Russ gazed somberly toward the forest. “If it doesn’t rain soon—well—I don’t know.”
A purple twilight was settling rapidly over the river as they toweled their bodies briskly and dressed. By the time they finished putting up the pup tents, it was dark. But even darkness brought little relief from the heat that night. And the air was alive with mosquitoes, a few of which managed to penetrate the netting.
“How are we going to get any rest?” Jerry groaned. “It’s too hot to climb into our sleeping bags and if we lie on top of ’em we’ll be eaten alive.”
Quiz sat up and searched through his pack. “I considered this eventuality.” He held up a small aerosol bomb. “DDT. Shut your eyes and hold your breath for a minute, Jerry.” He pointed it up in the air and pressed down the button until the little enclosure was thick with white mist.
“I always knew you were a genius, Quiz,” Sandy yelled over from the other tent. “How about lending it to us?”
“Help yourself.” Quiz reached under the netting and rolled it over to his friend.
Jerry sighed blissfully as Quiz lay back. “That did the trick, Quiz, old boy. You sure saved the day—the night, I mean.”
Quiz grumbled as he rolled over on his side. “If I had really been smart, I would have brought along an inflatable mattress.” But two minutes later he was asleep.
The new day dawned as bright and hot as the previous one. They broke camp shortly after 8:00 A.M. and resumed their trek north at the same 500-yard intervals. The morning passed uneventfully.
At noon, Sandy relayed a question down the line to his uncle: “When do we eat?”