exclaimed with an air of
relief. "It's getting late," he added, looking at his watch, "and I must
get this business settled as soon as possible; I have another little
affair waiting for me in New York. Bring plenty of calcium light,
please. We want to see what we're doing."

As the four of us were preparing to start, Terry paused on the top step
and nodded pleasantly to the group on the veranda.

"Thank you for your information, gentlemen. I have no doubt but that it
will be of the greatest importance," and he turned away with a laugh at
their puzzled faces.

The sheriff and I were equally puzzled. I should have suspected that
Terry, in the role of detective, was playing a joke on them, had he not
very evidently got something on his mind. He was of a sudden in a frenzy
of impatience to reach the cave, and he kept well ahead of us most of
the way.

"I suppose," said Mattison as he climbed a fence with tantalizing
deliberation--we were going by way of the fields as that was shorter--"I
suppose that you are trying to prove that Radnor Gaylord had nothing to
do with this murder?"

"That will be easy enough," Terry threw back over his shoulder. "I
dropped _him_ long ago. The one I'm after now is the real murderer."

Mattison scowled slightly.

"If you can explain what it was that happened in that cave that upset
him so mightily, I'd come a little nearer to believing you."

Terry laughed and fell back beside him.

"It's a thing which I imagine may have happened to one or two other
young men of this neighborhood--not inconceivably yourself included."

Mattison, seeing no meaning in this sally, preserved a sulky silence and
Terry added:

"The thing for us to do now is to bend all our energies toward finding
Cat-Eye Mose. I doubt if we can completely explain the mystery until he
is discovered."

"And that," said the sheriff, "will be never! You may mark my words;
whoever killed the Colonel, killed Mose, too."

"It's possible," said Terry with an air of sadness, "but I hope not. I
came all the way down from New York on purpose to see Mose, and I should
hate to miss him."

CHAPTER XXII

THE DISCOVERY OF CAT-EYE MOSE

Having lighted our candles, we descended into the cave and set out along
the path I now knew so well. When we reached the pool the guide lit a
calcium light which threw a fierce white glare over the little body of
water and the limestone cliffs, and even penetrated to the stalactite
drap