d
flower growing in a wilderness of weeds. The touch of their hands was
electric.

"Come."

The boys heard the word, and they moved slowly forward through the
darkness, now and then feeling dank walls on either hand.

For a considerable distance they went on in this way, and then the
passage seemed to widen out, and they felt that they had entered a cave.

"Keep close ter me," directed the girl.

"Here, give me your hands. Now you-uns can't git astray."

At last a strange smell came to their nostrils, seemingly on the wings
of a light breath of air.

"What is that?" asked Frank.

"Ther mill whar ther moonshine is made."

"Oh!"

Now the boys recognized the smell.

Still she led them on through the darkness. Never for a moment did she
hesitate; she seemed to have the eyes of an owl.

All at once they heard the sound of gently running water.

"Is there a stream near?" asked Frank.

"Lost Creek runs through har," answered the girl.

"Lost Creek? Why, we are still underground."

"An' Lost Creek runs underground. Have ye fergot that?"

So the mysterious stream flowed through this cavern, and the cave was
near one of the illicit distilleries.

Frank cared to know no more, for he did not believe it was healthy to
know too much about the makers of moonshine.

It was not long before they approached the mouth of the cave. They saw
the opening before them, and then, of a sudden, a dark figure arose
there--the figure of a man with a gun in his hands!

CHAPTER XLIV.

FRANK'S SUSPICION.

"It's all right."

Kate uttered the words, and the boys began to recover from their alarm,
as she did not hesitate in the least.

"Who is it?" asked Frank.

"Dummy."

"Who is Dummy?"

"A cousin o' mine. He'll do anything fer me. I put him thar ter watch
out while I war in hyar."

They went forward. Of a sudden, Kate struck a match, holding it so the
light shone on her face, and the figure at the mouth of the cave was
seen to wave its hand and vanish.

"Ther coast is clear," assured the girl. "But it's gittin' right nigh
mornin', an' we-uns must hustle away from hyar afore it is light. We
won't lose any time."

The boys were well satisfied to get away as quickly as possible.

They passed out of the dark cavern into the cool, sweet air of a spring
morning, for the gray of dawn was beginning to dispel the darkness, and
the birds were twittering from the thickets.

The phantom of a moon was in the sky,