at the two men had remained at the hotel for a day
and night. They spent the day in wandering around Oreville.

He had supposed when they came that they were in search of employment,
but they had not applied for work and only seemed actuated by curiosity.
What could be their object in stopping him now he could not understand.

It would have been natural to suppose they wanted money, but they had
not asked for any as yet. He had about fifty dollars in his pocketbook
and he would gladly have given them this if it would have insured his
release. But not a word had been said about money.

They kept on their journey. Montana is a mountainous State, and they
were now in the hilly regions. They kept on for perhaps half an hour,
gradually getting upon higher ground, until they reached a precipitous
hill composed largely of rock.

Here the two men stopped as if they had reached their journey's end.

One of them advanced to the side of the hill and unlocked a thick wooden
door which at first had failed to attract Rodney's attention. The door
swung open, revealing a dark passage, cut partly through stone and
partly through earth. Inside on the floor was a bell of good size.

One of the men lifted the bell and rang it loudly.

"What does that mean?" thought Rodney, who felt more curious than
apprehensive.

He soon learned.

A curious looking negro, stunted in growth, for he was no taller than a
boy of ten, came out from the interior and stood at the entrance of the
cave, if such it was. His face was large and hideous, there was a hump
on his back, and his legs were not a match, one being shorter than the
other, so that as he walked, his motion was a curious one. He bent a
scrutinizing glance on Rodney.

"Well, Caesar, is dinner ready?" asked one of the men.

"No, massa, not yet."

"Let it be ready then as soon as possible. But first lead the way. We
are coming in."

He started ahead, leading the horse, for the entrance was high enough to
admit the passage of the animal.

"Push on!" said the other, signing to Rodney to precede him.

Rodney did so, knowing remonstrance to be useless. His curiosity was
excited. He wondered how long the passage was and whither it led.

The way was dark, but here and there in niches was a kerosene lamp that
faintly relieved the otherwise intense blackness.

"I have read about such places," thought Rodney, "but I never expected
to get into one. The wonder is, that they should bring me