The River of Bones--An Archie Hunter Adventure

by E C Hunter

  “It all sounds so real.”

  “It is.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “No, really. It’s our place in Spain, well, it’s actually owned by some aunts, I have loads of them, but we use it. It’s down in Andalucía, high in the mountains. We’re usually there about this time of year. It’s where dad goes to write. Home is peaceful but the midgies in the summer are unbelievable. They make life a misery sometimes so we tend to be in Spain for the early part of the summer at least. It’s quite high up so it’s not too hot, you can ride quads, er, four wheelers, for miles. The wildlife is amazing, we’ve got deer and Imperial eagles, wild boar and ibex. You’d love it.

  “I think I already do.” Said Milly quietly. “Sounds like heaven.”

  “Can you speak any Spanish?” Archie asked her.

  “No, we do French at school, can you?”

  “Si, es uno de mis mejores sujetos en la escuela. Estoy bastante fluido.

  “Show off. Bien sûr, vivre ici, je suis bilingue. Agus tá mé beagán de Gaelach freisin.”

  “No way!” Said Archie, “they teach you Gaelic too? I had no idea, we did a bit at primary school but I’ve kind of given it up now…mind you, all our road signs are in Gaelic as well as English.”

  “We’ve got a really strong Gaelic culture here, it’s because of all the immigrants, you know, after the clearances.” Archie nodded. He had learned all about the clearances in primary school too. This sorry episode in history had left a lasting impression on him. Tens of thousands of people had been cleared off their tenanted land by the landowners. It seemed that sheep were more profitable. Archie had always been glad that none of his ancestors had been involved.

  “Anyway, I’m hungry, have we got anything left?” He asked.

  “Not much, just a couple of chocolate bars and some peanuts. Might be something in the kitchen, you never know. Let’s check.” They went back through to the other room and opened the doors of the ancient cabinet. Sure enough, a row of cans greeted them. They were ancient, with mildewed labels and rusted lids.

  “Jackpot” said Archie, “let’s have a look what we’ve got. Beans, beans with sausages, potatoes, corn, don’t know, beans, something, beans. Fab, let’s find a can opener and make a pot mess.”

  “A what? Sounds utterly vile. Your eating habits young man, I don’t know.” Milly shook her head in mock. “Besides, what about the dates? They’re almost certainly out of date.”

  “Pah! dates, if the cans aren’t inflating they’ll be fine.” Archie sounded confident and dug around in the draw for a can opener. With a look of triumph he held it aloft and grabbed the first can. As predicted, the contents of the first can were fine. “Now we need a pot – for the mess. We just chuck it all in, heat it up and tuck in. Easy peasey, well, easy beanzy anyway.” Milly rooted in the bottom of the cabinet and came up with a an old aluminium pan. She gave the inside a blow and a small cloud of dust took to the air.

  “It could do with a rinse” she said.

  “Ach, it’ll be fine, just blow the dust out.” Milly gave it a quick wipe round with her hand and another blow. With a slight look of distaste she handed it over. Archie poured in a can of bean, another of beans and sausages and a third of potatoes. “Right, let’s give that old stove a try. I guess we should have done that first really.” The door opened with a creak and a shower of rust but to their delight a fire had been laid by the previous occupant.

  “As it should be” explained Milly, “it’s kind of an unwritten law that you leave a fire ready to go in these places and a match laying on top of the box and set on top of the stove. If you come in and you’re shivering so much that you can’t open the matches it helps a lot. The snow here can get up to the roof some years.” Archie struck the match and the bone dry fire crackled into instant life. They fed it for a few minutes from the basket of dusty old logs alongside the stove. The stove didn’t take long to start pinking as it heated and expanded and within half an hour the pan of food was steaming gently. “Do you mind if we just let it boil for a minute or too.” Milly asked. “Just in case.” While it boiled they rooted around for candles and lit a couple in each room. It cheered things up enormously and they began to feel a little more normal.

