Sourdough Duke had ridden to a place on Lake Brisbee where he had camped many times. It was a spot hidden away in a grove of chinaberry trees, and he was the only one who knew its location. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he DID know that he couldn't go back to Brisbee while the Boughton gang was there. He was worried about Tracinda. He didn't think that Blackjack would discover their trick so quickly, but when Kid Hawpe showed up and took her away, Sourdough knew he had to act fast.He lit a lantern and started to study the papers he had taken from Blackjack's room. One, the page from the journal, was a map of some sort, while the other was a letter containing a page with a bunch of numbers. The numbers looked much like the ones he and Tracinda had seen in the letter they had copied. He hoped Tracinda had hidden the letter well. He understood now that it held the answer to the page of numbers he was reading.
The burly cook turned his attention back to the map. It appeared to be a map of the area around Brisbee, but there were some markings he couldn't quite make out. He turned it over and saw that Blackjack had written something on the back, but the scribbles were as mysterious as the other markings. Sourdough decided to hide his find. He would sneak back into Brisbee tomorrow night and hide it where no one would think of looking. In the meantime, he would try to find someone to help him look for Tracinda.
The next morning Sourdough saddled up and steered his horse in the direction of Brisbee. He had thought of the perfect one to help him. He slowly made his way through the brush trying to stay out of sight, and finally came to a small, run-down cabin next to a still on Ten Mile Creek. He entered the creaking door and found Sour-Mash Marsh still asleep. He shook his friend, and Sour-Mash rolled over, grumbling and cursing at the side-winder who had interrupted his slumber.
Sourdough didn't tell Marsh the entire story; just that Tracinda had been kidnapped by Kid Hawpe. Marsh had already had one run-in with Hawpe and Blackjack, and he wasn't too sure he wanted to get involved, but Sourdough convinced him that there might be something in it so Marsh finally agreed to help. After a few cups of coffee the two men began to plan their strategy.
Around sunset that evening Marsh and Sourdough tied their horses a short distance outside of town, and followed the creek to the Brisbee Cemetery. Without saying what it was, Sourdough told Marsh that he had something he needed to stash for awhile and he knew a good spot. There was a huge old chinaberry stump, with a hollowed out place under one of the large roots. Marsh watched as Sourdough slipped some papers into a container of some sort, and slipped it into the hollow. Sourdough then placed a few leaves and a rock over the hole.
Darkness had settled over Brisbee again and the two men crept into town. Marsh would go to the saloon to see what he could see and hear while Sourdough waited in the alley. The crusty whiskey-maker walked into the saloon with an air of confidence. It was early, and there weren't many revellers in the place yet. Marsh pulled his stool close to the bar, ordered a shot of whiskey, and waited.
