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her hands around her mouth, she
blew softly.  In a matter of minutes, a small fire was blazing. 
“That’s better,” she said, rubbing her hands together.  The temperature
outside had dropped, but she knew it would soon be warm and toasty inside her
safe hideout.  Standing up, she stretched her arms above her head. 
Then she glanced down at her skirts.  “I’ve got a hard ride ahead of me in
the morning.  These skirts will not do.  Will they, boy?” 
Traveler glanced her way and kept eating. 
    Josie had never
considered it odd to talk to the mule, since he was her closest friend and the
two of them were often alone.  He was always a good listener. “Good thing
I packed a pair of pants in my bag,” she told him.  
    She wiggled free
of the full skirt and petticoats and spread them out on a big rock. After
slipping into her work pants, she pulled out the extra shirt she’d packed and
rolled it into a ball.  It would serve as her pillow for the night. 
    Although she was hungry
and exhausted, smoked jerky and sleep would have to wait a little longer. 
The time had come to learn what was inside the envelope from her pa.  The
darn thing had cost her the cabin and nearly her life.  She huddled near
the fire with her back against the cave wall. With her hands trembling, she
reached inside the saddlebags and retrieved the battered envelope. Staring at
it thoughtfully, she said aloud, “Pa, what have you gotten me into this time?”
    Josie slid a
finger under the flap and pulled out a single piece of yellowed parchment paper
and opened it slowly.  The orange flames from the fire danced in front of
her, allowing her enough light to easily see to read.  
    Drawn on the paper
was the crude sketch of a map. In the bottom right-hand corner was the
child-like picture of a house, which she assumed was the Hart cabin. 
There was a big arrow drawn beside the house pointing upward.  A long
squiggly line stretched from the cabin to the top of the parchment, with
different symbols and illustrations scribbled near the line. 
    Her pa had made
some upside down V’s, which, she guessed, were meant to depict mountains. 
Studying the various symbols, some were obvious as to their meaning, but others
were a mystery as to what they stood for.  Her pa was no artist; that was
for sure.  One thing was clear, however.  He had left her a road map
leading north.
    Although her head
was filled to the brim with questions, and she wasn’t sure it could hold one
more thought, she recalled the exact words her pa had spoken to her in the
jail. He’d said, What’s in that envelope is going to allow you to change
your life. You’ll be able to get off that God-forsaken farm and live like a
real lady . 
    At the time, his
rambling hadn’t made any sense.  She’d thought the realization of his
imminent death had rattled his brain and caused him to talk gibberish.  The
envelope would change her life .  What else had he told her?  She
racked her brains to remember.  He’d said, You won’t ever have to work
hard again. Go anywhere you want.  Do anything you please.  He’d
also urged her to protect the envelope with her life. 
    Now she knew
why.  This map, crude as it was, would lead her to something
special.  She could go anywhere and do anything she wanted.  She
could have a fresh start.  She could go to San Francisco . Those things
could only be possible if she had money—lots of money.
    It’s my way of
making it up to you .
    Josie’s palms grew wet,
and her heart pounded inside her chest.  Had Pa committed one final crime
in the name of love?
    It was becoming clear. He
hadn’t picked some poor sap’s pocket, or cheated at cards as he usually
did.  Not this time.  This crime was no two-bit robbery. Pa had
stumbled onto something big—something that could make a person rich, and he’d
come home and made sure she was the beneficiary of his good fortune.  For
once, it seemed, Leroy Hart had turned bad luck