The folklore surrounding Miller's Cave runs rampant in Astatula. It is among the bat-infested, stalagmite, stalactite, and speleothem limestone formations inside the cave that the legend of Chakwaina was rumored to have occurred many moons ago.

The story is told of the young Comanche brave Chakwaina who went walking one day. When night fell he was far from home. He decided he would spend the night in an old ranchero. After falling asleep he was awakened by a loud thump on the roof. Chakwaina leapt out of bed with a start and lit a candle as a skeleton arm crashed to the floor. Immediately it was joined by two legs, the chest, and the other arm. Soon the entire skeleton stood there looking at Chakwaina.

To test the brave's courage the skeleton said, "I challenge you to a wrestling match!"

Chakwaina won when he threw the skeleton off him with a sudden twist. The victory led to the skeleton rewarding Chakwaina with all of his treasure.

Returning back to his tribe Chakwaina promised them, "I will share my wealth with you."

But the young brave did not. This made his people very mad.

The angry elders banished Chakwaina by telling him, "You must live alone in the Big Hole until the Great Spirit appears."

Cody was fascinated with the stories he heard about Miller's Cave. Maybe that was why he and Matt continuously explored every inch of the cave they could access. Being explicitly forbidden to stay away from the cave only made the boys more determined to probe it.

The other finds they risked life and limb searching for were the dinosaur fossils Miller's Cave was reported to host including mammoths, saber-toothed cats, mastodons, Dire Wolves, and especially shark's teeth.

So far they had not located any of the prizes but they knew every nook, cranny and hidey hole the cave offered. At the time Cody did not realize how important that knowledge would be. The day would come when he would certainly find out.

The boys were sized just small enough to scamper over the jagged boulders partially blocking the mouth of Miller's Cave to gain entry. They knew all the bats that lived there by their first name. They had even had tea and crumpets with them on occasion. Of course, it helps when you're the ones who named them.

Driving back to Astatula from an afternoon shopping for wedding announcements in the upscale Patsy's Boutique in Austin, Beth had her car radio tuned to Willie's Roadhouse. She was listening to the DJ, Dallas Wayne, previewing the last song Merle Haggard recorded before his untimely death. A tune known as "Kern River Blues" that was being World-Debuted on the program she was listening to.

The tail had begun on Highway 42. It continued for ten miles or more. Beth was being followed just close enough for the driver of the other vehicle not to lose sight of her car. The distance between the two of them was slowly being shortened. Oblivious to the situation, at first, Beth drove on. She was about twenty-three miles away from town.

Noticing her stalker at the turn-off for Coro Crossing Beth's pulse began accelerating rapidly. She realized on this two-lane highway she would be an easy target any time her pursuer decided to strike. She reached for the .357 Magnum Sheriff Daniels had given her. She kept the pistol stashed away between the two front seats of her car. It felt good to her touch. An expert with the weapon, Beth was ready when the time was right.

She increased her speed to seventy miles an hour and pressed on. Her stalker stayed with her but did not further close the gap between them. Beth kept focusing on the sharp "S"-curved road in front of her. Occasionally checking her rearview mirror when she safely could.

She knew Sheriff Daniels was responding to a situation on the other side of Astatula. Some boys had vandalized a barn by spray-painting obscene graffiti on its side in neon green lettering.

When Sheriff Daniels contacted her, before she left Austin, he told her the old farmer who owned the barn swore the blond who ran away holding the spray can in his hand looked like Cody.

That struck the Sheriff as awfully peculiar because Cody and Matt were supposed to be at the library checking out books to read. Not anywhere near the vicinity of Miller's Cave and definitely not creating mischief.

All Beth could do was press on. Hoping to escape her stalker until she reached the safety of Astatula. She accelerated to eighty. Fifteen miles lay between her and the town. Her stalker did the same.