Zeke and Zack were two boys of about ten years of age who had been friends as long as they could remember. They had lived in the same small desert town since birth and they were almost always together. Zeke was short for Ezekial and Zack was short for Zackariah. The mothers of the boys were friends and they came up with the names for the boys while joking around one day a couple of months before the boys' births. Zack was born ten days before Zeke.
Zeke and Zack often explored the desert surrounding the town in which they lived. One day they decided to climb the highest peak that was close to the town. The peak was called Dead Donkey Peak and it was just over five thousand feet high. The town Zeke and Zack lived in, and started their hike from, was at an elevation of just under three thousand feet in elevation. The boys had done the hike before with other family members, but this time they wanted to do it by themselves just to prove to themselves that they could do it without adult guidance.
"Let's pretend that we're hunting," suggested Zeke as they walked up a wash leading out of town.
"Yeah, we could pretend that we're hunting for chukar or donkeys," said Zack.
"Or maybe we could shoot some rabbits," said Zeke pretending to aim a make-believe rifle.
Zack lifted his make-believe shotgun and pretended to aim at something moving in the distance. "Bang! I shot that tiger dead!" he said.
"Don't be stupid! There aren't any tigers around here. All we have is mountain lions," said Zeke.
"Okay, then it was a mountain lion," said Zack.
It was a beautiful spring day. The boys were off from school for Spring Vacation and they had permission to hike around in the hills near town, but they hadn't disclosed their plan to hike up to the top of Dead Donkey Peak to anyone. They knew that they would be told to stay closer to town and so they decided to just go ahead and attempt the hike without telling anyone.
"Do you think we're going to make it?" asked Zack.
"Probably, but if we don't we can just turn around. It's not like we told anyone and so no one will make fun of us for not being able to make it to the top," said Zeke.
"But what if we get injured or something?" asked Zack.
"What could happen? It's not like we're going to be more than a couple of miles away from town," said Zeke.
"What if you get bit by a snake or you break a leg?" asked Zack.
"Well, if you get injured or something, then I'll get help for you and if you die I'll just dig a hole a bury you," said Zeke putting the emphasis on the yous in his reply.
"No, I'll bury you," said Zack correcting his friend.
"What are you going to dig a hole with? You don't have a shovel," said Zeke.
"Neither do you!" said Zack.
"Just answer the question!" said Zeke acting like he was annoyed by Zack's impertenant attitude.
There were two ways to the top of Dead Donkey Peak. The boys planned to go up one way and come down the other. They also planned to stop by the various sites on the way up and down the mountain. Either route was nearly three miles long and so the boys were in for, what was for them, a long hike.
The first interesting site the boys came to was called Dripping Springs. It consisted of a single pipe from which water continuously flowed into a dense thicket of vegetation. The boys each got a drink from the pipe.
"My dad always says to drink a lot while you're hiking," said Zack.
"Yeah, I know, I've been there when he said that," said Zeke.
"But if you drink too much you could get a sideache," said Zack.
"Coach Jones at school says you only get sideaches if you're out of shape," said Zeke.
"Yeah, I know, I've heard him say that," said Zack.
"Why do you always hear everything that I hear? It's like I can't tell you anything," said Zeke.
Zeke and Zack looked quite a bit alike. Both had short haircuts. Zeke's hair was light reddish-brown and Zack's was light brown. Zack wore glasses. Both boys were thin and in good shape. For this hike Zeke had on a pair of cut off sweat pants and a sleeveless tee shirt. Zack wore shorts and a tank top. Both boys had on all-purpose athletic type shoes. Each boy carried a small backpack with some snacks, water, flashlights, and a few odds and ends in them.
As the boys continued up the wash it became steeper. Pretty soon they came to an area where they had to climb through some rocks in order to continue on their way. The rocks were actually huge granite boulders. These boulders were piled on top of each other, forming caves. There was an established route through these boulders which many climbers, who were familiar with the area, could follow on the way up Dead Donkey Peak.
"This is my favorite part of the hike," said Zeke as they reached the bottom of the boulder pile.
"Yeah, it would be neat if it were like this the whole way," said Zack.
"That would be awesome!" said Zeke.
"And then there should be a slide for the way down," said Zack smiling fancifully.
"A water slide?" asked Zeke acting like he was sliding down a water slide.
"With a big pool at the bottom!" said Zack holding an imaginary bowl with both hands.
The boys had to help each other climb through the caves in the boulder pile. It took about twenty minutes to reach the top. From there they had to hike through two hundred yards of a narrow rock passage. There was graffitti left behind by other hikers and prospectors from long ago. The boys stopped to inspect some letters that someone had carved into the stone.
"Do you think that they were really here when it says they were here?" asked Zack pointing to one of the oldest carvings.
"Probably, but maybe not. Sometimes people make up stuff just to fool other people," said Zeke.
"I wonder what they would be doing here that long ago," said Zack.
"Probably trying to find a place to make a mine," said Zeke referring to the tunnel at the top of the narrows.
