."

"Oh, I don't want to look," said Chester, bitterly disappointed. "I
can take your word for it. What are we going to do now?"

"Well," said Hal, "it looks to me like a good time to get out the
other end."

"Yes, but there are likely to be a few of them hanging about there,
also," said Chester.

"That's so, too," agreed Hal. "Well, I'll tell you what: You sneak
back there and investigate, and I'll stay here and guard this end, in
case one of them tries to get in."

Slowly Chester crawled away. Reaching the opposite end of the cave, he
cautiously poked his head out and looked around. In the dim light he
could see no one. But he was afraid to call out to Hal--his voice
might be overheard--so he took his tedious way back to where he had
left his friend.

"All O. K.," he whispered.

"Good," said Hal. "Let's get out of here, then."

They crawled back along the dark passageway as rapidly as the darkness
and the condition of the ground would permit, but before leaving their
place of refuge, Chester thought it advisable to peep out once more.

And it was well that he did so. For, standing almost at the entrance
of the cave three figures loomed up against the sky. Quickly Chester
drew back in again.

"Three of 'em out there," he informed Hal briefly. "What are we going
to do now?"

"You've got me," replied Hal. "Can't you pick 'em off with your gun?"

"Oh, I can pick a couple of 'em off, all right. But what then? We
would probably have a whole brigade upon us in two shakes of a lamb's
tail."

"I guess you are right," Hal agreed. "But we have got to do
something."

"So we have," replied Chester; "but the question is, what?"

Hal was silent for several minutes, thinking. Finally he said:

"Well, I guess the best thing to do is to wait and see what happens.
Perhaps they may leave before broad daylight and not discover this
cave. In that case we shall be safe enough. Now you stay here and
guard this end, and don't move unless I call. I'll do the same at the
other end."

"All right," said Chester. "We'll keep our posts till daylight,
whether they go away or not. Then, if we have not been discovered, we
can at least see what we are doing."

Hal moved slowly along the passageway once more, being very careful
not to make any noise. He crawled on hands and knees, his head thrust
out before him.

Suddenly, as he moved slowly along, his head came in contact with
another moving object with an audible crack.

H