And the Monkey pushes the Button

There will be no sleep tonight. After the encounter with the two soldiers, and the rest of the whole damn army camped in the valley at our feet, we are charged and sleep is the farthest thing from our minds.

We all mill about camp, taking turns watching the valley below or any sign of movement up the trail. Lou is doing an inventory of weapons and rounds in case we have another encounter. Andy has taken it upon himself to guide Seedling through an inventory of anything that will explode. Turns out that list is long. It is a nervous energy that drives us. Hope that tomorrow night this place will be a distant memory.

I am worried about the Clarok... about the light, the pedestal, the possibility of discovery and the fact that we are extremely outnumbered if things go bad.

Ollie and I stand in silence and look out at the encampments. You can hear conversation when the wind is right. Too far to really see anything worthwhile. Behind us Chris comes up through the rocks and stands for a moment... taking it all in before he speaks.

"Motherfucker."

I look at him for a moment and then back at the valley.
"You took the words right out of my mouth."
"I found a spot that overlooks the trail. I think I will take Mike down there and we will keep an eye on things."

"Puede ver usted el rastro a la cueva?" Ollie asks.
"No, man, just the main trail. If we see them come up the main trail we can move over and monitor the trail going to the cave."

As we discuss the night watch, Lou comes up through the rocks. He stands with us and takes in the view.
"Well... you know we're fucked if they find us."
"What do we have to fight them with?" Chris asks, taking a long stretch in the cooling night air.
"We have the two Spencers and what's left of that ammo... forty three rounds, we each all still have both rifles from from our horses and six bandoliers with about two hundred rounds collectively."
"What about pistols?"
"Whatever cartridges you have in your gun and on your belt."

We left the wagon with the Gatling gun behind at the river camp yesterday. On it was the extra ammunition. We didn't anticipate this response, we were too busy with the thought of going home.

"What about Seedlilng's end?"

Turns out Seedling has enough explosive to take the top of this mountain clean off. We didn't think he had any the way he was talking when we picked up those bundles at the general store. But then again we didn't think he had any of the gold we needed either. With bags and bags of it, and now the multiple crates of dynamite, we realize that there is quite a bit more to Seed than we thought in the first place.

We all get together in the cave, with the exception of Chris and Mike, who have taken up their posts above the main trail, and we lay out a protection plan. When Lou brings up setting some sticks to take out the trail to our position, Seedling puts on a wide smile.

"Already got that done. I have enough dynamite and fuse on that trail to bury anyone that ain't welcome."
"No shit." Lou looks at him, "show me."

We all go in tow. There is a full moon tonight and we don't have to chance any torchlight and possible discovery. About half way down the trail, just shy of the spot where we met up with the two soldiers, Seedling stops us and points to a spot under a long overhang of rock. There is a fissure in the rock that nearly runs the length of the trail back to the cave. Lou runs his hand along it until he finds what he is looking for. When he touchs the first bundle he stops and his eyes go bright.

"Did you find a snake?" Seedling asks, "they like them cool spots in the daytime. Not so much at night."

"No snake. How old is this stick?"
"Oh... I think I put that trap down about three year ago."

Lou pulls his hand out very carefully. Even in this limited light, we can see his fingers glistening.

"Did it get wet? Darn stuff ain't worth a thing if'n it's wet."

Lou tries to reach the handkerchief in his back pocket, "Jake, grab that out of my pocket."
I hand it to him and very gently he wipes his fingers off. He let's out a breath he was holding.
"Damn it, Seedling, you could have said that before I put my hand in there."
"Wet, huh?"
"No, old. The nitro is weeping out of it. We're lucky... hell YOUR lucky that you didn't blow yourself up coming up this way. Just a couple of pebbles falling on that stuff would set it off."

"Well, good thing that didn't happen."
"Where does the fuse go?"

Seedling scratches the side of his face and then does a short three point turn.
"I don't remember where it all goes, but the end of it is up yonder." He points to a spot in the rocks near the trail head.

