The Mermaid Daughters of the Mountain Lake Kingdom Page 3

  Slick told her that he and his friends would like to help her get home, but they were only poor goldminers, and they could not afford to leave the mine to take her home because he was afraid if they left the mine that outlaws would come and steal from it.

  Mamie thought for a moment then she told him, “My father has a great royal treasure full of gold and he would gladly give you some for your trouble for returning me back home.”

  He replied, “Treasure you say! Gold treasure?”

  “Yes! there is plenty, and he would be happy to give you some if you can just take me back home, please,” she said.

  Slick replied, “Okay, I guess we can spare the time and leave our goldmine for a little bit to help out a friend, if we’re able to get paid for our trouble. We can leave first thing in the morning and try and find that horseshoe-shaped lake.”

  She was thrilled that he had agreed to help take her back home and she immediately swam off to find a bed for the night, so she would be well rested and be ready to travel first thing in the morning! However, she was little worried that once she got home that her father would be mad at her for breaking the mermaid rules by swimming down the underground river and leaving the Mountain Lake Kingdom and her inheritance behind. She was also a little concerned that her father may not welcome her back home, or even worse, maybe he may not want her to come back home at all.

  Chapter 10

  As morning broke, the mighty majestic Eagle was still desperately searching for Mamie and had flown over many lakes throughout the mountain area searching for the lake with only one forest trail in and out. As he continued to search, he finally found it and he followed the forest trail to the lake. He spotted her on the rock bed asleep close to the shore. He immediately flew down next to Mamie, and he woke her up. She was so happy to see him! She asked if her father is upset with her for leaving and she asked if her father would ever take her back into his Kingdom after she had broken the mermaid rules. The Eagle explained to her that her father loved her very much and was very sad that she was missing and wanted her back home. He had sent him to find her and lead her back home and he was not mad at her at all. She was so happy hearing that she was still loved, wanted, and forgiven!

  Then she went on to tell the mighty Eagle that she had friends that were going to help get her home, if he would just lead the way. The mighty Eagle agreed because that was his orders from the King, but he warned her that the King told them they were not to have contact with the humans, and certainly not to talk with them about the Mountain Lake Kingdom. He told Mamie, he would take them into the Kingdom to the lake shaped like a horseshoe where they would be safe, but her and her friends would need to stay there until he got new instruction from the King. He also told her that it is very important that she not alert her new friends to his presence, and to make sure she carefully watched him as he led the way home, and she happily agreed.

  Marshall McCoy and Braveman, with his warriors, arrived at the one way in and one way out forest trail around daybreak. The scout that had followed the wagon wheel tracks told Braveman and Marshall McCoy they had arrived at the spot where he stopped tracking the wagon and he said that he went no further. He pointed to the location where he had seen the campfire smoke just over the ridge, but there was no smoke now and additional no new wagon wheel tracks that were exiting from the forest trail yet.

  After listening to what the scout had said, Marshall McCoy told his posse that they had arrived just in time, and this must be a travel day for the convicts leaving the lake on their way to their next heist. He thought the posse and their horses should hide behind the trees and wait for the convicts to pass by, and then they would surprise them and catch them off guard so they would not have time to do anything bad with the loaded wagon full of dynamite. Braveman agreed and instructed his warriors to hide behind the trees and to wait for him to give the whistle signal before they were to come out and help capture the convicts, and they all did as instructed and patiently waited for the right moment to make their move.

  Meanwhile, Slick and his gang had the horse-drawn wagon loaded up and they were on the move towards the forest trail exit. Mamie was in the back of the wagon riding next to Derby. She was lying down on top of the hay, and she had a blanket over her fin as not to be noticed by other humans. From where she was laying, she could clearly see the mighty Eagle up in the sky leading the way home. Slick’s gang had no idea that the Eagle was directing her, and the group had no idea of the posse hiding behind the trees just ahead. As they approached the narrow part of the trail where the posse was hiding, the Eagle let out a large screech in mid-flight, as if warning something was about to unfold.

  Marshall McCoy and Braveman were hiding close together behind the trees and heard the Eagle screech and could now see Slick and his gang approaching in the horse-drawn wagon. Marshall McCoy had his hand up ready to signal to Braveman to send the whistle signal to the warriors. As the wagon came closer, he could see Derby in the back of the wagon and he knew he had all three convicts together now and he was about to lower his hand to give the signal, when he suddenly noticed a fourth person in the wagon. However, much to his surprise the person was a woman riding in the back of the wagon and she was laying down partially covered with a blanket draped over her legs.

  He thought they must have captured the woman, and he became very concerned for her safety. He thought if he and the posse charged down right now and captured the convicts, the woman may be harmed. So, he called off the surprise arrest and waited for the horse-drawn wagon and the gang to pass-by and continue down the forest trail. Braveman, the warriors, and Marshall McCoy followed the wagon far enough behind as not to be seen, but close enough so if the men left the wagon, they could then rush in and rescue the woman from the convicts and after, make the arrests.

