THE BLUE FEATHER
385
stopped to buy another horse trailer to hook up to the Ford
Expedition. They turned north at Shiprock, New Mexico, driving
towards Colorado.
“I did some scouting work for you out in the countryside. I
found a large group of six thousand horses and two hundred
burros located just south of Mesa Verde National Park. The
hidden portal is located within two kilometers of Cliff Palace. We
can have all the horses rounded up, delivered to Vivia, and drive
these two trucks right through the portal system and come out at
Lehman’s Caves, in the Great Basin National Park. The only
difference is that we will have over six thousand animals
delivered.”
“Sounds like a good plan. Jonathan, what would our E.T.A.
be to arrive on site?” Tital asked over the radio.
“If we take a shortcut and bypass the towns of Cortez and
Mancos, then the estimated time of arrival would be nine-thirty,”
Jonathan responded.
“Let’s do it!” Ronú said enthusiastically.
“I’m ready to ride,” Viviana echoed.
Thirty minutes later, Ek Chuah said, “Turn right at the next
gravel road. It’s an old logging road, and it’s kind of rough, but
these Ford trucks are built tough.” The seldom traveled gravel
road started sharply twisting and rising, then after a tall hill, a
long valley system full of green grass opened up before them.
Down below, they could see a vast array of colored dots in
the distance. “There they are. I counted six thousand seven
hundred and eighty-four horses. There are an additional two
hundred and thirty-nine burros,” informed Ek Chuah.