Mark and his friend Laurie decided they would go looking for Indian arrowheads. "Come on slow poke! I'll race you!" Exclaimed Lorrie as she got a head start. They had raced for quite a way, with Mark winning. He told Lorrie it wasn't to far from there and Mark decided to cut through the old hermit, Tony's property.
When they got to Tony's place the road had been wired off with a "NO TRESPASSING" sign and Joe Stanic, an old acquaintance from the old country, was getting ready to cut the wire when the kids rode up. Mark asked him when 'Old Tony' had fenced off the trail. "I don't know when he fenced it off.....but I know it's not going to stay that way. That man has pushed me too far!" Said Joe as he walked over and cut the wires to the fence. As Joe started to remove the wire shots rang out. Joe mounted his horse and took off. The shots spooked Lorrie's and Mark's horses. When they got them stopped there stood Old Tony' holding a rifle. He slowly approached the kids. "Don't you know enough to ask a man's permission when you cross his land?" Asked Tony. "My Pa asked you once.....you said it was alright," stated Mark. "I don't believe you! Who is your Pa?" Asked Tony. "Lucas McCain.....and he did so ask ya'!" Tony then scolded them for running their horses. He ordered Lorrie and Mark to take care of their over heated horses by giving them some water.
Lorrie and Mark did water the horses. Lorries told Mark that Tony scared her and she wanted to leave. Mark told her he heard a lot of things about Tony, but was beginning to think his bark was a lot worse then his bite. Tony came out of the house and told them not to let the horses drink up all the water, being that it had been a dry year. Mark thanked him and told him they would be leaving. Tony then asked them if they had a lunch in their
saddle bags. Mark told him they were for arrowheads. "We're looking for old Indian Flintstones," said Mark. Again he scolds them, this time for not having any food on them. He told them to come into the house and he would feed them.
Tony had fixed them a mighty fine spread of meatloaf and potatoes. The kids really enjoyed their meal and thanked Tony for it. Mark noticed a guitar leaning against the wall and asked Tony if he played as he picked up the guitar. Tony just about bit off his head and grabbed the guitar from Mark's hands. He told Mark he didn't mean to holler and handed the guitar back to him. He complained about the songs of today and that there wasn't any pretty songs like "Greensleeves".
Tony and Lorrie enjoyed listening to Mark as much as Mark enjoyed playing and singing for them. Tony told Mark that he once had a son Mark's age and that he used to sing that song for Tony in the evenings. That was his guitar. He told Mark it was a long time since he heard music like that. "You're the first company I had. A man feels lonely for someone to talk to. Perhaps that's why I holler so much.....because I forgot what it was like to hear the sound of a human voice."
It was time for Lorrie and Mark to leave. They had quite a ways until they would get to Red Bud Canyon. Tony told them there was a lot more relic's right here in Sycamore Canyon. Mark reminded him that it was his land and no one was allowed there. Tony gave them his permission to look for Indian relics
on his land. They couldn't thank him enough and told him they would bring some arrowheads back for him.
I had told Lorrie and Mark to meet me in town and we would have supper at the hotel. When I got to town they weren't there yet so I decided to stop in to see Micah. We were having a cup of coffee when Joe Stanic came walking in. He was angry. He demanded Micah do something about Old Tony. They were feuding again. He told Micah Tony took a shot at him and tried to kill him. I told Joe that Tony was an odd one, but he wouldn't try to kill someone. That was hard to believe. Tony told me to ask Mark if I didn't believe him. He told me he saw Mark and Lorrie at Tony's, but he didn't know where they were now. Micah and I decided to ride out and see what was going on. Joe also came along.
Lorrie was busy looking for arrowheads while Mark set under a tree sleeping. She was getting discouraged because she hadn't found any for a while and was surprised that Mark was sleeping under the tree. She approached him and asked him what he was thinking about. "About Old Tony and how lonesome he really must be." Lorrie was thinking about 'Old Tony' too. "I wonder what his wife was like," asked Lorrie. "Mark.....do you ever wonder what your wife will be like.....I mean when you get married?" Asked Lorrie. "I suppose so," said Mark. "Well.....what would she be like?" "Real pretty and a good cook," said Mark. "Oh Mark.....can't you ever be serious?" "Do you think that is all there is to marriage?" Asked Lorrie. "No.....not really! There's a lot more," Said Mark. "Like what?" Asked Lorrie. "Well.....Pa and I was talkin' about it once. He was talking about my mother. I'll never forget a thing he said." "He said that they were more then just in love.....they were friends," Said Mark. "I don't think I understand," said Lorrie. "Well he meant that she was someone he could talk to......about his troubles and about anything." "Like us Mark?" Asked Lorrie with a big smile on her face. He laughed. Sure I guess.....we're best friends and we can talk......" Mark suddenly realized where this talk was going and told Lorrie she better get looking for those arrowheads and not to get herself lost. That made Lorrie mad,
with her hands on her waist she exclaimed....."Mark McCain.....will you stop treating me like a little girl!" Lorrie grabbed her sack and took off to look for more arrowheads. Mark was relieved.
