Ch. 4 Gypsies and Skulkers and Bears, O My
'...We had a falling out, as lovers often will
And to think of how she left that night,
it still brings me a chill
And though our separation, it pierced me to the heart,
She still lives inside of me, we've never been apart.
...If you get close to her, kiss her once for me
I always have respected her,
for doin' what she did and gettin' free,
For whatever makes her happy,
I won't stand in her way,
The bitter taste still lingers on
From the night I tried to make her stay...
...Sundown, yellow moon, I replay the past
I know every scene by heart,
they all went by so fast
If she's passin' back this way,
I'm not that hard to find,
Tell her she can look me up
If she's got the time...'
Jack softly sang snatches of the old Bob Dylan tune,
'If You See Her, Say Hello' that he could recall as he strummed Jethro's mandolin on the porch. It seemed to
fit his current sentiments to a 'T'. He thought he could remember some mandolin tremelo in that song too...well, it
sure described his last meeting with Emmeline alright. He
stopped singing and strummed on into the dark. Well, well...his lil' ole Em, a bandita in her own right. He shook his head. Yeah, he had to admit, there was alot he didn't know about her. He cringed inwardly to think how he had underestimated her. He'd only been protective, he felt at the time. Maybe he should give her more credit, and he would, next time...'Gods willing and the creek don't rise,'
he said to himself, as he finally decided to pack it in and
head on to bed.
He stopped then. Thought he could hear hoofbeats running up the road to Homer's. Well past midnight, who could it be... Jack wondered, as he lay the mandolin carefully upon the seat and strode forth toward the sound.
Sure enough, a horse and rider galloped up as the hounds roused themselves to give voice and announce a caller. Jack didn't recognize either horse or rider, though perhaps he looked vaguely familiar, couldn't recall  from where, though.
'Hel-lo the house!' called the rider, leaping off and running up to the porch. Jack and hounds met him then, Jack could hear stirring inside and saw a lantern light the windows.
'Jethro and Homer are inside, they'll be out shortly...'Jack began.
'You're Jack Van Horn, aren't you?' the rider demanded, 'It's you I've come to see.'
Jack was surprised. 'What's on your mind?'
'It's your pal, the Doc. Aleister Parsons. He'd a run-in with a bear back at your place!'
'He WHAT!?' Jack demanded in turn.'What happened, is he..'
'He's okay.'the rider tied his mount. 'I've just come from Woody's. He's there now, and wanted to warn you...'
Homer and Jethro appeared on the porch then, lantern in hand. 'What's goin' on, Tom?' Homer asked bleary-eyed with sleep.
'Damn!'Jack spun around addressing the boys,'Aleister found your bear! In his back yard, I guess...'
Tom nodded. 'That's about it! He took his cat and his horse and lit out for Woody's. Guess his lil ole cat had cornered that bear!'
'Lord and Lady...'Jack looked down, he couldn't believe it.
'But...everyone's ok? You're sure?'
'Yeah, yeah. They're there at Woody's now. 'Course we can't do much about it til daybreak. Everyone'll be after that bear then...'Tom looked at the men.
'Thanks, Tom.' Homer rubbed his chin, 'Yeah, that'll just scare him back in the woods. If we want to be sure to get him, we'd better do it before the whole shootin' match gets lit in town. How many folks know about this?'
'Just the employees. You know, the other bouncers and barkeeps and Sugar a-course. And Woody.'Tom assured them.
'Doc kept quiet til closing.'
'Good.'Jethro nodded. 'Still, word's gonna travel like wildfire. Well, thanks Tom. Go on home and get some shut-eye.' He regarded Jack and Homer. 'We best do the same. Get afew hours sleep then take the hounds and track him from
Jack's place.'
Tom nodded.'I could meet y'all back here at dawn...'
'Naw, that's fine, we best keep the huntin' party to a minimum if we want to catch him this time.'