"That's a lot of fuse, Seed. That will take minutes to get down to the stick."
"I didn't care when I set it. I just wanted a way to blow the trail down if'n I didn't want anyone to find the cave."

Lou looks at the run from the spot where he says the fuse is to where we are standing.
"How many sticks did you use?"
"Two cases."

We all step back, except Lou, who is still calculating.
"Two cases? How many sticks."
Seedling works his hands like he is fingering a violin.
"Sixty."
We all step back even further, Lou along with us.

"Jesus, Seedling, you could create another Grand Canyon with sixty sticks of dynamite. Where do they start."
"At the base of the trail... as soon as this fissure in the cliff face begins I started jamming bundles in there, two sticks per bundle."

Lou takes Seedling up the trail and they find the fuse, working their way down to the first bundle. There is thirty feet of black powder fuse cord. Lou snips it off to about three feet to Seedling's dismay.

"If we don't have to set this off before we leave, I suggest you dowse every bundle you have stashed on the trail with a bucket of water and carefully remove it. If a snake curls up to one of those weeping bundles and you are anywhere near this trail they'll be finding bits of you at Fort McDowell."

We stage a Spencer near the top of the trail and mark a bundle mid-range on the trail. Who ever is watching the trail will light the fuse and run back to the Spencer. If it doesn't go off then one shot should ignite the entire trail. Chris and Mike take up position overlooking the trail. The rest of us ready weapons and ammo, then go to the ridge to look out over the valley. We are all nervous as hell. Even Seedling is running an internal dialogue that spills out in mutterings and verses. Thankfully he returns to working in his chamber of the cavern.

I would think with this energy level that sleep would be impossible. It is the heat of the sun that wakes me, that and the ever present throbbing from my gunshot wounds. I hold a hand up to block the sun out of my eyes. To my right Ollie and Andy are sound asleep. Lou is nowhere to be found.
"Wake up." I give Ollie's foot a little kick and he stirs. He nudges Andy and the both of them struggle to their feet.

"What time is it?" Andy asks, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.
"I don't know, Lou has the pocket watch. It looks like mid morning to me."
"Where is Lou?"
"Good question."

I walk to the cavern. It is silent, and extremely bright. The light from the crystals is already focusing a pretty decent shaft of light into the Clarok. Lou is leaned up against the rock, eyes closed but not a sound coming from him. I suspect it is a little jungle training at work. I give his foot a tap and he opens his eyes.

"Your still fucking ugly."
"I wasn't sleeping."
"Okay."
I look around the cave, "Where is Seedling."
"Gone."
"No shit."
"I think all of this freaked him out. It's fine by me. He would just be in the way."
Lou gets to his feet and pulls a stretch. He looks at the light focusing into the Clarok.
"Hell, another couple of minutes of this and we can leave early."
"we should get the boys."

I take the path through the rocks and make my way down to Chris and Mike. The path goes down steep with no sight of the valley beyond, then there is a sharp rise to their position, beyond which is the trail leading up from the army encampment.

On my approach I can hear Chris snoring. If there were any bear in these parts that is what I would assume it was. When I walk up on them, they are nestled together like Kentucky cousins. I kick Chris' foot and up comes the forty four, hammer drawn.

"Whoa whoa whoa, Chris... it's just me." I think I might have soiled myself.
Chris shakes Mike loose and they both crawl up to peak over the rocks. As soon as they do they drop back down and quickly turn.

"What?"
"They're hear."
"What do you mean hear. They're starting up the trail?"
"No, they are on the trail. They are up the trail."

I scoot up the rocks and look over. There is a column a mile long, two abreast, winding its way up from the valley. They are moving with some stealth, no talking, even their horses seem to know to be quiet. I drop back down to the boys.
"We need to get back to the cave. The light is building in the chamber... we might leave early."

As we make our way back up the side of the mountain and at one point are in view of the trail below. We are high up, though, and hopefully not in the view of someone looking down the trail they are riding. A rock comes tumbling down, nearly catching me in the head. Mike looks back down at me on the path and mouths
"sorry". As the rock falls it catches another, and another, and now the soldiers on the trail are looking up at the small avalanche and what might have caused it.

