The Rock Jockeys

by Gary Paulsen

  J.D. stepped out of the trees. “We weren’t worried about you. We’re just getting kinda tired of this place.” He looked at Rick. “It’s brushy all the way. I say we travel as the crow flies. It’ll be hard no matter which way we take, but that will be the shortest route.”

  Rick checked Spud’s arm and loosened the bandage in a couple of places. “I’ll kill the fire. You guys make sure we have everything.”

  When they were ready to leave, J.D. picked up Spud’s heavy pack. Spud put his hand out to stop him. “I don’t need all that stuff. Let’s lighten it and then I can carry it.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Spud nodded and started pulling things out. He took out the prop and a little black book fell on the ground. Rick reached down and picked it up. “What’s this?”

  Spud shrugged. “I haven’t had a chance to look at it. It’s probably a logbook or something. I found it wrapped in a plastic sack stuffed down in a hole in the wall of the plane.”

  Rick opened it and started reading. He flipped through a few pages. “It’s a diary.” Rick sat down on a nearby boulder. “This is incredible.”

  “What?” The other two boys crowded around him.

  “One of those guys survived the crash. Listen to this.…”

  August 25, 1945

  It is now the third day since the crash. I have decided to keep this journal as a way of passing the time until help arrives.

  My name is Lieutenant James Dowling. I am—was—the navigator of the ship Death Angel and am the only surviving member of the crew. Miraculously I have come through with only a flesh wound to my forehead.

  Rick turned the page and continued.

  I have explored my surroundings and have found them hostile. There is no immediate food source and as yet I have not been able to find water.

  August 28, 1945

  Today I buried the crew. It was hard work in such rocky ground, but it needed doing. I have been using the plane for shelter and it is adequate although it is growing colder each day. But that is not my main concern. If help does not come soon I will surely starve to death.

  The following page was blank except for one word.

  Food.

  The next entry wasn’t dated.

  I have found water and it has given me a little hope but on my second trip to the stream I nearly fell into what looks like a bottomless pit.

  “He must be talking about the same hole I fell in.” Spud looked over Rick’s shoulder. “Does he say how those bones got in there?”

  Rick flipped though the pages. “It’s hard to tell. From here on he sort of rambles.”

  Dan Thorton was a great pilot. He made it through the entire war without a scratch. We were on our last flight together. It was Dan’s idea to stop off at the club for a couple of farewell drinks.

  We had great plans for civilian life. Dan was going into business for himself. He invited us all to come in with him and run a small airfield near his home in Memphis.

  The next paragraph was smeared. Rick could barely make it out.

  I set the course and then relaxed. The next thing I knew the captain was on the radio. Something had gone wrong with the plane. It was going down and he didn’t have a clue where we were. I tried desperately to get us back on course, but by that time it was too late. Too late.

  My fault, all of it. As navigator I am responsible.

  J.D. let out a low whistle. “Poor guy,” he said. “Up here starving to death with all that guilt on his shoulders. Does he say anything else?”

  “There’s one more entry. It’s dated much later, in September. That’s odd.…” Rick scanned it quickly.

  “Well?” Spud asked. “What does it say?”

  Rick snapped the book shut. “Nothing.” He moved to the spot where they had built the fire earlier, kicked some of the dirt off the coals, and threw the little book on it.

  Spud watched the flames lick at the yellowed pages. Within seconds the book had turned to ash. “Why’d you do that? That’s a historical document.”

  “Not anymore.” Rick picked up his gear and headed down the hill.

  “I don’t get it.” Spud scratched his head. “What’s wrong with him?”

  J.D. frowned. “I’m not sure. But I’m starting to piece it together.”

  “Are you gonna let me in on it?”

  “You remember earlier when we found the plane and we were wondering why the government didn’t tell anybody anything about the crash or finding the bodies?”

  “Yeah? So?”

  “I think they put it together too when they found the lieutenant’s body in the plane and didn’t find all of the crew in their graves.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You remember those bones we found in the bottom of that hole?”

