Chapter 4
The foursome had been walking steadily for about two hours. Even though their backpacks were of the latest design, the sheer strain of walking constantly up hill was wearing each of them down.
"I think it's time to take a breather," Don replied.
"Good idea!" Tricia said as she sank to her knees and removed the burdensome pack from her feminine shoulders.
"Whew!" Sally replied. "This is quite a little walk!"
"Everyone just take it easy for a few minutes," Ron said. "We'll catch our breath and we'll be as good as new."
The foursome relaxed and helped themselves to the meager water rations they had allotted themselves for their journey.
"Hey, Tricia," Sally said, "let's take a little walk and wind down. We don't want to shut down our systems completely; we should move around a little after drinking that water."
"Yeah," Tricia replied, "sounds like a good idea."
The girls walked to the end of a ledge, a steep ledge which bordered a deep canyon.
The girls were not aware that the earth where they were standing had been severely weakened by recent rains and had already begun to loosen as Tricia and Sally stood innocently on the edge.
The steep walls of the canyon were lined with dense masses of luxuriant foliage, made green by the recent rains.
"Pretty, isn't it?" Tricia said.
"Sure is," Sally replied.
Don heard a cracking, thick sound and turned his head just in time to see the mound of earth on which the girls were standing slip away as the girls disappeared over the side of the ledge!