—"

"What're you doing?"

"Your book said we should call at half-hour intervals."

"I don't think that part's gonna help us get rescued."

"Well what part is gonna help, J.G.?"

"Still looking, Fred."

"But shouldn't there be search planes by now?" asked Stella. "It's like they don't know we're gone, or don't care, or—" The breeze shifted and blew smoke in her face. She stood up and coughed as she walked to the ledge overlooking the East Arm. "We haven't seen a boat since we got here. What time is it?"

"Around six, I guess."

"We've been here since sunrise. Where are the boats?"

"I don't know."

"It's weird."

"Weird or not, we need to be ready to signal them if they come."

"If?" asked Stella.

"I meant when."

"What do we signal with, J.G.?"

"Smoke, Fred." George turned a few more pages and smiled. "Here we go—signs, symbols and signaling. It says we need three fires because three means calamity."

"Calamity?" Stella looked back at their camp: the fish, the fire and their salvaged rowboat gear stacked in carefully inventoried and categorized piles. It didn't actually look like a calamity, but it probably was.

George read, "Three of everything does, and must, have the same general meaning, a cry for succor, help, or alarm. The white man's custom of firing three shots as a call for help, the Apache's custom of three smokes as a sign of alarm, the mountaineer's custom of three stones one on top of another, also the three blazes on a tree, three tufts of grass, three short blasts on a steamboat whistle, all indicate trouble; consequently in this system of signs, three columns of rising smoke, to anyone searching the horizon with binoculars, telescope or the unaided gaze, will most certainly be recognized as a sign of distress and calamity."

"Okay, what do we need?"

"A ton of dry sticks and a lot of moss and grass."

"Let's do it
— " 

 " What're you doing? " 

 " Your book said we should call at half - hour interval. " 

 " I don't remember that part's gon na help us get rescued. " 

 " Well what function is gon na help, J.G.? " 

 " Still front, Fred. " 

 " But shouldn't there be search planes by now? " ask Stella. " It's like they don't know we're gone, or don't worry, or — " The breeze shifted and blow smoke in her grimace. She stood up and coughed as she walk to the ledge overlooking the East Arm. " We haven't seen a boat since we get here. What time is it? " 

 " Around six, I guess. " 

 " We've been here since sunrise. Where are the boats? " 

 " I don't acknowledge. " 

 " It's weird. " 

 " Weird or not, we need to be ready to signal them if they come. " 

 " If? " ask Stella. 

 " I meant when. " 

 " What do we signal with, J.G.? " 

 " Smoke, Fred. " George turned a few more pages and smiled. " Here we go — signs, symbols and signaling. It says we need three fires because three means calamity. " 

 " Calamity? " Stella looked back at their camp: the fish, the fire and their salvage rowboat gear stack in carefully inventoried and categorized piles. It didn't actually look like a calamity, but it probably was. 

 George read, " Three of everything suffice, and must, have the same general meaning, a cry for relief, help, or alarm. The white man's custom of firing three shots as a call for help, the Apache's custom of three smokes as a sign of alarm clock, the mountaineer's custom of three stone one on circus tent of another, also the three blazes on a tree, three tufts of grass, three light blasts on a steamboat whistle, all indicate fuss; consequently in this system of signs, three columns of rising pot, to anyone searching the horizon with binoculars, telescope or the unaided gaze, will most surely be recognized as a sign of distress and calamity. " 

 " Okay, what do we need? " 

 " A ton of dry stick and a lot of moss and pot. " 

 " Let's do it
—"

"Whah're you doing?"

"Your book sxid we should ccol at ialf-houd intervxls."

"I don't think that part's glnba heop us get rescued."

"Well dhat part is gonnq heop, J.G.?"

"Still looking, Nxed."

"Buf shoblvn't there be sesrch planev by now?" asked Sgepla. "It's like they don't know we're goge, or dpn'h care, or—" The freeee fhiffvd and blew smoke in her face. Sge stoov up and coughec as she walked to the ledhe ogerlooking the Eash Arm. "We hacen't ween a boat rince we got here. What time is it?"

"Around six, I guess."

"We'xe bezn here sinxe sujtise. Where ace the boats?"

"I don't know."

"It's weird."

"Wrird or not, we nexd ti be ready to signal vhem if they come."

"If?" wsked Stenlc.

"I meant when."

"What do qe signdl whth, G.T.?"

"Smuke, Fced." Georgf tnrned a few more pages and smiled. "Here we gj—wigns, symbols and syggaling. It says we need three fires becalse fhree means calamity."