  Spud nodded.

  “How do you think the lieutenant managed to stay alive as long as he did?”

  Spud shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he—wait a minute. You’re not saying … I mean, you don’t think he dug up one of those guys for food, do you?”

  J.D. picked up the rest of the gear. “We may never know. The bones are at the bottom of a pit and Rick just burned the only other evidence.”

  CHAPTER 11

  “Here, let me carry that.” J.D. reached for Spud’s gear.

  Spud moved it out of J.D.’s reach. “I can manage. Besides, I’ll be packing it off the mountain tomorrow so I better get used to it.”

  Rick hadn’t said a word since burning the diary. He stopped and turned. “You don’t have to come down with us tomorrow.”

  “What are you talking about? Sure I do.”

  Rick chose his words carefully. “If J.D. and I leave you our rations, you could stay up here until we get down. As soon as we hit bottom we’ll go for help and—”

  “Forget it. I’m a Rock Jockey. There’s no way I’m going back in a helicopter.” Spud stiffened and headed down the hill in front of them.

  “I didn’t mean to make him mad. I was just trying to make it easier on him.” Rick sighed. “If anything happened to Spud on the way down, I’d never forgive myself.”

  J.D. cocked his head. “Tell me the truth. If you were in his shoes, would you go back in a chopper?”

  Rick looked sheepish. “I see what you mean.”

  J.D. laughed. “We better catch up with him before he gets to the north face and starts down without us.”

  They half ran through the brush until they found Spud. He glared back at them and kept walking.

  J.D. winked at Rick. “You know, I was just thinking. Tomorrow would be a good time for us to try that new impaired-climber move I was reading about.”

  “You mean the one where we wrap the injured man in a sleeping bag and drop him in a free fall to the bottom?”

  “That’s the one.”

  Spud turned. “If you airheads think I’m gonna let you—”

  Rick and J.D. started laughing. “Got ya!”

  CHAPTER 12

  The sun was just coming up. Rick took a sip of his tea and threw a stick on the fire. “Before we start off the mountain, I guess I owe you guys an explanation about the lieutenant’s diary.”

  “Diary?” Spud looked at J.D. “What diary? I don’t know anything about any diary. Do you?”

  J.D. shook his head. “Never saw one.”

  Rick half smiled. Then his look grew serious again. “I was thinking of the lieutenant’s family. I figure the government’s already made its report and after all these years his family doesn’t need this kind of shock. The lieutenant did what he had to in order to survive. Any of us might have done the same in his position.”

  “Nobody here is arguing with you, Rick.” J.D. was equally serious. “Spud and I talked it over last night. Your dad taught us not to judge someone unless you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. And I sure wouldn’t have wanted to be in Lieutenant Dowling’s shoes when the bomber crashed.”

  “So we’re all agreed,” Spud said. “The only thing
we found up here was an empty, wrecked bomber.” He had taken the bandage off his arm and was trying to rewrap it.

  Rick watched his progress. One of the sticks fell on the ground. The other one was turned sideways. Rick folded his arms. “I know you’re a Rock Jockey and everything, but do you want some help?”

  “Shut up and get over here.” Spud held the elastic bandage out to him.

  J.D. looked on as Rick wrapped the arm. “You guys realize that we’re gonna be famous when we get back?”

  Rick glanced up. “I’ve been giving that some thought.” He tied off the bandage and started collecting his gear. “Maybe we could use our skills to help out around here.”

  J.D. put out the fire. “What are you talking about?”

  “Well, there are a lot of dangerous mountain ranges nearby.” Rick uncoiled his rope. “And people like Lieutenant Dowling are always getting lost or stuck on them somewhere. Then the authorities have to go out and locate rescue teams.…”

  “And you think they should call us?” Spud heaved his pack onto his back and checked his rope.

  “Why not?” Rick moved to the edge of the cliff and grinned. “We’re the best, aren’t we?” He reached down and hooked his rope to the first carabiner. “Lead man ready.”

