* * * * * *

When they finally found the place where they'd seen the man and woman, Joe had suggested splitting up into teams for the search. Frank had agreed that they would cover the ground faster this way, and the question was now, who would go with whom?

Chet then suggested 'blonds' and 'browns'. Joe immediately subscribed to the idea, and with Biff grinning from ear to ear, Frank knew it would be pointless to argue. He did however prescribe caution. "We don't have any way to contact one another once we seperate. Let's meet back here in say, three hours. If you find anything, mark it on your map and try not to get into trouble."

"Remember," he stressed as the 'blonds' stood, eager to be off, "we don't know anything yet, so don't go getting hotheaded on us. Chet, I'm depending on you to keep these other two in line."

Chet nodded nervously, and picked up his knapsack. "Don't worry Frank, I'll try to keep them out of trouble; I've had enough of that from them already these past few days."

Reluctantly, Frank watched as the 'blonds' tramped off on their assigned heading. He and Joe had always been partners, and he hated the thought that they seemed to be working singly, even though it was neccessary that they split up with the teams. Shaking his head, he resigned himself to the task ahead of him. Nodding to TJ, he motioned towards their packs. TJ watched in silence as the elder Hardy fell into step beside him.

* * * * * *

Now they were here, and Frank was beginning to doubt the wisdom of leaving the two headstrongs with Chet, who would probably give in to any plan that they managed to concoct between them. Of course, he added ruefully, I can hardly keep Joe in line myself, and that's on a good day. TJ 's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Frank, over there!" Following his friend's finger, Frank took the binoculars and peered in the direction indicated. His eyes widened.

Far ahead, a flash of neon green showed briefly, before being swallowed up in the shadows in the cliffs beyond. "You would think that they'd hide those shirts," he commented in disgust, "they're like a flashlight in a dark room." TJ nodded. Frank glanced through the glasses again, focusing on the cliff for several minutes, but no movement occured in the area.

"Are we going to follow, or head back to our rendezvous?"

Frank thought a moment while stuffing the binoculars inside his pack. "We need more information. Let's at least find out their destination before we head back." He hoisted his pack onto his shoulders. "That cliff looks like it may have a cave in it; they disappeared in a dark patch on the cliff, and haven't come out while we've been standing here."

TJ spread the map and marked their current position, then plotted the course through an intervening valley to the slight ridge beyond, where the cliff began. Frank set the coordinates into the compass, and started at a rapid pace down the slope. TJ stuffed the map into his cargo pocket, and hurried to catch up.

As they drew near the foot of the hill that led upward, neither noticed the metallic gleam above. Frank took out the binoculars again and scanned above them. "There's a cave alright, and it looks like someone's lying on the ground outside it!" TJ opened his mouth, but a clattering noise interrupted whatever comment he was about to make. Instead, both boys looked above them. A river of rocks cascaded towards them!

* * * * * *

In the meantime, Joe Hardy found himself looking down the barrel of an odd looking gun. He held his hands up in surrender, and spoke soothingly to the man behind it. "Hey there, go easy! It isn't hunting season yet!" The man, a big burly character with a scraggly beard and a tattoo of a skull on his arm, grunted in disgust as he motioned Biff and Chet up with the barrel of his weapon. They obligingly stood, Biff still holding the map he'd been marking on moments before.

When the boys stood together as a group, Mr. Ugly (as Joe labeled him), finally spoke. His low, grating voice did nothing to improve the boys' first impressions. "What are you boys doin' in this part of the woods." Joe raised an eyebrow slightly, but didn't say anything. Biff spoke up.

"We thought we'd take a hike out to a lake northeast of our campsite."

Ugly chewed on his lip while he considered this explanation. Seeming still distrustful, he gestured towards the map in Biff's hand. Wordlessly, Biff passed it to him, glancing at both his friends as they stood waiting. Chet seemed a bit pale, and Joe looked miffed. Finally the stranger handed it back.

"So," he grunted, "you're going to one of them little lakes up there." A lazy wave of the hand indicated a wide area behind him. "Why've you got two paths marked?"

Joe snorted. "That's simple. My dimwit of a brother and his friend decided to hike out to an old firetower. They wouldn't change their minds, so we marked down the direction they were taking. They've been known to get lost before." Biff choked at the absurdity of the statement, but Ugly seemed to take it seriously. Glaring at them again, he waved them on, still brandishing his weapon. "Go find your lake boys, but take another path home. I don't like to be disturbed."

Joe led the way again as they moved off, but stopped when they turned out of sight. Dropping down on all fours, he motioned to Biff and Chet to be quiet, and slipped up behind a tree. Peering out, he noticed Ugly talking on a radio. Must be why he was so anxious to get rid of us. Joe thought, watching intently. Although too far away for him to catch any words, Ugly seemed to be having an agitated conversation with whoever was at the other end. Finally, he growled one more time at the radio before stuffing it on his belt and rushing off.

Immediately Joe waved to his friends, and set out in pursuit. Biff set off hot on his heels, while Chet lagged behind. "Uh fellows?" he whispered hoarsely. "Shouldn't we get Frank and TJ first?" But the others were too far ahead to hear. Sighing quietly, he struggled to catch up.

"Why did I get stuck with these guys?"

* * * * * *

As the slide cascaded towards them, small pebbles began to splatter the area they were in. Frank's quick eye spotted a slight overhang with a depression underneath. Grabbing his friend's arm, he barreled towards it. Could they reach it in time?

TJ now noticed where they were headed, and his pace picked up. Already they slide had gained both force and speed, there was only one chance; they had to make it! With one last desperate plunge, the boys gained the shelter, shoving their way under the ledge. Bodies battered by the stones that had managed to hit them, they surveyed their slight shelter.

"Press flat against the rock!" Frank shouted now to be heard above the noise. TJ nodded, then, "Hey!" The ground moved under them, the rocks cascaded before them, and all went dark.

* * * * * *

Chet finally caught up to Biff and Joe. They were hidden in a grove of pines, staring at something ahead. Looking around nervously, Chet crept up beside Joe and tapped his shoulder. Joe whirled and nearly blasted poor Chet's head, but stopped his fist when he noticed his friend. "Chet!" he hissed, "You startled me!"

The stout boy groaned. "Yeah? Well, you ditched me back there!" he whispered back.

Biff interrupted the brewing arguement with a finger to his lips. He pointed to a slightly clear area surrounding a pile of large rocks. Out of a dark crack a figure appeared. Another moved to join him from the trees. One was old Ugly, while the other was a slip of a man, not above five and a half feet, he appeared microscopic by the side of the larger man. His pale complexion contrasted sharply with the dark features of his companion.

"I'm going to see if I can hear what they're saying." Joe suddenly announced, and suiting actions to words, noiselessly eased back from the small cluster of pines and bounded down the hill, intending to circle around. A stone rolled ahead, however, loosened by his passing. The sound of its striking a hollow log, although slight, reached the two men.

Brow furrowed, Ugly unstrapped his gun and cut loose with a volley at the hill above!