named. It was a sunken depression in the base
of the mountain--a sort of cave with an open front.

In a short time the place presented a cozy and cheerful appearance. The
luggage was unpacked, and the red flames danced in the stone fireplace.
Sparwick brought in a dozen loads of pine boughs and made a soft bed.

It was long past dark when supper was ready. In spite of their grief the
boys were very hungry. They enjoyed the meal. Then Bogle ordered them to
bed.

"You needn't think of escape," he said. "This place is harder to find or
get away from than the cabin in the swamp. Make the best of things, and
in good time you'll be free."

He strolled back to the fire and, lighting his pipe, sat down beside
Sparwick.

The boys felt too wretched and heartbroken to sleep. In tearful whispers
they talked about Jerry.

"I can hardly believe that he is dead," said Brick. "He was an awfully
good fellow."

"No better ever lived," replied Hamp. "He was murdered, Brick. Sparwick
drove him over that cliff. I'll never rest until both these scoundrels
are caught and punished."

"Nor I," added Brick. "We'll devote our lives to it. It won't seem long
now until we are free."

"But it takes a good while to go to New York and back from here," said
Hamp. "Anyhow, will Raikes know where to find us now?"

"They must have left a message for him at the cabin," replied Brick; "or
perhaps it was all arranged beforehand."

At this point Bogle and Sparwick came over to bed, and the conversation
ended abruptly.

We must now return to the events of the previous night.

After shooting sixty feet downward from the top of the precipice, Jerry
plunged into the bushy branches of a pine tree that jutted outward from
a crevice in the wall of rock. He stuck for an instant, and then slipped
through. He fell a farther distance of thirty feet, and landed in
another pine tree.

This time the branches held him tight, and there he remained in a state
of unconsciousness until daybreak.

About that time Jack Mowry, the trapper, happened along, in search of a
brace of partridges for breakfast. Fortunately he glanced up and saw the
lad.

The angle of the cliff was not so sharp at the base. It offered plenty
of footholds. The trapper clambered up for ten feet. He reached the tree
and succeeded in extricating Jerry, and getting him safely to the
ground.

The trapper carried Jerry tenderly to his camp, which was less than half
a mile distant--a cozy