Nicky pointed to the stand of trees next to the cave entrance where the squirrel wriggled his front paws in the air. Some of the trunks were riddled with knife slashes that marked the three years the boys had hidden here. Sap dripped out of more than 150 cuts.

Nicky scowled at Pete's tough voice. "Well, General Pete, I’m sick of living like a wild animal. We gotta steal blankets and heavy clothes so we won’t freeze in the cold winters. Besides, the books you bring me are borrrring. It’s summer. Other kids go on vacations. I saw one camping with his parents by the Tennessee River at the foot of our path from Elder Mountain. I’m going to find an adventure."

Nicky stomped off. A moment later he felt a heavy weight as if a load of hay were thrown upon his back. Pete had run after Nicky and tackled him with such force that Nicky crashed down onto a mound of pine needles. He pushed against Pete’s chest but his brother was much stronger than he.

Pete twisted Nicky’s arm behind his back and snarled, "Do what I say. Get back into the cave." Pete clamped Nicky’s arm tighter.

The blood ran out of his shoulder and Nicky felt a sharp pain. "Stop, you’re hurting me!"

"Remember this, then, Dumbo! I am the boss of this animal kingdom." Pete marched Nicky to the cave.

He got down on hands and knees and crawled through an opening barely big enough to squeeze through. He sat in front of a large rock kicking his feet.

That foot action was too much for Pete. He made a lasso out of a rope. Before Nicky could squirm away Pete had lassoed Nicky’s feet and quickly tied them to his little brother’s arms, holding him fast.

Nicky felt like a minnow out of water–helpless, totally helpless. "Here comes the speech. I’m sick of you. You never listen. Why don’t you let me work out my own problems?"

Pete waved a fist at Nicky.

Nicky spoke louder. "Don't bawl me . . . "

An echo of distant voices startled the boys. Nicky glanced at hisq toy bear sprawled at the entrance of the cave.

Pete saw the bear, too, and slapped his head. "Oh no, you’re not going after that old ragged thing now."

"Untie me, General Pete!"

"They’re just slip-knots, dimwit." Pete pulled on one end of the knots and they quickly unraveled.

While Pete scattered their beds of leaves, Nicky lunged for his beloved toy. Inside, he dragged two rocks back to a corner of the immense cave to use as chairs. Even if someone crawled in, the furniture would not be seen behind the boulders. Piles of blankets and clothes lay in heaps along the opposite corner from where the boys hid. Nicky’s favorite jacket with its torn hood hid Pete’s worn-out cowboy boots.

Behind Nicky a beam of sunlight shone through a rear entrance hidden from view by thick brush and clumps of young trees. Nicky sat stiffly on his rock next to Pete hugging his bear while Pete scowled. "Well, if I’d left Mr. Bear the strangers would be sure to know we are here."

"I guess you’re right, little rug rat. And for once you showed good sense." Pete smiled that slanted evil grin of his.

A man with sunken eyes and a deep scar across his cheek glared in through the opening. Nicky's breath left him. He never moved a muscle. Finally, the man disappeared from view. Still, nobody moved.

After a while the squirrel chattered away again letting the boys know they were alone and safe. Nicky breathed heavily three times and turned to Pete. "Someone's looking for us."

Pete’s eyes slanted and a sneer formed at his mouth. "Probably the police. If they find us, it's foster homes for sure. They'll separate us. Grownups we don't know will run our lives."

"Would not!" Nicky threw his bear to the ground in anger. "Policemen ain't mean. But if you snarl in that nasty voice to the police, you might make them real angry."

Pete frowned. "How many times do I hafta tell you the word is aren’t, not ain’t?"

With a shrug Nicky leaned down and grabbed his tattered little bear. "I guess the only life for us is on the run with just forest animals to play with. Still, no one tells me to do dumb stuff like take a bath and pick up dirty clothes. I don't see why we have to pick them up. Who else would wear them? Come on, Bear, let's go on an adventure, just you and me. Maybe we'll find another cave family and we can all live together. I'm big enough to help now. I'll be ten years old one of these days."

"You big now? You got most of the summer and into the winter before you'll see ten and that isn't much bigger anyway. You want an adventure? Come with me tonight." Pete tromped through the cave to the outside.

Nicky followed. "Where?"

Pete shuffled dirt under his feet. "To Tiftonia, Munchkin. To the valley between Elder and Lookout Mountains. Great food back of the grocery store in the dumpsters."

