It would have been so easy then."

"Yes, we could have worked it then, my lad. One would have been enough.
I could have carried out a nice game there, and led 'em on."

"And what about their arrows?" said Ned.

"Oh, I should have had to chance them. Kept out of reach, or dodged
them. I could have led 'em right in so that they wouldn't have heard
the stones being lowered down, and got right away over the top and shut
the door after me, while when they saw that they couldn't follow, and
went back, they'd have found themselves shut-in."

"But--there's--no way out over the top terrace," said Ned mockingly.

"Well, I know there isn't," said Griggs coolly. "I've looked well
myself three times over, because I was afraid that the enemy might find
a way down some time, and take us by surprise."

"It would have been so easy then," sighed Chris; "but I don't despair.
We might find a way, after all, if we had a good search."

"To be sure we might," replied Griggs, "and I think I know where."

"You do?" cried the boys together.

"'M, yes, I think so," said Griggs quietly.

"Where?" cried Chris. "You don't mean up at the head of the valley,
where I came down?"

"Nay! That wouldn't do, even if there was a place. Be too far off.
You want a spot where one could slip up quickly and shut the way after
you so as to stop the enemy from following."

"Yes," said Chris, shaking his head; "and that we shall never find."

"No," cried Ned, almost triumphantly. "Your plan's no better than mine,
old chap."

"I don't know so much about that, squire," said Griggs, screwing up his
face. "Seems to me that we can find such a way out if we try."

"Where?" cried Ned.

"Over yonder, squire," was the reply, as the American nodded his head in
the direction of the terraces and openings opposite to where they sat
talking.

"Ah!" cried Chris excitedly. "Yes, there must, now one thinks of it, be
a way down there. Some of the Indians must have got down a part of the
way to send their arrows at me when I was seeing to my poor mustang."

"To be sure! Right!" cried Griggs. "I never thought of that before.
Then we've been sleeping here with the door open, only the enemy were
afraid to come."

"Then you think we could find a way up there?" said Chris, shading his
eyes and looking across the valley at the perpendicular sunlit cliff
full of window or door openings similar to those from which they gazed.

"I'm beginning to think we co