Three Days In LONE PINE, An Untold Tale of The High Sierra

by Mark Stephen Taylor

  Michael and John Replogle were seated on his front porch, each sipping on a cup of lemonade and looking toward the mountain. “What do you make of those clouds up there, Michael?” John then reached over and nudged him on the shoulder. “I guess what I really want to know is, what’s goin’ on up there?”

  “That mountain’s why I’m here, John. “And while I’m here I’ll be tendin’ to a few other things.”

  “You’ve attended to some things already,” John smiled.

  Michael looked over at him. “I know you’re aware of who I am, John. That particular knowledge is a gift. I mentioned earlier that you’re well known where I come from. You’re a man who puts his beliefs into action. Your love for the things God has made makes you right popular among the angelic host, and a friend of the Most High.

  “I don’t know if you’re aware of it or not, but the Most High is represented by three spirit beings, who are actually one—united in their endeavors and in their rule—the truly pure side of the Force that maintains the universe. You have God—or Eloi; the Father, then you have Jesus; the Son, who is the Christ and the supreme head of all things in this current age, and there’s also the Spirit of Wisdom; female in nature, who is oftentimes addressed as the Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of Truth.

  “But, there are both male and female spirits that work for her and use these titles because they represent her—they’re part of her, so to speak, as she herself is part of the Father and the Son. Most people, who read God’s only written word, the Bible, still don’t comprehend that. But this is what you might call the first family of God. In due respect, all three are God, and all three are one, yet they have individual responsibilities. The Spirit of God Himself, though in the eyes of most folk’s is considered masculine, actually includes the whole family.

  “As for me—I’m known as the archangel—the chief commander, if you will, of all the angelic host throughout the universe.” Michael then chuckled a bit. “I figure you knew that already, John. But you’re most likely wonderin’ why I wear the flesh of a man, why I look and talk like a man—why I’m in this outfit of an earthly gunfighter, and why I’m down here roamin’ the earth, huh? And I’m sure you’re wonderin’ why I’m here in your town of Lone Pine? Am I right—are these the things you’re wonderin’ about?”

  John suddenly felt a bit uneasy. He realized at that moment that he didn’t truly have a right to know these things. He was also now a little uncomfortable speaking with and listening to such a powerful being as this Michael. And the things Michael had just revealed to him—the things involving the order of the Most High were things that most Bible enthusiasts over the entire world were unable to comprehend!

  Michael at that moment, sensing his feelings of inadequacy, suddenly placed a hand on his shoulder.

  “Yes, John—you’re learning some things that have been kept secret from the very foundation of the world. But, they have been revealed! Men inspired by the Most High put together the words of that Bible you have there inside your cabin. That New Testament portion reveals these things I’ve told you about—the secrets of old. Its’ just that most folk’s haven’t figured out how to understand them—how to unwind them. They don’t know that the sum of all the ages is revealed in Christ. They try to pull physical ideas out of a spiritual book. It ain’t gonna’ work.

  “Because of who you are, John, and because of your kindness toward the creatures and the people you deal with—and have dealt with from your youth, you are blessed among men. Someday you’ll be with us up above, but for now your place is here—where you’re needed. Who else in this town is gonna’ do what you do? And don’t fret none about never visitin’ the Indians. You were held back from that, John. If you hadn’t have been, you might have dwelled a bit on what you learned from them, and then by your own might tried to climb the mountain and take a stab at reasonin’ with the evil spirits up there.

  “You’re a kind and thoughtful man, John, but you’d be dead right now. That kind of work is not within your power—not meant for you. Now, as the saying goes down here, you just put all of that into your pipe and smoke it. In the meantime, allow me to explain a few more things to you. And don’t hold onto no more thoughts about your bein’ unworthy. Why most folk’s down here all think like that in one way or another is beyond me?”

  John smiled. “I’m listening, Michael. I want to get down and put my face in the dust of the earth. The honor of your presence is overwhelming—beyond my comprehension as a man. Please forgive and accept my humanness, and I’ll be most attentive—but right now I’m so choked up that I can hardly breathe!”

  “Take a good pull on that lemonade,” Michael smiled.

  John then began to laugh. “You’re right—you’re right. A lemon is a good thing for the nerves. I swear it’s sour as sour can be, but it does have a calming effect. I’ve used it on the horses a time or two—when they get a little cantankerous. I’m sure glad I brought the whole pitcher out here!”

  “All right, John—why do I appear in the flesh of a man? Well, to begin with, the evil spirits have roamed the earth since the fall in Eden. They are the dark side of the Force in the spiritual realm. They often times enter men or women and use them to carry out their wicked schemes. The angels who serve under me can work through men and women as well.

  “But, they don’t actually force those folk’s to do things against their will, as the evil ones do, but they instead encourage the heart, so that people can do the right thing on their own, you might say. Guardian angels is what they are—that’s the term we use.

  “These angels that serve under me don’t enter inside of folk’s—not at all. There may be several of ’em encamped near someone who needs help, and they sometimes take on the form of humans, so that people won’t be afraid of ’em. As humans they encourage folk’s through their words or actions. You could meet one on the street and never know it.

