Traveller's Tales
         Ghost Riders of El Diablo - part of PD disk 743
                        Author: John Olsen

                   As told by Bev Truter on PC

Well, there I were, standing on my chuck-wagon with a noose around
my neck, and a bunch of funny-looking guys eyeballing me.
Suddenly they took off, but the horses hitched to my wagon were
mighty restive-like, so figured I'd better do something quick.
Nearly busted a gut trying to untie that darn rope, but finally I
were loose, and headed on South towards a Plateau.  Found the
strangest feller - seemed he were the ghost of an old Indian Chief
what had cursed the whole town of El Diablo seeing as the
townsfolk had done his tribe wrong way back a while ago; but he
reckoned he'd lift the curse if I brung him ten stuff made of
silver - seemed a queer sort of deal to me, but what with the
horses bolting with my wagon and all, seemed like I could take a
crack at doing what he wanted, leastaways I could mosey on down to
this here deserted town and take a sniff around.

Heading northwards I found meself in the Main Street of El Diablo,
outside the old stables.  Nothing much in there, the bottle I
found turned out to be horse liniment - near poisoned meself
taking a swig, thinking it to be whiskey. Something were mighty
peculiar about all that hay on the floor though, and when I dug in
it I found a real sissy little silver spur - wouldn't do a guy no
good, so maybe it were a lady's toy like. I headed back out, then
to the Sheriff's Office, though truth to tell these places always
make a feller kind of nervous-like. But it were all deserted, and
the only cell locked tight. By this time I was feeling a mite
hungry, and was glad to find a piece of cake after poking round
the desk awhiles. Cake were so old it were no use to man nor
beast, and broke apart in my hands. But then dang me if a blade
didn't fall out and damn near break my toes.  Could be that I
could use it later somewheres in this mighty strange town.

Wandered out to the Main Street again, and headed West into the
General Store.  Found me a can of kerosene in the stove, and a
hacksaw handle on the shelves - fashioned a mean-looking hacksaw
by putting the blade in the handle, then moseyed on out to find me
the Saloon. This were deserted-like too, but the old roulette
wheel brought back memories of my old gambling days, way back in
Dead Horse Gulch......so for old times' sake I gave the wheel a
push; well, some luck were with me still, because there were an
old silver dollar that come a-flying out that wheel and lay on the
floor.  I poked around the bar awhiles, and behind it, hoping for
to find something to drink, for medicinal purposes, mind you; and
to take the foul taste of the liniment from my poor old parched
mouth, but only a silver pocket watch were there on the shelf ...
no whiskey or such-like ... and the watch were broke, too. Still,
I reckoned that old Indian feller would maybe still count it as
silver, broke or not.

Next I climbed some stairs in the Saloon, and found meself outside
an Office with a padlocked door.  What straight away sprunged to
mind was not honest, nor legal neither, but the padlock was old,
and I had a mind to test the hacksaw on it, and no-one was around
for to see me neither. The hacksaw worked a treat, and soon it
were on the floor and I were in the Office, where I poked around
in the desk and found a silver watch fob.  Dang it all! Still no
liquid nourishment to be found to calm the nerves and settle my
poor old stomach. But these here townsfolk sure were careless-like
with their valuables afore they all disappeared - plenty of silver
stuff laying about for those what can use their eyes.....

All this silver was a mighty weight to tote around all the time,
so I headed South again to the Plateau and dropped it there, then
returned to Main Street and the old Newspaper Office.  Nothing
left here, but on the table I found a silver bullet - I don't hold
with this new-fangled fashion of silver-plating a bullet, no
Sirree, give me a no-nonsense REAL one any day, that can be used
in a gun, not this silly silver plaything.  The School house were
next, and it took me back to me own years at school, all four
years of schooling I done, and right proud too I am. I can't do
all them fancy speeches like the gentlemen, but I reckon I talk
English good as any man what were alive, I do.  Anyhows, turned
out the kids of these here missing townsfolk were mighty careless
with their stuff too - found a silver belt buckle in the desk.

