low lay a small, dry lake bed. At
one edge of the dry lake, nestled in low foothills, were gray, weathered
buildings. It was almost certainly Steamboat.

Scotty stopped the jeep and they surveyed the countryside with care.
There was no sign of movement, no sign of a dust cloud from any other
vehicle.

The sun was low in the west. In a short time it would be out of sight
beyond the mountains, then darkness would close in. Rick reached into
the jeep's glove compartment and found the flashlight he had stowed
there. He checked it, then asked, "What are we waiting for?"

"Ideas," Scotty replied. "What say we roll right on through the town
without stopping, then turn and come back through that wash at the base
of the hills?"

Rick looked to where the dark-haired boy pointed. He saw the shadow of a
gully that followed the foothills closely.

"Think it's necessary?" he asked.

Scotty shrugged. "Probably not. But it's better to be careful than sorry
later."

"Okay with me. Let's go."

Scotty put the jeep in gear and they rolled swiftly down to the level of
the dry lake bed and toward Steamboat. A few minutes later they entered
the town.

Rick inspected the buildings with care. It looked like the setting for a
Western motion picture, except for the lack of people and horses, and
the lack of paint. He identified a pair of stores, a two-story building
that could only have been a hotel, a livery stable, and several
buildings without identification of any kind. There was only one street,
and they were on it. Nowhere was there a sign of life. Then they were
through the town, and the road climbed gently toward the foothills.

Scotty held the jeep at a steady speed for over a mile. As the road
gradually curved around a rock outcropping, he said, "Look behind and
tell me when the town is out of sight."

Rick turned in his seat in time to see Steamboat vanish behind the
outcropping. "Now."

Scotty brought the jeep to a halt. "The road should fork pretty soon,
shouldn't it?"

"That's right. Left fork to Pahrump Valley, right fork to Death Valley."

"Let's hit the ditch." Scotty reached down and put the jeep into
four-wheel drive, then turned left off the road.

The bottom of the dry wash was alternately sandy and studded with
boulders. Scotty picked his way with care, but it was a rough ride. Once
or twice he stopped while Rick climbed the slope of the wash for a
survey of the situation. Finally they pulled to a halt an