lit up the heavens. "That must have struck somewhere."

"We'll go back a little," said old Benson. "The lightning is just as bad
here as it is in the woods. Wait till I get a torch."

Pine was plentiful in that locality, and soon he had a knot which was
full of pitch and which burned well when a match was applied to it. With
the torch in hand, he led the way further into the cave, and the boys
followed with their animals.

CHAPTER II.

CAVES IN THE MOUNTAIN.

The two boys had expected to find the large cave damp and unwholesome,
and they were surprised when they learned how dry the flooring and the
sides were, and how pure the air was. There was no breeze in the place,
but a gentle draught kept the air stirring. Of course the atmosphere was
much cooler than it had been outside.

Hardly had the travelers gained the center of the first chamber of the
cave, when the storm outside burst in all its fury. The lightning and
thunder were almost incessant, and the rain came down in broad sheets
which completely obliterated the landscape.

"It's little short of a flood," said Darry, after having gone to the
mouth of the cave to investigate. "The water is already two or three
inches deep on the trail."

"Well, such a downpour can't last long," returned Joe. "It's only a
shower, or a cloud-burst."

"No, it's a regular rain, and it's good for all night," answered the old
scout.

"All night!"

"Yes, lad, and we'll be lucky if it don't last through the morning, too.
It don't rain very often out here, you see, but when it does it tries to
make up for lost time."

"Then we'll have to camp right here, won't we?"

"To be sure. Even if it did let up, you wouldn't want to camp in the wet
timber."

"Then we might as well start up a fire," came from Darry, in something
of a disappointed tone. "I was hoping we'd be able to camp under the
stars just once before we got to the fort."

"Perhaps you'll get a chance to go out after you're at the fort," said
the old scout, by way of comfort. "Yes, we'll start a fire, if we can
find any dry wood."

The horses were tied up between some rocks, and then the three searched
around. At the entrance to the cave was a mass of brush and tree limbs
which previous storms had sent in that direction, and from this they
gathered enough for a good-sized fire. It did not take long for the
brush to blaze up, sending the sparks to the roof of the cave and
throwing fantastic shadows all abo