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"We'll take turns carrying your back pack," Eric offered. "You first," he said, handing it to Tom.

"Figures," Tom muttered.

I found a small, sturdy branch and tried to use it like a cane. I limped slowly down the trail. My ankle was throbbing and felt hot. I was so stupid for allowing this to happen to me. I knew the rule of hiking was to never step on a rock or a log unless you tested it first to make sure it was sturdy and secure. I had been too excited to get to the end of the trail. There we would come upon the great Bridal Veil falls. I had only seen pictures of it and it had looked amazing. In my haste, I'd stepped on a large rock. It had been loose and rolled. My foot became caught between it and another large rock. I went down hard. Eric and Tom were able to move the rock enough for me to remove my wedged foot. That's when the pain had hit.

Eric and Tom both had looked at me with concerned and confused expressions. I knew they must have been wondering how I could make such an amateur mistake.

I wondered it too.

This was on me.

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We then walked, or they walked, at least, while I hobbled and limped for what seemed like hours. Really, it was only thirty minutes. The pain in my ankle became too great at that point and I told them that I had to sit down. It was 4:45. I knew we had to keep going. We couldn't be stuck out here in the dark.

"One of you is going to have to go ahead and get help," I said. "I'm holding us up. I don't want all of us stuck out here at night. We can't make this trail in the dark. Too risky."

"I'll go," Eric said. "You and Tom keep moving as much as you can. I'll bring back help."

For once, Tom didn't argue with him.

"Okay, Eric, be safe," I said. "I'm sorry about all this."

"It's cool," Eric said.

"See ya in a little while," Tom said.

"You will," Eric said, and started down the trail.

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Tom let me lean on him with my arm around his neck. The trail was starting to slope downward and was getting quite steep. We came around a bend to where the fast moving stream was parallel to the trail.

"I think you should soak your foot a bit," Tom said.

"Good idea," I said.

We made our way down a small bank to the water's edge. I sat and let the icy water soothe my ankle. Tom sat beside me, throwing pebbles in the stream. The water was so clear. We could see the pink streaks of the rainbow trout as they swam by, glinting in the lowering sun.

Tom looked deep in thought. "You know," he said, "I've never known anyone who has actually seen Bridal Veil falls. Sure, everyone's heard of it, but I don't know anyone who's seen it. Not even my Dad. He wasn't even sure how to find the falls and he knows everything about these mountains. Do you know anyone who's seem them?" he asked.

"Come to think of it, I don't," I said. "I've seen pictures of them."

"How did you find this camp, Wyatt?" Tom asked.

"Actually, I found a map for this camp in an old atlas at my Grandpa's hunting cabin. I've got it with me. Let me see my pack."

Tom handed over the heavy pack and I pulled the map out of a side pocket. The paper it was scrawled on was yellowed with age.

"See, there's old Highway 50, there's the logging camp road that we took. Here's the place we veered off, by the old Henson place. Remember passing it?" I asked Tom.

"That old broke down haunted looking house? I remember," he said.

"Here's the X for the camp. We sure found it," I said.

"Yes, we did," Tom said, and took the wrinkled bit of paper from me. "Look, it's faded but here on the bottom it says something," Tom strained his eyes. "It says, Property of Eldread Frizzell. It says something else... but it's so faded." Tom held the paper up to the sunlight. "It says, Damned."

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" Tom asked.

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The Hike