'I'm outa here then,' and Tom leapt in the saddle and headed on down the road, hoofbeats echoing in the night.
'Okay, back to bed, boys,'Homer scratched his head,'We have a bear to catch in afew hours...'
The men went in then and the dogs settled back down in the yard. Jack handed Jethro the mandolin and headed off to his bed for the remainder of the wee hours. Damn what a fool I've been, he couldn't help but think. Here I've been so bloody concerned with feeling sorry for myself and leaving Al and the place alone, not even Yeats about...leaving it up to little Alice to face down a damn bear! Jack felt about 2 inches high then.
Time to wake up and smell the BEAR, Jack, he told himself as he drifted off.
                            . . . . .
'Ho-la, the casa!' Emmeline called as she stuck her head into Esperanza's, having returned from lunch with Carlos and her mandolin lesson.
'I'm in back, Em!' Esperanza called. Em rounded the side of the adobe house to find her other mentor spreading out new wool in the sun, smelling of lanolin. 'Have a seat. You can help me clean the wool. Nice, eh?'
'Very.'Em sat and began to pick the stay bits of grass and twigs from the puffy woolen bits. 'How is Elena?'
'Busy, as always. And, we have some sheep milk and cheese now. Not that you'd be interested...'Esperanza teased. She knew Em had a thing for sheep and goat cheese.
Em smiled.'Maybe, a little.'
'Oh! And, guess what? Soon we will have visitors! Elena spotted a caravan headed this way while she was out with her flock. A gypsy caravan.' Esperanza emphasized.
'Truly? Real gypsies? We would see them up in California, selling wooden furniture occasionally. Not often though.'
'These are different. They're a theatre group. A real treat.
Puppet shows, magic acts, fortune-telling.' Esperanza shook out her wool. '...Love potions...'
Em snorted in derision. 'Hmph.Well, I do like a good play and I adore magic tricks!' She sighed. 'I tried to learn some myself...ayyy...but it takes alot of practice time! That's something I've rarely had...'
'Well, maybe some magic will rub off on you here, eh?'Esperanza winked. 'They'll probably camp in the valley by tonight. We'll go meet them there in a day or two. You up for it?'
'Yah, sure!' Em was picking pensively at her wool, and pondering. 'Esperanza...I thought I saw someone skulking about up on the ridge earlier today. Do you think it could have been one of the gypsy band here already? A scout perhaps?'
The older woman regarded her. 'Skulking, eh? Hm. No, I don't think so, Elena was out in her far pasture, some distance from here when she spotted them, and they were still leagues away.  I doubt anyone would be here...lurking.' She thought a moment. 'I will keep and eye out and perhaps take los lobos with me up to the ridge later.You stay here.
I'll be fine with my wolves and we can go quietly on our own.'
'Take care, amiga. I had an odd feeling when I saw him, whoever it was...he acted as though he'd been watching me, but did not want to be spotted himself.'
'Los lobos will be all the protection I need. I have my own defenses here. Intruders are few. How he came to be here at all, well, that's something I'd like to know. Don't worry we shall unravel this mystery...'Esperanza assured Em as she attacked a fresh pile of wool, and began to unravel.
'Oy...'Em let the pun go by without pun-ishment, regarded the sky and saw the sun was edging abit closer to the hilltops. Some hours still until it set. She held up a batch of the wool and pulled it across her eyes, and leaning toward Esperanza, said: 'Don't let this happen...to you!' And cackled.
The older woman grabbed the wool and pulled it down, staring into Em's eyes. 'No one will be pulling the wool over our eyes, you young ewe, you! Aye-ee...why don't you go inside and start cutting vegetables for tonight's cookpot? We're having mutton stew.'
'I guessed correctly.' Em smiled and did as she was told. She loved her unencumbered life in the Enchanted Village as she'd come to call it.She hoped nothing would threaten her new-found peace here.Perhaps by tonight the mystery of the lurking skulker would be solved.

                               . . . . .
