Older TNT, weeping nitroglycerin, would never stand up to such treatment as to be thrown and bounced along a cave floor…  but such are the resources of the coyote clan. Looks like he’s got more where that came from judging from the bulge in his man-bag…  or is that a “murse??”

Once again, Mark at the helm, recognizing in an instant (not even the classic pause and a “Wht th—?”) he has everyone scatter- away from the 7-stick bundle- enough explosive force to bring down a mountainside let alone close up a cave mouth…

But as sad as it might be for our hero and his friends, I was alerted to the passing of Jack Elrod, who passed the torch to James Allen, after a lifetime spent well in the name of conservation and comic strip adventure writing and drawing.  Once teamed with Ed Dodd starting in 1950, he kept the torch lit from 1978 -2014.  Here’s to you, Jack.  To a life well lived!

Jack Elrod 1925-2016

Like cream that rises to the top, Mark is in Alpha Mode once the chips are down…  but at the same time hoping Ol’ Gabe has a sat phone on his hip… otherwise I doubt whether there’s a tower within range.  But he’s agreeable enough- “OKAY, Mark, I’ll try!” he says…  Carina will be fine without her glasses- they were just a cheap pair of “attitude” glasses from the Dollar Store that she wore to make her look smart.  It’s hard being a woman in a man’s world.   Without them, her features have softened and she has become a more sympathetic character in the James Allen Trailverse…

What I don’t understand is why they feel like the cave is so “safe…”  Like they are 12-year-olds playing a backyard game of “Jailbreak” and they are safely in their own “base…”  The reality is that they are now cornered and trapped with a heavily armed bad guy outside what appears to be the only exit- the way they came in, and they aren’t even aware of the other bit of fun that’s in store…

And in related news, here’s piece written in support of one’s right to keep and bear dynamite… seems to be one of our bedrock principles as a nation…

…why do people feel compelled to start their sentences that way?? Annoying.  Didn’t see the TNT coming.  OK.  Now the strip will begin to play on my fear of enclosed spaces…  Oh boy…  first heights, now this.

No sé quién es ustedes…  But no matter, I have neither heart nor compunction about doing anything in this world.  I have no fear that this will come back on me… I will sleep well tonight knowing that there is no one who will be able to bear witness to my crimes…

Someone must have really messed with Jose at some point n his life.  Sort of like the Bad-ass Cousins in Breaking bad- when Tio started drowning the one to teach the other una lección…

So, (there’s that again…) with Mark and Company about to be sealed in for life, entombed for all time, we are left to wonder how the Hell they get out of this one!?!

Thanks?  That’s what you have to say for yourself, Mark?  Ye of bad fortune and karma… One who brings trouble with him in bushel baskets…

But let’s think about this, Gabe.  This is only slightly better than running around in the open.  Now you are in el Cueve del Muerte, The Cave of the Dead, with an assassin lurking around near the opening- how convenient- you all can be shot down, and stuffed in the cave where over time your bones will be mistaken for ceremonial offerings from your forebears.  Other that modern day accouterments that can be traced to the men’s clothing section of the LL Bean catalogue, no one would be any the wiser…

Funny- spell check likes the word ‘catalog’ better, but ‘catalogue’ is acceptable…  huh- I always throw the ‘ue’ on the end, just like Dan Quayle wanted to throw an ‘e’ on the end of ‘Potato…’

Is that like the bottomless pasta bowl at Olive Garden?  Endless Salad and Bread sticks followed by copious amounts of Tiramisu?  One thing this story line has revealed to me is how much YouTube time is spent burning through Ammo!  But it also shows me that a single clip, even a high capacity one, only lasts a number of seconds… and unless Jose has an ox-cart full of spare clips and extra rounds, he’ll run out at some point… What that video clip also shows is that the AK is not a sharpshooter’s weapon of choice, as the seemingly experienced shooter is only landing on his target about 3% of the time…

So as Mark and his new Posse high-tail it into the cave, we are left to wonder how they are (seemingly so far) avoiding injury.  Carina seems to be the fast one, followed by Gabe’s fat arse (sort of like a fullback blocking for the star running back…) with Mark taking up the slack, pushing them into the cave.  Note the clenched fist in panel one- clearly a reflex reaction to danger, stemming from the amygdala, which triggers a neural response in the hypothalamus. The initial reaction is followed by activation of the pituitary gland and secretion of the hormone ACTH.  The adrenal gland is activated almost simultaneously and releases the neurotransmitter epinephrine. The release of chemical messengers results in the production of the hormone cortisol, which increases blood pressure, blood sugar, and suppresses the immune system.  The ‘fight or flight’ response.  I’d flee too if I were them… Thanks Wiki… I have recently taken to supporting the Wikimedia Foundation, given the fact that I refer to its offerings on a daily basis…