  Chapter 11

  After a long day of riding, Slick’s gang with Mamie still in the back and the mighty Eagle leading the way arrived at the lake that looked like a horseshoe. Marshall McCoy, Braveman, and the warriors took positions behind the gang up behind the tree line and just out of sight. They were still unnoticed by the gang, and they continued to wait for just the right moment to rush down and recuse the woman. The Eagle, seeing Mamie, was now in the Kingdom and was safe for the time being at the lake shaped like a horseshoe landed in a huge pine tree to keep an eye on her and her new so-called friends.

  Now that they had arrived at the lake shaped like a horseshoe, Slick and his gang were very anxious to get their hands on the gold and get out of there before sundown. That way the fierce wild animals and the half-man and half-fish creatures would not be alerted to their intentions. Then, Slick started to question Mamie about the location of the King’s Lake and where exactly the gold treasure was located in the lake, and he reminded her she had promised to give him some of the royal gold treasure because they brought her back home. She explained to Slick the King’s Lake was just through the forest and over the ridge. However, she told Slick she could not tell him the location of the royal gold treasure because that was a mermaid secret that she was forbidden to share This made Slick angry and he accused Mamie of breaking her promise, but Mamie had never promised Slick she would tell him the location of the royal gold treasure only that her father would give them some of the gold for returning her home to the Kingdom.

  Slick got angry with her and said, “Okay, if you won’t tell us then, we want all that royal gold tressure now, or we won’t take you back home to the King’s Lake at all. We will just keep you with us instead!”

  Mamie still refused to tell Slick, so, he ordered Jimbo, “Tie her up to this wagon, so she can’t escape!” Then Jimbo tied Mamie to the wagon bench as she screamed for help!

  Derby asked, “Slick, what are you doing? I don’t want to hurt nobody. Just let her go and will go find the gold without her help. We know where that secret lake is now, we don’t need her anyway.”

  Slick snapped back at Derby,
“Be quiet! We’re not hurting her anyway! We’re just making sure she can’t escape! I have a plan to ransom her for all that treasure! Derby light those torches we need to set some campfires around the wagon now to scare off any fierce wild animals. I want to find her father, so we can ransom her for all that treasure!”

  The mighty Eagle seeing Mamie was in trouble and those men were not her friends after all, immediately took flight to the King’s Lake to inform King George and to get help to free her and bring her home safely. Once the mighty Eagle reached the King and told him he had found his daughter and she was now at the lake shaped like a horseshoe, the King was extremely happy that Mamie had been found! Then the Eagle went on to tell the King about the three human men with her and that they had tied her up and that they wanted all the royal treasure. The King quickly summoned all the animals in the Kingdom to go help capture those three human men and help Mamie escape from them. He then asked the mighty Eagle to lead the land and air animals to her location, and they all did immediately what the King requested.

  Chapter 12

  Meanwhile, Marshall McCoy could hear Mamie screaming for help and he saw the torches being lit. He waited until the three men moved far enough away from the wagon and started lighting the campfires around the wagon.

  He turned to Braveman and said, “Now’s the time! let’s go rescue the woman!”

  Braveman asked his men to go put out the dangerous campfires that those convicts had started while they go rescue the woman. Then he and Marshall McCoy jumped on their horse and rode towards the wagon to save Mamie and the warriors rode down to put out the fires that were quickly becoming bigger and endangering the forest.

  Slick and his gang were just finishing lighting the campfires when he suddenly turned and noticed Marshall McCoy and the posse of men on horses heading right for him!

  He yelled to the gang, “He found us! Quick to the wagon! Let’s get out of here!” Then the trio started running to the wagon.

  When they reached the horse-drawn wagon Slick said, “Wait! Don’t get in!”

  He noticed the twelve warriors were not heading towards them but heading towards the now raging campfires to put them out instead.

  Then he said, “I have an idea! We need a distraction so we can get away!”

  So, he turned and lit the back end of the wagon on fire with his torch and yelled at the horses to giddy up! This scared the two horses who were pulling the wagon, and the horses reared up on their back legs and took off running, pulling the wagon with Mamie still in it!

  Then he said, “This way! They will go after the wagon and rescue the mermaid instead of chasing us!” Then the three convicts ran in a different direction away from the wagon and towards the King’s Lake.

  Marshall McCoy seeing that Slick had set the wagon on fire continued to ride after the now flaming fastmoving wagon with Braveman riding next to him on his horse as the two attempted to rescue Mamie, as she continued to scream for help. As they approached the wagon Marshall McCoy could see a large amount of dynamite the wagon was carrying that was still partially hiding under the hay. The fire at the back of the wagon was fast approaching the dynamite and he knew that as soon as it reached the dynamite in the wagon that all that was in it or around it would be blown to smithereens! He knew they needed to move fast, and he pointed out the impending danger to Braveman.

