito took in the scene before him.
Words
penetrated his brain . . .
boot's legs? . . legs with boots?? . .
Bootleggers!!! . . then a stream of obscenities flowed from his
mouth in Spanish.
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| Victoria blushed and
exclaimed "Manolo!".
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The sounds of anger
and disgust grew among the Bunkhouse men. Sam,
angrier then Joe had ever seen him, asked Big John what he wanted
them
to do. John replied . . . "Pedro, take the Water tower. Reno, the
roof. Vaquero, the main house. Ira, the front gate. Sam
and Joe, ride the
range and look high and low. The rest of you men, be
on the lookout." He wanted guards
posted all around the
house. The men agreed as they watched a lone
hawk fly over the corral . . .
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"Pa!", Blue Boy called
. . . "Pa, I made up some wanted posters.
I
drew a picture of the head Bootlegger, Alfred E. Nimbus, aka 'El
Pollo'.
I've got ‘em
posted around Tucson and even sent some to the rurales in
Sonora,
Pa!"
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| Big John looked with pride at his son. So often Blue Boy messed up
somehow, but this time he hadn't failed his pa. John felt
his chest swell with pride!
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| He told his men and family that he had also sent word to Major
David
Retort of the 3rd Cavalry, from Fort Republic, that he
needed his
men pronto. Word had been sent to the famous Sheriff
Andy Clydesdale
and his special services deputy, Chuck Lehane. They were rounding up
a posse from the
Bar-HCDG Ranch north of Tucson to help catch this band
of scummy, filthy
bootleggers.
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| Together with the Cannon
men, the Apaches, and the Montoyas, they would round up and wipe out this
scourge of the West,
the "BOOTLEGGERS", before they turned their
dirty dealings into a world wide web of scoundrels. |
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Big John looked at those
gathered around him. "I have a dream for
this land . . . for this ranch . . . for the future . . . one day
. . . one
day, clear as an Arizona sky . . . there will be sold under the
brand, 'THE HIGH CHAPARRAL', a new DVD with
all that is good and
true and wonderful on it."
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| "That will make us all proud. Until that
time . . . we fight . . . we protect what is ours . . . what we worked and
fought and died for . . . what is RIGHT!!" |
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