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Stanley glanced uncertainly at Zigzag, who was staring very intently at the busted television screen.

Stanley crashed on the couch.

Stanley made his way across the room.

He had looked for a hidden camera in the shower. He hadn't seen anything, and he hoped the Warden hadn't either.

As Stanley entered the Wreck Room, he could hear X-Ray's voice from all the way across the room.

"What's the matter?" asked X-Ray. "You guys tired or something?" He laughed.

"Hey, keep it down, will you," groaned Zigzag. "I'm trying to watch TV."

"Hey, slide on over, Squid," said X-Ray. "Make room for the Caveman."

"See what I'm saying," X-Ray said. "Am I right, or am I right?"

The other bodies in the room were little more than bags of flesh and bones, dumped across broken chairs and couches. X-Ray was full of life, laughing and waving his arms around as he talked. "Yo, Caveman, my man!" he called out.

The Warden greeted the boys at breakfast the next morning and went with them to the holes. Four dug in the holes, and three tended to the wheelbarrows. "Glad you're here, X-Ray," she said to him. "We need your sharp eyes."

After that, everyone worked faster, especially when Mr. Sir was watching them. Stanley practically ran when he pushed his wheelbarrow. Mr. Sir reminded them that they weren't Girl Scouts.

Stanley spent more time pushing the wheelbarrow than digging, because he was such a slow digger. He carted away the excess dirt and dumped it into previously dug holes. He was careful not to dump any of it in the hole where the gold tube was actually found.

He could still see the tube in his mind. It seemed so familiar, but he just couldn't place it. He thought that it might have been the lid to a fancy gold pen. K B could have been the initials of a famous author. The only famous authors he could think of were Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, and Mark Twain. Besides, it didn't really look like the top of a pen.

By lunchtime the Warden was beginning to lose her patience. She made them eat quickly, so they could get back to work. "If you can't get them to work any faster," she told Mr. Sir, "then you're going to have to climb down there and dig with them."

Mr. Pendanski entered the Wreck Room. "Stanley," he called as he made his way to him.

They didn't quit digging until after every other group had finished.

"Uh, thanks," Stanley said, taking it.

"His name's Caveman," said X-Ray.

"Well, I have a letter here for someone named Stanley Yelnats," said Mr. Pendanski. He turned over an envelope in his hands. "It doesn't say Caveman anywhere."

It was from his mother.

Stanley put it in the big pocket of his pants.

Later, as Stanley sat sprawled across an understuffed chair, he tried to think of a way to tell the Warden where the tube was really found, without getting himself or X-Ray into trouble. It didn't seem possible. He even thought about sneaking out at night and digging in that hole by himself. But the last thing he wanted to do after digging all day was to dig at night, too. Besides, the shovels were locked up at night, presumably so they couldn't be used as weapons.

"My name's Caveman," said Stanley.

"Stanley," said Mr. Pendanski.

"Who's it from?" Squid asked. "Your mother?"

He read it later, after the other boys had gone to dinner.

I feel sorry for the little old lady who lived in a shoe. It must have smelled awful!

It startled him. He thought Zero had gone to dinner with the others.

Stanley smiled.

"Give him some space," said X-Ray. "If Caveman doesn't want to read it to us, he doesn't have to. It's probably from his girlfriend."

"Oh, sorry," said Zero.

"Nothing. Just something my mom wrote."

It was wonderful to hear from you Your letter made me feel like one of the other moms who can afford to send their kids to summer camp. I know it's not the same, but I am very proud of you for trying to make the best of a bad situation. Who knows? Maybe something good will come of this.

Love from both of us,

Dear Stanley,

Your father thinks he is real close to a breakthrough on his sneaker project. I hope so. The landlord is threatening to evict us because of the odor.

"What's so funny?" Zero asked.

"Nothing."

"What'd she say?" Zero asked.

"Aren't you going to read it to us?" asked Armpit.

Zero said nothing.

"You know, the nursery rhyme?"

"No."

Zero stared blankly at him.

Zero stared blankly.

"How does it go?" asked Zero.

"Well, see my dad is trying to invent a way to recycle old sneakers. So the apartment kind of smells bad, because he's always cooking these old sneakers. So anyway, in the letter my mom said she felt sorry for that little old lady who lived in a shoe, you know, because it must have smelled bad in there."

Stanley headed on to dinner. He would have felt pretty silly reciting nursery rhymes at Camp Green Lake.

"Didn't you ever watch Sesame Street?" Stanley asked.

"You've heard the nursery rhyme about the little old lady who lived in a shoe?"

Stanley was amazed.