re," answered Tom. "If you squeeze past me you can see them."

Mr. Damon did so.

"How did they get here?" asked the odd man, as he looked down in the
little valley where the missing ones were sequestered.

"That's what we've got to find out," Tom said. "At any rate here they
are, and they seem to be enjoying life while we've been worrying as to
what had become of them. How did they get here, Masni?"

"Me show you. Come."

"Wait until I take another look," said Tom.

"Be careful they don't see you," cautioned Mr. Damon.

"They can't very well. The cleft is screened by bushes."

Tom looked down once more on the group of men who had so mysteriously
disappeared. The little valley stretched out away from the face of the
cliff, through which, by means of the crack, or cleft in it, Tom and
the others had come. Tom looked down the wall of rock. It was as smooth
as the side of a building, and offered no means of getting down or up.
Doubtless there was an easier entrance to the valley on the other side.
It was like looking down into some vast hall through an upper window or
from a balcony.

"And those men have been in hiding, or been hidden here, ever since
they disappeared from the tunnel," said Mr. Damon.

"It doesn't look as though they were detained by force," Tom remarked.
"I think they are being paid to stay away. How did they get here,
Masni?"

"Me show you. Come!"

They went back along the trail that led through the split in the rock,
until they had come to the place where the natural curtain of vines
concealed the entrance. Tom took particular notice of this place so he
would know it again.

Then Masni led them over the mountain, and this time Tom saw that they
were approaching the tunnel. He recognized some places where he had
taken samples of rock from the outcropping to test the strength of his
explosive.

Reaching a certain wild and desolate place, Masni made a signal of
caution. She seemed to be listening intently. Then, as if satisfied
there was no danger, she parted some bushes and glided in, motioning
the others to follow.

"Now I wonder what's up," Tom mused.

He and the others were soon informed.

Masni stopped in front of a pile of brush. With a few vigorous motions
of her arms she swept it aside and revealed a smooth slab of rock. In
the centre was what seemed to be a block of metal Masni placed her foot
on this and pressed heavily.

And those watching saw a strange thing.

The sla