e bonds will make them good, Martha. I'll know all
about it to-morrow," answered Randolph Rover, and there the conversation
came to an end.

CHAPTER II

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE MOUNTAIN

It was on the day that Randolph Rover was to go to the town of Carwell,
fifteen miles away, to see about the bonds, that the three Rover boys
planned for a day's outing.

"Let us go to the top of Chase Mountain," suggested Sam. "I haven't been
up there for three years."

"Second the suggestion," replied Tom. "We can take a lunch along and
make a day of it," and so it was arranged.

Chase Mountain was about three miles away, on the other side of Humpback
Falls, where Sam had once had such a stirring adventure, as told in
detail in "The Rover Boys at School." It was a ragged eminence, and from
the top a view could be had of the country for many miles around.

The day seemed to be a perfect one when the three youths started, and
when they reached the top of the mountain they enjoyed the vast panorama
spread before them. They likewise enjoyed the substantial lunch their
Aunt Martha had provided, and ate until Tom was ready to "bust his
buttons," as he expressed it.

"Let us try a new path down," said Sam, when it came time to go home,
and he and Tom led the way, over a series of rocky ridges and cliffs
anything but easy to traverse. In some places they had to drop ten and
fifteen feet, and once Tom came down on his ankle in a manner that made
him cry with pain.

"You look out for yourself," warned Dick. "If you sprain an ankle up
here we'll have a job of it getting you home."

"No sprained ankle for mine, thank you," replied Tom. And he was more
careful after that.

As Dick came after his brothers he saw something peculiar at one side of
the path he was pursuing. It appeared to be a tin lunch box suspended
from a tree limb by a bit of wire. The box was painted red and seemed to
be new.

"That's strange," said the eldest Rover boy to himself. "Who would leave
such a thing as that in that position? I'll have to investigate."

Without telling Sam and Tom what he was going to do, Dick left the path
and plunged into the bushes which grew between himself and the tree from
which the tin box was suspended. Among the bushes the footing was
uncertain, and hardly had he taken a dozen steps when he felt himself
sinking.

"Hi! this won't do!" he cried in alarm, and then plunged down into a big
hole, some bushes, moss and dead lea