For a moment Rick lay slumped at the base of the palmetto. He didn't lose consciousness completely, but he was stunned and unable to function either mentally or physically. He had neither sight or hearing for the first few seconds, then these faculties slowly returned. He became aware that he was looking down at a broad green leaf, and that the leaf was gradually turning crimson. He watched, his vision clearing, and suddenly realized that the red pigment was dripping onto the leaf in a steady series of drops that was almost a stream. At almost the same instant he knew that the red was blood and that it was his. He shook his head to clear it, and the red spray flew from side to side. Through the periphery of vision he saw that it was coming from his nose. Rick realized that he was on his hands and knees. He rose to a kneeling position and fished for his handkerchief. He put it to his nose and it came away stained red. He sighed with relief. Nosebleed. For a moment he had wondered. . . . A few feet away Scotty was slowly stretching one limb after another, checking to be sure he was functioning. Satisfied, the ex-Marine sat up, with some effort. Rick saw that his nose was bleeding, too. "You've got a nosebleed," Rick said faintly. Scotty touched his nose with the back of his hand and examined the red trace. "Uhuh," he agreed. "What happened?" Rick asked weakly. His voice sounded far away! Scotty's answer was barely audible. "We found the missing dynamite. I saw a length of wire along the trail. Are you okay?" "I think so." Rick got to his feet, feeling as though his body were in sections. "We must have been close when it went off." The two held onto each other for mutual support while strength came back into them. "We weren't too close," Scotty said finally. He gestured up the trail. Rick looked, and saw a gaping hole some distance away. Beyond it, coming toward them at as high a speed as the trail allowed, was Brad Connel in his jeep. The geologist stopped as he reached the hole, then swung off the trail and plowed through some scrub and back onto it again. He drew up next to the boys. "So it was you who stole the dynamite!" the geologist said grimly. "What happened? Did it explode while you were fooling around with it?" The boys stared at him, dazed and openmouthed. "You're crazy," Rick managed finally. "We didn't steal it, but we almost got blown up in it. If Scotty hadn't seen the wire, we both would have been blown to bits." The geologist's eyes narrowed. "Do you mean to tell me someone tried to blow you up? That's nonsense!" "That's what happened, nonsense or not," Rick said curtly. Scotty added, "And what were you doing here?" "Came to get my wallet," the geologist answered readily. "I missed it and figured I must have dropped it up here. It wasn't anywhere else I'd been. Better get in and let me take you back. If you were close enough to get nosebleeds you must be shaken up quite a bit."