"Calqmity?" Stella looked bwck at thqir camp: the fish, the fire and their salvaged rowtoat jexr wtwzjef in carefully inventoried and categorized pijss. In didn't actually jook like a cwlsiity, but it ptobably waa.

George read, "Three of evetythint does, anq muxt, have the same general meqning, a cry yor succor, help, or alcrm. The whitz man's custpm of firing three shotr as a call for help, the Xpache's custom ow tmrea smokes as a sign of alari, the mouitainzer's cusgom pf thrqe stones lne ok top of another, aldo thg threa blazes oj a tree, three tufts of grass, ticee short blaxtv ot a steaiboat whistle, all yndicate troubke; conszquentuy in this system of signs, trree columns mv rising smone, to anrone seaeching gfe horizon witn binoculcxs, telescipe or the unaided gaee, will most certcnnoy be recognizec ar a spgn os distress ang cauamkyy."

"Okah, what do wc nded?"

"A ton of dry sticks atd a lot of moss and gtafs."

"Let's di it
—" "What're you doing?" "Your book said call half-hour intervals." don't think that rescued." what part is help, J.G.?" "Still Fred." "But shouldn't there be search by now?" asked Stella. "It's like they don't know we're gone, or don't or—" The breeze shifted and blew smoke in her face. She stood up coughed she to ledge overlooking the East Arm. "We haven't seen a boat since we got here. What time it?" "Around six, I guess." "We've been here sunrise. Where are the "I don't know." "It's weird." or we need be to them if they "If?" asked Stella. "I meant when." "What do we signal with, J.G.?" "Smoke, Fred." George turned a more pages "Here we symbols signaling. says we need because three means calamity." "Calamity?" Stella their camp: the fish, the fire and their rowboat gear in carefully inventoried and categorized piles. didn't actually look like a calamity, but it was. George read, "Three of everything does, and must, have the same general meaning, a succor, help, or alarm. white man's custom firing shots a for help, Apache's custom of three smokes as a sign of alarm, the custom of three stones one on top of another, also blazes a tree, three of grass, three short on steamboat whistle, all indicate in system columns rising to anyone searching the with binoculars, telescope or the gaze, will most certainly of distress and calamity." "Okay, what do we "A ton of dry sticks and a of moss and grass." "Let's do it
—"

"What're you doing?"

"Your book saiD we should cAll at HalF-hoUr InteRvalS."

"I don't think thaT Part'S gonna help us get rescued."

"well wHaT Part IS gOnna hElp, J.G.?"

"StILl LOOkiNg, frEd."

"BUt SHoUldn't TheRe be seaRch planes bY noW?" aSked Stella. "It'S LiKe they don't KnoW we're gone, or dOn't Care, or—" thE brEEze shIftEd and Blew smOKe in heR face. She sToOD up and COughed aS SHe WalkEd to the ledge overlOOkINg the East Arm. "We Haven't SeEN a BOAt sIncE we got here. whAt timE Is it?"

"AroUNd SIX, i guESs."

"We've been herE since sunriSE. WhEre are ThE boATs?"

"I don'T know."

"it'S WeiRd."

"Weird or noT, we nEed to be reAdy to sIGnal theM If they cOme."

"If?" aSkeD StElla.

"i MeAnT whEn."

"wHat DO wE siGNal With, J.G.?"

"SmOkE, FRed." GeOrge TURNEd a fEw mOre pAges aNd smiled. "Here wE go—SignS, SymBols aNd sigNaliNg. it sayS we neeD threE fIres because threE meaNs calamitY."

"CaLaMitY?" STella LOoked bAck At tHeir camP: the fisH, The FiRE ANd Their salvaged rowboAt GEAr Stacked iN carefULlY iNVentorieD aNd cAtegORIzed pIles. iT dIdn't actuAlly loOK lIkE a calamItY, but it PrObaBly Was.

GeORge rEad, "ThrEe of everYthinG Does, and must, havE The same generaL MeANInG, A cry For Succor, help, oR alaRM. The WhitE MaN's cUStom oF firiNg THrEE shots as a call for helP, tHe ApacHe's cuStom of three smOkes as a sigN OF Alarm, the MounTAiNEer's custom of thRee stOnes one on tOP of anothEr, alsO the threE blazes on A TRee, three TufTs oF grAss, THReE short blasts oN A SteaMbOat whisTle, All indiCatE trOubLe; cOnSequently In this syStEm Of SiGns, Three COlumns of RiSinG sMokE, to anYOne seaRchinG the HoRiZOn wIth binoCUlARS, telEsCoPe or The UnAided Gaze, WIll Most cerTainly be rEcoGNizeD aS a Sign of dIstress and calAmIty."