Then I headed North out of town to Wagon Wheel Gap where I found
me an old rusted-up horseshoe, and me being mighty
superstitious-like, I decided to hang onto it awhiles. Due North
from here, in a rocky ravine, I found two arrowheads made of
flint, and also saw a snake, but it bothered me none and just as
well too, me having no gun with me at the time. Headed South again
into Main Street, and the place I were leaving till last, on
account of me being a mite nervous-like of such places, although I
am a God-fearing soul. But I don't hold with all this
Church-going, so I were uneasy in this here abandoned Church.
Turned out for the best though, because I found a silver crucifix
under some pews, and saw an old rope hanging down from the Church
bell, which I figured maybe to use later. Just as well I were in
the Church. It had been dark for some whiles, and were around
midnight when I heard the sound of them spooky critturs, the ghost
riders, them fellers what were trying to lynch me this morning.
They got nearer and nearer, and with me thinking my last hour had
come, in desperation I pulled the rope. The rope broke off and
fell on the floor, but afore that it runged the bell, which made
them fellers stop their horses and turn around and ride back to
them thar hills to the North.  There were a mighty storm after
that, and I had to wait in the Church till dawn. Mighty
uncomfortable it were too, sleeping on them hard old pews.

Well, them riders had disappeared, and another day were here, so I
got the rope and went Southwards, then West into Wild Horse
Canyon.  This must be what them educated folk call irony, or
sarcasm, I forget which, because not a horse were in sight,
neither wild nor tame neither, and I was sick of walking, what
with no food nor drink neither. Anyways....at last I came to a
deserted Shack, and while I was poking about the fireplace, I saw
a silver nugget wedged up the chimney. Real dumb place for some
poor sucker to leave his nugget, but finder's keeper's, I reckon;
and anyhow, it were all for that old Indian feller up on the
plateau anyways.  Didn't bother meself with getting the shotgun,
it looked to be well-nigh useless anyways, what with no bullets
and all, and the wrong calibre for the silver bullet.

Went South to a Silver Mine, where I found a lantern, filled it
with kerosene, then lit it. The mine shaft looked mighty dark and
dangerous, with only a broken ladder going down, but then I
spotted an iron spike stuck in the side, so tied the old rope to
the spike, and hoped it would hold my weight. It did, and at the
bottom was a keg of gunpowder, with simple instructions (just as
well) on the outside, regarding as to how to use it. But seeing as
how I had two flint arrowheads, I reckoned I could probably just
drop the keg, light it, and run like the blazes for cover; the
only thing was, what did I want to blow up? Grabbed the keg, and
hunted up and down Main Street until I chanced across the Bank,
with the Teller's window open, and a safe sitting there all locked
with them new combination locks, but that bothered me none at all,
because I had a fair good guess what the gunpowder was for ... and
I was right. After the dust had settled I found a huge bar of pure
silver where the safe were standing.

I had a mind to explore next up in them hills to the North, up
there in Boot Hill Cemetery where them funny-looking crosses on
the graves were. Well, there were a large skeleton key there, that
weren't there before the storm, so I reckon the flash flood
must've washed it out from somewheres in the Cemetery. I got the
key and headed back down to the Sheriff's Office with the locked
cell, as I reckoned a skeleton key would sure open anything, even
a jail cell. I searched that cell, and found a Sheriff's silver
star, that some low-down, no-good guy had probably stolen and
hidden under the cot. By now I figured I had ten things made of
silver, so went off to pay that Indian Chief another visit.  Sure
enough, he was there again - took all the silver and gave me a
piece of turquoise on a thong. Pretty little ornament it were, but
he told me to put it on the white men's graves up in the Cemetery,
and the curse would be lifted.

So off I went, back to Boot Hill, where I dropped the turquoise.
There were this clap of thunder and it looks like the curse on El
Diablo were lifted, with me regarded by the folk as some sort of
hero ... Aw, Shucks ...

                            End


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