"Real great! Stale donuts, lettuce with slime on it, and dirty fruits and veggies. In the dark we're going down there? No way!" Nicky shook his head. "Go to the store in the daytime like Mama did."

Pete glared at his brother and Nicky stuck his thumb in his mouth.

"Why don't you just tell the man at the store you need peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to feed us?" asked Nicky.

"Grow up, baby brother! We don't have money like Mom and Dad. But we've been doing good so far." Pete stormed around and pounded the air with his fist just inches from Nicky’s face. "We might as well put out an ad, dimwit: Here sits garbage. Bring on the police. Throw us in the orphanage. Or put us in jail. We ran away and skipped school."

With his mouth open and his deep blue eyes staring into the heart of his brother, Nicky was unable to answer for a few seconds. Finally he said, "Your ways are not life or death or I would be dead long ago."

Pete stared at Nicky for a long moment, then shrugged. "Stay here then, barf brat." Pete lay back on a tower of clothes and read his scouting handbook until no more light trickled into the cave. Only a sliver of moon and dim stars lit the sky when Pete set out.

Stumbling over rocks in the black of night, Nicky trailed behind his brother. He lagged farther back as they wound their way down the mountain. They carved a new steeper path toward town away from sleeping campers.

Scratched and bruised from falling through the brush they finally caught a glimpse of street lights. A dog barked at a screeching cat. This broke the silence and brought Nicky’s attention to the moment. The darkened streets held eerie sounds of muffled TV’s, chilly wind howling through alleys, and the shrill whistle of a far away train.

"Follow me and don’t say a word," Pete whispered. "We only have a short walk now to Simmon’s Grocery, rug rat."

Nicky dodged around dark buildings to keep up with Pete. After they rounded the last corner Nicky caught sight of the back alley of Simmon’s Grocery. Its neon light reflected off the second story window of the tavern across the street inviting them in. In the back of the deserted alley Nicky noticed a rusty old car leaning on only three tires. His back went cold like icicles were slipping down his shirt. Could someone be there? The iron dumpster stood by the rear of the grocery. A wooden crate propped up the garbage container lid. Sweet smells from a nearby bakery mingled with the sour odors from the dumpster.

When Pete lifted Nicky up, Nicky squirmed and threw his hands in the air. "Why should I go into that smelly pot? You go in there, General Pete. This is your adventure."

Pete shook Nicky to quiet him and heaved his little brother into the bin head first to grab what food he might find. As the cover opened wider to fit in Nicky’s body, the crate crashed into the garbage. The lid smashed onto Nicky’s legs. He dangled head down like a rag, his feet caught by the top. From deep in the dark box his hollow cry rose. "Help! Help! Get me outta here! Mama, I need you."

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Chapter Two

Inside the hollow metal container Nicky thrashed and twisted. His heart shook with the terror that he might be locked in forever. The next moment the lid released its hold on his sneakers. For an instant he floated in a dark empty space. Then thump, his fall ended in a hill of broken boxes, paper, glass, tin cans, and smelly garbage. He touched something slimy and yanked his hand away. Yuck, he thought, someone get me out of here.

He staggered to his feet, fell, then tried to balance himself on the squishy garbage. He stretched as tall as he could but the lid remained just out of reach. In vain, he jumped and fell several times. Each time he pushed the lid open a crack it slammed shut again.

Drifting in from the outside were Pete's encouraging words, "Keep trying, little brother. You can do it."

Pete's often a smart mouth, but when I'm in trouble he protects me, thought Nicky.

Twice Nicky saw light as Pete pushed the lid up an inch or two. The odor of rotting food made Nicky choke, and his head swam at every cough. Exhausted, he collapsed into the garbage pile to collect his thoughts.

He had to find a way to pry that lid open, at least get some air inside. After he tossed boxes, wooden crates, and sod pallets into one end of the dumpster, he rummaged around in the dark building a platform. This makeshift floor brought him close to the top of the huge trash container. A box with half a donut inside caught his eye. He stuck the chocolate covered pastry inside his mouth and climbed onto his launching pad.

With a mighty shove, Nicky raised the lid until the iron top slammed back against the wall of the store. He lay there hanging out of the dumpster with the half eaten donut clenched between his lips. The first thing he heard was Pete’s excited, "You did it, Munchkin, you’re loose!"

