EMP 1500 MILES FROM HOME Read Online Free PDF Page A

them that wouldn't work, but no one listened to me. In my entire life, spent mostly at this, and other orphanages, no one ever listened to me.
    I left just before dawn, pulling the cart behind me. In just three miles I was tired, in spite of numerous rest stops, so I pulled the cart out of sight, and went to sleep in the back of the cart. I knew it was dangerous, but I was too tired to worry about it.
     
    Wayne
    It would be dark in about two hours, so we got our stuff together in two makeshift backpacks. I took the heavy one and Julie the lighter one and we left. We walked into the high desert, keeping I-25 in sight on our right as we walked north.
    After an hour of walking, we looked around for a good place to camp. I found a low knoll that would hide us from view to the east, with a clump of mesquite just west of it that would conceal us well from the other directions. We cleared out a spot in the middle of the mesquite and made camp.
    We stretched out the tarp and used small rocks to hold the edges down so it would stay flat in the ubiquitous New Mexico wind. I dug a Dakota fire pit with the old butcher knife and my hands.
    "What are you doing? Digging a latrine in the middle of camp? I am not that kinky, Wayne."
    "Me either Julie, this is a Dakota fire pit. The flames won't show, and if we use small pieces of dry wood, there will be almost no smoke. It uses less firewood to cook too."
    "I have never seen a fire pit with a tunnel, but I have only done car and horse camping."
    "If it weren't for Cap's teachings, I wouldn't know anything about this either."
    "I think I would like this Cap guy."
    "I think you would. He can be a little harsh at times, but he always means well."
    "Is he the one who taught you to shoot like that."
    "My dad taught me the basics of how to shoot when I was ten, but Cap taught me everything else. I never once thought I would use anything Cap taught me. I mostly just went along with it all because Lucy, my wife, insisted."
    "I am glad she did."
    "Right now, I am too." I said. "I think I am just beginning to understand how wise Cap really is. I am so glad he is there to take care of Lucy and Ben through this. Heck, if I was there, he would be taking care of me as well."
    Once I had the fire going, I showed Julie how to cook on the Dakota Fire pit. While Julie was cooking I found a suitable rock and started sharpening the butcher knife. I got a workable edge, but not as sharp as I liked. I decided to keep my eye out for a better sharpening stone tomorrow as we walked. I laughed quietly to myself. The first sharpening stones were just that—stones. Nothing really changes.
    Now that there were no stores, we were just scavengers, and much less knowledgeable about using nature to our advantage than our primitive forebears. Like Cap said, it was time to make do, or do without. I preferred to make do and hoped I was capable enough to succeed.
    Julie heated a couple of cans of tamales and we both took turns eating out of the pot.
    When the food was gone, Julie said, "I didn't realize how hungry I was, and you ate like you hadn't eaten for a week."
    "Only a day," I replied. "Those tamales were good though."
    "I think you could eat some more. We have more cans."
    "But we don't know how long our food will have to last," I said. "Besides, I could stand to lose a few pounds."
    "Not very many, I think," Julie said, looking me over. "I could lose a few more than you."
    "Well, on this trip, I suspect we will both have our chance to lose a few pounds."
    "I think you're right." Julie paused for a while. "Does it bother you, shooting those men, I mean?"
    "I thought it would bother me more. In fact, I never thought I could ever take a life. It makes me want to be more careful. I don't want to have to kill anyone else, and I don't want to get killed."
    "Amen to that," Julie said. "I wasn't raised a pacifist, but I don't want to kill anyone either. My dad and mom raised me to do what needs doing though. That is a big part