"Ain't been near that long," he muttered.
"All I see is rock and more rock. I don't see anything that looks like gold."
"Don't be so dumb. The only gold is gonna be away in back, at the end. All the good stuff here has been dug out already. Besides, we're not just looking for gold. I told you."
"But you wouldn't tell me what we're looking for-what he told you was in here."
"And I'm not going to tell. I'm gonna show you. It's a surprise."
"Come on. I'm here, aren't I? Tell me what's so important that we have to get all cold and wet, and . . ." she stomped her feet, "so muddy. What are we looking for?"
"Wait and see. I won't say-'cause if I told you you'd be so scared you'd go running out here like there was a bear on your ass. That's why."
"Says you," she muttered as she bit her lip.
"Besides, I promised him I wouldn't tell." He stopped and turned to her. "When I make a promise, I keep it."
"So do I."
"You better! You better not tell anyone we even came in here. If my pa ever finds out, I'll get a whipping for sure. You too, probably," then he added, "even if you don't have real parents."
She tried to think of a retort, but couldn't. Instead, she wondered if those people she lived with would punish her if they knew what she was doing. Even give her a beating, maybe. The thought brought a shiver that coursed down her body as she tried to picture the scene as she and Caleb stumbled deeper into the mine. She knew she'd deserve it, just for being in here. How often had she heard how dangerous abandoned mines were? Full of untold dangers. They'd be mad, that would be sure. But did they love her enough to really punish her like parents did-real parents, with kids of their own?
A feeling other than anxiety washed over her. Was she pushing the good-kid, bad-kid behavior, the line between right and wrong, a bit too far? She'd never done anything quite so disobedient-so stupid. Maybe she was stretching her behavior to the limit, like a slingshot-pulling it tight until it snapped back, with stinging pain.
Caleb stumbled to a stop ahead of her, causing her to nearly knock him over. "Watch it!" he yelled. "Don't follow so close!"
"You've got the damned flashlight. I have to see, don't I?" Then she added, "We don't have time to go all the way to the end. Your parents will miss us."
He quickened his step. "You heard my ma. 'Take a nice long hike,'" he mocked. "They're glad to get rid of us. They've got a bottle of wine and a blanket." Then he added, "She'll probably take a nap till the sun goes down." He brushed a mop of stringy hair back from his face. The girl was close enough behind him to smell the dankness of his tangled locks.