Seventy-Two Cents Worth

"It's a long way down," said Dave, peering over the edge.

Sam agreed with a nod of his head. He pulled some change out of his left pocket, sorted out a penny and tossed it over.

Dave counted silently. One...two...three...four...by fifteen it was too small to see and it still hadn't made a sound.

"Try a quarter," he suggested.

"Biggest thing i've got's a...oh hell," said Sam and he threw the whole handful.

Glistening silver and copper--seventy-two cents worth--descended like a sparatic school of fish until they could be seen no more. The sound of change bouncing off the rocks below barely made it back to their ears.

"'Bout twenty-three seconds?" asked Sam.

"Yeah...that's about what i got," said Dave. He checked his watch. Five o'clock. The sun was going down and Dave knew they hadn't much time. "This isn't getting us any closer to the car."

"Well unless you've materialized a really long rope in the last two minutes, i'd say we're stuck here for the night."