The sun was getting low in the sky and on the desert below the shadows of the rocky bluffs and boulders were beginning to lengthen. In one area of the desert was a large circular depression. The sides of the depression fell nearly vertically to a rocky floor one hundred feet below the top edge. The depth, combined with a width of over thirty yards, gave the impression of a giant pit, a great cylindrical hole in the middle of the desert.

      At the edge of the pit a rescue team waited to spring into action. The captain of the team paced back and forth thoughtfully, occasionally stroking his bearded chin. He wore hiking boots, a rappelling harness, a tool belt, and a hard hat that covered his long brown hair. A lamp was fixed to the front of the hard hat and he wore a radio on his belt.

      One of his assistants sat on the ground with his back up against a heavy tripod stand. He was quietly reading a book. Whenever he would turn a page he would pause to look up and admire the sun as it neared the horizon and the clouds near the sun that had begun to change color. Soon there would not be enough light for reading.

      The other assistant sat cross-legged on the ground nearby throwing pebbles into a tin cup about fifteen feet away. When he had exhausted the supply of pebbles within his reach, he would slide over a few feet and begin gathering and throwing again. The pebbles that hit the cup broke the silence with a muffled metallic clank.

      Fifty yards away a rescue helicopter sat quietly, its idle rotors bobbing gently in the light breeze. The helicopter pilot sat on the ground with his back resting against a skid. Every few minutes his head would slowly nod forward as he dozed fitfully. At one point the pilot raised his head and looked over toward the captain. The pilot raised his hand and gave a “thumbs up” sign. The team captain nodded and waved.

      The captain looked over toward the setting sun, noting to himself the rays of shadow and sunlight where the sun was passing behind a cloud. He let his eyes linger on it for a moment, and then paced over to the edge of the pit. He stopped at the edge and looked down. He thought he might still see the bottom, but the darkness had now nearly filled the pit, obscuring the bottom and most of the sides. Seeing nothing he turned and began pacing again. The second assistant gave a loud sigh and tossed a pebble into the pit.

      “Hey! Please don’t do that,” the captain said to the second assistant. From the tripod the first assistant glanced up from his book.

      “I’m sorry,” said the second assistant. “I was just beginning to doubt that there was still anything down there.” He smiled sheepishly.

      “We know there’s someone down there.”

      The second assistant nodded. “Sorry, boss.”

      The captain nodded and sighed, then paced over to the tripod. He knelt down and began inspecting the fittings and fastenings.

      “It’s all set up right, boss,” said the first assistant.

      “I know.” He stood up and looked over the ropes that were coiled next to the tripod. “I guess I just need something to do.”

      “You should bring a book.”

      The captain nodded, but said nothing. He looked out at the helicopter again and briefly considered going there to look it over. But he decided that he didn’t want to be that far away from the pit in case something happened. So he began his pacing again. He stepped away from the tripod, keeping parallel with the edge of the pit, and walked about twenty steps. He had just made his first turn to come back when he noticed the first assistant leaning over toward the pit listening intently. He froze in his steps and listened, but heard nothing.

      “What is it?” he whispered aloud to the first assistant. By now the second assistant had also noticed the first and had stopped his pebble throwing to listen.

      The first assistant held up his index finger as he strained to hear. Then he motioned quickly with his hand, beckoning the captain over. The team captain jogged over and quickly dropped down on his hands and knees. He leaned over the edge, his head craning out as far as he dared, and listened. After a few moments he said, “What was it?”

      The first assistant put his index finger over his lips and whispered, “Listen.”

      The captain listened intently and after a few moments heard a sobbing that began to grow louder. Then he heard a voice, far away, as if it were coming from the opposite end of a long tube.

      “Why is this happening to me?” the voice asked between sobs. “Why?”

      The captain looked at the first assistant and their eyes met. But both said nothing as they held their breath and waited. There was more sobbing, louder now, and you could tell that it was a man’s voice. The bitter sobbing stopped briefly, and then the air was cut with a harsh, frustrated yell.

      “I can’t get out of here! Does any one hear me? I can’t get out of here! I’m trapped! Aaaaah!”

      The captain leaned back in from the pit. “All right, let’s go.”

      “But that was not an official request for help,” said the first assistant.

      “It’s good enough for me. Come on.” He stood up and switched on the radio at his belt. He turned toward the helicopter and whistled. He raised his arm and made a circular spinning motion with his index finger. The pilot nodded and scrambled into the helicopter. The captain turned to the assistants and saw them readying the tripod equipment.

      “Rope!” called the second assistant as he tossed the first coil of rope into the darkness of the pit. Then he stepped over and drove his heel into the top of each of the anchor points, ensuring that they were secure.

      The first assistant helped the captain thread the lines through the eyes of the rappelling harness. When it was ready, they went to the edge in front of the tripod. The first assistant attached the end of the second rope securely to the top of the tripod while the second assistant double-checked the attachment of the first rope to the tripod winch.

      “Rope!” called the first assistant as he tossed the second coil into the pit. The captain stepped over the rope so that it ran around beside him. By now they could hear the whine of the helicopter’s turbine as it came up to speed. The captain looked at the assistants and each one gave him a thumb’s up sign indicating all was ready. The captain nodded.

      “Good luck, boss,” said the second assistant.

      The team captain nodded. “I’ll be right back.” He gripped the rope with both hands and leaned back until it was taut. Then he released his grip slightly and felt the rope begin to slide through his hands. He took a step backwards and began his descent. He saw the helicopter blades just beginning to turn as he dropped below the edge.