Roth Black Bonnet

An Adventurous Trek Though California's Gold-Studded Days from 1854 to 1859.
1. Auflage 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5439-5190-5
Verlag: BookBaby
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet/DL/kein Kopierschutz

E-Book, Englisch, 216 Seiten

Bee, a spirted young woman desperate to save her family from financial ruin, dons a widow's protective garb as a disguise to venture into California's hostile gold country. She hopes to assist her uncle in working a claim, but finds only abandoned diggings, no gold despite her labors, and friendless surroundings. Lost in unfamiliar territory, she connects with a cattleman driving a herd into the Mother Lode hills. There she finds a new life with actors, miners, pioneer women, and many of the colorful giants of California history. How Bee copes with the successes and defeats in her new surroundings is the heart of this novel. Iris Roth's tale of how romance can grow almost unnoticed provides lessons for those still learning life's truisms. Fate can play cupid's role and a 'strictly business' arrangement can mellow into a relationship that will last forever.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Roth, Iris

Leseproben

Chapter 1 Bee folded the outer garments of her widow’s dress and placed them at the foot of her neatly spread bedroll, her black bonnet and new wide-brimmed sun hat on top. Server, alert as a watchdog should be, kept his eyes on her constantly. She was his assignment, so declared by cattle drive boss Clayton Ballard. “This is a smart mutt,” Ballard had assured her, as Server slowly wagged his tail and carefully eyed Bee as though she were an orphan calf he had been told to take particularly good care of. “I want him with you wherever you go around camp. He’ll protect you from snakes of all kinds.” Right at this moment the only place Bee cared to go was to bed. Her first full day back on a horse after months had awakened muscles she had forgotten about. As she adjusted her body to the new bedroll, she vowed to be up at dawn and ready to ride again. A short distance away, the hands were trying to settle the cattle for the night. Softly one of the cowboys began singing, “You’re a pal to ride the river with ...,” a soothing sound, a sort of an on-the-hoof pacifier, Bee thought. “That must be Randy Norton,” she mused. One of the other men had mentioned Randy’s singing at the evening meal. Randy had helped Bee unsaddle her horse earlier. He looked so much like her brother Edward that she was a bit shaken when she first saw him, for he had the same tawny golden hair and relaxed but solid stance. Bee had first noticed Randy when he told her the dog’s name was Server. He explained it was a rough version of Cerberus, the beast that in Greek mythology guarded the Gates of Hell. When Bee looked surprised at this strange bit of scholarly knowledge in the wilds of the West, Randy told her of an English nobleman who had traveled through the area with a hunting party just in time to christen the pup. “Actually,” Randy continued, “we think he’s most likely part cow-dog and part coyote. His ma, a rough-coated collie, was a favorite of Clay’s and very clever at herding cattle. She disappeared one night after some nearby coyote had favored us with his singing for hours. “Clay was upset as the devil because she didn’t show up for early breakfast the next morning. When she dragged her tired bones into camp just as we were moving the cattle out, he was furious. For a moment I thought that he was going to whip her. She stood in front of him, absolutely still waiting for his decision, her eyes on his face. Finally he patted her on the head and said, ‘All right, Old Girl, you’ve had your serenade, so settle down and get to work.’ She never strayed again. “Her other offspring are on permanent duty at the main ranch. They all do well but Clay thinks that Server is the best of the bunch and he’s usually right, especially about animals.” “Well, Server is a bit different -- slightly shaggier, I guess -- from the collies we have at home, but he does seem extremely bright. I think I can see real intelligence in those sharp brown eyes. Right now I’m sure he knows we are talking about him and I’m going to be careful what I say. I gather he’s going to be my travel partner and I don’t want to hurt his feeling,” Bee concluded. Server expressed his appreciation by wagging his tail briskly. Now, with Server settled down for the night near her feet, Randy’s melody soon put Bee to sleep as he calmed the cattle. Her dreams were full of her travels of the past months, ending with her introduction to Clay Ballard, who had allowed her to join the cattle drive. He had agreed only after a lot of persuasion by Bee and the clerk at the express station in Columbia, known as the Gem of the Southern Mines. Bee had arrived in the Mother Lode early in 1854 on the way to help her Uncle Andrew Moore at his diggings nearby. Actually, Uncle Andy was expecting her brother Edward. Andy had left a message for Edward at the express station, including