Joshua Hambrick rode to the front of the group and led the descent into the valley. Confident that the rest of the group was watching for danger, he focused on the ground, searching for signs of a trail that might lead them to the temple.
Focused as he was, he couldn't turn off years of training, and as they made their way closer and closer to the river, his focus shifted more and more away from tracking and more toward the oppressive sense of danger all around.
Joshua was not alone. The whole group could feel it. The going was slow, and it seemed to everyone that the gathering shadows were threatening to smother them all. Their eagerness to reach the riverbanks, where they could break into the sunlight again, grew almost to desperation.
Joshua had almost forgotten entirely about tracking when he suddenly pulled up short and brought the whole group to a halt. They'd finally reached the river, and Joshua's horse had nearly trodden on a very deep, very fresh print just inside the edge of the treeline.
Joshua called Haskins to the front. "Lookit this print," he said. "Reminds me of a mountain lion."
Haskins studied the print. "I'm not familiar with your mountain lions, but it's a big cat, for sure. Where's it lead?"
Joshua stood up and tried to follow the print. The prints headed along the treeline, away from the base of a large tree-- then vanished.
"Did it jump?"
"No," Joshua declared, studying the print. "I don't think so. The print's no deeper here, see?"
"Well, it didn't just take two steps and vanish. Follow along a bit, I'll keep an eye out."
Joshua was perplexed, but he slowly followed the treeline. He picked up the trail again about 30 yards away: near another large tree, heading into the jungle. He could barely make out a game path heading into the jungle.
"Well, here's the print again..." he said. Joshua rubbed his chin.
"See?" Haskins said. "He jumped."
"Guess so," Joshua said.
No cat on God's earth jumps ninety feet, he thought.
"Shall we follow this trail, or should I keep looking for signs of the temple?"