  Spud put his thumb in the air. “Belayer ready.”

  J.D. waved. “End man ready.”

  Rick dropped over the side. “Last one down buys the other two pizza.”

  “Do you think he’s serious?” Spud looked back at J.D.

  “About what? The pizza or us becoming a rescue team?”

  Spud laughed. “Both.”

  “He better not be serious about the pizza because I’m the end man. About helping people, why not?” J.D. smiled. “After all—we’re the Rock Jockeys.”

  MOUNTAINEERING

  Mountaineering is a sport that requires special skill, equipment, and endurance.

  The most important thing in climbing is safety. Beginning climbers should start out slowly, taking one-day hikes or backpacking trips to strengthen muscles. Practice foot- and handholds by scrambling over boulders, and never attempt a difficult climb without an experienced climber present.

  Use of the rope is the most crucial skill for a climber, and many climbers spend months mastering belaying and rappelling. On most climbs, two or three people are roped together. One person is chosen as the leader and covers the route first. The second climber follows, and then the third.

  CLIMBING TERMS

  Belayer: The person who handles the ropes and protects the climber from a fall.

  Bowline: A special knot used to connect the ropes to the climber.

  Carabiner: An aluminum clip with a gate that opens and snaps shut, connecting climbing hardware with the rope.

  Chimney: Openings in a mountainside wide enough for a climber to get inside.

  Commands: Short, easy-to-understand climbing instructions exchanged between the lead man, belayer, and end man.

  Ice Ax: A special ax that has a pick on one end and a blade on the other, designed for climbing snow- or ice-covered peaks.

  Pitons: Metal spikes with rings on one end that can be hammered into cracks in rock and used as handholds.

  Rappelling: Descending a mountain by sliding down a rope that is anchored at the top.

  Don’t miss all the exciting action!

  Read the other action-packed books in

  Gary Paulsen’s

  WORLD OF ADVENTURE!

  The Legend of Red Horse Cavern

  Will Little Bear Tucker and his friend Sarah Thompson have heard the eerie Apache legend many times. Will’s grandfather especially loves to tell them about Red Horse—an Indian brave who betrayed his people, was beheaded, and now haunts the Sacramento Mountain range, searching for his head. To Will and Sarah it was just a story—until they decide to explore a newfound mountain cave, a cave filled with dangerous treasures.

  Deep underground Will and Sarah uncover an old chest stuffed with a million dollars. But now armed bandits are after them. When they find a gold Apache statue hidden in a skull, it seems Red Horse is hunting them, too. Then they lose their way, and each step they take in the damp dark cavern could be their last.

  Rodomonte’s Revenge

  Friends Brett Wilder and Tom Houston are video game whizzes. So when a new virtual reality arcade called Rodomonte’s Revenge opens near their home, they make sure that they are its first customers. The game is awesome. There are flaming fire rivers to jump, beastly buzz-bugs to fight, and ugly tunnel spiders to escape. If they’re good enough they’ll face Rodomonte, an evil giant waiting to do battle within his hidden castle.

  But soon after they play the game, strange things start happening to Brett and Tom. The computer is taking over their minds. Now everything that happens in the game is happening in real life. A buzz-bug could gnaw off their ear. Rodomonte could smash them to bits. Brett and Tom have no choice but to play Rodomonte’s Revenge again. This time they’ll be playing for their lives.

  Escape from Fire Mountain

  “… please anybody … fire … need help.”

  That’s the urgent cry thirteen-year-old Nikki Roberts hears over the CB radio the weekend she’s left alone in her family’s hunting lodge. The message also says that the sender is trapped near a bend in the river. Nikki knows it’s dangerous, but she has to try to help. She paddles her canoe downriver, coming closer to the thick black smoke of the forest fire with each stroke. When she reaches the bend, Nikki climbs onshore. There, covered with soot and huddled on a rock ledge, sit two small children.

