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can’t tell how bad it is. He doesn’t seem to have any broken bones, and his breathing is regular. That’s good, anyway. Why do you think Georges left the main path?”
    â€œHe might have tried to use this trail as a shortcut,” Joe said. “It fits the directions on the map.”
    â€œIf he did, it was a bad choice,” Frank replied.
    The main rescue team arrived within fifteen minutes.
    â€œWe sent Hawk and Lupin back already,” one of the rescuers said. “You boys should head back, too, if you’re going to continue racing.” She and her colleague quickly assembled the portable stretcher they’d been carrying in their backpacks.
    â€œWe’ll stick with you until the helicopter comes,” Frank said.
    â€œAfter all,” Joe added, “who needs sleep?”
    The four of them put Georges on the stretcher, carried him back to the main trail, and then found a spot where the chopper could pick him up. They used their flashlights to signal the chopper pilot, and soon Georges was on his way to a local hospital.
    One of the rescue teams went with Clemenceau. The other hiked back to camp with the Hardys. Even moving quickly, it still took them an hour and a half to get back.
    â€œNot much shuteye tonight,” Joe groaned.
    â€œSuck it up, Hardy,” Frank joked. “This is a race, not a vacation.”
    The brothers fell asleep almost as soon as they rolled themselves into their blankets.
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    As the racers assembled the next morning, the Hardys were surprised to see Victoria Clemenceau near the front of the pack.
    â€œGeorges would not want me to drop out just because he cannot continue,” she said stoically, her twisted ankle wound in sports tape.
    Vince Bennett had arrived by helicopter during the night, and he spoke to the racers before the start of the new leg.
    â€œI’m sure you’ll all be glad to hear that Georges Clemenceau is recovering from that nasty bump on his head,” Bennett said. “This seems a good time to remind all of you of the importance of safety during the competition. I would recommend sticking to the official course route rather than blazing your own trails.
    â€œAnd look out for one another, please. I’d like to thank the people who helped our searchers find Georges last night.” He paused for some brief applause from the crowd. “Now, let’s get racing!”
    With that, the first group of racers sprinted intothe woods once more. Hawk, Clemenceau, Lupin, and a number of others took to the trails before the brothers, which gave the Hardys a bit of much-needed rest before they, too, set off.
    The course grew steeper and rockier, and quickly entered an area of steep-sided ravines. The Hardys found themselves climbing nearly as much as they were hiking.
    â€œWe’ll be hitting the rappelling section pretty soon,” Joe said.
    Frank nodded, too winded to say anything at that moment.
    Because of the brothers’ adventure the previous night, some of the other competitors began to catch up with them once more. Roger Baldwin and Robert Frid made a push in the late morning and passed the brothers just before a long rope climb up a cliff face.
    Frank and Joe struggled up the ropes and found Kelly Hawk and a number of others resting at the top of the cliff. Hawk was talking animatedly to a camera crew covering the race. As the brothers caught their breath and drank some water, they listened.
    â€œJust ahead,” Kelly said, wiping the sweat from her brow, “you’ll see the kind of thing my people object to. The ravaged forests are a clear indication that the stewardship of this land has been forsaken. This is one reason my people are asserting their ancient treaty rights.” She stood. “Come on,” she said to the camera people, “I’ll show you.”
    As Hawk and the crew hiked off toward the next hillside, Joe said,