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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 1859269" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter Forty-two, “Clean Up at the Caves”, January 7th, 1882:They ride back up the mountain with the wagon and both riding horses. They find a scene that looks like it came from a war. A dirty and dusty Flint is standing near the entrance to the cave, a grin from ear to ear with an equally dusty but unhurt Al standing beside him. Near where they are the bodies of three horses and their riders, with a good-sized crater in the dirt between them. A similar scene of carnage is just inside the cave, with bodies of men, horses and cattle all about and part of the cave having collapsed. Hoss Cartwright comes out from the back of the cave and announces "Most of the herd is alright, these cows were just the ones that were in the branding area." His brothers come from other sections of the cave and say, "Looks like that crazy dwarf got them all."  Adam notices the prisoner and says, "I assume that's Knowles. When you send him off to the Apache tell him to inform the Indians about the twenty so dead cows and horses are up here. They could probably make good use the meat and the hides."Jake takes Nanuet aside privately and says, "I don't know if the Cartwrights really need our help or not with their cattle, but we could put a lot of meat in the back of that wagon there and take it to Geronimo with Knowles. The Indians can come and get the rest if they want. We grab as much of the valuables and weapons as we can and take with us, I'm sure the scavengers are going to clear out the rest in no time. If we do that could we make it back in town for Ruby's evening performance?" And keep on the good side of Geronimo thinks Jake, I'm certain we are gonna cross paths again.Jake suggests his idea. Al points out that the Apache have clearly been watching this place, and most likely still are, so it shouldn't take much for either Knowles or Nanuet to alert them to just come and get the meat. She points out that as long as the Apache know it is safe there is no reason for them to stay away. They especially have nothing to fear from the Cartwrights, since the Apache are still holding their father.  Ruby finds a nearby rock and slips behind it. She grabs hold of it then she starts hyperventilating. She had killed more men today then she had, maybe ever. She preferred the slip in and rob them blind while they're not looking method to killing people. Distraction suited her fine and she was good at it. She had no problem killing someone if it was her or them but this was just crazy. She was feeling a bit out of control at the situation, including what was going on back in town. She wanted to get out of this place, not linger and she wanted to free herself of the ropes that felt like they were tightening around her.Katherine didn't want to look at the bodies anymore. For some reason it was the horses that bothered her even more than the men. The men at least had a chance to defend themselves. She moved away from the cave opening and began poking around in the rocks.   After a few moments she heard a kind of wheezing sound. She turned and saw Ruby clutching a large boulder and breathing erratically. She hurried over and laid her hands of the other woman's shoulders. "Breathe, Ruby honey. You have to slow down and breathe." Ruby tried to slow down her breathing. She didn’t want Katherine to see her so upset. Now wasn’t a good time to be weak. She needed time to think things over and this wasn’t it. “I’m ok really,” she said pulling away. She knew she wasn’t being very convincing. Now’s a good time for some distraction she thought. “So how about all those books up there?” "No dear, you're not okay. I'm not okay." She stepped forward and put her arms around the other woman. "But what is there to say? I can't change anything. I should never have even mentioned this to you or Jake. It wasn't your business; I should have left you to sleep this morning away. But you were here, and you did what was necessary Do you hear me? We tried to avoid killing these men, but it didn't work out. And as much as I hate what happened, I'd rather have you and Nanuet and Jake safe and well at the end of the day." Ruby accepted the hug from Kate. It felt good to know she genuinely cared and Ruby was really starting to care for her too. But with caring came other things. People to answer to. Someone else to think about beside herself. Foolish decisions like running into a room of armed men because she was worried about Jake. If she did decide to leave it wouldn’t be easy that's for sure. With that thought Ruby pulled away from Kate.   "Kate we all came here because we wanted too. You didn't put a gun to anyone's head. I just, well, I don't enjoy killing people." Ruby pauses. "Oh forget it. It'll be worth it once we go back up and find something to take home with us. Look at all those books you get to read." Ruby already knew her pockets were full and it had been well worth the trip.  "Frankly, I'd be a lot more worried about you if you did enjoy it. You can do what's needed, no one said you had to like it. Someday, if you want to tell me those things you just said to forget, I'll be glad to listen. As you said, for right now there are books to be gathered."Katherine notices three still-intact wheelbarrows a short distance into the cave, which is just what she'll need to get the library out of the other cave and down the trail to the wagon. Katherine quickly agrees with Al and walks over to the wheelbarrows. "Now gentlemen, there a few things I'd like from the caves above, and these should just do the trick. It will only take a few trips, and the wagon should carry them nicely once we get them down. I'd hate to leave them for Deadeye Douglas to find."Jake was just trying to figure out how to be somewhere else before this work began, and therefore was not paying much attention to Katherine until she brought up Douglas. He was privately worried that the real Deadeye might show up early as well, but didn't want to alarm folks. As far as he knew the others didn't even know he was coming. A bunch of rustlers was one thing, even if there were more of them than he expected. Running into Deadeye Douglas gang could be serious trouble, and he didn't think that Katherine really understood that. He looked for a reaction in any of the others. And decided that he would suffer the work, this ONE time to get out of here sooner. Jake comments "Ruby, why don't you come along and search that room more thoroughly. I'm sure that Brocius had more to his name than we found. And Nanuet, on one of these trips lets haul those large shells out." Jake also gives the dynamite back to Flint. "Here you go old timer. The moment has passed, I think it is better that you have these. They are way too tempting for a youngster like me."Kate was rather surprised at how easily Jake took up the work. She went over to him after he gave Flint the dynamite back. "Thank you," she said. "I know you don't care much for work. I just might forgive you for the way you touched me inside." Jake pauses and steps up close to Katherine and leans in to whisper, "You and I will need a secret signal then. One for give me a hug and talk our way out of this and the different one for don't touch me I'd rather shoot my way out." Jake steps back quickly with a broad smile he can't seem to wipe off his face and heads for the cave, and says without turning around. "I think I'll be getting those books now."Little Joe Cartwright come out of the cave and asks the group how many bodies were left behind in the upper cave. Nanuet answers "Three" to which Joe replies "Then I think we have a problem. I count twelve bodies here in and around this cave, Adam says you left seven down on the road, and we have the one back on the trail were we were waiting. Add in Knowles here and that comes to 24. The Apache had left 26 rocks."  The giddy sense of relief that had been running through Kate drained away at Little Joe's words. "Could they be buried far under the rubble? Far enough that you couldn't see them?"He points to his mountain of a brother and says, "No, Hoss already moved aside the bigger pieces of rubble to check." Katherine quickly realizes that Hoss's size and strength would make moving the library quick work.   Nanuet tells Jake to go down the trail and check who the Cartwrights shot. He then goes into the cave to check the identity of the bodies, looking specifically for Claiborne and his friends.  Jake comes back and confirms that the body belongs to the one known as Jack. Nanuet confirms that Claibourne and Dell are not among the bodies."Let's be smart, nobody goes anywhere alone. Stay in groups bigger than two. Flint please stay here with the Ladies while we check this out. Heath, Al, want to come with me?" Jake says as he picks up a rifle and checks to make sure it is loaded and not jammed. Heath says "Those two are at least on foot. Someone should ride down and get our horses. We wouldn't want those two guys to stumble upon them and take them." Al agrees to go with him and gets on the other horse they obtained. The two ride off. Knowles is told that he is being let go but that his cattle rustling days are over and that he will now be living among the Apache. He seems relived at hearing that information and replies that he has lived with Indian tribes before. He then asks Nanuet if he can go back up to the other cave and retrieve some personal items from his room, items of Native American original that he would want to have with him in a native setting." Nanuet says, "No, you are not going back there. I understand the importance of such items thought so will get them for you." Little Joe and Flint agree to stay behind and guard Knowles. Hoss, Nick, joins Jake, Ruby, Katherine and Nanuet head back up to the other cave, Hoss, Jake and Nick each pushing one of the wheelbarrows. Kate watched the others with a heavy heart. She didn't feel safe with Flint, and Ruby had already had a hard enough day. Her thoughts were different than Jake’s, and it scared her far more than Claibourne or Dell jumping out at them. If they had run, they may have gone for help. Or worse, but unlikely, they had run to Promise City to get the sheriff. They could work up a story. She'd seen Claibourne in Tombstone as a delivery man; they might know him as the same in Promise City. The law would have no reason not to believe him. What would they think when they saw this?  