him a clear view of the torches, but he knew
the men around them couldn't see him.

The way was longer than he had thought. He paddled in and out of coves,
past grottoes in the rocky wall. Then, at last, he saw the little pile
of torn cloth he had left on the shore at the end of his cave trail. He
had put all the cloth not needed for marking trail in one place, not
because he had been foresighted, but because he hadn't needed it any
more. He was glad now of the accident that marked the right place,
otherwise he couldn't have identified it from the rest of the openings
in the wall.

He pulled the boat up to it and anchored it by the rope to a convenient
stalagmite. Then he half-lifted, half-dragged the trussed Tibetan into
the cave and out of sight of the lake.

Rick searched the water for some sign of the boats, and thought he heard
them coming. He went back to the Tibetan, took his canteen, unscrewed
the top, and placed it on the rock. Then, kneeling over his captive, he
took the man's throat in one hand. With the other he undid the rag that
held the gag in place. Pressure of his fingers warned the Tibetan he
would be strangled if he so much as squeaked. Then Rick pulled the torn
rags he had used as a gag from the man's mouth, lifted him to a sitting
position, and held the canteen to his lips with his free hand.

The Tibetan drank greedily. Rick let him rest for a moment, then held
the canteen again. The man drank his fill, then nodded his thanks. Rick
quickly replaced the gag and bound it in place, then used another piece
of cloth torn from the man's clothing to lash one leg to a stalagmite.
He didn't want to risk having the man wriggle to the entrance at the
wrong time, and sound an alarm.

Rick was exultant. High excitement was rising in him, because he thought
it was only a matter of time now before Long Shadow would come, even if
his enemy was not already in one of the boats that were making their way
back to the camp.

He switched out the infrared light, placing the camera on the ground,
pointing toward the boat landing. Then he lay down on his stomach, rifle
thrust out in front of him and handy to his hand. He could wait. He
could wait days, if necessary. Because once Long Shadow came, he would
force him to show the way to the outside, and he would force him to
locate the others.

If Long Shadow refused to co-operate ... Rick's lips tightened. Then at
least he wouldn't be lonesome in the Caves of Fear. H