When we got out to Tony's Joe showed us where he had his run in with Tony and where he had seen Mark and Lorrie. Just then we heard two shots; it was Tony with his rifle. Micah told him we wanted to talk to him. He didn't want to talk to Joe. I asked Tony if he saw Mark and Lorrie. He said he had. He said Micah and I could come to his house, but not Joe. We tried talking to Tony but Joe and Tony kept yelling back and forth to each other. Finally Micah told Joe that he was checking into his complaint and he had to leave. Joe told Micah that if he didn't take care of Tony he would go straight to the governor, and then he rode off.
While Mark napped Lorrie went ahead looking for arrowheads. While searching, Lorrie wandered right into a swamp full of quicksand. She started screaming for Mark. It didn't take long before she was up to her waist in quicksand, not being able to move, she kept screaming for Mark. Mark finally woke up from his nap; he didn't realize that Lorrie wasn't there until he told her it was time to start back. He started looking for her and calling her. The more he called, the more worried he got. "Lorrie.....Lorrie.....Are you alright?"
We tried talking to Tony. "What do you expect when the three of you come breaking in here with guns all over you? What's a man expected to do? A Man's got the right to protect his property, don't he? Or do you tell me that the law only works for Joe Stanic?" Asked Tony. "The laws available to you if you want to use it, same as anybody else.....but you keep hiding out....." Tony didn't let Micah finish, he interrupted him. "This is my ranch.....I can live alone if I want to. There is nothing for me out there.....never has been.....not since my wife died," said Tony. "Well I lost my wife too Tony.....quite a while ago.....I didn't like it either, but the world kept right on turning," I told Tony. "Ah that's easy for you to say.....you had son to look after and love. I did to.....but no more. I lost a son too." "Maybe you can understand why I might be worried about mine!" "Yes I can understand that," said Tony. "You see I was just starting out after them when you came in. Maybe that's why I lost my head, sorta." "Maybe that's why I got the feeling if anything could happen to the two kids it was my fault. It was I who sent them into Sycamore Canyon," said Tony. That concerned Micah. He was afraid they might have gone beyond the canyon and into the swamp. Micah said that place was full of quick sand. I told Micah that Mark had better sense then that. Tony said there was no reason for them to go beyond the canyon; that the Indian burial grounds is at this end. "I just want to help now Mr. McCain, that's all. I just want to help." My concern was on Mark and Lorrie and told Micah and Tony that the main thing now was to head over there and look for them.
Mark kept looking and calling for Lorrie. Suddenly he heard Lorrie yelling for help but he couldn't find her.
"Lorrie.....I can hear ya'.....just keep on yelling. He kept following the sound of her voice until he came upon her stuck in a swamp. He rushed to help here. He reached for her hand and tried to pull her out of the swamp, but with the force of trying to pull her out he just pulled himself into the swamp with her.
When we got to Sycamore Canyon we came upon their horses, but no kids. We found where they had dug for arrowheads. Further up I could follow Marks and Lorrie's tracks. It looks like Lorrie had gone on ahead and Mark followed. I told Micah and Tony that the best thing was for the three of us to split up and circle back that one of us should run into them.
I was getting worried, it would be dark in an hour and those kids could have gone into any one of the many canyons. I just couldn't believe that Mark could get lost in this part of the country unless he was hurt and maybe a chance that Lorrie had gone for help. There were so many things going through my head. There was nothing else except to keep looking.
'Old Tony' came across them first. He could hear Mark calling for help and Lorrie screaming for help. Mark tried to keep Lorrie calm, but it wasn't working. The more she struggled the worst things got. He rushed to the road and called tome, telling me to come quickly, he had found them in the swamp in quicksand. I grabbed my rope and followed Tony to where they were.
Lorrie was still struggling. I told them to be still and not to move as I slowly edged towards them with the rope. I tied the rope around my waist and threw the other end to Tony. I reach down into
the quicksand and tried pulling Mark up. I told Mark to hold onto Lorrie as I pulled them out of the quicksand. "Pa.....I sure am glad to see you!" "Me too son, me too."
We went back to Tony's and he gave the kids some blankets to bundle up in and some hot chocolate. Micah told Tony there wouldn't be any charges this time, but he can't go waving the shotgun around anytime the notion struck him. Micah told him that he would admit that Joe Stanic was hard to get along with but, so was Tony. "Maybe if you two old goats would stop butting heads together....." "I guess I've been alone too long, I've forgotten how to get along with people," said Tony. He then started to complain about the kids tracking mud all over the place and they didn't even bring him the flints they promised him. Lorrie told him that she lost all the good ones in the swamp, but she and Mark would come back another time and get him some. Mark agreed. "Huh.....so you're gonna come back to see me," laughed Tony. "I didn't even ask ya'!" "Next thing you know they'll want me to take them to the fancy hotel and buy them supper." I told Tony....."When that time comes Tony, the supper will be on me and I hope it will be soon." Tony then turned to Mark and said....."Hey! What you sittin' there for? You said yourself the guitar need tuning! Well go ahead.....tune it up!" I just shook my head as we all laughed.
when the Nazi regime came to power in 1933. His father, Artur Schnabel was a pianist. His mother, Therese Behr Schnabel, was a concert singer. He eventually studied acting in London and the Old Vic Theatre. In the United States from 1938 and became an established radio actor, gracing more than 5,000 programs.
