ccompany them to the
place of exit.

Left to himself, Rodney could think soberly of his plight. He could not
foresee whether his captivity would be brief or prolonged.

After a time the spirit of curiosity seized him. He felt tempted
to explore the cavern in which he was confined. He took a lamp, and
followed in a direction opposite to that taken by his captors.

The cave he found was divided into several irregularly shaped chambers.
He walked slowly, holding up the lamp to examine the walls of the
cavern. In one passage he stopped short, for something attracted his
attention--something the sight of which made his heart beat quicker and
filled him with excitement.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

RODNEY'S DISCOVERY.

There was a good reason for Rodney's excitement. The walls of the
subterranean passage revealed distinct and rich indications of gold.
There was a time, and that not long before, when they would have
revealed nothing to Rodney, but since his residence at Oreville he had
more than once visited the mines and made himself familiar with surface
indications of mineral deposit.

He stopped short and scanned attentively the walls of the passage.

"If I am not mistaken," he said to himself, "this will make one of the
richest mines in Montana. But after all what good will it do me? Here am
I a prisoner, unable to leave the cave, or communicate with my friends.
If Mr. Pettigrew knew what I do he would feel justified in paying the
ransom these men want."

Rodney wondered how these rich deposits had failed to attract the
attention of his captors, but he soon settled upon the conclusion that
they had no knowledge of mines or mining, and were ignorant of the
riches that were almost in their grasp.

"Shall I enlighten them?" he asked himself.

It was a question which he could not immediately answer. He resolved to
be guided by circumstances.

In order not to excite suspicion he retraced his steps to the apartment
used by his captors as a common sitting room--carefully fixing in his
mind the location of the gold ore.

We must now follow the messenger who had gone to Oreville with a letter
from Rodney's captors.

As instructed, he left his horse, or rather Rodney's, tethered at some
distance from the settlement and proceeded on foot to the Miners' Rest.
His strange appearance excited attention and curiosity. Both these
feelings would have been magnified had it been known on what errand he
came.

"Where can I fi