Nicky gave a closed-lip grin. When the mountain boy tried to climb out only his shoulders reached the metal rim. That grin turned to a frown. The donut dropped into his shirt and Nicky yelled, "Help, Pete. Pull me out, please."

Pete stood on his toes. With arms made strong by living in the wild he reached his little brother's outstretched hands while Nicky scrabbled against the inside wall of the box. Pete grabbed higher onto Nicky’s arms, kicked against the dumpster, and threw himself backward.

Nicky flew out of the container and landed on top of Pete. For a moment they lay there out of breath. Then Nicky got to his feet. "Are you okay, Pete?" He took the now squashed donut out of his shirt and handed it to his brother.

Pete's deep brown eyes grew black with anger. "You little rug rat, you don’t get nothing right. You’re a shrimp who can’t even reach into a garbage bin without falling in. Then when you come out all you have is half of a donut." Pete stuffed the last bit into his own mouth without giving his brother a taste.

Nicky held his grumbling stomach while a tear trickled down one cheek.

From behind the abandoned car a chuckle cut the silence. "Hey, you little demons, stay out of my territory if you know what’s good for you!"

The boys stared at each other, their eyes wide with fear. Without further thought they raced out of the alley and, as the sun came up, they wove their way through Tiftonia to the safety of their mountain.

Nicky trudged along the wooded path toward the cave. He kicked piles of pine needles and leaves. He stopped to rub the soreness out of his bruised legs, whining, "I could have been stuck in that stinky prison forever because of you, General . . . Sirrr. Quit giving me orders. I'm not some tub of lard you can drag around all night."

The muscles in Pete's face tightened until his chin looked like a hatchet. But Nicky shrugged off his brother’s bad mood. He had proven his worth this night by going into the dumpster and returning smelly but mostly unhurt. The strength in his outburst to his brother shadowed a great silent worry. Earlier a man had stared into their cave hunting something. Could he be one of the men who killed their parents? And over by the store that ragged old bum had screamed at them. Would he rat to the police?

Back in their cave, Nicky looked around in disgust. There had to be more in the world for him than to hide here like an animal. The mountain boy was happy that Pete had rescued him but he didn't need his brother’s words to sting his ears any more. He bet that little boy camping with his family didn’t have to put up with mean words by a bossy brother. Maybe Nicky should seek out that boy and watch him for a while. Nicky might learn how a real family acted together. His stomach knotted at the thought of talking to the other child or making a secret friend of him. That made Nicky angry at himself. After all, animals weren’t afraid, were they? He really wished he had one of those baby animals he’d seen on the trail–maybe a fawn–to make his own family.

With that thought in mind, Nicky lay down on a fresh bed of leaves next to his brother and fell into a deep sleep.

That afternoon Pete’s screamed words woke Nicky with a jerk. "Go wash yourself at the stream while I get us some berries and nuts. That dirty donut didn’t do anything--." His voice trailed off as he disappeared into the trees.

With a stubborn shake of his shoulders, Nicky sat in the cavity of their stone arch. He stared out at the huge forest, wishing for a glimpse of the family he had seen two nights ago.

He glanced up at the chittering squirrel on a tree limb wrestling with an oversized nut. His old friend would listen to him. He waved. "When I saw that boy playing with his parents, this Tennessee mountain and my brother and all you animals weren’t enough anymore. Pete likes to be a wild boy. But my feet want to walk another path than his."

The squirrel flicked his tail and scurried up the tree. Nicky kicked his foot and sent dirt flying into the air. Pete wouldn’t let him go off alone and when Nicky did, he got lost. That made Pete real mad.

Nicky grabbed his trusted bear and trotted down the mountain to find the boy.

==============================================================================

Chapter Three

A rabbit darted out in front of Nicky and scampered off. Some distance away the rabbit stopped and turned to watch the boy. Nicky stood still. Soon, the rabbit’s attention centered on the blueberries growing in thickets along the side of the path. The animal gobbled them like jelly beans fallen from vines. Finally, he hopped farther into the dense growth and out of view. The animals know what’s good to eat, thought Nicky, stuffing berries into his mouth.

Near the river, darkness closed in. Nicky smiled at the forest music. A party of crickets rubbed their legs together to sound like broken violins. The low hoot of a Snowy Owl added a comforting melody. The whistling wind completed the wild tune.

When twigs crackled all around him, though, Nicky jumped first to his right then to his left. Had he made the wrong decision leaving Pete and the cave? Although he didn't see any eyes shining through the black of the forest, he called out, "I know you're out there."

