he river if
we can make it?"

The men said they were.

"Then that's settled. Get out the grub. We'll feed up while we've got
the chance."

No fire was built. The men munched their food cold. Little was said
among them.

And now Tad began to ponder over certain other phases of his situation.
How were these outlaws going to get out? There surely must be some
way of opening the way to the outside. Still, the boy did not see
how they could move the tree from the inside. If they could do it
he could. He decided, however, that it would not be safe to trust
to his finding the secret of the opening. Far better would it be to
bolt at the first opportunity.

Stacy had kept unusually quiet, though his eyes had grown large when
he heard the conversation of the men. At least there was a peep-hole
through which the lookout was keeping watch. It occurred to Chunky
that he could yell after the men left, and thus attract the
attention of his own fellows. Tad had a different idea in mind,
though he had not yet fully formulated his plans along this line.

The outlaws having finished their lunch, some rolled up in their
blankets and went to sleep undisturbed by the fact that a band of
Rangers was encamped within a short quarter of a mile of them.

As for the boys who were in such a tight place, they hardly dared move
for fear of frightening the horses and thus exciting the suspicions
of the outlaws further down the underground passage. When the boys
did change their positions it was done as cautiously as they knew how.
One Pony near them evidently scented them, for it grew restless and
kept snorting, but that was all.

The hours dragged on wearily. The boys did not know whether it were
night or day. Finally the lookout came down to where Jones was
pacing steadily back and forth.

"Well?"

"Something going on over there," answered the lookout, jerking his head
toward the opening.

"What do you think?"

"I don't know. They're running around out there with torches."

"Where are they?"

"On the other side of the clearing."

"Got their rifles with them?"

"No."

"McKay there?"

"The whole crowd's there."

"They've missed us," whispered Chunky. "They're looking for us."

"Sh---h---h---h," warned Tad softly. Jones pondered for a moment, then
he turned to the lookout sharply.

"Wake up the men," he said.

"I reckon something is going to be did," whispered the irrepressible
Chunky. Something was.