prisoner closely and he said he felt certain he was
on the right trail. But he was shy about saying more. He was wondering
if the coming night would offer any opportunity of escaping.

"I'll get away if I can," he thought. "And if so I must lose no time in
warning Mangle and Nodley. If I don't they'll be running into a trap,
and my share of that stolen money will be lost."

After the meal Allen and Watson remained near the entrance to the cave,
to talk over the situation and speculate upon what the day following
would bring forth.

Slavin wanted to join them, but Allen ordered him back.

"You go back to the fire," he said. "If you want to go to sleep you may
do so."

"Don't trust me even yet, do ye?" muttered the prisoner.

"I do not."

"Ye're rather hard on a chap wot is trying ter do ye a good turn."

"It remains to be seen if it is a good turn or not, Slavin. You may be
putting up a job on us."

"No, I swear it's all right, Winthrop. Ye'll find everything jest as I
told ye."

"Perhaps. But you go back to the fire," and Slavin went back, but with a
look on his face that rivaled the black clouds in the heavens outside.

Soon the prisoner was curled up close to the fire and he closed his eyes
as if in slumber, but he kept as wide awake as before.

While Allen and Watson were talking at the entrance to the cavern, Noel,
out of idle curiosity, procured a torch from the camp fire and went on a
tour of observation.

The cavern proved to be a narrow and rambling affair, being nothing more
or less than a split in the mountain side. The floor was uneven and back
from the entrance arose in a series of rough steps.

Up these steps climbed the young man until he had gained a position
fully fifty feet above the mouth of the cavern.

At a great distance he heard the falling of water, as the rain swept
over some rocks at a rear entrance to the cavern.

Curious to see where the cavern led to be continued his climbing until
the light of the camp fire was left far behind.

His torch was burning low but he whirled it into a blaze and went on
once more.

Occasionally he slipped, for the rocks were now wet, but this did not
daunt him.

At last he reached a spot where the water was flowing in a miniature
waterfall. There was an opening over his head but it was out of reach.

"This must be a pretty place in the daylight," he mused. "What grand
scenery on every hand throughout this State!"

Of a sudden more than t