  The two heroes rode alongside the wagon at full speed with their trusted horses. Braveman and his horse, Bear, pulled very near to the wagon, then Braveman climbed on Bear’s back balancing carefully, and then jumped off Bears back and onto the flaming wagon.

  He went quickly over to Mamie and began to untie her, and he told her, “We are your true friends, and we are here to help you!”

  She nodded in agreement showing great thankfulness in her eyes that she was being rescued. He quickly finished untying her as Marshall McCoy on his horse Buddy rode very close to the wagon so when she was set free, she could then get on the back of his horse and escape the burning wagon.

  He told her, “Okay let’s get you out of here!”

  She replied, “I can’t stand up and walk like you.” Then she pulled the blanket back that had been covering her fin.

  Braveman jumped back in amazement and said “The legend is true! You’re a mermaid! Daughter of the Lake King of the Mountain Kingdom!”

  Marshall McCoy looked at her single fin in amazement as well, then suddenly notice that the wagon was quickly approaching a skinning ridge with a giant cliff on one side and “Lake Mamie” on the other and the ridge was not wide enough for both the wagon and Buddy and Bear to continue riding next to it.

  He shouted to Braveman, “You need to hurry!” as he pointed to the ridge.

  Braveman then quickly scooped up Mamie and placed her sideways on the back of Marshall McCoy’s horse Buddy. Once she was securely holding on to him, he and Buddy rode away from the wagon and started to slow down and to get safely away from the flaming wagon. Braveman then called his horse Bear to follow Marshall McCoy to safety, so Bear rode away from the flaming wagon as well.

  Braveman realizing his time was short before the wagon exploded and additionally the wagon had now reached the narrow ridge with the cliff on one side and the lake on the other knew he must free the horses pulling the wagon before the wagon exploded! He then swiftly jumped up to the front of the wagon and attempted to free the horse from the wagon, but he had no success releasing the metal bolt that secured the horse harness to the wagon. Then he quickly climbed under the harness hanging upside down, holding on with his legs and one hand as his other hand struggled to release the metal bolt. The fire was growing bigger, and the dynamite was about to explode! He knew he had just seconds before he and the wagon were blown to smithereens!

  With his last possible attempt, finally, he was able to release the bolt as the horses broke free from the burning wagon a went full speed ahead to gain distance from the now slowing wagon. Braveman quickly climbed back to the top of the wagon and onto the bench as Marshall McCoy and Mamie watched from a safe distance as the fire had now reached the dynamite. He dove off the top of the wagon and into “Lake Mamie” that was to his right and as soon as he hit the safety of the water the dynamite exploded into a huge fireball that could be seen from all areas of the Mountain Lake Kingdom and sending pieces of the wagon flying in all directions!

  The massive explosion made a huge hole in the ridge and breached “Lake Mamie.” It was all quiet at first, then water from the lake started to rush out through the massive hole on the ridge and then began running down the giant cliff. The rushing water started forming a breathtaking majestic waterfall that was spilling into another crystal-blue lake hundreds of feet below.

  Chapter 13

  Meanwhile, Braverman’s twelve warriors had successfully put out the raging campfires that Slick and his gang had started, and they were now gathering their horses to go join Marshall McCoy, Braveman, and Mamie at the newly formed beautiful waterfall. In the meantime, on the other side of the lake, Slick, Jimbo, and Derby were running for their lives trying to escape Marshall McCoy and his posse that they thought were chasing them. What they did not realize was that they were heading straight into very strong and fierce wild animals that were intent on rescuing Mamie and punishing the gang of convicts.

  The Eagle was the first to spot the unholy trio and screeched out what seemed to echo over the whole Kingdom, as the mighty Eagle circled over the panicked escaping convicts and alerting the animals in the Kingdom to their location. The animals in the Kingdom stalked the gang like an army of warriors forming a virtual wall of wildlife with land animals and wild birds from every corner of the Mountain Lake Kingdom. When this army of animals came over the ridge and could finally see Slick and his gang, the line of bears who were in the front let out a ground-shaking roar signaling the attack was on and stopping the gang in their tracks making their knees tremble in fear. The fastest of the la
nd animals, the wolves, coyotes, and foxes started running at the gang, followed by the ferocious badgers, bucks, and bears.

  Slick and his gang started running in the other direction now away from the ferocious charging mountain animal army but right back towards Marshall McCoy and his posse. The wild birds were the first to reach the gang and started their dive booming missions with precision by striking the convicts backsides with their sharp becks and causing the gang to jump in pain after every strike, causing the gang to run faster right down towards the awaiting posse.

  As Slick and his gang continued running down the ridge and now reached a clearing where Braveman, the warriors, Marshall McCoy, and Mamie all watched this amazing scene unfold in front of them as the wild birds continued their dive booming missions, and the land animals were chasing the gang down the ridge right towards them.

  Mamie said, “It’s my father’s animal kingdom! They’re here to help us and capture those bad men!”

  When Slick and his gang reached the posse, they dove at the feet of Buddy and Marshall McCoy and begged them for help.