Since Colorado was still a territory of the United States and hadn’t yet been given the status of statehood, it hadn’t officially entered the war for either the Union or the Confederacy. Instead, both sides had leveraged the territory to their own advantage, primarily in using gold and silver mines to finance the war efforts. The governor had called for regiments of Union soldiers. But Confederates had formed militia groups as well. While no major battles had occurred between the two warring sides, the Confederates had engaged in irregular skirmishes, thus gaining the name Irregulars.

Jericho brushed a hand over the trail of stones, and as he did so, Ivy’s racing thoughts came to an abrupt halt. She pushed up from the ground and joined him in front of the formation. The fire wasn’t big and didn’t provide much light, but it was enough to recognize the rocks had been placed in the pattern of a rattlesnake.

Chapter
18

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Ivy radiated with excitement.

“Blazing smoke.” It had taken him a minute, but he’d finally recognized the winding snakelike pattern. The front stone was shaped like a head, and each of the other rocks varied in size, none bigger than a bushel basket, easy enough for a man to carry.

“This has got to be what Hance is looking for.” Ivy knelt and picked up the front rock. “Reckoned it’d be on the outside of the mountain marking the spot, not tucked away deep in a cave.”

“I think it’s in both places.” Jericho crouched beside her and ran his hand along the ground, feeling for any indentation that would signify the granite had been cut. “Back a ways as I scanned Windy Peak with my spyglass, I noticed a line of rocks curving up from the bottom of the ravine.” He’d aimed directly for it.

With the fire roaring toward the peak from the connecting mountain, he’d been frantic with the need to find Ivy and the men. He hadn’t expected to see her scrambling around the summit and attempting to outrun the fire, but he’d been so relieved, he hadn’t had time to revel in the fact that he’d found her.

“That means the treasure’s in here somewhere.” Ivy stood and began to search around the cave, prodding and poking at the walls.

“Don’t get your hopes up too high.” He continued to run his hand along the ground, moving the rocks and checking under each one.

“You know if I find the treasure, I’m gonna have to hog-tie you and leave you behind?” Her tone was turning lighthearted, and he loved this playful side of her, knew it was his fault that she wasn’t like this more often around him.