Torches In The Valley

  At the sound of footsteps approaching the wagon, all eyes turned to the door.  Anito entered, carrying a shawl worn by Manana only yesterday.  Approaching her husband, she handed him the item of clothing, her eyes betraying the calm she seemed to be showing on the outside.  Taking it, Habby placed his arms around her shoulders.  'We’ll find her,' he assured his wife.  'If we have to Search every rock, cave and even house in this valley, we will find her.'

  Tears had now appeared in Anito’s eyes.  'It is with God as well as us,' she replied.  As she said this, Lorrita walked up and gently took Anito’s hand. Leading her to the bed in the corner, she sat her down, placed a tea in her hand, and tried to comfort her.  There was no more that the women could do.  It was with the men now. 

  Outside, the noise indicated that the search parties were beginning to arrive.  Leaving the caravan, Habby looked around at the assembling volunteers.  Everybody had once more gathered by the fire, and as previously arranged, the volunteers divided into five parties of ten men.  Included in each group were two dogs, picked specifically for their hunting and tracking abilities.  Each search party had also been allocated a pack mule, on which were loaded the supplies of food, drink, blankets, and spare torches.  Nobody knew how long the search would take, but it was best to prepare for any eventuality.  For this reason, the majority of volunteers had come armed, each carrying their own preferred weapons.

  Habby’s attention turned to the dogs.  As if sensing the sombre mood of the occasion, the canines were unusually quit and subdued.  Approaching the handlers who held them securely with hemp rope, he offered a shawl previously worn by his missing daughter to one.

  Taking it reverently, the first handler held it to the nose of his dog who eagerly sniffed it.  Satisfied the dog had familiarised itself with the scent, he then passed it on to the next handler.  This procedure was repeated, until each dog had familiarised itself with the scent. 

   Taking the shawl back from the last handler, Habby packed it in the shoulder bag containing the hot jug of tea from Paco’s.  He moved away from the camp centre, towards a large barrel, placed near the exit corridor.  When he got there, he removed a large stave, around which strips of cloth had been tightly bound then dipped in a slow burning oil. 

Next to the barrel, a small clay bowl containing already ignited oil was burning.  Putting his torch in the bowl, it caught light immediately.  This ritual was carried out by every person actually participating in the search.

  Carrying his flaming brand, Habby took one more look at his fellow searchers.  'Let’s go,' he said.  One by one, each member of the party took a torch from the barrel and lit it.  Habby walked on ahead, out of the inner circle and through the corridor, stopping only when he reached outer ring.  There he removed the shawl once more, and for the second time offered it to the dogs.  Knowing what was expected from them, the dogs eagerly sniffed.

  Manana’s trail was not difficult for the dogs to find. Almost immediately upon leaving camp, the dogs managed to pick up her scent.  With excited yapping and barking, they strained at their ropes, trying to follow the now familiar odour.  It was not long before the men became as excited as the dogs. What was supposed to be five orderly parties of searchers, soon became one mass,  as all the groups intermingled in pursuit of the dogs.

  Torches held high, fifty men with grim and determined faces left the camp, and headed towards the Silbido pass.  Dogs barked and yelped.  Horses whinnied and donkey’s brayed.  The men themselves set up a call. The lost child’s name was shouted into the night, over and over. 

  From afar, a noisy torch lit procession could be seen moving along the valley floor.  Throughout the valley, people stirred.  Noises carry far at night.  Villagers and townsfolk looked from their houses and noticed the activity at the Gitano camp.  Naturally, they wondered at the meaning of it.  There would be time enough tomorrow to find out what the disturbance was about.  Satisfied that the disturbance did not involve them, they resumed their sleep.

  Anito watched the searchers leave the camp.  She was in no doubt that they would find her child.  What worried her, was why she was missing.  She prayed  the answer would be a simple one. 

  Other eyes also watched the torches flickering upon the valley floor.  The Great Eagles eyesight which, like many other raptors, is  so powerful that during daylight nothing can escape their vision.  But nature must have its balance, and at night the very reasons which makes their eyes so powerful, fails them terribly at night, their inability to differentiate colour diminishes and the eagle sees objects only in dark varying shades of gray.  Eagles do not fly, hunt or move in poor light, and their hearing, which is similar to humans offer, them no night time advantages.