Cannon Mines

Chapter 1-2

Mac responded, “I’ve heard reports of someone who looks like that. People have seen him in a valley about three miles north of here. I’ve not personally seen him, but another Ranger and a couple of hunters told me he’s in there.”

He continued, “You can’t get into the valley on horseback. You’ll have to leave your horses and walk down a steep slope. There’s probably a better place to get in somewhere, but I don’t know where it might be.”

Mac drew a map in the dirt and said, “It’s not hard to find. The valley looks to be several hundred acres, maybe a full section, and it’s pretty lush. That’s why the hunters went in there. They got a little spooked by the ‘wild man’ and skedaddled out of there.”

They parted ways with the Rangers and found the valley easily. Talako quickly found a good place to leave the horses. The slope was steep and nasty, just like Mac said. Talako searched for a way to get the stock into the valley while the others climbed down the treacherous trail to explore.

They found a few encouraging signs, but not much. They did not see anyone because Dale was hiding and watching them. He was well camouflaged with his worn-out raggedy clothing, wild hair and beard, and dirty body.

A few hours later, Talako rode up to them with the horses and pack mules. He had found a game trail just large enough to get the stock down safely. Grant asked Talako to help him look around for more sign. They found human tracks but they were hard to read. The man was not wearing shoes and getting a good read was challenging.

Talako and Grant returned to the area where they had found the most tracks. Clark realized he needed to rest, so he found a large tree and sat on the ground leaning back against the trunk.

Talako found a place where the grass was bent over as if someone had recently passed. He called Grant over and they kept looking.

A wild-looking man suddenly appeared at the edge of a clearing. Grant saw that it was Dale and walked toward him.

The man said, “I recognize you. You are Grant. I’ve had dreams about you as a boy and about a farm somewhere.”

Grant said, “That’s good. We’ve been looking for you. This is a friend, Talako. Clark, your oldest son, is with me. We want to talk with you.”

Dale did not seem to like the idea that they had been able to find him. He was scared of people because most people were scared of him. Talako walked back to get Clark and Skeeter while Grant tried to calm Dale.

When Clark walked up, he said, “Hello, Dad. I’m Clark. Do you remember me?”

Dale’s answer was a halting, “I, I, I don’t remember much before I woke up in that ravine. I have been having some dreams about Grant and another boy and working on a farm. Nothing is clear.”

“Can we sit and talk? Maybe we can help you remember.”

“Yes, let’s go to my cave and talk. Do you have anything to eat? It’s been a while since I had anything but some roots.”

“Yes, we can put a meal together pretty quickly. Talako will kill a deer and we will have venison tonight. We brought some canned goods along. Skeeter, will you help Talako bring the mules and horses? We can set up camp right outside the cave.”

Clark and Grant entered Dale’s cave. It was better than they expected. Several small boulders were perfect for sitting, and a bed of leaves and grass was close to a fire ring. Dale had torches scattered around and one blanket that had seen better days. The cave had a small mouth but widened to about twenty by twenty, and the ceiling varied from eight to ten feet high. There was also a narrow opening in the rear of the chamber.

The boys were impressed but heartbroken that Dale had been living for several years in these conditions. They both wanted to get him into a better situation. After all, Dale had left the farm to try to create a better life for his family.

Grant began, “We just had to try to find you. That spot you showed Angelina and me is now a gold mine. Clark and I will soon be wealthy young men. You left the farm to find gold so we could have a better life, and you found it for us.”

Dale seemed somewhat overwhelmed. He said, “I saw the two of you picking up gold nuggets with two women. I thought you would find a lot of nuggets. I don’t have much use for gold. Towns scare me, and I scare the people that come around here.”

“Those women are now our wives. They are good women and want to meet you.”

Dale said, “They are pretty. One of them has lived outdoors more than the other. They both worked hard to find that gold. I think I must have had a wife once. I’ve seen a woman in those dreams I mentioned. When and why did I leave two boys and a wife?”

Clark responded, “We were extremely poor and had a small hardscrabble farm. You came west looking to strike it rich. After two years of waiting for your return, our mother left and Grant and I were alone. We sold the farm and started west to find you. We found a group of people who let us stay in their community. We were told that you were dead -- shot in the head by a bunch of thieves. We quit looking for you and made a good life for ourselves. Then Grant and Angelina met you in the mountains.”