All hell breaks loose. I have never heard a hundred or so rifles and pistols firing in my direction. It definately motivates you to climb faster and run farther. We make the top of the ridge and break for the cave. Lou, alerted by the volley of gunfire, comes out as we start in.

"You guys get your robes on and get ready. The light is good."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to blow that trail."

He runs off, rifle in hand and a bandolier over his shoulder. Inside the cavern the light is so bright you can't look right at it. We all pause for a moment, in awe of the spectacle.

"HEY." Ollie is already in his robe. He throws the others to us one at a time. We remove our old west garb and get back to nature, then put the robes over us and get in the order around the Clarok.

There is a volley of gunfire from outside... a little too close to be Lou firing at the dynamite. I break and run, grabbing two of the rifles near the entrance. As soon as I exit the cavern I am fired upon. I can see Lou off to my right trying to give me cover so I break left so we might catch them in a cross fire. I can hear the rounds trying to chase me down. Lou is dropping them like flies. There are a good dozen that have poured onto the top of the mountain from the trail below, and who knows how many waiting.

"JAKE... GET TO THE SPENCER AND BLOW THIS THING."

He is on the wrong side of the trail. I hear him blasting away with some covering fire, and then it is down to single placed shots as he loads individual rounds from the bandolier... no time to waste.

What I see when I get to the overlook makes me shudder. There are hundreds of men, rifles at the ready, many of them off of their horses and readying to climb the sides of the cliff face to join in the attack. They have not spotted me, but the first shot from the Spencer draws their attention. I am a sitting duck. Behind me I hear a thunderous volley of shots and a clutch of soldiers retreat from the mountain top. I can only assume that the rest of the boys have joined in the fight from inside the cavern.

There are only five rounds for the Spencer at this position. I am sure Lou thought he would be taking the shot there would be four rounds left over. I have fired three so far and not hit pay dirt... four.

"GODDAMNIT... give me a break for Christ's sake." I line up on the stick and stone marker that Lou placed for the fifth and last shot and then realized that he didn't mark it for this angle. I line up just ahead of the marker. Rifle shot is pinging off of the rock all around me, peppering me with fragments of stone. I hold her steady and behind me I hear Lou.

"BLOW THE FUCKING THING."

The shot peels off and the trail is consumed in a chain reaction blast that makes the rock look like a crashing wave on the ocean. The shockwave throws me back. It liquifies the men and horses on that part of the trail and they are part of the rock, dust, and smoke. I struggle to my feet and run back toward the cavern. When I top the ridge the smoke and dust from the blast is thick. I have emptied one rifle and throw it down, the other I fire at anything in a uniform. There are only four left standing and between me and Ollie we take them as well.

"WHERE IS LOU?"
Ollie points to a body near the trail head. Oh fuck... not again. The two of us run to him. Grabbing arms and legs we take him back to the cavern. We can't chance changing the dynamic, so we strip him and then get his robe over his body. He has at least three wounds, two of them look really bad.

"Lou... come on Lou." I slap him a little bit, then harder. His hand comes up and stops me.
"I will kick your ass."
"Can you stand."
"Let's do this thing."

We get into position. All of us are praying that we make it. No booze, make-shift light source, hand carved pedestal, shot up and pursued. I feel Andy's hand on my shoulder as I place mine on Ollie's. The light is unbearable now. I can hear people yelling outside the cavern. They are coming.

"Ready boys?" I yell. "ONE... "
We all lift the Clarok. "TWO..."
I can hear someone yell out that we are in the cavern. There must be hundreds assembling out there.
"THREE."
We drop the Clarok and the resonant tone begins and builds, the light blazes... surrounding us. Through the intense light I see soldiers pour through the opening, weapons that were at the ready are lowered as they shield their eyes. The vibration on the Clarok nearly shakes me loose, the sound is deafening inside the echo chamber of the cavern.

Then, as we had arrived, we vanished with an uncelebratory pop.