"Jerry Oltion & Kent Patterson - Dutchmans Gold" - читать интересную книгу автора (Oltion Jerry)

valley. In the distance he saw Sarah climbing madly up the side of the ravine,
and Peter running downward toward the mouth of the valley where they had left
the van.

"Peter! You'll never make it! Get to high ground!" Jan shouted, but he couldn't
tell if Peter heard him or not.

Climbing felt like one of those nightmares in which you run as fast as you can
but never move. Jan shoved his feet and hands deep into the mud, trying to get a
solid hold. Each movement sent a miniature mud slide cascading down into the
water. Rain pounded his head and back, sending rivulets of cold water down his
arms and legs. In the dark, he could see nothing, not even Frieda, who he hoped
was still ahead of him. She taught aerobics. She was lighter and in better shape
than Jan. She would be okay. He kept climbing, the slope melting under his hands
as if it were made of brown sugar.

A muddy hand struck him in the face. "Stop. We're on the edge of a cliff!"
Frieda shouted, her voice strained over the howling of the wind.

Jan put his lips next to her ear. "A cliff? There's no cliff. I've been over
this slope lots of times."

Lightning flashed. A few feet ahead, the land abruptly dropped into the night.
In the brief instant of light, Jan couldn't see the bottom.

"I nearly fell over," Frieda said.

"I would have if you hadn't stopped me." Jan put his arms around her and gave
her a hug. "Have you seen the others?"

"I think Sarah is only a little down this ridge. I don't know what happened to
Peter."

"Neither do I. Let's go find them."

They walked hand in hand, balancing on a ridge narrower than a city sidewalk.
Jan couldn't believe it. He knew everything looked different in the dark, but
surely he would have noticed this incredible cliff before.

When lightning flashed again they saw Sarah on all fours, peering over the edge,
her face streaked with mud, tears, and rain.

"It's Peter," she cried. "He's fallen in."

Horrified, Jan looked over the edge of the cliff, but in the darkness he could
see nothing. Gusts of wind threatened to pick him up and throw him over.

"Peter!" he shouted.

"Haay . . . aaayy . . . eeoo." Jan's heart leaped when he heard Peter's voice