Maria's Trail (The Mule Tamer) by John Horst

for good measure. They were content; there
was much for them to graze on. She found Juana and they went to the nearest
cave.
    “Whew. It stinks of bat shit in here.” Juana
held her nose.
    “It’s not so bad.” Maria peered at the walls
which were still good. This would be a perfect home for them. She sat down and
made a fire and soon had a good blaze going. Juana dug through their kit and
prepared a meal. She wasn’t much good at helping because she was used to
talking and listening to the bad men at the brothel, she wasn’t used to doing
chores. Maria didn’t mind. She liked working and she enjoyed Juana’s company
and constant banter as she watched her new partner work. Maria was always
working it seemed, it is what made her happy.
    They got their oil lamps and lit them. It was
time to explore. Maria was enthralled and Juana bored. They found the place
with the most guano and surmised that the bats used that part of the cave. The
rest would be cleaner and smell better and it wouldn’t be bothersome when the
bats flew in and out. This is where they’d make their home.
    Further up, they found by walking a steep
incline of narrow steps, a beautiful high fortress-like structure. It offered a
commanding view of the entire valley below. They would be able to see any
intruder for at least a mile away. This is where they’d sleep.
    Next, they moved down another set of steps, a
steep decline into a dark and narrow passage. Maria heard movement—water, and
in short order they came upon a fairly swift moving stream, flowing from under
a deep crevice in the rock. She tasted the water and it was good. It was clear
and cold; they would be good here indefinitely as they’d never want for water.
    Before Juana could say anything Maria had
dropped down into the swift current and was wading her way across to the other
side. She held her lamp up high to illuminate her way. She eventually reached
the far side and was soon perched on a narrow ledge, up high and invisible from
Juana’s side.
    “What are you doing?”
    “We’ll hide our money here. No one can see it
and they won’t think to wade and carry a light like this. They won’t ever think
to look here.”
    She waded back and was shivering. They hurried
back and sat close to the fire to warm up. Juana threw a blanket over Maria.
They ate and stared into the fire.
    They soon fell asleep and stayed there until
morning. Maria was up first and started the housekeeping. She moved their traps
up to the fortress where she began kicking the debris away and, to her pleasant
surprise, found a neatly laid stone floor. The people were very handy who lived
here so long ago. Next, she hid their treasure and came back by the fire to dry
off and get warm. Juana finally stirred.
    “Sleep good?”
    “Uh huh.” Juana stretched and ate a tortilla
left from the night before.
    “Well, tonight we’re going to sleep better.
We’re going to make pine needle beds up there and sleep in comfort.”
    Maria was happy and excited about her new home.
It was safe and warm and had plenty of water and no one could bother them. She
couldn’t wait to make it a proper home. Juana watched her and shook her head
from side to side. “Bumpkin.”
     
    By afternoon, Maria had made a broom and a big
bed. She had covered the bed with their blankets and fashioned pillows from
some empty sacks. Everything smelled of fresh pine. She’d collected grasses and
was working on a basket when Juana finally sauntered in. She sat and ate and
watched Maria work.
    “You need to learn to make baskets too.” The
old woman had taught Maria well and she could make many baskets in a day.
    “For what?”
    “To trade. At that little village we passed.
The people will trade food for them. We can keep from spending our money that
way and no one will wonder how we got money in the first place. They won’t care
if we have baskets to trade. That’s expected.”
    Juana picked up some grass and half-heartedly
mimicked Maria’s