"You needn't be scared," Ellen said. "We won't hurt you. Don't you remember all the candy I've brought you? Don't you remember that new pair of overalls I brought you last month? Weren't they fine overalls, Tommy?" "Uh-huh. Nice. Wearin' 'em now." He didn't sound quite so hostile. "Come and get the candy," Ellen said, opening her purse. * * * * * It took her five minutes to get him down out of that cave. Those were five minutes of hell for me. Ellen's voice showed no trace of concern, no fear, no worry. Listening to her, you would have thought she hadn't a care in the world. Only the way she was holding on to my arm showed me how scared she was. "Here," she said, handing him a candy bar. He ate it, paper cover, tin foil, and all. He didn't look at me. He saw me all right but he didn't trust me so he didn't glance in my direction. "How did you make the big noises?" Ellen quietly asked. "Huh? Big noises?" He sounded scared again. I took a firm grip on a lungful of air and prepared to hold on to it. "The big booms," Ellen said. "You know, like firecrackers, only lots louder. They sure were fine noises." "You like 'em, huh? Want hear more big noises, huh? Fourth of July noises, huh?" My eyes had become accustomed to the darkness and I saw him lift his arms and stretch his slingshot rubbers. "Want more noises, huh?" he asked proudly. "Not now, Tommy," Ellen said quickly, a sudden catch in her voice. "Let me see one of the firecrackers that make the big noises." "Huh?" He lowered his arms but he held the sling ready. His grunt was full of suspicion. "I'll give you another candy bar for one of your firecrackers," Ellen said quickly. She opened her purse and I heard the rattle of waxed paper. "I'll trade you a candy bar for a firecracker. You want another candy bar, don't you, Tommy? Remember how good that last candy bar was?" He remembered all right. His eyes never left the bar of chocolate she was holding toward him. I went right on holding my breath. "Okay," he said suddenly. "Trade." He took something out of the pocket of his sling, dropped it in Ellen's hand, grabbed the candy bar, and started eating. "Flashlight," Ellen whispered to me. To Tommy she said, "We're going to turn on a flashlight so we can look at the firecracker. It's a good candy bar, isn't it, Tommy?" My hands were shaking so badly I could barely hold the light. Ellen was holding the firecracker in the palm of her hand. I took one look at it, and I didn't believe my eyes. It was about the size of a big pea. It wasn't as big as a grape. It looked like a small round pebble. This was the bomb that had caused those terrific explosions! "Is this what made the big noises?" Ellen asked. "Sure," Tommy said, stopping eating long enough to talk. "Make big boom. Want more? Got plenty." He reached into a pocket of his overalls and brought out a handful. "Good shootin' rocks," he said. * * * * *