It’s amazing how clear sounds are up here with no traffic noise. As I got closer to the sound I slowed even more and finely stopped in the shadows of some tall Fir trees. Nothing sounded out of place to my ears just the slow steady axe thunking into what I figured was firewood. Well now what was I gonna do? I could ride around the area but it was pretty steep here and it would add an extra day of two just to do so. I decided to do as Bill said and loose the mules. After that was done I started on down the road until I smelled smoke and food cooking which was smelling really good I might add! I started Buck moving again and shortly I could see smoke drifting thru the pines. I was just about to step down off Buck when Molly growled, looking at her I saw her tail flagging and her hackles up, She was looking off the side of the road but I couldn’t see a thing. Then I heard a voice. It said “ Well now, I ain’t seen a set of Tiger Stripes in must be Nye on to 45 years. I sat frozen in the saddle thinking what a green horn fool I was.
