me from Tom Dillon, as he
turned to where their things and the animals were, but they had not been
disturbed.

"I guess they were too scared to touch anything," declared Dave. "They
were glad enough to save themselves. I imagine they ran away as soon as
they were free." And in this surmise our hero was correct. Link had been
the one to sever his bonds and he had untied Job Haskers, and then both
of them had lost not an instant in quitting the locality, being afraid
that some of the others might awaken before they could make good their
escape.

"Well, I am just as well satisfied," whispered Roger to Dave and Phil.
"I didn't want to hold them, anyway. All I want them to do is to leave
us alone."

"But you don't want them to discover the lost mine, Roger," returned our
hero.

"Oh, certainly not! We'll have to keep on the watch for them as well as
look for the mine," answered the senator's son.

A search was made, and it was soon ascertained that their enemies were
nowhere in that vicinity. Then breakfast was had, and a little later
the search for the lost Landslide Mine was continued.

As before, the different members of the party separated, and thus the
day went by. Several times one or another of the boys or the men thought
he had found some landmark, but each time the clew proved a false one.

"It looks as if we were going to be stumped,--just as those other
searching parties were stumped," remarked Roger, dismally. "Maybe the
lost mine will remain lost forever!" and he sighed deeply.

"Oh, I wouldn't give up yet!" cried Dave, cheerfully. "We have still
some more ground to cover."

"Of course, we have," said Phil. "Oh, we are going to find that mine, no
two ways about it!"

"I hope so," and Roger sighed again. He felt that if the mine was not
found, matters would look pretty blue at home for all concerned.

The following morning dawned bright and clear, with no warning at all of
what was in store. An early breakfast was had, and once more all hands
separated in the hunt for landmarks which might guide them to the lost
mine.

Dave was working his way along a small ridge of outcropping rocks, when
he came to one rock that stood out much higher than the rest. From this
point he gazed around, to see if he could locate any of the others of
the party.

As a distance he made out Roger and Phil, who had just come together.
Then, turning around, he glanced below him and made out several other
persons on a lower