dent," he said. "You'd never suspect it was
there unless you knew of it."

"Knew of what?" asked Rockley. "What sort of a mystery are you running
us into now?"

"Just wait and see."

Pender stepped from the path they had been pursuing and pushed aside
some overhanging bushes. Beyond was a small clearing, backed up by a
high, rocky wall. In the wall was an opening, blocked up by a heavy
door secured by a rusty iron chain that was passed through a ring in
the rocks.

"Well, this is certainly odd," exclaimed Flapp. "What kind of a place
is it"?

"It's a den of some sort," said Hurdy. "Maybe some counterfeiters
belong here."

"Bosh, you talk as if you were in a dime novel," came from Jackson.
"More than likely some old hermit lived here. When some men get queer
in the head they come to just such a spot as this to end their days.
They hate the sight of other human beings."

"I reckon it is a hermit's den," said Pender. "But if so the hermit
left it years ago, for everything inside is covered with dust and
cobwebs and mildew."

Pender walked up to the stout wooden door, unfastened the iron chain,
and threw the barrier back.

One after the other the boys entered the opening beyond. At first they
could see but little, but gradually their eyes became accustomed to the
gloom and they made out a rocky chamber about twelve feet wide and
running back in irregular shape for a hundred feet or more. At some
points the ceiling was so low they had to stoop, while elsewhere it was
far above their reach. The flooring was fairly level, with rock in some
places and hard dirt in others.

The opening was rudely furnished with a heavy table and a bench, and
close to one wall was a box bed, still filled with pine boughs. On a
big wooden hook hung a man's coat, so decayed that it began to fall
apart when they touched it. The table contained several tin cups and
plates, all rust eaten.

"This is certainly a curious find," said Flapp. "How did you happen to
hit it, Gus?"

"I was exploring the cliff above when I happened to slip and fall into
the bushes just in front of the door. I was shook up but not hurt, and
when I got up I saw the door and wondered what it meant. Then I looked
inside and after that went back to camp to tell you fellows about it."

"It will make a dandy place for secret meetings," suggested Rockley.
"We can come here and do what we please."

"Just what I thought," said Pender. "We can smuggle no end of good