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ahead. She made one more trip to the honey tree to
salvage one final jar of honey for her trip and that evening used
the last of her flour to make a final batch of biscuits.
     
    Sitting in front of the fire, Nat chose
one of the bear claws and using a tiny awl bored a hole through the
claw. Using a thin strip of the deer hide, she fashioned a necklace
with the bear claw and slipped it over her head to rest just above
her heart. In the days and years to come, Nat would caress the bear
claw when thinking of her father and take comfort in this token of
his life.
     
    The next morning, Nat packed the
animals and stood before her father’s grave and with a final
goodbye she turned to take the first step to her future.
     
    She rode for three days until she found
the large cave she planned to rest in before the final leg into
Seattle. They had made the journey through the final mountain pass
just as the first snow began to fall and Nat was relieved to once
again reach flat ground. After a week’s rest, Nat would ride the
final two days into Seattle where she would have to make decisions
on what path her life would lead. Nat knew she was close to her
destination when she encountered the dreary rains that plagued the
area, sometimes for days on end.
     
    The final week passed quickly and soon
Nat was facing the final night in the protection of the cave. Nat
slept curled around Gyp that night and the following morning she
began arranging her packs for the final leg of her journey. Unsure
of what she would do once she traded out her pelts, Nat was sure of
only one thing. She would stick to the plan that she and her father
had made to rent a small cabin to spend the winter months
restocking and planning for their next journey.
     
    Nat and her companions spent one last
cold and damp night in the woods and by noon the next day she
crested one final hill which opened up to the bustling town of
Seattle. Nat sat for a moment and watched the bustling of the
crowded streets and with a final look over her shoulder back into
the forest, she urged Hardy to move forward.
     

PART TWO
     
    Her first stop was made to the furriers
to begin negotiations on her pelts. Smithy, the owner had always
dealt fairly with Nat and her father, knowing they would only bring
him the highest quality pelts and he rewarded them handsomely for
their loyalty. Smithy smiled warmly at Nat, a smile that faded
quickly when he realized she was alone.
     
    “ Where is Nathan,” he calmly
asked, placing an arm around Nat?
     
    “ He’s gone Smithy,” Nat
said, the threat of tears choking her voice. “He was checking traps
and was mauled by a grizzly a few weeks back.”
     
    “ I am so sorry to hear
that,” Smithy said. “Nathan was a great man,” he added.
     
    “ Yes he was,” Nat replied in
agreement.
     
    “ What will you do now?”
Smithy asked.
     
    “ I don’t know for sure yet
Smithy. After trading I plan on getting a hot meal and bath and
then hopefully rent out the old Johnson cabin for the winter before
deciding what to do,” Nat said in a weary voice.
     
    “ Well why don’t we get you
unloaded and you can go get some food while I survey your pelts,”
Smithy suggested as he walked outside with Nat.
     
    Smithy noticed the bear pelt on the
back of her father’s horse and ran his hand through the course fur.
“Is this the one that killed your dad?” he asked.
     
    “ Yes it is,” Nat answered.
“A big son of a bitch he was too.”
     
    “ Are you planning on trading
the pelt?” Smithy asked
     
    “ No Smithy, that one’s a
keeper,” she said.
     
    “ Well let me know if you
ever change your mind, a pelt that size would carry a large price
on the market.”
     
    “ You can see what you can
get for these,” Nat said as she took the leather pouch which held
the bear claws and tossed them to Smithy.
     
    Smithy opened the pouch and looked
inside. “A small fortune I would expect,” Smithy said. “Some of
these new greenhorns pay