  Archie could see the sense in that, the last thing he needed was another gastric incident. It wasn’t the discomfort so much as Milly’s helpless laughter that he dreaded. He had another root in the draw for spoons, found two, wiped them on his shirt and handed one to Milly. She wiped it on her shirt. Archie carried the pan back into the other room and sat down. Milly joined him and they dug in.

  It took Archie a few mouthfuls to realise that it had been days since he had any proper hot food. It was heavenly and he ate like a starving Labrador.

  “Hey, you, spoon boy, slow it down, I want some too.” Milly had never seen anyone eat at that speed.

  “Get in quick” said Archie, pausing briefly. “I’m not stopping again.”

  “Keep your extremities, pets and small children away from his mouth” said Milly “and be aware of flying silverware.” She took the odd spoonful, enough to stave off the hunger pangs but was content to let Archie take the lions share. She could see how hungry he was, that he was used to a very good and wholesome diet. Being short of food had been difficult for him, although he had not admitted it. Archie scraped the last of the sauce from the bottom of the pan and belched luxuriously. Milly gave him a reproachful look but didn’t comment. “I need to go and use the powder room” she said and stood to leave. As she did so a shape moved at the window. She stifled a squeal. A pair of eyes were staring in at them.

  Chapter 50

  The head in which the eyes were set bobbed down and vanished. Milly was left was an impression of heavy brows, deep brown eyes and shaggy hair. Lots of shaggy hair. She sagged with relief. It was Stinky. He seemed to an unerring ability to be not too far away. She peered out of the window, but he had melted in the night, obviously satisfied that his friends were safe.

  “I guess he followed our scent” said Archie, “either that or he was behind us all the way. I’ve been thinking about him. Got a theory, like to hear it?”

  “Go on, amaze me.”

  “On our first night in camp there was a huge amount of Sasquatch noise. They were shouting and screaming all night, it was terrifying. Now I think it through there were two sources of the noise and they got further and further apart. I think that what I was listening to was a family argument and young Stinky going off in a huff. It would explain why his mum was so pleased to see him.”

  “Sounds plausible to me.” Said Milly “It certainly explains why he was on his own and perhaps why he latched on to you. He was lonely and he could see you were on your own.” Said Milly.

  “The only thing it doesn’t explain is why he trashed our camp.”

  “I think it does.” Said Milly “He’s a teenager, he was flexing his muscles, he was angry and confused. He came across your camp; he didn’t understand it and took out his frustration on it. Then you showed up and he recognised you as a kindred spirit. It was probably a pheromone you gave off or something. We know they use scent to communicate, we’ve smelled it, so why would he not be able to pick up on your mood?”

  “Can’t argue with that.” Said Archie. “I only hope that at some time in the future he doesn’t latch on to someone who is not quite so understanding, it could get him into trouble.”

  “Mmm, not a good scenario.” Agreed Milly, “Let’s get some sleep, we’ve got a long way to go tomorrow.” They both picked a bed, avoiding the rubbish strewn one and within minutes were both dead to the world. Maybe it was Archie’s heightened senses from living in the bush, maybe it was something more indefinable in Milly’s make up but they both awoke suddenly an hour and a half later. Neither could put a finger on just what had woken them, there was no noise, no light. Nothing.

  “Archie, you awake?” Hissed Milly across the room.

  “Uh huh.” Came the reply, alert, listenin
g.

  “Get ready to run.” He didn’t k now why he’d said it, just some nameless dread. But Milly knew why. She had subconsciously smelled the problem as it drifted through the loose boards and ill-fitting window frames of the old cabin. A smell so terrifying and redolent of past fears that even now she just wanted to pull the mouldy blanket over head and hide. It was unmistakable. Her older brother’s cologne. It was sweet and cloying, there was nothing subtle about it. Wild Stallion, she remembered. She gave a shiver.

  “Archie, it’s my brother.” She whispered as she climbed out of the cot. “How the hell does he know where we are.”

