went forward and interrupted two men in an act of theft, he could be in greater danger than just waiting in a cave until rescue came.
The younger one, Ryan, was saying, âA hydromagnesite surface is only about a tenth of a millimeter thick. Inside, these little balloons are filled with a kind of gas. If you didnât know they were hollow, youâd think they were pearls. Thatâs what they look like, sort ofâabout the same size as large pearls.â
âTheyâre worth a lot more than pearls, my man.â
âThatâs exactly why I have to be real careful cutting them loose. One bad move, and they could be crushed.â
Ashley whispered. âWhat should we do? Wait here till theyâre done, and then follow them out?â
âDo nothing. Just keep quiet,â Jack whispered back. âTheyâre crooks. They could have guns.â
The man with the deeper voice asked, âSo how do you know about these caves and rocks and stuff?â
The answer drifted back, âIâve been a caver since I was six. My dad started me out here, exploring Carlsbad, then all the other caves here in the Guadalupe Mountains. Thatâs why my dad would kill me if he knew whatâ¦. Hey, you know what? Iâm feeling pretty bad about it, too.â
âDonât go all soft on me.â
Ryan answered, âI canât talk anymore. I gotta concentrate on what Iâm doing.â
So, Jack thought, they had stumbled onto criminals. First heâd gotten them lost, and now heâd brought Sam and Ashley face-to-face with a new and different danger. His breath caught as he realized the trouble they could be in.
Ashley grabbed Jackâs arm and whispered, âThis is great. Now weâll be able to get out of here. We can follow these guys out.â
Jack considered this. It was true Ryan said he was familiar with Carlsbad and the Guadalupe Mountains. But would it be safe to try to trail after two cave robbers? The one with the deep voice had even been in prison!
âCome on, Jack, itâs the only way. I think we ought to sneak up a little closer to them,â Ashley went on softly. âWhy?â
âWhat if they start to leave and we donât know itâthen weâd miss our chance to follow them. Jack, you know we canât stay here. Look at the candle.â
When Jack saw there was hardly more than a quarter inch of wax left, he realized she was right. They needed to get close enough to the robbers to know when they were about to leave the cave, yet keep out of their sight in case they turned out to be dangerous.
âOK,â he whispered. âBut we gotta be really careful.â Bending down so that his lips were next to Samâs ear, he asked, âDo you understand whatâs happening? Those are bad guys, but when they get ready to leave, we can follow them. As long as they donât see us.â
Though Sammy nodded, Jack could feel him trembling.
âSo weâll stay real, real quiet. Iâll go first, then you, then Ashley.â
The three of them crept forward. As soon as they reached the point where Jack noticed dim illumination farther ahead, he blew out the sputtering candle, both to save the little bit of it that was left and to keep the men from noticing it. Sam clutched his hand in a painful grip, digging his fingernails into Jackâs palm. When Jack pulled his hand away, Sam clutched the back of Jackâs sweatshirt instead.
Each step was a conscious decision, a careful lifting of the foot and an even more careful placing of it on the cave floor. Jack knew that Ashley was moving as cautiously as he was. But Sam, clinging to Jackâs belt now, shuffled along behind him, terrified of the dark. Then, one of themâit must have been Samâkicked a stone.
âWhat the crud was that?â the deep-voiced man demanded.
âSounds like something fell,â Ryan answered.
âNothinâs gonna fall
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