Part I: The Dawn of the Legend
Jimmy Loong
Feb 20th 2016
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The young lady was
transfixed by the movement of the paddles at the stern of the boat. She had
been from the coastal towns and it was her first trip inland. She stood far
from the splashing water although she had seen the high waves on the beaches
but there was nothing compared to the churning of the paddles. She was
mesmerized by the water being dragged out of the river and then it was thrown
to the rear. Her hands twitching from the long inactivity made her reached out
with both hands to rub it.
“Are you feeling fine?”
The younger lady reacted to the touch on her left shoulder. She looked to the
side and saw the older lady which was one head higher than her. The older lady
who was the mother dressed in the tight gown with the stitched bodice and the
wide skirting that was formed with the hoop inside. The younger lady turned to
her mother and hugged the older lady. When she was hugging the mother, she saw
the group of well-dressed men at the portside. There were six of them there
with the stove hats and tailored fitted suits. They were waiting for the
steamer to dock at the jetty.
It was not the men she was curious about but the
long crate that was guarded by the six men. It was a long rectangle wooden box
but there were special clasps on the sides to hold it the cover firm. There
were also the layers of tar coated on it. She knew of that when her father had
told her of it. He was curious too for on coasts the tar was used to coat the
ship hull. One of the men looked over at her. The expression on the face was
grim and the eyes were piercing into the young lady.
“Mother, can we leave
now?” The younger lady tugged at the lapels of the older lady to move away. The
duo then stepped away and proceeded to the cover of the upper hulls where the
cabins were located. When the duo stepped into the covered cabins area, a tall
figure stepped out. The figure was a man with a stove hat and tailored suit had
stepped aside for the two ladies. He did a curtsy bow towards them and then
proceeded to the group of man. One of the six men then nodded to the new
arrival. He motioned to the jetty where the steamer was docking.
“Is the wagon ready?”
The newly arrived man enquired. He had seen the wagon was there on the jetty as
per the instructions but he was keen to leave the jetty area. He saw the fishes
were surfacing on the river as if there were a mass poisoning or sacrifice. He
then placed his right hand on the wooden crate. It was secured but he could
feel the vibrations from inside. He then looked up at the dipping sun on the
river tree lines horizon. It was another hour to dusk and that reinforced his
confidence that he could handle the situation if needed.
The crate was soon
transferred to the wagon which took off with an escort of the six stove pipe
men. Their destination was the train station heading for the inner lands of
Arizona.
The Prince was at a new
home.
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