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"Let's go back in the cave stream where it's dryer," George said with a half-smile,
desperately trying to cling to his waning sense of humor. Roger was already sketching at the entrance, commenting
that "this rite-in-the-rain paper sure works great!" Maria scolded, "what are you doing, you obsessive
anglo? We haven't even received our next instructions yet. You're wasting your time."
As it turned out, Roger was getting a head start, because the hosts instructed them to split into two groups and
continue along the same passage and into a maze area. The groups were to map the multi-level maze area and find
their way to a skylight dome. The group that mapped the most passage between the gate and the skylight dome would
win a hot meal.
Predictably, Sally and Jennifer immediately ran to Roger, knowing that his assistance would almost assure a victory.
They put their arms around him and gave him a kiss on each cheek, as he raised an eyebrow and shot a smug glance
at Maria. She pretended not to notice, and bit her tongue for perhaps the first time in her life. Tobias noted
Maria's feelings and came to her side, as did Julie. That left George, to whom Maria said "come on, funny
man, we need you." He bounded over to her side, proclaiming "I'm a limestone cowboy, at your service,
ma'am."
Off they went, surveying their way as they climbed through several rooms of breakdown. Sally and Jennifer adeptly
scrambled through, around, and over the breakdown, finding lots of side passages to add footage to their project.
Roger kept up with them, expertly arranging all of the data in his PDA. Nonetheless, they were outnumbered by the
other team: Maria's determination, Julie's competence, George's zeal, and Tobias's generous willingness to help
anyone at any time made progress equally as great.
Alas, it was too much of a great thing. The excitement of surveying through the breakdown eventually
wore thin, and their pace slowed. Breakdown. And more breakdown. Up and down. It was getting dry and hot, a great
contrast to their experiences over the last few days. Even Julie, never one to complain, commented "what's
the point of mapping an endless pile of rocks?" And, for the life of her, she could not remember what the
prize was for winning the entire Surveyor Cave competition. George's humor was about as interesting as the cave:
"Watch out for that rock! Don't forget to sketch that rock with the mud on it! I'd better make a cairn on
this pile of rocks!" and so on. Unfortunately, the unrelenting repetition of mapping the multi-level maze
of breakdown combined with George's non-ending humor got on the nerves of the team members; and that later would
spell the end of George's status as a contestant.
The mapping exercise was over when they followed a large pile of breakdown to a stream that was draining a skylight
dome. A sunbeam lit up the glistening, jagged walls of the dome, a refreshing sight as they had not seen the sun
in…weeks? They turned over their maps to be evaluated by a "newly hired cartographer." Each contestant
thought they recognized the voice of the hidden cartographer as he made some snickering noises, but attributed
it to imagination and did not mention it. As for the maps, there was no contest. Roger and the twins had been careful
not to count various passages through breakdown in large rooms and trunk passages twice. However, the other team
had produced a map with crisscrossing passages and documented more footage than actually existed. Thus Roger, Sally,
and Jennifer gobbled down their hot meal of beef, bean, and cheese burritos while the others ate their usual dehydrated
gruel and looked hungrily at the juicy looking cave crickets.
Later that night, as the sunlight disappeared from the dome, the voting commenced. It was brutal on poor George.
All members of his team voted him out, as well as some members of the other team. The limestone cowboy swallowed
his pride, gave a half-wink and a one-sided smile, tipped his helmet, and crawled off. His whistling and the warm
flickering glow of his carbide lamp betrayed his presence for a time, but eventually faded away.
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