Dale said, “When Grant and I stumbled into each other, I had no memory of any life before I was shot. I was confused, so I decided it was better for me to just slip away to my cave. Later, I started having dreams, and Grant’s image would come to me while I slept. Later on, the images became a little clearer, and another boy showed up in them. Recently, a woman and a farm shack have shown up occasionally.”

Clark said, “You seem to be getting some of your memory back. I’ve read some books about amnesia, and they say it sometimes happens just like you describe. Grant and I want to spend some time with you. Maybe we can talk and help you get back more memories. Is that okay with you?”

“I suppose so. It’s frustrating not knowing who you are. I would like to know more about myself and what I did before I got shot.”

Grant said, “Let’s eat and we will talk more. We can stay with you and make sure you have enough to eat. Here’s some pemmican, and we will have venison steaks tonight.”

After Dale ate a small portion of pemmican, Talako and Skeeter came into the cave. Talako had taken a young deer with his bow, and they had already butchered it. Talako built a small fire while Skeeter gathered more wood. Talako soon had backstrap roasting on the fire.

The venison smelled wonderful to Dale. His gun was broken, and hunting with a knife had not been fruitful.

The men ate in silence. Dale seemed to be deep in thought, and they did not want to overwhelm him. The light began to fade and Skeeter went out to take care of the stock. The lush grass kept them from wandering far. Talako said that he did not think the stock would try to leave the valley because of the luscious grass and steep trails.

Grant eased over to Talako and they went outside to talk. Grant said, “The first time I met Dale, he slipped off during the first night. I’m afraid he might do that again. Can you sleep near the opening and make sure that doesn’t happen?”

“Sure. By the way, Skeeter and I are going to explore the valley tomorrow. Y’all need some bonding time with Dale. Maybe y’all can help him get back to his old self. We’ll be back before dark.”

Dale did not try to leave during the night. He slept soundly after his big meal. He had not slept that well in months.

Grant warmed the leftover roast venison and Talako made fry bread, resulting in a magnificent breakfast. Skeeter opened a can of peaches and Dale ate most of the can. The peaches tasted fantastic to Dale and seemed to spark occasional flashes of memory.

Dale said, “I can remember tasting peaches a couple of times. We were too poor to afford them very often.”

Talako and Skeeter soon left to explore the valley. The three Cannon men spent the day talking and reminiscing. Occasionally, something seemed to click for Dale. His flashes of memory became clearer and occurred more frequently as the day wore on.

Late that afternoon, Dale asked, “Who’s the woman I’m seeing in my dreams?”

Clark responded, “I’m sure she’s our mother and your wife, Martha. We saw her last June for the first time in a long time. She lives in San Francisco.” He decided it was not the time to mention that she abandoned them for a gambler.

Skeeter and Talako returned at dusk. Talako cut up more venison and roasted it on the fire. Dale again ate ravenously. It was obvious that he had been near starvation. Talako slept near the cave opening again that night.

About midnight Dale sat up and screamed, “Who am I? Where are you?” He was dreaming again. Talako stirred the fire to get more light in the cave, and both Grant and Clark went to their dad’s side to comfort him.

Dale said, “Remembering more things is scary because I can’t remember anything clearly.”

As soon as breakfast was over, Skeeter and Talako rode out for more exploring. Before they left, Talako said, “Grant, y’all might want to start making jerky with the leftover venison. I’ll bring in fresh meat night.”

Grant cut the remaining venison in small strips for jerky while Clark built a small drying frame from green branches he gathered just outside the cave. Dale was amazed at how the boys made jerky. It was a skill that was among the many things he did not remember. The aroma of the smoking meat was fantastic.

Their conversations that day went well, with Dale remembering more and more things with greater clarity. The talk ranged from the boy’s early life to what they did after he left. Dale began to smile at some of the stories and said he had dreams that matched some of the stories. They were making progress.

Dale asked more questions about his early life, but the boys could not provide much information. He also asked many questions about Martha. It was becoming increasingly clear that he wanted to see her and talk with her. They were beginning to accept the idea that Martha would be needed to help bring Dale back from the foggy, murky world his mind had been in.

The next day they spent more time talking about Martha without saying she had left with a gambler. Dale did not think to ask why she was not with them. They had to get him back to Denver and let him spend time with Martha, regardless of their feelings toward her.