  “Perhaps he doesn’t, perhaps he’s just out searching.” As he spoke a flashlight beam illuminated the grimy, algae encrusted window. “Under the bed, quick. Make sure you pull all the gear with you.” They both slid under the wooden cots, dragging their bags with them. The door into the kitchen splintered under a heavy boot, bright LED light spilled through the cabin casting eerie shapes through the cloud of wood dust. So this is it, thought Archie, trapped, no escape. Finally it’s over. All that was left to come was pain and humiliation, probably death. Voices came from the other room. “They’ve been here”. The sound of empty food cans being moved. Heavy footfalls moving around the room.

  Archie shifted slightly under the bed, easing his discomfort. Something was different here. The floorboards felt spongy under him. Suddenly he knew the way out.

  “Milly” he whispered. “The floor, it’s rotten, dig through and drop down”.

  Milly was one step ahead, she was already prising her way through the wood-worm ridden boards. It took only seconds to pry through the dust-dry boards and with almost simultaneously thumps they fell through and hit the ground under the slightly raised cabin. Archie recovered and reached up for his pack. Milly did like-wise and they crawled to the edge of the porch. Voices from above shouted. Feet thundered.

  “Run!” Yelled Milly. Sheer terror gave wings to their feet as they sprinted into the absolute darkness of the forest. A double shotgun blast sounded and heavy buckshot pellets tore at the undergrowth around them. They ran, colliding with branches, tearing flesh on thorns and brambles, stumbling on roots. All the time waiting for another blast, for the powerful beams of the torches and heavy tread of boots. But nothing came. There were no more shots, no beams or footfalls. When Milly and Archie finally stopped there was silence. It was total and absolute in the darkness. They held their breaths to listen and when they could finally trust that there were no followers heaved great lungsful of air. Leaning on each other for support, wheezing and shaking.

  “Where the hell are we?” asked Archie between laboured breaths. “I didn’t register which way we ran.”

  “Nor me, I just went. Man that was close.” She was about to add that she wondered what had stopped her brothers chasing them but suddenly didn’t like to think about it.

  Archie had been thinking the same thought. Whether they were dead or injured by Sasquatch had a lot of potential repercussions. He decided he didn’t want to think about it either.

  “We should try and make our way back to the cabin, see what’s going on. As long as we move in silently there’s no chance that they’ll see us.” Suggested Archie.

  “What if we get in close and they are waiting for us with big lights?”

  “Unlikely, why would they expect us to come back?” Said Archie. We didn’t leave anything behind so they’ll just expect us to vanish. They’ll try to second guess where we’ll come out." The words if they’re still alive almost slipped out.

  “OK, but what do we do if, y’know, if Stinky has been there.”

  “We’ll deal with it if that is the case.” Said Archie with more determination than he felt. He wasn’t very keen on any more bodies just at that moment. “Right, it’s decided, which way do we go?”

  “That way.” Milly pointed. Archie looked up at the sky and by using the Plough (Milly called it the Big Dipper) and Cassiopeia found the pole star and worked out that they needed to head North and just a touch East.

  “OK, if we walk heading just to the right of Polaris we’ll hit the track close to the cabin. Slow and quiet.”

  “Slow and quiet it is, Sir!” Said Milly with a note of facetiousness in her voice. They were both surprised by the distance they had run. Their exaggeratedly slow progress perhaps making it seem longer. At last a slight lightening of the darkness ahead indicated that they were nearing the track. They crouched and listened. Ears cocked and straining to pick up the slightest sound. There was nothing, the forest was absolutely silent. Deathly silent. After five minutes had passed they cautiously crept onto the track. Nothing. All the while they expected a sudden blast of light. Nothing. Slowly, they edged their way along towards the cabin, one either side of the track. Ready to slip into the trees. Ten paces, twenty. The eaves of the cabin began to show, sharp lines against the irregular shapes of nature.

  Another few paces closer to the cabin and a faint white smudge showed on the track. Followed by another. Archie was busy concentrating on the white smudge, trying to work out what it was when he tripped over something. He flicked on his head torch, he was face to face with one of the Brothers. Archie had tripped over his legs, invisible in the darkness. Instinctively recoiling he sat up and shone the torch over at the other white smudge, knowing already what he would see. The other brother.

