The Rock Jockeys by Gary Paulsen Page A

behind them. It had been simple enough. They really hadn’t had to use any special skills to climb it. It had been more of a hike than anything.
    He turned back to the sheer rock face in front of them. Devil’s Wall was straight up and down. From where they were standing they couldn’t see the snow-covered top. By Spud’s calculations, it would take a full day to make it up there … barring accidents.
    J.D. shook his head. “Rick, your dad alwaystaught us to leave word with someone about where we’re going. I’m not sure this is such a good idea.”
    Spud tied the rope in a bowline knot and checked to make sure he had the equipment he needed on his belt. “We left word with Toby Wilson. If we’re not back in four days, he’s supposed to get help.”
    “Lead man ready,” Rick yelled from next to the wall.
    Spud cupped his hand. “Belayer ready.” He looked at J.D. “Well?”
    J.D. hesitated, then grabbed the rope and tied off. “End man ready.”
    The first thirty feet was slow going. Rick picked his way carefully, driving metal pitons into the rock face with his hammer, then pulling himself up. Every ten feet he had to stop and let Spud work his way up behind him. Spud in turn waited for J.D. to bring up the rear.
    The rock face was black and shiny with silver-lined cracks that glistened in the sun. It was an almost completely flat wall of smoothrock, offering them no easy way up. Cautiously Rick led them higher, hammering and pulling until the muscles in his arms ached. Finally he stopped to catch his breath.
    “Resting,” Rick called down. “Chimney ahead.”
    J.D. and Spud were hanging below him. They both knew that a chimney meant hard work. It was a large crevice in the rock. In order to get up it, you had to use your back on one side and your feet on the other, inching up inside, hoping nothing got jammed.
    Spud reached in his pocket for a handful of trail mix. “How are you doing down there?”
    J.D. waved up at him. “So far so good. What’s taking you slowpokes so long?”
    “I heard that.” Rick looked down at him. “I’d drop something on your thick head, but then I’d just have to carry your carcass back down and it isn’t worth it.”
    “You just make sure
you
don’t fall on my thick head.”
    Rick took a deep breath. “Climber ready.”
    He braced his back and started edging hisway up. It was a tight fit. Rick’s knees were almost in his mouth as he struggled through the chimney. Finally he topped out. “I’m up. There’s a ledge here. I’ll anchor and wait.”
    One at a time the other two boys emerged from the long crevice. There was barely enough room for all three to stand on the ledge. Above them was a granite overhang that jutted out almost six feet. Rick had already inserted one piton and was trying to find a toehold.
    The overhang presented a dangerous problem. Rick, as the leader, had to find a way to go out and over the top. It would mean working upside down and trusting all his weight to the pitons he was able to hammer in along the way.
    Spud and J.D. wrapped the rope around themselves and stood ready. Like an oversized spider, Rick climbed along the underside of the rock. He unclipped another piton from his belt and reached for his hammer.
    Suddenly the carabiner, the aluminum oval snaplink attached to the piton, bent andRick’s body jerked and fell a few inches. Then with a sickening sound the carabiner popped open and the rope came completely loose.
    Rick fell backward into space.
    Spud and J.D. held their ground. Using a hip belay, Spud gave a little slack when Rick hit the end of the rope. The weight of Rick’s body pulled Spud and slammed him against the rock face. But he held on for all he was worth. J.D. anchored around a rock and dug his feet in.
    “We’ve got you, Rick … Rick?” Spud anxiously tried to get a look over the side.
    First there was silence. Then a weak voice called up, “I’m a little shook up, but all right. Pull anytime you’re