It had been a week of constant off and on snow during which I decided that it would be best to continue on our way to the south. We had met with no trouble, up till this point in our journey south, so it was best to continue on, as food was no longer a problem. Our tiger companion had brought two more deer by and dropped them off during the course of the week. We were all well rested and healthy and I decided to go on the way we had been. Trent didn't like it, but he respected my decision and didn't voice anything to the contrary.
The packs were ready to go and they were definitely heavier with the gold added to them. The ball had been about a third full of gold dust. In this part of the world or anywhere else for that matter it was a fortune. I didn't care about the wealth of it though. Trent was right in suggesting that the gold could be extremely useful as a bribe and we may yet have need of such an advantage in our journey south. I just wished it didn't weigh so much.
I hadn't had the heart to deprive our tiger companion of his adolescent play toy so I had refilled the ball half full of sand and left it out for him to play with. He was lounging against it, with one cheek resting propped on it at this very moment, as a matter of fact.
I was so grateful, in many ways now, that I hadn't shot him, when I'd had the chance to. Life could often be unexpected with the surprises that it gave.
The tiger's ears perked up. He was instantly on his feet and then with several lunging strides he was out of view. They'd found us! I'd waited too long this time in one location.
Trent came at a run from where he had been collecting firewood and I yelled, "They found us! We've got to get to the forest!" I said swinging on one of the packs, but Trent shook his head decisively no.
"They have a chopper! We'd never make it on foot! We have to stay and fight this one out."
He was right, but how were we to fight and make it count?
"Gold isn't all I found in the mine shaft. Come on!"
I swung my pack off, as Trent took charge and I followed him into the part of the dugout that housed the mine portal.
He gestured down the primary mine shaft, "It leads all the way through the hill to the other side. It's where he dumped his spoil."