You meet a fellow traveler who warns you of the dangers of traveling through the state

Be aware, traveling through the state is dangerous. “every man that travels through this country is taken up and examined, and if he does not give a good account of himself, he is strung up to the nearest tree. I have to get a passport from here to Red River, and then I expect to have a hard time getting through, for a man’s word is nothing in these critical times.”

What do you do? Your assignment mandates that you find out the truth about these fires and the supposed plot. You must push forward to another county. But do be aware of the dangers.¹