  “They are a great power in the Force, and things they say or do can influence one’s heart, and that’s how they work through folk’s. The evil ones enter into the hearts of those who are unsuspecting. They’re responsible for all the abnormalities among humans—and all other forms of evil as well. Even if they don’t bother to go inside someone, they can still encourage them to do evil—and they’re a mite passionate about it.

  “Now, among those on the pure side of the Force, those spirits that represent the Holy Spirit are the only ones permitted to enter humans, and they only become a part of those humans who have become children of the Most High, children of God, or brothers in Christ—all the same thing. The Bible teaches just how that is accomplished, though some folk’s still can’t figure it all out. That of course is the work of Satan and his followers—the angels who first rebelled and now make up the dark side of the Force.

  “Now, again, those spirits on the pure side of the Force, who don’t work directly with the Holy Sprit, work with me, and we many times take on the form of mortals. In that mortal form we are inclined to be wounded and scared, just like any human. That’s the way flesh is. But the pain we feel is spiritual, not physical, and so the physical body we occupy doesn’t die. It can be torn apart, but we can make it whole again, if need be. If it’s completely destroyed, we can still appear in a renewed form shortly thereafter.

  “But like I said, the pains we feel are the spiritual blows against God Himself—the anger and the hatred and things like that—things that are contrary to the very nature of God. We have His divine nature, and so we feel His pain. The earthly children of God—those who believe His word and have been baptized in water in obedience to it, and as a result have a representative of the Holy Spirit now dwellin’ within ’em; have become partakers of the divine nature as well—folk’s like you, John.

  “This allows you to feel God’s pain. That’s why your passion is takin’ care of his creatures. With your understandin’ you feel their fear of mankind, their pain and their losses—all the things they’ve suffered while under oppression from the dark
side of the Force—literally since the fall in Eden. It’s tough, I know—but somebody’s gotta’ do it. Your kindness and compassion for the human race is noticed and appreciated as well. It’s just as important. Keep up the good work.

  “Now, this gunfighter outfit you’re lookin’ at is just a thing of the times,” he smiled. “And I have to talk a little bit like one, too. —John, I was once dressed in a king’s garb—long ago in the days of Abraham. Those were some fine days! I was a shepherd in the days of Moses. I was dressed as a soldier during the reigns of Saul and David—that armor was a mite heavy. But I only come down here to the earth when things get out of hand among the evil spirits.

  “They do get carried away in their thinkin’; forgettin’ that the time of their end is not too far off. And because they have such little time left, they try to go beyond some of the limits that the Most High has set for them—they want to play a dangerous hand—see what they can get away with, like that Abe Cutler fella’ played yesterday mornin’ in the restaurant,” Michael shook his head in disbelief.

  “He didn’t have no demon in him, though. He got rawboned ugly and evil on his own, which many do. But he had nothin’ to do with me bein’ in Lone Pine—he was just a part of the things I was told I would have to deal with when I got here. I’m here, John, because of the evil on the mountain. I believe you’ve assumed that already. It’s gotten a little out of hand. From up there the evil spirits can view the whole of this country, and plan their schemes accordingly. They’ve been doin’ it for quite some time. They control most everything that ain’t nailed down, John—and some things that are as well.

  “They’re buckin’ the Most High right now, the Godhead having had plans for this mountain since the very beginning of time. God formed those crags and boulders through the flood and planted them here for a reason. That time’s now at hand, and the evil spirits don’t want to leave.

  “Of course the Most High doesn’t pay much attention to their ramblin’s on, as they don’t have a choice in the matter. But, when their boss comes on the scene and tries to extend his allotted time in any particular place, and stirs up those on the dark side of Force, then the Most High has to send me down here to deal with it—at its source.”

  Michael took a drink of the lemonade, then looked up toward the mountain. He soon glanced back at John. “That big storm up there is ol’ Lucifer—Satan himself—stirrin’ things up a mite—most likely tauntin’ at me. I’ll be headin’ up there tomorrow—under the full moon.”

  He paused in thought as he looked back toward the mountain, and John could see what to him appeared as a look of concern on the man’s face—but then again, perhaps it was a look of confidence?

  Michael turned again, looking directly into his eyes. “The moon reflects the glory of the Most High, just like the sun. And under a full moon, the spirit of the wolf is allowed to be at its strongest. The Most High does something very special for each of the creatures. You’ve got to keep in mind that they were formed before mankind. The wolf is indeed a most glorious animal amongst those that roam the earth.”

  Michael then once again turned his gaze toward the mountain. “When I get up there tomorrow, John, this gunfighter outfit will be laid aside for a spell. I’ve been allowed to take on the form of the great wolf. I’ll be clothed in thick, black fur—with a touch of silver blended in and a patch of white atop each of my feet. A white image of lightnin’ will be seen on my chest. I’m lookin’ forward to it, John.”

  Chapter Nine

  Misty McBride went into the kitchen and brought out some iced tea for the folk’s who had been seated in the restaurant dining area with her for some time. They had enjoyed a fine lunch together, and each one of them felt that they should do something like this more often—spend a good bit of time together. Misty then once again sat down with them.

