"Then how did those two backpackers know where to look?"

"And they were looking, weren't they?"

"Yeah. Thinking about it later, the only reasonable explanation as to why they were hunched over, walking back and forth, was because they were using metal detectors, looking for gold bars."

"Gold bars," Jenny finally had to break in, "what gold...?"

"Agh, Jed, I'm sorry," the Colonel said, slapping his forehead with an open palm.

"That's OK. I wanted to tell her myself. But, due to the latest developments, it might not be too wise for Jenny to know too much."

"Tell me," Jenny demanded.

"Later," Hap and Jed answered as one.

"When," she snapped back?

"Listen to old Dad for once, sweetcakes. Butler obviously was murdered because he found out, or was witness to, something that a mysterious Mr. Big wanted to keep a secret. I'm going to accompany Butler's casket home to burial in Baltimore. Then I'll slip down to Washington and ask a few friends at the Pentagon if they might have a bit more information on one General Hendrickson."

"I'm coming with you."

"No you are not!"

"Men! I am getting tired of being called 'little sweetcakes' and 'button.' This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius woman, fellows. You can't expect us to be your dimwit mannequins anymore."

"You," she turned on Jed, finger wagging, "a professor of anthropology (Hap covered his face with his hands to avoid a surprised look from Jed) who is so afraid of females that he talks to them in horsepucky homilies. And you," she started in on her father, "Who raised me to be an independent adult. I will not be shuffled off to New York with a little pat on the head. I'll be at the camp when you return."

Hap wasn't happy with the idea of his daughter being surrounded by, as he put it, a "wild pack of love starved boys." Jenny wasn't impressed by being treated as a "moon struck teenager."

Jed uncovered his ears and attempted to solve a family argument. Without thinking through the consequences, he offered the use of his old bunkhouse.
"Fact is," he added, as everyone warmed to the idea, "your little girl turned out to be mighty handy with the horses. I have to pick up a family from Meadow Creek Camp in the morning. Jenny did an outstanding job bringing the string home when I had to leave. I may just turn her into a full-fledged packer before you get back."

"Well," Hap replied in a gruff voice to cover over the fact that he had shamelessly manipulated the two into what he saw as a perfect young couple, "just keep her away from Heartbreak Pass."