a rough map and directions to his claim. He had also left some funds with instructions to Edward to use what was necessary for supplies and then send the remainder on to his parents. Andy explained that he knew more was needed and he would prospect for a better spot to work somewhere near his current claim. From earlier letters, Bee knew that whenever Andy left his claim his neighbor Barney looked out for his rights to be sure nobody moved in on Andy’s property. After she had identified herself to the express clerk, Bee had been given Andy’s letter to Edward. She was shocked at the small amount of money available. She was sure that Andy was doing his best, but her folks always needed more and she knew that this offering would leave them at least $500 short on their ranch payment. The clerk asked Bee why she was so upset and she explained briefly but assured him she hoped to work Andy’s claim to make up the $500 shortage. She arranged to have the available money sent and wrote a note to her mother promising more as soon as possible. Bee envisioned the long route the communication must travel, going first from Columbia to San Francisco. There it would be picked up by Captain Josiah Williams, whose ship plied between the Bay City and San Diego. At the southern port it would eventually be collected by a representative of the Wallace Williams family who would deliver it to her parents at their ranch a day’s ride from San Diego. Having the Williams family as country neighbors was a great advantage to the Moores, who were forever waiting for help from Uncle Andy in the Mother Lode. Since she had recently traveled this journey from south to north, Bee was well aware of the distance. Thus, she asked the gray-haired clerk, Mr. Collins, to send off the available funds as soon as possible. Then she asked him how she could get to the mining claim. He studied the rough map earnestly and remarked he honestly didn’t know of any likely transportation in that direction. “Maybe I can rent a horse and hire a guide,” Bee suggested. Collins answered, “Ma’am, there’s just no one I know of. The able-bodied ones are all out digging. The place you want seems to be way up the road to about Vallecito and then into the rough country where there may be only faint trails,” the clerk explained patiently. “Well, I absolutely must get there, Mr. Collins. Where can I rent or buy a horse or a mule, please? Believe me, I grew up in cattle country so I am certainly able to ride long distances.” “That’s not the problem, lady, at least not the only one. It’s easy to get lost with no better map than this. You never know who or what you might meet. There are men of all kinds and a few wild animals, too. “Now wait a bit -- I just remembered that someone came in earlier today and mentioned that he had passed Clay Ballard back down the road heading this way with cattle for his ranch north of here. He would be going fairly close to that claim. He may even know your uncle. Possibly we can persuade him to let you ride along. It might be a rough trip, but it would be safer and surer than anything else I know. “Ballard always checks in here when he gets to town. If you want to have a cup of tea at the eatery down the street, I’ll watch for Ballard and do the best I can for you.” “I think I’ll just wait on the bench outside,” Bee replied. “That way I’ll hear any approaching horses or cattle. I don’t want to miss my chance and I expect you have work to do. Thank you for all your help, Mr. Collins.” Bee waited on the bench, dozing repeatedly, until the sound of the oncoming herd reached her. Then she stood, straightened her garments, and entered the building. “I think they are coming, sir,” she announced. “Fine,” said Collins. “You wait in the chair over there and Ballard should be along soon. I will give him an idea of the situation and introduce you. I do need to be sure of your name. I assume you are a widow so it is no longer Moore -- or is the bereavement for some close family member?” “My name is Mrs. Bettina Bello, Mr. Collins. It was formerly Moore, of course.” Bee shuddered slightly over her stupidity in not working out the name earlier to complete her assumed identity as a widow. Bello was Mama’s maiden name. It would do. Soon the noise of the herd increased and a tall man with dark auburn hair wandered through the door, brushing dust off his clothing. “Hello, Collins. Anything new in this place that I should know about?” “Well, Mr. Ballard, there is something. Actually, it’s a situation where you have the opportunity to do a very good deed.” “Hmmmm,” Clay murmured unconvinced, knowing that good deeds were usually difficult and expensive. “You probably know Andy Moore, the fellow who has a claim up on Linden Creek, right next to Russian Barney,” Collins began. “Hell, yes. I’ve had some good times with both of those guys and they’ve both helped me a lot. Are they in some sort of trouble?” “Andy has a young family visitor who’s come to work with him and needs some way to get to the diggings. I thought you were probably going up near...