Going West on the Silk Road

By Cash Cashion

The book starts at the end of his first book, The Cowboy and the Eight Immortals, as they plan to leave China via the Silk Road, where the paleontologist plans to dig for bones and ship them back to the United States. They plan to travel the Silk Road back to the Black Sea and then to England, where Ryans Lady Jane lives. The run into the Second Afghan War at the Khyber Pass and are stopped from completing their first objective. Then they finally see Dr. Watson, and Lady Jane takes Watson back to England, while Ryan goes back to China to save Empress Kin a second time from people seeking her throne.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 25, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524527518

Cash Cashion

Cash Cashion retired after being a chemical laboratory scientist and researcher of medical diseases and pathology for the US Navy for thirty years. After retirement, he managed a 7.5-million-dollar laboratory for ten years. After his second retirement, he became an agent for customs/ICE and immigration for ten years in the Miami area in the 1980s. He has written for two newspapers as the Swamp Gardener in the Palm Beach Post Sunday edition, and the monthly newspaper The Farmer in Palm Beach County. He presently writes and grows exotic plants and tree on his small farm in the upper Everglades.

Book preview

Going West

on the Silk Road

Ryan and The Paleontologist going West of the silk road : or Ryan and his gang,

The paleontologist and the immortals going west of the Silk Road.

Cash Cashion

Copyright © 2016 by Cash Cashion.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 07/20/2016

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Contents

Journe West

The Battle

The 16th and the Khyber Pass

Kellie and the Attack

Over the Mountains to Turkastan to Save Gold Steel and Jana/ Jasmine

The Battle with the Dagon tooth warriors

Camp fire with the leader of the Sheiks

The arrival at the 15th of foot

The Party

The Cowboy And The Paleontologist In The French Sino War

Journe West

The Cowboy and the Paleontologist010113

The Silk Road

Back at the Chinese Army headquarters in Fengcheng Ryan and his group seemed to be in a state of rest. The paleontologists were out and about talking to many of the merchants that had made the journey to the Silk Road and they were fascinated that this ancient road was still used Wow said Kope and Marsh in Unison we are going to the great Chinese desert and beyond. Here it is modern times, 1880’s, and we are to see things that Marco Polo saw in his travels. This is really great, Bully, Bully that really is all we can say. It is going to be grand. We want to see and travel the road to Ts’ao-ch’ that Bodhisattva or was it Hui-and wrote about when he wrote the Book The Journey to the West. We want to experience what Buddha felt or his disciples. Lady Jane in her feminine wisdom sat the two professors down and told them the history of the Silk road and how her and Ryan were planning on going back to England on that road all the way to the Black Sea and then through Europe to her estate in England. When the enthusiasm spilled over and Kope and Marsh championed the trip Ryan had to say," hold it guys if we are going I am going to need some supplies and stuff to keep us safe remember down in Argentina and South Africa we need to be prepared. It is going to be a long trip maybe months and we need to really be set. Yes, yes we know the two paleontologists muttered we will listen to you Ryan you are the boss and Cap we really need both of you and Moses and the Masi we are a team. Right! Right Ryan said and we will go when we are ready so go off and enjoy your-selves. Go see if you can find that crazy landscape painter and see if he wants to go.

Ryan found Cap and Bell with Lady Ferguson and Maude. They were shopping at the local market place. Ryan came over to Lady Jane and held her in his arms before planting a kiss on her forehead. What’s going on with you guys Ryan said as he released her lordship and turned to Bell and Maude? As you remember from Maude in South Africa and South America she was and is deaf. Through much training and education for the deaf, Lady Ferguson educated Maude to read lips. If one did not know they would think that she could hear. Nothing! They all said, did you see all this beautiful silk cloths and jewelry? Yep, Ryan said, it’s too bad that we can’t take too much of this with us you know weight problems in the desert and mountains. Turning to cap how have you done finding us a guide to this Silk Road? Cap shook his head still looking everyone says they know the way but no takers. It seems that there are some bad, tough people out there to the west and that’s where we are going. We need a guide.

Just then Pa Hsien came around the corner. Always in perfect dress and always proper. Ryan asked how it was down at the palace. Pa Hsien nodded and said that the White Monkey King and his Dragon horse had taken care of the Black Dragon this time and he was sure that that young gun fighter who was visibly smitten by the Empress Myeongseong would guard her with his life. He continued with a sad face and remarked that the events of the past and future would make the people of Northern Korea suspect of every nation except China, a very sad thing. Pa Hsien then said he would be glad to take the party to the very far boarders of China and then direct them on the path to the west and the land of Mohamed. Ryan was surprised and thanked him. Who else would be more qualified than an immortal and a friend?

Pa Hsien said that some of the immortals were coming part of the way but they had other business helping there fellow countrymen and would be leaving to do there work. Pa Hsien again warned everyone that the Black Dragon is not dead only stopped from his action with Empress Min in Korea and that everyone should we watchful he might appear again. He continued to tell the group that the Black Dragon is not all bad he was the first emperor of China hundreds and hundreds of years ago and that he still feels that he is in charge of everything whether he is right or wrong. He started the Great Wall of China and he continually sought immortality through studying the scriptures and listening to the wise men of the mountains. Good or bad he is still with us and he will follow our group along the Silk Road and into the deserts of Persia. The Black Dragon is just that he is the Black Dragon. Ryan and Cap went away scratching there heads at that remark. I guess you would need to be a couple hundred years old to understand that Ryan said and an Immortal. General Hoi-san at the headquarters in Fengcheng came by to say Farewell and good speed on there trip west on the Silk Road. He said if it wasn’t for his duty to the Empires he would have loved traveling west. He said as a boy he read the works The Journey West and longed to travel but his father said one must keep his mind and body to the grindstone and work. So here I am a general serving my country and Emperor.