  Nikki struggles to get the children to safety. Flames roar around them. Trees splinter to the ground. But as Nikki tries to escape the fire, she doesn’t know that two poachers are also hot on her trail. They fear that she and the children have seen too much of their illegal operation—and they’ll do anything to keep the kids from making it back to the lodge alive.

  Look for these adventures coming soon!

  Hook ’Em, Snotty!

  Bobbie Walker loves working on her grandfather’s ranch. She hates the fact that her cousin Alex is coming up from Los Angeles to visit and will probably ruin her summer. Alex can barely ride a horse and doesn’t know the first thing about roping. There is no way Alex can survive a ride into the flats to round up wild cattle. But Bobbie is going to have to let her tag along anyway.

  Out in the flats the weather turns bad. Even worse, Bobbie knows that she’ll have to watch out for the Bledsoe boys, two mischievous brothers who are usually up to no good. When the boys rustle the girls’ cattle, Bobbie and Alex team up to teach the Bledsoes a lesson. But with the wild bull Diablo on the loose, the fun and games may soon turn deadly serious.

  Danger on Midnight River

  Daniel Martin doesn’t want to go to Camp Eagle Nest. He wants to spend the summer as he always does: with his uncle Smitty in the Rocky Mountains. Daniel is a slow learner, but most kids call him retarded. Daniel knows that at camp things are only going to get worse. His nightmare comes true when he and three bullies must ride the camp van together.

  On the trip to camp Daniel is the butt of the bullies’ jokes. He ignores them and concentrates on the roads outside. He thinks they may be lost. As the van crosses a wooden bridge, the planks suddenly give way. The van plunges into the raging river below. Daniel struggles to shore, but the driver and the other boys are nowhere to be found. It’s freezing, and night is setting in. Daniel faces a difficult decision. He could save himself … or risk everything to try to rescue the others, too.

  The Gorgon Slayer

  Eleven-year-old Warren Trumbull has a strange job. He works for Prince Charming’s Damsel in Distress Rescue Agency, saving people from hideous monsters, evil warlocks, and wicked witches. Then one day Warren gets the most dangerous assignment of all: He must exterminate a Gorgon.

  Gorgons are horrible creatures. They have green scales, clawed fingers, and snakes for hair. They also have the power to turn people to stone. Warre
n doesn’t want to be a stone statue for the rest of his life. He’ll need all his courage and skill—and his secret plan—to become a true Gorgon slayer.

  The Gorgon howls as Warren enters the dark basement to do battle. Warren lowers his eyes, raises his sword and shield, and leaps into action. But will his plan work?

  Cool sleuths, hot on the case!

  Read Gary Paulsen’s hilarious

  Culpepper Adventures.

  Coach Amos

  Amos and Dunc have their hands full when their school principal asks them to coach a local T-ball team. For one thing, nobody on the team even knows first base from left field, and the season opener is coming right up. And then there’s that sinister-looking gangster driving by in his long black limo and making threats. Can Dunc and Amos fend off screaming tots, nervous mothers, and the mob, and be there when the ump yells “Play ball”?

  Amos and the Alien

  When Amos and his best friend, Dunc, have a close encounter with an extraterrestrial named Girrk, Dunc thinks they should report their findings to NASA. But Amos has other plans. He not only promises to help Girrk find a way back to his planet, he invites him to hide out under his bed! Then weird things start to happen—Scruff can’t move, Amos scores a game-winning touchdown, and Dunc knows Girrk is behind Amos’s new powers. What’s the mysterious alien really up to?

  Dunc and Amos Meet the Slasher

  Why is mild-mannered Amos dressing in leather, slicking back his hair, strutting around the cafeteria, and going by a phony name? Could it be because of that new kid, Slasher, who’s promised to eat Amos for lunch? Or has Amos secretly gone undercover? Amos and his pal Dunc have some hot leads and are close to cracking a stolen stereo racket, but Dunc is worried Amos has taken things too far!