“This all sounds good to me but first we have to cross the border, do you realize how much more difficult that will be with me along? After all, I will be an illegal coming into your country. When you get there you have your freedom but for me there is only mystery.”
“Trust me,” Corey replied earnestly, “If we can get you there we will find a way of making you legal, besides my relatives there have political connections. We can and will help you. As you know by now, my relatives have a way of making things happen. They also have a way of making an injustice such as you have experienced become a justice.”
“I have to admit they have courage,’ says Manuel, “do you really think they can help me?”
With a stern look and firm voice Corey answered him with a single word, “Yes.”
The next day Corey and Manuel were each given two gallon jugs of water, a small sack of food and a crude map and in broken Spanish was instructed to begin their journey to America. They were introduced to a coyote, a person who would transport them to the border and show them a likely crossing spot.
Corey thought about the irony of having to sneak into his own country, like thousands of others who yearly make the perilous trip in search of a wage paying job but in Corey’s case it was a desperate escape to freedom. He couldn’t help but to think about the parallels to Robert McKnight who had escaped from Mexico during a different era.
Two days later Corey and Manuel walked into a service station in a tiny town that served local ranches on the American side, made a phone call, and several hours later were with June and Hidalgo heading north along the Journada de Muertes, on their way to Serpiente.
After several weeks of hard work the ranch work was done. Manuel insisted upon doing most of it. Then everyone started to think about the research project that had precipitated their actions during the last few months. They decided to wait on their river trip down the Canadian River. They would need to wait until the following spring anyway so there would be enough water to float the river.
That winter, Hidalgo and June both spent time in Mexico talking to government officials that refused to talk to them regarding Corey’s drug case. But pursuing kidnapped indigenous people was a different matter. It seemed an impossible task but the police were actually able to find the young family. A bribe was paid and within only a couple of days, they returned with a young boy and his mother with them. Manuel held them, hugging them over and over well into the night when they were presented to him.
A Return to the Canadian River
Manuel and his family had nothing to return to Mexico for. As soon as he had arrived, he started looking for ways he could be helpful, ways to survive. First after making a thorough survey of the vacant guest rooms then the working areas of the ranch such as the chicken pens and barn, he went to work rebuilding one of the better guest houses. He worked in the hope that someday he would have his family with him and very quickly he did. Manuel and his family were superb at taking care of the ranch at Serpiente, blending into the working fabric of the ranch. Everyone just thought of them as part of the extended family. Besides, it changed our relationship with the ranch. Much of taking care of a ranch is feeding animals and someone has to be there every day. This allowed all of us more time to pursue our professional activities. We suddenly had time to explore our interest whether solving historical mysteries or running rivers.
The adventures in Mexico had become a great diversion for everyone, but now it was time to get back to work. On a warm spring day with June and Ken acting as shuttle bunnies, we loaded our canoes into a trailer and headed to Maxwell Bridge for a launch on the Canadian River. Still mystified by the apparitions that had occurred on the San Juan River; we looked forward to exploring a completely new area and for the opportunity to contribute to creating a comparison of the river then and now which was all part of June’s research into New Mexico history.
It was a rugged and arduous river trip, after floating several miles, it was obvious that the further we traveled the bigger the canyon was becoming and so would the innate dangers such as ever increasing difficulty of rapids. We never knew what to expect around the next meander. Often we floated in absolute piece for a mile or two and then there would be a rock garden announcing the next long set of rapids. Then, in the back of everyone’s mind was Richard’s story of the waterfall to consider. It was on a left meander where the river has cut a path down through the canyon floor rock hiding the drop. Surely we hoped, a waterfall would be obvious. Anywhere there was a line across the water we went through the motions of scouting it out. It is slow moving, exploring a new river and it takes much time and effort.
While floating we would watch for natural sites where it was obvious there had been human habitation. If we came upon a likely place we would either scout it or if a long hike was required, we camped and explored. We were most interested in examining rock overhangs which were the most likely place to find evidence for of early peoples. We found some but little evidence, usually initials scraped into the rock sometimes next to much older petroglyphs. Cliff overhangs do provide shade and shelter even on the hottest or stormiest days along the canyon rims. They made perfect places for people to camp now just like they had though out the history of the canyon. Although they were far from the river and water, they made perfect observation points. A warrior could see you long before you ever saw him and were perfect hide outs or ambush places for the traveler who wandered down the canyon. Names were discovered carved into the rock ledges. However, it would prove impossible to trace the names to the historical characters they were looking for, namely the McKnight party.
