“I know.” Martin nodded again. “I hit an owl before. I also hit a deer with my old truck. And I think I ran over a couple of rabbits on that dirt road off of Cottonwood.”
“That’s what I’m talking about. The owl, deer, and coyote are all important images to the Natives, and people don’t seem to care anymore if they die because people have to drive their cars.”
“Well it’s too late to stop that evil Henry Ford. That mastermind of varmint eradication,” Martin said.
“All I am saying is that this valley, those caves, those streams belong to all of these animals. We’re cutting their lives short by trespassing on their land. Imagine this valley 250 years ago. Before the buildings, the roads, the landfills, the smog.” Antonio paused staring straight ahead between the steering wheel and the visor as if he were looking into the past. “Beautiful!”
“Beautiful!” Martin said.
Near 7 P.M. the two men reached their destination. Two miles up a winding dirt road they found the ruins of a ranch that had burned down some fifty years ago. Antonio put the truck into park and turned off the engine. They jumped out of the truck. Antonio lifted the driver’s seat up toward the steering wheel to retrieve the digital camera as Martin reached for the notebook, pen, and his tuck-pointer. Once they gathered their gear, they proceeded to the block walls that were on either side of the driveway.
The shadows had begun their encroachment on the warm dirt road. The men turned west and agreed that there would be a very nice sunset on this warm May night. The sun would be down within forty minutes and they needed to take pictures. Antonio put the camera close to his face and shut his right eye. He was bent over at the hip, focusing on the grout joints of the block wall. He was getting a close up picture when Martin began to tap him on the right shoulder.
“Tony! Tony, look!” Martin whispered.
“I know, I know. That well over there by the tree is cool. I am going to take pictures of that next,” Antonio said.
“No. Look!” Martin said fervently.
Antonio stood, turned to face the same direction as Martin and saw four coyotes on a nearby hill. Three of the coyotes were very young. Antonio snapped off half a dozen pictures of the coyotes.
“I think that was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. I’m glad we have pictures to show people otherwise nobody would believe us,” Martin said.
Antonio laughed. “I think the sun and the coyotes live together. It seemed like the both went home right over that hill.”
“I think you owe me a hundred dollars.” Martin said.
“I think it’s time to go home.” Antonio responded.
The men returned the next day around 6 P.M. and spent nearly two hours watching for the wild animals on the hill again. They didn’t bother to photograph the masonry at the old ranch. They returned the following Saturday but still the coyotes stayed away. They did not go back to the old ranch again because they had nothing left to do.
As they drove away for the last time, Martin said, “Think we’ll ever see a pack like that again?”
Antonio shrugged and remained silent.
END
