Chapter 10: The Golden OneIt was a fine morning for riding and they covered the distance to the nearby foothills in less than two hours. It took another thirty minutes or so to ride up into the flat area back against one of the rocky up thrusts. Lorenz was surprised to find the ground almost barren of grass, chaparral, or trees. They left the horses in the shade of the one remaining tree. The rock rose in the form of a small mountain. MacDonald stopped at the side a huge boulder. At either side of the boulder, mountain laurel fought to survive and small trees struggled for a foothold in the rock. Mostly it looked like the vegetation had lost.
MacDonald braced his back against the boulder, set his legs, and pushed. His face began to flush, but gradually the boulder moved, scattering small
