py. So regular were the trees that it seemed as if they
had been planted by human hands hundreds of years before.

At first they did not notice, because of the somewhat dim light, that on
the far side of the amphitheatre there rose sheer a wall of rock well
covered with vines, and then all of one accord and simultaneously
exclaimed.

"There's a cave!"

"Hurrah, we've found it," added Tom.

"Don't go so fast," admonished Jim. "There may be more than one cave on
the island."

"But the opening is high up," demurred Tom, "and it looks as if it might
be hard to get into. How shall we do it?"

All thought of the column of smoke was blotted from their minds as they
surveyed the task before them, so suggestive of sought-for achievement.
The opening to the cave was fully forty feet above the level on which
they stood. No safe foothold could be discovered on close examination of
the face of the rock which rose sheer to the top, perhaps a hundred
feet.

"I'll warrant there is some other entrance," suggested Jim. "Seems to me
this place we are in was one time a sort of temple or auditorium, and
that opening up there in the rock may have been the pulpit."

"It's sure no easy job to get up there from this level," admitted Jo.
"Suppose we deploy around and hunt for the side door."

This they did, that is, Jim went one way, while Jo and Tom sought for an
opening in the opposite direction, but without success.

Juarez had meantime studied the face of the vine clad rock below the
mouth of the cave, and when his companions returned he undertook the
ascent or climb. Mounting first on Jim's stalwart shoulders he found
crevasses into which he dug his toes, and with his great knife scooped
out fragments at irregular distances, thus by degrees mounting to the
cave's mouth.

Once a secure footing gained, he let down his lariat, and one after the
other, the boys climbed up, and all stood looking out upon the
auditorium below. Surely a more beautiful green bower of exaggerated
proportions could not be imagined.

But it was not scenery that had induced them to seek the cave, and at
once their thoughts turned to the business at hand.

The floor of the cave was dry, and the place showed no signs of recent
occupancy. It extended into the rock beyond the limit of vision.

Jim had thoughtfully gathered and sent up a bundle of fagots, some dry
slow burning sticks, one of which was now lighted. The blaze cast a
fitful glare upon walls t