Shaky Business

by Foster, Ron

  As Murdoch got to looking around and other people began arriving, his curiosity was rewarded with about every kind of homemade wooden scooter you could imagine. People had about robbed the wheels off most everything imaginable to create themselves a ride and although some were crude to the utmost in manufacture they served their purpose of makeshift speedy transportation...

  “Saul, them scooter things you all got built around here are a sight.” Murdoch commented.

  “Yeah they pretty much whatever folks or the kids could come up with. Still several bicycles around but thems’’' that got them ain’t selling.” Saul said.

  “Saul you ever get down to the Philippines when you were in the merchant marine?” Captain Murdoch asked.

  “No never got to Asia, been all over Africa though and a few ports in Europe. Why do you ask?” Saul said wondering what that had to do with anything.

  “Well me and Zack were talking the other day about some tribesman we seen there that had some interesting transportation also. He has got some pictures of them in his sea bag I brought. I will show them to you in a minute. See there are a people called the Ifugao who ride on homemade scooters made of intricately-carved wood. The wooden scooters were originally made in order to transport harvested crops and chopped firewood down the mountains more quickly, but since everyone has begun making their own scooters, the mayor decided to include a race in the activities during a Festival in 1979. It has been reported that some can reach speeds of up to 25-30 miles an hour with nothing but gravity propelling their scooters! That’s right: no gas, no electricity. Just old-fashioned gravity mixed with that trademark Filipino ingenuity to get the job done! Here check these out. You give them photos to whoever might be carving Zack’s headstone for some artful inspiration. You all can have whatever else he has got in his bag too if he don’t make it.” Murdoch said passing over some amazing pictures.

  “Well I’ll be damned! Too bad we don’t have no mountains to ride down off of or I would get Spivey to carve me one!” Saul said as he flipped through the photos.

  Photographer Richard Haw captured the moment when the unconventional 'motorcycle' gang pulled into the town of Batad in the Philippines.

  “Now they is some kind of wood carvers! That guy that made the cowboy has him some kind of imagination too! It’s amazing how we can look down on folks as being ignorant or primitive when in actuality when it comes to certain things they got more brains than both of us put together. I seen similar scooters in Africa, not them fancy rides like you showed me but still a get it down native solution to making what they need for transporting a load.

  “I remember this fella told me they were the Congolese response to the pickup truck. Called them a chukudu. That scooter has spread to other parts of Africa thanks to its simple, sturdy, and speedy usefulness.

  Sturdy and effective, if inelegant, the scooters pound rural roads covered with brittle rocks of solidified lava, left after a 2002 volcanic eruption. No one knows when chukudus were invented, but everyone there agrees they appeared after independence from Belgium in 1960. By then, bicycles and motorcycles had reached Congo, and chukudu makers tried to replicate them. Boys coast down hills on small units, while men push chukudus six feet long, bearing sacks of potatoes or cabbage or jugs of water—or all at once—from the foothills of the Virunga Mountains to Goma, the regional hub. Makers brag that the largest chukudus can carry up to 800 kilograms.

  Chukudus are a revered form of transportation in DRC, celebrated

  for their ability to move heavy loads with relative ease.

  The body is made from eucalyptus chopped in the village, the wheels sculpted from hard mumba wood from the nearby Virunga Forest. A plank connects the wheels, wrapped in old tires, and a shaft rises from the front wheel to the handlebars. Most chukudus have shocks made of springs or tire treads. Wooden wheels whirring on wooden axles once generated enough friction to start fires, so now wheels have ball bearings. Today’s chukudus varnished and driven hard, last two or three years.

  The value of a chukudu is speed, which leads to another challenge: stopping. Though some Congolese boys can stop chukudus the way American kids stop skateboards, most drivers need a rear brake—a piece of tire nailed to the footboard, curving above the rear wheel. Stopping a fully loaded chukudu this way requires serious force, but it’s safer than the hand brake. Pull that one too fast, and you might fly over the handlebars.

  The cost of a chukudu is high by local standards: a USD 100 chukudu needs USD 60 in parts. But the craftsman that build them say they weren’t born out of a hope of getting rich—just a little less poor.

  The scooters, they say, “help us make transport. We’re farmers. We’re digging. So we think, ‘How can we take some food from these hills to come to the market?’

  “Well I didn’t know about those Saul, thanks for sharing. Small world isn’t it when you get right down to it? Well let me go check on Ben getting patched up and the rest of my crew and I will be back in a bit. Thanks for all your help Saul, when things settle down a bit we should talk some more about ending this feud we seem to have with each other.” Murdoch said raising one eyebrow.

  “We can do that, just as long as you agree you the one that started most of it.” Saul said not willing to let bygones be bygones anytime soon.

  “Yeah Ok, well thanks again, I will be back in a few after I see about my boat.” Murdoch said and went back towards Miss Bell’s Place and the boat dock.

  3

  Catch As Catch Can

  “Saul, my man Barker says we either need to get underway or do something more permanent to stop a bullet leak or two in our hull. Which would you have us do?” Murdoch asked as Hobe and crew milled around contemplating what was their own personal best course of action.

