Chapter 3

Ron and Tom had both descended from the chilly night sky simultaneously, but Ron was in serious difficulty; his parachute had been hurled by the wind into a tree and he was painfully wrapped against the hard, scratchy surface of the immobile trunk.

Tom, quick-thinking as usual, immediately reached into his utility jacket and cut the cords of his own parachute, then rushed over to the trapped and helpless form of Rom.

"Hold on!" Tom shouted. "Just hold on."

Acting calmly and accurately, Tom freed his partner from his painful trap as the parachute sailed high into the air.

Ron was cut rather severely where the parachute's ropes had sliced into his skin and Tom quickly removed a vial of antiseptic from his pocket and tended to his friend's wounds.

The two men huddled in the darkness and looked at the dim and obscure view before them.

"Those cloud banks are pretty low," Tom said. "I don't know if the flares will be visible. The cloud bank might make them worthless."

"First of all," Ron said, "We've got to make sure the girls are all right!"

"Yes, if we set off a flare, maybe they'll see it and maybe they'll know."

"Yeah, let's try it,"

"Tom replied as he reached into his utility jacket and removed the long, slender tube of the safety flare.

"Here goes!" Tom said as he struck the metallic cap of the flare against a small stone. He aimed the flare over his head, as if he was holding a roman candle.

The obstructing cloud bank completely negated the flare's effect. Instead of a long, brilliant trail which could be seen for miles, the life-saving light of the flare was swallowed by the amorphous clouds, and the result was a dull, general glow.

About five miles away, Jeannie looked up into the night sky, and mistook the flash of the flare for lightning!

"We'd better get under some cover," Patty said. "Looks like it's going to storm.

Another flash lit up the sky as the girls failed to realize that the "lightning" was their husbands' own desperate attempt to signal them.

"Nobody can tell where we're at!" Ron said. "Those flares are useless!"

"O.K., we've got to take it easy," Tom replied. "We've got to save our strength for tomorrow. Maybe it'll be clear by then."

"Yeah, let's get some sleep."

The two men removed their solar blankets and sleeping gear from their utility suits and settled down for an uncomfortable evening among the mysterious Louisiana hills.

"They're dead!" Patty screamed, breaking into hysterics. "I know it!"

Jeannie shook her friend violently by the shoulders in a desperate attempt to restore some sense to the young and pretty girl.

"No, Patty, take it easy! We don't know that! All we know is that they aren't with us! That's all! Just because they aren't here doesn't mean they're dead! Get hold of yourself!"

Patty dried the tears from her eyes and made a successful effort to control her sobs.

"O.K., I'll try," Patty smiled.

"That's better," Jeannie replied. "Now let's try to get some sleep."

"Yes, that seems like a good idea."

"O.K., now let's find some shelter and get some rest."

Within half an hour, the two girls were safe and fast asleep, beneath the shelter of some thick and protective bushes.