PEG BOY (10 page)

They had
reached the top of the hill and from there, observed the sloping hillside that
descend to the more populated settlements surrounding the Mission.

“It is it not more
beautiful from here, father? Look how far we can see.”

“It would be
son, if it were not for this,” Don Emilio indicated the surrounding hillside.
“If I had been the one to choose, I would have chosen this spot to build the
church instead of the one below.”

“I have been
up here several times.” Santiago said. “In the afternoon when you look to the
west above those hills you can see the clouds rolling down. And I have seen the
bay so filled with ships that it would seem there was no surface upon which to sail.

“Father, when
will we go for the gold in those hills?” Santiago pointed to the snow-capped
mountains on the Eastern horizon. “Are those the hills where the gold is
buried?”

“No, Santiago.
We are going beyond those. Padre Juan Carlos advised me to join a pack-train.
They can lead us. What do you think?”

Santiago was
not use to having his father ask for his opinion. He felt the answer to be an
important one requiring his serious consideration, so he remained silent for a
moment. A pack train would afford protection. In a large group others would be
there to help through mishaps. But Santiago was weary of the people he had seen
since his arrival. Few seemed trustworthy or friendly.

“Can we be
safe among these people, Father?”

“I think most
are as anxious about us as we are about them. Look closely, Santiago. You see
what appears to be anger, in their faces. But it is caution and mistrust. It is
not anger, but fear that they are feeling. Real fear can turn a man into an
animal. We must have faith in each other and in God. We must have faith that
there are also others who are good people?”

“Then we will
travel with the others?” Santiago asked, concerned. “Once we arrive at out
destination, can we separate and go off on our own?”

“Those were my
feelings, also. I wanted to be sure I had your agreement, for we are partners.”

They were
pleased with one another. A silence fell that told Santiago his father was in
thought, looking out to the bay.

“Son, there is
something we must talk about. What I am about to say is said to avoid
misunderstanding in the future. If anything should happen to me, you must
promise to return to the protection of Padre Juan Carlos. I have spoken to him
and arrangements have been made for you to be sent back to Lima and to the care
of your mother’s uncle.

“Although we
have never been close to that part of the family, I am sure they would not
refuse you. I have placed enough money with the priest for passage to be paid
and a small amount to be given you on departure.”

A chill ran up
Santiago’s back. The thought of being alone in this new land was more than he
could imagine. Not to have his father was unimaginable. His father was all that
remained of his family. The only other person he loved was Fidel. The palms of
hands tingled with sweat and his scrotum tightened from the sense of impending
doom.

“Father,
please do not talk like that. Nothing will happen to you. You are a strong man.
I will not lose you. It will
not
happen!”

Don Emilio saw
the intensity of Santiago’s refusal to believe that anything bad could happen
and he understood that he was frightening the boy.

“You are
right, Santiago. We will do well. I simply thought it necessary to tell you
that those arrangements have been made. Surely this is to ease your mind and
not to worry you.”

A commotion at
a campsite distracted them. Loud voices shouted in a language they could not
understand. Two men emerged from a large tent followed by a woman whose dress
had been torn so that her breasts were exposed. She seemed unconcerned about
her appearance. Screaming, she joined the men and tried to disarm one who was
brandishing a large pistol and waiving it wildly about. The man backed away
from her as he held the weapon while the other stalked him. The woman clung to
the sleeve of the approaching man, begging him to come away. With his free hand
he slapped her soundly in the face. She was thrown back and fell, still
screaming at the two of them. Two shots rang out and the man without a weapon
grabbed his stomach as he doubled over and fell. The woman screamed again when
slapped a second time. The blow cut her lip and blood ran from her mouth. The
man turned and aimed the gun at her. It fired and they saw her jerk backward as
a portion of her head was blown away. Don Emilio tried to look away but his
eyes, like his son’s, were transfixed on the scene.

F
orty
eight people with no experience in prospecting grouped together and with a collected
sum from each, they employed two men who had been to the mountains. Many
survival skills were necessary of which newcomers had no knowledge. Seasoned
men were often available for such service. Their fee paid their grubstake to
return to the placers without need of trying to earn it in this city and using
up time.

There was much
to know to be successful in the hills. Techniques and panning styles were as
varied as there were people who searched for the ore. Merchants advertised the
most effective sluice-boxes. One had to have knowledge of rock-types and rock
formations that could indicate the presence or proximity of gold. Knowing how a
river flowed – knowing its source and path could make the difference in many
weeks or months of wasted time. With each new thing they learned they
understood how little they had known and how unprepared they had been.

Every
prospector (a new term for many, and one not rightly earned until they had
actually prospected), outfitted himself with certain basic essentials. A tent
could be used for shelter, as a poncho during heavy rains, to haul materials,
or as a wrapping for supplies. There was need for shovels, picks, axes, wire,
rope, pots, nails, dynamite, and other things thought to be important depending
on the one giving the advice. Food staples of flour, bacon, coffee, dried meat,
beans, and salt were needed without question. Anything else could be obtained
from the land.