  “I am studying on that. I don’t know if they got any attack boats in the bay or they all hiding up river. I would say they are most likley in both places if I am guessing their strategy correctly. They might attack something downstream and try to mop up anybody fleeing by boat out in the bay. I guess it just depends on how many boats they got and what they are up to and we don’t know that.” Saul said pondering.

  “ I got enough fuel left to get me home, I can out manuever any sailing boats out there that might be laying in wait. Hopefully nobody has any motor boats running or my goose would be cooked. I think I will try and make it back and warn a few folks, could be I could get the garrison at the naval base or something to get off their asses and help us put a end to the threat if they got any extra fuel for such a mission.” Murdoch declared.

  “ What are you going to do Captain Hobe? You are welcome to stay here, we can use the extra guns or maybe Murdoch wants some company and armed escort for part of the trip.” Saul said.

  “Well Saul seeing that you have been so good to us and all I think we will stick around a few days. Besides them gypsy boats or whatever they are pissed me off by interupting my dinner. I aint too keen about staying on my boat though if there is danger about though. We got tents if you show us where to setup at.” Hobe said pondering where would be a good place to campout at as well as be able to help guard the docks where they were moored.

  “ Well you can pretty much pick yourself any spot you want if you want to put up tents but my buddy Jeb has room if you want to stay under a solid roof. Wont cost you anything much except sharing your food with him and his wife Essie Mae. He had him 8 kids who have all moved off or died so there is plenty of space.” Saul said refering to his friend who had him a river house not far from where they were at.

  “Does he have a dock at his place?” Crick asked pondering where their boat was to be moored.

  “Well he has a piece of one you might say. Its in a sorry state of disrepair but you can fish off it if your careful. I would suggest you keep your boat here in safe harbor though. We will space all the boats out so fire isnt as big of hazard and man a couple of them on the perimeter for security purposes. Actualy you would be doing everyone a favor stayin
g down that way. We aint got enough good rifles to go around and you all would be right handy to guard that flank for us. Essie May is a good cook and Jeb keeps him a little garden that might still be producing a bit extra.’ Saul said clenching the deal.

  Hobe and crew voiced their agreement to stay over that way with Jeb and his wife but they also wanted to put a tent up so one of them could be sorta of on guard duty for their boat at all times. After getting their gear together and mooring their sailboat to a buoy in the cove they set out with Spoman to move into their new home for a few days.

  Saul decided he would wait where he was at for Otis to comeback with his scooter and maybe come see about them a little later. Randal had Hobe’s shotgun he had lent him for close work and a old wall hanger of a Mosin Nagant bolt action rifle he had aquired from David for doing a bunch of menial chores while at Trade Rendezvous. He didn’t have a scope for it but he didn’t need one. Those old iron sights on it were made for distance shooting and the powerful 7.62x54 round that came out the end of it was plenty powerful and accurate enough to do pretty much anything needed.

  The thing was really too damn long for boat use but he was going to be shooting at boats from shore and not from one so it was a perfect weapon.

  Miss Bell offered to make him a pallet with some old quilts on the floor of her restrauant if didn’t mind sleeping with the other 4 guards that would be staying in there but he declined and said he preffered the tent to putting up with the snores of her other guests.

  Miss Bell laughed and said he probably had lots of sense then and reminded him her kitchen was open anytime and no charge as long as he was around helping protect her stuff.

  “I assume your going to put the bayonet back on that relic.” Hobe said with a slight smile.

  “You know I am! Them things were sighted in with the bayonet attached. Russians were funny that way back then, standard operating procedure for their army was never to remove the bayonet. I will take it off so I don’t sink your sailboat when we leave.” Randal said with a grin back.

  “ You got enough ammo for that weapon?” Crick asked.

  “Yea he did me right on it, I got all the accesories but I still owe for a spam can of ammo to the company store though.” Randal reminded him.

  “If you use up any bullets I will replace them for you free of charge.” Crick offered.

  “I hope I don’t have to take you up on that offer but thanks.” Randal said before bidding them goodbye for now.

  After walking about a 1/8 of a mile they got off the old dirt road and started to approach Zeb’s house.

  “You sure they don’t mind us coming to stay for awhile?” Morgan asked eying the man who evidently was carrying a double bit axe to greet them.

  “ Oh he be fine with it. If he was mad about something he be toting that old double barrel shotgun of his. Offer him and his wife a chaw of that tobacco you traded Murdoch for and he will be your friend for life.” Spoman said refering the advice that Saul had given them that if they had any pipe or chewing tobacco and wanted a extra pleasant stay to give the couple a bit of it.

  Pleasntries and tobacco were exchanged and Hobie and crew moved in.

  “You all can sit up on the porch where its cool. I got me a little chore to finish before nightfall. I got me some kind of critter trying to get after my chickens I need to see about.” Jeb declared picking his axe back up.

  “He is making himself a animal snare trap!” Spoman said grinning because by the looks on the curious vistors faces they thought the old man might be going to dispatch something with that old rusty looking axe with a hand made handle he was toting.

  “Wouldn’t have a bit of string or wire about you would you? I don’t have any to spare and that green vine I am using is not the best thing in the world to guarantee any success. We will share the pot with whatever we catch.” Jeb said hopefully.

