ing his head, as if
agreeing with his chum's version.

"And a tomato can with the top cut away," broke in Bobolink, as he
looked, "and a stick in the hole of the cover. Say, Paul, I guess you're
right, because I've seen tramps heating coffee in that style. It wasn't
Ted and his crowd after all; and I guess the old mound builders didn't
have tomato cans to use."

"Or coffee to put in them," laughed Paul, turning the can upside down,
and allowing some dark grains to fall on his palm; at which Bobolink
sniffed, and then threw up both hands as though giving in.

"Shall we go on further?" asked Paul. "I'm ready to leave it to the
rest."

"Sure," declared Jack, without hesitation.

"Count me in on that, Paul," came from Joe, stoutly.

"I'm all to the good," remarked Bobolink; "because, you see, we want to
know what sort of a joint we've got here; and if there's any front door
to the same. We just sort of fell in at the back entrance; which I take
it was hardly the proper thing for decent fellers to do. Skidoo, Paul;
we're on your track!"

For some little time after that they found nothing of interest. The
passage kept winding in and out, in a way that was "some confusing," as
Bobolink said. And since there were other passages branching off the
main stem Paul thought it wise to bring his red chalk into play.

Accordingly, he marked an arrow that always pointed along the right
channel, and was calculated to lead them back to where the balance of
the troop was quartered.

"That's a cinch!" was the way Bobolink greeted this action; and indeed
it seemed that no one could possibly miss the route with such a guide at
hand.

But they had forgotten that light was absolutely necessary in order to
tell the way these arrows pointed. Pretty soon Jack awoke to the fact
that they no longer seemed able to pick up small pieces of wood which
could be used as torches.

"And our supply has nearly run out, too," he added, holding up only one
more piece.

"That looks serious," said Paul; "and perhaps after all our smartness
we're going to get lost in the dark. How many matches in the crowd?"

A hasty search revealed the act that all told they could only muster
nine; for they had been using quite a number.

"That isn't much to count on, if we have to depend on them till we get
back to where we can find wood again," remarked Paul, thoughtfully.
"What shall we do, boys?"

"I'm willing to leave it to you," replied Jack; who suspect