Why did he talk to animals he couldn't see? He shrugged. Talking made him feel stronger.

He continued to plod along, when all of a sudden the trail almost disappeared. On one side it wound in and out of vines and fallen trees. Deep cliffs dropped off the other. Had he walked in circles? Only the steep incline let Nicky know he headed downward. What was at the bottom of this trail? Night had changed the looks of the area. Was this the path he had taken to the Tennessee River and that new boy?

Darkness sent the woodland folk to their nests and shelter. A hawk overhead squawked as it flew from one tree to another looking for a meal. Nicky followed the squawking bird until the glow of a campfire alerted him that people were nearby. He had to hide before they saw him. He remembered the rabbit that had disappeared into the berry patch. As Nicky crept along the river bed and worked his way closer and closer to the camp, he noticed a thick bush with berries. It hid a hollow log a few feet from the campground.

After he stuffed his pockets with the juicy berries, he wriggled deep into the log. Tiny spiders fell on his arms and black ants ran through his hair and over his face. They tickled his nose. He brushed off the little pests. As moonlight at the other end of the log met his eyes, he gave a sigh of relief. Nothing short of an avalanche would stop Nicky from watching the family eating corn-on-the-cob and listening to the boy’s laughter at his father’s story-telling. Still, hunger gnawed at Nicky. He crammed his mouth with his berries while he studied the family.

A tall man and short woman sat on the beach at the campfire cooking a fish dinner. Their young son stood beside them. His short dark brown hair reminded Nicky of a chipmunk. His dark brown eyes peeking out from behind heavy rimmed glasses, however, turned his face into that of a racoon. A strange sight.

As the fire died to embers the woman motioned for her youngster to gather some brush. Nicky’s heart hammered so hard he thought it would break through his chest. He hadn’t spoken to a soul but Pete in three years. He was so scared he wanted to scoot from the log and run away. Instead, he inched his way out and hid behind a tree. When the other child bent to pick up some dry tree limbs, Nicky spoke in a shaky voice. "My name is Andronomus Nicholas Piedmont. I live up there."

The boy’s mouth gaped open but he said nothing as his glasses tumbled from his face onto the pine needles on the ground.

Nicky handed the boy his glasses and pointed to Elder Mountain behind them. When the other boy continued to gawk, Nicky asked, "Are you a forest child? You look like my friend the racoon with those funny glasses on your face."

"Racoon, is it? I'm no racoon. That's some way to speak to someone you just met."

"What's wrong with a racoon? You do look like one."

"For your information, I need these to see good. I don't like to be called a stupid woods creature."

"Well, you're no forest child with that attitude. Just what are you?"

"I’m not a forest creature like you. You look like a blond-haired bear cub. Are you a wild boy? Were you raised by bears?"

"Something like that. But I’m lonely for people." Nicky noticed the awe in Jimmy’s eyes as the two boys talked. "Will you be my friend?"

The boy looked at the ground, scraped the dirt with one foot, and pushed his glasses higher onto his nose.

The muscular man looked in their direction then bounded from the shore of the river. Once Nicky had seen a mother bear move in like this to protect her cub. He clutched his toy bear tight against his chest as a tremor shook his body.

"Pa, see my new . . . "

"Jimmy, who’s thuh wild mountain kid?"

The tall man looked Nicky over like a lizard eyeing an insect. The man stared at his filthy torn shirt and Nicky spread his hands over the blueberry stains.

"Son, I'm Jimmy's pa, Mr. Conrad. We’re takin’ some time off tuh play. You campin’ around here, too? How ‘bout joinin’ us for dinner? We just caught us a dang big bunch of fish. Thar’s plenty and I know Jimmy'd like the company."

This was what Nicky had wanted when he had been safe from other people high on the mountain. But now he gulped. Would they call the police?

"I’m on vacation, too, on my own, you know?" Trying to look calm, Nicky tossed his bear in the air and caught it.

Like an owl watching a cub scramble up his tree, Mr. Conrad threw a questioning glance at his son and then at Nicky. "It’s too dang late to be wanderin’ ’round these hills. You best stay right here tonight. In the mornin’ we'll take you with us and help you find your folks."

Leave Pete on the mountain by himself? Things were happening too fast. This wasn’t in his plans. He planned just to watch these people for a while. Nicky bit his lip and stepped backward.