There were several near mishaps that occurred on the river. I lost my canoe for a short while after a rock ledge caught me unprepared, however after floating on down the river I found it snagged by the limbs of small pine tree that leaned over into the water. A natural strainer, all the water has to somehow flow through the branches of the tree trapping everything such as my canoe. It would take an extra two hours of hard work before we could get it out.
Hidalgo made a spectacular scene when he pushed ahead of Corey and me in our canoes and managed to spill over a sudden waterfall. It undoubtedly was the same place that Richard had described earlier on his scouting trips, the troop seventy six swimming hole. He had paddled up to the edge paddling backwards furiously. Then he lined himself up and plunged, nose first over the precipice. He separated from the canoe on the way down and they both plunged under the water, canoe and river runner immediately popped back up, winding up on the sandbar formed where the pool overflowed.
Hidalgo was bothered by the incident. In his mind he was sure that this was the place Richard had described, but what if it wasn’t? What if that waterfall was still further down the river? After all, Richard only knew about this one tiny slice of the river. There could have been nothing but rocks for him to have landed on. He decided to make a personal commitment to take his time and scout a little better after that.
Once we entered the largest section of the canyon we did experience one incidence that, like the San Juan apparition, would haunt us. We had pulled off the river and made camp in a grove of ponderosa pines where there was plenty of firewood, a perfect campsite. We had learned long ago not to drink the river water without boiling it, an arduous and time consuming process but here, a tiny spring of fresh water trickled over the rocks flowing through the camp making it possible to replenish their depleted water supplies. After dinner that evening we decided to stay the next day and hike up to the canyon rims to see what they could find. As usual we found traces of Native American signs in the form of broken pottery, arrowhead shards and pictographs but no trace of anything they could connect too Robert McKnight nor his party.
The following evening, dead tired from the days hiking we settled down to a camp dinner of cottontails over rice and wild onion. Water cress from the tiny spring provided a much needed salad. While I wrote notes in my daily log and Corey took his turn at the dishes, Hidalgo noticed what appeared to be an
old man walking upriver along the rock ledges far above us. He knew that there was a primitive game trail there. They had not seen anyone in the canyon other than an occasional fisherman and that was only at the obvious egress points. Not being in any hurry, Hidalgo studied the man for a while. He was obviously old and stooped over with a walking stick and wearing a large black hat. In fact, he seemed to be entirely dressed in black. Curiosity finally got the best of Hidalgo and he began climbing the trail up through the rock talus piles until he could intercept the old man.
Reaching the trail the old man was walking on Hidalgo waited for a minute until he could catch his breath and waited for the old man to appear, but he didn’t. Getting impatient, Hidalgo finally walked around the rock where the man should appear but he wasn’t there. Instead Hidalgo watched as a large flock of ravens literally exploded from where the old man had been. Hidalgo was dumbfounded. As the birds flew around him he suddenly felt tired and faint and he decided to step off the path and sit down in the shade of a tree.
Hidalgo curled up and went to sleep waking up on what he thought was only a few minutes later. But when he returned to camp he discovered two extremely worried camp mates. Corey and I had been looking for him since he walked out of camp the night before evidentially walking right past the tree that Hidalgo was asleep under. None of us could explain the time displacement, where Hidalgo had really disappeared to or what had happened to the old man. We were getting a now, all too familiar feeling coming over us. How could they find us here?
An Early Exit
Above Sabinosa the river is gentle, flowing over a sandy streambed through a forest of cottonwoods. We rounded the last major section of the Canadian Canyon carefully picking our way through a rock garden. We tried to imagine what it must have been like for a troop of boy scouts who would find every opportunity to entertain themselves. Just above Sabinosa, we suddenly recognized a familiar truck with the boat trailer on a small beach on the river left. As we paddled up we saw June and Ken were there patiently waiting for them.
Hidalgo, who was always in the lead, yelled “What’s up”?
“We have problems, answered Ken who was angling in order to grab the front end of Hidalgos canoe. Let’s get everyone off the water and we will try to explain what’s going on.”
Hidalgo didn’t like the sound of the word ‘try.’ Corey and I finally drifted into view with the same looks of astonishment on our faces.
After beaching our canoes we all gathered around for an explanation. Aunt June took the lead in explaining what the problem was.
“Hidalgo, your parents made a trip all the way down to Serpiente to see you.
Looking like he had bitten into a lemon, Hidalgo asked, “Why didn’t they just call the Holliday’s in Albuquerque? Richard would have gotten word out to me.”
June assumed a worried look on her face. “You see, it is of a personal nature. Do you have a cousin who lives on the reservation, a sheepherder, by the name of Alan Begay who has a son with the same name?”
“Sure,” answered Hidalgo.
