Finley pushed a large piece of driftwood

 Page 10. 

Finley pushed a large piece of driftwood into the fire causing the flames to illuminate the cliff side, he then pulled out his knife and shouted as he held the blade to the quiet one’s throat, ’ come down here you two and bring my hand or I’ll slit her throat from ear to ear”. Juan and Jade climbed down from the cliffs and ran toward the quite one who suffered deep talon marks across her breasts and shoulders. Scratch jumped at Finley who buried his claw hand into the chest of the three legged dog and flung the small animal into the surf. He quickly turned and ordered Juan to drop his gun while still holding the knife at the quiet one’s throat. Finley motioned to Jade to throw him his ivory hand and in an instant he’d discarded the talons and raised the ivory hand above his head in victory. Finley commanded Jade and Juan to come forward and threw aside his knife and picked up Juan’s revolver while pulling back the hammer. Finley pointed the gun at Juan and told Jade to step toward him readying his hand to deal a final death blow.

“You’ve cost me my ship, my crew and my life you worthless whore and now I’ll send you to hell where you belong”, screamed out Finley his eye’s burnt almost red with fire. Suddenly from the cliff sides above a rifle shot rang out and Finley clutched his chest and moaned. Then another shot followed by another and Finley dropped the pistol and dropped to his knees. There standing side by side was Father Mendez and Madre Maria with Reina at their side. The chestnut mare had returned to the mission alerting the Vaquero’s and Father Mendez. Madre Maria ran to Jade and the quiet one’s room and discovered the note that appeared to have been written in blood. With both Father Mendez and Madre Maria on her back Reina race back to the beach and now they stood at the cliff side just in time to put and end to the likes of Finley. Before Finley drew his last breath he turned toward the quiet one and attempted to rake her body with his lethal hand of ivory  but nothing is overlooked by Madre Maria who fire one last round from a Spanish musket striking the hand dead center. It exploded into a shower of sparkling reds and greens and yellows with dazzling whites and as Finley lay dead the gem stone’s sprinkled like rain on his body with diamonds and emeralds and ruby’s exposing the secret of the ivory hand. Jade quickly cut down the quiet one from the wooden cross as Madre Maria caught her in her arms while all the Vaquero’s from the mission arrived on horse back and by wagon.

Jade ran toward Scratch who lay wounded in the surf and cradled the little hero in her arms and wept uncontrollably as Juan silently held them both. Father Mendez and Vaquero’s collected all the stones from around and on top of Finley’s body while the Pedro pushed the corpse into a now roaring bonfire and threw on more wood. It appeared the ivory hand was more when just a weapon all along and it held more riches than one man could spend in several lifetimes. The Sakla-n warriors loss their faith in Finley after the word of Blue face’s death as told by the warriors who ran on that day at the mission and Finley was banned from their village forever. It was lust and greed that ended Finley’s life and how a well placed shot from a mission nun exposed the real truth behind the ivory hand. Scratch once again recovered from his wounds with more of a cat with nine lives than any else and as for the quiet one well just ask Pedro who fell in love with her and she never stopped taking? Juan and Jade left the mission shortly after but not before getting married at the mission by Father Mendez with Scratch as the best man or dog. But before they left they shared the precious stones with Father Mendez, Madre Maria and the three remaining girls from the Topaz ensuring the Mission would continue to grow and prosper forever. They left for San Francisco and built a huge mansion where it still stands today I’m told, so the next time you see a three legged dog anywhere or anyplace place please don’t forget about Scratch and that evil Captain Finley but hold dear to your heart the memory of a young girl sold into slavery and her story of  Jade and the Ivory hand.

The end