Those who
owned wagons charged a fee to transport those who did not. All baggage was
loaded the morning of departure. Padre Juan Carlos said mass and gave communion
in commemoration of the venture. Santiago and his father gave thanks and said
farewell to the priest. The Padre handed each a small hand-painted portrait of
St. Francis.

“May he keep
you safe and guide you, my sons. God’s speed and his grace be with you.”

“Thank you
Padre for your kindness and assistance. I think we would not be ready for this
departure without your help. Perhaps we will return with something that will
make us all thankful, eh?”

Don Emilio
felt a genuine affection for the priest. Padre Juan Carlos laid a hand on
Santiago’s shoulder and looked into his eyes.

“Be careful,
little one. Listen to what Mr. Martinez has to say. He is a good and
knowledgeable man, and has much to teach about how to come back from those
hills. Stay well.”

He blessed
them.

The party traveled
by barge across the bay to a landing point where, once again, they were deluged
with tradesmen and hawkers who sold everything
necessary
for the
exploration and panning of gold and so offered all manner of gadgets as well as
staples that might have been forgotten.

Hills in the
distance were covered with short grasses upon which cattle grazed. Santiago was
touched by the beauty and serenity of the surrounding countryside. From this
point the expedition was formerly organized.

On the twelfth
of March the Calis became part of the long line of wagons and mules that set
out in a south-easterly direction to follow the San Joaquin River, and to the
small settlement that would become Stockton. From there the caravan took a more
easterly route over the foothills, following the rivers and streams that made
for easy crossing of the gradually higher hills and mountains. Most of those in
the pack train seemed amiable, but disagreements and squabbles broke out daily.
None resulted in serious altercation.

The group was
made up mostly of men with a few women and four children. Two were identical
twin boys who were a constant source of aggravation to their father and all who
had to deal with them. The mother had decided to stay in San Francisco, having
found a man there who was willing to provide her with the comforts which she
would lack in the mountains. Once this was known, the boy’s behavior was
tolerated and deference was shown to the man who dragged himself on from day to
day. Another child, a girl of fifteen, had been forced to accompany her father
because her mother had died in childbirth. Rosa immediately fell in love with
the beautiful boy who seemed filled with mystery. She would repeat Santiago’s
name a hundred times each day and each time she said it, her attraction grew.
Santiago shied away from her in the first few days of the journey. As time
passed and he saw that it was unlikely he would become friendly with the boys,
as they were ugly and much too loud, he warmed to Rosa.

His interest
was of a friendly nature but hers, romantic. Rosa was not a stranger to men.
She had looked out for herself since her mother’s death and knew what men could
do for her in trade for what she could do for them. Rosa set her eyes on
Santiago and intended to have him. His gentleness, sensitivity, and good looks
were a magnet to her. His body, of which she had taken careful note, was like a
fine-tuned machine. Rosa had sat in rapture when she had accompanied Santiago
to collect fire-wood one afternoon. He had taken off his shirt while doing the
chopping and the sweat that collected on his chest and back had made him appear
sleek and sensual. Rosa had ached to pass her hand over his flesh.

“I trust you
left a girl behind that is now longing for you, Santiago. Did you have a
special girl..., or were all women special to you?”

The query
surprised him. Except for Señora Celeste, no other female had been so direct.
Santiago blushed. He had become aware of how she looked at him. It was the same
look he had seen men when they had desired him. He knew her friendliness was
intended to be more than friendship, and was unsure of his own feelings for
her. One night as he lay beside his father, he thought of Fidel and how they
had wrapped themselves around each other when they had made love. Then he found
he had replaced the image of Fidel with that of Rosa’s. It was her face he saw
before him as he masturbated. Although the surge and orgasm were not as
pleasurable, he did find that he could think of her in such a manner.

The party had
stopped by a creek to replenish water for the following day.  Santiago told Don
Emilio he wanted to bathe further up the creek. He was aware of Rosa’s close
proximity and he smiled when he saw her begin to follow. He let her track him
by walking slowly and skirted the stream, going in varied directions as he led
her through a maze of trails. He enjoyed the ruse and felt some justification
for what he planned to give her when he allowed her to catch up. Near a large
boulder by the stream’s bank Santiago undressed. Appearing unaware of her
presence, having seen a flash of color from her dress behind a clump of bushes,
he climbed the rock and stood to show himself entirely. With a graceful leap he
dove into the water. Breaking the surface, he screamed, stunned by the cold. Santiago
swam for the bank with break-neck speed. He saw her standing at the edge of the
water, petticoat in hand, waiting to dry him as he emerged. Santiago ran to her
without shame of his nakedness, letting her enfold him with the garment.

Rosa had never
seen a boy so beautiful. She was awestruck by his magnificence, having only
seen the flabbiness of age in her men. He glistened, the cold having tightened
the muscles so that his body looked like rippled mahogany. Her heart skipped at
the sight of what the boy carried between his legs. No man she had slept with
had been so well endowed. He did not need to tell her of his intention; for the
erect penis throbbed with the desire he had for her. She could see his erection
beneath the cloth as it made a tent of it. Santiago became self-conscious when
he saw Rosa staring at the spot. He was filled with curiosity of what was about
to happen. Would making love with her be as wonderful as it had been with
Captain Alvarez, Eglise, and with Fidel?