  “I got both, lets go have a look at what your building Jeb and I will give you some.” Crick said and followed the man around a small barn and chicken coop to where he was setting up to catch a racoon or possoum or something.

  The coastal hunters and foragers of the past relied upon their bush craft skills to self-produce the tools and equipment needed to survive using the natural and wild resources available to them.

  “I see why you wanted to borrow some twine or something.That vine don’t look like it would take a whole lot to break it if that sapling you got it atached to don’t snap whatever critter it is your afters neck when its triggered.” Crick said examining the primitive snare.

  “Don’t know what it is, havent seen no tracks . Might be anything from a fox to a weasel. I am going to bait it with an egg and see what we get or don’t get.” Jeb said resuming his construction of his critter getter.

  “It sure would help to know what it is we were are after.I hate that you are having to waste an egg but I think you got the right idea. I got some tarred nylon bankline here that will probably do the trick for that rig you got. If you don’t mind I will construct my own trap closer to the woodline and put some anise extract on it, if whatever it is after your eggs also has a sweet tooth then we might get lucky that way too.” Crick said before taking out his bowie knife and lopping himself off some trigger branches to go build his own survival style snare.

  They finished their tasks and stopped off at the barn to make sure it was secured.

  “I used to keep me a few goats and raise a hog every year but those times are past. I couldn’t afford one now even if I could find one for sale nowadays. How much does a pig go for where your from Crick?” Jeb asked as they went into the dim exterior of the little barn.

  “Well depending on the size of course it varies, there is so few of them to be had I really couldn’t tell you. Most of the deals I have heard of lately was because a farmer wanted to help another farmer out and they bartered. Not a whole lot of cash to be exchanged these days for most folks. Its pretty much whatever you had cash wise on hand the day that solar storm went off and what little bit of cash you might manage to pick up trading. People just exchange things cause it’s the right thing to do often times. Also the price depends on the community norms. Neighbors got to trade with neighbors so allowances and adjustments are made,probably it works the same way around here with no real set prices correct?” Crick said.

  “Yes I would say that was right. There is a lot of politics that go along wiith buying and selling livestock. It aint always the price or the availability of money that goes into it. Still and all though a young pig goes for around $50 here. (A pretty much astronomical princely sum to pay as far as he was concerned) Sometimes you can do better if you got something somebody wants but the problem is everyone rather have a pig than pretty much anything you got.” Jeb said checking the lids on his chicken feed barrels. He was blessed having a neighbor grow flint corn and he got a small share of the crop for shucking and cracking the corn to turn it into chicken feed or further process it into coarse ground corn meal. It was pretty much impossible to get out of finacial ruin these days and just something you had to figure out for yourself and take in stride.

  “What is this thing Jeb?” Crick said looking at a odd dusty and rusty contraption in the far corner of the barn.

  “That is some of the hardiest work I ever done. Growing up we were so poor we didn’t even know anybody that had their own boat. That my friend is a miserable old hand oyster rake. My daddy pulled that thing and so did I for many a season. See most people have only heard of four or five ways of going about getting shellfish.” Jeb explained.

  “Well there are more than that and one of them is playing fish mule dragging that thing around the bay by a rope.” Jeb said before explaining it further to Crick.

  Hand-raking

  This manual method of shellfish fishing can be described as being very labor intensive. Fishermen rake coastal waters using a dredge rake which is a kind of rake to which a net is secured. The quality of the catch is very high and the method can be called sustainable. Th
ere are many places in the world where this old technique is still applied.

  ‘Now Captain Murdoch used to do his oystering in deep water and not come around our part of the bay. But when gas got short all of the deep sea fisherman started fishing closer in to shore and that started the oyster wars among other things. See he had him this big honking boat that he rigged up and could get in three dips what took Saul and the other boats a 12 hour day to get.” Jeb said reminiscing.

  Hydraulic Dredge

  The hydraulic dredge or hydraulic trawl is a modern variant based on the technique of dredging. With the hydraulic dredge one mainly catches seafood from the bottom. The big difference from the ordinary trawl is that this brings the shellfish onboard directly from the seabed using suction. The advantage of this method is that the shellfish are less damaged and often still alive, allowing them to be traded.

  “We got us 5 tonger boats left of the 30 or so that used to hang around here left now. We got about 10 other long liner and netter fisherman that come in and out of here occasionally and that’s it. I tell you it’s sad and tragic beyond belief how many people have passed over the years. This place was dying already before that solar storm hit with most of the younger folks moving off for a better life in the city and away from poverty and smelling like fish guts every day. Pretty soon won’t be no tongers or boats of any kind living around here. I can’t for the life of me understand why them sea going thieves that might be coming this way got to bother with old folks like us but that’s the way of it. Like it or not we got evil in the world and evil people with ill intents are never going to be happy and settle down nowhere, no they got’s to spread it around and ruin things for the rest. I don’t know what they got to be greedy about these days, seems to me nobody hardly needs to worry about hard money no more, especially around here. If they wants oysters there plenty of them to be had for free or trade. That’s about all we got anyone might want.” Jeb said looking very worn and tired.