himself more than
once. Were they, too, caught underground, or had the awful landslide
carried them down into the valley and buried them?

In the course of his climbings Dave presently came to a new turn, one
which had before escaped his attention. This turn led upward and gave
him fresh hope. But, just as he fancied that he was getting close to the
outer air, he reached a flat wall, and further progress in that
direction was out of the question.

His heart sank like lead in his bosom, and he walked slowly back to the
point from which he had started. How to turn next he did not know.

Half an hour passed, and Dave was almost in despair. His torch had
reached its end and was on the point of going out. Then, not knowing
what else to do, he set up a cry for help.

There came no reply, and he cried again. Then he pulled out his pistol
and fired a shot.

The discharge of the weapon echoed and reechoed throughout the cave and
brought down several small stones. Then, to Dave's intense surprise and
joy, an answering shot came back.

"Who is it?" he yelled. "I am here! This way! _This way!_"

"Hello!" was the long-drawn-out answer, coming from some point that
appeared to be over his head. "Where--are--you?"

And then, as Dave's torch gave a final flicker and went out, our hero
saw a shaft of light move over the rocks above his head.

"It's Roger's flashlight!" he told himself, and then he set up another
cry.

The rays of the flashlight became stronger and of a sudden they shot
downward, directly in Dave's face.

"It's Dave!" came in Roger's voice. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," was the ready reply. "That you, Roger?"

"Yes. Phil is with me."

"Were you hurt?"

"Shaken up a bit, that's all," replied Phil, and now Dave saw his chums
standing in an opening that was about eight feet above his head.

"We had better get out of here," went on Roger, quickly. "Another
landslide may bury us alive!"

"I've found the mine!" cried Dave. "I've got some nuggets from it--and a
pick, a crowbar, and a broken lantern, all with your uncle's initials on
them!"

"Good for you!" cried the senator's son. "Phil and I found some
evidences of the mine up here--an old coat of my uncle's and some of his
stakes. But we had better get out now--we can talk this thing over
later."

"I can't get out down here--the passageway is blocked with rocks."

"Did you get in from below?" cried Phil. "We got in from up here."

A few words more pa