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instantly hit by two things: the hot, bright rays of the sun and the realization that we were now completely exposed to anybody watching the river. I ducked down further into the water to escape both the heat and any eyes that might be trained on the water.
    â€œAre you sure they’re gone?”
    â€œThey’re gone . . . for now,” Jack said.
    This was crazy. Why were we risking being seen to get some patched-up, old inner tube? Then I realized that it wasn’t the tube Jack wanted. It was just an excuse to get a closer look.
    There was a slight dip in the creek and we picked up speed as we neared the bridge. I looked up but couldn’t see the very top any more. I let go of the tube at almost the same secondas Jack jumped off. He towed the tube behind him as we both swam for the side, the place where the other tube was trapped. The current lessened and the water became shallow. My feet touched bottom and I waded over to the side. I grabbed the inner tube and flipped it over. It had a small red mark by the valve. It was my inner tube.
    â€œHold onto this,” Jack said, pushing his tube toward me.
    I grabbed it. Why did he want me to hold his tube? In answer to my unasked question he put one foot on the bottom support of the bridge and heaved himself up and out of the water.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” I demanded.
    â€œI need to see something up close.”
    â€œSee what?”
    He didn’t answer, but I already knew what he wanted to see. He started up the trestle, climbing from support to support. I wanted to call out, but I didn’t. This was crazy! What if he fell, or those men came back or . . . something exploded? Even if the wires weren’t attached, they were still explosives!
    â€œPlease come down, Jack!” I hissed as loud as I dared.
    He was perched beside one of the dark patches. It looked like a big lump of clay. He reached out a hand toward it!
    â€œJack, don’t!”
    I looked up at him. He’d taken some of it and he seemed to be studying it and—
    â€œUuugggg!” I screamed in shock as something fell down and hit me in the face.
    â€œIt’s just clay!” Jack called down. “Clay! Here, catch!”
    He dropped another chunk, and without even thinking I reached out and grabbed it. I played around with it. Clay. It was clay.
    â€œThey’re all clay!”
    I looked up at Jack. He’d moved along the supports and was holding more clay in his hand. He let it go, and it dropped into the water with a large splash.
    He climbed down the supports, finally slipping into the water and swimming over to my side.
    â€œDo you understand what happened?” I asked.
    He shook his head. “Nope . . . but I’m tired of not knowing, so I’m going to find out.”

CHAPTER FIVE
    â€œ JACK, WE SHOULD BE going home.”
    â€œWe will go home. After I’ve got some answers.”
    â€œI just don’t think we should be doing this!”
    â€œMake sure you stash your inner tube high enough up on the shore so it doesn’t wash away this time.”
    He always knew what to say to shut me up. I was sure I wouldn’t be hearing the end of that for a long time. I pushed the tube further up the bank, away from the edge of the creek.
    â€œIt would be better if we had our shoes, at least,” I said, trying to throw up some excuses. “Couldn’t we come tomorrow and bring shoes?”
    â€œGood idea. Today we won’t have shoes and tomorrow, when we come back, we’ll have shoes.”
    â€œI meant we could just come tomorrow!” I explained.
    â€œDo you really think we’ll be able to find out everything in this one trip?”
    â€œNo, I guess there’ll be some things that . . . wait, what makes you think I’m coming back here again?”
    â€œBecause if I’m coming, then you’re coming,” Jack said. “Unless you want that old lady from up the street to watch