Rick inspected the buildings with care. It looked like the setting for a Western motion picture, except for the lack of people and horses, and the lack of paint. He identified a pair of stores, a two-story building that could only have been a hotel, a livery stable, and several buildings without identification of any kind. There was only one street, and they were on it. Nowhere was there a sign of life. Then they were through the town, and the road climbed gently toward the foothills. Scotty held the jeep at a steady speed for over a mile. As the road gradually curved around a rock outcropping, he said, "Look behind and tell me when the town is out of sight." Rick turned in his seat in time to see Steamboat vanish behind the outcropping. "Now." Scotty brought the jeep to a halt. "The road should fork pretty soon, shouldn't it?" "That's right. Left fork to Pahrump Valley, right fork to Death Valley." "Let's hit the ditch." Scotty reached down and put the jeep into four-wheel drive, then turned left off the road. The bottom of the dry wash was alternately sandy and studded with boulders. Scotty picked his way with care, but it was a rough ride. Once or twice he stopped while Rick climbed the slope of the wash for a survey of the situation. Finally they pulled to a halt and both boys reconnoitered ahead, to find a good way out of the wash and onto the road. Satisfied that getting from the wash onto level ground would pose no problems, they turned off the jeep engine and settled down to wait. Again, Rick felt the futility of what they were doing. They might wait for weeks without ever seeing another human being. "There's going to be a moon," Scotty remarked. Rick looked up at the slim crescent. "Yes, but not much of a moon. I'd rather depend on a flashlight." Scotty stirred restlessly. "Maybe we should have explored the town." "Maybe. It's too late now, except to explore by flashlight. We can always come back during daylight." They fell silent while darkness settled in. Rick began to feel drowsy now that the excitement was at an end. He let his head droop. Presently he slept. Suddenly he realized Scotty was shaking him. "I'm awake," he whispered. "What's up? What time is it?" "Nearly nine. I was going to let you sleep for a while before starting back." Scotty's voice was low. "A car came along the road. Not from the base. The other way. It was traveling without lights. It stopped in town." "Let's go," Rick whispered. He got out of the jeep, Scotty on his heels. They moved carefully up the slope of the wash and emerged on the open desert behind the town. Scotty took his arm. "Follow me." The dark-haired boy moved into the lead. They moved in a bent-over position, making their way from bush to bush, careful to move silently. Rick's pulse began to hammer. Why should anyone come to the ghost town, especially in a darkened vehicle? For the first time he felt hope. They might find out something of importance after all!