Joe Hardy stood outside the door of the tent that he and Frank were sharing. A groan came from the tent next to theirs. Chet Morton was waking and not too thrilled about it. "Tone it down a little pal, you're not trying to wake the dead here you know."

Frank grinned from his spot by the fire. The three boys plus Biff Hooper were camping out in the hills of New York, on school break. Chet was attempting to sleep in, and Joe had decided to make sure he saw the sunrise. Frank deciding to add a little incentive to rising winked at Biff and called to Joe, "Come on bro, if he won't get up, we'll just have to eat without him."

Sudden scrambling sounded from inside the tent, and the face of Chet Morton appeared a moment later. The rest of him followed as he exited the tent, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What do you mean eat without me," he asked indignantly, "when you haven't cooked anything yet?"

Biff couldn't resist needling their stout friend. "Hey, we figured the only way to have any food for us is to make you live off your stored food supply."

Chet snorted. "Well if you're going to do that you'd better let me hibernate. Can't go without food in an active lifestyle like mine."

"Well, active might not be the best word to describe it, but at least you're not a couch potato." Frank interjected, sparing the stout boy any more teasing by the other two. "Besides, we need you to help make breakfast first."

Chet seemed to brighten at that thought, and soon the camp was filled with smell of sausages. The boys sat around the fire eating the pancakes that Chet had cooked along with aforementioned sausages. "Hey, these are really good." Joe remarked, "You've really gotten good at this Chet."

Chet's only reply was to smirk in Joe's direction and take more food.

After they finished eating, Frank was elected to clean up. The others lounged around enjoying the view and the relaxation from daily life. Fifteen minutes later Frank joined them. He looked around the circle when he sat down and noted the looks on their faces.

"Come on guys, don't tell me you're bored already! I only just got here."

Joe laughed at that. "Sorry bro, but we are."

"So what do you propose to do about it?"

Joe was on his feet instantly with a suggestion. "Let's take a hike and see what else is in the area. I mean, since we're camping here, we don't want to waste the 'educational' value of our journeys."

Biff chuckled. "Imagine that, Joe's thinking conscientiously about school. What would that make, like the first time in seventeen years?"

Joe lightly punched Biff in the arm. "Knock it off big guy, I'm not that bad."

Chet pushed himself off the log he was using as a seat. "Well, if we're going hiking, we need to be prepared for eventualities."

"He means eating." Biff chimed in, untangling his long legs. He stood and stretched.

"Of course, what else would I be talking about." Chet shot back. "Man, you would think that I eat all the time to hear you guys talk."

Frank stood to his feet, shooting a warning look to Biff and Joe. "Well, if we're going, we might as well get ready. We'll figure on coming back here for the night, but it wouldn't hurt to be prepared for anything. I think if we all take one thing with us plus our jackets and knives, we should be fine. Besides," he continued thoughtfully, "Chet could carry the lunch."

Chet agreed, although reluctantly, as he wasn't in the mood to be teased right now. He definitely was not a morning person. Frank was the first to shuffle out of the Hardy's tent. He held up his flashlight and a small waterproof container. "I've got the light." He announced to no one in particular. Joe crawled out a moment later with his first aid kit strapped to his belt, and carrying his jacket. He stood with his brother and waited patiently for the other two to appear.

Chet came out of the tent behind Biff, grumbling about the unfairness of it all. Biff displayed his compass and a canteen. Chet, silent now, held up his knapsack, which the others knew contained the food. Joe whistled off down the trail, not stopping to see if the others were following. They did anyway, silently filing after him into a woodsy section.

An hour's hiking brought them to within sight of the cliffs they had observed last evening while setting up camp. They loitered for a few minutes, and Biff was about to suggest moving on, when Joe called their attention to a couple of moving specks on the side of one of the cliffs.

"Hey, what's going on up there?"

Frank shrugged and the others looked at him helplessly, obviously without a clue. Joe sighed. "Wish I'd have thought to bring the binoculars." Frank was about to reply when Chet unzipped his knapsack and pulled out the glasses. He handed them to Joe with a smug look on his face. "Well, at least someone was thinking today."

Joe nodded, grinning. "I'm sure glad you were." Squinting, he peered through the lenses. The image on the cliff was fuzzy, so adjusted the focus. "Hey! That's people up there; wonder if they're - " he broke off suddenly, leaving the others mystified.

"Uh-oh." Frank, Biff, and Chet each strained to make out the trouble on the cliff, but were stymied by the distance. Joe lowered the binoculars and looked at his companions. "Somebody is stuck up there."