As the three cousins ran through the woods, jumping over fallen trees, zigzagging through knee-high ferns, and pushing branches out of their way, a chorus of laughter rose in the still air.

"Don't be so pokey, Michael," teased his older cousin. "Watch out for that rock on the left," Sam warned the boys. A yelp went up as Jeremy stumbled. "Come on, come on. We're almost there," Sam hollered. "I can hear the river now and there's the bridge to Uncle David's camp."

The boys lined up along the edge of the cliff. "You expect us to walk across that creaky, old thing?" Michael whined. "No, way! It's swaying, and it's a long way down."

"It sways because it's a swinging bridge. See the cables at­tached to that big pine tree and then attached to those posts over there?" Sam asked. "They hold up t…