Rosa said
nothing. She removed her clothing and covered the ground with it. Each stood
naked against the other. The hot touch of skin sent sensations to the core of
their being. His arousal was made more intense by the look of her small and
delicate body and her tiny breasts, so fragile that they might be bruised if
held too tightly. Her waist was narrow and her lips were curved in a graceful
arc. He saw the soft bush of hair between her legs, it seemed so unimpressive!

There was no
question of what to do. He had learned all of it from his friends when they had
boasted of their sexual exploits. His concern was for the steps he would employ
to do these things. Where would he touch her first to arouse her? Should he put
his finger in her anus as he had done to Fidel? Would she light up at the
charge of it the way Fidel lit up and squirmed with pleasure and ecstasy?
Should he use his mouth to her parts the way he had done to others? Rosa
recognized his ambivalence and mistook it for innocence. Her experience would
guide him but she must do it so not to reveal too much of her expertise.

“You must
excuse my clumsiness, Rosa. I have heard many speak of it but the experience is
a new one for me.”

“Santiago, let
us not worry about how well or badly we perform. Let us simply enjoy. Truly,
you have a most beautiful body!”

“You are
beautiful, also, Rosa...”

“Come, lay
with me Santiago. I will try to make this first time one you will not soon
forget.”

He took her in
his arms and her softness so captivated him that he wondered if he could love
both men and women? How wonderful her curves..., how sweet she smelled! Her
lips met his and the kiss was the beginning of a union that lasted almost an
hour.

She took care
to bring him to the edge of orgasm several times by masturbating him. Rosa
wondered if she could accommodate him without pain as she had never been
entered by a penis of the size she held in her hand. It was massive and the
feeling of its hardness was almost more than she could bear to think. Rosa
wanted to take him quickly in her mouth, as she enjoyed this form of pleasure.
She knew he would enjoy it also, but was concerned that it would give too much
of herself away. She let her lips taste his nipples and stomach, moving herself
to kiss him all over. As she caressed his nipples, her other hand continued to
stroke his sex. Soon he was above her and worked himself between her legs. She
could feel the pressure of his hard flesh against the opening of her vagina and
closed her eyes as she concentrated on remaining relaxed enough, inviting his
entry.

He knew he
should be gentle with her. He knew he could hurt her if he tried entering her
too quickly or forcefully. She responded beautifully as her head fell back and
her legs encircled his waist. It took no more than a few strokes before he felt
the swelling in his groin and the exploding surge. As he shot his semen in her
he screamed with excitement. That scream was what she had been waiting to hear
and it was what made her orgasm occur so that each clung desperately to the
other as their bodies writhed in spasms. After some silence, she stirred.

“Oh Santiago,
I would give anything to have you do this to me every day. You are wonderful!”

Still deep
inside her, she clung to him not wanting to release the penis that had given
her such pleasure. Her control surprised the boy, as he had felt the workings
of her vagina on his sex and nothing he had experienced in the past compared to
it. Still engorged, a strange feeling overtook him once he had achieved
satisfaction.

Santiago felt
somehow different. He had a sense of pride at his ability of having performed
as well as he had heard his friends describe their own prowess. Yet an
underlying issue confused him. Did this mean he was not a
maricon
? Had
he misunderstood the powerful urges he had felt in his groin and only the
pleasure he had felt with his penis had prompted sex with the previous three
males? Yet had it not always been the backsides of boys that his eyes had
sought, and not those of women. Was not his past attractions proof of his
sexuality? His head reeled with confusion.

There was a
change in response between them after Santiago and Rosa made love. With Fidel,
the boy had gone about his business and had not treated Santiago differently.
Rosa attached herself to him with abandon. Everywhere he turned, she was there.
Don Emilio commented on how she seemed infatuated with his son and hoped the
attraction would become something more. He had wondered about his son and when
he saw Santiago taking interest in a girl, his anxiety eased. It was time that
Santiago knew the company of women, and he wondered if he should have
introduced the boy to the act, in San Francisco. Don Emilio began suspecting
Rosa and his son were having liaisons, and he tried to give them privacy
whenever possible.

Santiago made
love to her often. But the experience was never as wonderful as it had been the
first time, and became less so. Still, the boy did enjoy the way she made him
feel and he knew he wanted the sex. It was like an addiction. Whenever he could
get away by himself when they stopped on the trail, he would masturbate and
fantasize about Fidel. His urges were unquenchable!

After the
evening meal all gathered to watch the man who had been hired to lead them.
Señor Martinez demonstrated the proper way to pan for gold. He showed them how
to tie the knots that would be needed for various purposes and how to split
logs into planks that could be used for the construction of huts or sluices. He
discussed roots and other edible plants the forest offered for nutrition and medicinal
uses. They were shown how to make traps to catch beaver and rabbits, and snares
for deer. They saw how fire could be started without matches. He showed them
how to tan hides into leather which could be used as clothing, hinges, lashing,
lariats, and water-bottles. Martinez drew maps in the sand to show major rivers
and where the gold was being found. He talked about the importance of staking
claims to find what looked promising, and of how gold was weighed and assessed.