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through the ravine below.
    â€œI’ll take the lead,” I said. “There isn’t a lot of cover once we get past that next grove of spruce trees, so just try to stay low and follow me.”
    We were about halfway there when Jim shrieked like he’d been launched out of a cannon. I spun around to run to defend him, only he wasn’t standing behind me anymore. He was dangling upside down from a tree!

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MAXED OUT
FRANK
    T WANG! WHOOSH! AIEEEEEE!
    The sound of the trip wire reached me a split second before the snare whisked Jim off the ground by his ankle.
    We’d been so busy looking up for threats, it hadn’t occurred to us that the hermit might be hunting for his meals from below!
    â€œHe’s got me! He’s got me!” Jim screamed.
    â€œIt’s okay, Jim. It’s just a tree that has you, not the hermit,” Joe assured our upside-down teacher. “Hang tight and we’ll have you down in a minute.”
    â€œI’m hanging tight, all right!” Jim whined.
    Cutting him down wasn’t a problem. Getting him to stand? Well, that was another matter.
    â€œI think it’s sprained, guys.” Jim collapsed to examine his already swollen ankle. “I can’t put any pressure on it. You guys are going to have to radio for help and then come back to get me.”
    â€œWe’re not leaving you behind,” Joe declared.
    â€œThanks, Joe. I’m not so keen on being out here by myself either, but it would take forever to carry me all the way up that hill. The most important thing right now is getting you and the rest of the Geccos back to safety as quickly as we can.”
    â€œHe’s right,” I said. “His ankle is so swelled up, it’s turning into a cankle. Even if we were able to fashion crutches for him, he might not make it. At least here in the trees we can find him some good cover until we get back.”
    We got to work splinting Jim’s ankle and making a quick lean-to nearby where he could rest comfortably, out of sight of hungry eyes.
    â€œI know you guys still don’t trust me about just finding the demantoids, and I know I’ve got a lot of work to do to rebuild that trust after lying to you,” Jim said while we worked. “But I’ve been thinking about the whole thing, and, well, what about Randall?”
    â€œWhat about him?” I asked, curious to see what Jim was getting at.
    â€œI know it may sound like I’m just trying to deflect the blame, and I feel awful possibly pointing the finger at one of my own students, but Randall is the one who gave me theidea for the trip. He said his parents would pay for our entire stay at Bear Foot Lodge if I could arrange for the Geccos to study with Dr. Kroopnik. I hope I’m wrong about this, but his family’s been coming here for years, and he’d be a lot more likely to have known about the treasure than me.”
    â€œHe did already know about that plane crash before Commander Gonzo told the rest of us,” I pointed out. “And he was as insistent as anybody about coming here even though he can’t stand nature.”
    â€œWell, the quicker we get to that station and radio for help, the sooner we’ll get a chance to ask him,” Joe said. He and I left Jim behind with the rest of the water and made our final push toward the research station. The sound of the rapids crashing down the side of the mountain grew louder the closer we got. Luckily, we were approaching from the rear, so we wouldn’t have to traverse the rickety wooden bridge that was suspended over the rapids from the station to the other side of the ravine.
    We snuck up to the cabin’s stilts, gave one last look around to make sure the coast was clear, and climbed the stairs to the deck. The door to the research station stood wide open, and it wasn’t to invite us in. The place had been totally ransacked. Only this time it wasn’t by