“He and three other Navajo youths were arrested this week for first degree murder. Your folks are hoping you can help them.” With that said, we immediately dropped our goal of floating down the river. We had decided to take out here anyway calling Ken and June to drive us down to Conchas Lake and completing the fifty mile section above Ute Lake but our plans had instantly changed. We unpacked and then repacked the gear into the back of the truck, then loaded our canoes onto a trailer. Then with Corey and me riding in the back of the truck on top of all the gear and under the camper shell, we headed home.
Readers Guide
1. In the preface, what did the author mean when he states, “This is a cautionary tale of evil in serpents and humans, exploring the premise that good and evil are subjective concepts?”
2. In the preface, why did the author include personal experiences while growing up in New Mexico?
3. In the preface, why does the author make the point concerning female attitudes toward science and math education? Why do you think young girls might be socially directed away from science and math?
4. On the greyhound bus, why did the author introduce an elderly lady dressed in funerary attire? Who do you think she was?
5. Why were the main characters revealed in Penny’s premonition?
6. Why had Penny done so poorly in school as a small child? If you were Penny’s teacher how would you have improved Penny’s early education?
7. In many American communities football scores are far more important than academic scores. Is this a true statement? Can you provide examples?
8. Why did the author develop the character of Turner as the antagonist who was the hired farm hand? Where did he acquire the attitude he displayed? Have you experienced young men with the same attitude?
9. Why did Aunt June suggest that Penny return the artifact she found?
10. What was it like to live as an ancient person in Aztlan? Do you think that modern people could exist if placed in the same situation?
11. There have been several theories expressed by archeologists about why the Ancestral Puebloans lived in cliff houses. What is the current, most accepted theory expressed by the author?
12. How did Penny arrive at using the scientific method in solving the problem with the serpents?
13. What is a phantasmagorical experience? Have you heard of others who have experienced such events?
14. Contrary to Penny’s earlier attitudes towards boys and marriage, why do you think Penny was so convinced that she must immediately marry Corey while in Tennessee? Why did her mother and Jeb encourage them to wait?
15. Why do you think that the author included Cherokee history in this story? How was Andrew Jackson depicted?
16. It is said that humans always covet what others have. Is this true now in the modern world? Are humans by nature invasive creatures? Are invasions still occurring around the world based upon this premise?
17. Why do you think the author made a point of defining what names of Native American tribes mean as explained in Hidalgo’s conversation with Penny’s grandmother?
18. Was William Owl an actual person or a shaman? Why do you think so?
19. While driving from Albuquerque to Espanola, why did Dr. Douglas request Hidalgo’s point of view in regards to the history of the Pueblo Revolt?
20. It is said that “One cannot judge a book by its cover.” Why did the historical detectives and Dr. Douglas think that they were being pursued by three Cholos? What do you think a Cholo is?
21. Why did Penny, Corey and Hidalgo talk about astronomical events so much while they were in White Rock Canyon?
22. Why did Hidalgo tease Penny about his meeting with a bilaganna?
23. What was the main reason the team did not particularly enjoy their trip down the Animas River before its confluence with the San Juan?
24. Why did the author describe the summer time camp site at Sand Island a circus?
25. What is the relationship between the apparition observed in the sky and the resulting tumult that occurred at Chinle Wash?
26. Why did the serpent appear as a chupacabra in a pictograph?
27. What is sphexishness, how is the concept used by detectives?
28. Were the serpents determined to bedevil the team as they floated down the San Juan River or were they just testing them?
29. Why did June decide to visit Zuni?
30. Why did locals not want to help outsiders such as Hidalgo or Don and Leslie Nelson to have access to the cave on the Sanchez farm?
31. Why was the Estancia banker so uncooperative with Hidalgo?
32. Why did Hidalgo become so involved when he realized fighting tournaments were being conducted in Albuquerque?
33. Why did the men hate going to the Black Tie affair at the University of New Mexico ballroom despite the fact that they were honored guest and receiving awards?
34. Upon June’s return to Zuni, why did she and Co
rey discover only ruins when they expected to find a living shaman and a small boy there?
35. Why did they decide to research Robert McKnight’s journey into New Mexico?
36. Why did June decide to take Penny and Corey with her on her field work in Chihuahua, Mexico?
37. Why are American drug users pursued and prosecuted so strongly in Mexico?
38. Why did the history detectives decide to run the Canadian River? Did they need to actually run the river in canoes in order to support their research?
39.Why was a correlation drawn between the experiences of Robert McKnight and Corey’s experiences in a Mexican jail? How does this story relate to modern problems on the border between Mexico and the United States?
The Family at Serpiente Page 57
