Trudy Skillman
Do you remember your dreams? Joshua Colton and Kitty Magee were dreaming the same dreams, but neither knew the other person. There was something drawing them together, something that would involve them in Sex, Murder and their future. At stake was the credibility of the Unca Indian Tribe, their heritage and the location of the lost Gold Mine. They had been searching for this mine for over 100 years. Kitty's and Joshua's past will intertwine, not only in today's world but the past. A Gold Band will be the key to their happiness and their world will come apart in the search for the deed to the property that will be the salvation of the Unca tribe. The people in the know from Lake Tahoe to the Hopi Tribe in Arizona will all be searching for and hoping to own the property in Yosemite. All searching for the same thing, a lost gold mine, a deed to the Indian property in Yosemite and the kind of gold that can be found only in "CASINO GOLD".
It was a time when things couldn’t have been going better. Cass Winthrop was the owner of a large Realty Firm in Southern California. Winthrop Realty had been listed as the number one firm in Southern California three years running, thanks to Cass and all the hard work he put into it.
I don’t know exactly why but Cass invited me to go along on a property sighting in Yosemite National Park. It sounded exciting and I was really up for a few days away from the rat race of Los Angeles.
We flew to Fresno, California where we rented a van and headed up Route 41 to Yosemite. It was about a three- hour drive as the road curved and wound its way up to 5000 feet. Ordinarily I’m a good rider, but that day I really felt the effect of the winding road.
We finally came to a halt at a little town called Gold Dust. I got out of the Van and breathed in the pure mountain air. I just couldn’t get enough. While Cass went in search of the local Realtor to get directions to the property we were to look at I decided to do some exploring of my own.
The first thing on my mind was a bathroom. I saw sitting on an old barrel a unique looking man. He had long black braided hair on which sat an old beat up black felt hat with three white and brown feathers sticking right up there as proud as can be on the back of the hat. He looked at me with a pair of dark piercing eyes. I timidly asked the way to the nearest rest room. He nodded his head and pointed to a small roadside café about 50 yards up the road. As I started to walk away he grunted “Woman must be careful”. I looked at him in disbelief and as I turned to leave he again said “Woman must be careful”.
Now I was not exactly thrilled to be talking to this weird, should I say relic, but why would anyone say something like that right out of the blue. He spoke again. “My name is Running Deer. I am the chief of the Unka Tribe. I know what you are here for. It will not happen. This land you are after is not for sale. I see only trouble for you and the one you are with”.
I have had a palm reading, tealeaves read and a Tarot Card reading but I believed in none of them. So here was a supposed Indian Chief telling me I was in danger. I said, “Thank you very much”. Now wasn’t that dumb. So I headed for the Café.
Having taken care of all my personal needs, I sat on one of the stools in the Café and ordered coffee. I knew Cass could find me but I was a bit concerned about the Indian. I guess the Café was the local hangout. I saw cowboy boots, denim shirts and heard country music on the juke- box, but no Indians. Then again, why should there be.
I wouldn’t exactly call it the old west, with the toothless cook sticking his head out of the kitchen, or the bleached blonde waitress taking the orders. But the smells coming out of the kitchen were pure heaven. I know I smelled fresh baked bread. As I sipped my coffee the words that the Indian spoke to me were going round in my head. I personally had nothing to do with Cass’s property deal. What was so special about this area?
Just then Cass walked through the door. I waved to him and he came over and said “Kitty let’s go. We have to go up a little higher in elevation, about another thousand feet.” With that information my stomach revolted.
“Maybe I’d better have something to eat. I’m feeling just a bit queasy”.
