The Duel
#5 of 1849
The "meeting" between Sheng Lee and his girlfriend, who had been in disgusie this whole time as a male this whole time had been productive for both parties involved but now the sun was rising over the mountains and the time had come for the two of them to leave the cabin, now wearing prospector's clothing. How could they have known the firestorm that awaited them the moment they left the cabin, with all the prospectors gathered around the entrance lying in ambush?
"We know who you are, so-called Rudy Pentesila. You might have fooled everyone else into thinking that you were a guy but I knew all along. And now we have the proof!" the voice of Richard Monachos, a vulture who as befitting his species, was none too pleasant to be
around or to look at. Also befitting his species, he had an uncanny knack for claiming what wasn't really his- Monachos seemed to have no idea where to find the nuggets and gold dust but he certainly knew the miners who had that sense and stole from them. More than half the disputes involved him but since he was so powerful, no one would stand up to him.
His upbringing in the South had taught him the ideologies that a woman had limited roles in the world- churning out babies and cooking meals by the hearth and that people not born in America were somehow inferior to those who were. He might have been a misogynistic, bigoted individual but to be fair, not many of the prospectors who went to California in 1849 were paragons of virtue either. He was the co-leader of the gold-mining operation second only to the bulldog Mr. Carrington and was highly critical of the mixed ethnicities of the other miners. The only reason he supported having a mixed-race defense force was that by having the foreigners on the outside of a probable Indian attack, they would be the first ones wiped out, allowing the American-born miners time to escape.
"You've been spending far too much with that Sheng Lee. I was starting to worry about you two and when I heard you two talking about children, I knew something was not right." the vulture said, his ugly countenance nboring a hole right through the couple.
"Well, Mr. Monachos, I guess you've discovered my secret. I have nothing left to hide," the miner said throwing tthat helmet down to reveal that "he" was indeed a "she". The other prospectors were amazed to see this- their mouths were as open as the caves they would explore for the gold. "My name is Clarice Vulpino and I am a California gold miner."
"Do you realize the amount of trouble you have brought upon yourself, young lady? Imitating a gold miner and fooling us with a charade this whole time, you confused transvestite woman," the vulture said, rage and anger now apparent in his every word.
"I have broken no laws in coming here and I saw you stealing from the other miners. I did not merely imitate a 49er, I am one. You on the other hand, steal from others and claim credit for other people's discoveries," Clarice responded.
"She is the most skilled miner in the camp and would willingly share her massive bounty with the miners who had come away from the gold field empty-handed, like me. Whether male or female, this one is a good person and skilled prospector- more skilled than you could ever hope to be," a coyote from the crowd responded. He was only stating the truth and soon he was joined by a chorus of miners who had positive experiences when "Rudy" would give them what they needed.
"So wise!"
"Knew the fields like the back of her paw."
"Very generous!"
"Shut up, all of you! She's female- she isn't allowed to be doing this- this work is too dangerous for her. She should be at home raising children, not panning for gold," the vulture responded. He reached for his six-shooter as did his accomplices. In response, others reached for their guns. The threat of a shootout was imminent as the blood in the mining camp had grown collectively hot and angry.
"As for Clarice Vulpino, she does not know when to keep her mouth shut- perhaps I can assist her in that regard," pointing his gun at the vixen.
David Carrington, the bulldog leader of the defense force and also the leader of the expedition, realized that this situation was getting out of hand. "You will do no such thing. If you shoot her, I will have you tried for murder in Sacramento and you will be hung. She has done nothing wrong but you sir, are an embarassment to gold miners and that is saying something." Soon, one of the vulture's accomplices had turned a gun on David Carrington- his death woudl have meant that Monachos and his evil group would assume complete control over the expedition, a prospect which would have meant that all the people who didn't meet his criteria would be forcibly removed or worse.
"Do you realize that I am helping California? If the people who settle in the state have no respect for rules, then there simply is no room for them in this state. People like Vulpino and her chink boyfriend can not be allowed to live here." With no hesitation, he fired the gun whose bullets hit Clarice and she collapsed, blood gushing out her right leg. Thankfully, his attempt at her heart was stopped by his poor shooting. Everyone stood aghast at what had just happened.
"But you see, my California will be filled with law-abiding citizens who are strong enough to resist indecency, whatever form it may take. And this is my dream- a place where the strongest and best can prosper"
"Your fantasy has no compassion for the weaker amongst us - it is the fever dream of a madman," David said, his finger pushing down the trigger. "You are nothing more than a coward making money off of the work of others- you are a lawless villain whose only concern is yourself and your well-being."
"A duel! That is how we shall decide this. If you lose, then your death means that I will run this camp. But if you win, then my friends will leave and never return for threat of death." David Carrington had no choice but to accept, a choice he would not do in any other situation. Murdering a claims-jumper or protecting his fellow miners from natives was one thing but now he was to murder or be murdered in cold blood by someone he once considered friend. Sheng Lee hid his girlfriend's eyes from what was about to take place, her own leg still bleeding, despite a hastily-placed tourniquet.
The two men took their ten extremely nervous steps back and then the two duelists faced each other. BANG! BANG! There were two explosions and the sound of a body htting the turf dead- much to Sheng Lee's relief it was Monachos' body. At his death, his friends fled the camp- or tried to anyway, many were either killed or imprisoned by the other miners. There was celebration and joy throughout the camp that evening but David could not enjoy it. A bulldog of high morals, he could not believe that he killed someone, no matter how villainous and so by the side of the cave that next morning, the vulture was laid to rest in a grave with a crucifix over it, a far greater honor than what the vulture deserved, for his villainous ways in life. The next few weeks passed without incident as "Rudy's" contract expired and she was ready to leave Coloma for the Bay.
"Thank you, Mr. Carrington- you have proven California has good people," Sheng Lee said.
"Is there anything at all I can arrange for you?"
A groan of pain from Clarice was all they needed to hear- her leg had a scar on it but was now usuable and she could walk, albeit with a limp.
"She will soon give brith and we will gladly give all of the gold we found for a ticket to ride back to San Fransisco."
"I will pay for your entire trip on one condition- see to it that each of your children learns of how their parents, and the miners of the Coloma camp were saved by me." That was a condition Sheng could agree with easily as the enamored couple, soon to be parents, were headed to begin a married life in San Fransisco, even if the rest of what would turn out to be a forward-thinking moderate state wasn't ready for mixed-race marriages- yet.