She was relieved when the plan was changed and she could go with people she trusted. When she had a moment she caught up to Jake and whispered her thoughts to him.They arrive back at the + shaped room. Katherine heads directly to bookcases and starts to examine the books, asking Hoss and Nick to assist her. Nanuet heads into the side room with the Indian artifacts. Ruby and Jake head into the other side room to look for anything that Curly Bill may have hidden. Ruby stays close to Jake while they search, checking each area together. Nanuet has filled up a blanket with items and places it atop the first wheelbarrow full of books as he, Nick and Hoss bring the first load down to the wagon. Katherine continues to check the bookcases, finding one where the books stick out a bit. She moves the books and finds an elaborately carved jewelry case behind one with the name "Consuela" written on the lid in gold leaf. "Thank you, Nanuet," Kate said as he came over with his blanket bundle and started away with the wheelbarrow. Her mind had drifted away from the dangers of the missing men. A plethora of books had a way of doing that. She continued to sort through them, her hands oddly reverent. A few minutes after the men started down she found a carved jewelry case behind a section of books. Suddenly she remembered all the bodies. Who was "Consuela" to one of those men? Had she helped to widow another woman? Kate closed her eyes and took a moment to pull herself back together. She carefully tried to open it.The box contains four gold rings, three with stones in the center, four pair of gold earrings of various designs, Two gold necklaces, two pair of gold wristlets and a gold and diamond tiara. There is a shelf at the bottom of the box that has three photographs - one of a family photo of two adult wood elves, a teenage girl wood elf and a toddler wood elf boy, all dressed in elaborate clothing. Another is only of the same wood elf girl and she is wearing one of the necklaces in the case. The final one is of the man in the family photo and he is standing beside a wood elf wearing a uniform filled with decorations and medals. Kate hesitated for a few moments as she looked over the items in the box. It was unlikely anyone would come back for them, but they seemed to be very personal. Almost like a memorial that should be left where she found it. Still, she was curious. She finally decided to take it with them. Perhaps Dorita's grandfather would be able to shed some light on it. Jake sees Katherine staring long at the photograph. "Katherine, just pack it up and take it. We best not hang around here too long. These were not the kind of men who had families like that." He tries to think of something else to say but can't, so he goes back to packing up.Ruby and Jake continue to search the room. She picks up that he is uncomfortable with her sticking so close so she gives him some space but still stays close enough that they can watch each other.  Jake is a bit nervous all of us being in here and not watching the door behind us. He listens with some of his attention for any unusual or tell tale sounds behind them while searching.The three men return to check in with the others and Nanuet leaves the blanket of items, telling the others not to touch it. They return back for the next load of books.  It takes nearly an hour for all of the books to be loaded up. Katherine notes that the beds are made with slot and groove construction and can be easily disassembled. Nick says that makes sense, as they would have needed to have been taken apart to get through the tunnel. She suggests that since there is still room on the wagon that they take them apart to bring the well constructed bed frames back since the Whipples are planning to put another floor of rooms onto the hotel. At long last Jake and Ruby finally discover a hidden compartment, located behind a rocky section of wall. They find a gold box inside that is 9-inches by 5-inches by 3-inches in size. They look inside and find a small book, around two-dozen pages, written in a language that neither understand. There is also a pile of paper money with pictures of wood elves and fancy buildings depicted on it and writing in Spanish and denominations listed of 100, 500, 1000, 5000 and 10000. They are unsure what country it is from, but it does not look like money from either Mexico or Spain, as they have seen both of those currencies before.There is room in the rather large wagon for the bed frames, which Hoss has no difficulty in carrying out. They leave the caves and head back to the others. Al and Heath have returned with the other horses.   The livestock are brought out of the cave, numbering a total of 68 cows and 7 horses in addition to the two rustler horses already acquired. Al finds a nice saddle for one of the horses, commenting "I'm going to take this back to Galeyville for O'Dell since he gave his last horse to you Ruby."  A tarp is tossed into the wagon over the books and bed frames and then tied down securely. The Cartwrights also take all of the assorted branding tools found inside the cave to present to the Sheriff as evidence. They ride down the mountain trail. At the bottom of the trail they finally untie Knowles and let him go. Nanuet takes him aside and gives him the blanket of items. Knowles looks inside and then has an exchange of words with Nanuet that the others do not hear, but can see that Knowles is upset when Nanuet points and Knowles walks away.   They continue on towards the main road to Galeyville. When they reach the road Al takes the extra horse and bids the others goodbye.</blockquote>

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