Chapter 301: Chapter 301: Camping Trip

The following Saturday, Scott and Jackie loaded one of the larger skiffs with camping gear and set off with Grant and Emma toward the southern end of Lake Miranda. They stopped at a tiny sandy beach Scott had included on his map of solo campsites. Beyond the sand, the shore sloped up slightly to a clearing big enough to accommodate a large tent.

Scott and Jackie worked together to quickly set up the tent over a bed of pine branches. Then he and Grant scoured the shoreline for large rocks to build a fire pit while Jackie and Emma gathered firewood.

By mid-afternoon, the campsite was set up, and they decided to go for a walk through the woods. Scott took off the bracelet and allowed Grant to use the compass to guide their path. On the return trip, Grant eyed the bracelet’s buckle curiously.

“Is this the whistle?” he asked, pointing to a protrusion from the black plastic buckle.

Scott nodded. “Yup. You can’t blow it, though. It’s for emergencies only.”