Finding Those Not Lost

Reunion

     Richard pushed us doggedly.
He said that we should be able to reach the abandoned village and find shelter for the night in its place.  The tracks seemed to agree with Richards sense of direction. 
     "We will likely ride directly into our thieves if we keep upon this course."  I said conversationally.
     "She is right.  Is that a prudent plan?" Asked the Professor.
     "We will have the advantage of numbers on our side.  It will take time for the other two who tried to ambush us to rejoin their colleagues."  I answered.
     "I think we will eventually need to confront them.  It seems our goals are similar though not our approach.  Better sooner when they expect us delayed."  Said Preston.   Richard only nodded his head.  I got the impression it was not the first time he had to handle armed men.  I knew Preston was sturdy and clever.  I thought our chances were good.
     "I think we should ride in hard when the time comes.
Speed and a little surprise." Said Preston.
     "Like we did in the Sahara.
We were facing more then.  I am game."  I agreed.
     "I guess that is the plan.  Though you will have to let me know about this adventure in the Sahara."  Said the Professor.  He seemed less than enthusiastic about the plan, but didn't object.
      It wasn't much further before Richard pulled us together saying we were very close to the valley where the tribe once made their home.  I had my rifle out and ready as did Richard.
Preston cavalierly made sure we were ready before he hit his horse flanks driving his horse to speed as he entered the valley.
     I knew he was doing the most dangerous part of the plan.    It was the first rider that faced the initial reactions of those being attacked.   But I didn't think much on it at that moment. I gave Professor Martz a mischievous wink and followed Preston into the valley.  Their were two men in the valley.  One sat upon the ground against his saddle.  His head was down and looked like had been enjoying a afternoon siesta.  The other man was looking at hieroglyphics upon the edge of the valley.  Preston was nearly to the seated mans position before he raised his head in alarm.  He was going for his sidearm, but Preston already had his Colt revolver out and pointed in his direction.  I kept my rifle trained on him as I rode past and closed in on the second man.  The second man only turned.  He raised his arms in submission before I had even reached him.

     "I am unarmed." he said.  Richard disarmed the once sleeping man.  I kept my eyes on the man with his raised hands.  I dismounted and quickly searched him for any weapons as Preston came over, keeping his pistol trained on him.

"Sheldon." Said Preston.
"Preston, Professor Martz." Said the man studying the hieroglyphics upon the walls of the canyon.  He was a short young man with dark brown hair.  Yet he had poise and wisdom of the well educated.  But there was something else about him that made me feel odd.  He had that look of fervor you sometimes felt around religious leaders that hidden certainty.
     "I did not lie.  I am completely unarmed."  He reached into an inner pocket of his field shirt and pulled out Professor Martz stolen artifact.  He handed it back to the Professor without reluctance.  "Professor, Preston what do you make of these markings?"  Said Sheldon.
     Both men stopped and looked over the hieroglyphics as if they had not been pursuing the man for most of the day.  I looked over at Richard who had secured the second man in a shady spot.  He had tied his hands together securely.  He also secured him to a sturdy rock outcrop around his waist.  He also made sure he had a full canteen of water.  I nodded my head in thanks.  He pointed to the entrance and took up a position in which he would have a clear view of it.  As well as taking his rifle with him.  I nodded with understanding.  I would keep and eye on the prisoner and the thief while he watched the entrance for the pair I had surprised earlier.
   When I turned back to Preston and Professor they were in conversation with the man named Sheldon.  I listened from a distance.  It was Sheldon who was pointing out different symbols.
     "This is the story of when the tribe first met the moth men.  I am only using that term for simplicity."  He pointed to a section of the canyon where the images were the most faded.  Their age seemed ancient compared to the images closest to the three.  "It is difficult to determine when the tribe first met the Moth men, but it was obviously long ago in their history.  Long before English settlers crossed the Atlantic.  So even at its most simple explanation these are a spirt or God of these early people not an import of their inevitable oppressors."  Said Sheldon.
     "I agree with that conclusion.  Looking at the age of the hieroglyphics I would say they are clearly predated the settlers appearances.  But they didn't necessarily have God or Gods.
More of spiritually narratives." Said the Professor.
     "But it looks not as if they worshiped these Moth men, but we're rather servants or some sort of trading relationship." Said Preston.  The image he pointed to was one of the early images.  It showed what was clearly a moth man handing something to what was a clear likeness of several tribe member's.  The tribe members were also exchanging items with the moth man.  Though it was so faded as to be difficult to see what was being exchanged.  Their pose seemed not to be subservient.  Preston seemed to be right.  They seemed to be trading items not worshiping.
     "Agreed I think your assessment is correct."  Said the Professor.
     "If that is the case doesn't it seem to add to the premise that these moth men are some sort of physical beings rather than some image of Faith or Spirituality."  Said Sheldon.
     "What you are saying is groundless and a great leap with our present evidence."  Said the Professor.  Preston had dismounted and was closely examining the hieroglyphics.  He stopped at a particular picture for longer than the others.  It seemed to be a depiction of a symbol.  Sheldon watched Preston as he had investigated.
     "You recognize it don't you? I have to admit that I didn't recognize it at first.  I could not place it."  Said Sheldon.  Professor Martz moves his horse smoothly before the image.  So transfixed was he that his terrible riding seemed to have been forgotten.
     "That can't be."  Said the Professor.  I didn't know what was occurring.  But I could sense their obvious shock realization.
     "What is it?" I asked.  Curiosity  getting the best of me.
I looked for a long minute. Unable to recall the image.
     "That is a symbol found on a mountain in Rumford, Vermont.
There is a near by lake.
And talk of caves in the area.
This symbol predated the settlers and had been recorded in some of the folk lore books." Answered Sheldon.
     "It is a legend of the Abenaki Indians.  And a symbol that is associated with it.
It is their mountain and the underground spirits."  Said the Professor.
     "The Abenaki say that the spirits have abandoned them.  That some of their people have joined with the spirits leaving their people behind."
Answered Preston.  "There is no evidence to back this claim.  For their were no reliable census of its tribes.  Do understand if any had left for whatever reason.  This is all a folk tale told by the earliest settlers."
    "It looks like we have evidence that the same thing  maybe happening again." I said.