"I'm warning you boys, stay out of the ravine. There is no Indian brave buried down there. That's just an old myth kids have been passing on to each other since I was a kid. The only thing you're going to find down there is trouble!"
Jimmy and Joey's father flipped off their bedroom light and closed the door thinking the matter was settled, but at least one of the boys had other ideas. Jimmy had long been fascinated with the story of how local settlers had fought to drive the Indians out of the area and make it safe for building cabins and farming. As the story went, one brave's body was left behind after a particularly violent skirmish, and the settlers buried it in an unmarked grave somewhere in the ravine. Unhappy about being separated from his people for all eternity, the ghost of the brave was said to haunt the area.
Jimmy's head was swimming with thoughts of the story as he dragged his backpack from under the bed. Joey's eyes grew wide with astonishment as he began to understand what his brother had in mind.
"You can't go out there, Jimmy. It's too dark, and Dad will have a cow if he finds out you're gone. What am I supposed to tell him?" Jimmy stared at his younger brother for a second and then said, "You can tell him whatever you like if you're going to snitch on me. Or... you can come with me."
Down Into the Ravine - Jimmy carefully opened the bedroom window and set his backpack on the porch roof. He lifted one leg over the sill and paused to look back at his brother. Joey knew he really didn't have a choice in the matter. He'd been following his older brother all his life, and tonight would be no different.
Full moon behind branches - Both boys quietly climbed onto the porch roof and made their way down the side trellis one at a time. Their escape accomplished, they ran silently toward the ravine behind their house. The light of the full moon shined brightly when it wasn't obscured by the passing clouds, but Jimmy brought a flashlight along just in case he needed it.
They made their way down the side of the ravine without saying a word, each entertaining his own thoughts and fears yet exhilarated by the adventure ahead.
A Frightening Encounter - Jimmy shined his flashlight around and looked for the most likely place to bury a body. He thought it might be in a higher spot that wouldn't be likely to flood if the nearby stream overflowed after a rain. He finally settled on an area next to a huge oak tree and handed the flashlight for Joey to shine on the spot. Without a word between them, Jimmy pulled his Dad's garden trowel out of the backpack pack and began clawing at the ground to loosen it. Just then a cloud drifted over the moon, and everything went dark.
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