Lady Jane and Maude ran off to the Great Wall of China. They had there English country hiking clothes on and along with Ho Hsien Ku and LanTs’ai-ho they made a strange group. Lady Jane like most Brits changed LanTs’ai-ho or shortened it to ho which went over famously with everyone. LanTs’ai-ho now ho flashed her or his castanets and floated along behind and over the two Brits as they climbed the Great Wall. Not to be left out Ho Hsien Ku, aka Lotus blossom’s name was also changed to Blossom that fitted her personality. It was on one of those days that they met Leggie and Muller the missionaries who traveled China trying to figure out this ancient countries religion. There relationship was similar to a student trying to tell there professor how his studies were and how he was wrong. Lady Jane was polite but cool to the two missionaries since it was there kind that got her taken as hostage up in Korea. She still worried about Empress Min and thought of her every day. Maude too was worried but she took a practical look at life. She had her two gauchos taking care of the little one and she knew that they would do it and protect the baby with there lives. As far as the Empress Maude saw the love connection between Cash McGraw and the Empress and knew that he would lay down his live for her. Maude also saw the love in the eyes of Ryan for Lady Jane and she finally asked her employer why she had not entertained that wild cowboy knowing that he risked his life for her and her lady. Lady Jane still within her status was tormented with her feelings for this simple man of the wilds of the United States and she loved him but could not see where they would be compatible her with her life as a sophisticated person from England and him an adventurer and sometimes lawman of the west.

This was brought out when one night at a small restaurant in the city both she and Ryan were abiding the wine of the house and when the orchestra played a slow romantic tune she asked Ryan to dance. On the floor they were in each others arms her trying to keep some composure while in the arms of this tall muscular man. This man who went hunting for her dead husband in Africa during the Zulu War and how they met on that road to that awful place where her husband died. Then she though to the trip to Argentina and how well they lived together yet apart. She was smitten with this tall rough law man. One part of his personality she loved, his kindness and straightforwardness while the second part that of a frontiersman who’s dream was to have a couple quarter sections of land and raise cattle made her sick just thinking about the waste. The waste of this giant personality raising cattle where he could run a country with his powerful personality.

She looked up at this powerful face as they danced and thought to herself what a waste I could never change him and I cold never live on a ranch in the middle of nowhere and be his wife in cotton dress and cowboy books. The thought of it sent shivers down her arms. Dam I got to think of other things or this will drive me mad.

The next day the caravan was in the process of getting ready to move out. Ryan and Cap were talking covering all the items that they would need for the journey on the Silk Road around the world to England. The England part didn’t fascinate Ryan or Cap but the adventure surly did and they were like kids preparing a hike in the wilderness the adventure again.

I understand that we will start in what was known as Diadu in the old city. Ryan marveled that it went back 2000 years and in 1200’s was one point of the Great Wall. Are we going to take the great wall down to the Silk Road asked Cap.? No Ryan said that we will go west by train then to Baotou and stay on the road as described by Marco Polo.

What arms are we taking with us asked Cap and Moses almost together? Ryan turned to the two and said that they would be taking that experimental weapon, the Lewis gun, since it was lighter than the Gatlin and that the Winchesters would be fine along with sidearm for everyone including the women. Are you sure said the two Paleontologists. Listen guys they can shoot better than you two remember South Africa and Argentina. Kope and Marsh scratched there heads and agreed. They are pretty awesome as we can remember and what do you want us to bring. Same thing Winchesters and shotguns and plenty ammo those 44-40’s will work in both the Winchesters and the Lewis Gun. We are going cross country all the way to the Black Sea.

Wow shouted the two Paleontologists all the way. We will get to see the bones of ancient dinosaurs out in the deserts of China and Turkistan. We are really lucky Bully, Bully. Knock that off I told you already you aren’t Teddy Roosevelt and you certainly not any rough riders. Which brings me to the mode of transport Camels and horses are the animals of the day guys so go out and get some for us? Take the Masi he knows good animal flesh when he see it. Don’t let him wander we need him as a point when we got out there in never, never land.

The Chinese General Hoi-san approached Pa Hsien and said elder brother with great respect I have twin sons that are through there schooling and are ready to take the Journey West. I would be honored if you Pa Hsien would be there teacher and guide on this journey. There names are Huo- Hoi-san and Jin- Hoi-san and they are good boys and I want them to be good men. The trip to the western borders will give them an insight into there countries greatness and vastness. Please accept these boys and may they return with you as men.

Pa Hsien was honored. The general was a kind and honest man; however he had lost the feeling of his county by studying abroad, in Germany, and was in essence a foreigner in his own country. He did not to believe in immortals and Demons but was afraid not to.

Pa- Hsien Agreed and asked if the two boys now 18 would come to see him tomorrow and he would introduce them to Ryan. The General agreed and Pa Hsien then went to Ryan to tell him of the two new members to the caravan for the Silk Road. Ryan when he heard of the two boys he asked what there names were in English. Pa hoi son said one boy was named gold and the other iron or steel. Wow thought Ryan Steel of Gold or Iron of Gold what great names. Almost as good a old Cash McGraw now that was a great name to have but the Generals name was translated into Mountain than his boys are Gold mountain by the Sea and steel or Iron mountain by the sea. "I’m beginning to like the Chinese way of naming there families.

Horses and camels were bought and the provisions were then placed on these beasts of burden to make the trip. Marsh and cope were businessmen and took care of the weight and calculated how many of these beasts they would need. Do they know what they are doing asked Cap to Ryan. Ryan turned and said we are protected Pa Hsein is looking over them and if they make a mistake he will take care of it. Boy do I feel safe with these immortals along. The first leg of our trip is to Xumishan Grottoes and our guide Pa says