  “Milly, stay there, don’t come any closer.” He didn’t know why he said it, it just seemed right.

  “Why? What is it?”

  “Er, It’s your brothers.” He put a finger on the closest ones neck. A pulse, strong and healthy. “This one’s alive, hold on, I’ll check the other.” He scuttled over to the other figure. The rattling, laboured breathing gave him the information he needed. “This one too. What do you want to do with them?” Milly picked her way over towards where Archie was shining his torch on one of her siblings.

  “Huh, Seamus. Not so tough now, eh?” She kicked him hard in the ribs. Archie couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

  “Shine your light on the other one”. He did as asked. “Patrick you bastard.” She kicked him in the ribs too, even harder. Archie didn’t know what to say so he kept quiet, not wanting to risk those riding boots himself. “Let’s get them tied up. Still got that cord?”

  “Yep, I’ll just find it.”

  “Then give me a hand to drag them off the track. We’ll tie them to trees, facing each other for maximum humiliation.”

  By the time they had secured the brothers to their trees dawn was beginning to show through the canopy and the first birds were starting to announce the new day. Milly had deliberately chosen two trees with particularly contorted bark, just to make sure they would be as uncomfortable as possible when they finally came round. Archie double checked the knots. Solid, no escape possible. Equally, he had made sure that circulation had been preserved.

  “OK, I think that’s it, let’s grab the rest of the cans and get out of here.” Said Archie.

  “No argument with that.” Milly agreed and wandered back to the cabin to collect the food. “Come on then” she called over her shoulder. “Let’s get on with it.” Archie took a last glance at the two snoring brothers and followed her. There wasn’t a huge amount of food left to take and by mutual agreement decided to leave the can of escargot. This left them precisely six cans of assorted produce. “We ought to leave a note, y’know, to say thanks you for the food.”

  “Mmm, what about apologising for the damage? I don’t think we want to announce that we were responsible.” Pointed out Archie.

  “Hardly our fault.”

  “Well, we did push in the door in and burrow through the floor.”

  “That wasn’t our fault, and anyway it was rotten.” Milly added.

  “Better just leave quietly and add it to the trail of destruction that’s following us around.” Archie managed a smile. “No one’s been here for years anyway. The owner probably died and his relatives aren’t interested. Come one,
let’s go.”

  Chapter 51

  They stopped for the lunch well before the sun had reached its zenith, both of them were ravenous. Perhaps eating well the night before had opened a doorway to their appetite. They warmed a can each over a small fire. Archie had beans with sausages, Milly opted for straight beans.

  “Don’t know how you can eat those things.” Said Milly eyeing one of the little frankfurters Archie was stuffing into his face. “Yum, MSM, nutritious and delicious.”

  “MSM?” Asked Archie.

  “Mechanically Separated Meat. Pink goo of animal origin more like. Although which animal is always debatable.”

  “Food.” Said Archie. “Don’t care, all goes the same way, pink goo or fillet steak. Love it all. You may have noticed, I’m not squeamish when it comes to food. Dead people I’m not so keen on.”

  “I had noticed your weird appetite now you come to mention it. I’m still worrying about chitterlings.” She gave a shudder. “If I do come visit with you promise me that they won’t be on the menu.”

  “I promise, we’ll have fresh salad from the garden and hot smoked salmon from the river. George, he’s our keeper, he smokes it himself. You won’t believe how great it is. It’s like river bacon and it’s good for you too. Home baked bread too.” A small flash of hope flared in him while he was talking, she had obviously considered coming to Strathnuin. That was a start.

  “What’s a keeper?” Milly asked.

  “Gamekeeper, you know?” Replied Archie.

  “Err, no.”

  “OK, I guess you don’t have them here. He’s like a combination of ranger, warden, wildlife manager and professional hunter. He looks after the deer and the grouse, the pheasants and partridges. He makes sure there are no poachers and that everything is up to scratch. Dad might own the estate on paper but the head keepers word is law.”