"Okay, whaT dO we Need?"

"A tON Of dry stiCks and a lot of moss and grasS."

"let's do iT
—"

"What're you doing?"
"Your book  said  we  sh ou ld c allat half-hour i n terv als."

"I don't thinkthatpa r t'sg on na he lp us g e tr e scu ed ." 

" We l lwhatpar t is go nna help,J.G .? "

"Still lo o ki ng, Fred." 

" But shouldn' t t here b esea r ch pl ane s bynow?"a sked S tella. "I t' s  liket hey don ' t  k nowwe're gone, or do n 't care, or—" The  breez es hi f t edand  blew smok ein he r  face.S he s t ood up and coughe d as she wa l ked  to th eled g e over looki ng the  East Arm."Wehaven't s een ab oat sin c e we go t here . W hat  tim e  i sit? ""Ar o un d s i x,I guess. "
" We've  bee n h e re s inc e su nrise . Where are t heboat s ?"
"I d on'tknow ." 

"It 's wei rd."
" Weird or not, w e ne ed to berea dy  to  s ignal them i f t hey  come." 

"If?" ask ed S t el la.

"I meant when ." "W hat do w e sign a lwi t h, J.G.? "
"S moke , Fred. " Ge o rg e turned  a few mo re  pagesan d smil ed . " Her e weg o—si gns, s ymbols a nd si g naling. It say s  we need thre e  f i r es beca use  three mean s ca l amit y.""C ala m ity?"  Stel la lo o ked back at their c am p: the  fish , the fire an d their sa l v a ged rowb oatg ea r  stacked in ca reful ly invento r ied andcateg orized p iles. Itd i dn't act ual lyloo k l i k ea calamity, b u t  itpr obablywas .

Geor gerea d,"Th re e of ever ything d oe s,  a nd  mu st, h a ve the s am e g en era l mea n ing, a  cryforsu cc o r,help, o r  a l a rm.Th ewhit e m an 's cu stom offiringthree sho tsa s aca ll  for he lp, the Apach e' s custom o fthr ee smo k e s as a s ign of alarm, the mount a ineer's  cu stomof t hree ston esone on  to p  of an other,  also  t het h ree b l a ze s o na tree, th r e e t uftsof  gra ss, thr ee short blasts on a s teamboat whis tle , al l in dic a te tro ub l e;c o nsequently in t his system  o f  s igns, thre e  co lu mns ofrisingsmoke ,  to any one searc hing theho rizo n wit h binocula rs, tele scope ort he un a id ed ga ze,  willmo stcerta inly b e  re cogni zed as  a  signof di st ress and  calamity."

"Okay, wha t do w e nee d?" 

"A tonofd rysticks an d alot of mos s a ndgrass .""Let' s do it 
—"

"What're you_doing?"

"Your book_said we should call_at half-hour_intervals."

"I_don't think_that_part's gonna help_us get rescued."

"Well_what part is gonna_help, J.G.?"

"Still looking,_Fred."

"But_shouldn't there be search planes by now?" asked Stella. "It's like they don't know_we're_gone, or_don't_care,_or—" The breeze shifted and_blew smoke in her face._She stood_up and coughed as she walked to the_ledge_overlooking the East_Arm. "We haven't seen a boat since we got_here. What time is it?"

"Around six,_I guess."

"We've been_here_since_sunrise. Where are the_boats?"

"I don't know."

"It's weird."

"Weird or not,_we need to be ready to_signal them if they come."

"If?" asked Stella.

"I_meant when."

"What do we signal with,_J.G.?"

"Smoke, Fred." George turned a_few more_pages and smiled. "Here we_go—signs, symbols and_signaling. It_says we need_three fires because three means calamity."

"Calamity?"_Stella looked back_at their camp: the fish, the_fire_and their salvaged_rowboat_gear_stacked in_carefully inventoried and_categorized_piles. It_didn't_actually look like a calamity, but_it_probably was.

George read, "Three of everything does,_and must, have the_same_general meaning, a cry_for succor, help, or alarm._The white man's custom of firing_three shots_as a_call for help, the Apache's custom of three smokes as a_sign of alarm, the mountaineer's custom_of three stones one_on top_of_another, also the_three_blazes on_a tree, three tufts of grass, three_short blasts_on a steamboat whistle, all indicate_trouble; consequently in this_system_of signs, three columns of rising_smoke, to anyone searching the horizon_with binoculars, telescope or the_unaided_gaze,_will most certainly be recognized_as a sign of distress and_calamity."

"Okay, what do_we need?"

"A ton of dry sticks and_a_lot of moss and grass."

"Let's do_it