Morning already, thought Jack upon waking. He sat up, alarmed to see the sun streaming in the window. Damn! Didn't the men wake him? He sprang out of bed to see what was up.
Throwing his pants on, he pulled his braces over his bare shoulders as he called out 'Homer? Jethro?' and went into the kitchen, still faintly redolent of breakfast smells. On the big round oaken table he saw a note:
'Jack,
Gone bear hunting. Back later. Feed the horses. Have some breakfast. If you leave you know how to lock everything up.
Jethro and Homer'
Well,pizzle, thought Jack. He sighed. Okay, if that's how they want to play it. Guess they know best on a bear hunt
Jack got some more coffee going and cracked a couple of eggs, which he scrambled up with tortillas and homemade salsa as he munched on an apple. Had to admit, he did have an appetite. He stroked his furry chin. Yea, maybe I'll shave this bush off. Getting too warm for summer, here any day now...
Later, he took hay out to the pasture as the big drays and Trotsky neighed lustily his way and let him know they'd been waiting. Should he keep an eye on things here til the boys returned? No dogs here now except for old Bizness who was as Homer said, 'retired'. Still could put up a hound-holler though. Hm. Everyone would be combing the woods around his place back at Crowley House.
As much as he needed to see Aleister, he figured he best stay put and keep watch here til they all returned.
Which wouldn't be easy. Patience was not Jack's best virtue.
Especially when he felt he owed amends to Al big time now.
He felt he was being left behind like a kid who'd made a big mess the adults had to go clean up while he was banished to sit in the corner to ponder his sins.
He was sick of pondering. Didn't much like what he'd found.
Well, cowboy up, Jack, he told himself. Least he could do now is act like he'd learned something from it all.
And go shave the foliage from his face.He headed back into the house, yanking at his beard.
                           . . . . .
On a bright sunny morning Emmeline found herself driving the goat-cart with Esperanza, pulled by two sturdy goats as her mentor tried to teach her the fine art of goat driving. Keeping the goats on the road and out of anything edible, (to goats: about everything), was the main challenge.
They were trained to cart, however, and only testing who they knew was a novice at the lines. 'Don't let them get away with it!'Esperanza demanded. 'Be firm. Let them know you mean business!'
They were headed down to the valley with goods to trade at market and to see the gypsy camp. Em was excited. She felt nearly her old self again although she noted she lacked a certain energy reserve she once had. She had to take things easier now. 'Go only as fast as your slowest part can move,'Esperanza told her. Good advice.
Her older friend had returned with los lobos two nights before with nothing to report regarding Em's Mysterious Stranger. Em felt a dogged apprehension at the back of her mind, but overall, she welcomed the chance for a change of scene. She hadn't seen much of the area outside of The Pale as Esperanza and Carlos referred to the Enchanted Village and environs.
'Carlos will be down later,'Esperanza said,'He makes instruments for this particular gypsy band. They meet once or twice a year and trade.'

Over hill and dale they traveled, hoping to reach their destination before noon and beat the heat of the road.Although the Village was itself in a valley, they were still situated in the mountains. It was late morning when they topped the crest of the last ridge and could view the long valley where the town sat alongside the big river which wound along the valley floor. Following the river on the far outskirts of town, Emmeline could discern smoke from the campsites.
'There,' said Esperanza, pointing in their direction, 'That's where the gypsies always camp. And that is where they will hold their festivities later tonight.'
'Ah! And, can we stay to attend?' Em asked hopefully.
'Of course!' Esperanza smiled, 'We came here for that purpose, as well as taking care of town business. But, business first, then we shall see the gypsies.'
Em couldn't wait.
                         . . . . .
Meanwhile...a lone rider on a dark horse watched from behind the trees above upon the high ridge as the goat-cart carrying the two women headed down the meandering road to town. Making sure they had rounded the corner and were well out of sight, he nudged his mount forward.
And followed behind.
                           . . . .