"Yeah, there's a tunnel just up there a little ways isn't there?" asked Zack.
It was about a hundred or so steps before the boys reached the tunnel.
"Wanna go in?" asked Zeke.
"Sure, unless you're scared," said Zack suggesting that his friend might not have the courage to enter the tunnel.
"You're the one who gets scared," said Zeke.
"No that's you. I'd know because I'm me and you're you and you're the one who gets scared of the dark," said Zack.
Zeke held up one finger and said, "That one time was different. I wasn't scared of the dark. I was just afraid that your brother was going to jump us and that we wouldn't be able to see him coming."
"Quit stalling!" said Zack who already had his flashlight out.
Zeke retrieved his flashlight and then he put his pack down.
The boys entered the tunnel side by side. They walked in about twenty feet and then they turned on their flashlights.
"Dare you to walk the plank," said Zack pointing at a plank which crossed a vertical shaft which was over one-hundred feet deep.
"That's not even a dare," said Zeke walking out to the middle of the plank.
"Go all the way across so that I can walk it too," said Zack impatiently.
"It can hold both of us easily. Remember your dad's friend who weighs one hundred and eighty pounds walked across it that one time. That's way more than both of us weigh together," said Zeke.
"Still I'd rather walk the plank by myself!" said Zack looking down the vertical shaft.
"Oh, alright then, have it your way," said Zeke as he continued to the end of the plank.
Zack got out half way across the plank and then pretended to be losing his balance. "Oh my gawd! I'm going to fall," said Zack.
"Yeah, and I wouldn't even have to bury you then since the hole is already dug!" said Zeke.
"You wouldn't just leave me would you?" asked Zack standing in the middle of the plank.
"Sure. Why not?" asked Zeke with a smile.
Outside the tunnel the boys put on their packs and continued their hike. Most of the rest of the hike was on a ridge. Along the way they stopped off at the remains of an old miner's cabin. All that was left were rock walls about three feet high with an opening for a doorway. They looked around for artifacts which may have been left by the miners. Zeke found an old, rusty spike and Zack found a piece of a drill. Both boys found lots of broken, discolored pieces of glass.
"How could anyone live in such a small little shack like that?" asked Zeke.
"I don't know, but what I want to know is where they went to the bathroom. They didn't even have an outhouse!" said Zack with a funny grin.
Zeke looked around and said, "Yeah, you're right! And where did they get their water from?"
"I don't know, they must have made the donkeys carry it for them," said Zack shrugging his shoulders slightly.
"No wonder they call it Dead Donkey Peak," said Zeke.
After another hard half hour of hiking uphill, the boys reached the summit of Dead Donkey Peak. There was a sign on a post with the name of the peak and the elevation on it.
Zeke collapsed on the ground, pretended to be tired, and said, "I can't believe we made it!"
Zack sat down next to him and said, "Yeah and they said it couldn't be done!"
"Who said that?" asked Zeke as if Zack had just said something strange.
"No one, I just felt like saying that," said Zack shrugging his shoulders and then taking a long drink from his water bottle.
After resting a bit the boys got up to enjoy the view. They could see the entire town and all the surrounding valleys from the top of the peak.
"I wonder if I had a really good rifle if I could hit the frying pan that's hanging from the patio in your backyard," said Zeke trying to figure out exactly which house was his and which was Zack's house.
"Hmmm," said Zack climbing up on a rock and then lying on his belly and pretending to be aiming a rifle. "I think I could hit your dog from here!" he said with an evil grin.
"Oh, not Scruffy!" said Zeke with mock concern.
"You're dog isn't named Scruffy!" said Zack.
"I know," said Zeke with a silly smile.
"Then why don't you use it's real name," complained Zack.
"I can never remember what my parent's call that flea bag," joked Zeke.
Zack laughed and said, "The only reason it has fleas is because you give them to it!"
"Okay then I'll shoot your pet turtle!" said Zeke pretending to aim a rifle down toward town.
"Then I'll shoot out your bedroom window!" said Zack trying to out do his friend.
"Then I'll shoot out the lights on your front porch!" said Zeke.
"You can't. The front porch is on the wrong side of the house," said Zack.
"So? Maybe my bullets can curve," said Zeke.
After a little more fooling around, the boys were ready to start the long hike back down the mountain and back to town. They started down a different ridge from the one they had walked up. Shortly after leaving the peak, they had to walk through a group of huge boulders. Both boys heard a growling sound.
"Did you hear that?" asked Zack sounding kind of alarmed.
"Yeah, I hoped it was your stomach," said Zeke.
They heard the growling again.
"Jeez! I hope it isn't a mountain lion," said Zack.
There was a sudden sound of something moving through the brush nearby. Both boys froze and Zack whispered, "It's pretty close by."
"Yeah, too close," said Zeke moving closer to Zack.
There was a low growl and more movement in the brush, but the boys couldn't see anything because of the boulders.