  “Don, you’re a wise man—why do you suppose that Michael wants to talk to us all together here?”

  Don Warner shook his head. “I really don’t know, Misty. My head is full of all kinds of thoughts at the moment. What do you think, Judge?”

  Jim smiled. “I’m like you, Don. I have absolutely no idea whatsoever. Ben—any of you other ladies—might any of you have something to offer?”

  Lovella soon spoke up. “All I know is that when the man looks at you, he looks right through you. When I served him lunch by that window over there yesterday, I felt like I was drawn into his eyes—it was like he could see right into me and could see who I am—as a person. In just a moment of time I felt like he knew everything about me. Well, I was sure anxious to find out a lot a’ things about him, that’s for sure. But then in the bat of an eye that anxiety was up and gone. Do you suppose he’s really an angel?”

  There was a brief silence. Misty then lowered her head a bit and spoke softly. “Maybe he’s coming to chide us for some of the things we’ve done—in the past?”

  Margaret looked at her. “Misty, I’m sure you’ve never done anything worse than any of the rest of us have. Now pick your head up and lets talk about this.” She looked around at the others. “In fact, I’ll start this thing off and tell you a thing or two that I’ve done that wasn’t—that wasn’t the best thing to do.”

  Misty then began to cry. Taken aback by her sudden emotion everyone remained silent. She soon began to gather herself a bit and spoke up.

  “No, Margaret—let me say something first. Let me speak to all of you,” she responded, looking around the table.

  “It was back in New York. I worked in a fine restaurant there—in fact it was where I learned to cook up things so well. Then I met this man who was a salesman. He sold things to the factories that were being built back there. We courted for some time, until one day a woman came in and accused me of sleeping with her husband. She blurted it out in front of a hundred or more people in the restaurant.”

  Misty began to cry once again. Margaret quickly offered her a handkerchief and she then wiped her eyes clear.

  “I had no idea the man was married. This woman scolded the owner of the place and he threw me out—right on the spot. He grabbed a bowl of hot stew that I was carrying to a customer—grabbed it right out of my hand and dumped it on my head. That’s why I have these scars under my hair,” she sobbed, lifting her hair and displaying three small scars on her forehead. She struggled to hold back the tears.

  “He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me outside and told me I could never come back again. He said it was a well respected dining house, and he would never be one to employ an adulteress.”

  Margaret reached over and touched Misty’s hands, which were at the time folded together on the table in front of her. Lovella, sitting just next to her, put her arms around her and hugged her tightly for a brief moment. Maggie got up from her seat and stood behind her, massaging gently at her neck and shoulders. Misty was encouraged and soon wiped the remaining tears from her face.

  Maggie, still standing behind her, bent down and gently kissed her on the top of the head, then stood back up. “Well, let me tell you what I did!”

  She then walked back to her seat and sat down. She lit a cigarette, her hands trembling, and then pulled an ashtray across the table toward her.

  “The man who robbed and then shot my husband in the streets—years ago in Tucson, when Jayson was just a baby—he got off scot-free. It was a hung jury. He had some friends on that jury. Well, a few days after the trial was over, he told everyone in town that he was headed for Tombstone—wanted to open up a gambling house down there. He was a no good…”

  She suddenly paused, squashing her cigarette into the ashtray. “Well, he didn’t make it. I was way ahead of him on the road that morning, and I shot him from the high rocks—several miles out of town. Big Sharps carbine—and I knew the man was dead. I rode back to my place after that. A few days later I was right in the middle of town and heard the folk’s saying that some highwayman had killed John Wheeler—that was the man’s name. No one knows the truth to this day—except all
of you sitting here—right now.

  “Oh, I was sorry for what I did. It was hard to live in that town with my husband gone, and I eventually realized that my killing that man would never bring my husband back. I mourned for a long time. I asked God to forgive me—every day and every night. One day I just put it all behind me and moved back here to Lone Pine, where I was born. I never told my parents about it, and they died without knowing the truth.”

  She paused once again and took a deep breath. “I’ve held it inside of me for so long. Feels real good to get it out, though. I thank you all so much for listening. Something inside of me allows me to feel free at the moment. Maybe it’s just the fact that I’ve finally let it all out,” she smiled, her eyes a bit misty.

  “It’s my turn,” Margaret said. “Since we’re baring it all.” She looked around at the others, who all seemed relaxed and attentive at that moment.

  “Well, Don and I have always been real close—you all know that. Several years back he started collecting rocks. He kept them in a box out in back of the barn. He told me there were some crystals in there—real fragile pieces. There was a dead tree right there next to the box—about ready to fall over. He had placed the box up against it to preserve it—to keep it standing—it was an old bristle cone pine.”

  She looked over at Don, who was at that moment staring at her. His eyes then narrowed as she glanced into them. She quickly looked back at the others.

  “I was up in the loft one day, cleaning out some junk. There was a rusty old anvil in there that was real heavy—solid iron—it was an eyesore. I got a bar and pried against it, until I got it over to the upper doors, where I wedged it right on out of the loft. Well, it fell down through the air and landed on top of that box of rocks—smashed every crystal inside of it, I believe. I looked down at that mess on the ground and thought, ‘oh, my god!’