(Two Airmen from a RADAR site, S/Sgt Jack Albany and Airman 2nd Class Phil Erie are rock hunting.)

For a walk in the sunshine in New Mexico in the Spring of 1960, they'd picked a relatively cool day, and though dusty from descending to the valley floor, hardly worked up a sweat. Once down there, it didn't look too promising to Albany. "If there's anything down here, it'll probably be on the inside of these little bends."

They continued north along the dry wash, occasionally tapping at outcroppings or digging at the base of small stone piles, finding nothing.

"Hey, Jack, It'd be pretty neat if we found some of that turquoise, Huh?"

"Not only neat, it'd be a real miracle. I can see why nobody's ever mentioned the Rio Puerco being a source of anything."

They ambled along the wash, disappointed with their lack of agates or anything worth picking up until they came opposite of the old ruin. "Jack, we're not doing any good down here. Let's see what's in that old pueblo."

"Don't think we'll find any rocks up there either. Just miles of mesa top. Why climb up there? I'm getting hot and tired anyway."

"Well, its something to do. A couple of the RADAR operators have been helping an archaeologist up there on week ends. Lets take a look and see what they've been doing."

Jack shrugged. "Okay, might's well." Finding a gully that gave them access to the mesa top, they started climbing. "If he isn't working, we may be trespassing."

"So, who will care?"

Once on top of the Mesa they didn't see any life in the ruin or anywhere around. The visible remains of Ancient Rio Puerco Pueblo were spread over an area of roughly a city block. A few rough rock walls stood as high as four feet, however; most of the ruin consisted of low mounds where walls had crumbled and now were covered by tumbleweeds cacti and other desert plants. In roughly the center of the Pueblo was an open area which was bordered on one side by the highest of the standing walls. Jim Madison's principal excavation was in this area, which may have contained a Kiva, or ceremonial lodge.

"I don't see anyone around, Sarge. Must be an off day."

"Yeah. We probably shouldn't hang around, but now we're here, I'm curious to see what he does." Ambling over to the lip of the trench he peered into the digging. "Looks like a hole in the ground to me. I guess you got to know what you're looking for."

Nearer to the farther, deeper end of the trench, Phil said, "Looks like one of those rock carvings down here."

"Un huh. That's Kokopelli, the humpbacked flute player. He was some kind of flaky joker. See, he's got a hard-on, so maybe he was a fertility God too."

"There's a slab in the ground next to it. Looks like someone has dug all around it."

"Must be something under it. I wonder why he didn't lift it out," said Jack.

"Hmmmm, it's only about two foot square, but maybe its a lot deeper. If he didn't have any help, maybe he couldn't raise it alone."

Phil jumped into the trench nearer to the shallow end and walked down to the slab. He crouched down and poked around the edges of it with his trenching tool. Backing off he tried to slip his shovel under the slab. "Between us, I think we could do him a favor and tip this thing up."

"Iif we disturb it he might not think it's a favor."

"Aren't you curious what's under here, Sarge? We could take a look and just drop the slab back again."

"Yeah? What if it's some kind of burial plot. Sure you want to be digging up any ancient Indians? What if they have curses like those Egyptian mummies?"

"Get off it, Sarge. I'm not superstitious. Besides, all we have to do is raise it enough to see what's under there. We don't have to mess with anything."

His curiosity getting the better of his judgment, Albany jumped into the trench and while using his rock hammer at one side of the slab, and Erie levering with his shovel at the other, they started to raise one side of the rock.

When barely open, the slab burst against the trench wall with a force that threw the Airmen on their backs. "My God," screamed Erie. "I've busted my ass!"

A dark cloud smelling of sage brush flowed out of the cavity into the air and disappeared.