"Aren't you supposed to yell and scream and throw rocks?" asked Zeke in a quiet voice.
"Yeah, I think so," whispered Zack.
The boys looked at each other and screamed, "HELP! HELP! HELP!" over and over. They both picked up stones and threw them in the direction of the growling sound. They kept this up for over a minute.
"Do you think he's gone?" asked Zack in a quiet voice.
"I don't know," whispered Zeke.
Both boys were too scared to continue hiking.
"What are we going to do?" asked Zack.
"I don't know. All I know is that you're not supposed to run if there's a mountain lion because they like to chase you if you run," said Zeke.
"Yeah, I heard that too," said Zack trying to recall who he had heard say that.
It took the boys a few minutes to gather enough courage to continue hiking, but eventually they decided that the only thing they could do to get out of danger was to hike. They were careful not to run or even jog, but they definitely hiked faster than before. They kept looking around as they descended past the boulders and on down the ridge.
"Do you think it's following us?" asked Zeke.
"Hopefully not," said Zack looking over his shoulder.
"But what if it's stalking us?" asked Zeke in a low voice.
"Then we're in a ton of trouble and I don't mean the kind of trouble you get in from your parents or at school!" said Zack.
"What if it's just playing with us and enjoying our fear?" asked Zeke trembling slightly.
"Then it's evil," said Zack feeling a bit angry that an animal would actually do something like that to a person.
"But I've heard that some mountain lions are like that. They enjoy the hunt more than they enjoy the kill," said Zeke allowing his imagination to make him even more fearful.
"Shut up! You're being stupid now," said Zack.
Just then the boys heard a growl and the sound of movement nearby.
"Oh, yeah? Then what do you call that?" asked Zeke.
"I call it a mountain lion that's going to get itself shot if it's not careful!" said Zack picking up a rock and throwing it in the direction of the growl.
The response to the rock was another growl, only this growl was more ferocious.
"Jeez! Don't do that, you're making him mad!" said Zeke sounding even more fearful than before.
Both boys continued to walk without changing pace as they talked. They hiked right past a mine tunnel which they had planned to explore.
"If I had a gun that thing would be dead meat!" said Zack sounding even more angry than before.
"Well, you don't, so he's the hunter and we're the prey," said Zeke more calmly than before.
"I guarantee that if he does anything to either of us that my dad will personally hunt him down and kill that sorry beast," said Zack making fists with both hands.
"I don't care what they do to it after I'm dead, I just don't want to die in the first place," said Zeke.
"Good point," said Zack recognizing that he ultimately felt the same way.
The boys made it down to a wash and walked through an abandoned mine site. All that was left were stone foundations of a few shacks and three tunnels. The boys didn't stop, or even slow down, to look around. Zack and Zeke listened intently to every sound. They heard the crunching of their foot steps in the gravel. They heard birds singing and chirping. They heard the sounds of small rodents moving through the brush. They heard themselves breathing and the sound of their packs moving on their backs. Neither boy said a word as they trudged down the wash.
After they were about a quarter of a mile below the old mine site, Zack asked, "Do you think he's still following us?"
"I don't know?" said Zeke and then he added, "But I've been thinking. Do you think it could have just been a donkey that we heard?"
"Donkeys don't follow people," said Zack reminding his friend of the facts.
"Maybe this one does," said Zeke hoping that maybe there might be an exception to the general rule in this case.
"I seriously doubt it," said Zack.
The boys were nearly down to Lookout Rock which was about a mile from town. Lookout Rock was just above the wash. The boys couldn't actually see their town from the wash, but a quick climb up Lookout Rock would provide them with a view.
"Do you wanna climb Lookout Rock?" asked Zeke.
"Yeah, I need a little rest and if it's still following us maybe we'll be able to see it," said Zack.
The boys climbed the little trail leading to the top of the rock.
"Too bad there's no shortcut," said Zack looking out toward town.
"My dad always says that most shortcuts are really longcuts," said Zeke.
"Yeah, I know, I've heard him say that before," said Zack with a hint of annoyance.
The boys heard another growling sound. They both instantly froze and then slowly turned to look behind them. They heard the growl again and then a slight rustling in some brush. Next they both heard and then saw a small rock tumble down the hillside about sixty feet away.
"Let's get out of here!" said Zeke leading the way down off of Lookout Rock.
The boys were down in the wash again in a few moments. They kept looking up toward the spot where they had seen the tumbling rock until they turned a bend and that site was no longer visible to them. They continued looking over their shoulders as they worked their way down the sandy wash. Gradually the boys fast hiking pace became a near jog. At about a half mile from town they picked up the pace without saying a word to each other and began moving at a full jog. With three hundred yards to go before town, the jog became a full run which they kept up until they reached pavement.
"I think we made it," said Zeke breathing hard from all the running.
"Next time I'm taking a shotgun with me!" said Zack between gasps for air.
"Yeah, I'd much rather do the hunting than be the one that's getting hunted," said Zeke.
"Any day!" agreed Zack.