From the Journal of Issac McNamara #6

Zeke rode slowly down the hanging valley. He reached the end just after mid day and found the small game path that served as access to the outside. Mule had followed right along all afternoon occasionally looking to his right up the hillside and twisting his ears to get a better listen to something moving up there. Zeke had caught movement several times just never enough to clearly see what it was moving up there. The critter had stayed right with them as they moved and was really good at keeping to cover. That was the main reason Zeke was sure that whatever the critter wasn't, it was sure to be the two legged kind. Zeke eased his mount down the trail leaning back in the saddle to make the downward progress as easy as possible. He reached the bottom, crossed a small creek running with clear water, then followed the game trail . The trail was slowly falling towards the river and Zeke kept his eyes pealed for signs of humans being around. Still he found no evidence of folks gathering wood or cutting dead branches from the standing trees. He came out of the woods just above where the James River joined the White. He turned and rode upstream a dozen yards to a place he could cross with out getting his feet wet. He was midway across the river when the rolling sound of thunder came to him. He looked up into the sky he could see and there were no clouds. That was the problem with these Ozark Mountains they wee just deep enough in the valleys and high enough in the peaks that a summer storm could blow down on a fella with out much warning. Zeke kicked the horse a little and stepped up the pace. He crossed the river and immediately seen where folks had camped and seen evidence of trees being used for temporary shelter. He rode up the gravel bar a short way and found the old log hut that used to be Yocum's trading post. It was long ago abandoned, the corral was still standing in places and the cabin had one end of the roof collapsed into itself. There was a stone chimney standing at the other end. The door hung from one hinge. There were small holes everywhere a body looked. Someone had spent a lot of time digging small holes looking for something, most likely old Yocum's sack of diamonds. Zeke heard the roll of thunder again. The storm was getting a lot closer, it was moving very fast. He dismounted, lead his horse to the front of the old cabin. He took his rifle from the scabbard and gently using the barrel pushed the door wide open. He heard stirrings from inside. He reach down at his foot, picked up a hand full of gravel and tossed it inside the door. A faint buzzing noise answered him. He banged on their door and the buzzing became louder. Rattlesnake, Zeke flinched as the crack of lightning and the accompanying roll of thunder swept over him. The air was filled with the smell of brimstone. Zeke had no desire to fight a rattler over the dryness of that old cabin. He walked to one end and looked behind it and there was the entrance to old Yocums cave. Horse had no liking for that cave until the flash of lightning made the hair on his rump stand up. He lunged past Zeke int the safety of the cave. Mule followed right along. Zeke stood just inside the cave looking at the river. He caught a movement across the river and the flash of red cloth just before the rain made it impossible to see any further than the end of his arm.
It was still raining when it got full dark. Zeke has loosen his saddle and had removed the pack saddle from mule. he had a hard time finding enough wood for a small fire for coffee. Whoever had used the cxamp last had burned everyting with in a short dash f the cave. Zeke had to roam out severl yards to find enough to make a fire. he pulled several branched from a black oak. The lower branches of a black oak will be dead, and they will stay relativel dry in the rain. Branches on the ground will get wet and will have to dry to burn. Zeke had made him a rest using his back pack and saddle. He was sitting behind the fire to the inside of the cave. he bever looed right into the fire. That was something his Pa had taught him and three years fighting in the war had let it become habit. He was sipping his coffe and watching the drips from the falling rain off the roof of the cave when he heard a branch snap outside the reach of the fire light. Horse and mule both had ears pointing out into the night. Zeke took cover behind the saddle. He pulled his revolver and held it easy in his hand. Horse flared his nostrils and mule took in a deep breath.
"Your making my stock nervous, step in to the fire light or go away, makes me no nevermind" said Zeke.
Into the fire light stepped a figure, and by the looks of it it was a girl.